Monthly Archives: December 2012
EP Rugby CEO Anele Pamba has resigned from his position with immediate effect, leaving President Cheeky Watson in “shock”.
The Brumbies have announced that they have signed former Rugby League coach Brian Smith as their defence/collision coach for the 2013 Super Rugby season.
It is dubiously called a “Test window” period anyway, and the Springboks must use the three weeks of international activity in June next year as a genuine window of opportunity to prepare themselves for more glamorous goals later in the season.
Our national side has a greatly less taxing, on paper, June agenda than either of their most traditional southern hemisphere rivals, New Zealand and Australia … and must use it to their advantage in terms of bigger-picture aspirations like the Castle Rugby Championship a bit further up the gruelling 2013 drag.
Young Highveld Lions wicketkeeper-batsman Quinton de Kock is likely to be called up by the Proteas for limited overs internationals against New Zealand.
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button told the story of a man who lived his life backwards, being born an old man before dying many years later as a newborn baby. Johnnie Beattie is doing something similar with his rugby career.
The South African Rugby Union (SARU) has been awarded the IRB Development Award 2012 for its innovative and practical approach to player development regardless of ethnic origin, the IRB announced on Saturday.
Australian Rugby Union has ushered in historic Constitutional changes at a General Meeting in Sydney today.
The Blues on Monday named veteran lock Ali Williams as captain for the 2013 season, with coach John Kirwan saying it will give the 77-Test veteran a chance to prove his doubters wrong.
This weekend was a busy one for the Heineken Cup as twelve matches were played in the third round of the competion. The weekend started on Friday night with a comprehensive win for Ulster over Northampton and a win by Connacht against Biarritz. Following Munster’s win over Saracens on Saturday it looked as if there may be a clean sweep of wins for the teams from Ireland and Northern Ireland.
However, Leinster stumbled to a narrow loss in their game against Clermont Auvergne on Sunday. This ended Leinster’s amazing 17 game unbeaten run in the Heineken Cup.
The HSBC Sevens World Series was in South Africa this weekend, with the Cell C Nelson Mandela Bay Sevens tournament, the last Sevens tournament on the circuit for 2012.
New Zealand took the spoils after beating the South African Blitzbokke 12 / 5 in the Semi-final and thumping France 47 / 12 in the Final.
It was a better weekend for the men from South Africa though, getting through the pool stages unbeaten, also winning the Quarter final against the USA, but then stumbling against New Zealand, by only 7 points. South Africa demolished Argentina in the 3rd Place play-off, beating them by 35 / 0.
Head coach Gregor Townsend has made three changes to the Glasgow Warriors side which was beaten by Munster last week as they prepare to face French Top 14 team Castres Olympique in the Heineken Cup.
There is still a little bit of rugby to look forward to on TV in South Africa this weekend.
So, what’s in stall for us as far as TV rugby viewing is concerned this weekend?
Herewith the viewing schedule:
The Brumbies will establish a talented-player squad to boost depth and give players a pathway to Super Rugby less than a year after the ARU abolished the province academies.
It was revealed that Jake White is moving to bridge the gap between amateur and professional rugby with the top 20 players from the capital’s premier division to be added to a Brumbies talent squad.
Controversial Wallaby playmaker Quade Cooper has settled his differences with the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) by signing a new two-year deal on Friday.
The Springboks will face their Rugby World Cup 2015 Pool B opponents, Scotland and Samoa (as well as Italy), in an innovative new tournament featuring double-header Test matches in 2013, the South African Rugby Union announced on Thursday.
Wallabies and Reds playmaker Quade Cooper is believed to have come to terms with the Australian Rugby Union (ARU) with a new deal that will keep playing Super Rugby in Australia for the Reds.
Struggling French outfit Racing Métro is chasing the signature of the Bulls’ Springbok lock Juandré Kruger.
Veteran hooker Keven Mealamu has become the latest player to opt for a ‘sabbatical’ during next year’s Super Rugby competition.
Richie McCaw is the All Blacks’ most capped player of all time, having represented New Zealand on 116 occasions to date.
The Kings have been working hard on their fitness ahead of what they know will be a gruelling debut Super Rugby season next year.
South Africa’s star flank, Bath-based openside Francois Louw, has been cleared on a punching charge by a Rugby Football Union disciplinary hearing.
Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll has revealed that he will not take part in the 2015 World Cup in England as it is “18 months too far.”
England Rugby 2015 (ER 2015), tournament organisers of the 2015 World Cup, has appointed Neil Snowball to the new role of Rugby Operations Director.
