It was not only a busy week in South African rugby, it was indeed busy all over the World. Here’s a short summary of news from around the rugby globe. We discuss from Guinness Premiership to Currie Cup First Division to Super 14 to World Cup Preparation to Currie Cup Premier Division Log to European Challange Cup to French Top 14.

Guinness Premiership Round 5 Results:

Saracens went back to the top of the Premiership with a 22-15 win at Newcastle on Sunday.

Wasps held off a brave fightback from Northampton as they got back on track with a 20-15 success.

Mike Tindall created one try and scored another as Gloucester ended a dismal run of three successive losses and condemned bottom club Leeds to a 26-10 defeat.

On Saturday, Leicester beat Worcester 19-14.

On Saturday, Harlequins edged past Bath 13-11.

London Irish won 11-8 at Sale on Friday.

Currie Cup First Division semi-Finalists:

The 2009 Currie Cup First Division semifinalists have been confirmed:

The Pumas will host the Mighty Elephants in Witbank.

The SWD Eagles will host the Griffons in George.

The Eagles secured the crucial second position on the log and a home semifinal following their 18-16 victory over the Elephants at Outeniqua Park on Saturday evening.

In Welkom, the Pumas suffered their first defeat of the season after the Griffons shocked the log leaders to win 35-24 on Saturday. The result had no impact on the log and ensured that the visitors end the season in pole position in the competition.

In the other First Division match of the weekend, the Border Bulldogs secured their second victory of the season by defeating the Valke 39-15 in a bottom-of-the-log clash in East London on Saturday. The Valke also failed to win any fixtures in the competition this year.

Brumbies get new kit sponsor:

KooGa Australia will fit out the CA Brumbies as jersey and apparel partners from 2010.

The Australian owned and operated organisation will join Brumbies Rugby as commercial partners for the next four years, providing team kit and uniforms for the CA Brumbies as well as the official range of supporter merchandise.

The KooGA brand kick-started as a rugby apparel provider in the United Kingdom and services English Premiership clubs Harlequins and Saracens, as well as top line Welsh clubs Llanelli RFC, Ospreys, and Swansea.

In Australia, KooGa supply the Newcastle Knights and Melbourne Storm in the National Rugby League and have recently announced they will be official apparel suppliers to the Wallabies and Queensland Reds from 2010.

All Blacks to start World Cup build up in the Northern Hemisphere:

With the final whistle of their 2009 Tri-Nations campaign still ringing in their ears the All Blacks looked north and singled out France in particular to begin tuning up for the 2011 World Cup.

After beating the Wallabies 33-6 a couple of weeks ago to bag second place behind the Springboks in the Tri-Nations, the All Blacks were keen to put a disappointing southern-hemisphere season behind them.

The six-match, end-of-year, tour would be a chance for players to play their way into the World Cup selection frame, Henry told reporters.

In recent years, France have earned a reputation as New Zealand’s bogey team having tipped them out of the 1999 World Cup semi-finals and 2007 World Cup quarter-finals as well as squaring a two-Test series in New Zealand in June.

Although several veteran All Blacks failed to measure up to their usual high standards this year, Henry dismissed suggestions the northern tour would be a chance to blood new players.

Henry said All Blacks certain to miss the northern hemisphere tour because of injury are hooker Keven Mealamu, lock Ali Williams and centre Richard Kahui.

Tour schedule:
Oct 31: v Australia, Tokyo
Nov 7: v Wales, Cardiff
Nov 14: v Italy, Milan
Nov 21: v England, London
Nov 28: v France, Marseille
Dec 5: v Barbarians, London

Ewen McKenzie ready to take Reds reigns:

Ewen McKenzie says that he is ready to hit the ground running as Reds coach and warned they risked being further destabilised by seeking an interim appointment.

The Reds are expected to announce Phil Mooney’s successor for 2010 in the next two weeks and McKenzie has been tipped for the job after meeting chairman Rod McCall.

McKenzie scoffed at claims that he would be a risky appointment after being sacked last month by French club Stade Francais and after he left the Waratahs last year.

Three Teams qualify for Currie Cup semi’s:

The inability of the Sharks to gain a bonus point against the Lions sees them drop to second place on the log by virtue of Western Province’s better points differential.

Western Province 49 (+221)
Sharks 49 (+178)
Blue Bulls 41 (+139)
Griquas 39 (-28)
Cheetahs 35 (+160)
Lions 33 (+97)
Leopards 6 (-287)
Boland 5 (-480)

European Cup Challenge fixtures released:

The fixtures, dates and kick-off times for the new-look European Challenge Cup, which from this season will see three Heineken Cup teams competing in the knock-out stages of the tournament have been announced by tournament organisers ERC.

Full broadcast schedules will be announced shortly.

EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP 2009/10 FIXTURES

ROUND 1

THURSDAY 8 OCTOBER, 2009
POOL 2 Worcester Warriors v Montpellier 19.45
FRIDAY 9 OCTOBER, 2009
POOL 1 Bourgoin v Leeds Carnegie 19.30
POOL 2 Connacht v Olympus Rugby XV Madrid 19.00
POOL 3 Castres Olympique v Toulon 19.00
POOL 4 Bayonne v Roma 19.30
POOL 5 Albi v Montauban 20.00
SATURDAY 10 COTOBER, 2009
POOL 1 Bucuresti Oaks v Rugby Parma 13.00
POOL 5 Petrarca Rugby v Newcastle Falcons 15.00
SUNDAY 11 OCTOBER, 2009
POOL 3 Saracens v Rugby Rovigo 15.00
POOL 4 London Wasps v Racing-Metro 92 15.00

ROUND 2

THURSDAY 15 OCTOBER, 2009
POOL 3 Toulon v Saracens 20.45
FRIDAY 16 OCTOBER, 2009
POOL 2 Montpellier v Connacht Rugby 20.00
POOL 5 Montauban v Petrarca Rugby 20.30
SATURDAY 17 OCTOBER, 2009
POOL 1 Bucuresti Oaks v Bourgoin 13.00
POOL 2 Olympus Rugby XV Madrid v Worcester 16.30
POOL 3 Rugby Rovigo v Castres Olympique 15.00
POOL 4 Roma v London Wasps 15.00
POOL 4 Racing-Metro 92 v Bayonne 20.45
SUNDAY 18 OCTOBER, 2009
POOL 1 Leeds Carnegie v Overmach Rugby Parma 15.00
POOL 5 Newcastle Falcons v Albi 15.00

ROUND 3

THURSDAY 10 DECEMBER, 2009
POOL 5 Newcastle Falcons v Montauban 19.45
FRIDAY 11 DECEMBER, 2009
POOL 2 Montpellier v Olympus Rugby XV Madrid 20.00
POOL 3 Castres Olympique v Saracens 19.00
POOL 3 Toulon v Rugby Rovigo 19.30
SATURDAY 12 DECEMBER, 2009
POOL 1 Overmach Rugby Parma v Bourgoin 14.00
POOL 1 Bucuresti Oaks v Leeds Carnegie 13.00
POOL 2 Worcester Warriors v Connacht Rugby 15.00
POOL 4 London Wasps v Bayonne 17.00
POOL 4 Racing-Metro 92 v Roma 20.45
POOL 5 Petrarca Rugby v Albi 15.00

ROUND 4

THURSDAY 17 DECEMBER, 2009
POOL 1 Bourgoin v Overmach Rugby Parma 19.30
POOL 4 Bayonne v London Wasps 20.45
FRIDAY 18 DECEMBER, 2009
POOL 2 Connacht Rugby v Worcester Warriors 19.00
POOL 5 Montauban v Newcastle Falcons 20.30
SATURDAY 19 DECEMBER, 2009
POOL 2 Olympus Rugby XV Madrid v Montpellier 16.00
POOL 3 Saracens v Castres Olympique 19.45
POOL 3 Rugby Rovigo v Toulon 15.00
POOL 4 Roma v Racing-Metro 92 14.30
POOL 5 Albi v Petrarca Rugby 19.00
SUNDAY 20 DECEMBER, 2009
POOL 1 Leeds Carnegie v Bucuresti Oaks 15.00

ROUND 5

14 / 15 / 16 / 17 JANUARY, 2010
POOL 1 Bourgoin v Bucuresti Oaks
POOL 1 Overmach Rugby Parma v Leeds Carnegie
POOL 2 Connacht Rugby v Montpellier
POOL 2 Worcester Warriors v Olympus Rugby XV Madrid
POOL 3 Saracens v Toulon
POOL 3 Castres Olympique v Rugby Rovigo
POOL 4 Bayonne v Racing-Metro 92
POOL 4 London Wasps v Roma
POOL 5 Albi v Newcastle Falcons
POOL 5 Petrarca Rugby v Montauban

ROUND 6

21 / 22 / 23 / 24 JANUARY, 2010
POOL 1 Overmach Rugby Parma v Bucuresti Oaks
POOL 1 Leeds Carnegie v Bourgoin
POOL 2 Montpellier v Worcester Warriors
POOL 2 Olympus Rugby XV Madrid v Connacht Rugby
POOL 3 Toulon v Castres Olympique
POOL 3 Rugby Rovigo v Saracens
POOL 4 Racing-Metro 92 v London Wasps
POOL 4 Roma v Bayonne
POOL 5 Newcastle Falcons v Petrarca Rugby
POOL 5 Montauban v Albi

QUARTER-FINALS

8 / 9 / 10 / 11 APRIL, 2010

SEMI-FINALS

30 APRIL 1 / 2 MAY, 2010

EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP FINAL

21 / 22 / 23 MAY, 2010

Clermont lead Top 14:

Defending champions Perpignan slipped to fourth place in the Top 14 after suffering a 27-12 loss away to Biarritz on Saturday.

Clermont moved atop the league with a bonus-point 38-13 victory over Bayonne.

Castres went into second after edging a 21-19 thriller against Toulon.

Fourth-placed Toulouse registered a 30-12 win over Montpellier, a result that left the latter in trouble one spot off the foot of the table.

Racing-Metro moved into mid-table comfort with a 17-12 win over Montauban, while fellow Parisian side Stade Francais handed Brive a 44-16 thrashing on Friday.

In the late game, Bourgoin beat bottom-placed club Albi 26-16.