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They used to be the laughing stock of the Six Nations. Winners of the wooden spoon 18 times in 24 years. Never escaping from…
It was the was the ultimate mix of old and new; and the greatest display of wet weather rugby we’re ever likely to see.…
So many predictions, so many expectations. The game’s greatest stage, to be graced by perhaps the greatest golden generations of its two greatest nations.…
This World Cup is a once in a generation opportunity for a mid-tier rugby nation, ranked sixth or lower in the world. First, it’s…
Rugby nations can’t truly peak for every World Cup. In any country some generations will be better than others and when those generations reach…
Gimli the dwarf and Legolas the elf assess the prospects of their their army ahead of the climactic, existential battle in JRR Tolkien’s The…
First, a burning question. Has Eddie Jones transformed his whole selection strategy based on these golden generation articles? OK that’s pretty far-fetched, but equally…
Centre Court, Wimbledon, Monday 9 July 2001. The gentlemen’s singles final between Aussie Pat Rafter and Croat Goran Ivanisevic is being held a day…
Yokohama, Japan. 7pm Saturday 26 October to 6pm Saturday 2 November 2019. For almost exactly a week, England and their charismatic Australian coach Eddie…
The “golden generation” label was made for the shiny new France team that burst onto the world stage in 2020. A decade of underachievement…
For decades the naming of the All Blacks followed the same format. In the deep dark caverns under the main grandstand of Athletic Park…
How does a rugby union in Australia build the sort of sustainable, transformational improvement that it needs? To help us find out, let’s look…
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria 1968. Legendary Lions skipper Willie John McBride stands next to his South African counterpart Mof Myburgh in the tunnel before the…
The All Blacks went back to back with Rugby World Cup wins in 2011 and 2015 - this is how they did it
We all know about the quadrennial cycle from World Cup to World Cup in Test rugby. As soon as one World Cup ends, teams…
A family went on holiday last summer and a neighbour was tasked with looking after their grandma and cat. A few days later, the…
In 2015 a disturbing trend was identified by the great Southern Hemisphere rugby powers: the English were finally producing the standard of young player…
Happy New Year, everybody! After a refreshing Christmas I’m ready to start thinking about rugby again, how about you? We’re now halfway through the…
As we all know, the current Sydney COVID outbreak, its offspring outbreaks in other Australian states and New Zealand, and the varying responses of…
If you haven’t watched the Wales versus England Six Nations match from the weekend I suggest that you hunt it down. It was full…
You’d only have to hold the Heineken final two or three weeks earlier than it was last year.
Mediocre Munster were rewarded with a URC title they never would have won had Leinster not played a B team in the semi, which in turn rewarded them with a Heineken seeding.
'I'm a big fan': Kiss throws weight behind Club World Cup as Europe and Super Rugby agree to new tournament
For me it’s simple – finish the Heineken earlier so the best teams get a fair chance in both. Otherwise you’re rewarding mediocrity.
'I'm a big fan': Kiss throws weight behind Club World Cup as Europe and Super Rugby agree to new tournament
Very few of the top 50 got there with those sort of picks 😂
'Last few years have been hell': Iceman 2.0 Harrison gets 'dream come true' in Tahs' stunning golden point win
Don’t worry they’ll find something to moan about
'Last few years have been hell': Iceman 2.0 Harrison gets 'dream come true' in Tahs' stunning golden point win
Are you not ENTERTAINED????!!!!
'Last few years have been hell': Iceman 2.0 Harrison gets 'dream come true' in Tahs' stunning golden point win
And the bus isn’t going to Marry McLaughlin-Phillips 😂
'Brain explosion': Wallaby stars sent off as Queensland left red-faced in Moana Pasifika shocker
That just highlights how fake the Heineken seedings are. LaRo and Leinster had to play the Heineken final in the middle of their domestic playoffs which made it harder for them to win the domestic league. Leinster lose in the semi final, aren’t seeded in the 23/24 pool and the result is a group of death and the Stormers having to face the best team in Europe to get to the quarters instead of a genuine 9-16 ranked team.
'I'm a big fan': Kiss throws weight behind Club World Cup as Europe and Super Rugby agree to new tournament
LaRo being in the group of death was the reason that the Stormers had to play the defending champions in a knockout match to get into the quarters, after finishing in the top 8.
In Super Rugby a team finishing in the top 8 wouldn’t have to then have to then play the defending champions in a knockout match to get into the last 8.
'I'm a big fan': Kiss throws weight behind Club World Cup as Europe and Super Rugby agree to new tournament
The author doesn’t even seem to realise that participation in rugby is increasing globally. Or that the decline in Australia is nothing to do with the refereeing.
Rugby is losing the long-term battle: What World Rugby must learn from Australia before it's too late
We’re not as stupid as we look.
COMMENT: Australian rugby is a depressing picture - the RA board must be axed and the constitution changed
Give them a break, they beat the defending champions to get out of the pool of death and were only knocked out by the champions by a point!
