General
Rugby-Talk has had a change of clothes, but we’re still the same beast!
Over the weekend, I have made some radical changes to the website, some of which appear at first glance to the naked eye, with a bit of a new look and feel, and some run under the radar to make the site perform as it should and also adding valuable added functionality.
Was it strange to open your favourite rugby wensite, Rugby-Talk, and be confronted with a new look?
Tell us what you think of the new look and feel!
A man who disrupted the final game of the State of Origin rugby league series in Australia by running naked onto the field for a dare was jailed for three months on Thursday.
Hi,
When we started Rugby-Talk none of us could have foreseen how this website would have grown, matured and become so successful. It all started as a group of friends broke away to form our own thing and where we could discuss rugby without having to scour through a plethera of political comments, racial slurring and plain nasty and vindictive comments.
Today Rugby-Talk has become a leader, with great content and our Live Game Articles are unrivelled in the rugby world.
To date we have 7 126 Articles plus another 174 web pages and over 280 000 comments on the website. We have generated over 7 320 000 Page Impressions (website clicks) since we first started counting a few months after inception of the website.
Hi,
So, the transition to new webservers by our web hosts created all sorts of problems today.
Rugby-Talk was suspended, the SQL Database was blocked… we were OFF AIR for a day!
It felt like I was the naughty child who had to go stand in the corner and it reminded me of the old fighting days when Pietman, myself, Cuzzy, Kwagga and the old fighters from the bad old Voldy days would get banned, suspended and worked our way around the impediments till we were shouting from the rooftops again, fists bared and the bit between the teeth.
Friends, Brumbies, Countrymen (rugby supporters)… lend me your ears… or in your case eyes!
Rugby-Talk’s web hosts indicated before the weekend that they were in the process up upgrading their Servers to bigger, better, faster ones and to carry far more load.
It seems that the web host server migration process completed successfully and luckily we have not had any OFF-LINE time, having managed it well from our side and also from the web hosting side.
Because the new web host servers point to new DNS Nameservers at the web hosts, we might experience SLOW LOAD TIMES on our website and web pages for about 24 hours, due to the fact that the changes to these DNS Nameservers would have to propagate throughout the world’s internet sphere to point to and direct traffic to the new ones. The old DNS Nameservers are currently forwarding traffic to the new Nameservers, causing expected longer load times, however as the New Nameservers propagate the speeds will increase until all world traffic to our site points directly to the new and improved Nameservers.
It’s a small and almost negligible cost to pay for no downtime whatsoever, though!
Thank you for your continued support and patience during the vital upgrade process!
As you might already be aware, a couple of years back we switched web hosts when the earstwhile web hosts could not deliver what we needed, wanted and demanded and they could not handle all the traffic the way we wanted them to. The change was a big positive one, to one of the largest web hosts the world offers. We have to keep up with the times as we steadily grow!
International players have renewed their calls to develop a global rugby season by moving the June Test window to the end of July.
The International Rugby Players’ Association (IRPA) – the worldwide representative body for professional rugby players – held a conference in Australia recently and considered the possibility of moving the June Test match window until the last three weeks of July, beginning in 2016.
Following on his controversial interview with Oprah Winfrey, more shocking details of Lance Armstrong were revealed. The doping scandal is but the tip of the iceberg.
Hello folks,
I have deemed it fit to reward some regular contributors here on Rugby-Talk, by issuing them their own unique and absolutely FREE Rugby-Talk E-Mail Addresses – sporting 1Gb of Storage Data… and full functionality!
The regular Authors will get their Addresses whether they want them or not, I’ve already created them!
A Mail will be sent to you with your unique E-Mail Address as well as detailed instructions on how to configure the E-Mail Address!
I certainly hope you all have your rugby shoes ready for tomorrow, Saturday 25 August 2012!
There are 5 marvelous games on, starting with the Test between the All Blacks vs Wallabies at 09:35 SA Time.
Rugby-Talk started on 13 August 2009, and is therefore a naughty 3-Year old upstart, on Monday 13 August 2012.
It has not always been easy or simple, and hard work has gone into making this Rugby Community what it is.
A revised scrum engagement sequence will be trialled globally following unanimous backing from the IRB’s expert Scrum Steering Group.
Hello friends,
This is a reminder that there is indeed a SuperBru competition for the Junior World Championships 2012, taking place from early June 2012.
The details are:
Pool Name: Rugby-Talk JWC 2012
Pool Code: haspweak
Remember folks, to be part of a Rugby-Talk SuperBru pool, you HAVE TO BE registered here at Rugby-Talk.
With 10 Weeks done and dusted in Super Rugby 2012 and having a fair idea of which players are performing and which players are injured, maybe it’s time for the Guru’s of Rugby-Talk to do the Following:
- Name their 15 Springbok starters
- Next to the above names to pen down 2nd choice players in the various positions
- Explain in detail why players are chosen as starters and why 2nd Choice players are chosen
In turn the Guru’s out there in the blogesphere, whether registered as bloggers or not, will have the opportunity to name their own side (with 2nd Choices) and take some swings at the Authors and each other.
