Have you heard about the NRC in Australia?
No, it is not an Aussie Rules competition and no it is also not a Rugby League competition!
It is all Rugby Union, a new National Domestic Rugby Union competition in Australia.
Story Source: http://www.rugby.com.au and http://RugbyRedefined.com
What is the NRC?
The Buildcorp NRC is a new domestic Rugby competition in Australia, which will kick off in August this year.
It will involve nine teams – two from Queensland, four from New South Wales, and one each from the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and Western Australia.
The 2014 NRC teams will be:
- Brisbane City
- Queensland Country
- Macquarie University North Harbour Rays
- Sydney Stars
- Greater Sydney Rams
- NSW Country Eagles
- University of Canberra Vikings
- Melbourne Rising
- Perth Spirit
It presents a great opportunity to grow the game in Australia and is designed to give players, coaches and match officials another link in their development pathway.
For ACT Brumbies wingers Henry Speight and Joe Tomane, there is a lot to be said for the do, not the least of which is personal comfort
Jake White used to hate the afro hairstyle, insisting that at least one of the ”fro bros” keep things short and tidy.
But for ACT Brumbies wingers Henry Speight and Joe Tomane, there is a lot to be said for the do, not the least of which is personal comfort.
“It’s give and take; you lose a bit of speed with the fro, but you get a lot of comfort,” Speight said.
Following concerns raised by the Eastern Province Rugby Referees Society relating to the conduct towards them at club matches, the Eastern Province Rugby Union has decided to cancel all club matches this weekend.
“We initially received a notification from the Referees Society today that they were downing tools due to the ongoing harassment that their members were exposed to at club games.
While we do not condone the method in which the referees dealt with the issue – as we have protocols in place to deal with such matters – following discussions held with representatives from the referees we have decided to cancel all games this coming weekend in sympathy with their concerns,” said EPRU President, Cheeky Watson.
New Zealand celebrate a fourth consecutive WRWC title following victory over England in the 2010 final
With just over two weeks to go before Women’s Rugby World Cup 2014, we take a look back at how previous tournaments unfolded and at the Springbok squad and preparations.
Women’s rugby has experienced phenomenal growth in recent times and the number of women and girls playing the game currently stands at 1.5 million, a quarter of the overall total.
Much of that growth over the past five years has been driven by Olympic inclusion, the inception of the IRB Women’s Sevens World Series, Rugby World Cup Sevens and ongoing work between national unions and Olympic Committees.
However, many countries have deep roots in the women’s 15-a-side game, which has already seen seven world tournaments, four sanctioned by the IRB and three ‘unofficial World Cups’.
Here we provide a brief history of the Women’s Rugby World Cup movement.
Frik Kirsten
Bulls prop Frik Kirsten has been advised by doctors to call time on his rugby career due to a serious neck injury.
Kirsten, 25, has been out of action since March after injuring his neck in the Super Rugby competition.
According to reports, the injury is so serious that doctors have advised Kirsten to never play rugby again.
Super Rugby trophy
Tenders from Japan and Singapore will vie for a licence to enter the Super Rugby competition in 2016, governing body SANZAR has confirmed.
A decision is slated to be reached in September / October.
“We are now able to confirm that two parties from Asia will compete for the opportunity to join an expanded Super Rugby competition in 2016,” SANZAR CEO Greg Peters said.
Ben Daley
Ben Lucas
Reds prop Ben Daley and flyhalf Ben Lucas face lengthy rehabilitation periods after both suffered injuries in their team’s loss to the Waratahs.
Daley dislocated his shoulder in a scrum collapse in the late stages of the game, with scans yesterday revealing damage to his rotator cuff. He will have exploratory surgery next week to determine the full extent of the damage.
Lucas suffered an articular defect in his right knee joint during the opening stages of the match and had surgery today. He will be out of action for eight weeks.
The Queensland Rugby Union will field two teams in the inaugural Australian National Rugby Championship this year.
