Cardiff Blues
Welsh rugby seems set to reach a new crisis point next week as the four regions are not expected to sign a new participation agreement. The Welsh Rugby Union had set a deadline of 31 December to sign a new agreement, replacing the current five-year deal that expires in June 2014.
The traditional festive season local derbies are set to take centre stage as the Pro12 Round 11 provides an exciting escape from turkey and TV. The games in Scotland and Wales take place on Boxing Day, whilst Ireland foregoes St Stephens’ Day games and sticks to the traditional Friday and Saturday slots.
The focus returns once again to the PRO12 after two weeks of European competition, with Irish Provinces topping three of the six European Cup Pools.
Round Eight of the Pro12 kicks off on Friday night with both Scottish teams in action – early season leaders Glasgow Warriors welcoming Newport Gwent Dragons to Scotstoun, whilst Edinburgh travel to Belfast to face Ulster.
The top-of-the-table clash at Thomond Park between Munster and Ospreys on Saturday headlines Round Seven of the Pro12. Munster currently lead the pack thanks to winning one more game than Ospreys, but Ospreys have garnered more bonus points in the six rounds than their hosts, so the scene is set for an epic battle.
The first round of Heineken Cup 2013/14 matches kick off this weekend in what may be the very last tournament with the European premier club rugby competition going through a much publicised meltdown.
Edinburgh Rugby will welcome the return of captain Greig Laidlaw this Sunday as they look to repeat last season’s away success against Cardiff Blues at the Arms Park (6 October, kick-off 3.05pm South African Time). The 27-year-old scrum-half – who kicked the winning drop-goal on that day last year – has recovered from the knee injury that has kept him side-lined since the summer to make his first competitive outing of the season.
Leinster and Munster will look to solidify themselves as early pace-setters in Round Two of the Pro12 this weekend. These two teams were the only sides who collected maximum points from their first-round Pro12 games, between them running in ten of the 22 tries that were scored last weekend.
Ahead of the start of the RaboDirect PRO12 season on September 6, we preview the fortunes of each side.
The new season of RaboDirect PRO12 rugby is nearly upon us and despite seeing several top players leave the league and opt to take up a contract in the Top 14, the 12 sides in the Celtic competition have had a busy summer as they look to bolster their resources. Several top internationals have decided to give the PRO12 a shot and we have picked out a selection of eye-catching transfers in the latest Scrum Sevens.
Wales and British and Irish Lions captain Sam Warburton will miss the next four month of rugby because of his left hamstring injury.
The RaboDirect PRO12 is in line to record its best ever attendances since the competition changed to a home and away format ten seasons ago.
With a pause in the international matches, the Pro12 takes centre stage again this weekend with games in Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
First up on Friday night table toppers Ulster welcome Zebre to Ravenhill. The leaders will be keen to get back to their winning ways having suffered only their second defeat in this season’s campaign at the hands of Ospreys last week.
A Welsh rugby star has had to pull out of an important match in France after his puppy chewed up his passport. Jason Tovey, 23, was all packed and ready to go to the airport to fly to Toulon to play for Cardiff Blues when he found his ruined passport. He said he was dreading telling his coach that he could not play in the Heineken Cup game on Saturday.
In what will be the final round of Pro12 games before the start of the European competitions, Ulster sit one point clear at the top of the table with a game in hand over their rivals. They welcome Connacht to Ravenhill on Friday night, a place where the visitors have never won in this tournament.
In the wake of Nevin Spence’s death alongside his brother and father, Ulster’s players now just want to return to action. They will do so on Friday night when they face Cardiff Blues in the RaboDirect PRO12 at the Arms Park.
The second round of the RaboDirect Pro12 competition is scheduled for this weekend. Four of the games will be played on Friday night with the remaining two games taking place on Saturday.
The team to tackle the Cardiff Blues, on 4 August 2012, in honour of Grey College founder Sir George Grey, and in the process to prepare for the Currie Cup of 2012 has been announced. According to the Volksblad, backline coach Hawies Fourie, is using the match to decide on who his 1st choice inside centre should be.
Pretorius in Walliese klubspan se toergroep teen Vrystaat.
Al is hy eintlik ‘n Suid-Afrikaner, pronk sy gesig nie verniet as een van die Cardiff Blues se sterre op die Walliese spog-rugby-klub se amptelike webtuiste nie.
Die agtsteman Andries Pretorius sal een van die groot trekpleisters wees wanneer die Blues die naweek hier teen die Vrystaat Toyota Cheetahs in n vertoonwedstryd uitdraf.
In this, the first of a planned series of articles on players from the northern hemisphere who may be less well known, we look at young Welsh winger Harry Robinson.
The Cheetahs will play the Cardiff Blues in Bloemfontein, on the 4th August 2012. The match is in memory of Sir George Gray, who would have been 200 years old this year.
Sunday afternoon’s Heineken Cup sixth round pool clashes brought an end to the Pool phase of the Heineken Cup and the quarter finalists have now been decided.
Wales’s four major professional clubs have agreed to operate a salary cap from the start of next season despite seeing several leading players leave for lucrative deals with French teams.
Steve Walsh has been confirmed as the referee for the Super Rugby match between the Crusaders and the Sharks at Twickenham on Sunday.
As a result of the change in the match venue from Christchurch to London, Walsh, who refereed last weekend’s Six Nations clash between Scotland and Italy in Edinburgh, will replace Garratt Williamson.