https://www.scmp.com/rss/296118/feed Super Rugby is the pre-eminent professional club rugby competition in the southern hemisphere and involves five teams each from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. It is also colloquially known as Super 15. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Associated Press Associated Press Rookie Leroy Carter was still coming to terms with his inclusion in the All Blacks squad to play in Argentina in the opening rounds of the Rugby Championship when he made the shocking discovery: “The dog ate my passport.” The utility back with the Hamilton-based Chiefs was one of four uncapped players included in Scott Robertson’s Championship squad. The phone call from Robertson telling him of his selection had come as a massive surprise. Carter was rushing to get things together for the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/international-rugby/article/3321062/dog-mauled-my-passport-family-pooch-mars-newcomers-all-blacks-call?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/international-rugby/article/3321062/dog-mauled-my-passport-family-pooch-mars-newcomers-all-blacks-call?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Aug 2025 07:30:08 +0000 Hollywood actress Shailene Woodley has always been known for her outspoken and straightforward nature, whether regarding her personal life, the industry she’s in, or the state of the world. When it comes to American politics, the Fault in Our Stars actress has been quite open about her support of Bernie Sanders in the past – but a recent social media repost may have brought her views into question. Controversy ensued after the Big Little Lies star reposted a letter by Melania Trump on her... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3279573/who-ben-volavola-shailene-woodleys-ex-boyfriend-and-why-did-rugby-international-player-and-big?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/entertainment/article/3279573/who-ben-volavola-shailene-woodleys-ex-boyfriend-and-why-did-rugby-international-player-and-big?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Sep 2024 20:00:08 +0000 New Zealand Rugby will hold a crucial vote on Thursday over who runs the game in the country that could see top players split from the governing body if they do not get their way. Months of bubbling discord are set to reach a head at NZR’s special general meeting in the capital, Wellington. Power brokers will vote for one of two proposals about a new leadership structure for the national governing body in the rugby-mad country. NZR and the professional players’ union are backing a proposal of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3264418/breakaway-threat-players-union-looms-new-zealand-rugby-votes-competing-proposals-about-leadership?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3264418/breakaway-threat-players-union-looms-new-zealand-rugby-votes-competing-proposals-about-leadership?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 May 2024 13:00:17 +0000 If arguably the toughest thing to crack in international rugby is a glass ceiling, few are better qualified to give career advice than Michael Leitch, of Japan. Whether aiming to join Europe’s top table, or outwit a southern hemisphere giant, or graduate from whipping boys to knockout kings, it pays in union’s global game to know your place. But the Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo flanker intends to keep shaking up the world order with club and country, and sees admission to elite competitions as the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/3176760/could-japan-join-rugby-championship-michael-leitch-talks-tier?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/3176760/could-japan-join-rugby-championship-michael-leitch-talks-tier?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 May 2022 06:59:56 +0000 A New Zealand television commentator who adopted a mock Asian accent during a postgame rugby interview on Friday is likely to keep his job despite an outpouring of public criticism. Joe Wheeler, a former New Zealand Maori representative who commentates for the cable network Sky Sport, used the accent after the Super Rugby Aotearoa match between the Highlanders and Crusaders. Speaking with Highlanders fly-half Mitchell Hunt, Wheeler referenced the performance of Japan international flanker Kazuki... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/3128206/new-zealand-rugby-commentator-joe-wheeler-apologises-japanese?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/3128206/new-zealand-rugby-commentator-joe-wheeler-apologises-japanese?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Apr 2021 06:00:13 +0000 Cashed-up Japanese rugby clubs are going to lure more and more players away from Australia in the future and holding onto talent like Marika Koroibete is going to be a major struggle, according to Wallabies coach Dave Rennie. A slew of established test players are already playing in Japan, including Wallabies captain Michael Hooper on a sabbatical, and impressive form in Super Rugby AU has only increased speculation that Koroibete will soon join them. Agreeing that the winger had been in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/international-rugby/article/3127094/berzerk-japan-rugby-market-threat-australia-warns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/international-rugby/article/3127094/berzerk-japan-rugby-market-threat-australia-warns?