General
Rugby-Talk – URC 2021 – United Rugby Championship 2021
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Rugby-Talk – TRC 2021 – The Rugby Championship 2021
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SA Preparation Series 2021 – RT Preparation Series 2021
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SIX Nations 2021 – Rugby-Talk SIX Nations 2021
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Super Rugby 2020 – Rugby-Talk Super Rugby 2020
SIX Nations 2020 – Rugby-Talk SIX Nations 2020
Varsity Cup 2020 – Rugby-Talk Varsity Cup 2020
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- Super Rugby 2020 starts in less than 2, so join up NOW and get PICKING;
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- Varsity Cup 2020 starts in 5 days, so hurry up and join up for the competition… almost time to hurry those PICKS in 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.
August Internationals 2019 – Rugby-Talk August Tests 2019
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- The August Internationals 2019 starts this weekend, so join up without delay and make your first picks immediately.
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Rugby World Cup 2019 – Rugby-Talk RWC 2019
The Rugby Championship 2019 – Rugby-Talk TRC 2019
Currie Cup Premier Division 2019 – Rugby-Talk Currie Cup 2019
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- The Rugby World Cup 2019 starts in 74 days, so join up early for the competition;
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Even in the ever-changing world of rugby union, the nine-point try might seem a bit bizarre. So it’s hard to believe that this inflated value of touching down over your opponents’ goal-line is now a selling feature of Global Rapid Rugby, a new competition with amended laws being introduced to the the Asia Pacific region, which, some suggest, might shape the future direction of World Rugby.
If the nine-point try is still a bit alien to most Scots then not to worry. Because out in Hong-Kong, a key driver of Asian rugby, the ‘Power Try’, as it’s being dubbed, is now everyday life to ex-pat and former North Berwick High School scrum half, Jamie Lauder.
Lauder, who played for Edinburgh Under-18s as well captaining Aberdeen University, recently signed a part-time professional contract with the South China Tigers, one of the sides that is showcasing the new competition this year. The 2019 exhibition series will add up to just 14 matches that will feature the Asia Pacific Dragons (Singapore), Fijian Latui (Fiji), Kagifa Samoa (Samoa), South China Tigers (Hong Kong), Western Force (Western Australia).
Then, for 2020, the competition will move into full blown mode by featuring eight teams playing home and away and fighting for a $1 million AUD first prize. The plan is to expand the competition with teams from the east coast of Australia and from New Zealand, as well as Japan and Hawaii.
Under 20 World Championship 2019 – Rugby-Talk U20 World Cup 2019
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- The Under 20 World Championship 2019 starts in 5 days, so hurry up and join up for the competition.
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Varsity Cup – Rugby-Talk Varsity Cup 2019
Super Rugby – Rugby-Talk Super Rugby 2019
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We have 2 NEW SuperBru Pools for all to join!
- The Varsity Cup 2019 starts TODAY, so hurry up and join up for the competition. I have left Pool creation slightly late again… what’s new!!
- Super Rugby 2019 starts in just less than 2 weeks, so please join up for the competition.
Immediately also make your picks for Round 1 of the Varsity Cup Tournament!
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.
November Internationals – Rugby-Talk EOYT 2018
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We have a NEW SuperBru Pool for all to join!
- The November Internationals 2018 starts THIS WEEKEND, so hurry up and join up for the competition. I have left Pool creation slightly late again… what’s new!!
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He’s played Chief Tui in Disney’s Moana and Jango Fett in Star Wars, but now actor Temuera Morrison is set to play Eddie Jones.
The New Zealander will portray the Australian in a new film about the greatest Rugby World Cup shock ever, when Japan beat South Africa 34-32 in 2015 at Brighton’s Amex Stadium.
Jones – now head coach of England – was then the Japan boss and the mastermind behind the Brave Blossoms’ dramatic win.
Under the working title ‘The Brighton Miracle’, the film is expected to begin shooting in Australia in January and will be overseen by Australian writer and director Max Mannix.
