Crusaders 2019
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Scratch loosehead prop Tim Perry's name from the lengthy list of injured All Blacks. The 30-year-old, who has six All Blacks caps to his name, on Tuesday played a full part in Crusaders training for the first time since breaking his left-arm against the Blues in February. Perry was cleared for full-contact training after an MRI scan on Monday, and will play club rugby for Christchurch, against Shirley at Burwood Park, on Saturday afternoon. All going well, the Crusaders will then decide between playing him against the Rebels in their final regular season game Saturday week, or asking him to again front for his club.While injured All Blacks tighthead Owen Franks wasn't a full-participant, he did play a limited part in the Crusaders' training session at Rugby Park. Ryan confirmed Franks would not play against the Chiefs in Suva on Saturday night, a game the reigning champions had targeted for his return from a small muscle tear in his right-shoulder. "If he gets through another good week next week, he should be all going well for the Rebels, but he's got to get through a training week," Ryan said.Frontline hooker Codie Taylor, who busted a finger against the Stormers last weekend, is due back in time for the playoffs.Ryan confirmed All Blacks captain Kieran Read is over his shoulder injury and is available this weekend, as is hooker Ben Funnell, who has been sidelined with a calf injury.Like Perry, lock Quinten Strange will play club rugby this weekend, as he returns from a cracked rib, an injury he sustained shortly after recovering from a foot infection. -
BNZ Crusaders lock Scott Barrett has been named the 2019 Player of the Year, at the club's annual awards dinner held at Christchurch Casino’s Sixty6 on Peterborough on Tuesday night. Crusaders Dinner19 1007 copy 2Awards were presented to the BNZ Crusaders’ Rookie of the Year, Player of the Year and Champion Crusader of the Year, with the rookie and player of the year awards decided by the coaching group, and champion Crusader a peer-voted award for the player's contribution to the team environment. BNZ Crusaders CEO Colin Mansbridge said: "It was fantastic to bring our wider organisation, the team, partners and sponsors together on Tuesday, for what was both an acknowledgment of individual success and a celebration of the efforts of our entire organisation so far in 2019. "As the team prepares to play their final regular season match at home this weekend, it was nice to take pause and reflect on their season so far, thank those who will be leaving the club at the end of the season, and wish the team all the very best for the coming weeks." Sevu Reece was named Rookie of the Year following an outstanding debut season for the club, including 10 tries in 10 matches. First five-eighth Richie Mo'unga secured both the Champion Crusader Award and People's Choice - a new award this year as voted by fans. As well as the three main awards of the evening, the seven BNZ Crusaders' debutants this season were also acknowledged. BNZ Crusaders 2019 Super Rugby debutants: Crusader #231 - Will Jordan Crusader #232 - Sevu Reece Crusader #233 - George Bower Crusader #234 - Isi Tu'ungafasi Crusader #235 - Leicester Faingaanuku Crusader #236 - Ngane Punivai Crusader #237 - Brodie McAlister BNZ Crusaders 2019 award winners: Rookie of the Year: Sevu Reece Presented by BNZ Crusaders Captain Sam Whitelock Player of the Year: Scott Barrett Presented by BNZ Crusaders CEO Colin Mansbridge Champion Crusader of the Year: Richie Mo'unga Presented by 2018 Champion Crusader award winner Codie Taylor -
@Stargazer wait...what? How do you have an awards ceremony halfway through the comp?
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@Bones said in Crusaders 2019:
@Stargazer wait...what? How do you have an awards ceremony halfway through the comp?
haha that's retarded.
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@Machpants said in Crusaders 2019:
Um what's Champion Crusader when it is at home? Obvs not Player of the Year?
Google says its the players vote. Includes off field stuff.
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@Machpants said in Crusaders 2019:
Um what's Champion Crusader when it is at home? Obvs not Player of the Year?
From the media release quoted in my previous post:
... champion Crusader a peer-voted award for the player's contribution to the team environment. -
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@Stargazer Great stuff - especially Will Jordan!
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@Chris-B I like Jordan, but Makalio is probably a more important signing. The Crusaders have plenty of good outside backs, but Makalio is the only good sub for Taylor. Funnell is always injured and doesn't seem to be of SR level anymore, while McAlister is too green.
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@Chris-B said in Crusaders 2019:
@Stargazer Great stuff - especially Will Jordan!
Isn't there some noise about Jordan being eligible for the Scots?
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@antipodean And the Warratahs
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Yup. https://www.fantasticfiction.com/j/will-jordan/ :smiling_face_with_open_mouth_closed_eyes:
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@Stargazer Yeah Agree with that I was very Keen for Makalio to resign.He has been getting better and better for the Crusaders over the last 2 years, he's been outstanding this season.Adds impact of the bench and when he has started been very very good.Was worried the Blues may grab him but we retained him important re-signing .
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Ronan O’Gara to depart BNZ Crusaders for La Rochelle
Published: 12 June 2019BNZ Crusaders Backs Coach Ronan O’Gara has confirmed the 2019 season will be his last with the Christchurch-based club, having accepted a coaching role with French club, La Rochelle. O’Gara said: “My family and I have thoroughly enjoyed our time in Christchurch and were welcomed in to the Crusaders family with open arms when we arrived in early 2018. This is one of the best rugby clubs in the world, and it certainly wasn’t an easy decision to move on from this team and their high-performance environment. “I’m grateful to the Crusaders for the faith they’ve shown in me as a coach, and I’m incredibly fortunate to have worked alongside a world-class playing and management group for the last two seasons. While I see this move to La Rochelle as the next step in my coaching career and an exciting opportunity for my young family, I’d like to think, long-term, this is not necessarily the end of my time with the Crusaders. “My focus now is helping to deliver a successful 2019 campaign with the side before my family and I return to France at the end of the season,” O’Gara said. (...) -
