https://www.scmp.com/rss/316023/feed Super Rugby 2015 was the 20th editition of the premier competition for professional teams in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. It began on 13 February and ran through 18 rounds of home-and-away round-robin matches before entering its knockout stage. In an all-New Zealand grand final on 4 July 2015, the Highlanders beat the Hurricanes to capture their first Super Rugby title. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Uncapped winger Patrick Osborne has been called into the extended All Blacks squad for this weekend's Rugby Championship decider against Australia in Sydney and the second Bledisloe Cup test against the Wallabies in Auckland the following week. Scrum-half Tawera Kerr-Barlow also returns in place of the experienced Andy Ellis and will be desperate to get back into test rugby after missing the Super Rugby season because of a knee injury. With Waisake [Naholo] out three months and Cory [Jane] still... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1845955/uncapped-patrick-osborne-added-all-blacks-squad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1845955/uncapped-patrick-osborne-added-all-blacks-squad?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Aug 2015 14:15:00 +0000 TJ Perenara's fledgling test career looked like it might be over almost before it got off the ground after a rough ride behind an experimental pack in his second match in the All Blacks number nine shirt last November. Coach Steve Hansen had decided that with the World Cup looming in less than 12 months, he wanted to see how his bench and fringe players would handle the pressure without the core of experienced heads around them. The scrum-half duly had a torrid time in Edinburgh as the All... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1835426/super-form-puts-tj-perenara-back-all-blacks-frame-world-cup?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1835426/super-form-puts-tj-perenara-back-all-blacks-frame-world-cup?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Jul 2015 01:05:45 +0000 Scrum-half Andy Ellis will return to test rugby almost four years after he last played for the All Blacks, while four others are in line to make their debuts against Samoa in Apia on Wednesday. Ellis’ last act in a New Zealand jersey was to kick the ball out from a penalty to end the 2011 World Cup final as the All Blacks won the Webb Ellis trophy for a second time with an 8-7 victory over France at Eden Park. It’s exciting for the group to be playing this first All Blacks test in Samoa and we... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1833309/scrum-half-andy-ellis-dons-all-blacks-jersey-again-samoa-test?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1833309/scrum-half-andy-ellis-dons-all-blacks-jersey-again-samoa-test?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Jul 2015 02:45:30 +0000 Flanker Elliot Dixon scored one try and delivered the crucial last pass in another by Waisake Naholo as the Highlanders shocked the Hurricanes 21-14 in Saturday’s Super Rugby final and win the southern hemisphere title for the first time. Dixon carried four defenders over the try-line for his 39th-minute try to lift the Dunedin-based Highlanders to a 13-5 lead at the break, then handed off to Naholo for his 13th try of the season just six minutes after the restart. Those tries boosted the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1832661/highlanders-claim-maiden-super-rugby-title-thrilling-21-14-win-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1832661/highlanders-claim-maiden-super-rugby-title-thrilling-21-14-win-over?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Jul 2015 16:15:15 +0000 The Hurricanes-Highlanders Super Rugby final on Saturday "is going to be brutal" and could damage New Zealand's World Cup strength, according to All Blacks coach Steve Hansen. But he admits he would not have it any other way with southern hemisphere club rugby supremacy at stake. "It's going to be a real brutal game," said Hansen, whose play-offs experience as assistant coach of the 2000 champions Canterbury Crusaders fuels his trepidation about the risk of injury to key All Blacks players ahead... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1831748/steve-hansen-fears-all-blacks-players-brutal-super-rugby-final?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1831748/steve-hansen-fears-all-blacks-players-brutal-super-rugby-final?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Jul 2015 08:15:30 +0000 REACTION: Hurricanes 29-9 Brumbies (June 27, Wellington) REACTION: Waratahs 17-35 Highlanders (June 27, Sydney) https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/play-week/article/1829224/videos-super-rugby-semi-finals-2015?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/play-week/article/1829224/videos-super-rugby-semi-finals-2015?