World Cup
Canada will face former champions England in the final of Women’s Rugby World Cup 2014 on Sunday at the Stade Jean Bouin after they enjoyed contrasting semi-final victories in the French capital.
England booked their place in a sixth Women’s Rugby World Cup final after an emphatic 40-7 victory over first-time semi-finalists Ireland, the Red Roses finally producing the all-round performance they had been craving.
There will be a new name on the Women’s Rugby World Cup as New Zealand are the high profile absentee in the final four of the competition.
In the last round of the pool stages in Marcoussis, England’s draw with Canada saw both into the semi-finals where they will be joined by Australia and Ireland.
New Zealand, who have triumphed in the past four World Cups, won their last game of the pools but they went into their game against the USA already knowing they were out of the competition.
Nemani Nadolo
Nemani Nadolo will remain at the Crusaders for two more years, after reports in New Zealand said the giant Fijian winger “never had any intention of going anywhere else”.
“We have loved having Nemani in the Crusaders this season, as have our fans, so it gives me great pleasure to confirm that he will be returning to the team next year and in 2016,” Crusaders chief executive Hamish Riach said.
Ireland produced one of the shocks of Women’s Rugby World Cup history by beating four-time world champions New Zealand on an historic day at Marcoussis. As a result of their 17-14 victory, Philip Doyle’s side has taken command of Pool B with a two-point lead now established over the Black Ferns and USA, who meet in the final round of pool fixtures on Saturday.
Another mouth-watering tie lies in wait in Pool A where England and Canada are separated only by points difference at the top of the table, after both teams recorded their second consecutive bonus-point wins of the competition.
Russia remain in the hunt for the final place at Rugby World Cup 2015 after beating Zimbabwe 23-15 in their Repechage semi-final in Krasnoyarsk on Saturday.
The Bears, bidding to reach a second consecutive tournament, will now face the winner of the match later today in Montevideo between Uruguay and Hong Kong for the right to join hosts England, Australia, Wales and Fiji in Pool A at RWC 2015.
Defending champions New Zealand got their World Cup defence off to a strong start on day one of the tournament while wins for hosts France, Canada, Australia, England and Ireland mean the competition is set for more classic match-ups before the 17 August final.
The seventh Women’s Rugby World Cup saw sell-out crowds watch six top-quality matches at FFR headquarters in the French capital.
Ireland beat their Pool B rivals USA in a match that could be crucial for the progress of the girls in green, while Australia and England impressed in their pool openers.
The Springbok Women on Friday suffered a disappointing 26-3 defeat against Australia in their opening Women’s Rugby World Cup clash at the French Rugby Federation in Marcoussis.
South Africa showed encouraging signs throughout the match, but their struggle to breach Australia’s defensive line combined with penalties conceded and mistakes made at crucial times denied them from starting the tournament on a high note.
Australia had the upper hand in the first 25 minutes as they retained possession and forced the Bok Women to defend for long periods.
The choice of England as the host nation for next year’s Rugby World Cup is a fitting one, as it is of course the birthplace of the game.
There is a good sense of continuity after the 2011 edition in New Zealand, as the Land of the Long White Cloud is considered one of the sport’s great heartlands. There is a sense of the battle for the Webb Ellis Cup moving from one side of the world to the other.
The southern Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk may not be the geographical halfway point between Eden Park and Twickenham but it is not too far from it at nearly 8,000 miles from Auckland and almost 4,500 miles from London.
So, perhaps it is apt that the Russian city is to play host to the Rugby World Cup 2015 qualifier between Russia and Zimbabwe with a place in the repechage final against either Uruguay or Hong Kong up for grabs.
The 12 team captains launch Womens Rugby World Cup 2014 in Paris
C’est parti!
The 12 teams participating in Women’s Rugby World Cup 2014 have arrived in France and are all set for kick-off in Paris this Friday, August 1.
Under the opulence of the City Hall in Paris, and with an earlier photo call in the shadow of the iconic Eiffel Tower, #WRWC2014 was officially launched in the French capital on Tuesday.
New Zealand are in France to defend their title, which they claimed after a thrilling final against England in 2010.
Several ex-New Zealand and Australia internationals have confirmed that they will lodge an application to switch allegiances to a Pacific Island nation with whom they hold a passport, with a view to participating at the Rugby World Cup in England next year.
With the inclusion of rugby 7s at the Olympics in 2016, there has been a change in eligibility laws that will see players who have represented one nation now eligible to play for another, if they hold a passport from that country.
