Category: Sports

With the first All Blacks squad of the year named this Sunday to take on France in the Steinlager Series, we take a look at five great All Blacks bolters of the past.

Heading north to play the Blues on Saturday night, the Crusaders were well aware of what lay in store of them.

Facing a last home game against the Reds before three games on the road ahead of the June international window, the Hurricanes want to provide a boost for their fans at Westpac Stadium on Friday.

It will all be on the line in Paris after the Black Ferns Sevens cut Australia’s lead to just four points on the World Series ladder with a stunning 46-0 victory over their arch-rivals in the Canada Sevens final.

All Blacks five-eighths hopeful Damian McKenzie got the big tick from former Springboks coach Nick Mallett after the Chiefs’ Investec Super Rugby win over the Stormers in Cape Town at the weekend.

Leading world rugby referee Nigel Owens has rated former All Blacks captain and flanker Richie McCaw one of the hardest men he came across on a rugby pitch.

New Zealand will play England in their Women’s HSBC quarterfinal at the Langford Sevens in British Colombia on Monday (NZT).

New Zealand’s sides continue to dominate Investec Super Rugby after week 13 games saw some incredible comebacks in a topsy-turvy round.

Sitting fifth on the overall standings, the Highlanders scored a vital 39-27 win over the Lions in their Investec Super Rugby game in Dunedin on Saturday.

It was a season on the line situation for the Chiefs in Cape Town and they responded with a gritty 15-9 victory over the dangerous Stormers.

New Zealand’s representation in England’s Test team may be extended if drums beating for former Hurricanes utility back Jason Woodward are to be believed.

New Zealand Under 20 coach Craig Philpott has named the team set to face Tonga in the opening match of the 2018 Under 20 Oceania Championship on the Gold Coast tomorrow (kick off 7pm NZT).

There are just 500 days to go until Rugby World Cup 2019 kicks off in Japan and preparations for the tournament, which involves 48 matches over six weeks, are on track and progressing at a fast pace.

All or Nothing: New Zealand All Blacks, the latest series under the Amazon Prime Video All or Nothing sports documentary banner, will premiere on Friday, June 1.

In a week in which New Zealand’s dominance of coaching positions in Britain and France has been highlighted, another Kiwi, Wayne Pivac is firming as a favourite to take Warren Gatland’s place as coach of Wales.

Beating France may have been easier in recent years, not least at the 2015 Rugby World Cup when the All Blacks unleashed a 62-13 thrashing in the Cardiff quarterfinal that exorcised a lot of demons from previous World Cups, but collectively French sides have been New Zealand’s banana skin side.

New Zealand coaches have 31 percent of the top coaching jobs in world rugby and in England the Rugby Football Union wants to see more opportunities for home grown coaches.

Argentina rugby legend Juan Martin Hernandez has retired with immediate effect.

Seeking to turn around their ability to determine their own fortune the Highlanders are ready for another tough Investec Super Rugby contest when taking on the Chiefs in Hamilton on Friday.

The All Blacks Sevens team for the Hong Kong Sevens has been named and features seven debutants.

Ahead of France’s first visit to New Zealand since 2013 for the Steinlager Series in June, former All Blacks centre Conrad Smith has sounded a warning for the All Blacks midfield.

Be a part of the All Blacks first series of 2018!

Still without a win in Investec Super Rugby in 2018 the Blues have found themselves in Johannesburg being regarded by their next rivals, the Lions (Sunday-NZT), as the toughest opposition they have met so far.

Travel fatigue, what travel fatigue, the Hurricanes could ask after playing more than six minutes of second half injury time to beat the Crusaders for the fifth consecutive time in Wellington when claiming a 29-19 victory on Saturday.

We are heading for a St Patrick’s Day Ireland-England showdown to decide the Six Nations.

Whatever happened to…James Wilson?

Bulls coach, and former All Blacks coach, John Mitchell is expecting Hurricanes first five-eighths Beauden Barrett will be on the field at some stage in their Investec Super Rugby game at Pretoria on Sunday (NZT).

