European Rugby
Hawkeye technology used in tennis
Technology company Hawkeye says it is in talks about providing a replacement to the television match official (TMO) system in rugby.
Hawkeye, which operates systems in football and tennis, could be used in domestic rugby and internationally in time for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
Hawkeye founder Paul Hawkins said: “We are in conversation with Premiership Rugby and the IRB.”
The International Rugby Board would not confirm any talks with Hawkeye.
Tobias Botes
Steve Cummins
Tom Botha
South African-born Italian international Tobias Botes and Australian U20 lock Steve Cummins have joined the EP Kings until the end of the 2014.
Tighthead prop, Tom Botha, has also joined the Eastern Province team as their preparations for re-entry into Currie Cup steps up a gear.
Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt was forced to make two changes to his travelling squad prior to their departure for the tour of Argentina.
Versatile back Keith Earls has been ruled out due to illness (gastroenteritis), while prop Martin Moore, who helped Leinster retain the PRO12 title, will not travel as he is nursing a fractured toe.
Tom Heathcote
Edinburgh Rugby are delighted to announce the signing of 22-year-old Scotland stand-off Tom Heathcote, from Bath Rugby, on a one-year deal to 2015.
Born in Inverness, Heathcote won his first cap for the nation as a replacement in the 2012 EMC Test against Tonga at Pittodrie Stadium in Aberdeen.
He was selected in Scotland’s 2013 RBS 6 Nations squad and subsequently started at stand-off for Scotland A, kicking eight points in the 13-9 win over England Saxons, the side’s first win on English soil.
He then went on to make two starts for Scotland in the 2013 summer quadrangular tournament against Samoa and Italy, and is considered one of the brightest young contenders for the national number 10 jersey.
Bryan Habana, Bakkies Botha, Juan Smith & Danie Rossouw at Toulon
Toulon’s South African contingent capped an unbelievably successful seven days by lifting the Bouclier de Brennus shield in Paris, after defeating Castres 18-10 in the Top 14 Final to go with their Heineken Cup title.
Former England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson was given the perfect send-off by Bakkies Botha, Juan Smith, Craig Burden and Bryan Habana, who all started the final, with Danie Rossouw and Michael Claassens appearing off the bench.
The match was Rossouw’s last before retirement and brings down the curtain on a truly glorious career in which he was won every trophy available to him, from league titles in Japan, France and Super Rugby to two Heineken Cups and of course the Rugby World Cup and old Tri-Nations.
John Plumtree & Chris Boyd
Chris Boyd and John Plumtree will reunite as Super Rugby coaches in 2015 – this time on home soil.
The pair, who coached the Durban-based Sharks together in 2009 and 2010, have today been announced as the new coaching duo to lead the Hurricanes into next year’s campaign.
Current Wellington Lions coach, Boyd, will take up the head coach role, with Plumtree as his assistant.
England head coach Stuart Lancaster has added 16 players to their New Zealand tour squad after Northampton Saints and Saracens completed their domestic season.
The 16 players have been drawn from Aviva Premiership finalists Northampton Saints and Saracens, along with Bath Rugby’s Anthony Watson and Harlequins’ Kyle Sinckler, will fly to New Zealand on Monday night and arrive in Auckland on Wednesday morning.
England Head Coach Stuart Lancaster said, “We are looking forward to the guys flying in and adding to the group. ”
The Barbarians went some way to restoring their reputation with a 39-29 win over an unfamiliar-looking England at Twickenham on Sunday.
Following the invitational team’s much-criticised display in a 59-8 thrashing by the British and Irish Lions in Hong Kong last year, England’s 2003 World Cup-winning coach Clive Woodward labelled the match “a waste of time”.
But in front of a crowd of more than 50,000, the Barbarians ran in five tries from Benson Stanley, Juan-Martin Hernandez, Mamuka Gorgodze and Hosea Gear, who crossed twice.
England were fielding what was, effectively, a ‘Fourth XV’, with Stuart Lancaster’s initial squad already in New Zealand ahead of next week’s first Test against the world champion All Blacks and players involved in Saturday’s Premiership final between Northampton and Saracens not considered for this match.
Zane Kirchner was in fine form for Leinster
It was a solemn farewell for Brian O’Driscoll but an electric Zane Kirchner ensured the Leinster legend bowed out with back-to-back RaboDirect PRO12 titles.
O’Driscoll, playing in his last professional match, was forced off the pitch early on at a sun-soaked RDS but Kirchner lifted Leinster spirits with a try before setting up Shane Jennings in the first half.
Finn Russell ensured Glasgow Warriors were never too far off the pace with an accurate kicking display but Kirchner crossed over again late on before Gordon D’Arcy completed the scoring to make it 34-12.