If they have not played international rugby in the past 18 months, they will be eligible for their new country in the Sevens World Series or designated Regional Olympic Qualification Tournaments and would thus be able to play for that country in all forms of rugby.
What lessons can be learnt from the successful German Football campaign?
As the dust settles on Germany’s recent FIFA World Cup triumph is there anything that those side’s hoping to lift the Rugby World Cup crown in England next year could learn from Joachim Löw and his all-conquering team?
Are there lessons that could prove pivotal for those sides aiming to win the Women’s Rugby World Cup in France next month?
Chloe in her Wallaroos outfit
IT’S far from the conventional route, but Chloe Butler had to lose her kit to wear a new one.
The former pin-up girl of the Lingerie Football League is part of Australia’s Wallaroos squad heading to France on Sunday to compete in the IRB Rugby World Cup.
And she insists it was lingerie football that got her here.
To see Chloe in her LFL outfit…..keep reading!
New Zealand celebrate a fourth consecutive WRWC title following victory over England in the 2010 final
With just over two weeks to go before Women’s Rugby World Cup 2014, we take a look back at how previous tournaments unfolded and at the Springbok squad and preparations.
Women’s rugby has experienced phenomenal growth in recent times and the number of women and girls playing the game currently stands at 1.5 million, a quarter of the overall total.
Much of that growth over the past five years has been driven by Olympic inclusion, the inception of the IRB Women’s Sevens World Series, Rugby World Cup Sevens and ongoing work between national unions and Olympic Committees.
However, many countries have deep roots in the women’s 15-a-side game, which has already seen seven world tournaments, four sanctioned by the IRB and three ‘unofficial World Cups’.
Here we provide a brief history of the Women’s Rugby World Cup movement.
Springbok hard man, Bakkies Botha, showing his romantic side
Springbok and Toulon lock Bakkies Botha has spoken about life in France, the final 18 months of his career and what he has planned after rugby.
After his successful run with the Springboks in June against the World XV and Wales, the My Players website caught up with the 35-year-old during his off time in the South African bush.
The FIFA Football World Cup 2014 ends this weekend in Brazil.
The only games remaining are the 3rd Place Play-off on Saturday 12 July 2014 and the Final on Sunday 13 July 2014!
In the 3rd Place Play-off game, Brazil face Netherlands
In the grand Final, it is Germany vs Argentina.
Who will be crowned Football World Champion in 2014?
All of the games are live on TV in SA on SS3 HD, SS3 & Maximo.
The FIFA Football World Cup 2014 is nearing the end in Brazil.
The Quarter-Finals are a thing of the past, only 4 Teams remain!
In the Semi-Finals we have 2 South American Teams against 2 European Teams, who will come out on top? If a Team wins here, they progress to the Final and the loser books a place on the 3rd Place Play-Off!
It is the 3rd Place Play-Off on 12 July and the all importeant Final on 13 July 2014.
In the 1st Semi-Final on 8 July it is Brazil vs Germany and the 2nd Semi-Final on 9 July is between Netherlands vs Argentina.
All of the games are live on TV in SA on SS3 HD, SS3 & Maximo.
Namibia qualified for a fifth successive Rugby World Cup by thumping hosts Madagascar 89-10 on Sunday to win the African preliminaries and book a place in Pool C at next year’s tournament alongside defending champions New Zealand.
Namibia finished level on two wins each with Kenya and Zimbabwe at the end of the four-team tournament but qualified by virtue of more bonus points.
Their task was made easier on Sunday when Zimbabwe beat Kenya 28-10, setting Namibia a target of beating Madagascar by 53 points to qualify.
The FIFA Football World Cup 2014 is nearing the end in Brazil.
The Group Stages are already done and dusted, only 8 Teams remain!
In the knock-out stages, there are no 2nd chances, you lose and you go home. You win and you live to fight another day!
It is the Quarter-finals on Friday 4 and Saturday 5 July.
It is Germany vs France & Brazil vs Columbia on Friday and Argentina vs Belgium & Netherlands vs Costa Rica on Saturday.
The Semi-finals are on 8 & 9 July 2014.
All of the games are live on TV in SA on SS3 HD, SS3 & Maximo.
Kenya are in pole position to make history and qualify for a Rugby World Cup for the first time after maintaining their winning run in the Confederation Africaine de Rugby Africa Cup Division 1A Rugby World Cup 2015 qualifying tournament in Antananarivo on Wednesday.
