Internationals
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. A feast of rugby awaits fans of the Scottish pro teams as they look forward to December’s derby matches. The 1872 Cup may be a relatively recent creation but it epitomises a rivalry that stretches back over 140 years.
1872 to 1953:
The very first Glasgow vs Edinburgh meeting took place on 23 November 1872 at Burnbank, home of Glasgow Accies, and has the very precise historical claim of being the world’s first non-international representative rugby union fixture. The game was 20-a-side (a possible tactical choice for Alan Solomons to even the odds?) and saw Edinburgh emerge victorious by a drop goal to nil (someone may need to explain to the current Warriors squad what a drop goal is). There wasn’t actually a cup up for grabs – it would take more than 100 years before that came along. This may have been due to fears on the East coast that their Weegie counterparts would melt down any trophy and sell it in the 19th century equivalent of Cash for Gold.
Jim Mallinder has hit out at the way this crucial period of Northampton’s season has been undermined by the RFU’s unofficial approaches to his backs coach, Alex King, to become part of the England setup.
“As a club, we’ve had no official contact at all, so we’re in the dark,” he said. “Alex King is a key part of our coaching staff. We’re in a vital part of the season building up to a massive game this week. What you don’t want to hear is that somebody is talking to one of your coaches.”
Eddie Jones, England’s new head coach, met King before Northampton’s 9 – 9 home draw with Racing 92. Jones has indicated that he will look after England’s attack but it is thought he might be interested in King as an assistant in that department, which may yet allow for a part-time arrangement whereby King continues with Northampton.
Should the RFU try to prise King away, Northampton have two models to choose from for their next move – that of Saracens, who have agreed to release Paul Gustard as defence coach (although they received an official approach from the RFU), or Bristol, who are demanding punitive compensation for the signature of Steve Borthwick as coach of the forwards.
Bristol say they will “take all reasonable actions” after denying a deal had been done with the Rugby Football Union for Steve Borthwick to become England forwards coach.
The RFU released a statement saying former England captain Borthwick would join new head coach Eddie Jones’ team.
Borthwick signed a long-term deal with Bristol after the World Cup, having worked under Jones with Japan.
“We have not agreed Steve Borthwick can leave our employment,” Bristol said.
Borthwick is understood to have handed in his resignation on Tuesday, but the club said they had not given the RFU permission to speak to Borthwick and would “take all reasonable actions as necessary to protect the club’s position”.
Before Bristol intervened, Borthwick was quoted in an RFU statement saying it was a “huge honour to be asked as these chances don’t come around often”.
The former England captain was due to be Jones’ first appointment after previous forwards coach Graham Rowntree departed on Monday, along with Mike Catt and Andy Farrell.
In the same RFU statement, Jones described Borthwick as a “great addition” who would “get the best out of the players at the highest level”.
Jones also called Borthwick a “young coach with great potential” and praised his “analytical” approach as part of the RFU announcement.
Andy Farrell, Graham Rowntree and Mike Catt (from left to right) were Stuart Lancaster’s assistants
New head coach Eddie Jones has begun overhauling his England backroom team by getting rid of Mike Catt, Andy Farrell and Graham Rowntree.
The trio worked under former boss Stuart Lancaster, who was relieved of his duties last month following a disappointing home World Cup campaign.
“We felt it was the right time to make changes,” said Australian Jones, 55.
“They are all experienced guys and have contributed greatly to this England team over recent years.”
He added: “I know everyone is appreciative of their hard work and commitment.”
Jones, who has previously worked with South Africa, and been head coach of Australia and Japan, became England’s first foreign head coach when he agreed a four-year deal in November.
He succeeded Lancaster after hosts England failed to progress beyond the pool stages of the World Cup, and will take charge of his first match on 6 February, when England play Scotland in the Six Nations.
The Blitzbokke will be looking to make good use of their home ground advantage when the inaugural Cape Town Sevens kicks off on Saturday.
The South Africans were knocked out of the Cup section in Dubai last weekend by the USA and will be looking to make amends in front of a sold out crowd at the Cape Town Stadium.