Centre Jack Goodhue became a key contributor to the Crusaders’ dangerous backline last season and is looking to step things up more in Investec Super Rugby during 2018.

Highlanders wing Tevita Li may be only 22 years of age, he turns 23 next month, but he will be embarking on his fifth Investec Super Rugby campaign this year.

All Blacks Sevens Coach Clark Laidlaw has named the squad to travel to the HSBC USA and Canada Sevens next month.

Change in coaching and playing personnel has been extensive for the Chiefs in 2018 but there is a promising look to the side ahead of the Investec Super Rugby campaign.

With a new coach at the helm and the bulk of last year’s squad retained, the Highlanders will be eager to improve on their seventh place finish in 2017.

Lions captain Warren Whiteley heads into his side’s opening Investec Super Rugby game against the Sharks in Johannesburg on Sunday (NZT) well aware of their need to be better than last year.

It’s a more rounded Matt Duffie who sets out with the Blues in the 2018 Investec Super Rugby campaign.

Nine new Hurricanes have been included in the squad to prepare for their opening two matches of the Investec Super Rugby season.

Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd faced a tough night in Auckland after his side’s 26-14 win over the Blues as he attempted to whittle down his squad to travel to South Africa for their opening round of Investec Super Rugby next week.

New Zealand’s Investec Super Rugby sides completed their preparations for next week’s competition start with wins to the Highlanders, Hurricanes and Chiefs.

Champions just two years ago, the Hurricanes are in the midst of one of their greatest eras and will be hoping to add another title under coach Chris Boyd’s reign.

Amid all the pre-Investec Super Rugby season hype spare a thought for first five-eighths Otere Black.

The match schedule has been announced for the World Rugby U20 Championship, which will take place in France between 30 May and 17 June, 2018.

All Black and Highlanders loose forward Elliot Dixon takes another step back from injury when running onto Fred Booth Park at Waimumu on Thursday to play the Crusaders in the last of the pre-season warm-up games.

After notching just four victories in 2017 to finish in a disappointing 16th place, the Waratahs will need a complete form reversal to be competitive in Super Rugby 2018.

Defending Investec Super Rugby champions, the Crusaders would be looking for positive sign-off to their preparation for 2018 when taking on the Highlanders at Waimumu on Thursday.

Shoulder surgery may have put a temporary halt to Jordie Barrett’s rugby development on the field last year, but off the field it allowed him to work on the all-important weight increase deemed necessary to leave him less vulnerable in contact situations.

All Blacks wing Rieko Ioane may be keen to look to his future at centre in rugby but Blues coach Tana Umaga, who knows well the demands of switching from wing to the midfield, has told him not to be in a hurry.

Defending champion status will not weigh down the Crusaders in Investec Super Rugby in 2018 and it can be anticipated they will thrive on the expectations of their public and the rugby community overall.

Prospectively effective recruitment offers the hope that the Blues can lift themselves back into the highest competitive ranks of Investec Super Rugby in 2018.

Props have tended to be matter of factual in the way they go about their business and All Blacks prop Joe Moody is no different.

A great figure in Australian rugby, a friend of New Zealand rugby and one of the drivers towards the establishment of the Rugby World Cup, Sir Nicholas Shehadie, died in Sydney on Sunday night, aged 92.

That’s the message from the Investec Super Rugby 2018 launch as a new format, new jerseys and plenty of fresh talent are set to come together for a season of fast-paced action.

Always the entertainers, the Stormers will be out for revenge after being knocked out of contention in 2017 by a last gasp Shaun Stevenson try in the a quarterfinal against the Chiefs.

Former Chiefs and Auckland first five-eighths and fullback Gareth Anscombe has won some redemption from doubters in Wales after his effort in the weekend’s 6-12 loss to Wales.

South Africa’s Investec Super Rugby coaches have welcomed format changes which will see them playing stronger teams week in and week out.

Blues coach Tana Umaga was delighted to finally have some reward after years without tangible success when his young side were unbeaten to claim the Brisbane Tens on Saturday.

