Super Rugby News
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@Stargazer said in Super Rugby News: Injuries:
The Melbourne Rebels have signed Ben Volavola.
http://melbournerebels.com/2017/01/06/rebels-add-fijian-international-ben-volavola-to-squad/
Didn't know the Crusaders had signed him for 2 seasons, but good that they didn't keep him. He just isn't good enough.
Sydney-born Volavola, who also played for the Ranfurly Shield and Mitre 10 Cup winning Canterbury squad in 2016, had signed a two-year contract with the Crusaders but was released late last year. -
@Stargazer said in Super Rugby News: Injuries:
Is it a new development in Super Rugby that un-contracted players join SR squads for preseason as either injury cover or "supplementary" players? Or did it always happen and the public were just not told about it?
After the news that Magpies Jonah Lowe and Tiaan Falcon would join the Canes for preseason, and then 7 players were invited to join the Blues, now Southland first-five Wharenui Hawera has been invited to join the Brumbies for preseason:
https://www.brumbies.com.au/2016/12/hawera-looking-take-opportunity-brumbies/
Wharenui Hawera has now been signed by the Brumbies for the 2017 season.
https://www.brumbies.com.au/2017/01/brumbies-complete-hawera-signing/
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@Stargazer So none of the Brumbies first 5/8 options were born in Australia?
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@antipodean Of the 5 players that can play 1st 5/8 for the ponies, Hawera and Lealiifano were born in NZ, and Kyle Godwin in Zimbabwe, but rookies Nic Jooste and Jordan Jackson-Hope were born in Perth and Canberra, respectively.
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@Stargazer said in Super Rugby News: Injuries:
Jordan Jackson-Hope
I should have recalled him; a mate is an Eddie's Old Boy and Vikings member. I'm sure he would have bored me shitless about it at some point.
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@Stargazer said in Super Rugby News: Injuries:
@Stargazer said in Super Rugby News: Injuries:
Is it a new development in Super Rugby that un-contracted players join SR squads for preseason as either injury cover or "supplementary" players? Or did it always happen and the public were just not told about it?
After the news that Magpies Jonah Lowe and Tiaan Falcon would join the Canes for preseason, and then 7 players were invited to join the Blues, now Southland first-five Wharenui Hawera has been invited to join the Brumbies for preseason:
https://www.brumbies.com.au/2016/12/hawera-looking-take-opportunity-brumbies/
Wharenui Hawera has now been signed by the Brumbies for the 2017 season.
https://www.brumbies.com.au/2017/01/brumbies-complete-hawera-signing/
That's their fourth former Waikato player. What the hell?
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First-five Richie Mo'unga has re-signed with the Crusaders through to the end of the 2019 Super Rugby season.
http://crusaders.co.nz/news/1038-mo-unga-re-signs-with-bnz-crusaders
It will be interesting to see how he develops & whether he'll get a chance at higher honours. I wouldn't be surprised if he'll be wearing black in a few years.
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Tana Umaga backs new tackle laws
Blues coach and former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga has given a cautious endorsement of rugby's controversial new tackling laws.
Famed for his hard-man approach and his timeless quote about "it's not tiddlywinks" after a run-in with a referee over a high tackle, Umaga admitted the law changes had already forced a revamped approach to this year's Super Rugby competition.
He revealed his Blues squad had analysed several video incidents from last weekend's round of Northern Hemisphere professional matches which were the first played under the new laws introduced on January 3.
Umaga is taking a philosophical approach to the changes, agreeing they are necessary and that rugby may even be a better game once "we get through the bedding down process".
"Our worry is more about interpretation really," he told Newstalk ZB host Tony Veitch in a radio interview to be aired today.
"We understand why the changes have come into play, with the studies on concussions and the head injuries the game has had.
We're going through that ourselves at the moment with one of our players who is still suffering symptoms from concussion from the Mitre 10 Cup.
"So we totally understand and agree with the line that is being taken. But as always, it's about what is going to happen from here.