It will not be easy though as they will be without the services of World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year Werner Kok, while playmaker extraordinaire Cecil Afrika will also be absent with a hamstring string.
They have also been drawn in a tough pool with England, Kenya and Zimbabwe.
However, Springbok Sevens captain Kyle Brown is confident that replacements Dylan Sage and Rosko Specman will be up to the task
The fixtures for next year’s Americas Rugby Championship have been announced in the last while. The tournament will be contested by Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, United States and Uruguay.
The tournament which will be played around the same time as arguably the best supported international tournament outside the World Cup, the Six Nations, on a similar basis with each team playing 5 games.
The 1st Round of the Americas Rugby Championship will take place on the 1st weekend in February while the 5th and final Round of action is scheduled for the 1st weekend in March.
There will be some interesting questions that will need to be answered by Argentina in particular and it remains to be seen, considering the stature of the majority of their opponents, how seriously they will take the competition.
The last 2 Rounds of the Championship take place at the same time as the 1st 2 Rounds of the revamped Super Rugby tournament. One assumes that Argentina will be going all out to make a good impression during their debut Super Rugby season and they stand a good chance, at the very least, of making the knockout stages.
Waisale Serevi
Legendary Fijian Sevens rugby player, Waisale Serevi, was moved to tears after winning the International Vets title in Dubai at the weekend.
Serevi played for the J9 Legends team who won the title after beating the Christina Noble Children’s Foundation side.
Former Springbok scrumhalf Joost van der Westhuizen is the founder of the J9 Legends and Serevi was honoured to represent the team.
Van der Westhuizen, who played 89 Tests for the Springboks, is stricken by the terminal motor neuron disease (MND).
His J9 Foundation supports research to try to find a cure for MND.
“We were together, everyone was working hard for each other. I have never been so proud in my life as I am winning this for Joost,” Serevi said.
“The side has been here for 3 years, and, having lost in the final twice, I am so happy. I have met Joost’s wish, to win this tournament for him.”
Heyneke Meyer
If international coaches were judged on passion for their country rather than results, Heyneke Meyer would rank alongside anyone in rugby union’s history. Never has a badge been gripped so tightly at anthem time. The 48-year-old lived each game as if his life depended on it. When the Springboks won it was all worthwhile; when they lost it was painful to behold.
Sadly, it was those gut-twisting defeats that Meyer could ultimately not escape. Not unlike Stuart Lancaster with England, he will be remembered as an extraordinarily decent man who could not quite generate sufficient on-field success. To be the coach of a Springbok team beaten by Japan at a World Cup is hardly a recipe for securing a shiny new four-year contract.
And so Meyer has stepped off the stressful, unpredictable Bok wagon before he was pushed. On his better days – and South Africa won 67% of their games under his stewardship – the Boks were well-motivated, grimly physical, defensively impressive and tricky to beat. On the debit side he persisted with senior players who were visibly past their best and South Africa’s attacking game was seldom as dangerous as their leading rivals.
Local rugby supporters finally have a reason to smile.
The plan by the SA Rugby Union (SARU) to stem the enormous exodus of top players heading overseas, by way of joint contracts with its unions is gaining some momentum.
Rugby World Cup tough guys Damian de Allende, Lood de Jager, Eben Etzebeth and Frans Malherbe are among the list of about 20 players with whom SARU has already signed contracts.
The full list of names has not been made available, but it was confirmed that Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira, Trevor Nyakane, Adriaan Strauss, Coenie Oosthuizen, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Marcell Coetzee, Siya Kolisi, Handré Pollard, Pat Lambie and Jan Serfontein had also been contracted and could look forward to competitive salaries in line with those of Springboks playing overseas.
Heyneke Meyer
South Africa’s provincial rugby unions are reportedly at loggerheads over whether Heyneke Meyer should remain as Springbok coach.
Meyer’s position has been a hot talking point in recent weeks after the Springboks’ failure to win the Rugby World Cup in England.
Initial media reports indicated that Meyer would remain in his position until the next Rugby World Cup in 2019, but more recently it was reported that he could face the axe.