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 26 Mar 2021 04:35:23 +0000 Global Rapid Rugby (GRR) has cancelled its 2020-21 season due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with looming uncertainty over competing teams and its chief executive also stepping down over travel restrictions. The faster, more fan-friendly approach to 15s rugby – funded by Australian business mogul Andrew Forrest – got off to a rough start having suspended its inaugural season in March before cancelling it entirely in April. Hong Kong-based South China Tigers played one game in the six-team... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/3104460/global-rapid-rugby-doubt-after-2021-season-cancelled-due-covid?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/3104460/global-rapid-rugby-doubt-after-2021-season-cancelled-due-covid?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Oct 2020 02:06:00 +0000 New Ospreys director James Davies-Yandle thinks that rugby has the potential for growth by innovating its products for fans and aligning the global calendar. Davies-Yandle said rugby is behind other professional sports in appreciating how fans consume sport but that gap in knowledge creates commercial opportunities for expansion. “The reason you get involved in any sport organisation is the same – you believe you can grow the business, and that the business from a commercial standpoint is... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/3085465/ospreys-new-asia-based-owner-james-davies-yandle-y11-sports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/3085465/ospreys-new-asia-based-owner-james-davies-yandle-y11-sports?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 May 2020 02:00:17 +0000 Boxing legend Mike Tyson has been offered a minimum of US$1 million (HK$7.75 million) to come out of his 15-year retirement with former All Blacks star Sonny Bill Williams rumoured as an opponent, according to reports. The 53-year-old (professional boxing record 50-6), said he was interested in competing in a charity exhibition bout after new training footage went viral on social media. Tyson, who last fought in 2005, has been training with MMA coach Rafael Cordeiro. Boxing promoter Brian... https://www.scmp.com/sport/boxing/article/3083358/mike-tyson-offered-us1-million-box-former-all-black-sonny-bill?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/boxing/article/3083358/mike-tyson-offered-us1-million-box-former-all-black-sonny-bill?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2020 10:39:15 +0000 Hong Kong’s South China Tigers will kick off the first full season of Australian billionaire Andrew Forrest’s Global Rapid Rugby in March on home soil. The Tigers will play Manuma Samoa, a team put together for GRR, most likely at the Aberdeen Sports Ground, where the Tigers played their games last season. The first weekend of matches will take place from March 13-15. A GRR release describes the Tigers’ opponent as an “exciting, homegrown squad capable of anything, particularly on a redeveloped... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3037716/south-china-tigers-will-face-manuma-samoa-hong-kong-global-rapid-rugby?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3037716/south-china-tigers-will-face-manuma-samoa-hong-kong-global-rapid-rugby?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Nov 2019 08:18:26 +0000 Ben Smith scored two vintage tries before halftime, Keiran Read did a power of work and Sonny Bill Williams produced a pair of trademark offloads as three veteran All Blacks went into retirement with a bronze medal to add to their previous Rugby World Cup titles. Six days after a semi-final loss to England ended New Zealand’s bid for a third straight world championship, the All Blacks beat Wales 40-17 on Friday in the third-place playoff. No surprises there. The All Blacks hadn’t lost... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3035968/all-blacks-veterans-finish-bronze-after-win-over-wales?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/3035968/all-blacks-veterans-finish-bronze-after-win-over-wales?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Nov 2019 11:38:27 +0000 Israel Folau has posted on Instragram a picture reading “Support”, with the caption detailing his financial woes as he seeks donations for his legal fees The former international rugby player is suing Rugby Australia for wrongful termination. He was fired after posting on social media “Warning: Drunks, Homosexuals, Adulterers, Liars, Fornicators, Thieves, Atheists, Idolaters. HELL AWAITS YOU. REPENT!” In Folau’s latest post he said he has already spent AUS$100,000 (HK$540,440) fighting the case.... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/3015460/israel-folau-sets-crowdfunding-page-legal-dispute-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/3015460/israel-folau-sets-crowdfunding-page-legal-dispute-over?