Facing an uncertain future during 2017 while waiting to see which way Rugby Australia’s axe would fall, the Rebels have used their stay of execution to recruit well and offer hope of a better future during 2018.

Unbeaten throughout the tournament, the Blues claimed the 2018 Brisbane Tens title when George Moala scored the match-winning try over the Hurricanes 10-7 deep into injury time.

Former Blues and Counties Manukau five-eighths Piers Francis has been enjoying getting over injury blues to make a contribution for his Northampton side in British rugby.

After struggling in their first two years of Super Rugby, the Sunwolves will be looking for sharp improvement this year with former Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph at the helm.

New Zealand sides, the defending champion Chiefs, last year’s beaten finalists the Crusaders and the Blues were the only unbeaten sides on the first day of the Brisbane Tens on Friday.

New Zealand Rugby has announced the contracted Black Ferns Sevens squad for 2018, as they strive for Commonwealth Games gold and victory at the Rugby World Cup Sevens later this year.

Backing up their effort in reaching the playoffs under the now discarded Conference system will be the test for the Brumbies in the 2018 Investec Super Rugby competition.

Former Blues and Crusaders utility back and Ireland and British & Irish Lion Jared Payne is moving into coaching.

Hurricanes assistant coach John Plumtree has described how the outstanding New Zealand summer affected the preparation of Investec Super Rugby teams.

Legendary Blues first five-eighths Carlos Spencer is looking forward to the chance to play for his old side during the Brisbane Tens at the weekend, although many of his new teammates are too young to appreciate what he brought to the side in their heyday.

Blues coach Tana Umaga may have injury concerns with his overall Investec Super Rugby squad but has still managed to name an exciting side for the Brisbane Tens at the weekend.

World Cup-winning Springbok coach in 2007 Jake White believes Allister Coetzee got the raw end of the deal when sacked as South Africa coach.

Women’s World Cup winning Head Coach Glenn Moore will continue his role with the Black Ferns in 2018 and 2019, New Zealand Rugby announced today.

Former Hurricanes, Crusaders and Wellington No.8 Thomas Waldrom, who also managed four Tests for England, is returning to New Zealand at the end of the Premiership season.

Too many mistakes, many of them unforced, saw the All Blacks Sevens miss a chance to claim third place in the HSBC World Sevens in Hamilton when an injury time dropped goal gave Australia an 8-7 win.

New Zealand’s All Blacks Sevens would be looking to apply lessons learnt in match play over the past two weeks of the HSBC World Sevens as they prepare for the rest of the world series.

Hamilton as the new HSBC World Cup Sevens venue in New Zealand got the thumbs up from All Blacks Sevens coach Clark Laidlaw at the end of the first day on Saturday.

New Zealand’s All Blacks Sevens will play England in their HSBC World Sevens quarterfinal in Hamilton on Sunday.

New Springboks rugby coach Rassie Erasmus believes South Africa can still be a force to be reckoned with by next year’s Rugby World Cup in Japan.

The path to a Commonwealth Games medal has become clearer for the All Blacks Sevens and Black Ferns Sevens with the pools announced for the landmark tournament taking place from 13-15 April 2018.

After two finals appearances in the past two years, the Lions will be hoping to go one better in 2018 and lift their first ever Investec Super Rugby title.

All Blacks Sevens coach Clark Laidlaw is confident that if the poor weather casts its influence over the HSBC World Sevens tournament in Hamilton at the weekend his side is capable of coping.

All Blacks Sevens playmaker Vilimoni Koroi may still be in the fledgling category on the HSBC World Sevens stage but he has shaped as a key player in the side’s longer term future.

All Blacks Sevens Coach Clark Laidlaw has named his team for the home leg of the HSBC Men’s Sevens Series.

Now settled into the Investec Super Rugby series, Argentina-based side the Jaguares should be looking to make more of an impact in the competition in 2018.

Winning a fourth Rugby World Cup might be top of the bill for the All Blacks in Japan next year, but coach Steve Hansen is determined his side won’t miss out on experiencing the host country’s culture.