Karne Hesketh scored a last minute try as unfancied Japan won their first World Cup game since 1991 and also secured their first ever victory over two-time world champions the Springboks, one of the sport’s great powers who would go on to reach the semi-finals.
The Rugby Championship – Rugby-Talk TRC 2018
Currie Cup Premier Division – Rugby-Talk Currie Cup 2018
Guinness PRO14 – Rugby-Talk PRO14 2018
Hi,
We have 3 NEW SuperBru Pools for all to join!
- The Rugby Championship 2018 starts THIS WEEKEND, so hurry up and join up for the competition. I have left Pool creation slightly late again… what’s new!!
- The Currie Cup Premier Division 2018 starts THIS FRIDAY, so hurry up and join up for the competition. I have left Pool creation slightly late again… what’s new!!
- The JGuinness PRO14 2018 / 2019 starts in 9 days, so join up and make your first picks.
Immediately also make your picks for Round 1 of these 3 Tournaments!
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Scotland play the USA next Saturday in Houston and while the Eagles are expected to put up a brave fight on the field of play the really important battles in American rugby are being fought in the boardroom, with two Scots at the centre of the maelstrom.
Former West of Scotland centre Steve Lewis, a coach with a level four certificate and huge experience, has been personally responsible for toppling about half of the USA Rugby board, which he considered a rotten edifice. Another Scot, the interim chief executive (and ongoing chief operating officer), Ross Young has the unenviable task and putting the whole thing back together again.
The two are good pals, still, and both are working hard for the betterment of rugby in America, even if they are coming at it from different angles.
For most rugby players and fans in the US, 2018 is like any most years: Spring playoffs have given way to sevens tournaments and Summer friendlies dominate the international test landscape.
But at the highest administrative levels, the competitive fun we all associate with the game is nowhere to be found. Rather, USA Rugby — the sports National Governing Body — is experiencing a slow-moving tsunami of bad news.
Under 20 Rugby World Championship 2018 – Rugby-Talk U20 World Cup 2018
June Internationals 2018 – Rugby-Talk June Tests 2018
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- The Under 20 Rugby World Championship 2018 starts in only 2 days, on 30 May 2018, so hurry up and join up for the competition. I have left Pool creation slightly late again… what’s new!!
- The June Internationals 2018 starts in 5 days, with the Test between the South African Springboks vs Wales in the United States of America on Saturday 2 June 2018, so join up and make your first pick.
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It is with great sadness that I heard about the passing of our great rugby friend and someone who has penned many articles here on Rugby-Talk.com
Mark Setzer, aka Stormersboy passed away yesterday!
Condolences to the family.
I will miss the rugby chats we had, the quiet drink or 2 that we had at Loftus before or after a game.
Stormersboy will continue to support his Stormers and Western Province from his new vantage point up high.
You were a gentleman, a stand-up man… always fair, always objective (hell that was difficult to say about a Province man… hahaha).
… I am at a loss for words…
SIX Nations 2018 – Rugby-Talk SIX Nations 2018
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We have 1 NEW SuperBru Pool for all to join!
- The SIX Nations 2018 starts on 3 February 2018, so hurry up and join up for the competition where the Northern Hemisphere big guns go head to head with their counterparts. I have left Pool creation late again… what’s new… hahaha
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End Of Year Tours 2017 – Rugby-Talk EOYT 2017
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We have 1 NEW SuperBru Pool for all to join!
- The End Of Year Tours 2017 starts on 11 November 2017, so hurry up and join up for the competition where the Northern Hemisphere it thier strenghts against the Southern Hemisphere. I have left Pool creation late again… what’s new… hahaha
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Guinness PRO14 – Rugby-Talk PRO14 2017
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We have 1 NEW SuperBru Pool for all to join!
- The Guinness PRO14 2017 starts on 1 September 2017, so hurry up and join up for the competition where the Toyota Cheetahs and Southern Kings now form part of this vital Northern Hemisphere tournament. Immediately also make your picks for Round 1!
