Aussie league - NRL site...

Image via Wikipedia History beckons: Semi-finals coming.


Wests will be hoping for a repeat of the 2005 preliminary final result when they meet minor premiers St George-Illawarra next Saturday. On Friday night, the Titans await their first ever preliminary final against the resurgent Roosters.

http://www.nrl.com/

Related articles by Zemanta

• Tigers' Payton hails Ellis' contribution (news.theage.com.au)
• Warriors in with shot of making history (3news.co.nz)
• Walters backs Bennett for NRL title (news.theage.com.au)
• Gordon, Thompson extend Titans contracts (news.theage.com.au)
• NRL down to sudden death (3news.co.nz)

NZ Rugby: Shane Howarth gets the chop...

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

NZ Rugby: Shane Howarth gets the chop from Auckland Blues... 
Coach Pat Lam will see out his three-year contract with the Blues for next year's Super 15 rugby competition, but his assistant of the past two seasons, Shane Howarth, has not survived an end of season review.



The New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) and Blues said in a brief statement today that the Blues' assistant coach role will be advertised following the recommendation of the coaching review panel which had looked at the performance of Lam and Howarth in this year's Super rugby competition.



Lam and Howarth, both on three-year contracts, first took charge of the Blues in 2009 when the team finished ninth. They finished seventh this year.



The statement said Howarth is eligible to re-apply for the assistant coach position.



The review panel consisted of NZRU board member Graham Mourie, NZRU high performance coach development manager Mike Chu, Blues chairman Greg Muir, Blues chief executive Andy Dalton, and Blues directors Grant Fox and Gary Whetton.



The coaching position will be advertised from July 11.



I often wondered just how Shane Howarth got his Auckland coaching positions with very little coaching backgrounds. Shane Howarth will be remembered as the player of  dubious Welsh descent who played test rugby for that counry. Perhaps he was a welsh rarebit? Pat Lam has had northern hemisphere coaching experience; just needs a good back coach to support him. Jeff Wilson, the former All Black from Southland and currently the back coach for North harbour would be a sitter for the Blues.



Acknowledgements:- NZPA

All Blacks will get tens of thousands of $$ for a win in Rugby World Cup in 2010...

Image via Wikipedia

All Blacks will get tens of thousands of $$ for a win in Rugby World Cup in 2010...





Players selected for Rugby World Cup will receive $35,000 if All Blacks make final and $65,000 for a win under new employment deal





A new collective employment agreement has been signed by the NZRU and the Players Association.



The deal takes the sport through to the end of 2012 and ratifies a number of the initiatives agreed to at the end of last year.



Amongst the major changes, Super Rugby franchises will be able to directly contract players and Super Rugby squads will be expanded and allowed to pick two overseas players.



Under the future competition structure, players selected for next year's Rugby World Cup will receive $35,000 each if the All Blacks makes the final and a further $65,000 each if the team wins the tournament.








Acknowledgements: © 2010 NZCity, NewsTalkZB

Related articles by Zemanta

• Warren Gatland will not leave Wales job until after Rugby World Cup (telegraph.co.uk)
• Andy Haden continues as Rugby World Cup ambassador despite race row (telegraph.co.uk)
• England, Ireland and France to tour New Zealand from 2012 (guardian.co.uk)
• NBC Strikes Deal With IRB For Coverage Of The Rugby World Cup (bleacherreport.com)
• World Cup Diary: We are all New Zealanders now (thepunch.com.au)
• Rugby World Cup 2011 Opportunities For Business (businessprofiles.suite101.com)
• Rugby World Cup organisers predict huge losses (independent.co.uk)
• TalkSport snares 2011 Rugby World Cup radio rights (guardian.co.uk)
• Tri-Nations and Currie Cup Begin on Fox Soccer Plus (eon.businesswire.com)
• World Cup 2010: New Zealand All Whites winning popularity battle back home (telegraph.co.uk)
• Wales Rugby Union may face battle to hold on to coach Warren Gatland (telegraph.co.uk)

Andy Haden again challenged to prove his claims about Crusaders Polynesian cap...

Image via Wikipedia

Andy Haden again challenged to prove his claims about Crusaders Polynesian cap...




Maori Party's Te Ururoa Flavell says if Andy Haden cannot prove his claim of Crusaders' Polynesian cap his integrity must be questioned



Rugby World Cup ambassador Andy Haden is again being challenged to provide evidence to his claim the Crusaders have a cap on selecting Polynesian players.



Maori Party MP Te Ururoa Flavell has joined the chorus of critics who question whether Mr Haden should keep his job. He says if the former All Black is really concerned about the future of rugby then he should name the writers of the policy, or even show a written copy of it. He says if Mr Haden cannot substantiate his claims then his integrity needs to be questioned.



"By refusing to disclose the identity of the people who Andy says wrote this so-called policy, he has turned a blind eye to what could potentially be institutionalised racism in that franchise.



"If Andy is really concerned about the future of rugby in this country, and it being a safe sport for all peoples to play, then he must name the policy writers or even better, show us the policy on paper.



Mr Flavell says Mr Haden's role as a Rugby World Cup ambassador should also be called into question if he cannot prove his claims.



It actually gets down to Andy Haden's credibility - or the lack of it.