Brisbane City and Queensland Country will compete in the competition and the schedule was unveiled by the Australian Rugby Union on Wednesday.
Brisbane City will host the Sydney Stars in a first-round blockbuster at Ballymore Stadium in Brisbane on Thursday 21 August.
Bill Pulver
Australian Rugby Union (ARU) CEO Bill Pulver believes that the new National Rugby Championship (NRC) will provide the ‘missing link’ in Australian rugby.
The nine-round championship, plus two weeks of finals, will feature all non-Test-playing Super Rugby players plus club players in a 10-team competition which Pulver believes has the potential to be a major developmental boost for the sport in Australia.
“I believe we now have a comprehensive development pathway probably for the first time in Australian rugby,” Pulver said.
Chiefs playmaker Gareth Anscombe is rumoured to join Cardiff Blues
Chiefs playmaker Gareth Anscombe is poised to leave New Zealand to take up a contract in Wales with the Cardiff Blues.
Rumours that the 23-year-old would move to Wales, for whom he qualifies through his Cardiff-born mother, have been circulating since April.
The move now looks certain following reports that he had thanked colleagues and supporters at a Chiefs dinner in Hamilton ahead of his departure. Anscombe, who can play both fly-half and full-back, is expected to join the Pro12 side – where he will link up with former Hurricanes coach Mark Hammett – as soon as he has completed his commitments with the Chiefs, who play the Brumbies in Saturday’s Super Rugby play-off in Canberra.
The son of ex-Ulster boss Mark Anscombe, the player has already met with Wales’ Kiwi coach Warren Gatland and reports in the Welsh press suggest he could be fast-tracked into the national setup in time for the November Tests. Although he has signed with Auckland for the NPC, Anscombe is understood to have an out-clause allowing him to go to Wales.
WPRU President, Thelo Wakefield and Director of Rugby, Gert Smal
Western Province Rugby Union president Thelo Wakefield says winning the 2014 Currie Cup is “non-negotiable” for the Capetonians.
Wakefield was left upset after the Stormers finished the Super Rugby season in a lowly 11th position – their worst effort since finishing 10th in 2009.
Charl McLeod believes that the Sharks are on the right track
Sharks scrumhalf Charl McLeod is stoic in his approach to their play-off game against the Highlanders, it is finals rugby and nothing else matters.
The Sharks started the 2014 campaign ruthlessly, dispatching teams in a clinical matter week in and week out. However, recently there has been notable downward-turn in the Sharks performace.
A loss to the Highlanders in Round 11 and two poor performances on the bounce against the Stormers and Cheetahs seem to take the teeth out of the Costal team.
Lion’s Super Rugby and Currie Cup coach, Johan Ackermann
The Lions will field a revamped backline when they start their Currie Cup campaign early next month.
The high-flying Lions, fresh from their best Super Rugby season ever, face the Blue Bulls at Ellis Park on August 9 in the first round of South Africa’s premier domestic competition.
However, they will lose a host of their backline stars from the Super Rugby squad.
Lions coach Johan Ackermann, speaking to rugby365 in the wake of a three-match winning streak at the end of the Super Rugby season, said his forward pack will stay virtually intact.
Rassie Erasmus at the 2014 Craven Week
Rassie Erasmus’ biggest role as high performance manager is to implement Heyneke Meyer’s plans across the board.
Erasmus, widely praised for his work in turning Western Province rugby around, was spotted at the Coca-Cola Craven Week in Middelburg. Having joined Saru as high performance manager in April 2012, Erasmus has been working tirelessly to implement a new structure in South African rugby, building a team of coaches, analysts and medical staff that can help develop the country’s best young talent into potential Springbok candidates. Craven Week plays an integral role in this development, something that Erasmus is well aware of.
The Waratahs have been the great under-performers in the history of Super Rugby but with the 2014 minor premiership wrapped up, they’re now just two home wins from a maiden title.