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Jun 2019 02:18:59 +0000 Sporting events have a tendency to come and go in Hong Kong but there wasn’t a soul at Mong Kok Stadium on Saturday questioning Super Rugby’s future in the city as the Sunwolves made history with a 26-23 win over the Stormers. The 4,832-strong crowd erupted as Sunwolves fly half Hayden Parker’s match-winning drop goal sailed through with time expired, all worries surrounding the heat and the relevance of the match extinguished. It wasn’t the 6,000 people organisers had hoped for but it just felt... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2146906/sunwolves-make-super-rugby-history-searing-hong-kong-heat-winning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2146906/sunwolves-make-super-rugby-history-searing-hong-kong-heat-winning?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 May 2018 10:12:35 +0000 He’s spent years tearing up the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens with the Blitzboks and now scintillating winger Seabelo Senatla is out to give the city’s first Super Rugby game a carnival feel. Long one of the key components of South Africa’s sevens side, the 25-year-old is in the midst of a transition to 15s and is thrilled to be back in Hong Kong. “I hope it feels just like the Sevens when we come out against the Sunwolves. It’s an advantage to me playing here, it’s pretty cool,” Senatla... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/2146771/hong-kong-sevens-wizard-seabelo-senatla-cast-spell-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/2146771/hong-kong-sevens-wizard-seabelo-senatla-cast-spell-over?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 May 2018 08:03:16 +0000 The Sunwolves are in Hong Kong to build their brand and expand their supporter base and a New Zealand-inspired style that netted 63 points last round could see them do just that. Wins have been few and far between during the Sunwolves three seasons of Super Rugby, but the coaching combination of Jamie Joseph and Tony Brown – both former Highlanders coaches – is slowly starting to make its mark. The Japanese side were emphatic in seeing off the Queensland Reds 63-28 at the weekend and their... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/2146679/how-sunwolves-plan-use-their-new-zealand-inspired-flair-build?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/2146679/how-sunwolves-plan-use-their-new-zealand-inspired-flair-build?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 May 2018 01:53:39 +0000 Stormers’ coach Robbie Fleck says the “arrogance” his side have displayed in previous clashes with the Sunwolves will be a thing of the past as Super Rugby comes to Hong Kong for the first time this weekend. While the Stormers have posted big wins over the Sunwolves in South Africa, their two trips to Singapore – where the Sunwolves host a number of home games each season – have netted a draw and a tight 44-31 victory. Fleck expects his side to be contending with the best Sunwolves side they... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/2146393/stormers-leave-their-asia-arrogance-behind-sunwolves-pose?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/2146393/stormers-leave-their-asia-arrogance-behind-sunwolves-pose?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 May 2018 08:15:13 +0000 The punishing early summer heat could prove key to the Sunwolves’ quest to string together a maiden winning streak when they face the Western Stormers in a Super Rugby clash at Mong Kok Stadium on Saturday. The Japan-based franchise are buoyed by their first win of the season and head coach Jamie Joseph is eager to get stuck into Robbie Fleck’s team. “I can’t wait,” the former New Zealand and Japan international said following the Sunwolves’ 63-28 win over the Reds in their last game of the year... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/2146265/hot-hong-kong-sunwolves-buoyed-first-super-rugby-victory-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/2146265/hot-hong-kong-sunwolves-buoyed-first-super-rugby-victory-over?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 15 May 2018 11:08:04 +0000 New South Wales Waratahs back Nick Phipps has been fined after admitting to urinating on a bar while wearing a cow costume during his stag night at a Sydney venue. The Wallabies scrum half was kicked out of the Woollahra Hotel a day after he played in the Waratahs’ 29-0 defeat by the Lions in their Super Rugby match on April 20. The Waratahs said they had completed an investigation into the incident and fined the 29-year-old A$4,000 (HK$23,700). “Nick Phipps has admitted his guilt and the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/2144234/wallaby-urinated-bar-while-wearing-cow-costume-now-nick-phipps?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/2144234/wallaby-urinated-bar-while-wearing-cow-costume-now-nick-phipps?