Registered Bloggers just Login with their normal particulars, Non-Registered Bloggers will have to supply a Name (nickname is fine) and an E-Mail Address.
The rules are… there are no rules except to leave parents, wives and children out of the picture and to behave within the bounds of decent undecency.
At the same time, as this Article will be seen as fun and good natured banter, nobody is allowed to get angry… and by participating accept that whatever is said, written or inferred, is done so in jest and with the general aims and purpose of Rugby-Talk in mind.
Here we will go head to head, toe to toe… and get our frustrations out into the open.
Are you clear about all of that, muppits, moepels & mopkoppe… and friends?
This weekend that was I went to a coaching course with a group of players. The course was generally speaking very informative. We rotated through different stations doing basic handling, rucking, tackling and kicking drills with lots of feedback to players and coaches.
At the end we played a game (10 players on each side) called touch and ruck. It is a really nice way to enforce some basic skills at the young age groups. Players learn about maintaining the offside line, to go up in a line on defence and on attack, to touch with both hands (essential to learn that you need to punch through with the arms when you tackle), to rip and place and to clean-out at the rucks.
A while back I wrote an article on martial arts in rugby (see here). The focus of that article was more on the tactical side of things; strategic approaches in martial arts which can also be used (and are as a matter of fact) in other sports like rugby.
An interesting development in New Zealand rugby over the last two years has been the increasing use of martial arts techniques and training methods in rugby. One of my colleagues was heavily involved with the Manawatu Turbos last year playing under Dave Rennie. Rennie of course is now coaching the Chiefs and one can clearly see some of these techniques now being used by the Chiefs. According to my colleague, Rennie has acquired the services of a martial arts expert in Hamilton who is now working with the Chiefs.
An uncomplicated look at rugby.
Hello folks,The Bulls and their supporters have certainly copped massive derision about the Pink jerseys the Vodacom Bulls will be wearing in away games where their normal Blue strip clashes with the colours of the Home side.
But here’s one back at you… so, Stormers supporters and those of the other franchises, I’d think TWICE about scoffing at those jerseys again!
…. and here’s the reason why….
The Six Nations has run it’s course with an impressive Grand Slam for Wales, worthy champions who beat all comers!
In our first SuperBru Competion to complete for 2012, we now proudly crown our CHAMPION in the Rugby-Talk SIX Nations pool.
Voor die rugby met alle erns begin het ek dit goed gedink om die onderstaande storie oor kamp en vuurmaak te plaas. Dit moet vir ons ‘n les wees oor vriende, en as ons vir mekaar kwaad word gedurende die rugby tyd moet ons reflekteer oor die dinge in die lewe wat saak maak.
GENIET HOM!
We’ve received an official request from the Golden Lions Rugby Union (with which we have extremely good working relations) to help advertise for them to fill the vacant post of CEO of the Union.
Manie Reyneke, the previous CEO, vacated the position late last year, and a new appointment has not been made.
I’m sure there are some of our readers who might just qualify for the position!
Be assured, with all the rumours and innuendo going around about the Lions, that it WILL NOT be the easiest of jobs to do, one would need a skin thicker than that of a rhino!
Herewith the full Advert:
It is Sunday 29 January 2012 and it has just hit me that this was the last weekend of the year (till deep into December) where we would not have either quality Southern Hemisphere rugby or good International rugby to look forward to.
Hello,
The video says it all really… it says I’ve grown older at a rate of knots (all your fault of course), it says my hair is thinning at the top… and above all it shows I need a rest.
To EVERYBODY who reads Rugby-Talk, who contributes, who blogs, who write Articles on Rugby-Talk and who make this community so special, hearty thanks for yet another year! It is our 3rd Christmas on Rugby-Talk already!
To all of you, if you’re driving a vehicle – do it safely, if you’ll be consuming alcohol – do it responsibly AND do not drive. To those going on holiday or spending some much needed time with family and friends and loved ones over the festive period, may it be a blessed time, a time of joy and celebration, and a time of reflection about what is really important in life.
OK, OK already… here’s the video…
It is just a few days till Christmas, or as the little ones would say, just 6 sleeps. I decided to once again do a Christmas Greetings video for all you muppits, moepels and mopkoppe, but also to keep it till a bit later to force you to come back and back to Rugby-Talk till I hit you with the clanger!
So, this is not your merry, merry, happy, happy article, but a precurser to the clanger.
The question is, what are you all up to for the holidays, what are your plans? Who are you happy about seeing over the festive season and who are you dreading to invite or see? Where are you going and when are you coming back from holiday?
This really isn’t a sporty story, no really it isn’t, but I couldn’t ignore it. What a player, what an achievement, and what a legend!
Here’s a story to prove that you really shouldn’t show off in front of your mates
Welcome to the latest edition of Ask John where renowned rugby historian John Griffiths will answer any rugby-related query you have!
Modern rugby with all its complexities and the number of people involved with the game today can be compared to modern society in many ways.