European Club Rugby
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@catogrande said in NH club rugby:
@higgins said in NH club rugby:
The only way they will be able to do that is to play friendlies (against opposition that will bring in a big gate take) during the break periods! Not sure how the TV rights holders will go given that they will have no championship matches to screen during these break weeks.
The cynic says that they will find a way to fill in these barren weeks if that is the way things go. Another proposition was not for the clubs to have break weeks just the players, albeit spread out across a longer season.
I don't think either option has real merit.
The barren weeks will get filled by the expanded/renamed version of what’s currently called the Anglo-Welsh Cup. They are looking to bring in two SA teams into this as a ramped up development comp for academy players nd some of the lesser lights from Senior Squad.
The revamped global schedule will see November test window start in first three weeks. There are plans/discussions to change the European Cup pool stages to run in one bloc during Dec and January and possibly the quarter final too, if they can shift/compress the Six Nations.
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I doubt that would satisfy those that pay big money for their names to be associated with rugby be it by way of sponsorship or purchase of advertising spots in telecasts. Unless things are different up north when compared to NZ I doubt the viewing audience for what would essentially be matches between 2nd XVs would be much more than immediate family and club members of the participating teams.
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@pot-hale Thanks for the info. I'd really only listened to Tony Rowe talking about it and then a few of the more lurid headlines. Seems like they're trying to squeeze in more rugby which is pretty much what I feared.
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Off to see Toulon vs Racing at the famous Stade Félix Mayol. Nonu & Fekitoa in the centres for Toulon. Hopefully should be good, 18000 seats and the famous Toulon chant Pilou Pilou. It’s a wee trip with my Swiss rugby team.
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Clermont has reached an agreement with Toulon about the release of Luke McAlister, who has now joined Clermont as injury cover for Camille Lopez until the latter has recovered. McAlister started training with Clermont on Thursday.
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@stargazer said in NH club rugby:
Clermont has reached an agreement with Toulon about the release of Luke McAlister, who has now joined Clermont as injury cover for Camille Lopez until the latter has recovered. McAlister started training with Clermont on Thursday.
Lukey Luke was with Toulon last weekend anyways. The Toulon team do this thing where they arrive at the stadium, drop of their gear, then get back in the bus and "arrive" again outside the ground, where they do a walk past the fans. The most engaging was Fernandez Lobbe, the NZ players were mostly in "I'm so cool" mode. The Toulon ground is pretty cool, but their fans I could take or leave: they were mostly of the whistling variety whenever a decision went against the home side. Clermont fans I much prefer - you can always be guaranteed that someone will offer you a glass of win, baguette and cheese etc, as they mingle around the ground before the game.
As much as I love NZ rugby, the atmosphere at games in NZ is generally pretty poor compared to Europe.
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@billy-tell When I lived in France, I adopted Clermont as my French team after going to one of their games. That wasn't in Clermont-Ferrand, so I haven't experienced the atmosphere at their stadium. It's one of the (few) European teams I sometimes get up for to watch a game via a dodgy stream and it looks (and sounds) awesome at their home games. Would love to go there one day!
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@stargazer said in NH club rugby:
Kieron Fonotia will move from Ospreys to Scarlets next season.
...shuffling deckchairs...
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@billy-tell Apparently a straight swap for Scott Williams.
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Leinster have named a strongish looking side for their PRO14 away game with Benetton at the weekend. Getting his first start is former Chiefs winger, James Lowe. He’ll partner with Leinster’s latest wunderkind, academy player Jordan Larmour at full-back, who’s been impressing of late.
Another player plucked from the sub-academy is the TH replacement with the wonderful Irish name, Vakhtang Abdaladze, who played for the U20’s last year. Moved to Dublin when he was 10, his father, Nika, is a former Georgian test prop who got a couple of caps.
1 Jack McGrath, 2 James Tracy, 3 Andrew Porter, 4 Ian Nagle, 5 Scott Fardy, 6 Jordi Murphy, 7 Josh van der Flier, 8 Jack Conan 9 Luke McGrath (capt); 10 Ross Byrne, 11 James Lowe; 12 Noel Reid, 13 Garry Ringrose, 14 Dave Kearney, 15 Jordan Larmour;
Replacements: 16 Sean Cronin, 17 Ed Byrne, 18 Vakh Abdaladze, 19 Mick Kearney, 20 Max Deegan, 21 Nick McCarthy, 22 Fergus McFadden, 23 Rory O'Loughlin. -
Lowe did well for his first start. Hungry for the ball and chances to score. In truth, they were both from 10-15m out facing shit defence but you take your chances when you can and he did. He linked very well with young skipper for the match, No 9 Luke McGrath who was my man of the match in creating and scoring chances.
I presume Cullen will select Lowe for the Xmas back-to-backs against Exeter in the European Cup over next two weeks. Should be a good step-up in quality and speed that he’ll be used to.
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@pot-hale
So when is he qualified to pull on an Irish jersey?
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Quite surprised that Lowe has managed to keep his playing options open. Don't know if he was ever approached for Sevens but surely would have made a good player in that version of the code.
To answer the question above.....
"New Zealander James Lowe, who arrives at Leinster this summer from the Chiefs, would be eligible to play for Ireland by autumn 2020, getting in before the December 31st 2020 cut-off."
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@dmx said in NH club rugby:
@pot-hale
So when is he qualified to pull on an Irish jersey?
His Leinster contract runs to June 2020. He’s not a nominated project player. Normal rule under Player Succession policy for Leinster, Munster and Ulster is that NIE players contracts are not renewed. Nucifora enforcing this more and more. Lowe arrived in second week of November so he wouldn’t be qualified until mid-Nov 2020. If his contract was renewed which is unlikely given the number of domestic wingers developing, then the first opportunity for playing internationals would be Six Nations in 2021 at age 29. At that point, the future Ireland coach will want to be nailing down positions/players for RWC 2023 when Lowe would have turned 31. Lowe also has medical history with his knees. Sweetnam, Conway, Stockdale, Byrne, Larmour and possibly Wootton, will be ahead of him.
I don’t see it happening.