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 May 2018 14:42:27 +0000 Hong Kong’s first ever Super Rugby match is on the horizon and former Stormers player Tiger Bax expects his old side to put on a show when they take on the Sunwolves at Mong Kok Stadium on May 19. Bax, who now plays for Valley in the Hong Kong Premiership, says he is looking forward to the Stormers rolling out their “loose and attractive” game. “They have definitely changed their game up this season, they used to be quite defensive and set piece to set piece, where now they are a little bit more... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/play-week/article/2143070/watch-valleys-tiger-bax-predicts-his-former-side-stormers-will?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/play-week/article/2143070/watch-valleys-tiger-bax-predicts-his-former-side-stormers-will?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Apr 2018 06:11:57 +0000 Hong Kong are still in the running to qualify for the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan but the Sunwolves are looking to use May’s Super Rugby game at Mong Kok Stadium to win over a new legion of fans for their national side. The Tokyo-based Sunwolves take on South Africa’s Stormers in the first ever Super Rugby game in Hong Kong on May 19 and co-captain Yutaka Nagare wants the locals to get behind his side. “I’m very excited and looking forward to playing in Hong Kong for the first time,” he said.... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/2136411/super-rugbys-sunwolves-out-win-over-hong-kong-fans-ahead-2019?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/2136411/super-rugbys-sunwolves-out-win-over-hong-kong-fans-ahead-2019?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 Mar 2018 10:33:02 +0000 Stormers coach Robbie Fleck is hoping for an atmosphere akin to the Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens when his side take on Japan’s Sunwolves in the first Super Rugby match played in the city. The game will take place at Mong Kok Stadium on May 19 and will be only the second time rugby has graced the home of Hong Kong soccer. Organisers are hoping the 6,000-seat stadium will be at capacity for the clash, with Fleck urging the rugby community to come out in force. “If the people of Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/2134331/stormers-and-sunwolves-light-home-hong-kong-soccer-super-rugby?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/2134331/stormers-and-sunwolves-light-home-hong-kong-soccer-super-rugby?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Feb 2018 10:25:19 +0000 He earned the nickname “Lomu” in school for his confrontational play but up-and-coming South African rugby star Sibusiso Nkosi hopes to break into the Springboks team on the back of his own style. Not that being named after All Black great Jonah Lomu is not an honour for the 22-year-old, but he is confident he can reach the top level being his own man. “Not because of any resemblance, only because of the way I used to play – I used to enjoy carrying ball in hand and I used to enjoy the contact... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/2131250/once-tagged-lomu-after-all-black-great-sharks-young-gun?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/2131250/once-tagged-lomu-after-all-black-great-sharks-young-gun?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Jan 2018 12:02:02 +0000 The new coach of Japan’s Sunwolves Super Rugby side is targeting a top-five finish next season, despite the team being on the wrong end of multiple hidings in recent years. New Zealander Jamie Joseph, who also coaches Japan’s national team, said that fans could expect a “much stronger team than we’ve had in the past two seasons”, as he unveiled a new squad. Among a dozen new faces presented were South African-born flanker Wimpie van der Walt and Jaba Bregvadze, a Georgian hooker who has played... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/2122815/ambitious-sunwolves-target-top-five-finish-2018-and-super-rugby?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/2122815/ambitious-sunwolves-target-top-five-finish-2018-and-super-rugby?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Dec 2017 10:24:45 +0000 The Hong Kong Rugby Union are open to taking part in mining magnate Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest’s breakaway rugby competition, chief rugby operations officer Dai Rees said on Tuesday. The Australian Rugby Union axed the Western Force from the Super Rugby competition after the New South Wales Supreme Court dismissed Rugby Western Australia’s appeal – and Forrest immediately announced plans to launch a six-team Indo-Pacific competition. The competition, dubbed the “Indian Premier League of rugby” by... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/2109852/hong-kong-rugby-union-open-featuring-australian-mining-magnate?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/2109852/hong-kong-rugby-union-open-featuring-australian-mining-magnate?