Seemingly always blessed with a talent-rich roster the Tahs, up until this season, have never really delivered on that potential.
The franchise then hit rock bottom in 2011 when crowds hit an all-time low and the club conducted a series of fan forums in an attempt to reconnect with a disenchanted supporter base.
Here’s five reasons why they’re finally flying in Super Rugby.
It’s the same every year; judgement calls made in February and March.
For the past 13 seasons, another predictable outcome is that the Crusaders will make the playoffs, despite dire predictions in the early rounds. I noted on several forums that a few “fans” were picking that Todd Blackadder would be the first kiwi Super Rugby coach to be sacked mid-season.
While I don’t always agree with the former All Black captain’s selections, clearly he must have done a few things right to get his team to the top of the New Zealand Conference.
All Black midfielder, Ma’a Nonu, has confirmed his move back to the Hurricanes for 2015
Incoming Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd first guided Ma’a Nonu as part of the Wellington B side more than 10 years ago and they will reunite that partnership at Super Rugby level next season.
Since being shown the door at the Hurricanes by then-coach Mark Hammett in 2011, Nonu has bounced around New Zealand franchises with two stops at the Blues and a season with the Highlanders but the second-five will return to the capital next year to be closer to his family.
Nonu said he was thankful to the Blues, who he played for this year, for the support they had shown him, but was also grateful to be coming back to the Hurricanes.
Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph denies his side is lacking energy heading into the play-offs and says it is time to get excited about playing in the finals.
After a poor outing against the Crusaders in their last pool game the Highlanders know they will have to play much better if they are to be competitive in their long-awaited play-off match against the Sharks.
They never fired in Christchurch on Saturday, the 34-8 defeat from the Crusaders ensured they finished sixth in the competition and have to head to Durban to take on the Sharks.
Earlier this season, the Highlanders beat the Sharks 34-18 in Durban. The Sharks are not looking as impressive as they were at the start of the season, when they led the table for a long period of time.
The Golden Lions Rugby Union has named their CONTRACTED SQUAD for 2015. They also boast 4 Ex-Springboks amongst the Management and Coaching staff.
Kevin de Klerk, Rudolf Staeuli, Ashwin Willemse and Johan Ackerman, all Ex-Springboks are all in important positions at the Golden Lions Rugby Union, from President down to Head Coach.
Contracted Players:
The Golden Lions Rugby Union (GLRU) has announced its new contracted player list for the 2015 season.
While financial constraints remain a challenge for the Lions, retaining talent remains their main priority. This is not unheard of as all South African unions have suffered financial constraints and must content with increasing pressure from the lucrative European and Japanese markets.
With the GLRU not yet covered by a title sponsor, the union has secured the input of several valuable partners to assist in the procurement process. Through building stronger relationships with stakeholders, the Lions put on a record-breaking Super Rugby showing, after the franchise’s return to top flight competition in 2014.
They finished the Super Rugby season in 12th spot, but surprised many pundits with their seven victories, capped by a 60-25 thrashing of the Cheetahs last weekend.
An established buy-in value system from coaching staff, players and management has seen the Lions secure the services of both top-class experienced and up-and-coming players.
The Brumbies are determined to avoid getting into a ‘brutal arm-wrestle’ with the two-time defending champion Chiefs.
The two sides meet in Canberra on Saturday in the first match of the 2014 Super Rugby play-offs, a preliminary qualifier.
Having found some late-season form – with victories over the Blues (11-8 this past weekend) and Hurricanes (24-16 the week before) – the Chiefs muscled their way from ninth to fifth on the table in the past fortnight.
Pat Lambie receiving attention after tearing his bicep at Loftus
If reports coming out of the Shark’s press conference held today is to be believed, it would seem like the return of Pat Lambie is imminent. According to captain Bismarck Du Plessis, his return against the Highlanders will be a massive lift to their hopes of winning and progressing to the semi finals.
