Aussie Pro Rugby
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@booboo said in Aussie Rugby in general:
@Crucial said in Aussie Rugby in general:
Back on topic
Rob Clarke resigns from ARU
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11850250
What's weird about that story is the picture of the Harley ...
That was weird.
Anyway, here's the longer report.....
The ARU's chief operating officer has resigned in a blow that threatens to further delay the removal of an Australian Super Rugby side.
Rob Clarke announced his sudden resignation to staff on Thursday.
The former Melbourne Rebels chief executive has been a central figure in the process of either the Rebels or Western Force being cut from Super Rugby as part of Sanzaar's restructuring of the competition in 2018.
He had been working closely with ARU boss Bill Pulver in the delicate operation, as well as liaising with the Rebels and Force since the two franchises were confirmed last month as being in the firing line.
It was hoped that the naming of the two South African franchises and one Australian club to go would take place at a Sanzaar meeting in Tokyo next Wednesday.
But the saga shows no sign of ending.
Both the Force and Rebels maintain the ARU has no right to remove their teams in Sanzaar's downsizing to a 15-team tournament, with WA Rugby having commenced legal action and the Melbourne club seeking compensation.
Clarke, who endured criticism from the West Australian franchise in recent weeks around his former links to the Rebels and Brumbies, had been considered a future CEO of the embattled national body.
The former advertising executive returned to the ARU in 2014 as general manager of professional rugby, operations and marketing.
His elevation to chief operating officer in 2015 was his second stint in the role, after serving in the same position in 2006-07.
"Rob Clarke is one of the outstanding sports administrators in the country and has given wonderful service to the game through the ARU, the Brumbies and Melbourne Rebels over the course of a decade," Pulver said.
"His resignation was difficult to accept but Rob has decided the time is right to pursue a different course along with his family and he deserves to be incredibly proud of his career in the game.
"When I look at the values of our game it is hard to imagine someone who embodies those values both in a professional and personal sense more than what Rob does. He is a tremendous loss for the organisation.
"I am ever-grateful to Rob for his contribution to the ARU and I wish him the very best for his future."
Clarke, who has declined to comment on his decision until the Super Rugby futures of the Rebels and the Force are known, will end his time with the ARU in June.
- AAP
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Aussie Rugby today: Fucking ow.
Full game of First Grade at prop yesterday against Sydney Irish, after nobody else showed up. Mostly loosehead. One scrum at tighthead because we were getting belted that side, and I wanted to see what was going on. Not much really. They were just a bit tighter than us and clearly train together.
It's pretty fucking sad when a bloke my age, with my level of fitness, who didn't take the game up until later in life, is contesting for best prop on the ground. Even in our division.
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@NTA you should sign him then...
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@mariner4life well played.
Fucker.
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For some time there has been an assumption that the Brumbies are locked on to win the Australian Conference.
That assumption has to be called into question now that the Brumbies, Reds and Waratahs are all flying high with 3 wins. Even the Force are in with a shot as they are only one win behind the leaders.
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@NTA said in Aussie Rugby in general:
@jegga I was talking about any whining.
e.g. going back to the Tialata choking McCaw. There was some great stuff in that, looking from the sidelines.
Yeah mate that was a classic, Tialatas mum would have given him the jandel for that.
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@Crucial dunno, I think of the rabble that is running about Aus at the moment, they will be able to cobble together a pretty good 23, only thing it, they will all be low on confidence, meaning Cheika will have a bigger job trying to get them into being a tight playing unit, let alone if they get a few injuries.
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Still, its not ALL bad - I've played against this bloke a couple of times, and while its usually Third Grade, he's not shy of going hard at it.
BRUCE ‘Crazy’ Leigh has played more games in the brutal sport of rugby than most can believe.
The energetic 65-year-old notched up his 800th game with the Canterbury Berries today. The club believes his big number is unheard of for a single club in any contact sport in Australia or possibly even the world.
As a 21-year-old, Leigh was a winger when he first laced up his boots for the Berries in 1973. He has played in every season since.
“I never started playing rugby to break any records,” Leigh, of Heckenberg, said.
“When I was 21, if someone had told me I was going to play 800 games I’d say ‘yeah, right. I don’t think so’.”
As he got older, he moved to prop, allowing him to play at a slower pace. Although that meant colliding with heavier players more often, Leigh said he never minded that.
“I’ve never worried about tackling bigger blokes,” he said. “My nickname’s ‘Crazy’ because I used to go out onto the field and just tackle the biggest bloke as hard as I possibly could.”
Over his 44 years of playing rugby for Canterbury, Leigh said the game had gotten “much softer” but he still enjoyed it. He said as long as his passion for rugby remained, he would continue to run out onto the field.
“In the dressing sheds just before the game I started getting butterflies in my stomach,” he said. “I always said I’ll keep playing until that goes away.”
Leigh said he never considered moving on from Canterbury as his fellow players and the club quickly became like family.
“Once I put the jersey on, these guys are my brothers,” he said.
Leigh helped his team pick up a 26-0 win over the Sydney Harlequins.
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@Catogrande they've got a great little ground in Suburban Sydney that they've owned for decades (quite jealous)
We play them at our (shitty, Council-run) ground this weekend. Unfortunately we don't have a Third Grade at the moment so we're unlikely to see Crazy run out.
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@Catogrande oh an apparently there is a guy who had 900 games running around a few years ago (playing prop) but that was two different clubs, so it barely counts
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@NTA said in Aussie Rugby in general:
@Catogrande oh an apparently there is a guy who had 900 games running around a few years ago (playing prop) but that was two different clubs, so it barely counts
Pfft!
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Sorry to change the subject ... but ... (I only made it to 45 with some 7 years out from about 28 to 35) had a physio appt today with a bloke I used to prop with here in the Bay (about a complaint that led to aforementioned hiatus ... prolapsed disc) and we chatted about footy funnily enough.
You may have mentioned previously but he mentioned "individual registration" is killing country clubs. May not be doing you guys much good either?
Basically, where previously clubs paid rego and then it was up to them to get the dollars back from the players it's now down to individuals to register. You can pay $35 (or so) per game but not economically viable if you pay more than 3 or 4 games.
Tough on country clubs when you have so many casual players.
Idea is that ARU takes a cut. Is bullshit really. Money should be flowing the other way. To the clubs not from them