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Sep 2017 08:45:28 +0000 The Melbourne Rebels have targeted Western Force coach Dave Wessels as a potential replacement for the departed Tony McGahan if the Perth team lose their battle to stay in Super Rugby. The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) said on Friday it would axe the Force from the competition, but the Western Australian franchise have lodged an appeal with the Supreme Court of New South Wales to fight for their survival, with the appeal hearing set to be held in Sydney next week. Along with dozens of players and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/2106977/melbourne-rebels-poised-swoop-coach-dave-wessels-if-super-rugbys-western?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/2106977/melbourne-rebels-poised-swoop-coach-dave-wessels-if-super-rugbys-western?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 16 Aug 2017 03:06:06 +0000 Their Super Rugby future may be in doubt, but the Melbourne Rebels are certain they want Tonga-born Japan international Amanaki Mafi back for next season. The Rebels announced on Wednesday that Mafi, who has played 16 tests for Japan, will return. The 27-year-old was voted the Rebels’ player of the season following Melbourne’s last-place finish in the Australian Super Rugby conference. Statistics show Mafi was ranked first among the forwards for meters ran and offloads, and also led the Rebels... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/2106029/melbourne-rebels-re-sign-japan-international-amanaki-mafi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/2106029/melbourne-rebels-re-sign-japan-international-amanaki-mafi?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 09 Aug 2017 03:12:29 +0000 Japan’s Sunwolves stunned the visiting Auckland Blues 48-21 on Saturday to finish their second Super rugby season on a high note. Boosted by a Timothy Lafaele hat-trick, the home side posted only their second win of the campaign, erasing a seven-point half-time deficit with a pulsating comeback as the New Zealanders faded badly in the blistering Tokyo heat. The rampant Sunwolves, who won just one of 15 games in a chastening debut season in 2016, scored eight tries to three against an error-prone... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/2102779/every-wolf-has-his-day-japans-sunwolves-end-horror-super-rugby-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/2102779/every-wolf-has-his-day-japans-sunwolves-end-horror-super-rugby-year?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Jul 2017 06:15:33 +0000 Super Rugby will be cut from 18 teams to 16 for next season following a meeting of governing body Sanzaar in London last week, according to the chief executive of the Bloemfontein-based Cheetahs. Online news portal Netwerk24 cited Harold Verster as saying one of South Africa’s six teams and one of Australia’s five would now be cut from the competition for 2018. “There was even speculation that we would return to a Super 12, but my information is that it is going to be reduced from the current 18... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/2078730/super-rugby-cut-two-teams-next-season-claims-cheetahs-boss?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/2078730/super-rugby-cut-two-teams-next-season-claims-cheetahs-boss?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Mar 2017 07:30:30 +0000 The idea of a new world club championship inched closer to becoming a reality as part of a new rugby union calendar, according to reports in the British media. According to The Times, the Premiership, Pro 12, and the French Top 14 leagues are likely to finish in June, aligning with the Super Rugby season, enabling the best European clubs and their southern hemisphere counterparts to face off once every four years. The Six Nations will not be moved from its traditional February to March slot, the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/2019374/global-vision-rugby-world-club-cup-nearing-possibility-european-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/2019374/global-vision-rugby-world-club-cup-nearing-possibility-european-and?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Sep 2016 11:30:45 +0000 Former All Blacks captain Jerry Collins and his wife have been killed in a car crash in France, New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed on Friday. The ministry said it was not in a position to confirm how the accident occurred but Le Figaro newspaper reported Collins and his wife, Alana Madill, died in a collision with a bus on the A9 motorway in Herault, southern France. The couple’s three-month-old daughter was taken to hospital in serious condition, according to the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1817020/former-all-black-jerry-collins-dies-car-crash-france?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1817020/former-all-black-jerry-collins-dies-car-crash-france?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Jun 2015 07:30:00 +0000 Wallabies centre Pat McCabe counts himself fortunate to be able to walk away from rugby intact after deciding to retire at the age of 26 in the wake of a third neck fracture in two years. McCabe confirmed his decision to call time on his rugby career on Thursday after sustaining the injury in Australia's 51-20 Rugby Championship defeat to New Zealand last weekend. The ACT Brumbies back, who played on the wing in the last two of his 24 tests, had fought his way back to fitness after the two... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1581486/im-fortunate-retire-intact-says-injured-mccabe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1581486/im-fortunate-retire-intact-says-injured-mccabe?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Aug 2014 13:30:45 +0000 Wallaby back Pat McCabe has retired from rugby after fracturing his neck for a third time, his ACT Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham said Wednesday - but McCabe's club ACT Brumbies denied that. The 26-year-old suffered a jarring knock on Saturday night in Australia’s 51-20 loss to the All Blacks at Eden Park and Larkham said a meeting with a specialist on Tuesday had confirmed another fracture. “[It’s] very disappointing news, actually. He had a scan over in New Zealand and it was reported to have... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1581040/confusion-over-pat-mccabes-future-after-third-neck-break?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1581040/confusion-over-pat-mccabes-future-after-third-neck-break?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Aug 2014 01:38:08 +0000 Wallabies winger Nick Cummins has been released from his contract to sign with Japan’s West Red Sparks for next season, ruling him out of the 2015 World Cup, officials said on Friday. The shaggy-haired Cummins, a cult figure known as the “Honey Badger”, is among several Wallabies, including forwards Ben Mowen and Kane Douglas, who have opted to go overseas before the World Cup in England. Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie has already made clear he will only select home-based players for the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1546463/wallaby-nick-cummins-released-aru-join-japanese-club?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1546463/wallaby-nick-cummins-released-aru-join-japanese-club?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Jul 2014 06:00:00 +0000 England’s fringe test players proved to coach Stuart Lancaster he was on the right track to build depth as he prepares for next year’s World Cup with a 38-7 victory over the seven-time Super Rugby champions Canterbury Crusaders in Christchurch on Tuesday. The visitors, who have spent most of the tour holding tackle bags for the test side, scored six tries – four in the first half – while flyhalf Danny Cipriani slotted three conversions before he was substituted early in the second... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1535162/tourists-run-six-tries-overwhelm-former-super-rugby-champions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1535162/tourists-run-six-tries-overwhelm-former-super-rugby-champions?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 17 Jun 2014 16:30:30 +0000 The New South Wales Waratahs scored a 41-13 bonus-point win over South Africa's Golden Lions in Sydney on Sunday to maintain their push for a Super Rugby play-off. The Tahs scored five tries to one, with a brace to winger Rob Horne, as they kept the Lions scoreless in the second half after leading 17-13 at half-time. The five points took the Waratahs to fourth place overall behind competition leaders Coastal Sharks, and within one point of the ACT Brumbies at the top of the Australia... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1515011/fly-half-foley-stakes-wallabies-claim-waratahs-crush-lions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1515011/fly-half-foley-stakes-wallabies-claim-waratahs-crush-lions?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 May 2014 13:15:45 +0000 Replacement Kyle Cooper scored a 75th-minute try to lift a Sharks team reduced to 14 men for 63 minutes and to 13 during the second half to a 30-25 win over the Crusaders in Super Rugby on Saturday. Cooper’s try forced the fifth and final lead change of the second half, clinching the Shark’s ninth win in 12 matches and giving them their historic first win over the Crusaders in Christchurch. It is also the first time any South African side have won in Christchurch since 2001. It’s very... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1514564/coastal-sharks-conquer-crusaders-historic-victory?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1514564/coastal-sharks-conquer-crusaders-historic-victory?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 May 2014 17:00:45 +0000 The Coastal Sharks put their Super Rugby competition lead on the line against the red-hot Canterbury Crusaders this weekend in Christchurch where they have never won. The Durban-based Sharks lead the southern hemisphere provincial series by just one point from defending champions the Waikato Chiefs, with the ACT Brumbies a further point away. Jake White's Sharks went down 16-9 to the Brumbies in Canberra last week, but face the seven-time Super Rugby champion Crusaders fuelled by the momentum of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1512864/odds-against-sharks-showdown-crusaders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1512864/odds-against-sharks-showdown-crusaders?