Jonny Wilkinson for Toulon in the 2014 Top 14 Final against Castres, his last game before retirement.
Jonny Wilkinson ended his career by helping Toulon to the French title with victory over Castres in Paris.
The former England fly-half, 35, kicked all but three of his side’s points in an 18-10 victory in the Top 14 final.
His display included four penalty kicks and a drop goal reminiscent of his winning kick against Australia to win England the World Cup in 2003.
Alex Waller’s try in the last minute of extra time won Northampton their first Premiership title with a dramatic victory over Saracens.
Saints led 7-6 at the break through Ben Foden’s converted try, with Owen Farrell replying with two penalties.
Farrell added a further penalty before George Pisi crossed for Northampton’s second converted try.
Marcelo Bosch’s try levelled the scores but Charlie Hodgson’s kick hit the post to send the game into extra time.
Today is almost Groundhog Day in France as Toulon once again take on Castres in the Top 14 final, but this year there is one crucial difference. Jonny Wilkinson, as the rugby world and his wife is well aware, will hang up his boots on Saturday evening having played the final 80 minutes in his glittering career. Worryingly for Castres, it would be hard to imagine that Wilkinson’s Toulon team-mates will allow him to sign off with an anti-climax.
It’s not just Wilkinson that Toulon will be aiming to win for – the whole team have a score to settle with their opponents. Castres upset the applecart last season by defeating Toulon 19-14 in the final to claim their first league title in 20 years. Having become the first French club to secure back-to-back Heineken Cups last weekend, Toulon are now aiming to secure a league and cup double that will send their already devoted fans into absolute pandemonium.
Defending Champions Leinster will face Glasgow Warriors in the final of the RaboDirect PRO12 in front of a capacity crowd in Dublin tonight. Kick off is at 18:15 BST, 19:15 SA Time.
Leinster will be more familiar with the experience having played in and won many finals in the PRO12 and elsewhere in European Rugby, while it will be Glasgow Warriors first appearance ever in a final at this level.
Leinster stalwarts Brian ‘O Driscoll and captain Leo Cullen will be playing their final match for the club before they retire. The Glasgow Warriors also features players competing in the their final match for the team- Chris Cusiter, Ruaridh Jackson and Moray Low, who will be furthering their careers with clubs in England next season.
Northampton Saints have named captain Dylan Hartley among their replacements for Saturday’s Premiership final against Saracens at Twickenham.
But the hooker’s England team-mate Mako Vunipola is missing for Sarries having had surgery on a dislocated patella.
Saints are aiming for their first-ever Premiership title, after losing to rivals Leicester in last year’s final.
Juan Manuel Leguizamon
Argentina flanker Juan Manuel Leguizamon has been selected to captain a Barbarians team including five All Blacks against England at Twickenham on Sunday.
Lyon forward Leguizamon will captain a side that also includes British and Irish Lions lock Donncha O’Callaghan, who will make his Barbarians debut, and just one uncapped player in Clermont’s Australian fly-half Brock James.
Head coach Dean Ryan, also the coach at Worcester Warriors, picked 13 of his starting XV from the French Top 14.
An under-strength England squad arrived in New Zealand Thursday, with coach Stuart Lancaster rejecting suggestions his weakened side faces a “Tour from Hell” against the world champion All Blacks.
Lancaster had to leave up to a dozen top players behind for the Premiership Final between Saracens and Northampton, meaning they will be unavailable for the opening match of the three-Test series.
“It’s not ideal when you come to play the world champions in their own back yard and you don’t have your best side available,” he told reporters in Auckland.
A parent who tripped up an under-16s rugby player during a cup final in Hertfordshire has been handed a two-year touchline ban by the Rugby Football Union.
The incident, in last month’s game between Watford club Fullerians and Royston, attracted widespread publicity in the UK and abroad after a photograph showing the father stepping on to the pitch was published in newspapers and on social media.
Leinster Rugby’s Jamie Heaslip talks about this weekends Rabo Pro12 final against Glasgow.
After the Heineken Cup double, last year Leinster settled for an Amlin trophy, but after being knocked out by the eventual winners, now look to the Pro12 to retain the trophy-winning streak they have cultivated over the last five years.
“They’re the positions you want to be in at this time of the year, to be playing in those games (European finals). I was awful jealous at the weekend not being involved in any sort of competition. It was the first time in a couple of years that happened.”
“We want to kick on come this week and we know the challenge ahead of us. We played these guys last year in the semis, we played them I don’t know how many times over the last couple of seasons in Europe and the league. We know that margins that are there; last year could have gone either way. I think Rob made a great tackle on the line and held a guy up over the line, one score separated the team.”
Lock Bradley Davies will miss Wales’ two-Test tour to South Africa in June because of a hamstring injury.