Meyer’s fate will be decided at a SARU general council meeting in Cape Town on 11 December.
The 29 members of SARU’s general council consist of the 14 provincial union Presidents and CEOs, as well as SARU president Oregan Hoskins.
All Black greats united to pay tribute to Jonah Lomu with a powerful haka, as thousands of fans packed a memorial service at New Zealand rugby’s spiritual home, Eden Park.
A grim-faced Buck Shelford led more than 20 former internationals in a “Ka Mate” haka while the legendary wing’s casket was carried into a hearse.
Former teammates including Tana Umaga, Justin Marshall and John Kirwan joined the emotional tribute on the same turf that Lomu once dominated as a player.
“Jonah, you were a freak on the field and a gentle, caring giant off it,” former All Blacks coach John Hart said.
Nemani Nadolo
New Zealand’s Super Rugby franchise the Crusaders have confirmed that Fijian Rugby World Cup winger Nemani Nadolo will not be extending his contract with the Christchurch team next season.
Nadolo has agreed to play his rugby in France for French club Montpellier after the 2016 Super Rugby season.
Fijian winger Nadolo was raised in Brisbane Australia and has had playing stints in the UK, France, Australia and Japan but his career only really took off when he joined the Crusaders.
Nadolo is now 1 of the hottest wingers in World Rugby but it was not long ago that he was with the Waratahs and was unable to make the match day team.
The winger left Sydney and played for Bourgoin between 2010 and 2011 before joining Japan’s NEC Green Rocket where he was brought to the attention of Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder.
Ayumu Goromaru
Japan is looking to cash in on the rugby fever that swept the nation in recent weeks by unveiling a life-size bronze statue of Rugby World Cup star Ayumu Goromaru.
However, fans hoping to catch a glimpse of the golden-coloured figure – crouching with its fingers clasped together in the player’s trademark kick routine – will have to be quick.
After being unveiled by Goromaru himself on Monday it will be part of the decorations for Tokyo’s Christmas illuminations for a month only and be removed again afterwards.
Eddie Jones
England’s new rugby coach Eddie Jones has been hired as an adviser by Goldman Sachs in Japan in the hope he can reproduce the Midas touch he showed at the Rugby World Cup.
The 55-year-old Australian, who recently led Japan’s Brave Blossoms to 3 victories in 4 games at the Rugby World Cup, will join a 9-member advisory board at the start of next year, a spokesman said Friday.
“(Jones) has achieved the impossible by bringing the Japanese team to a level on par with the best in world rugby,” Goldman Sachs Japan president Masanori Mochida said in a statement.
“Goldman Sachs will benefit from his unrivalled leadership and his ability to bring together a multi-cultural team, set clear goals and pull an entire team toward a shared vision.”
Tim Agaba
Frankie Horne will captain the SARU Sevens Academy team at the Dubai International tournament, which also includes 2 new Sevens recruits in Tim Agaba and Siviwe ‘Shakes’ Soyizwapi, formerly of the EP Kings.
Agaba and Soyizwapi this week became the latest Sevens recruits when they each agreed to terms with SARU to play Sevens for the next 2 years. Agaba is a talented No 8 while speedster Soyizwapi has already played for the Academy side in Singapore in September.
SARU on Friday announced the 12-man squad for the Dubai tournament, which takes place on 4 & 5 December and will run concurrently with the opening Round of the new HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.
Apart from Horne, the Academy side – known as the Samurai Internationals – also includes Springbok Sevens internationals Ruhan Nel, Rosko Specman and Stephan Dippenaar.
India and South Africa battled each other in the 3rd 5-Day Test at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur, India, and theTest was scheduled to run from 25 to 29 November 2015, but took only 3 Days to complete, with India running out comfortable winners.
India won the toss and elected to bat first.
India were on 48 / 0 at morning Drinks and at 85 / 2 at Lunch on Day 1, At afternoon Drinks they had stumbled to 121 / 5 and at Tea on Day 1 they were on 149 / 6.
India were eventually ALL OUT for 215, with a few overs spare in Day 1.