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 May 2014 03:57:24 +0000 South Africa’s Sharks clung to first place on the Super Rugby table on Saturday by taking a consolation bonus point from a 16-9 loss to the second-placed ACT Brumbies in a rain-soaked top-of-the-table clash in Canberra. Brumbies lock Sam Carter scored the only try of the match in the 63rd minute while Christian Lealiifano had four penalties from seven attempts, outpointing Frans Steyn who landed three goals from six attempts for the Durban-based Sharks. Despite the conditions, the match was a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1509327/brumbies-take-bragging-rights-drab-matchup?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1509327/brumbies-take-bragging-rights-drab-matchup?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 May 2014 15:15:00 +0000 Jake White will coach the Sharks against his former team, the Brumbies, on Saturday in a top-of-the-table match which has the potential to sway the Super Rugby play-off chances for both teams. White's intimate knowledge of the Brumbies, whom he coached from 13th place in 2011 to runners-up last year, adds an element of intrigue to the clash at Canberra Stadium between the tournament's first and second-placed teams. The Sharks opened their four-match tour to Australia and New Zealand with a 22-16... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1507619/element-intrigue-crucial-canberra-clash?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1507619/element-intrigue-crucial-canberra-clash?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 08 May 2014 14:45:15 +0000 The Chiefs scored three tries in a six-minute spell on either side of half-time to secure a bonus point from a 38-8 win over South Africa’s Lions in Super Rugby in Hamilton on Saturday, breathing new life into their title defence. Centre Charlie Ngatai, returning from injury, created one try and scored another in a pivotal three-minute period leading into the break, then prop Paulasi Manu scored three minutes after the resumption to seal a bonus point and the win. Fly-half Gareth Anscombe scored... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1503849/chiefs-bounce-back-mid-season-slump?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1503849/chiefs-bounce-back-mid-season-slump?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 May 2014 17:15:00 +0000 The Coastal Sharks became the first South African team to win on tour this season with a laboured 22-16 victory over the Melbourne Rebels on Friday, keeping them top of the Super Rugby standings. The Durban outfit scored their only try off a counter-attack through Springboks winger JP Pietersen midway through the second half. The Rebels strung together 14 phases in stoppage time to go after the clinching converted try, but the Sharks denied their hosts with a turnover inside their... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1503059/sharks-first-south-african-team-win-tour-season?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1503059/sharks-first-south-african-team-win-tour-season?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 May 2014 16:45:00 +0000 After a rocky start to the Super Rugby season, the stars are aligning for Todd Blackadder’s Canterbury Crusaders with flanker Richie McCaw set to return from a long injury lay-off and help drive the side toward the play-offs. The All Blacks skipper has been sidelined with a broken thumb for the past two months but may ease back into the action off the bench against the high-flying ACT Brumbies in Christchurch on Saturday. “If he does get through training, potentially it will be an impact role... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1500368/mccaw-set-return-injury-boost-crusaders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1500368/mccaw-set-return-injury-boost-crusaders?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Apr 2014 16:15:30 +0000 Australia's ACT Brumbies' Super Rugby title push gained momentum with their win over champions the Waikato Chiefs coupled with the shock loss of competition leaders the Coastal Sharks at home. The Brumbies sliced the Sharks' lead to just one point after mastering the back-to-back champions Waikato 41-23 in Canberra. Jake White's Sharks, who are about to embark on a seasondefining four-match Australasian tour, were smashed 34-18 by New Zealand's Otago Highlanders in one of the shock results of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1498425/brumbies-super-15-title-push-gathers-pace?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1498425/brumbies-super-15-title-push-gathers-pace?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Apr 2014 14:00:15 +0000 A mid-season loss of form for Super Rugby leaders Coastal Sharks continued on Friday when they suffered a shock 34-18 home loss to Otago Highlanders. The Durban outfit were lucky to defeat fellow South Africans Central Cheetahs last weekend – playing what one newspaper termed "stone age" rugby – but there was no let-off for the Sharks against the energetic New Zealanders. Highlanders combined strong, creative running and impressive field kicking to deadly effect, scoring four tries for a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1497670/highlanders-score-four-stun-table-topping-sharks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1497670/highlanders-score-four-stun-table-topping-sharks?