European Rugby
RaboDirect PRO12 log leaders Glasgow Warriors face second-placed Munster in a tantalising top-of-the-table clash at Scotstoun on Friday.
As the competition gets back into full swing with Round Six this weekend after a successful European double header, it’s clear that the Pro12 is going from strength to strength.
The English, French, Scottish, Welsh, Irish and Italian governing bodies have agreed to change the structure of European club rugby. After meetings in Dublin, they agreed in principle on the formation of two tweaked competitions of 20 teams each as well as a change in revenue distribution.
Chris Robshaw has retained the England captaincy for the November internationals, coach Stuart Lancaster announced on Wednesday.
In a media release,the RRW (Regional Rugby Wales), the 4 Welsh Regions have put their weight behind the break away by the Anglo-French Clubs from the current format of the ERC (European Rugby Cahampionship). The ERC currently run the Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup tournaments.
This now adds added impetus to the newly proposed Rugby Champions Cup competition, initiated by English and French Clubs after unhappiness with the format for qualification of the ERC competitions and the distribution of income in the competitions. The Celtic League, Irish, Scotish and Welsh clubs qualify easier than the English and French Clubs at present.
Rory Kockott was voted French Top 14 player of last season on Monday night at the awards ceremony in Paris.
Perpignan’s strong second-half showing overwhelmed Heineken Cup opponents Edinburgh at Stade Aimé Giral. Tim Visser’s converted try helped the visitors into a deserved 7-3 lead at the interval. But they were undone by two tries early in the second half as Joffrey Michel and Wandile Mjekevu crossed.
What a breathtaking start to this year’s Heineken Cup competition! In case you missed it, here are the results from last weekends Round 1 opener.
Clermont scrum-half Morgan Parra will miss France’s opening November test against world champions New Zealand after he was handed a four-week ban by the French League on Wednesday.
Parra was punished for having punched Bordeaux-Begles’s Gautier Gibouin several times during a Top 14 league match on September 29.
Record-breaking South Africa wing Bryan Habana is predicting an epic battle when the Springboks take on Wales in Cardiff in November.
The 30-year-old former IRB Player of the Year is looking forward to returning to the Welsh capital next month and believes, following the success of the British and Irish Lions in mid-year, the Welsh side will be more dangerous than ever.
Whilst it is already old news that Craig Burden was planning a move to French giants, Toulon, it has now been confirmed that he has been signed by European champions Toulon as cover for the injured Sebastien Bruno.
The 28-year-old uncapped Springbok, who has played at the Sharks since 2006, could make his debut in the European Cup next weekend.
Scotland have revealed that fullback Stuart Hogg will miss this year’s Autumn Internationals (End Of Year Tours) due to an injury.
London Irish scored nine tries as they romped to a 60-11 victory over Cavalieri in the Amlin Challenge Cup at the Madejski Stadium.
Saracens survived a scare but held on to beat Connacht 17-23 in the Heineken Cup at the Sportsground in Galway on Friday.
Connacht, coached by former Samoa No 8 Pat Lam – a European Cup winner with Northampton in 2000, held Saracens at 17-17 at half-time.
Ulster kicked off their Heineken Cup with a 22-16 Pool 5 victory over Leicester Tigers ar Ravenhill on Friday night.
Leicester Tigers replacement Owen Williams kicked a late penalty for the visitors to earn them a losing bonus point.
Kockott has not signed with Toulon for next season and remains loyal to Castres for now.
The Rumour of a move to Toulon has been laid to rest on Tuesday after Springbok scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar extended his stay at Ulster for another 3 years.
Italy stands ready to stage a major European club rugby final for the first time with the 20th Heineken Cup decider scheduled to be played at Milan’s world-famous Stadio Giuseppe Meazza San Siro in 2015.
The IRB has cast its net further in making its appointment to the November Tests, mostly in Europe.