South Africa lost their 1st wicket with only 4 runs in the bag and then lost the 2nd wicket with only 9 runs on the board.
South Africa finished Day 1 at 11 / 2, after 9 overs, still trailing by 204 runs and with 8 wickets remaining in their 1st innings.
Day 2 was a total shambles for South Africa, with them ALL OUT for a measly 79 runs. India then proceeded to really put the boot in and at Tea on Day 2 they were on 108 / 5 after 31 overs, already leading by a mammoth 244 runs and still with 5 wickets remaining.
Late on Day 2, India were eventually ALL OUT in their 2nd innings for 173, after withstanding 46.3 overs.
South Africa started their 2nd innings and at Stumps on Day 2 were already reeling at 32 / 2 after 14 overs.
India wrapped up the South African 2nd innings, for a win by 124 runs, a real humiliating drubbing in all respects.
India:
- 1st Innings: 215 ALL OUT (78.2 Overs)
- 2nd Innings: 173 ALL OUT (46.3 Overs)
South Africa:
- 1st Innings: 79 ALL OUT (31.1 Overs)
- 2nd Innings: 185 ALL OUT (89.5 Overs)
Edinburgh’s Magnus Bradbury one of Scotland 7s newcomers
Scotland 7s Head Coach Calum MacRae has named 3 new caps in his 12-man squad to compete in the opening leg of the 2015 / 2016 World Rugby HSBC Sevens Series, in Dubai (Friday 4 & Saturday 5 December).
The squad, which will travel to South Africa for the 2nd leg of the Series following proceedings in Dubai, will include Edinburgh’s Magnus Bradbury; his capital club-mate Nick McLennan; and Scotland Under 20 wing Robbie Nairn.
MacRae said: “The extended Sevens off season, due to the Rugby World Cup, has afforded us time to develop aspects of our play and make gains in our strength and conditioning. The players application has been excellent throughout.
“The mindset has been to improve and build on last years performances, not rest on them. In addition to the core squad members, we have also targeted developing young, Scottish talent who have a lot of potential and a big future ahead in both the abbreviated game and in the 15-a-side set-up.
“The exposure they will have to the international stage, will hopefully provide the platform they need to continue their development and progression in the game, as it has with so many players previously.”
Francois Hougaard
Juan de Jongh
Springboks Francois Hougaard and Juan de Jongh were on Wednesday named in a strong Springbok Sevens (Blitzbokke) 12-man squad for the 1st 2 HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series tournaments of the new season, in Dubai and Cape Town.
The season kicks off on 4 & 5 December with the Emirates Airline Dubai Sevens, which is followed a week later by the inaugural HSBC Cape Town Sevens, on 12 & 13 December, at the Cape Town Stadium.
Hougaard has played in 35 Tests for the Springboks and recently joined the Sevens squad on a 1-year contract. He is set to make his World Series debut in Dubai, while DHL Western Province centre and skipper, Juan de Jongh (14 Tests), return to the Springbok Sevens fold for the 1st time since making his 1st and only appearance for the side in Wellington in 2008.
Werner Kok, the newly-crowned World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year, Cheslin Kolbe (DHL Western Province) and last season’s top-try scorer on the World Series circuit, Seabelo Senatla, will combine with regular stalwarts Cecil Afrika, Justin Geduld and Rayno Benjamin (Toyota Free State Cheetahs) to form a potent Blitzbokke backline attack.
The tough-tackling Benjamin is set to make his 30th World Series appearance while skipper Kyle Brown is on course to play in his landmark 50th tournament in his hometown of Cape Town.
The durable Brown, Philip Snyman, Kwagga Smith and Chris Dry will provide the necessary steel upfront and complete a strong selection who will defend their crown in Dubai. The Springbok Sevens are also the current tournament champions in South Africa.
Allister Coetzee looks set to be named the new Springbok coach in December.
It has reliably been learnt that Heyneke Meyer has lost the support of the majority of South Africa’s provincial unions and will be replaced at the General Council meeting of the South African Rugby Union on 11 December.