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Jun 2015 13:15:45 +0000 Please click on the link for videos of post-match reaction following Saturday’s Super Rugby semi-finals. Super Rugby will have a first-time champion this season after the Hurricanes and Highlanders won their semi-finals Saturday to set up the first all-New Zealand final in nearly a decade. The Hurricanes will host the decider for the first time after beating the ACT Brumbies 29-9 in Wellington and will vie for their first Super Rugby title with the Highlanders, who scored five tries to oust the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1828126/hurricanes-highlanders-crush-aussie-hopes-set-all-kiwi-super-rugby-final?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1828126/hurricanes-highlanders-crush-aussie-hopes-set-all-kiwi-super-rugby-final?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Jun 2015 15:00:15 +0000 The Wellington Hurricanes will play the emotional card and invoke the memory of Jerry Collins when they play the ACT Brumbies this weekend as the Super 15 intensity hits "test-match level". The New South Wales Waratahs and Otago Highlanders round off the semi-finals with the Sydney team determined to prove that regular-season points, where they finished behind Otago, were an aberration. The New Zealand sides go into the trans-Tasman showdowns with the better form - the Hurricanes and Highlanders... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1826548/wellington-hurricanes-look-ride-jerry-collins-emotional-wave-against-act?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1826548/wellington-hurricanes-look-ride-jerry-collins-emotional-wave-against-act?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Jun 2015 14:45:45 +0000 ACT Brumbies winger Henry Speight has been banned for five weeks for dangerous play and will miss Saturday's Super Rugby semi-final against the Wellington Hurricanes, governing body Sanzar said on Wednesday. Speight was shown a red card for slamming Juan de Jongh head-first into the ground (see video below) in the 74th minute of the Canberra-based outfit's victory over South Africa's Stormers last weekend. There is an ongoing need for a deterrent for dangerous play such as this which carries... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1826140/brumbies-henry-speight-banned-five-weeks-over-dangerous-play?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1826140/brumbies-henry-speight-banned-five-weeks-over-dangerous-play?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Jun 2015 16:00:45 +0000 Former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga has been named coach of the Auckland-based Blues Super Rugby team, replacing John Kirwan who stepped down last week after three years in charge. The Blues and New Zealand Rugby on Tuesday jointly announced Umaga’s appointment on a three-year contract. Umaga played 74 tests for New Zealand before beginning his coaching career with Toulon in the French top 14 competition. He returned to New Zealand to join Counties Manukau in the National Provincial... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1825082/all-blacks-great-tana-umaga-takes-over-auckland-blues-coach?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1825082/all-blacks-great-tana-umaga-takes-over-auckland-blues-coach?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Jun 2015 02:15:45 +0000 Wallabies fly-half Quade Cooper is set to join the exodus of Australian players heading overseas after his Super Rugby side Queensland withdrew their offer of a contract extension. Queensland Rugby Union chief executive Jim Carmichael said the team had been “disappointed in a number of factors” during drawn-out negotiations to keep the 27-year-old playmaker, who had already signed a “pre-commitment” to play for French giants Toulon. Those factors included a recent trip to France by Cooper and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1824747/queensland-reds-give-quade-cooper-over-unrealistic-expectations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1824747/queensland-reds-give-quade-cooper-over-unrealistic-expectations?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Jun 2015 04:45:45 +0000 All Blacks loose forward Liam Messam will put his Super Rugby career on hold in a bid to win a sevens gold for New Zealand at next year’s Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Messam, who won Commonwealth Games gold in sevens for New Zealand in 2006 and 2010, has left the Waikato Chiefs to concentrate on breaking into the Olympic squad, his coach told local media. “He’ll be very difficult to replace,” coach Dave Rennie said of the 31-year-old Chiefs captain. To try and win an Olympic gold would be pretty... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1824723/liam-messam-ditch-super-rugby-bid-olympic-gold-all-blacks-sevens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1824723/liam-messam-ditch-super-rugby-bid-olympic-gold-all-blacks-sevens?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 22 Jun 2015 02:30:30 +0000 Wellington Hurricanes outside back Nehe Milner-Skudder and Canterbury Crusaders hooker Codie Taylor were two of the biggest surprises in Steve Hansen’s extended All Blacks squad named on Sunday. Milner-Skudder and Taylor were joined by Hurricanes lock James Broadhurst, Highlanders fly-half Lima Sopoaga and team-mate Waisake Naholo as the five uncapped players in the 41-man squad as they begin their final preparations for their World Cup defence. Hansen named the extended squad as the All Blacks... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1824496/five-uncapped-players-extended-all-blacks-squad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1824496/five-uncapped-players-extended-all-blacks-squad?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 21 Jun 2015 03:45:00 +0000 Fly-half Lima Sopoaga and winger Waisake Naholo did their chances of an All Blacks call-up no harm as they helped the Otago Highlanders to a 24-14 victory over the Waikato Chiefs in an intense wildcard play-off match in Dunedin on Saturday. The Highlanders, playing their first Super Rugby knockout match at home since 1999, advanced to the semi-finals for the first time in 13 years with the victory. We’ll savour this moment but another big job next week. It was a massive buzz playing in front of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1824446/highlanders-and-brumbies-reach-super-rugby-semi-finals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1824446/highlanders-and-brumbies-reach-super-rugby-semi-finals?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Jun 2015 17:30:00 +0000 The Cape Town-based Stormers say they deserve their place in the Super Rugby play-offs and are capable of beating any team anywhere as they prepare to face the ACT Brumbies in the first knockout round on Saturday. The Stormers earned their play-offs spot when they finished atop the South African conference, although their 45 championship points would only have been enough to place them seventh on the overall table. After New Zealand conference winners the Hurricanes, and Australian defending... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1823525/stormers-good-enough-beat-anyone-anywhere?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1823525/stormers-good-enough-beat-anyone-anywhere?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 20 Jun 2015 15:05:52 +0000 John Kirwan has stood down as coach of the Auckland Blues after failing to bring the desired results to the Super Rugby team, the former All Blacks winger said on Friday. Kirwan, who has also coached Japan and Italy and played 63 tests for the All Blacks, had won about a third of his games while in charge of the Blues, who finished last in the New Zealand conference and 14th overall this year. “People who know me well know that I do not walk away from a challenge and that was what was driving... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1823670/tana-umaga-waiting-wings-john-kirwan-stands-down-coach-struggling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1823670/tana-umaga-waiting-wings-john-kirwan-stands-down-coach-struggling?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Jun 2015 01:15:45 +0000 Christian Lealiifano returns to the scene of his missed conversion nightmare this weekend as Australia's ACT Brumbies bid to stay alive in the Super Rugby play-offs against South Africa's Western Stormers. Lealiifano plays his 100th game for the Brumbies in Cape Town where he missed a potential match-winning conversion in last month's loss to the Stormers. In Saturday's other elimination game, the Otago Highlanders will bank on their home ground dominance to knock out twice champions Waikato... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1823431/lealiifano-and-brumbies-look-bury-last-kick-nightmare-return-cape-town?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1823431/lealiifano-and-brumbies-look-bury-last-kick-nightmare-return-cape-town?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Jun 2015 07:30:30 +0000 New South Wales Waratahs coach Michael Cheika has urged his players to remain firmly focused on their bid to become the first Australian team to win back-to-back Super Rugby titles over the two weeks until the semi-finals. The Waratahs ensured they would skip next week's qualifying round of the play-offs with a 31-5 victory over the Queensland Reds on Saturday to earn second place in the final regular season standings behind the Wellington Hurricanes. We know we’ve got to be prepared because... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1821307/new-south-wales-waratahs-complete-first-step-mission-improbable?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1821307/new-south-wales-waratahs-complete-first-step-mission-improbable?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Jun 2015 02:15:15 +0000 The Canterbury Crusaders bid farewell to All Blacks greats Richie McCaw and Dan Carter on Saturday with a fitting Super Rugby victory that ended the ACT Brumbies’ hopes of winning the Australian conference. The seven-time champions will be missing from next week’s play-off finals for the first time since 2001, but they were too organised and strong for the Brumbies who went down 37-24 in Canberra. Carter, the top points-scorer in international rugby, will transfer to French club Racing Metro... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1820823/crusaders-give-carter-mccaw-winning-send-against-brumbies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1820823/crusaders-give-carter-mccaw-winning-send-against-brumbies?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Jun 2015 10:45:30 +0000 Defending champions New South Wales Waratahs and the ACT Brumbies are chasing maximum points this weekend to lock down a home semi-final and an easier path to this year's Super Rugby final. Both teams are on 47 points heading into the 18th and final round of regular season play with the Australian conference title up for grabs – and with it direct passage to a home semi-final in the play-offs on June 26-27. Runaway leaders Wellington Hurricanes and the second placed team after this weekend will... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1820209/all-play-waratahs-brumbies-battle-home-advantage-play-offs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1820209/all-play-waratahs-brumbies-battle-home-advantage-play-offs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Jun 2015 07:30:30 +0000 Australia coach Michael Cheika said either incumbent Michael Hooper or senior hooker Stephen Moore will lead the Wallabies at this year’s World Cup. Hooper took over the national captaincy last year when Moore suffered a season-ending knee injury in his first test as skipper against France. “It’s a tough call, it’s an important choice, but it’s enjoyable to have to tell someone that he is going to be the captain of Australia,” Cheika said. “We’re comfortable with where we are at around our whole... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1820190/michael-hooper-or-stephen-moore-coach-michael-cheika-make-tough-call?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1820190/michael-hooper-or-stephen-moore-coach-michael-cheika-make-tough-call?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Jun 2015 05:15:45 +0000 The Waikato Chiefs and the New South Wales Waratahs both secured their places in the Super Rugby play-offs after demolishing their respective rivals on Saturday. The Chiefs put in a brilliant defensive effort to keep the Reds try-less at Lang Park in a 24-3 demolition in Brisbane. They also spoiled departing scrum-half Will Genia and former skipper James Horwill's final game in front of home fans. We tried to honour him as best we could. The way he played defence was the way we played... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1817817/dominant-waikato-chiefs-nsw-waratahs-clinch-play-berths?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1817817/dominant-waikato-chiefs-nsw-waratahs-clinch-play-berths?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 06 Jun 2015 17:15:30 +0000 Beauden Barrett's return to Super Rugby on Friday should serve to ease a concern or two for All Blacks coach Steve Hansen about his World Cup selection plans. It will also no doubt trigger another round of one of the most popular debates in New Zealand - who should start at fly-half at the World Cup? Barrett, who will return from a knee injury this weekend, was the early favourite ahead of veteran Dan Carter, Colin Slade and the now injured Aaron Cruden, who is almost certainly out after knee... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1816354/beauden-barrett-or-dan-carter-new-zealands-favourite-debate-heating?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1816354/beauden-barrett-or-dan-carter-new-zealands-favourite-debate-heating?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Jun 2015 04:00:15 +0000 Seven-time champions the Crusaders beat the Hurricanes 35-18 in Super Rugby on Saturday, keeping their slim play-off hopes alive and forcing the top-ranked Hurricanes to sweat for another week on the prospect of a home play-off in New Zealand. All Blacks star Dan Carter returned to fly-half and to form, kicking six goals from seven attempts for 15 points. After playing recently at inside centre, Carter returned to his favoured fly-half role to produce his season's best performance, while the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1812954/dan-carter-scores-15-points-crusaders-keep-slim-play-hopes-alive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1812954/dan-carter-scores-15-points-crusaders-keep-slim-play-hopes-alive?