The Silver Fern

.... Along the lines of O'Connor to Crusaders .... wasn't there another Aussie who played in Christchurch about 10 years ago?

Edit - I recalled, it was Digby Ioane.

@taniwharugby said in Super Rugby 2025:

@nonpartizan a fitness test.

Cones at 20m, 40m and 60m.

You run out to 20, back, out to 40, back out to 60 back...repeat 5 times.

Thank you.

@Bovidae said in Super Rugby 2025:

Who had the fastest bronco time for the Blues and Highlanders? I'm just curious if anyone other than a halfback is ever the quickest now. I know BB has the fastest time at 4:12 from May 2020, which Roigard equalled last year. It's probably a little easier in cooler conditions than in Dec/Jan.

Blues - ?
Chiefs - Charlie Sinton 4:20
Hurricanes - Jai Tamati 4:23
Crusaders - Kyle Preston 4:13
Highlanders - ?

Sorry for the question - but what's a Bronco?
I saw it on Chiefs social media yesterday but I'm not exactly sure what it is. Some sort of running test but not sure of specifics. Thanks!

@Duluth said in Classic Rugby Videos:

ABs v Ireland 1992

Two tries from Frank Bunce in his first season as an AB. 👌

I miss the old school cotton jerseys and the way refs would wear the kit of their country instead of neutral jerseys like today.

@taniwharugby said in Fantasy Super Rugby:

@nonpartizan players, which is also giving people hope we will see better stats and injury updates.

Thank you.

Just for clarification purposes is it a picking competition in terms of picking the results or fantasy teams where you pick players?

I assume the latter and sorry for the dense question just wanted to clarify.

I would definitely join. Thank you.

@kiwiinmelb said in Boxing Thread:

@MN5 said in Boxing Thread:

@African-Monkey said in Boxing Thread:

@MN5 said in Boxing Thread:

@African-Monkey said in Boxing Thread:

Goodbye and good riddance. If only he was genuine about it.

Why the hate ? Boxers have to sell fights with personality they can’t just be bland tennis players. Any reason for this attitude ?

I was a fan but he annoys me now. Constantly pretending that he's retired fir attention, plays the mental health card all the time yet that doesn't stop him from making the same boring lame insults all the time, he's a drug cheat (served a not so silent ban between 2016-2018), wasted time by holding the division up by taking rubbish fights against the likes of Chisora, Ngannou (which he arguably lost to), Schwarz etc. After beating Wilder in 2020, all he and his team did was hold the division up. We didn't need to see a 3rd encounter between them which took forever to make, and he is part of the reason as to why the division was held hostage for so long (AJ too). The only reason why he got in with Usyk was because there was nowhere to go and even that got dragged out to 2024.

How AJ v Wilder and Fury v AJ was never made in their primes is criminal and all should be held accountable. The division could have been good but they all refused to fight each other in their primes, and yeah, as I said, I liked Fury but am sick of him now.

Bring on the next crop of heavys.

Some fair points addressed there.

I like him so I guess I can forgive some of the silliness.

As I said in my post I’m taking this latest ‘retirement’ with a massive pinch of salt

He has retired in the past when it seems he wants to be left alone for a while , perhaps he doesn’t want be in negotiations with aj just yet and will do it later on his terms , that has been the fury way .

Or the difference this time might just be , losing to usyk twice has taken something out of him psychologically and he can’t be fucked anymore.

From a British point of view it's definitely a shame that Usyk killed the prospect of a Fury-Joshua fight and in essence ended both of their careers. That fight would have been up there with the Benn-Eubank fights in terms of being the biggest in British history.

Not that I have anything against Usyk he's a great technician won all 4 fights fair and square, it's just that the lustre of a Fury-Joshua fight lost it's appeal once he beat Joshua the first time around.

I guess the counter argument is that they could have already fought but iirc COVID scuppered the fight - it was in the process of being made in the spring of 2020.

Tyson Fury retired.

