Roar Guru
Joined February 2019
73.5k
Views
53
Published
1.3k
Comments
Former New Zealand journalist teaching in Istanbul. Fave teams - Canes and Jags. Can be found chatting live on Twitter: https://twitter.com/IstanbulWingman
Published
Comments
Last weekend, China booked their place at the Olympics. Hosting the Asian qualifying tournament in the southern city of Guangzhou, the Chinese women amassed…
The Six Nations begin to resemble Wile E. Coyote with their collective failures at the Rugby World Cup. Just as the Looney Tunes character…
I have to confess I did not watch the World Cup final live. That would have required time off work and a trip to…
The international rugby community's attention will be fixed on the World Cup semi-finals this weekend, with many wondering if the Brits can defy the…
South Africa's Bitzbok top the bill as the Safari Sevens return to Nairobi this weekend, thanks to a lucrative sponsorship deal with Kenya Breweries…
In reaching the quarter-finals for the first time, Japan have single-handedly hauled this World Cup out of the flames of disaster. The typhoon-induced cancellations,…
Japan stands on the brink of qualification for the World Cup quarter-finals after victories over Russia, Ireland and Samoa, but still needs to get…
It has been said that the 'real' World Cup begins with the quarter-finals. That is because the tournament is invariably confined by this stage…
The Rugby World Cup's expansion from sixteen teams to twenty after just three tournaments appeared premature, to say the least, but it also gave…
Nothing livens up a World Cup tournament like upsets, and while Fiji were one of the main hopes to produce a surprise in Japan…
Back in the day, it was fashionable for teams to include stop-off Tests in minor rugby-playing nations during overseas tours, and this undoubtedly helped…
Zimbabwe won the Victoria Cup on Saturday with a 41-5 defeat of Zambia in Lusaka. The four-nation tournament was revived this year after the…
World Cup-winning All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has blamed World Rugby for failing to stand up to the Six Nations and force through its…
One question that has certainly been settled in the World Cup era is that of hemispheric dominance. Those of us of sufficient vintage will…
The tiny island of Nauru made its international debut with an 89-5 loss to hosts Papua New Guinea in the Oceania Championships last weekend,…
Tiny Nauru made its Test debut in an 89-5 loss to Papua New Guinea on Friday, Zimbabwe got one hand on Africa's Victoria Cup…
Russia were beaten by Italy in their World Cup warm-up fixture at San Benedetto del Tronto last weekend, predictably enough, though it appears there…
Rugby is the ninth most popular sport in the world but its global appeal is restricted by too many players, complex rules, the widening…
If player numbers per capita are an accurate gauge, the most rugby-mad nation in the world is not three-time World Cup winner New Zealand,…
May the best team win at the Rugby World Cup in Japan this year, but preferably that won't be the All Blacks. Now, firstly,…
You’d have more insight than me, Nick, but my hunch is Rennie will bring a typical uncompromising Kiwi style of play to the Wallabies. It’s really tough to beat the All Blacks at their own game, however. That requires a little more lateral thinking. & one of the features of MacQueen’s reign, as I recall, was that the Wallabies were able to play a highly-structured game and execute it to perfection.
The Dave Rennie casebook: Can a Kiwi coach the Wallabies again?
No disrespect to Rennie, but I think Schmidt is a little more astute on the technical side and would bring out the best in the Wallabies. His coaching style reminds me a little of McQueen, in fact.
The Dave Rennie casebook: Can a Kiwi coach the Wallabies again?
Any links to extended highlights or full match reply of the World Cup final? I’ve still only seen the 4-minute version. 😢
The Dave Rennie casebook: Can a Kiwi coach the Wallabies again?
Joe Schmidt would be much more Aussie’s style.
The Dave Rennie casebook: Can a Kiwi coach the Wallabies again?
Unlimited foreign imports across the board is the answer. Look how it’s revolutionized football! 👍 👍 👍
When will Japan join the Rugby Championship?
Yeah, I wrote an article about that (which you can find by double clicking on my name). It was NZ’s fault, mainly. After finishing 4th in 99 they refused to go through the qualifying process – then for all but the top 3 finishers in the tournament (not the groups!) – and forced through changes. Absolute disgrace 😡
When will Japan join the Rugby Championship?
I’ve also suggested a pre-season 6 Nations in the past, involving NZ, Aussie, Japan and the Islands in two groups of three. Two games each at a single venue, leading to a final, 3rd and 5th place games. Done and dusted inside 2 weeks. Japan and the islands get the big tests they want. NZ & Aussie would be seeded each year, probably to meet in the final, thus no need for the 3rd Bledisloe test that usually follows the Tri Nations. & no need for Japan to make marathon flights to Buenos Aires and Jo’burg. Everyone’s a winner. 😁 👍
When will Japan join the Rugby Championship?
Inter-continental tournaments involving elite nations is a myopic approach that only strengthens a select few teams and does nothing to encourage the development of the game elsewhere; to the contrary, in fact. & this is why, aside from Europe, we still only have one of two world class teams on every continent. If you want to develop rugby as an international game you do it on a region by region basis, and strengthen those competitions to the point there are multiple world class teams on every continent.
When will Japan join the Rugby Championship?
Sorry, the second Kirwan was supposed to be Kirk
The biggest talking point for each NZ Super Rugby franchise in 2020
Slightly different spelling, Mzilikazi, and Kipper was English. He only arrived in NZ through a rugby exchange, following another Englishman Jamie Salmon, who went on to represent Wellington (early 80s). That’s how he got his nickname. Gallagher was one of the stars of the inaugural World Cup but nonetheless remains in the shadow of legends like Kirwan, Fox, Kirwan and the Iceman. That’s his own fault for accepting a lucrative offer from league and returning to England a few years later.
