All Entries in the "Rugby" Category
Rugby: Fans being left in the dark
While the New Zealand Rugby Union plots and schemes ways to retain a new audience wooed by the World Cup, they may eventually see the obvious trick that continues to stare them in the face – play more afternoon games. Other than discovering that the All Blacks finally had a steel core, the World Cup’s key legacy was to invigorate the stadium experience
Rugby-Wallaby lock Sharpe to retire after Super Rugby season
SYDNEY, Feb 10 (Reuters) – Australia lock Nathan Sharpe, who won his 100th cap for the Wallabies at last year’s World Cup, said on Friday he would be retiring at the end of his 15th Super Rugby season in August. The 33-year-old, a fierce competitor unmistakable for his shaven head and staring eyes, said he had made the announcement so he could focus on getting the Western Force into the playoffs for the first time. Sharpe made his international debut against France in 2002 and has played 101 times for his country, including in the 2003 World Cup final loss to England
Rugby-France's Parra replaces Yachvili for Ireland game
(Updates with Parra starting) PARIS, Feb 9 (Reuters) – Scrumhalf Morgan Parra will start France’s Six Nations home match against Ireland on Saturday after Dimitri Yachvili pulled out injured, the team said on Thursday.
Rugby the deserving winner at Halberg Awards
DUNCAN JOHNSTONE OPINION: Rugby hasn’t always enjoyed deserved success at the Halberg Awards so it was good to see commonsense prevail when the gongs were handed out in Auckland last night. New Zealand’s preoccupation with our national game demands the All Blacks operate at optimum levels every year. Their stranglehold on the No 1 ranking, their repeated success at Tri-Nations level and frequent clean sweeps on northern hemisphere tours haven’t been enough to convince the Halberg Academy of their worthiness for enough awards to satisfy rugby fans.
Rugby league commission ushers in new era
AAP After more than three years of speculation, hand-wringing and boardroom wranglings, the long-awaited Australian Rugby League Commission will finally see the light of day on Friday.
Rugby Union: Reds out to defend title
Reds coach Ewen McKenzie has rejected suggestions the defending Super Rugby champions will have to drastically alter the way they play in the absence of injured playmaker Quade Cooper. The mercurial No.10 will miss at least the opening six games of the Reds’ title defence after rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in the bronze medal playoff against Wales last October
Rugby-Reds bank on 'X-factor' without Quade
By Nick Mulvenney SYDNEY, Feb 9 (Reuters) – Queensland Reds coach Ewen McKenzie is convinced the Super Rugby champions will not miss inspirational flyhalf Quade Cooper too much when they begin the defence of their title later this month.
Super Rugby 2012 1.2
Super Rugby (rendered in the current competition logo as “SuperRugby”, also colloquially referred to as “Super 15″) is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere. Building off various Southern Hemisphere competitions dating back to 1986, with teams from a number of southern nations, Super Rugby officially started in 1996 with 12 teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The competition was known as Super 12 through to the end of the 2005 season; the name was changed to Super 14 with the addition of two teams for the 2006 season; with expansion to 15 teams in the three countries for the 2011 season, the competition has been rebranded as Super RugbyThe 2012 Super Rugby season is the second season of the new 15-team format for the Super Rugby competition, which involves teams from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa
Rugby-Scotland flyhalf Parks quits international rugby
LONDON, Feb 7 (Reuters) – Scotland flyhalf Dan Parks announced his retirement from international rugby on Tuesday, saying the time was right to call it a day despite playing in the Six Nations opener against England on Sunday.
Rugby Sevens World Series beefs up
The Rugby Sevens World Series is to expand as it builds up to the sport’s inclusion at the Olympic Games in 2016, organisers said on Tuesday.