Rugby

[Dick Rockett]

Reporting and the media has become a lot more personality-driven. Which is why the son of a former All Black and commentator makes the front page of the Dom.

Yeah, that's why I miss The Age.

 

[Smudge]

And it also explains why Keith Richards' mild concussion (which is what the papers thought it was originally) was the front page lead on all of the NZ Sundays.

 

[benchmark00]

Another Rugby thread!

 

[Smudge]

Please note that Pratyush has started the last two. Damn Indian rugby fans.

 

[Craig]

Here's a perfect, and extremely recent, example that rugby isn't safer.



http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3663940a10,00.html

Is that the same Lee Germon who used to keep wicket and captain the New Zealand cricket team?

 

[Smudge]

Yes. Has been doing a bit of sports admin stuff since retiring. Originally he was hostel master at St Andrew's in Christchurch before becoming CEO of Mainland Soccer (Canterbury soccer). Has now moved on to the Tasman franchise.

 

[GotSpin]

Both. (also, a bit more on codes would also be helpful. I am quite new to the game).

Please do not follow league Union is the far more of a mans game

 

[Craig]

Based in the Nelson Bay area?

 

[BoyBrumby]

Two finals and two semis isn't exactly terrible, but yes, perhaps they should have won one by now? I'm not sure what year though - 1999 perhaps, but Australia was a fairly clinical team.

Like I said my comparisons were fairly tenuous...

Even so, given Union's relatively shallow international base (it'll be a cold day in hell before anyone outside of the big five win Bill) to be quote-unquote successful in a World Cup France would've had to have won one. Actually, without looking it up, I'm 95% certain that since SA's readmission no semi-finalists have come from outside the big five. Before then we've only had two: Wales in '87 (& England weren't anything like a major force back then) & yer Sweaties 4 years later.

In Football's big get-together, given that more countries have reasonable expectation of success, a semi or even a quarter final could be seen as a fairly decent tournament once the dust settles.

 

[Blaze]

There is no doubt that football is a far far bigger world game, but even so only 7 countries have won the football world cup in 17 tournaments.

In the Rugby World Cups to date there have been 5 tournaments and 4 different winners...

 

[Smudge]

Based in the Nelson Bay area?

Pretty much - the Tasman franchise is an amalgamation of Marlborough and Nelson Bays to ensure they got a spot in the new Air New Zealand Cup 14-team Premier division.

 

[steds]

Please do not follow league Union is the far more of a mans game

Good job no one listens to you. Saves anyone believing you.

 

[steds]

Wasn't there a story in the newspapers a while ago, that football numbers have doubled over the past 5 years in New Zealand and have over-taken the amount of kids playing rugby because parents are afraid of their kids getting seriously hurt?

My mum never let me play rugby in my youth for those reasons.






But I got her to like cricket. I'm working on her.

 

[GotSpin]

Good job no one listens to you. Saves anyone believing you.

Your heaps cool

My mum never let me play rugby in my youth for those reasons.

That explains alot

 

[age_master]

Wasn't there a story in the newspapers a while ago, that football numbers have doubled over the past 5 years in New Zealand and have over-taken the amount of kids playing rugby because parents are afraid of their kids getting seriously hurt?

meh Rugby is more fun

the all-blacks jersey will be the highest honour in NZ for a long time yet

 

[age_master]

My mum never let me play rugby in my youth for those reasons.

My brother plays rugby for school, mum doesn't like it, but that pretty much just means she doesn't actually want to go and watch. Good thing for my brother that my dad likes rugby.

Rugby, being alot more physical then football, means that you do get very fit and strong playing it.

 

[Pratters]

England are the current World Champions in the senior code (Union), but are currently undergoing just the tiniest dip in form (that's lasted about 3 years & counting...) so you might want to consider supporting us.

Actually, it might help you make up your mind if I draw a few tenuous analogies to Football regarding the national teams:

New Zealand are like Brazil between 1970-1994; the best & most talented Rugby-playing nation on earth with the proudest history who're everyone's second favourite team but who always choke () in the big one.

South Africa are like Germany; they may not currently have the most talented collection of players they've ever had at their disposal, but they're physical, efficient & hard to beat. Dodgy political past too...

Australia are like Italy; successful on the world stage, solid defence, tend to be a bit lightweight up front.

England are like England; gave the world the game, large player base, everyone non-English hates them. One huge triumph inspired by a maverick loon of a coach who was knighted for his efforts (Ramsey/Woodward) & a totemistic leader (Moore/Johnson) preceeded & followed by several years of mediocrity.

France are like Spain; talented players, successful club sides, play the game with a definite Latin flair yet somehow the parts are always greater than the whole. Someone always tips them to do well at the World Cup & they never do.

Samoa are like Cameroon; you’d love to see them do well, they’re capable of springing the odd shock, but you really know they’re not quite good enough to win anything on the world stage. Their supposed tactical naivety masks the occasional outbreak of random violence.

Thanks for those comparisons. Gives me a raw idea about how the teams are so well.

 

[Pratters]

What rugby coverge do you get where you live? Games to look out for coming up are the -

Heineken cup final (which is rugby's equivilant of the Champions league)

Super 14 semi finals (this is a competition between 5 NZ franchises, 5 South African franchises and 4 Australian franchises). The competition is in its final round-robin week and the semi finals are played next weekend.

And the Tri Nations which is played between NZ Aus and South Africa and starts in July I think, with each team playing the others 3 times. This is a real show case of international rugby (at least in the Southern Hemisphere)

What else would you like to know?.

We get a lot of Rugby coverage as ESPN-Star (which is basically a south east asian channell) covers rugby and in slots, they broadcast it in India as well.

We get a Rugby show every week and loads of Rugby as well. I have seen a match from the Nz - Aus - RSA tournament being played last year. I will follow whatever of the above matches which you mentioned.

 

[Pratters]

Please note that Pratyush has started the last two. Damn Indian rugby fans.

Hey we love our rugby.

 

[Pratters]

Please do not follow league Union is the far more of a mans game

Okay I am very new and do not understand what the Union and other thing is. Who plays what, which is more important, rule differences etc.