Australian Rugby
The Wallabies finalised their coaching team for this month’s Rugby Championship with Jim McKay to be the attack coach under Ewen McKenzie.
Chiefs (9) 27 / 22 (16) Brumbies (Final Score)
The Chiefs and Brumbies did battle in the Final of Super Rugby 2013 at Waikato Stadium, Hamilton at 09:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ Time, 07:35 GMT, 17:35 AEST).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Here are the Super Rugby team sheets for the two teams contesting the Final of Super Rugby 2013, as they were announded.
The Wallabies may have lost the series but Australia did very well financially out of the recent rugby tour by the British and Irish Lions, a tourism industry body said Friday.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, the five-week tour generated an estimated Aus$150 million ($134 million) for the economy.
Brumbies coach Jake White has named an unchanged team for this Saturday’s Super Rugby Final showdown against the Chiefs at Waikato Stadium.
It’s the third week straight White has named the same 22 and the first time that’s happened since he took over the coaching reigns, two and a half years ago.
Some thoughts for you to chew on…
I was asked yesterday by someone at Sky what my feeling was on the future of SuperRugby and I said, all three Unions of SANZAR have recently released their year end figures and none of them made any real profit. They are all close to borderline break even.
The current number Super Rugby matches per annum is 125, so any reduction of matches would no doubt mean a reduction in broadcast money.
The talk is about South Africa splitting from SANZAR in terms of Super Rugby only. However the South African time zone goes a long way to pushing up the money that is earned from the broadcast deal.
If SA leave, more matches will be played in New Zealand and Australian time zones (according to the reports). This has no global appeal.
The Chiefs will play the Brumbies at home in Hamilton in front of a sold out Waikato Stadium as the fixture is officially sold out.
Australia centre Anthony Faingaa has been ruled out of the remainder of the 2013 international rugby season due to left shoulder reconstruction surgery.
The Vodacom Bulls missed out on a fourth Vodacom Super Rugby final in seven years when they were beaten in the second tense semi-final by a spirited Brumbies team in Pretoria on Saturday evening.
As a result, the Brumbies will now travel to Hamilton to face the defending champion Chiefs in the 2013 Final. Both teams have won the title before – the Chiefs last year and the Brumbies in 2001 and 2004.
The Chiefs won hosting rights for the Final when they beat the heavily-favoured Crusaders by 20-19 in a nail-biter at the Waikato Stadium on Saturday morning (SA time). The defending champions fought back brilliantly in the second half after they were behind by 3-9 at the break.
South African referee Craig Joubert has been confirmed as the man to take charge of the Super Rugby final between the Chiefs and Brumbies in Hamilton this coming Saturday.
Following the results of the Super Rugby semi-finals of 2013 the Super Rugby Franchises are already starting to make their plans and get their structures in place for 2014.
Fresh news is that the Crusaders have extended coach Todd Blackadder’s contract till end of 2014, the Waratahs report that they have secured the services of Dave Dennis and Rob Horne and Kyle Godwin has cleanes up the awards for the year for the Western Force.
Reports of a proposed ‘split’ between South African and their Australasian partners are still “some way off”, but remains a reality.
It was reported in the Australian media on Saturday that Australia and New Zealand would form their own Australasian competition – one of a number of scenarios being considered by SANZAR.
Bulls (11) 23 / 26 (16) Brumbies (Final Score)
The Vodacom Bulls and Brumbies did battle in a Super Rugby semi-final at Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria at 17:05 SA Time (15:05 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Reds flyhalf Quade Cooper has returned to the Wallabies set-up after being included in new coach Ewen McKenzie’s first training squad for The Rugby Championship series against South Africa, New Zealand and Argentina.
Wallabies fullback Kurtley Beale has been ruled out for the year after being told by new coach Ewen McKenzie to have an operation on his shoulder and come back fit and healthy next year.
Here are the Super Rugby team sheets for the teams contesting the Semi-Final Round of Super Rugby 2013, as they were announded.
The Brumbies may be bleating on about the challenge of beating the Vodacom Bulls in front of a full house at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday, but initial indications are that the stadium may not even be full.
Both the Vodacom Bulls as well as the Brumbies have announced their teams and squads for the Super Rugby semi-final clash at Loftus Versfeld at 17:05 SA Time on Saturday. Both team sheets were dispatched to the media via Bulls media releases.
Here are the gladiators who will do business on the weekend:
SANZAR has announced the names of the match officials for the 2 games in the Semi-Final Round of Super Rugby 2013. The 2 games are both played on Saturday 27 July 2013.