SARU has already postponed their General Council meeting by a week, to 11 December. It will be preceeded by a meeting of the Executive Council on 9 December.
Current team manager Ian Schwartz, who is employed as a permanent staff member of SARU, has apparently flown to Japan to speak to former Springbok Assistant Coach and DHL Stormers Head Coach, Allister Coetzee, to take over the national team.
Coetzee has an exit clause in his contract with Kobelco Steelers – the club he coaches in the Japanese Top League.
James Small
Former Springbok wing James Small says Emirates Lions coach Johan Ackermann deserves to be considered for the Springbok head coaching role.
The South African Rugby Union (SARU) is set for its next General Council meeting on 11 December and it is at this meeting that the fate of under-fire Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer will be decided.
The latest mumblings are that Meyer could be offered a 1-year contract extension, but the possibility of Meyer being axed also exists.
Leone Nakarawa (left) receiving his awards
Glasgow Warriors lock Leone Nakarawa was celebrating last night after picking up 2 awards at the Pacific Island Players’ Player of the Year Awards.
The Fijian international won the Pacific Island Players Association (PIPA) 2015 Fijian Players’ Player of the Year Award as well as the overall Digicel Pacific Island Players’ Player of the Year Award.
The 27-year-old was a stand-out performer for Fiji during the recent 2015 Rugby World Cup, rated by many onlookers and commentators as 1 of the best players of the tournament.
Named in tournament sponsors’ Société Générale’s dream team, Nakarawa scored a try in Fiji’s 47 / 15 victory over Uruguay, as well as appearing in all 10 of Fiji’s Test matches throughout the year.
Prior to the tournament, the 6ft 6″ lock had been named the Man Of The Match for Glasgow’s Pro12 2015 Grand Final in Belfast, as Warriors defeated Munster 31 / 13.
Nakarawa, who joined Glasgow from Saracens in August 2013, has made 46 appearances for Glasgow, scoring 10 points in the process.
Eddie Jones
Eddie Jones will most likely not be coming back to Cape Town to assist the DHL Stormers in their pre-season preparation work, but he will be in Los Angelos this week.
Newly appointed England coach Jones will be addressing a World Rugby workshop on the success of the Japan team at the Rugby World Cup, who won 3 games despite failing to make the play-offs under his guidance.
Jones was unveiled as the new DHL Stormers coach earlier this month, before being made an offer he could not refuse by the English RFU which saw him leave Cape Town after just 2 weeks.
Stormers director of rugby, Gert Smal, claimed that Jones would return to Cape Town in December to assist with the planning for next season, explaining that the experienced coach felt bad for the way things had transpired with the Stormers.
The Springbok Sevens team (Blitzbokke) scooped the Team of Year Award at the annual SA Sports Awards in Bloemfontein on Sunday.
The SA Sports Awards is annually hosted by the Department of Sport and Recreation of South Africa, recognising SA sports individuals and teams for their outstanding sporting contributions on and off the field.
Springbok Sevens pipped the South African Test Cricket team and the SA Lightweight Women’s Rowing team to claim the prestigious award.
Sunday evening’s accolade capped a successful 2014 / 2015 season for the Blitzbokke team. They were the 1st team to qualify automatically for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio and finished 2nd to Fiji on the final standings of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series.
Andy Marinos
SANZAR has appointed Andy Marinos as the organisation’s new Chief Executive Officer (CEO).
His new job will formally commence on 1 January 2016 and he replaces Greg Peters – who is taking over as CEO of the new Argentina Super Rugby team.
The South African, who is no stranger to the position, having previously served as CEO between 2008 – 2010, brings a wealth of business and rugby experience to the role, both as an administrator and professional player.
Marinos re-joins SANZAR from SARU, where he has served as General Manager of Commercial & Marketing for the past 5 years, in addition to SARU Acting Managing Director and Board Member (2008 – 2010), Springbok Team Manager (2008), Manager of South African National Teams (2005 – 2010) and World Rugby Sevens Advisory Group (2008 – 2015).
The South African Springboks have been stung by the loss of 2 key Sponsors, namely ABSA Bank and BMW!
