NPC - news, injuries etc
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Otago have a new head coach: Ben Herring
From Otago's FB page:
The ORFU are stoked to announce the appointment of Ben Herring as our new Otago Mitre 10 Cup Coach! Some quick facts about Ben... ✔️ He was the Otago Mitre 10 Cup assistant coach in 2016 ✔️ Ben played club rugby in Dunedin while at University for Alhambra Union, being voted Otago "club player of the year" in his first two consecutive seasons ✔️ While still young, Ben has an EXTENSIVE coaching career and brings a huge amount of knowledge and experience, from coaching roles with teams such as: Leicester Tigers, Nottingham Rugby, the NEC Green Rockets, the Canadian 15's and 7's and most recently The Highlanders, The Sunwolves and the Japanese International team "The Brave Blossoms". Ben will start with the team in January 2018! -
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I'd have been stoked if Canterbury made Jon Preston head coach when Glen leaky defence Delany announced he was leaving. Instead they picked Maddock who seemed like an appointment based on walking through the corridor of the CRFU as Delany handed in his notice.
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@wurzel Does it really matter who Canterbury appoint when they win it every year anyway?
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@african-monkey excellent point. We are fucking good aren't we?
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@tim superb signing for the Turbos,good to see the Manawatu organisation is on the ball even over the holiday period which is more than I can say for the lot that I follow .
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The ODT is reporting Fletcher Smith is signing with Waikato. Otago is well and truly being picked apart.
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@southernmann Josh Ioane looks a better prospect to me anyway so I wouldn't be too upset losing Smith if I were an Otago fan.
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@southernmann
Fletcher Smith had also looked at Northland as an option,but that fell by the wayside,so it sounds to me he had been looking around because he felt he might end up sitting in behind Josh Ioane,it’s a bugger for you guys ,because Otago looks a team on the rise..!. -
Confirmed: Waikato have signed Fletcher Smith (Otago) and Jack Stratton (Canterbury). Kylem O'Donnell (Taranaki) and Toby Smith also return to the Mooloos.
http://www.mitre10cup.co.nz/News/31927/waikato-make-four-key-signings
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Assuming I am reading it correctly, this will upset some people I expect.
The New Zealand national squad officiate at the Mitre 10 Cup, Heartland Championship and Farah Palmer Cup.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11974125
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@taniwharugby I don't remember watching a game officiated by Ganley, but Mahoney is a very good ref (she was in charge of the women's final at the National Sevens yesterday). I'm not surprised at all about her appointment. If she continues to develop well as a ref, I can see her becoming New Zealand's first female pro-ref and maybe officiate Super Rugby games in a few years (like Aussie Amy Perrett).
Stuff