Kenya, aiming to break Namibia’s recent stranglehold as the Africa Region’s second representative on Rugby’s greatest stage, recorded a bonus point 34-0 win over Madagascar to open up a four-point lead over Zimbabwe at the top of the table with one round remaining on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwe’s 24-20 defeat to Namibia in the opening match of the day means that it is mathematically possible for all three teams to finish top of the table going into Super Sunday when Madagascar play Namibia and Kenya face Zimbabwe.
The FIFA Football World Cup 2014 is well underway in Brazil.
The Group Stages are already done and dusted, only 16 Teams remain…. well only 12 after this weekend!
In the knock-out stages, there are no 2nd chances, you lose and you go home. You win and you live to fight another day!
The Games start out on Monday with France vs Nigeria and thereafter Germany vs Algeria, both on Monday 30 June.
On Tuesday 1 July it is Argentina vs Switserland and Belgium vs USA.
The Quarter-finals start on 4 July 2014.
All of the games are live on TV in SA on SS3 HD, SS3 & Maximo.
Fiji have qualified as Oceania 1 for Rugby World Cup 2015 in England by beating the Cook Islands 108-6 in Lautoka. The Flying Fijians scored 17 unanswered tries in a runaway victory in front of their adoring home fans at Churchill Park.
Fiji join hosts England, Australia, Wales and the yet to be determined Repechage winner in Pool A, and will have the honour of playing England at Twickenham in the opening match of the tournament on 18 September.
The FIFA Football World Cup 2014 is well underway in Brazil.
The Group Stages are already done and dusted, only 16 Teams remain!
In the knock-out stages, there are no 2nd chances, you lose and you go home. You win and you live to fight another day!
The Games start out with Brazil against Chile and after them it is Culombia vs Uruguay, both on Saturday 28 June.
On Sunday 29 June it is Netherlands vs Mexico and Costa Rica vs Greece.
All of the games are live on TV in SA on SS3 HD, SS3 & Maximo.
It is already Day 10 of the month-long FIFA Football World Cup 2014 in Brazil on Saturday.
Lionel Messi and Argentina are back in business while Nigeria and Ghana have a chance to keep Africa’s hopes alive. All of the games are live on TV in SA on SS3 HD, SS3 & Maximo.
Argentina face Iran at Estadio Mineirão in the first match of day at 18:00 SA Time, then Germany face off with Ghana at 21:00 SA Time. The final match of the day is a Group F encounter between Nigeria and Bosnia Herzegovina.
Some stunning results aleady and a number of big name sides are already doomed to be on their way back home!
As in the recent past, we cater for the Football fanatics too, so go for it you bloody Soccer Moffies!
Just kidding fellas, enjoy the Football!
England Under 20 retained their title as the IRB’s Junior World Champions when they edged their South African counterparts 21-20 in Auckland on Friday.
It was far from a clinical display. In fact it was a typical Final – in which there was good and bad kicking, handling errors, moments of sublime brilliance and a few poor options.
However, it was a great and enthralling encounter to watch, as two of the giants of the junior game went head-to-head.
In the end England deserved the win, if only because they made fewer errors and managed to overcome their soft moments better than the Baby Boks did.
Two of the key aspects were the line-outs, where JD Schickerling reigned supreme, and the kicking game – with Handré Pollard and Warrick Gelant’s boots just so much more accurate and secure.
However, errors limited the Baby Boks’ ability to capitalise on their superiority on those departments.
Junior Springboks (10) 20 / 21 (11) England (Final Score)
The South African Junior Springboks and England Under 20 did battle in the 2014 FINAL of the IRB Junior World Championship at
Eden Park, Auckland at 09:35 SA Time (19:35 NZ Time, 08:35 BST, 07:35 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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Captains Maro Itoje (England) & Handré Pollard (South Africa) holding the IRB Junior World Championship trophy
Dan Kriel will play on the right wing for the Junior Springboks in the IRB Junior World Championship final against England on Friday night at Eden Park in Auckland.
His inclusion in place of Lloyd Greeff is the only tweak to the team that beat New Zealand in a dramatic semi-final last Sunday in North Harbour.
The versatile Kriel, twin brother of outside centre Jesse Kriel, is preferred in the starting line-up because of his huge work rate on defence.
Lawrence Sephaka
Springbok Women’s coach Lawrence Sephaka on Tuesday named 11 players with World Cup experience in his 26-member squad for the IRB Women’s Rugby World Cup in France from 1 to 17 August.
