Munster to be without Irish stars for All Blacks
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The All Blacks will take on a Munster side without their Irish international stars after the Irish Rugby Union announced that Munster will not field their Irish stars due to the competing matches involving the Ireland team.
Ireland are due to play Argentina several days after the Munster clash and with a host of players likely to come from Munster it would put undue pressure on the Ireland team in the lead-up to a key clash.
The All Blacks will be slightly pleased with the decision as Munster remain the only Irish team to ever beat the All Blacks and while the All Blacks would go in overwhelming favourites Munster are not the Heineken Champions for nothing.
Munster are more than capable of pulling a rabbit out of the hat, but that job is made much with the non-inclusion of their Irish stars. The All Blacks will take on a Munster side with former All Black Doug Howlett who has been in sensational form. No doubt Howlett will be keen to remind the All Blacks just how good he is in the heat of battle.
Air New Zealand Cup struggles
The Air New Zealand Cup continues to struggle in New Zealand as the NZRU has confirmed they will stick with a 14-team competiton in 2009 providing a reprieve for Tasman and Northland.
The NZRU have indicated that all union will be subject to tough annual financial checks and that any union that fails to meet the criteria imposed will be axed. The NZRU appear to be drawing a tough line on teams now as they are adament they will not prop up teams anymore with financial handouts.
The new focus from the NZRU regarding the Air New Zealand Cup comes as an alarming drop-off in viewing numbers of the Air New Zealand Cup. Viewing figures are down 50% from 2006 levels and down 25% from 2007 which was a soft year with the Rugby World Cup on at the same time.
The continuing fall in viewers adds additional pressure to the NZRU and puts the future of the Air New Zealand Cup in doubt as they struggle to attract lucrative sponsorship deals to keep the competition afloat.
Les Bleus to bring stars to NZ in 2009
It was reported yesterday in the NZ Herard that France will bring their star players to New Zealand in 2009 for their two-test tour on 13 & 20 June 2009.
France went on to guarantee their domestic competition, the Top 14, will conclude earlier in 2010 after the final was scheduled for 6 June 2009. This late date for the final heavily compromised the start to the international calender for Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Marc Lievermont the French coach had previously indicated that players in the final would not be selected.
But the New Zealand Rugby Union have confirmed they have received written confirmation from the French Rugby Union that the best side available will travel, this includes players from the final.
This is excellent news as the All Blacks will be able to hopefully attract more fans to the game and higher revenue as a result.
Wallabies get jump on All Blacks
The Wallabies entered training camp today as the first of four camps where Robbie Deans will assemble his team in the lead-up to the All Blacks clash and subsequent Spring tour in November and December.
Deans ran his 34 man squad through their paces as they prepare for an end of season defining tour that will shape the likely future of Australian Rugby under Dean’s leadership.
The All Blacks on tbe other hand while still playing out the final weeks of the Air New Zealand Cup will not go into camp until one week before the Bledisloe Cup clash in Hong Kong.
The Air New Zealand Cup final will not be played until 25 October and the All Blacks team will be named the next day before they depart for Hong Kong on Monday. The All Blacks will only have that week to prepare before they commence their tour with the Bledisloe Cup match against the Wallabies.
The Wallabies however will go into the tour perhaps better prepared than anytime in recent memory with all key players except Lote Tuqiri on deck and keen to show what they all offer the Wallabies for the future.
The tour will showcase the full squad and will likely allow future stars like Ben Alexander, David Pocock, Quade Cooper and James O’Connor to establish their claims for long term considerations for the Wallabies.
Western Force player revolt rumours continue
Rumours just won’t seem to leave the Western Force’s coach John Mitchell as rumours of a player revolt out West. Mitchell who was lauded when he took over three years ago at the Force is seemingly on borrowed time as star players like Matt GIteau consider the exit.
Western Force management have denied rumours of a player revolt but the rumours fail to go away which will continue to build pressure on Mitchell.
It is likely that the likelyhood of Mitchell surviving could hang on Matt Giteau and his decision to stay with the Force or consider returning to the Brumbies as may in the Australian Rugby scene are insisting.
Sale Sharks unbeaten run continues
The Sale Sharks continued their unbeaten start to the season as they downed star side Gloucester 23-9.
Sale sit atop the Guinness Premiership after four rounds much to the surprise of critics at the start of the season. Luke McAlister has been in sensational form for the Sharks and is the chief reason for their dominant performances this season.
In other weekend action Jonny Wilkinson became the all-time leading pointscorer in the Guinness Premiership after the Newcastle Falcons bounced back with a 17-3 victory over Bristol.
Wilkinson now sits atop the pointscoring record book with 1482 points, two points ahead of Andy Goode.
In other Guinness Premiership weekend results;
Bath 27 Worcester 19
Harlequins 27 London Irish 28
Saracens 26 Northampton 12
Leicester 19 Wasps 28
Emirates announced as Rugby World Cup 2011 Major Sponsor
Emirates Airlines have been announced as major sponsor of the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
Emirates were a major sponsor of the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France and have continued their connection with international rugby. Emirates are a major sponsor of the Western Force in the Super 14 and are a major sponsor of global sporting events around the world.
Boks press for ELV changes
The global battle that is the ELVs in Rugby continues as South Africa has fallen into line with the northern hemisphere insisting upon changing the ELVs to that of the global ELVs for next years Super 14.
Both Australia and New Zealand are happy to continue with the rules as per the Super 14 this year but the Boks are concerned as they will play the British Lions next year and the Spring tour with the global ELV laws.
The main difference between the two sets is that the ELVs used in the 2008 Super 14 award was that free kicks are awarded for offences that are generally penalties under the global ELVs. This is particularly visable around the ruck and breakdown where the free kicks have kept a fast paced Tri-Nations tourament and Super 14.
The debate will go on but the ELVs have a long way to go until the IRB make a final decision in August 2009 on whether to continue or not with the ELVs.
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IRB Awards - Top 5 Rugby Stars of 2008
The International Rugby Board (IRB) player of the year award will be awarded on 23 November where five players will all compete for the biggest honour in the game.
Four players from the northern and one from the southern hemisphere were shortlisted by the panel after watching almost 50 hours of rugby and 35 tests.
The shortlisted players were Dan Carter (New Zealand), Shane Williams and Ryan Jones (Wales), Mike Blair (Scotland) and Sergio Parisse (Italy).
THe players stood out after the panel went through each match and selected the three best players from each match. The panel consists of Tana Umaga, Raphael Ibanez, Will Greenwood, Francois Pienaar, Agustin Pichot, Gavin Hastings, Scott Quinnell, Paul Wallace and is chaired by John Eales.
If Dan Carter was to win he would be the first player to win two IRB player of the year awards.
Who do you think was the best player of the year?