Daily Archives: 23 June 2015
Handré Pollard
The Blue Bulls Company (Pty) Ltd on Tuesday confirmed that flyhalf Handré Pollard has been given permission to join Japanese outfit NTT Docomo Red Hurricanes for a 3 month spell at the end of the year.
Pollard will join the club in November 2015 and will return to Loftus Versfeld at the end of January 2016, in good time for the 2016 Vodacom Super Rugby season that starts in mid-February.
“Handré is contracted to the Bulls till the end of 2017 and we are already in talks, with assistance from SARU, to extend that to 2019,” said Blue Bulls Company High Performance Manager, Xander Janse van Rensburg.
CJ van der Linde
Former Springbok coach Jake White has lured another South African player to Montpellier in France.
White has signed former Springbok prop CJ van der Linde from the EP Kings.
34-Year-old Van der Linde, who played 75 Tests for the Springboks, will join his new club at the end of this month.
His departure is a big blow for the EP Kings, as the former Springbok prop was also their scrum coach.
Van der Linde joins a large South African contingent at the ambitious Top 14 club.
R.I.P. Norman Berryman
New Zealand Rugby said on Tuesday that cult hero “Stormin” Norman Berryman has died at the age of 42.
Reports said Berryman suffered a heart attack at his home near Perth, Australia, where he settled after his rugby career.
Berryman, a powerful winger, was a fan favourite during a long career in Super Rugby but played just 1 Test for the All Blacks, a 23 / 24 loss to South Africa in 1998.
He was widely considered to be unlucky to miss out on more Test caps but was competing for spots against the likes of Jonah Lomu and Inga Tuigamala.
Berryman also did himself no favours with his outspoken criticism of then All Blacks coach John Hart, who he said “has got a vibe about him that projects negativity”.
He famously walked out of an All Blacks training camp in Auckland and hitch-hiked home to Whangarei after a disagreement with Hart.
Kurtley Beale
Waratahs’ centre Kurtley Beale is in a race against time to be ready for the Waratahs’ semifinal match with the Highlanders in Sydney on Saturday.
Neither Beale nor wing Rob Horne trained with the side on Tuesday, and while Horne is expected to recover from a calf niggle in time, Waratahs assistant coach Daryl Gibson conceded time is against them regarding Beale’s injured quadriceps.
Gibson said Beale would be given until Thursday to be ready, but the Waratahs were preparing for versatile utility Matt Carraro to reprise the role he took at short notice against the Reds a fortnight ago.
“Beale’s been doing his exercises and getting up to a running pace that enables him to at least have a chance on Thursday to see if he can make it,” Gibson said.
Stephen Larkham
Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham has taken to the fine art of playing mind games ahead of his team’s massive semifinal match with the high-flying Hurricanes in Wellington.
Speaking to the media after returning home from demolishing the Stormers 39 / 19 in Cape Town, Larkham was more than happy with the way they have gone about getting into the semi-finals and believes the break the Hurricanes have had, could hinder their combinations.
“They’ve had the week off and will be nice and fresh, but maybe their combinations will be lacking. They’ve had a number of injuries over the last couple of rounds and a lot of those players are potentially coming back this week. We’ll see if that affects their combinations.
“For us, it’s about continuing the momentum that we’ve had.
“It’s an advantage that we haven’t played them this year because of the success they have had this year but we have been watching their games through the year and watching how other teams have gone against them,” he said.
As much as the Hurricanes’ backline poses a massive threat, Larkham was quick to point out that their forwards are no push overs either.
It was a weekend of home wins in the Currie Cup Qualifiers as the Down Touch Griffons, ORC Griquas and the Leopards came out tops in their respective matches.
The Griffons pipped the SWD Eagles 25 / 21 in a nail-biting encounter at HT Pelatona Projects Stadium in Welkom, while Griquas defeated the Boland Cavaliers 48 / 17 at Griquas Park and the Leopards smashed the Hino Valke 53 / 7 at Profert Olen Park in Potchefstroom.
The Leopards’ victory marked their 2nd successive bonus-point win and earned them the status as the only unbeaten team in the competition after 2 Rounds.
The Potchefstroom team is now 4 points ahead of the Griquas at the top of the log table with 10 points.