The Cardiff Blues lock, 27, who is heading to Wasps, suffered the problem in training and has undergone surgery.
Meanwhile, Racing Metro flanker Dan Lydiate is out of Friday’s Wales Probables v Possibles trial in Swansea.
But Lydiate’s hamstring strain is not expected to rule him out of the tour, which starts with a warm-up against Eastern Province Kings on 10 June.
Tommy Seymour is determined to help the Warriors finish off the season in style by claiming their first-ever RaboDirect PRO12 league title.
It will be the perfect end after a season that has seen Tommy come to the fore with Glasgow and Scotland.
Scottish Rugby is delighted to announce today that it has secured a long-term, multi-million pounds deal with global communications and broadcasting giant BT.
The four-year partnership, unveiled at the home of Scottish Rugby this afternoon, sees BT
- Secure the naming rights for Murrayfield Stadium, which becomes BT Murrayfield Stadium.
- Become sponsor of the Scotland 7s side from the outset of the 2014-15 HSBC Sevens World Series.
- Become principal and exclusive sponsor of Scotland’s domestic league and cup competitions from next season.
- Become sponsor of Scottish Rugby’s four new academies which will drive forward standards for young players who have aspirations to play professionally.
Graham Kitchener
England have named their team to play the Barbarians at Twickenham Stadium on Sunday with Graham Kitchener captaining the team.
Leicester Tigers second row Kitchener will captain the England selection which includes players from seven Premiership sides.
Twenty-one-year-old Exeter Chiefs fly half Henry Slade has been named a the vice captain of the team.
Owen Williams
Leicester flyhalf Owen Williams will miss Wales’ tour of South Africa in June after being given a six-week ban which sidelines him until 1 September.
Williams, 22, would have been hoping to earn his first senior cap in the Test series with the Springboks, but the Rugby Football Union has handed a lengthy suspension to Williams, who pleaded guilty for acts contrary to good sportsmanship.
Juandre Kruger has been added to the Barbarians squad to face England on June 1, a week before he is set to face his home-nation as part of the World XV.
The Barbarians game can be viewed as a warm-up match for a number of players who feature in both Dean Ryan’s Baa-Baas and Nick Mallett’s World XV
Juandre Kruger, Hosea Gear, James O’Connor, Francois Trinh-Duc, Rene Ranger, Schalk Ferreira, Mamuka Gorgodze, Sona Taumalolo, Jimmy Cowan, Andrew Hore, Alexandre Lapandry, Roger Wilson, Joe Tekori will all feature in both invitational teams.
Head coach Dean Ryan has at his disposal an experienced group totalling more than 700 international caps.
A dozen players have been added to the initial Barbarians group including Ireland lock Donncha O’Callaghan, France fly half Francois Trinh-Duc, South Africa second row Juandre Kruger and Argentina full back Juan Martin Hernandez.
Nine different nations are represented – six New Zealanders joined by players from Argentina, Australia, France, South Africa, Georgia, Ireland, Samoa and Tonga – and 19 players are set to wear the club’s famous black and white hooped shirt for the first time.
“It is a testimony to the special appeal the Barbarians has throughout the rugby world that we have been able to bring together such an experienced and talented squad of players,” head coach Ryan said.
“It’s a privilege to be able to work with a group who have achieved so much and we’re looking forward to taking on a young England side at Twickenham next Sunday.”
There is one change to the group of players previously announced with Castres-bound All Black Sitiveni Sivivatu now unavailable.
Barbarians squad:
Backs: Jimmy Cowan, Tomas Cubelli, Hosea Gear, Juan Martin Hernandez, Brock James, James O’Connor, Rene Ranger, Joe Rokocoko, Benson Stanley, Francois Trinh-Duc.
Forwards: Julien Brugnaut, Schalk Ferreira, Mamuka Gorgodze, Andrew Hore, Juandre Kruger, Alexandre Lapandry, Juan Manuel Leguizamon, Nahuel Lobo, Donncha O’Callaghan, Ti‘i Paulo, Sona Taumalolo, Joe Tekori, Roger Wilson, Davit Zirakashvili.
James Haskell has been included in the England squad, set to tour New Zealand, for the first time since the World Cup in 2011.
Haskell has had a checkered career which has included several foul-play bans as well as being expelled from school for a pornographic incident.
The big loose forward, who knows New Zealand well, had a stint with the Highlanders and was also a member of the England group that were involved in a series of controversial off-field events at the World Cup.
Steve Borthwick
Retiring Saracens captain Steve Borthwick will take up a coaching role with Eddie Jones’ Japan at the conclusion of the Premiership this weekend.
Jones, who has coached Australia and was a part of Jake White’s 2007 Rugby World Cup winning coaching team, is also a former Saracens director of rugby.
