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Richie McCaw looks unlikely to join the expected exodus of top New Zealand players to cash-flush European clubs after next year’s World Cup on home soil.
Speaking to the Sunday Star Times, McCaw revealed that he is in talks with the New Zealand Rugby Union about extending his contract beyond 2011.
On a weekend when even the English Premiership’s headline fixture between Chelsea v Manchester United was postponed due to arctic conditions, it was perhaps no surprise that two Heineken Cup Round Four fixtures also fell victim to the incredibly cold weather.
The widespread adverse weather that has swept across Europe in recent days has played havoc with all sporting events and rugby union has suffered with the rest.
Frozen pitches, heavy snow storms and travel difficulties – for both club squads and their equipment – have all played significant parts in four ERC matches having to be rescheduled.
South Africa have been drawn against Fiji, France and Canada in the third leg of the 2010/11 IRB World Sevens Series in Wellington, New Zealand, in February, the International Rugby Board announced on Friday.
Rugby World Cup 2011 tournament organisers have confirmed that key match ticket sales and revenue targets have been achieved for 2010 and that international visitors will number at least 85,000.
Crusaders and All Black number eight Kieran Read has been named the Kelvin R. Tremain Memorial rugby player of the year.
Western Force and Wallabies openside flanker David Pocock swept the Australian rugby awards for 2010 by winning the Rugby Union Players Association’s Medal for Excellence.
After a successful inaugural tournament, WP Rugby and Club Newlands are delighted to announce the return of the Neo Africa Tri-Series in 2011.
The pre-season series will see the DHL Stormers, the Sharks and the Lions battle it out as they prepare for the Vodacom Super Rugby, which kicks off on 18 February.
Saracens boss Brendan Venter found himself in trouble for saying too little, rather than too much, following the former Springbok’s latest brush with rugby disciplinary procedures on Monday.
Come 2011, the Beast could be hunting with the Lions instead of swimming with the Sharks.
Tendai (Beast) Mtawarira, the Sharks and Springbok prop, has apparently received an offer from the Lions which he may be unable to turn down.
Tim Noakes is ‘n geregistreerde blogger hier op Rugby-Talk. Ons vind hierdie interressante Artikel oor hom:
Wanneer die sportwetenskaplike Tim Noakes afrigters en proffies se teorieë aan flarde skeur, is hy immers gewoonlik reg – selfs al sê wie ook wat.
Mils Muliaina and other All Blacks are sought-after commodities as they come off contract after the 2011 World Cup.
Muliaina, who will be 31 when the World Cup ends and a veteran open to a better pension, has had numerous offers from European clubs and is in the good position of being selective and likely to be well recompensed.
Friends and Rugby Muppits,
It’s off-season, the holiday and festive season is here and good vibes abound. Rugby-Talk will be open for Comments by all and sundry a while longer.
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The South African Rugby Union have revealed that the Springbok duo of Chiliboy Ralepelle and Bjorn Basson will face a anti-doping tribunal after their B samples also tested positive.
It is with great sadness that we have learnt of the passing, yesterday Saturday 11 December 2010, of Michael Copley, aka Jinx. He was our friend and fellow rugby blogger.
Michael was our poet and musician and dare I say old Jinx did not have a bad thing to say about anybody. A more pleasant and spiritual fellow you wont find.
The earth is poorer without Jinx…
(For purposes of allowing unhindered tributes to our late friend, Jinx, and in the spirit which Jinx lived, the Rugby-Talk blog has been opened for EVERYBODY to comment!
If you are a registered Rugby-Talk blogger, Login like normal and comment.
If you’re not a registered Rugby-Talker, kindly state your Nickname (if from another Blog) / your Name and an E-Mail Address…. and leave a comment.)
Funeral Details:
New Zealand boss Jock Hobbs’ battle with cancer has taken a turn for the worse and he has stepped away from rugby to start a new, more aggressive, course of treatment.
It was announced on Friday that Hobbs has stepped down as chairman of both the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) and Rugby New Zealand 2011 Ltd (RNZ 2011) to focus on his health.
New Zealand retained their Emirates Airline South Africa Sevens title, beating England in the tightest of finals with a last-gasp penalty kick, 22-19.
The Golden Lions Rugby Union remain hopeful of luring two World Cup-winning Springboks back to South Africa, despite the reluctance of their European clubs.
In the Off-season, it might be wise for us to look in detail at every Rugby Position on the field and find or discuss the requirements for each.