I know he is not universally liked but I will always remember him for those three epic fights v Wilder.

Probably became overrated as a consequence but at his best he was an entertainer who brought a lot of fun into boxing. Definitely more good than bad for the sport.

We are fucked..... 3 points out of 15 in last 5 matches..... Three of those 5 matches we had a 1-0 lead, two of them at home.

Badly in need of 3 points today v Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge and they have been a bogey team for us..... We barely scrapped a win at their place earlier in the season.

Yeah, Everton were decent back in the 00s - they had a young Rooney for a couple of years, Thomas Gravesen & Lee Carsley

Why was Moyes hounded out of West Ham? I never understood why they hated him so much..... Just because of his style of play?

@Jet said in All Blacks 2025:

@nonpartizan said in All Blacks 2025:

Why did Piutau end up leaving NZ? I seem to recall he was an absolute stud.

Was it just a case of the ABs being stacked with back 3 talent or did he fall out with the coaching staff?

Was basically the highest paid player in the world for a good 5 year period. Ulster, Bristol and Wasps paid him top dollar.

And he also left prematurely, which wasnt the norm.

He had loads of good rugby left in him.

Thats why I was comparing Toeava to him.

Charles eked out a great career, albeit not on these shores.

Toeava was a gun but his body failed him. Could have been an all time great.

Could do it all (and maybe that was part of the problem).

His ommision from the 2015 RWC was contentious wasnt it? Because I think he did not leave for the NH until after the tournament.

Obviously Ben Smith & Savea were nailed down starters but I think Naholo was coming off an injury and NMS was like an up and comer but a bit of an unknown quantity.

I could be wrong on the above but I just remember thinking it was crazy that such a talent could not get into the squad.

Why did Piutau end up leaving NZ? I seem to recall he was an absolute stud.

Was it just a case of the ABs being stacked with back 3 talent or did he fall out with the coaching staff?

@Machpants said in NZ Sevens 2024-25:

I'll put this here, the bit about WR staff flying around the world 1st class sticks in the throat!

EDIT" Didn't realise Premium, I'd seen the same article (bascially) on the Torygraph

Since World Rugby assumed ownership to operate a centralised World Series model in 2023, insiders estimate the sevens circuit has lost between £15-£25 million ($33-55m).

Those attending events cite excessive World Rugby staff, all of whom travel first class and stay in five-star accommodation, as a major contributing factor in those deficits, whereas locals used to largely run the events.

Rugby Sevens, Rugby, Sport

Sevens facing fraught future as World Series suffers multi-million dollar losses

Something must change to stop the Sevens World Series suffering massive financial losses.

That is depressing news.

I just don't know how 30 years after going pro rugby has not figured out sustainable financial practices. It seems like every second rugby entity haemorrhages money.

The Welsh regions, English clubs, now 7s.......

Chelsea rolled Morecambe as should be expected.

Felix gets a brace but he is to me the quintessential flat track bully/luxury player.

He is a skillful player but will only really get you goals against an already defeated and overmatched team..... In the trenches against a tough team he will go missing

Mariner, what do the Spurs have in the way of tradeable players and future draft picks in order to build around Wemby?

I know back when Buford was GM the Spurs front office was brilliant about putting talent around Duncan. They always drafted well and developed talent then picked up ring chasing vets here and there like Robert Horry, Finley.

@mikedogz said in Super Rugby 2025:

His first year back in rugby in NZ

VCS Websites (NZ) - Lower Hutt and Wellington www.vcsnet.co.nz

Frano Michael Botica | New Zealand Rugby History

TX.

@Bovidae said in Super Rugby 2025:

An article in the Sunday Star-Times about the 68 SR one-game wonders to date. Many of the recent players are only at the start of their careers so won't stay on this list. Well done if you can remember all, or most of them!

Here is the summary graphic.

Can you provide any insight into the Frano Botica SR cap?

I know he left for league in the early 90s so was it a case of him returning to rugby but not being of the standard to play in super rugby?