The team’s participation in the tournament has been made possible by a R2,3m grant from the National Lotto Distribution Trust Fund.
The squad will be led by experienced captain and No 8 Mandisa Williams, who guided the team in the 2010 showpiece in the UK as well as the 2013 IRB Women’s Rugby World Cup Sevens in Moscow.
It is deep into the 1st week already of the month-long FIFA Football World Cup 2014 in Brazil.
We’ve seen some astonishing results already!
As in the past week, we have another Football article, so go for it you bloody Soccer Moffies!
Just kidding fellas & flatties, enjoy the Football!
Israel Folau
In-demand Wallabies star Israel Folau has ruled out any move to Europe or a switch back to league in Australia before next year’s World Cup.
Folau is hot property across the two codes and comes off contract next year, with French champions Toulon reportedly expressing an interest in the dual rugby international back.
Toulon, the reigning European Cup and Top 14 champions, are one of the wealthiest clubs in the world, boasting a star-studded roster including former Wallabies backs Matt Giteau, Drew Mitchell and the newly signed James O’Connor.
But Folau, 25, said he would not decide his future before rugby’s showpiece event which starts in England in September next year.
It is already Day 2 of the month-long FIFA Football World Cup 2014 in Brazil.
We have already seen Mexico beat Cameroon 1 / 0 and one of the bigger games of the tournament is about to follow, Spain vs Netherlands!
I thought you might like to chat some Poofball on a Poofball article, so go for it you bloody Soccer Moffies!
Just kidding fellas & flatties, enjoy the Football!
Here goes!
Wow, strange feeling for me to write about the Round Ball Game called POOFBALL… errr sorry I mean FOOTBALL, or SOCCER as it is more properly known in South Africa.
The world’s biggest sport, today starts it’s biggest tournament, the FIFA WORLD CUP 2014 in Brazil.
Being a Sports lover, I suppose is what it’s all about, so here goes with a SPECIAL ARTICLE on the world spectacle!
Gooooooooooo Bafana Bafana…. errr sorry, they’re not there, right?
Hahaha
Excuse the ignorance, me maties… but at the same time enjoy yourselves!
Here’s more about the tournament of Oscar-Driven stars on Tik:
Brazil kicks off the World Cup on Thursday hoping to unite the football-mad country after a chaotic seven-year build-up plagued by violent protests.
The 32-team extravaganza gets under way in the teeming mega-city of Sao Paulo, where the host nation’s beloved ‘Selecao’ faces Croatia at 17:00 Brazil Time (22:00 SA Time) in front of 61 600 supporters and a worldwide television audience of several hundred million.
Thursday’s Group A match signals the start of a month-long football fiesta taking place against backdrops which showcase Brazil’s breathtaking diversity, from the picture postcard beauty of Rio de Janeiro to fading colonial grandeur of Manaus, deep in the Amazon.
After years of apathy and simmering resentment at the tournament’s record $11-billion price tag, Brazilians were grudgingly embracing World Cup fever in the final hours before the big kick-off.
Hawkeye technology used in tennis
Technology company Hawkeye says it is in talks about providing a replacement to the television match official (TMO) system in rugby.
Hawkeye, which operates systems in football and tennis, could be used in domestic rugby and internationally in time for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
Hawkeye founder Paul Hawkins said: “We are in conversation with Premiership Rugby and the IRB.”
The International Rugby Board would not confirm any talks with Hawkeye.
A year from the Rugby World Cup, defending champions the All Blacks face a depleted talent pool to select from, as a wealth of players opt for lucrative overseas contracts.
Although there is an overflow of quality among the loose forwards and outside backs, in other areas there are looming shortages – particularly at hooker, where there is a struggle to find three of international standard for next month’s tour by England.
With 500 days to go until Rugby World Cup 2015 in England kicks off, Rugby World Cup Limited Chairman Bernard Lapasset is confident that preparations are on track to deliver “an unforgettable and special” record-breaking event that will further the growth of the sport worldwide.
With fans snapping up tickets in record numbers through the official supporter tour programme and with Rugby community ticket sales beginning today, tournament organisers England Rugby 2015 Limited have announced that tickets for all 48 matches will go on general sale globally from September 12-29 2014.
Blues flyhalf Simon Hickey will captain New Zealand at the 2014 IRB Junior World Championship to be held in New Zealand in June.
Hickey, who has played six Super Rugby games for the Blues, scoring 78 points, returns having played in last year’s JWC in France.