There are several of the tried and tested – Craig Joubert, Jaco Peyper, Nigel Owens, Steve Walsh, Alain Rolland, George Clancy, Jérôme Graces, Romain Poite, Wayne Barnes, for example. There are those finding their feet like Lourens van der Merwe, Glen Jackson, JP Doyle, Pascal Gauzère, Leighton Hodges, Greg Garner, Ian Davies, John Lacey and Francisco Pastrana. Then there are those who are just standing up and taking their first steps – Stuart Berry, Chris Assmus, Mike Fraser, Dudley Phillips, Federico Anselmi, Luke Pearce, Marius Mitrea, Joaquin Montes, Juan Sylvestre and Claudio Antonio.
South African-born Ireland hooker Richardt Strauss has been ruled out for the rest of the season because of a heart condition that will require surgery.
Rory Kockott seems to be the latest South African to sign with French club Toulon.
Kockott who currently plays for Castres is likely to join Toulon next season in a 3 year deal.
Glasgow Warriors maintained their winning start to the PRO12 with a hard-fought victory over Scarlets in Wales on Saturday evening.
Ali Williams says he enjoyed being on the same side as South African Bakkies Botha for a change, having locked horns with the giant former Springbok on numerous occasions for club and country.
With the end of year tours just over six weeks away there is some bad news for two of the top centres who would have been looking forward for turning out for their countries against Southern Hemisphere opponents. England’s Manu Tuilagi joins team mate Brad Barritt on the sidelines while Lions and Wales centre Jamie Roberts also looks set to miss out on the action due to injury.
English and French clubs on Sunday announced the formation of a new competition called the Rugby Champions Cup for the 2014 / 15 season.
Anglo-French clubs have threatened to pull out of the European Cup if organisers ERC failed to find a solution to their concerns over the current competition’s format.
Ruan Pienaar seems to be the latest interest for French side Toulon.
According to reports from France it seems that Toulon is chasing Pienaar’s signiture.
England centre Manu Tuilagi has apologised for making a “bunny ears” gesture behind the head of British Prime Minister David Cameron in a photocall at 10 Downing Street.
“Apologies for messing around on Lions photo. No offence intended,” Tuilagi said on Twitter. “
With only 730 days till World Cup 2015 the pools and qualifying teams are starting to take shape.
There is still quite a few qualifying matches ahead and still a playoff series to fill all open spots.
European Club Rugby (ERC) president Jean-Pierre Lux has accused English and French clubs of using “guerilla” tactics in the ongoing row over the format of the European Cup.
Lux said the English and French teams were not showing any willingness to compromise in their demands, but he rejected the idea that they could form a breakaway competition next season.
Saracens chairman Nigel Wray is thought to have pumped more money into the English club game than any other owner.
Saracens chairman Nigel Wray has added fuel to the debate about the future of the European club rugby landscape by suggesting the Welsh regions could join the Aviva Premiership.
It seems that no agreement could be reached to ensure the future of the ERC.
This sees the breakaway of English and French clubs at the end of the current season.
English and French clubs are threatening to break away from the European Cup.
The ERC board will be meeting on Wednesday to discuss a new deal to ensure the future of the European Cup.
Former Wallaby Lote Tuqiri will return to Rugby Union, with Irish province Leinster, after three years playing for Wests Tigers in Australia’s National Rugby League.
The 33-year-old wing was a huge star in League before switching codes to Union and enjoying seven successful years with the Waratahs and the Wallabies, before joining the Tigers in 2010.
Rugby World Cup winning South African forward Juan Smith has signed a one year deal with Top 14 Rugby club Toulon.
Bulls captain Pierre Spies says he is in favour of a global rugby season which would see the Super Rugby competition finish earlier in the year.
The subject has been the focus of much speculation with the current SANZAR agreement set to expire in 2015, and Spies added his voice to the calls for the entire season to be restructured.
South African international flyhalf Morne Steyn revealed he would only start on the bench for Stade Francais in Friday’s Top 14 clash with Biarritz.
The 29-year-old – capped 47 times – only arrived from Argentina on Monday after helping the Springboks beat the Pumas 22-17 in a Four Nations Test.