ABSA Bank:
The Springboks are set to lose their jersey sponsor after ABSA Bank decided not to renew its contract with the South African Rugby Union (SARU).
According to the Sunday Times, the slow pace of transformation is one of the reasons for the decision.
Barbarians (12) 31 / 49 (28) Los Pumas (Final Score)
The Barbarians and the Argentinaian Los Pumas did battle in a Barbarians Rugby 125th aniversary celebration match at
Twickenham Stadium, London at 17:05 SA Time (15:05 UK Time & GMT, 12:05 Arg Time).
This was the live match discussion Article.
The match was broadcast LIVE on SuperSport 1 & CSN on TV in SA.
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The world’s most famous invitation club, the Barbarians, will aim to entertain when they celebrate their 125th year of existence.
The BaaBaas will host a strong Argentinean Los Pumas team at Twickenham on Saturday.
However, coach Michael Cheika’s message to his Barbarians team was simple.
“Keep it simple, have a go and back yourselves,” Cheika told the BaaBaas players.
Argentina have a slightly different focus.
Having finished 3rd in The Rugby Championship – the 1st time hey did not finish last – and 4th in the Rugby World Cup, they hope to finish their year on a winning note.
Wing Santiago Cordero, 1 of the sensations for the Pumas at the Rugby World up, said it is going to be a “pretty tough” game.
Eddie Jones
It’s official, DHL Stormers head coach for an ever so brief spell, Eddie Jones (which included no games and lasted only from 1 November to 18 November 2015, after being introduced to the SA Media on 12 November) is now the new England head coach!
The RFU have revealed that they have appointed Eddie Jones on a 4-year contract, starting in December 2015 and he will take charge of his 1st international game with England when they meet Scotland in the RBS 6 Nations at Murrayfield on 6 February 2016.
The amount the RFU had to pay to Western Province for Eddie Jones’ release is still the subject of wild speculation and varies between rumours of £ 100 000.00 (R 2.1 Million) to £ 350 000.00 ( R 7.5 Million) and even up to £ 700 000.00 (R 15 Million).
Western Province Rugby Football Union (WPRFU) have issued the following media release:
Media Release:
WPRFU President Mr Thelo Wakefield and WP Director of Rugby Gert Smal will host a top table press conference at DHL NEWLANDS on Friday 20 November at 11:00 SA Time.
Western Province Rugby has agreed terms with the English Rugby Football Union (RFU) which will see Eddie Jones depart to take on an international coaching post with England.
There has been plenty of speculation about Jones’s future ever since his arrival in Cape Town earlier this month and he officially received an offer on Wednesday of this week which proved impossible to turn down.
Richie McCaw holds the Webb Ellis Cup aloft
Richie McCaw has confirmed he is hanging up his boots and retiring from professional rugby.
The 34-year-old All Blacks captain and most capped All Black of all time has drawn the curtain on his stunning international career which started in Dublin 14 years ago, almost to the day, and ended in London last month when he hoisted the Webb Ellis Cup aloft for the 2nd time.
McCaw announced his decision at a media conference at the New Zealand Rugby offices in Wellington on Thursday.
“I’m hanging up my boots having accomplished everything I could have ever dreamed about in the game. Knowing that I was able to end my career by helping the All Blacks win the Rugby World Cup Final is a hugely satisfying feeling,” he said.
Eddie Jones
UK bookmakers have stopped taking bets on newly appointed DHL Stormers coach Eddie Jones replacing fired Stuart Lancaster as supremo of the England rugby team. They are so convinced Jones will leave Newlands for Twickenham that betting on him doing so has been suspended.
But the Australian who guided Japan to rugby’s great giant killing act over the Springboks won’t come cheap. In the Times of London this morning, SA billionaire Johann Rupert says extracting Jones from his contract with the DHL Stormers will cost the English Rugby Football Union (RFU) R 15 Million (£ 700 000.00).
Richemont chairman Rupert, co-owner of the DHL Stormers through the 25% owned by 1 of his businesses, told the newspaper: “We have no influence” and confirmed the Cape-based franchise would not engage in a bidding war over the recently hired head coach.