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A truly historic chapter will be written this weekend when the first-ever Guinness PRO14 season kicks off after the addition of the Toyota Cheetahs and the Southern Kings from South Africa.
As this world class Championship continues to raise the bar, the introduction of the Cheetahs and the Kings makes the Guinness PRO14 a global tournament. Round 1 also marks the first games played under the new Conference format which sees each team play home and away against clubs in their own Conference and then home OR away against the other Conference before two more rounds that ensure all derby games are played.
The Cheetahs will be the first team from South Africa to go up against ‘northern’ opposition when they travel to Kingspan Stadium on Friday night to face Ulster while the Kings face a daunting trip to Parc Y Scarlets where the men from Llanelli will play their first Championship game since winning the title at Aviva Stadium last May.
Premiership and Championship players will take part this season in the development of a new pitch-side test to diagnose concussion and brain injuries.
Saliva and urine samples will be collected during the new campaign, after studies showed they could provide swift indicators of head injuries.
It could lead to a handheld device to assess if a player is fit to play on.
During matches in 2017-18, players with confirmed or suspected concussion will provide saliva samples immediately following the injury and will give follow-up samples as they go through the return-to-play protocol.
These will be compared to players from the same game who did not suffer head injuries and those who had other injuries.
The study will run alongside the existing Head Injury Assessments, but if the results support those found in laboratory tests, it could eventually see tests being carried out pitch-side on a device.
Currie Cup 2017
The Rugby Championship (TRC) 2017
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We have 2 NEW SuperBru Pools for all to join!
- The Rugby Championship 2017 starts in August, so join up for the competition where the 4 BIG Southern Hemisphere nations battle each other in Test Rugby.
- Currie Cup 2017, which starts tomorrow, Friday 21 July 2017, so hurry up and join and immediately make your picks for Round 1!
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The shadow sports minister has urged the Rugby Football Union to reconsider its decision not to renew the contracts of England’s women’s XV players.
In a letter Dr Rosena Allin-Khan tells chief executive Ian Ritchie of her “deep concern”.
Despite England preparing to defend the World Cup next month, the RFU said its focus will switch to the sevens game after the tournament.
“To make this decision is deeply disappointing,” wrote Allin-Khan.
“Asking players to pause and resume their professions every two years puts their futures at considerable risk.”
The RFU, which announced record revenues last year of more than £400m, said its priorities shift between the XVs and sevens programmes, with the World Cup Sevens and Commonwealth Games taking place next year.
It said the England XV side will continue to take part in competitions, and that it has invested millions of pounds in the women’s game, including £800,000 annually on a new domestic competition aimed at increasing and improving the talent pool available for selection for England.
Friction burns to Merthyr players from Pontypridd 3G pitch
A Welsh rugby coach has posted photographs on social media of burns his players received playing on an artificial pitch.
Merthyr RFC coach Lee Jarvis said seven players suffered the friction burns to their legs and arms after their match at Sardis Road, Pontypridd.
Merthyr were playing RGC 1404 in the National Cup semi-final on Sunday.
A spokesman for Pontypridd RFC said the club had no comment to make.
Merthyr RFC posted photos of the injuries on Twitter.
“With the weather being dry, they do say you need to water the pitch.”
He said the players would be assessed later to see if they are fit to play their fixture against Pontypridd on Saturday.
Grayson Hart
Scrumhalf Grayson Hart currently plies his trade with Glasgow Warriors after starting his rugby life in Scotland in the eastern side of the Central Belt at Edinburgh Rugby. The man born in Kaitai, New Zealand, played for New Zealand U20s back in 2008 and by virtue of heritage has also represented Scotland. He has Super Rugby experience having played for the Blues and Waratahs.
In between his rugby commitments Grayson spends some time working on his blog and doing podcasts. He draws on the many lessons he has learned in his life thus far and aims to provide help and inspiration to others to function better in life through his material.
