Time to Get Healthy and Wealthy

England captain Sarah Hunter says she has "never experienced anything like" the moment her side's game in France was called off when floodlights failed. Original source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/56952822 https://therugbystore.com.au/sarah-hunter-says-england-win-against-france-bit-anticlimactic-after-floodlight-failure/

The Brumbies are banking on their big-game experience to steer them into the Super Rugby AU grand final, however the Western Force have shown they’re up for the fight of a sudden-death showdown. The teams meet in the qualifying final in Canberra on Saturday night, with the winner facing the Queensland Reds in Brisbane in a week’s time. Force coach Tim Sampson isn’t intimidated by the task of downing the defending premiers, on Friday describing the Brumbies’ recent form as “clunky” and saying the home team infringe a lot. Having won the Super Rugby AU crown last year and reached the semi-finals of the regular 15-team competition in 2019, the Brumbies are well-versed in handling play-off pressure. It’s the Force’s first taste of finals footy since their inception in 2006. Brumbies skipper Allan Alaalatoa said that edge in experience would be an advantage. “I think experience is great – having that pressure feeling that we had in the final last year and that build-up to the final is

Forward Poppy Cleall wins the Player of the Championship award after playing a key role in England's Women's Six Nations title defence Original source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/56933494 https://therugbystore.com.au/womens-six-nations-englands-poppy-cleall-wins-player-of-the-championship-award/

Thanks once again to all who either contributed a question, or debated one in this week’s callout. Watching a query as it is refined through discussion can be especially helpful to my responses on Friday. Is it just me or does it appear that our most consistent forwards in terms of total contribution are weighted to Force, Rebels and Brumbies? Waratahs and Reds both seem a bit short of impact? – Noodles Statistically, who are the most effective loose forwards in Super Rugby AU and Super Rugby Aotearoa? – KiwiHaydn What do you think of the role of playing flankers or number eight in the second row? Last week Rob Leota, Angus Scott-Young and Hugh Sinclair were all in the second row. These players are generally around 190cms. Do you see this working in international rugby? – Take the Points These questions are all related to one another, directly or indirectly. As the game gets faster and the ball-in-play time increases, one of the spots coaches tend to look at for an increase in o

Premiership Rugby and English cricket will join football's social media boycott to tackle abuse and discrimination. Original source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/56915338 https://therugbystore.com.au/social-media-boycott-premiership-rugby-english-cricket-joins-football-in-move-to-tackle-abuse/

Yes, finals time has arrived in Australia, but there’s one more chance to see the Blues fall short in New Zealand, which will entertain Brett and anyone else who’s had it in for them for years. The form teams either side of the Tasman might just be the Chiefs and Force, which seems like a crazy thing to be saying after the positions both teams found themselves in just a month ago. But no-one else can match their current three-game winning streaks. The Force have, well… *forced* their way into the AU finals, while the Chiefs are already locked in for the NZ decider. And this is the best part for you anti-Blues types: the Chiefs are five points clear of the Blues, and the two sides meet on Saturday. A bonus point win would draw the Blues level on competition points, and a win would certainly give them a better for-and-against record. BUT! The Chiefs would still have one more win – and with NZR employing the same tie-breaking method SANZAAR employed for Super Rugby (number of wins, th

I hate to say I told you so, but this is how I summarised the Western Force’s Super Rugby 2021 prospects last December: “The Force should certainly be strong enough to win at least 50 per cent of their games in 2021, and that may be enough to slingshot them into local play-off contention.” That comment formed part of an article which suggested the addition of ex-Reds second row Izack Rodda as part of the Force’s ongoing trawl for new talent. “From this point of view, the best Christmas gift Sampson could receive would be the news that Izack Rodda wants to return to Australia – more precisely, to Western Australia.” Rodda duly signed with the Force in March. There is no doubt whatsoever that the quality of the recruitment drive in Western Australia has surpassed all of its peers in the country, despite the loss of ace Argentine hooker Julián Montoya to the Leicester Tigers on the eve of the tournament. The Force badly needed to find some speed and finishing ability in the back th