Lambie tore his bicep against the Bulls at Loftus on the 24th of March, and according to early diagnosis it was believed that he might be out for the rest of the Super Rugby season. Lambie has however recovered faster than expected and started traing with the Shark squad a few weeks ago already.
As we head into the Super Rugby Finals Series, here is an overview of what happens should the scores be level at full time in any of our remaining matches.
(a) Extra Time – the procedure will be:
After a five minute rest period, the extra time is played in two 10-minute periods with a two minute half time;
Before extra time begins, the referee will do a coin toss with the two captains one minute before the new kick-off. The winner of the coin toss decides if his team wants to kick-off or if his team wants to choose the side of the pitch it wants to play on for the first 10 minute period;
For the second 10 minute period, the teams change sides and the team that did not kick off in the first period does so;
Coaches are not permitted on the field during the rest period or half time.
Teams and match officials must remain on the field during the rest period and at half time.
Injury time is added to the two 10 minute periods.
Schalk Burger
He didn’t get what he wanted from the last game of the Vodacom Super Rugby season, which was for his DHL Stormers team to buck the trend of failure in marquee matches, but typically that did not place a massive dent in Schalk Burger’s good humour afterwards.
“I’m not going to see you guys for a while. It would be nice to have you staying over with us in Japan sometime. Get an excuse to come and write about the South Africans playing in Japan and we will be happy to host you,” was the Stormers captain’s grinning parting statement as he left the Newlands boardroom following the post-match press conference after the defeat to the Sharks.
The amiable Burger that we saw after the game was a stark contrast to the angry and frustrated player we saw on the field during the game. The match was brutal at times, and Burger was at the heart of the tempestuous physical exchanges. It was also evident that he allowed the referee Jaco Peyper to get under his skin for what the Stormers may have seen as his inability to stop dubious Sharks tactics at the breakdown.
Jimmy Cowan
Veteran All Black scrumhalf Jimmy Cowan will return to New Zealand after two seasons in the English Premiership.
The 32-year-old Cowan has signed to play for the Tasman Makos in the NPC.
The Tasman Rugby Union confirmed he has signed a one-year deal, after seeing out two injury-affected seasons at Premiership club Gloucester.
Embattled Hurricane coach, Mark Hammett
As he prepares to leave the Hurricanes, coach Mark Hammett gave a parting shot by claiming that the Hurricanes were in a state of disarray when he took over the coaching reins ahead of the 2011 season.
Hammett, who is heading overseas to coach Welsh club Cardiff, is in the final stages of his four-year tenure with the Hurricanes after they were left in seventh place, one point outside of the playoffs, following the final round of Super Rugby.
Seventh was the best finish Hammett led the side to during his time in charge but his first season was a rescue mission as he moved on some senior players, including Andrew Hore and Ma’a Nonu as Hammett deemed they weren’t helpful for the team environment.
Schalk Burger still has unfinished business with the Stormers and Boks
He didn’t get what he wanted from the last game of the Vodacom Super Rugby season, which was for his DHL Stormers team to buck the trend of failure in marquee matches, but typically that did not place a massive dent in Schalk Burger’s good humour afterwards.
“I’m not going to see you guys for a while. It would be nice to have you staying over with us in Japan sometime. Get an excuse to come and write about the South Africans playing in Japan and we will be happy to host you,” was the Stormers captain’s grinning parting statement as he left the Newlands boardroom following the post-match press conference after the defeat to the Sharks.
The mercurial Sonny Bill Williams is close to returning to Rugby Union
Dual international Sonny Bill Williams will be considered for the New Zealand’s end of year tour if he is fit and in top form.
That is the word from All Blacks coach Steve Hansen who said time was a factor less than a year out from the Rugby World Cup. Hansen feels Williams’ return to the All Blacks will depend on his condition when he returns from the Sydney Roosters’ NRL campaign and whether he manages to play some part for Counties Manukau in the ITM Cup.