Grayon’s most recent piece of work follows the tragic events surrounding the passing of Daniel Vickerman and while it may be a sombre read at times it also provides motivation and a very insightful look into life for some as professional sports people. One that I thought well worth sharing on our platform.
Vodacom Super Rugby 2017
RBS SIX Nations 2017
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We have 2 NEW SuperBru Pools for all to join!
- The RBS SIX Nations 2017 starts tomorrow (4 February 2017) at 16:25 SA Time, so hurry up and do not delay to register and pick for it!
- Vodacom Super Rugby 2017 starts in about 2 weeks, so for that too!
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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.
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…
Reigning 1872 Cup holders Edinburgh Rugby host Glasgow Warriors at Murrayfield in their Guinness PRO12 league match which doubles up as the first leg of this season’s 1872 Cup.
Glasgow Warriors are currently in 6th place on the PRO12 log with 27 points, 10 points off leaders Munster after 10 rounds, while Edinburgh who parted ways with Alan Solomons earlier this season are down in lowly 10th place with a mere 17 points. Both teams are doing fairly well in Europe although Glasgow are playing in the top European Rugby Champions Cup while Edinburgh are playing in the Challenge Cup.
There will be a mouth watering battle of the back rows, especially at number 8 where players who both used to ply their trade in South Africa Josh Strauss and Cornell du Preez have been selected for Glasgow and Edinburgh respectively.
World Rugby comments on the latest developments in the George North head injury incident.
World Rugby notes the outcomes from the independent Concussion Management Review Group investigating the handling of George North’s head injury incident during the Leicester Tigers v Northampton Saints Aviva Premiership match on 3 December 2016.
World Rugby’s number one priority is player welfare and our primary concern is the welfare of George and all players. It is therefore disappointing that apparent non-compliance with the sport’s elite head injury protocols led to George remaining on the field of play when he should have been immediately and permanently removed.
World Rugby’s recognise and remove protocols state in no uncertain terms that any player displaying clear or suspected signs of loss of consciousness should be permanently and immediately removed from the field of play. In this case, the Head Injury Assessment should not have been undertaken.
George North
Northampton Saints will face no sanction following the investigation into their treatment of Wales wing George North’s latest head injury.
However, the concussion review panel concluded that the 24-year-old should not have returned to the field of play after he fell in a mid-air tackle against Leicester on 3 December.
The panel’s 17-page report stated that head injury assessment (HIA) protocol was followed correctly, but the Saints medical team have accepted that North may have lost consciousness.
“The CMRG considered the welfare of North was always at the centre of Northampton’s actions, and does not consider that the medical team (or the club) failed to complete the HIA protocol nor intentionally ignored the player’s best interests.”
Hi,
We have a NEW SuperBru Pool for all to join!
- The End Of Year Tours (November Internationals) 2016 starts in on Saturday 5 November 2016 at o2:00 SA Time, so hurry up and do not delay to register for it!
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The Xerox Golden Lions team to face the Free State Cheetahs in their Currie Cup clash on Friday evening in Bloemfontein has been announced.
In an enforced change, Andries Ferreira comes in to the second row to replace the injured Lourens Erasmus, and will lock the scrum with the youngster JP du Preez who impressed in his starting debut against Western Province last week.
A rotational change sees Cyle Brink replacing Ruan Ackermann, who drops to the bench in the loose trio.
Among the reserves, Martin Muller comes in as cover at lock, and Pieter Scholtz moves up as the prop cover.
The Xerox Golden Lions will be looking to build on their impressive display last week against Western Province when they travel to the City of Roses to play the high flying Cheetahs who are unbeaten this season, and in so doing push on for a play-off position in defence of the trophy they won last season.
Hi,
We have a NEW SuperBru Pool for all to join!
- The Rugby Championship 2016 starts in on Saturday 20 August 2016 (tomorrow), so hurry up and do not delay to register for it!
This year we are 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.