The Chiefs will host the Crusaders in Hamilton with Steve Walsh in charge of that match and the Bulls will host the Brumbies with Craig Joubert taking charge.
The Toyota Cheetahs’ fairytale season came to an agonising end as they lost their maiden Vodacom Super Rugby play-off match against the Brumbies in Canberra Stadium on Sunday morning (SA time).
Despite being outscored by two tries to nil, the Brumbies’ nail-biting 15-13 victory in the second Qualifier in Australia’s capital means they now have to travel to Pretoria to take on the Vodacom Bulls in one of the two semi-finals, on Saturday at Loftus Versfeld.
Brumbies (6) 15 / 13 (5) Cheetahs (Final Score)
The Brumbies and Toyota Cheetahs did battle in Super Rugby at Canberra Stadium, Canberra at 08:10 SA Time (16:10 AEST, 06:10 GMT) on Sunday.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Crusaders (21) 38 / 9 (6) Reds (Final Score)
The Crusaders and Reds did battle in Super Rugby at AMI Stadium, Christchurch at 09:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ Time, 07:35 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & M-Net on TV in SA.
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Here are the Super Rugby team sheets for teams 3 to 6 on the Combined Super Rugby Log, who have to compete in the Play Off weekend of Super Rugby 2013, as they were announded.
The DHL Stormers continue to be trend-setters under the now three-year-old conference system for economy in try-concession in Super Rugby.
Loftus Versveld and Waikato Stadium in Hamilton will be the venues for the two Super Rugby semifinals after details were confirmed by SANZAR.
SANZAR have warned coaches that taking unnecessary pot-shots at referees could land them in hot water.
New Zealand referee Chris Pollock has been axed from the Super Rugby play-offs, because of poor form.
The Vodacom Bulls were officially crowned South African Conference winners in Cape Town on Saturday evening, but The Sharks and the DHL Stormers took the spoils in the final round of Vodacom Super Rugby league action for 2013.
Although these two coastal sides, semi-finalists in 2012, missed out on the Finals Series this year, they recorded solid final round victories to end a disappointing season on a high note.
Following the completion of the regular season in Super Rugby the top 6 teams have been determined and the 4 teams that will play in the qualifiers next weekend.
By finishing the season as the competition’s two highest-ranked conference winners, the Chiefs (66 points, 12 wins) and the Bulls (63 points, 12 wins) have earned the week off and progress straight to the Super Rugby Semi Finals where they await the winners of the qualifying matches.
The match officials for the 2 games have also been decided.
Force (14) 21 / 15 (3) Brumbies (Final Score)
The Western Force and Brumbies did battle in Super Rugby at NIB Stadium, Perth at 13:45 SA Time (19:45 WAST, 11:45 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & SHD on TV in SA.
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Waratahs (12) 12 / 14 (8) Reds (Final Score)
The Waratahs and Reds did battle in Super Rugby at ANZ Stadium, Sydney at 11:40 SA Time (19:40 Sydney Time, 09:40 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & SHD on TV in SA.
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Rebels (7) 38 / 37 (31) Highlanders (Final Score)
The Melbourne Rebels and Highlanders did battle in Super Rugby at AAMI Park, Melbourne at 11:40 SA Time (19:40 Melbourne Time, 09:40 GMT).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1, SHD & CSN on TV in SA.
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Here are the Super Rugby team sheets as they were announded for Round 20 of Super Rugby 2013.
SANZAR has announced the names of the match officials for Round 20 of Super Rugby 2013. Glen Jackson starts off the weekend on Friday in the match between the Crusaders and Hurricanes.
South Africa’s Craig Joubert, who was in charge of the Rugby World Cup 2011 Final, will referee the first Test under the scrum engagement trial sequence when he takes charge of the Castle Lager Rugby Championship match between Australia and New Zealand in Sydney on 17 August.
The International Rugby Board on Wednesday announced the names of the 12 referees for The Castle Rugby Championship. These appointments were made by the IRB Match Official Selection Committee following a detailed review of recent performances during the June Tests.
Australian rugby chiefs are to fire national coach Robbie Deans and replace him with the Reds’ Ewen McKenzie on Tuesday, reports said on Monday following the Wallabies’ series loss to the British and Irish Lions.
Deans will be sacked six months before his contract ends, as the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) seeks to rebuild after the national team’s 41-16 thrashing by the Lions in Saturday’s series-deciding third Test, the Sydney Morning Herald said.