Toulon’s Jonny Wilkinson & Matt Giteau celebrates
Jonny Wilkinson said playing alongside ‘inspirational’ former Australian centre Matt Giteau had convinced him now was the right time to retire.
Giteau will find himself back on South African soil in June when he faces the Springboks as part of Nick Mallett’s World XV.
Wilkinson and Giteau – ‘the ultimate professional’ in the eyes of the England great – were both members of the star-studded Toulon side that retained the European Cup with a 23-6 win over Saracens in the European Cup Final.
Toulon celebrates the 2014 Heineken Cup win against Saracens
Comic magnate Mourad Boudjellal’s Toulon retained the Heineken Cup trophy with a comprehensive victory, by seventeen points, over English club Saracens at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff yesterday. The final score was Saracens 6/23 Toulon.
This victory proved that in the modern era of sports it is most often the team who has the biggest pot of gold available to it who will win the trophy as on the same day Toulon’s football equivalent Real Madrid lifted the Champions League trophy just hours later in Lisbon. The final score of 4/1 to Real Madrid may make their victory seem as comprehensive as Toulon’s.
The build-up to one of Europe’s greatest sporting weekends is almost complete as the clock ticks towards the Cardiff 2014 finals kick-off.
With a galaxy of international stars ready to take the stage at the atmospheric Millennium Stadium for tomorrow’s Heineken Cup decider between RC Toulon and Saracens, and at Cardiff Arms Park for this evening’s all-English Amlin Challenge Cup confrontation featuring Bath Rugby and Northampton Saints, fans from all over Europe are flocking into the Welsh capital to savour a unique celebration of club rugby.
Both matches – which will feature players from as many as 15 nations including luminaries of the global game such as Jonny Wilkinson, George North, Matt Giteau, Schalk Brits and Bryan Habana – will be broadcast in more than 150 countries worldwide.
Francois Louw
Ruan Pienaar
Overseas-based Springboks Francois Louw and Ruan Pienaar will be ready for action by the time the Boks play their first game this year.
Flanker Louw, who plays for Bath in England, has recovered from an ankle injury which ruled him out for the last nine weeks. He is expected to play for Bath in their Amlin Challenge Cup final against Northampton Saints at Cardiff Arms Park on Friday.
Scrumhalf Pienaar has also returned to action for his Irish club, Ulster, after being sidelined for four weeks.
One of Scottish Rugby’s most capped backs will return to the Scotland 7’s squad, where his international career started, at this summer’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow (Ibrox Stadium, 26-27 July).
Glasgow Warriors’ winger Sean Lamont who has won 86 caps for his country and who was in the 2002 Scotland 7’s Commonwealth Games squad in Manchester has been named in Stephen Gemmell’s 12-man squad for Glasgow 2014. Lamont won his last World Series cap at Murrayfield in 2009.
Gemmell has also completed a major coup by securing the services of Scotland and Glasgow Warriors winger, Tommy Seymour who has won eight Scotland caps, but has not yet been involved with Scotland 7s. His selection follows some impressive performances for club and country that display a pedigree for the abbreviated game.
James Hook
The Stormers and Sharks have reportedly shown interest in acquiring the services of Welsh flyhalf James Hook.
Hook, 28, is currently contracted with French club Perpignan but is expected to leave them after they were relegated from the Top 14. He has an opt-out clause in his contract which allows him the option to leave if they lose their top-flight status.
Shaun Sowerby
Former Springbok No 8 Shaun Sowerby says Bok coach Heyneke Meyer should keep his eye on the South African players in France.
Sowerby, who was recently named as one of the EP Kings’ assistant coaches, played club rugby in France for 10 years.
The 36-year-old played a single Test for the Springboks in 2002 but was a stalwart for the Sharks, before moving to France in 2004 when he joined Stade Francais.
He also had a stint at Toulouse and finished his playing career at Grenoble.
Scotland will be without key players when they play the one-off Test match against the Springboks in Port Elizabeth.
New Scotland coach Vern Cotter has announced a double squad in order to cope with an arduous travel schedule, leaving some of the bigger names to play the North American leg of their tour only.
Players such as Chris Cusiter, Greig Laidlaw, Sean Lamont, Tim Visser, Kelly Brown, Richie Gray, Jim Hamilton and Alasdair Strokosch will only find themselves involved in the first squad to take on the United States and Canada.
Cotter’s reason for this is that some of his players will still be duty bound to French and English clubs with the Springbok match falling outside the Test window.
Former Heineken Cup champions Leinster have announced that they have signed Wallabies and Waratahs lock Kane Douglas after his Australian Rugby Union contract expires later in the year.
The 24 year old, who made his Australian debut in 2012 against Argentina and has gone on to win 13 further caps since then, will join a roster that already includes Irish internationals Devin Toner and Mike McCarthy.