Hansen admitted that he hoped Williams’ return to Test rugby is sooner rather than later.
“There is no doubt he’s an exceptional rugby player and if he’s available then we’d be foolish not to look at him, but we have to take into account he’s come off a big season,” Hansen told Fairfax Media.
“We have to take a whole lot of things into consideration before we make a decision. What’s right for Sonny? What’s right for the team?”
“Next year’s a bit different because we don’t have the June series and if we can’t use him going into the World Cup then if we can have that opportunity to spend time with him then that would be good.”
Rugby referee and reformed “bad boy” Steve Walsh
Very seldom, before, during or after a rugby match does the spotlight not fall on the referee. Supporters of the losing team will in all probability at some stage lay the blame on the man with the whistle, it’s human nature, and not even the winning side’s supporters agree with all the decisions made during most matches. It’s the nature of the beast and referees know full well that this is one of the pitfalls of their chosen profession.
Seldom however has controversy followed a referee as it has for Steve Walsh.
Todd Blackadder has welcomed the extra week break
Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder has welcomed having an extra week off to prepare for his team’s Super Rugby Semi-final clash at home in Christchurch. The Crusaders finished the regular season in second place which guarantees them extra week while the Sharks, Brumbies, Chiefs and Highlanders battle it out. How Blackadder manages the players over the next two weeks will be crucial as they look to reach their first final since 2011.
Springbok hard man, Bakkies Botha, showing his romantic side
Springbok and Toulon lock Bakkies Botha has spoken about life in France, the final 18 months of his career and what he has planned after rugby.
After his successful run with the Springboks in June against the World XV and Wales, the My Players website caught up with the 35-year-old during his off time in the South African bush.
Ex- Stormers & Biarritz utility back, Joe Pietersen
The Cheetahs have found a replacement for flyhalf Johan Goosen who will leave them to further his career in France.
According to reports, former Stormers back Joe Pietersen will play for the Cheetahs in next year’s Super Rugby competition.
Steve Walsh
Sanzar has announced that South Africa’s Craig Joubert and Steve Walsh from Australia will referee the two Vodacom Super Rugby Qualifiers this weekend.
Joubert will be the man in the middle in Canberra, where the Brumbies host the Chiefs, while Walsh will be in action in Durban in the second Qualifier between the Cell C Sharks and the Highlanders.
Has Allister Coetzee reached the end of the road with the Stormers?
The Stormers’ Super Rugby regression will continue unabated in the years ahead if not for decisive intervention.
Four short years ago they were losing finalists. Just two years ago they topped the log and lost in the semi-final to the Sharks. In 2014 they finished 11th, having lost nine out of 16 matches and, more tellingly, lost any aura of being a formidable opponent.
It’s almost like the Blues’ failure has been brushed aside because it’s expected. Photo / APN
The Blues are consistent – 10th last year and again this season.
That’s the upshot of winning 13 games and losing 19 in the two seasons John Kirwan has been in charge of a franchise which has flowered intermittently since their last 2003 title success.
It’s almost like the Blues’ failure has been brushed aside because it’s expected, that’s what they do, they are stuck in a cycle of under-achievement.
As most of the New Zealand focus turns to the work of the Crusaders, Highlanders and Chiefs in the playoffs, the Blues will go through their season debriefs and make plans for next year before delivering another version of onwards and upwards rhetoric.
Inspirational Lions captain, Warren Whiteley
The Lions exceeded expectations in their comeback season, while the Bulls, Cheetahs and Stormers all regressed, writes JON CARDINELLI. Take a bow, Johan Ackermann. The Lions came into this year’s competition with a public ambition to be competitive and a private ambition to avoid the wooden spoon. They exceeded expectations on every front, finishing the league stage with seven wins and in 12th place. That win total alone will ensure that the class of 2014 goes down in history. Their 34-10 hammering of the Stormers shouldn’t be forgotten, nor their two victories against the Cheetahs, nor that resounding win against the Bulls.