Internationals
Former Chiefs Super Rugby Coach Ian Foster has been named as the new assistant coach of the All Blacks and former All Black great flyhalf Grant Fox has become a selector.
The Australian Rugby Union Friday have announced that assistant coach Jim Williams will leave his position after completing his contract term with the Wallabies.
The Argentine Rugby Union (UAR) have confirmed that the cities of Rosario and Mendoza will host Test matches in what will be a bumper home shedule of six games for the Pumas in 2012.
What a year of would-haves, could-haves, should-haves and, ultimately, bitter underachievement for the Springboks in a year when the All Blacks enjoyed the delicious irony of at last winning the World Cup despite being outplayed in the final. After 26 years of being the best team on the planet but failing to land the Webb Ellis Cup because of the wicked vagaries of death-or-glory rugby, the wheel finally turned for the Kiwis at the global showpiece.
The Argentina Rugby Union have re-appointed Santiago Phelan on a two year contract after he led the team to the Rugby World Cup quarter finals.
Former Australia coach Eddie Jones has been chosen to replace All Blacks legend John Kirwan as head coach of the Japan rugby team, media reports said Tuesday.
England’s RFU have revealed that Ian Ritchie will become the new Chief Executive Officer of the Rugby Football Union.
The Third Tournament of the HSBC Sevens World Series 2011 / 2012, known as the Nelson Mandela BaySouth Africa Rugby Sevens tournament played on 9 and 10 December 2011.
This week the tournament was in OUR back yard, the first games started at 11:37 on 9 December 2011, SA Time. We only had a lively general Discussion Article and not a Live Article with Score Updates as the games proceed.
This was exactly that, the Discussion Article, here you will find all the scores.
The International Rugby Board has revealed that one player tested positive for doping during the World Cup in New Zealand.
Chris Ashton was last night banned until next year for pulling the hair of a fellow rugby player.
The Second Tournament of the HSBC Sevens World Series 2011, known as the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens tournament played on 2 and 3 December 2011.
This time the the times are’nt at ‘unusual hours’ in South African terms, like was the case last week, starting at 07:20 SA Time. We’ll only have a lively general Discussion Article and not a Live Article with Score Updates as the games proceed.
This is exactly that, the Discussion Article, here you will find all the scores, from time to time.
Wales (6) 18 / Wallabies (3) 24 (Final Score)
Wales and the Australian Wallabies did battle at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff at 16:30 SA Time.
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was NOT broadcast LIVE on TV in SA. There will be a recorded broadcast from about 18:00 SA Time.
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Springbok flyer Bryan Habana has paid tribute to Shane Williams ahead of his fellow wing’s final appearance for Wales and hopes his old rival can finish with a flourish against Australia.
The Rugby Football Union are ready to break the bank in their quest to assemble the “very best” England coaching team.
All Blacks loose forward Jerome Kaino has been named New Zealand player of the year at the Steinlager Rugby Awards.
Twenty-one-year-old James O’Connor will start his maiden Test as a fly-half after today being named in the number 10 jersey for the Wallabies for Saturday’s game against Wales in Cardiff.
Wales centre Jamie Roberts will target Australia’s new midfield combination of James O’Connor and Berrick Barnes in Saturday’s Cardiff Test match.
England will have an interim coach for the Six Nations with the aim of appointing a permanent boss for the summer tour of South Africa.
The United States are discussing a bid to stage the 2023 rugby World Cup which could involve Canada co-hosting, according to USA Rugby CEO Nigel Melville.
With the international season taking a bit of a breather, I thought some informative statistics would be interesting. I am looking at the home record of the top nations, seeing when was the last time they lost a home test to each of the other nations.
I would think any nation would expect at least a 75% home win record as the minimm standard to attain. anything less would mean your home ground advantage counts for very little and travelling teams do not find it a daunting task to tour.
Rugby World Cup winner Mike Tindall has effectively won his appeal to have his fine from the RFU reduced and to be reinstated to the England Elite player squad.
Nick Mallett has revealed that he will not come in for England as an immediate replacement for Martin Johnson but that he will consider the job after the Six Nations.
The British and Irish Lions have announced the schedule for their 2013 tour of Australia
The Brumbies have moved quickly to end speculation over the future of their coach Jake White after he was linked to the vacant England job.
Jake White, who coached South Africa to 2007 World Cup success, dropped a hint on Sunday that he would welcome an approach to succeed Martin Johnson as England coach.
Barbarians (3) 11 / Wallabies (18) 60 (Final Score)
The Barbarians took on the Australian Wallabies at Twickenham at 16:35 SA Time (14:35 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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We thought we had problems in our rugby, but English rugby is in absolute tatters. I have attached the full article. Be warned, it does go on a bit, but it does show the extent of the problem that finally came to a head at the World Cup. Our problems pale into insignificance when you read this!
Western Force flanker David Pocock has been named as Wallabies captain for Australia’s match against the Barbarians at Twickenham Stadium in London.
As the Heineken Cup season gets under way, a series of controversial decisions by match officials in opening matches, has led to the International Rugby Board’s decision trial the wider use of television match officials to help get more accurate opinions on red card offences and crucial forward passes, among other things.
World Cup winning coach Graham Henry has chosen 2007 World Cup winning player Victor Matfield to lead the Barbarians in the game against Australia this weekend.
With Rugby news now a bit scrappy and few and far between for Southern Hemisphere Rugby interests, at least we can look forward to some Rugby participation by the Southern Hemisphere this weekend.
There is the HSBC Sevens World Series Gold Coast Tournament, the first IRB Sevens Tournament for the 2011 – 2012 Season, on Friday and Saturday as well as the Wallabies vs Barbarians game on Saturday, where Springbok legend Victor Matfield bids his final farewell in any form of competative rugby, finally retiring after a wonderful playing career.
With SA Ruby (SARU) in the throngs of considering the appointment of a new Rugby coach for the Springboks, when Peter de Villiers’ contract concludes in December 2011, it might be prudent to look at results in the last 4 years.
The first thing which emerges is that there has been a steady decline in winning percentages over the last 4 years.
During the first 2 years of the reign of Peter de Villiers the winning percentage was an average of 68 % but during the last 2 years of his reign it has dropped to an average of 56.5 % for those 2 years.
It has to be noted that Peter de Villiers inherited a World Cup winning squad, which has now slipped to No 4 in the IRB rankings, below France.
Nick Mallett, front-runner for the position, has withdrawn his availability to coach England, whereas Eddie Jones has stepped up and declared his interests in the position.
Saracens boss Edward Griffiths says the South African Rugby Union (SARU) should consider playing its international rugby in the Northern Hemisphere in future.
The Springboks will kick-off the new format competition against the Pumas when the all-new “The Castle Rugby Championship” launches in 2012 – the replacement for the Tri-Nations series, SANZAR announced on Tuesday.
An agreement confirming Argentina’s participation was signed in Auckland recently by the SANZAR Joint Venture partners after several months of negotiations with the Unión Argentina de Rugby (UAR) and the International Rugby Board (IRB).