The All Blacks selectors gave their 1st hint of World Cup thinking, naming 5 new faces in an enlarged 41-man squad.
Coach Steve Hansen has named 33 new All Blacks since they won the last World Cup in 2011 with the latest additions being Crusaders hooker Codie Taylor, Hurricanes lock James Broadhurst and fullback Nehe Milner-Skudder, Highlanders flyhalf Lima Sopoaga and wing Waisake Naholo.
Naholo is the leading try-scorer in Super Rugby this year, touching down twice in the Highlanders 24 / 14 play-off victory over the Chiefs on Saturday to take his total for the year to 11.
Milner-Skudder is a cousin of Buff Milner and a nephew of George Skudder, both former All Blacks.
There is also a recall for 3-Test hooker Hika Elliot who has not been required for international duty since June 2012.
A final group of 31 to defend their world crown will be named at the end of August following The Rugby Championship Tests against South Africa, Australia and Argentina as well as a 1-off Test with Samoa and an extra clash with Australia.
Marcell Coetzee
The tide of South Africans heading abroad continues as Marcell Coetzee is one of the latest to ink a deal in Japan, utilising the grace period after the World Cup.
The Springbok will join Honda Heat and feature in the Japanese league from 1 November 2015 to 31 January 2016. The good news for South African fans though is that he will return to Durban after his contract in time the 2016 Super Rugby season.
Honda Heat have also strengthened their side with the signing of Wallaby wing Digby Ioane from the French club Stade Francais.
Sonny Bill Williams
Liam Messam
The Chiefs will be without a host of players next season including captain Liam Messam who will play Sevens in a bid to make the Olympics.
Messam and star centre Sonny Bill Williams will be part of a large group of players that will not be around next season, and coach Dave Rennie admitted that his captain will be a massive loss to the side.
“Not just his playing ability but his leadership – he’s very charismatic, incredibly passionate – he’ll be very difficult to replace.
Dan Pryor
Dan Pryor’s Super Rugby season is likely over after the versatile forward suffered a dislocated elbow in his side’s Qualifier triumph over the Chiefs.
Pryor came from the field in the 61st minute and the Highlanders confirmed via social media on Sunday morning that the 27-year-old had suffered the injury.
Head coach Jamie Joseph confirmed that Pryor will definitely miss next week’s Semi-Final against the Waratahs.
Quade Cooper
Queensland Rugby Union has advised Quade Cooper that they are withdrawing their contract offer and will not attempt to retain him for the 2016 season and beyond.
It is understood that when Cooper travelled overseas in April he signed a pre-commitment to join French side Toulon at the conclusion of the 2015 Rugby World Cup. However, he had previously – and then continued to – demonstrate a genuineness on wanting to remain with the Reds and the Wallabies.
Since that time, his management has been in negotiation with QRU and Australian Rugby Union (ARU). However, due to events over the last few weeks, QRU CEO Jim Carmichael said the organisation was no longer willing to participate in what has been an ongoing process with Cooper’s management.
Sir John Kirwan
Tana Umaga
Sir John Kirwan:
Blues rugby legend Sir John Kirwan has resigned his role as head coach of the organisation.
Kirwan, who has been head coach for 3 years, has announced that he will not seek reappointment for a further term as coach and will step aside, effective immediately.
While Kirwan had put up a proposal to the Blues board for his continued involvement, he said that he had reconsidered over the past few days after talking with his family, colleagues and friends.
“I had a chance to take a breath and reflect about the situation, my future and above all my love of this Blues club and the players,” Kirwan said.
“People who know me well know that I do not walk away from a challenge and that was what was driving me because I know what has been set-up in terms of organisational structure in the last 2 years.
“However I always said that if I didn’t bring about the results that the players, the club and the fans wanted, then I would step aside.”
The South African Rugby Union Sevens Academy team followed their Roma Sevens triumph a week ago with another title after winning the Geneva Sevens competition this past weekend.
The win capped off a memorable 2-week tour of Europe for the South Africans, who remained undefeated after both tournaments.