In September, Eddie Jones signed a R 5 Million a year deal with the DHL Stormers which runs until the end of 2018. That made him the highest paid coach in South African rugby, ahead of Heyneke Meyer who guided the Springboks to 3rd in the recent Rugby World Cup.
John Gainsford
The South African Rugby Union extended its condolences to the family of legendary Springbok centre John Gainsford, who passed away on Wednesday morning following a long battle with cancer. He was 77.
Gainsford established himself as one of the greatest centres of his generation due to his powerful bursts and rock-solid defence.
He earned 33 Test caps and scored 8 tries during his Springbok career between 1960 and 1967, playing in 71 Springbok matches in total (including tour matches). He remained the most capped Springbok centre until as recently as 2001 when his record was finally overtaken by Japie Mulder.
Gainsford was a world-renowned player, who emerged from the Villagers Rugby Club in Cape Town. He made his Springbok debut on 30 April 1960 against Scotland at the young age of 21 and played his last Test at the age of 28.
R.I.P. Jonah Lomu
New Zealand rugby union great Jonah Lomu has died aged 40.
Lomu, who scored 43 tries in 73 matches for New Zealand between 1994 and 2002, had been diagnosed with a rare and serious kidney condition.
It forced him to quit the game and he had a kidney transplant in 2004, but the organ stopped functioning in 2011.
“Jonah was a legend of our game and loved by his many fans both here and around the world,” said New Zealand Rugby chief executive Steve Tew.
“We’re lost for words and our heartfelt sympathies go out to Jonah’s family.”
Family spokesman John Mayhew told New Zealand television that Lomu’s death was “totally unexpected” and that he had only arrived back from the UK on Tuesday, after spending time there for the Rugby World Cup.
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said: “The thoughts of the entire country are with his family.”
Barbarians team members celebrate in the changeroom after the Gloucester game
Victor Matfield says his all-Southern Hemisphere Barbarians side is braced for Saturday’s clash with Argentina after his team swept aside English Premiership side Gloucester 62 / 14.
The BaaBaas’ backline was well directed by Springbok flyhalf Pat Lambie, who collected a 13-point haul in the 10-try win.
“Getting this game under our belts will definitely help us going into Saturday,” said Matfield, whose side played attacking rugby despite strong winds – reaching up to 88km/h.
“Conditions weren’t too easy but the boys played well and the Gloucester boys gave it their best shot too.”
Ian Foster
All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster has extended his contract with New Zealand Rugby (NZR) through to 2017, NZRU chief executive Steve Tew announced on Tuesday.
Foster has been assistant coach alongside All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen since 2012.
“It’s been an honour and a privilege to have worked for the All Blacks over the last few years and to help the team achieve its goals, including winning the Rugby World Cup, and I look forward to getting stuck into next season after the summer break,” Foster said.
Steve Tew paid tribute to Foster’s work with the national team, which has fashioned a stunning record of 49 wins, 2 draws and just 3 losses, in their 54 Tests since 2012.
“Ian has provided outstanding coaching of the All Blacks over the last 4 years. He has a calm yet forthright style which works well in the team and his strategic thinking and development of the All Blacks’ back play, which is his specialist area, has been exceptional. We look forward to his ongoing contribution over the next 2 years.”
Tew confirmed that All Blacks forwards coach Mike Cron had also re-signed with NZRU through until 2017.
Michael Cheika
Australian Wallabies coach Michael Cheika insisted Monday he had no interest in taking over the vacant England position, as he joined a growing list of high-profile figures in ruling himself out as a successor to Stuart Lancaster.
Last week saw Lancaster quit as England coach, as he paid the price for a poor Rugby World Cup, which saw England become the 1st host nation to fail to get out of the group phase.
“No one from there (England’s governing Rugby Football Union) has contacted me and they know they can’t contact me because I am committed to Australia,” Cheika, who led the Wallabies to last month’s Rugby World Cup final at Twickenham Stadium, said.
“That’s where I want to be coaching.”