Leading South African referee Marius Jonker has announced his retirement from international match officiating, although he will continue to referee in South Africa’s domestic competitions.
As I was perusing Facebook, I came across the comment below.
While I applaud the Golden Lions Rugby Union (GLRU) for appointing a businessman as new pemanent CEO, one who has played club rugby, and is involved in school rugby, I do feel for the outgoing Acting CEO, Ruben Moggee. He took over from Manie Reynecke under very trying circumstances, and along with Kevin De Klerk, had to oversee many crises that came to head during his tenure. One only has think of the GUMA TAC debacle, the Pumas and Leopards suing the union for unpaid fees and the biggest humiliation of them all, being kicked out of Super Rugby.
With the 5 South African Super Rugby franchises, or should I rather say the 5 participating Super Rugby franchis in 2013, all busy with pre-season preparations already, I suppose it would be wise to list the Fixtures for 2013 (although they have been up under Super Rugby, 2013 under the top menu for some time already now).
In addition, I am going to delve lightly into the games in the month of February, giving my very, very early views on what might transpire.
Springbok and Bath flank Francois Louw will attend an RFU disciplinary hearing following his red card for punching against Leicester on Saturday.
Louw was not the only Bath player in hot water and will be joined by teammates Matt Banahan and Lee Mears at the hearing.
This past weekend saw the end of the Southern Hemisphere 15-man rugby season… a long and arduous season.
Now only the HSBC Sevens World Series Nelson Mandela Bay Sevens tournament remains, after which we, as proud Southerners, have to rely on the scraps of rugby coming to us from the Northern Hemisphere, and then fill in the gaps with some cricket action to keep our sport addictions alive.
The South African Blitzbokke provide scant hopes for a good result in Port Elizabeth this coming weekend, but the party will continue… and we will party right along.
On the positive side, it was a good season again for Southern Hemisphere rugby, spoilt by the fantastic wins by France against the Wallabies about a month ago and of course the Coup de Grace by the England rugby side against the world number one side, the New Zealand All Blacks, this past weekend – lambasting them by a massive 38 / 21.
Hereafter a quick look at the respective seasons of the BIG BOYS of Southern Hemisphere Rugby:
All Black flyhalf Dan Carter was named the International Rugby Board Player of the Year at the IRB Awards in London on Monday.
Springbok Sevens playmaker Cecil Afrika is one of three players who joined the squad on Monday for the Cell C Nelson Mandela Bay Sevens this weekend in Port Elizabeth.
Springbok hooker Bismarck du Plessis has been named as tournament ambassador for the inaugural NBM Sevens Premier League rugby (7sPL) tournament in George next week.
Du Plessis will also work as technical advisor to the Kaizer Chiefs team, after the soccer giants recently entered a rugby team into the event.
World Cup trophy holders New Zealand will play Argentina, Tonga and two qualifiers after the draw was made for the 2015 rugby World Cup on Monday, but hosts England were handed a tougher task.
Australia and the South African Proteas did battle in the 3rd & final Test of the Series in Australia at the Western Australia Cricket Association ground (WACA), Perth.
The game took place mostly in the middle of the night for South Africans, so live updates was given in the mornings.
Some thought it strange when South Africa chose to bat first after winning the toss, considering the batting surface, but in hind sight it proved the perfect decision. After only posting a modest 225 by South Africa in the first innings, they took the Australian batsment apart with regularity in Australia’s first innings, reducing them to only 163 all out.
Then came the master class of the South African second innings, amassing 569 runs in double quick fashion and with an hour to go in Day 3, the Australians went in to bat. No wickets fell in that last hour of Day 3, but Day 4 was the clincher, with Australian wickets falling at regular intervals.
Michael Starc hung on, frustrating the South African bowlers and South African spectators alike, but in the end South Africa won the Test by 309 runs, more than a full Day early, and thus winning the Test Series 1 / 0 to retain their World No 1 Test ranking.
Former Bulls flank CJ Stander scored two tries in his run-on debut in the Pro12 for Munster to help the Irish province topple Glasgow Warriors 31-3 on Saturday.
All credit to New Zealand for not blaming the virus in the team or end-of-year-tiredness for their loss at the hands of a committed England team.
The All Blacks players looked more than a bit pale and lethargic as they entered the field and even the Haka lacked its normal spark.
Punctiliously I don’t however think it was either the virus or tiredness that saw the All Blacks lose this match. It was the England tactics and their good defence that won them the match.