"We've shown clips to our players on what is acceptable and what is going on in the north at the moment with yellow cards, penalty tries going on, and we're already starting to incorporate changes.
"Some players probably thought they were OK in the past in how they tackled but now they're not.
"Some of our players just have to understand they've got to change their tackling technique. They have to get lower so they don't get up around that area where we don't know what is going to happen.
"If that's the way it's going to be ruled, we are just going to have to adjust. We have to devise ways to cope."
Umaga predicted a "feeling out period" early in Super Rugby and said New Zealand franchises had an advantage in watching what was unfolding in the northern competitions.
"It's like every rule change. There's always conjecture and it requires a bedding down period. Hopefully it doesn't take too long.
"Players will have to go lower. We've already started that with our players of trying to get them into a mindset of going lower.
"For some, it's a little bit foreign. That's my concern. We are trying to change guys who have been tackling front-on for quite a while.
"But we all need to adapt and adjust to what has been given to us."
Umaga said rugby may even blossom as a spectacle under the changes.
"It may open up more opportunities for more flowing rugby. If everybody is going low, offloads could be more prevalent," he said.
"So it could add to the attacking game, which isn't a bad thing."
Umaga also felt the All Blacks did not need to fear the changes might impact their global supremacy.
"I still think we are very good low tacklers and very strong in that area. So if we make good, low, dominant tackles, we're still going to be very strong in the contact area," he predicted.
"From an attacking point of view, it does give us another opportunity to keep the ball alive more, which is what we want to do. That could be something that comes with it."
Umaga, now into his second year with the Blues, is excited about Super Rugby.
"I was finding my feet in my first season and we hadn't worked together as a management team before.
"But now we've had that 12 months, and we've brought some new players in who I have worked with previously and who I believe will make us better.
"I'm pretty excited about what is ahead."
Umaga confirmed Sonny Bill Williams is on track to return from an Achilles tendon operation in March or April.
"He's looking amazing at the moment and is on track with his rehab. He's very passionate about getting back and on to the field for us."
I wonder if Parsons is the player still affected by concussion?
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=11782066
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The Blues home game venues haven't been announced in the media
I just received my Eden Park season tickets and these are the Eden Park matches
Date Match Venue Sat 11 Mar Blues v Highlanders Eden Park Sat 25 Mar Blues v Bulls ??? Sat 1 Apr Blues v Force Eden Park Sat 15 Apr Blues v Hurricanes Eden Park Fri 12 May Blues v Cheetahs Eden Park Fri 26 May Blues v Chiefs Eden Park Fri 2 Jun Blues v Reds ??? So two games for Albany?
Hopefully its only one and there is a match at Okara Park
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@Duluth Send the Bulls to Whangarei. Playing South African sides at Albany may as well be an away game for us.
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@African-Monkey said in Super Rugby News:
@Duluth Send the Bulls to Whangarei. Playing South African sides at Albany may as well be an away game for us.
Last time we played a saffer side up there we made the trip (which was great fun) and had a Saffer sitting in front of us telling us to be quiet as we were too noisy for his wife! FFS! At the bloody rugby and you can't support your team too noisily.
Still, pretty sure we won, so it was a sweet finish
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http://www.superxv.com/fixtures/
Full fixture list here from september last year (!)
Edit: with ALL blues games 'TBC' by the look... cheers Duluth.
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@Stargazer said in Super Rugby News:
Argghhh, please tell me Super Bang Bang is not going to be Super Boom Boom in 2017!! Cringe.
Steve Tew ask for a re-wording of the theme song after the Chiefs took things literally last year
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Can't wait to hear how much the marketing company charged them to come up with that evolutionary slogan.
Man, I get the bug again as soon as the rugby starts but the competition structure and bland marketing crud kill my anticipation something chronic.
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And don't forget the new tackle laws. I have a horrible feeling I am going to get sick of games ruined by yellow and red cards.
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In all honesty i have zero excitement/anticipation with regards to the forthcoming rugby season.