The biggest talking point for each NZ Super Rugby franchise in 2020
sports peoplehave direct access to the wider audience, sorry
Israel Folau and the inexplicable public interest in sportspeople's opinions
Hopefully never. 27 hour flight to Argentina, not much less to South Africa. Makes no sense geographically. Japan would still get smashed by NZ – particularly in NZ. It would be a repeat of the Sunwolves debacle.
Here’s my idea for a Pacific-Asia Rugby Championship (PARC)
Hong Kong v Tonga, Hong Kong
Fiji v Samoa, Suva
Japan v Korea, Tokyo
Fiji v Hong Kong, Suva
Samoa v Japan, Apia/Shanghai/Singapore/Auckland
Korea v Tonga, Seoul
Tonga v Samoa, Nuku’alofa
Hong Kong v Korea, Hong Kong
Japan v Fiji, Tokyo
Fiji v Tonga, Suva
Japan v Hong Kong, Tokyo
Samoa v Korea, Apia/Shanghai/Singapore/Auckland
Hong Kong v Samoa, Hong Kong
Tonga v Japan, Nuku’alofa/Guangzhou/Kuala Lumpur/Auckland
Korea v Fiji, Seoul
RWC qualifying – top 3 progress, 4th to inter-continental playoff, 5th to repechage
Annual winner joins ARC (Americas), ENC (Europe) & CAR (Africa) champs at RCC (Confederations Cup)
Bottom Asian team plays promotion-relegation fixture against Asian opponent
Bottom Pacific team plays promotion-relegation fixture against Oceania opponent
NB: Asia is partitioned into East and West zones below PARC level, allowing for 6-team divisions leading to a final, while Oceania competition runs separately.
When will Japan join the Rugby Championship?
I used to sit in an empty Millard Stand watching Gallagher punch into the backline like a flame-haired meteorite and thinking this guy is going to be an All Black. That was the championship year 😁 Wellington just didn’t appreciate what it had back then, and we got what we deserved when the team fell apart following Kipper’s departure.
The biggest talking point for each NZ Super Rugby franchise in 2020
Mzilikazi, John Gallagher, who switched to league in the late amateur era. Evidently before your time.
The biggest talking point for each NZ Super Rugby franchise in 2020
Problem now is social media, particularly Twitter. In the old days the press used its discretion. I remember thinking I had the scoop of the century a couple of times during my days as a reporter, having extracted some fairly controversial quotes from an interview subject, only for those stories to never see the light of day. But now professional sports have direct access to the wider audience. They are public figures whether they (or we) like it or not, and need to take responsibility for their actions.
Israel Folau and the inexplicable public interest in sportspeople's opinions
Israel Folau sounds more and more like Brenton Tarrant every time he’s quoted.
Israel Folau links bushfire crisis and drought to same-sex marriage and abortion
Beauden’s departure reminds me of when Kipper the Cop left the Wellington Lions at the peak of his power. Decimated the team and ruined his own career.
The biggest talking point for each NZ Super Rugby franchise in 2020
Here’s my idea for a Pacific-Asia Rugby Championship (PARC) 😁
Hong Kong v Tonga, Hong Kong
Fiji v Samoa, Suva
Japan v Korea, Tokyo
Fiji v Hong Kong, Suva
Samoa v Japan, Apia/Shanghai/Singapore/Auckland
Korea v Tonga, Seoul
Tonga v Samoa, Nuku’alofa
Hong Kong v Korea, Hong Kong
Japan v Fiji, Tokyo
Fiji v Tonga, Suva
Japan v Hong Kong, Tokyo
Samoa v Korea, Apia/Shanghai/Singapore/Auckland
Hong Kong v Samoa, Hong Kong
Tonga v Japan, Nuku’alofa/Guangzhou/Kuala Lumpur/Auckland
Korea v Fiji, Seoul
RWC qualifying – top 3 progress, 4th to inter-continental playoff, 5th to repechage
Annual winner joins ARC (Americas), ENC (Europe) & CAR (Africa) champs at RCC (Confederations Cup)
Bottom Asian team plays promotion-relegation fixture against Asian opponent
Bottom Pacific team plays promotion-relegation fixture against Oceania opponent
NB: Asia is partitioned into East and West zones below PARC level, allowing for 6-team divisions leading to a final, while Oceania competition runs separately.
Collective failure of the Six Nations
But it’s 8 World Cups to 1, and the last 4 in a row 😂 NZ thrashed Wales. making a mockery of the rankings (not hard), while Japan took care of Ireland – along with Scotland. Not sure how much of an improvement on 2015 this really was, tbh.
Collective failure of the Six Nations
Dropped back by completely dominating the World Cup, you mean? While Wales can’t get past the semis and Ireland are stuck forever in the quarters 😂 6 Nations are further behind than they were a century ago, except then there were only 5 of them (and 4 for a while).
Collective failure of the Six Nations
People have been saying that since practically the beginning of pro rugby, expeting it to go the same way as foodball. But the Southern teams have managed things pretty well so far, especially NZ.
Collective failure of the Six Nations
Chile 18 Portugal 23
Portuguese, beaten by Brazil last weekend, came from behind to snatch the win
Collective failure of the Six Nations
Belgium 17 Hong Kong 36. Seems like HK would do okay at the World Cup. Japan is the only Asian team to have played at the event so far. Rapid Rugby should help Hong Kong as well. Watch out for them when World Cup expansion comes in 2027.
Collective failure of the Six Nations
Looks like World Rugby staff read the Roar. This came up just hours after my post 😁
The Dave Rennie casebook: Can a Kiwi coach the Wallabies again?