Wasps lock Joe Launchbury is ruled out of this summer's British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa with a knee injury. Original source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/56902862 https://therugbystore.com.au/joe-launchbury-wasps-lock-to-miss-british-and-irish-lions-tour-with-knee-injury/

The weekend of rugby is over, so you know what that means: it’s time to get in some questions for this week’s instalment of Coach’s Corner. If you haven’t come across the column yet, it’s the weekly article where, each Friday, our resident rugby analyst Nick Bishop answers your queries about what’s happening on the field. Miss the latest issue of Coach’s Corner? Don’t worry, you can catch up right here! The last round before the Super Rugby AU finals served up plenty of drama, with the Force snatching a famous win against the previously undefeated Reds to book their place in the post-season and the Rebels finishing their season on a high by beating the winless Tahs. Over in New Zealand, Damian McKenzie came to the fore with yet another clutch, game-winning kick, before the Crusaders booked a home final by comfortably dealing with the Blues. That leaves a qualifying final in Canberra between the Brumbies and Force this weekend, while the Saders will put their feet up during Round 1

England prop Shaunagh Brown explains why it is an honour to play in and win such a physical Women's Six Nations final against France. Original source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/56871532 https://therugbystore.com.au/why-it-is-an-honour-to-win-such-a-physical-womens-six-nations-final/

Thomas Young scores two tries on his 100th Wasps appearance to help his side beat 14-man Bath in a Premiership thriller. Original source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/56836947 https://therugbystore.com.au/premiership-wasps-39-29-bath-thomas-young-scores-twice-in-wasps-win/

The Anzac Day round is always one filled with poignancy, and despite a young bugle boy struggling to hit the right notes in Christchurch, there were moving ceremonies held at all four matches across the weekend. The only shame was that we weren’t blessed with a trans-Tasman match up; a situation that, depending on how events play out, will be rectified for next year’s round. Not that anyone in Perth cared a jot, with the Force upsetting the previously unbeaten Reds, 30-27 to storm into the preliminary final next week, against the Brumbies. Reds’ captain Liam Wright said straight after his side’s loss that “the Force deserve a lot of respect”, and he was clearly telling the truth. Any side, under the pressure of playing for its first ever finals spot, seemingly down and out midway through the first half, having to battle through thirty minutes with 14 men, that is able to come back and score the winning try in the final minutes, is made of special stuff. But the question that shoul

Melbourne captain Matt To’omua says sacking coach Dave Wessels after the Rebels failed to make the Super Rugby AU finals isn’t the solution to the club’s woes. Wessels has mounted a passionate defence for Melbourne’s failure to reach the Super Rugby AU finals and boldly declared the Rebels can win the trans-Tasman version of the competition. The Rebels ultimately missed the three-team playoff series by one competition point after beating the winless NSW Waratahs 36-25 in Saturday night’s ‘dead rubber’ in Sydney. Wessels rued four last-minute losses and pointed out that the Rebels played almost the entire eight-round competition without up to a dozen leading players, including Wallabies stars Reece Hodge, skipper Dane Haylett-Petty and Isi Naisarani. “We lost four games on the last kick of the game after the hooter,” Wessels said. “We could be sitting here with a totally different story. “We’ve also gone through the season without nine or ten of our most experienced players. “So

Head coach Simon Middleton hails his England side after they win a bruising encounter against France to claim a third successive Women's Six Nations. Original source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/56871396 https://therugbystore.com.au/womens-six-nations-england-show-winning-character-but-need-plan-b-for-world-cup/