Today we kick off with a lighter and fun-look look at the positions.
Come on, you’ve got to read this.. unless you’re a forward, in which case you should ask someone to read it for you!
Sponsors, development and loyalty are all factors that will play a role when the South African Rugby Union (Saru) decides which city will host the local leg of the International Rugby Board’s (IRB) World Sevens Series from next year.
Paul Delport returns to the Springbok Sevens squad in place of Renfred Dazel in one of three changes named by coach, Paul Treu for his team’s home leg of the HSBC Sevens World Series which starts on Friday in George.Dazel suffered concussion after receiving a blow to the head against the USA last Saturday in Dubai he was therefore not considered for selection. Jacques Engelbrecht replaces Lubabalo Mtembu and MJ Mentz makes way for Steven Hunt.
Derick Minnie and Michael Killian were the big winners at the annual Golden Lions Rugby Union award ceremony on Wednesday.
Minnie took home the titles of both Forward of the Year and Player of the Year, while Killian was awarded Backline player of the Year and Players Player of the Year.
After the All Blacks’ astounding successes in 2010 which has left them well and truly perched on the top of the world, their coach Graham Henry fears burn-out as they prepare for the 2011 World Cup.
Henry told the media: “Our biggest challenge is that they’ve got to be reasonably sharp mentally coming into the World Cup and the Tri-Nations prior.
The Cheetahs are spending this week training in Jeffreys Bay ahead of next year’s Super 15 and fans will be pleased to see Springbok flank Heinrich Brüssow almost fighting fit following a long-term injury, while wing Jongi Nokwe’s prognosis is less positive.
Springbok Sevens coach Paul Treu has added four players to the squad ahead of the SA Sevens tournament in George on Friday and Saturday.
Paul Delport, Jacques Engelbrecht, Steven Hunt and Chris Dry were added to the squad which won the plate final in the first leg of the IRB World Sevens Series in Dubai at the weekend.
Well, here’s something the English players might actually win….
Rugby Players’ Association chief executive Damian Hopley has suggested that England’s plan to select only players based in England could bring legal action on the Union.
Former Wallaby captain George Gregan will hang up his rugby boots at the end of the current season ending a career which has seen him win a world cup and two Super Rugby campaigns.
We have reached the end of the Southern Hemisphere Rugby Season for 2010, but that does not mean that Rugby-Talk will close over this period.
We will still cover the IRB Sevens Series in George over the coming weekend and the dribbles of news which comes our way from all over and some of the Northern Hemisphere games and results.
In addition we will cover the Proteas vs India Cricket Tour, both on the Twenty Over Format, the OID’s and of course the 5-Day Tests, the first Test starts on Thursday 16 December.
The Ashes series between Australia and England is currently played in Australia. A daily Cricket thread covering International Cricket will be posted here.
Barbarians (19) 26 / Springboks (3) 20 (Final Score)
The Barbarians and the Springboks met at Twickenham, North London, at 16:30 SA Time on Saturday in the last match for Southern Hemisphere rugby interest for 2010. This is the match thread for discussion of the game. The match was broadcast live on SuperSport 2, M-Net and SuperSport HD on TV in SA.
It was an error-ridden match with lots of penalties by the French referee and most of the excitement came from the Barbarians in the first 20 minutes.
The Barbarians scored 4 tries, the Springboks 3.
Kicking to posts by Elton Jantjies was abysmal.
The South African Rugby Union (SARU) held its last General Council meeting for the year on Friday in Newlands. The Council agreed to adopt the policy pertaining to the New Zealand Maori, which now paves the way for matches between South African teams and the Maoris.
“Africa’s Major” tournament, the Nedbank Golf Challenge, is underway at Sun City.
The Springboks and Barbarians goes toe to toe on Saturday 4 December 2010 at Twickenham, London at 16:30 SA Time.
This game is difficult to judge, it is a festival game and we should see a very different playing style from a Springbok team which shows 12 changes from last week’s side. All the youngsters and “Fringe-Bokke” gets game time this week.
The International Rugby Board has announced the Match Official appointments for the 2011 Six Nations Championship, which will be played between February 4 and March 19.
The HSBC Dubai Sevens is happening, this is the 1st event yearly in the IRB Sevens Calaendar.
Nick Mallett does not share the pessimism about South African rugby, and believes Peter de Villiers’s Springboks are headed for next year’s World Cup semi-finals with New Zealand and Australia.