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Apr 2014 08:00:15 +0000 Defending champions Waikato Chiefs and Australia's ACT Brumbies meet on Friday in a rematch of last year's Super Rugby final, with the winner keeping series leaders the Coastal Sharks in their sights. The Brumbies and Chiefs trail the Sharks by six points after eight rounds of the southern hemisphere provincial championship competition and both need a win on Anzac Day to avoid falling further behind the South African pacesetters. The Sharks face the Otago Highlanders in Durban early Saturday... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1496048/brumbies-wary-complacency-against-chiefs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1496048/brumbies-wary-complacency-against-chiefs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Apr 2014 14:15:30 +0000 High-profile rugby code-hopper Benji Marshall wants to quit rugby union for an immediate return to league after struggling for game time with the Auckland Blues Super 15 side, the team confirmed on Monday. The former rugby league star with Wests Tigers switched to union and the Blues in a blaze of publicity late last year, saying he wanted to make the All Blacks national team. But the New Zealand-born playmaker has never been comfortable with his new code and played only 212 minutes of the first... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1493763/benji-has-blues-and-just-wants-get-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1493763/benji-has-blues-and-just-wants-get-out?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Apr 2014 15:15:45 +0000 The Coastal Sharks opened a six-point break at the top of Super Rugby with a South African derby win as champions Waikato Chiefs lost narrowly at home. The Sharks, seeking a first southern hemisphere inter-provincial championship title under former World Cup-winning coach Jake White, downed the Central Cheetahs 19-8 in Durban to move to 31 points. Australia's ACT Brumbies remain in second place on 25 points despite their weekend bye, ahead on points differential over the Chiefs. Back-to-back... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1491893/sharks-extend-their-lead-top-table?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1491893/sharks-extend-their-lead-top-table?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Apr 2014 03:22:33 +0000 Colin Slade kicked the Canterbury Crusaders to a cliff-hanger 18-17 victory over the Waikato Chiefs in a physically demanding clash between New Zealand's two glamour Super 15 sides on Saturday. It was the second loss of the year for the defending champions Chiefs, but they remain at the head of the New Zealand conference three points clear of the fast-charging Crusaders. Meanwhile, an Israel Folau try in the opening 28 seconds proved the difference as the New South Wales Waratahs ended a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1489977/crusaders-edge-chiefs-glamour-super-15-tie?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1489977/crusaders-edge-chiefs-glamour-super-15-tie?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Apr 2014 15:30:30 +0000 The Coastal Sharks and defending champions Waikato Chiefs face testing Easter derbies, while Wallaby ace Israel Folau returns to bolster the NSW Waratahs in this weekend’s Super Rugby. Jake White’s Sharks tackle the Central Cheetahs in Durban on Saturday, while the Chiefs host seven-time Super Rugby champions Canterbury Crusaders in a blockbuster New Zealand derby. The Australian Rugby Union said they would not be blocking Folau from playing his first match in a month after controversially... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1485865/folau-returns-waratahs-sharks-chiefs-face-tough-easter-derbies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1485865/folau-returns-waratahs-sharks-chiefs-face-tough-easter-derbies?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 17 Apr 2014 04:30:00 +0000 The fallout over the Australian Rugby Union's decision to withdraw Israel Folau from a Super Rugby match at the weekend continued on Monday with some suggesting the Wallabies fullback could turn his back on the code because of it. Folau, who has scored 26 tries in 33 matches since his switch from Australian Rules, was named in New South Wales Waratahs team to play Western Force on Saturday, only for the ARU to withdraw him on the eve of the match. The ARU cited concerns over the throat injury... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1482391/angry-israel-folau-could-go-back-league?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1482391/angry-israel-folau-could-go-back-league?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 14 Apr 2014 13:45:15 +0000