'I'm a big fan': Kiss throws weight behind Club World Cup as Europe and Super Rugby agree to new tournament
That’s right Dave. No surprise when they cut community funding from 15% of income to 2.4% while other codes continue to ramp up their investment.
COMMENT: Australian rugby is a depressing picture - the RA board must be axed and the constitution changed
Hi Jez, what you’ve not mentioned there is that Australia turned its back on what made it great in the first place.
They became great because of an effective and consistent coaching system/coaching manual, which was part of an effective rugby pyramid. Sacking Dick Marks and dismantling his structures happened before these other leagues got so wealthy.
Then there was the strategy of decimating community rugby spend so that they could afford to run more pro teams and pay higher wages.
The Ireland then Italy now Canada youth development leader had a great analogy. “If you’re busy drinking wine and not making it, you’re going to run out. Then you’ll have to find your wine from some other source and not your own vineyard. That’s going to cost you more and you might not even like it. And when you’re finished drinking it you’re left with no wine.”
Australia needs to produce more and better players and coaches as it’s top priority. That means better, properly funded systems – and Horne and Nuciafora know how to do this. Compromising on this doesn’t work so if pro spend needs to come down through paying fewer players and/or reduced wages it needs to come down.
Australia can’t control the wealth of other leagues, but it can control what it does through its pyramid. Players will inevitably be lost, but there will also be better players overall and some will stay. RA can also be smarter on links with rich foreign clubs.
BTW I’m not disagreeing with what you wrote and I know you agree with some or most of this. Just painting a fuller picture as I see it.
COMMENT: Australian rugby is a depressing picture - the RA board must be axed and the constitution changed
I can live with that!
COMMENT: Australian rugby is a depressing picture - the RA board must be axed and the constitution changed
Rugby Australia followed Warburton’s strategy of neglecting the grassroots and pouring money into the elite game from Eddie’s first tenure onwards. It’s not worked out very well.
COMMENT: Australian rugby is a depressing picture - the RA board must be axed and the constitution changed
Didn’t they get a good profit in 2022?
COMMENT: Australian rugby is a depressing picture - the RA board must be axed and the constitution changed
It was three last year, and this year the Stormers were very unlucky after a good pool phase to get the defending champions of the last two years. Also don’t forget that not being in the kiwi pool helped them and they were still only getting two into the quarters.
'I'm a big fan': Kiss throws weight behind Club World Cup as Europe and Super Rugby agree to new tournament
Exactly. I want to know their constructive proposals and the names behind the letter.
Any people bigging up Hamish’s role in the Cadbury and Stan deals but de-emphasising his role in the disasters don’t sound like the sort of people I’d want running the game. Especially when Herbert and Waugh have made sensible decisions like bringing in Horne, Nuciafora and Schmidt.
COMMENT: Australian rugby is a depressing picture - the RA board must be axed and the constitution changed
Mind you, based on this year’s results, four of the five kiwi teams will be pocketing the megabucks. Meanwhile three of the four South African teams will be watching on TV. Looks like we’ve bluffed you with a pair of deuces.
'I'm a big fan': Kiss throws weight behind Club World Cup as Europe and Super Rugby agree to new tournament
It’s also at the start of the new world cup cycle when we’re at our weakest.
'I'm a big fan': Kiss throws weight behind Club World Cup as Europe and Super Rugby agree to new tournament
Sevens has moved on a long way since the amateur days. It’s now a totally different type of fitness to test rugby and it’s difficult and counterproductive to move between the two.
What's the point of Sevens? It should be used to develop Test players, and would be better at it than Super Rugby
The reason I said that is how the letter emphasised his part in the Stan and Cadbury deals and de-emphasised his part in the car crashes.
Exclusive: Herbert claims 'steady progress' in rebuilding trust as RA seeks to avert more board bloodshed at AGM
Hi CUW. I think that the English deal stayed the same.
Both the quality and quantity increased at the URC with the introduction of the Saffers.
The Wrap: 'Take them to a dark place' - A quiet round grabs eyeballs for all the wrong reasons
Hi Doc, Netflix reduced the amount of original content produced by 16% in 2023 compared to 2022.
More content costs more and if the quality is lower can bring in less viewers in total. I don’t have the facts in front of me, but wouldn’t be surprised if there were more total views in Australia for S12 than S18.
The Wrap: 'Take them to a dark place' - A quiet round grabs eyeballs for all the wrong reasons
Come off it Brendan, no way does Munster win that comp if Leinster play their strongest available team in the semi. The rest were all playing for second best.
The difference is that the Saders aren’t prioritising another comp, they and everyone else are equally trying their utmost to win Super Rugby. Every year the winner deserves it. It’s not the same in Europe.
'I'm a big fan': Kiss throws weight behind Club World Cup as Europe and Super Rugby agree to new tournament