A winless Super Rugby AU season doesn’t bear thinking about for the NSW Waratahs as they look to rub salt into the wounds of the Melbourne Rebels on Saturday night. Western Force’s dramatic 30-27 win over the table-topping Queensland Reds on Friday night officially eliminated the fourth-placed Rebels from the finals race. So pride and the Weary Dunlop Shield are the line when the Waratahs host the Rebels in an otherwise dead rubber at Bankwest Stadium. “There’s huge motivation for us,” skipper Jake Gordon said. “It’s a must-win for us. We don’t want to finish the year on a whitewash. “We’ve obviously spoken about improving each week and we’ve done a great job of that recently. “But we’re still chasing that W, especially with the trans-Tasman competition upcoming. “We need to build some confidence so we can really hit the ground running there.” (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images) With NSW staring down the barrel of an historic winless campaign, all the heat would ordinarily be o

Defending champions Exeter Chiefs put on a determined display to win at Premiership leaders Bristol. Original source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/56836657 https://therugbystore.com.au/premiership-bristol-bears-12-20-exeter-chiefs-champions-end-leaders-winning-run/

With the COVID-19 pandemic predictably making the World Rugby Sevens Series an impossibility in 2020, fans longing for the thrill-a-minute excitement and laid-back, party atmosphere of the touring series have been forced to curb their enthusiasm until the 26th of July when the world’s best begin their battle for gold at the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics. The shortened version of the 15-a-side game will feature for the second time following the code’s 92-year hiatus from the global sporting event. The marketing potential of the seven-a-side format has long been noted. HSBC’s 2016 report The Future of Rugby found it the fastest-growing sport in the world and with its inclusion in the Olympics attracting an estimated 30 million fans, it has proven to be a valuable instrument in rugby’s bid to win over new supporters. The carnival-style tournament can draw in fans who might otherwise fall outside of rugby’s traditional demographic with loud music, audacious attire and wall-to-wall action.

Poppy Cleall will start at number eight for England's Women's Six Nations final against France on Saturday, pushing captain Sarah Hunter to the bench. Original source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/56842952 https://therugbystore.com.au/womens-six-nations-final-england-v-france-poppy-cleall-to-start-in-place-of-sarah-hunter/

England's Maro Itoje is backed to lead the British and Irish Lions against South Africa this summer by the man who captained the last two tours. Original source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/56832630 https://therugbystore.com.au/british-and-irish-lions-maro-itoje-backed-by-sam-warburton-to-captain-2021-side/

In 2015 Los Jaguares were the first professional Argentinian club team to join Super Rugby. In their four short years they experienced a meteoric rise from 13th in their inaugural season to runners-up in their last. They were popular among fans and were welcomed by all. In 2020 the fans could only watch as COVID-19 hammered the final nail into the Super Rugby coffin. Los Jaguares, lost and without an invite from the other SANZAAR nations, found themselves playing in the Super Liga Americana de Rugby (SLAR), replacing the Ceibos from Cordoba. The South American competition ensures Los Jaguares are no longer the sole professional team on the continent. Los Jaguares now find themselves competing with the Cafeteros Pros from Colombia, the Cobras from Brazil, Olimpia Lions from Paraguay, Penarol in Uruguay and Selknam from Chile. The competition is the child of Sudamerica Rugby, which is hoping to expand and grow the game while giving the athletes a chance to become professionals in thei

Eddie Jones is backed to continue as England head coach after a review into the team's disappointing fifth-place finish in the Six Nations. Original source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/56819737 https://therugbystore.com.au/eddie-jones-england-coach-gets-rfu-backing-after-review/

It is an exciting time for rugby in New Zealand and Australia. A brand spanking new Trans-Tasman competition kicks off on May 14, with a quarantine-free air bridge underwriting it. That marks the beginning of a new era of co-operation between the two countries. All the politicking and backbiting shed by the collapse of the old Super Rugby now seems to be just a dim memory, if the idyllic pictures of New Zealand Rugby CEO Mark Robinson and then-RA interim boss Rob Clarke walking together on Manly beach last November are to be believed. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images) Super Rugby Trans-Tasman not only fills a yawning gap in the rugby calendars of both nations, it looks to offer a solid foundation for the future of the Antipodean game in the tier between provincial and Test rugby. The recent announcement of the inclusion of two Pasifika teams in 2022 reinforces the sense that, at long last, something real and sustainable is happening in the administration of the game in the s