Acknowledgements: © 2010 NZCity, NewsTalkZB

Related articles by Zemanta

• Andy Haden continues as Rugby World Cup ambassador despite race row (telegraph.co.uk)
• Andy Haden stands by 'racism' claim at Canterbury Crusaders (telegraph.co.uk)
• IRB Rugby World Cup 2011 - How many tries will the top try scorer accumulate in the tournament? (hubdub.com)
• England, Ireland and France to tour New Zealand from 2012 (guardian.co.uk)
• Rugby World Cup 2011: tickets to go on sale April 27 (telegraph.co.uk)
• Afrikaner rugby team choose stadium in heart of black Soweto for next big match (telegraph.co.uk)
• Glasgow lose hooker Dougie Hall for Magners League showdown at Ospreys (telegraph.co.uk)
• Wales agree deal to face South Africa at Millennium Stadium on June 5 (telegraph.co.uk)
• All Blacks recruit uncapped trio (guardian.co.uk)

Last ever rugby test against the All Blacks at Carisbrook will be Wales on June 19 2010, and is sold out...

Image via Wikipedia

Last ever test against the All Blacks at Carisbrooke will be Wales on June 19 2010, and is sold out...


All regular tickets to this  last and historical All Blacks test to be played at Carisbrook have been sold out.



With 29 days to go before the June 19 test against Wales, the last of the 27,247 traditional stand and terrace tickets were sold this morning.



The Otago Rugby Union has decided to add 800 special on-field seats to boost capacity.



Acknowledgements:   - NEWSTALK ZB

Related articles by Zemanta

• Martin Johnson warns England squad of touring 'pitfalls' ahead of trip Down Under (telegraph.co.uk)
• South Africa to play England in three-Test series in 2012 (guardian.co.uk)
• Justin Marshall announces retirement from rugby (guardian.co.uk)
• England to travel to South Africa for three-Test series in 2012 (telegraph.co.uk)
• Venter: England 'wrong' to omit Barritt (guardian.co.uk)
• Bath hope for redemption at the scene of their crime (guardian.co.uk)
• Martin Johnson recalls Olly Barkley for England's summer tour squad (guardian.co.uk)
• Gareth Thomas… The Only Openly Gay Male Athlete (pinkbananaworld.com)
• South Africa to face Barbarians at Twickenham in end-of-year fixture (guardian.co.uk)

Melbourne Storm stripped of NRL premierships for breaching salary cap...

Image via Wikipedia

Melbourne Storm stripped of their NRL Premierships for breaching the salary cap to the tune of $1.7 million

 Article from www.rugbyleague.co.nz



The Melbourne Storm have been stripped of their NRL Premierships, won in 2007 and 2009, for breaching the salary cap.



The club admits it secretly paid its players $1.7 million over the past five years, including $700,000 this year, without telling the NRL. The Storm have lost all of their eight competition points won this season and will not be awarded any more. They will have to hand back $1.1 million in prize money, as well as pay a $500,000 fine. The lost prize money will be split among the other 15 clubs.



NRL boss David Gallop says Melbourne has been operating two sets of financial books. Several people from the Storm have also been stood down from their administrative positions. Melbourne chairman Rob Moodie says he is not making any excuses. Former chief executive Brian Waldron has been named as the architect of the scam. He is now in charge of the Melbourne Rebels Super 15 team.

http://www.nzrugby/ league.com









Ackowledgements: © 2010 NZCity, NewsTalkZB

Related articles by Zemanta

• Melbourne Storm stripped of NRL titles after cheating salary cap (guardian.co.uk)
• Melbourne stripped of NRL titles (news.bbc.co.uk)
• Is this the worst day in Australian sporting history? (thepunch.com.au)
• Watch Melbourne Storm vs St George Dragons Live Streaming Online National Rugby League Live on PC/TV..! (slideshare.net)
• Leeds Rhinos V Melbourne Storm Gillette Fusion World Club Challenge (hubdub.com)
• Australia rugby league star Willie Mason rejects chance to join Crusaders (guardian.co.uk)
• World Club Challenge still a Storm in a teacup for Aussies | Andy Wilson (guardian.co.uk)

Aussie road agent scouts target NZ secondary school football stars...

Aussie road agent scouts target NZ secondary school football stars...

The following may kindle memories if you happened to be a Canadian, perhaps, but lets read the story first and see if there is something similar there:

Most adult Kiwis and Aussies know all about the competition betwween Australia and New Zealand in sport, especially if you are male and kick the oval ball around. A bit of the big brother and little brother scenario, perhaps?

Its still a bit of a raw subject over on this side of the Tasman ditch that Canterbury and Crusaders coaching icon, and former All Black test player, Robbie Deans couldn't get the coaching job at the All Blacks through to The Rugby World Cup in 2011, especially if you are a Crusaders fan like myself; the third biggest sporting event behind the Soccer (football) World Cup and the Olympics!

Americans who don't know much about rugby would probably find this statement amazing - but its true. Rugby, and especially Sevens, is an international sport.

Now the Sunday papers today report those Aussie, latter day road agents are raiding our secondary schools for football talent. They are targeting the brightest up and comers with lucrative packages to entice them over to Aussie clubs with deals up to $130,000 each - not bad deals for 14 - 16 year old teenage prodigies?

Previously they had concentrated on Pacific rim players - Polynesian players who had come over to New Zealand for their secondary education.

So its all out war to discover the next Richie McCaw (current All Blacks captain) or another goal-kicking legend like Andrew Merhtens. A former All Blacks captain, Taine Randall described the Aussies as clever buggers! Recruit top-end Kiwis and you don't have to develop your own.

So back to where I started: How many Canadians have been recruited in the same manner by American scouts? I bet there has been quite a few in baseball, basketball and ice-hockey?