Monthly Archives: January 2017
Hi,
We have a NEW SuperBru Pool for all to join!
- The Varsity Cup 2017 starts today (30 January 2017) at 16:45 SA Time, so hurry up and do not delay to register and pick for it!
- 2 More Pools will be created, one for Super Rugby 2017 and the other for the RBS SIX Nations, within the next day or so, so keep a lookout for them too and join up there too!
As of 2016 we have been doing it a bit differently and opened our Pools up to all readers of Rugby-Talk.com, but we encourage you to register as a subsciber on Rugby-Talk.com anyway, as our banter and commenting about our Pools will mostly take place here on the website and not on the SuperBru banter boards! It is so easy to register and such fun to discuss rugby here.
UJ (12) 12 / 16 (10) Pukke (Final Score)
FNB UJ (University of Johannesburg) and FNB NWU-Pukke (North West University) did battle in the Varsity Cup 2017 at
UJ Stadium, Johannesburg at 19:00 SA Time (17:00 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
*******************
Wits (7) 21 / 26 (19) Shimlas (Final Score)
FNB Wits (Wits University) and FNB UFS-Shimlas (University of the Free State) did battle in the Varsity Cup 2017 at
Wits Stadium, Johannesburg at 16:45 SA Time (14:45 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
*******************
The Emirates Lions’ loose forward Warwick Tecklenburg has decided to retire from all Rugby with immediate effect.
I was initially told this news by an acquaintance of the family about a week ago, and was admittedly very dubious.
However, with the player now having returned from a stint in Japan, the news has been confirmed by the Lions’.
Herewith the full media release from the Lions.
Sale winger Tom Arscott has been sacked after he allegedly leaked confidential team information to Bristol before their Premiership game on 1 January.
The 29-year-old met with brother and Bristol back Luke when he visited their team hotel the night before the match, which the West Country side won 24-23.
Sale suspended Arscott on 4 January and carried out an internal investigation.
However, Sale complained to the Rugby Football Union before suspending Arscott.
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) may impose a five-year residency rule on England if World Rugby fails to increase the existing eligibility level.
A player currently becomes eligible when they have lived in a country for three years.
But a campaign led by World Rugby vice-chairman Agustin Pichot is seeking to raise the level by a further 24 months.
He added: “In an ideal world there would be universality of regulation and there’s a helpful way of dealing with this, and that’s by moving the World Rugby regulation from three to five years.”
Cornell du Preez gets Scotland call up
Head Coach Vern Cotter today named a 37-man Scotland squad for the forthcoming RBS 6 Nations Championship.
Among the group is 37-times capped Gloucester centre Matt Scott who – after missing out on selection in the autumn – has earned a recall thanks to a number of impressive performances for the Kingsholm club, scoring 12 tries in 18 games this season.
Cotter has also named uncapped Edinburgh Rugby forwards Simon Berghan (prop) and Cornell Du Preez (back-row).
Du Preez (25) is a popular figure in the capital, scoring 14 tries in 71 appearances. He became eligible to represent Scotland last year after completing three years of residency in the country.
Berghan (26) joined Edinburgh Rugby in 2013 and is eligible to represent Scotland through his grandfather, Andrew Davidson, from Stirling. The 20st, 6’3” prop has made 24 appearances for the capital club.
Berghan and returning Newcastle Falcons’ tighthead Jon Welsh are among the seven props named in the squad, with the national team awaiting the results of a scan this evening (Wednesday) that will confirm the availability of Edinburgh Rugby’s Willem Nel, who injured his neck in the club’s European Challenge Cup win over Harlequins on Saturday (14 January).
WP Nel on the rampage against Harlequins
Tighthead prop WP Nel is among four changes to Edinburgh Rugby’s starting XV to face Harlequins in Saturday’s round five European Challenge Cup clash at Twickenham Stoop (kick-off 1500 GMT, 1700 SA Time).
Scotland cap Nel – who has been out of action with a neck injury since October – comes in to take the number three jersey in one of two changes to the starting pack.
The other amendment comes in the back-row where Hamish Watson – who this week signed a new two-year deal with the club – starts on the openside flank.
In the backline, experienced operator Phil Burleigh returns at inside-centre, with club centurion Tom Brown set to start on the left wing.
Acting Head Coach, Duncan Hodge, said: “There’s a lot at stake for both sides tomorrow, which makes for an exciting tie. Harlequins’ home record speaks for itself, and we have no doubt about the size of task ahead, but there is a good buzz in camp and a belief that we can go down to London and do what is required of us.”
From us here at Rugby-Talk.com,
Hope you have had a fabulous Festive Season and have had a very Merry Christmas! Happy New Year for 2017, may it bring wonderful rugby joy and may South African rugby improve dramatically… it has been a dreadful year in 2016, has’nt it!!
On a personal level, 2016 has been less than kind to me… been through a seperation and divorce, had 2 break-in’s, was wayyyy too busy building and developing properties, worked far too hard, was bitten by a violin spider and had to suffer through a dreadful South African rugby season.
But hey, it can only get better in 2017. As a result of my year, Rugby-Talk.com was on the back-burner much of the time, but after a good recuperative rest in December I have all sorts of plans for 2017 here at Rugby-Talk.com.
Made a SELFIE VIDEO for you guys, but DANG it is not easy to look good on a SELFIE VIDEO!
Here it is…
Eddie Jones has said that Dylan Hartley would continue to captain England if he was fit enough to be selected.
Northampton hooker Hartley is serving a six-week ban for catching Leinster’s Sean O’Brien with a swinging arm in a Champions Cup match in December.
Jones, 56, said last month that the 30-year-old had “let his country down” with the third red card of his career.
But the Australian said on Tuesday that Hartley was “doing everything right” to be England captain for the forthcoming Six Nations.
Racing 92 are to launch legal proceedings against want-away Springbok utility back Johan Goosen over what they allege is”blatant fraud”.
The Parisian club said the 24-year-old, player of the year last season in France, had not appeared “for the last two days and seems to have vacated his residence,”
Last month the Springboks star said he was quitting rugby to return to South Africa.
“As far as Racing 92 is concerned, Johan Goosen still remains bound to the club by an employment contract lasting four years, while his residence, company car, locker and place in the locker-room all remain at his disposal,” said the club, who play Munster in European action this weekend.