The win in Switzerland was memorable for SARU Academy Manager, Marius Schoeman and head coach Paul Delport, as the team contested the final with only 8 players due to injuries. Despite this they had more than enough gas in the tank, beating Roma Seven 44 / 0 in the last match of the day at the Centre Sportif du Bout-du-Monde.
Earlier in the day they also had the better of Welsh side, Forces Exiles, in a tight 19 / 15 win, whilst they secured good wins on day 1 of the event, beating Roma Seven 19 / 0, Switzers 59 / 0, Monaco 33 / 0 and French team Lyon 40 / 0.
Regular Blitzbok Ruhan Nel was named player of the tournament.
Pieter-Steph du Toit
DHL Western Province Director of Rugby Gert Smal has confirmed their interest in signing Springbok lock Pieter-Steph du Toit from the Cell C Sharks.
Smal confirmed to EWN Sport that a discussion between him and Du Toit had taken place.
Smal said the Sharks had agreed to the discussion taking place.
The WP boss said the discussion went well and he now hopes Du Toit “makes the right decision to come to Cape Town.”
Du Toit, 22, signed a 2-year contract extension at the Sharks in July 2013 which runs until 30 June this year.
Hencus van Wyk
Blue Bulls prop Hencus van Wyk is reportedly off to Japan later this year.
According japonrugby.net, Van Wyk has been signed by the Munakata Sanix Blues, who he will join ahead of the 2015 / 2016 season.
It is unsure whether Van Wyk will be allowed to return to play Super Rugby for the Bulls – as is the case with many South African players plying their trade in Japan.
Maks van Dyk
Tighthead prop Maks van Dyk has completed his move to the EP Kings, where he hopes to make an impact in the Currie Cup and Super Rugby.
Van Dyk has been based at Griquas since last year, which saw him play Super Rugby for the Cheetahs in 2014 and 2015.
It’s been a notable rise for the former Junior Springbok front-rower, who was part of the South African squad that lifted the Under 20 World Championship trophy at Newlands in 2012.
From Durban (where he was based at the Sharks between 2011 and 2013) to Kimberley to Bloemfontein, the 23-year-old has a new home in Port Elizabeth, where he has signed a 2-year contract with the Kings.
The Wallabies will play England in a blockbuster 3-Test series in Australia in June 2016, the Australian Rugby Union announced on Friday.
It will be 1st time in the century-old rivalry between Australia and England that the 2 nations will meet in a 3-Test series. The teams last met on 3 occasions in the same year in 2010, although just 2 matches were played on Aussie soil as part of England’s inbound tour.
Michael Cheika’s men will play their old rivals for the Cook Cup in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.
Australian Rugby Union CEO, Bill Pulver said: “With a rivalry that dates back to 1909, it is remarkable that Australia and England have never before played a 3-match series and the history of this occasion is sure to add to the anticipation for the tour.
Jean de Villiers
Springbok captain Jean de Villiers has no plans to retire after this year’s Rugby World Cup.
De Villiers suffered a horrific knee injury in the Springboks’ final Test against Wales in Cardiff late last year and underwent intensive rehabilitation to recover in time for this year’s World Cup.
He appears to have made a remarkable recovery and on Wednesday confirmed that he would be able to return to the playing field in a month’s time.
The Bok skipper also said he had no intentions of calling it quits after the World Cup.
“I didn’t go through 10 months of rehabilitation just to play 10 more games,” De Villiers was quoted as saying.
Pierre Spies
Springbok Pierre Spies has revealed that he was regarded as surplus to requirements at the Bulls, which is why he is heading to France.
The South African revolution sweeping Montpellier continued with confirmation that experienced Bok No 8, Spies, will join the Top 14 club in February.
The 30-year-old Spies, capped 53 times by his country, becomes the 9th player from South Africa to have joined the southern French team, coached by Jake White, who led the rainbow nation to World Cup success in 2007.
Released by the Bulls, Spies will 1st travel to play in Japan before joining Montpellier.
Duane Vermeulen
DHL Stormers captain Duane Vermeulen met with Director of Rugby Gert Smal on Monday morning, to sort out the events that transpired in France last week.
Vermeulen visited French Top 14 club Toulon late last week and was unveiled to the local media as their new signing – a move which certainly caught Western Province Rugby by surprise.