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 May 2015 16:00:15 +0000 The New South Wales Waratahs’ hopes of defending their Super Rugby title suffered a blow with appeals against the suspensions of forwards Will Skelton and Tolu Latu dismissed. The Waratahs appealed a four-week ban to hooker Latu and a two-week sanction for hulking lock Skelton, but their suspensions were upheld in full by a judiciary panel late on Thursday. Latu will miss all three of the Waratahs’ final regular season matches and the first week of the play-offs if the Sydney team... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1812052/blow-waratahs-bans-will-skelton-and-tolu-latu-are-upheld?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1812052/blow-waratahs-bans-will-skelton-and-tolu-latu-are-upheld?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 May 2015 02:45:15 +0000 Reigning World Rugby Player of the Year Brodie Retallick and free-scoring winger Julian Savea have committed to playing in New Zealand until after the 2019 World Cup, New Zealand Rugby (NZR) announced on Wednesday. NZR chief Steve Tew described the retention of 24-year-old Savea and 23-year-old lock Retallick as “very significant” as they look to lock in key All Blacks in the face of a drain of talent to wealthy European clubs. We know our players have choices, so to have them commit long-term... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1810044/brodie-retallick-and-julian-savea-commit-new-zealand-stemming-player?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1810044/brodie-retallick-and-julian-savea-commit-new-zealand-stemming-player?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 May 2015 02:00:45 +0000 Australia’s NSW Waratahs and South Africa’s Western Stormers jumped to the top of their national conferences as the Wellington Hurricanes qualified for the Super Rugby play-offs at the weekend. The Waratahs leapfrogged the ACT Brumbies to lead the Australia conference after a bonus-point 32-22 win over Canterbury Crusaders that put the New Zealand club on the brink of missing out on the finals for the first time in 14 years. The Stormers are the new front-runners in the South Africa conference... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1808442/waratahs-and-stormers-rise-hurricanes-first-clinch-play-spot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1808442/waratahs-and-stormers-rise-hurricanes-first-clinch-play-spot?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 May 2015 05:00:00 +0000 New South Wales Waratahs coach Michael Cheika is preparing his players for nothing short of a battle when they meet the Canterbury Crusaders in a crunch Super Rugby clash at Sydney’s Olympic Stadium on Saturday. A re-match of last year’s Super Rugby final at the same venue, which the Waratahs clinched courtesy of Bernard Foley’s late penalty, the match has major repercussions for the play-off hopes of both teams. The Waratahs are in the sixth and final play-off spot with four rounds of the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1804440/its-going-be-war-zone-waratahs-ready-do-battle-crusaders?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1804440/its-going-be-war-zone-waratahs-ready-do-battle-crusaders?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 May 2015 04:15:15 +0000 New Zealand’s Wellington Hurricanes have opened up a 14-point lead at the top of the Super Rugby standings with a tense win over title rivals Waikato Chiefs at the weekend, while the ACT Brumbies ended a run of defeats. The Hurricanes won their summit battle 22-18 to extend their lead over the two-time champions Chiefs in the New Zealand conference and underlined their claims as the team to beat in this year’s championship. The Brumbies recovered from back-to-back losses to down South Africa's... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1802098/hurricanes-surge-big-lead-after-super-15-triumph-over-chiefs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1802098/hurricanes-surge-big-lead-after-super-15-triumph-over-chiefs?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 May 2015 01:40:10 +0000 The Western Force snapped a 10-match losing streak yesterday to upset defending Super Rugby champions New South Wales Waratahs 18-11 in Perth. The Force held their nerve in a tense finish, despite being a man down for the last 10 minutes when their skipper Matt Hodgson was sin-binned, to register just their second win of a frustrating season. Their only other win was also against the Waratahs in the opening round. Since then, they have lost 10 in a row, while the Waratahs had won seven of their... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1791762/western-force-stun-defending-champions-waratahs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1791762/western-force-stun-defending-champions-waratahs?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2015 18:00:00 +0000 The Melbourne Rebels claimed a season-high sixth victory with a 42-22 Super Rugby win over the Auckland Blues in Melbourne on Friday. Earlier in the evening, the Canterbury Crusaders thrashed the Queensland Reds 58-17 in Christchurch to give legends Richie McCaw and Dan Carter a winning home farewell. The improving Rebels maintained their charge to the play-offs with a bonus-point five-tries-to-three win over the Blues to lie just outside the top six. It was also a record night for Rebels... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1790577/rebels-hit-new-high-crusaders-give-legends-triumphant-home-send?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1790577/rebels-hit-new-high-crusaders-give-legends-triumphant-home-send?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 09 May 2015 04:22:00 +0000 All Blacks stars Richie McCaw and Dan Carter are likely to play their last home matches for the Crusaders when they meet the Queensland Reds at the start of the 13th round of Super Rugby on Friday. It will be the Crusaders' last match in Christchurch in the regular season. They play the Hurricanes at their secondary home ground at Nelson in round 16 and, currently in ninth spot, have little chance of a home play-off. Stranger things have happened. We could have another game back here if we do it... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1788739/richie-mccaw-and-dan-carter-prepare-take-canterbury-crusaders-bows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1788739/richie-mccaw-and-dan-carter-prepare-take-canterbury-crusaders-bows?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 May 2015 16:00:00 +0000 Australia fly-half Quade Cooper has signed a two-year contract to play for French champions Toulon, the club announced on its website on Friday. Capped 52 times by the Wallabies, the 27-year-old Cooper will join his new team-mates during the summer to prepare for the 2015-16 season. In particular he will link up with former Australia playmaker Matt Giteau, who has been instrumental in guiding the French club to this season’s European Rugby Champions Cup final. He [Cooper] is coming to Toulon to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1776057/wallaby-quade-cooper-signs-french-giants-toulon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1776057/wallaby-quade-cooper-signs-french-giants-toulon?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Apr 2015 02:45:30 +0000 All Blacks fly-half Aaron Cruden will likely miss this year’s Rugby World Cup after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a Super Rugby match on Friday. Cruden underwent scans on Monday that confirmed the seriousness of his injury. His Chiefs Super Rugby team said he will see a surgeon on Wednesday to arrange a full knee reconstruction. The surgery is expected to keep the 26-year-old out of rugby for six months, making him unavailable for the World Cup which begins in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1771961/all-blacks-fly-half-aaron-cruden-set-miss-world-cup-cruciate-injury?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1771961/all-blacks-fly-half-aaron-cruden-set-miss-world-cup-cruciate-injury?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Apr 2015 05:00:00 +0000 Defending champions NSW Waratahs discovered the form that has eluded them all season when they shocked the previously unbeaten Wellington Hurricanes 29-24 at Westpac Stadium on Saturday. The loss for the Hurricanes was not enough to knock them off the top of the Super Rugby standings but for the Waratahs it meant a rapid rise from 10th place into the all-important top six. With both sides favouring a running game, the match was an eight-try extravaganza, with both sides securing a four-try bonus... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1769361/waratahs-end-hurricanes-unbeaten-run-keep-play-hopes-alive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1769361/waratahs-end-hurricanes-unbeaten-run-keep-play-hopes-alive?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Apr 2015 08:01:22 +0000 World Cup places will start becoming an important part of the conversation among New Zealand pundits as Super Rugby enters the second half of its season on Friday. The return of Richie McCaw and Dan Carter to the starting side for the Canterbury Crusaders for their clash with the Waikato Chiefs indicates coaches are preparing to shift gears. McCaw and Carter were on the bench last week for the seven-time champions, who were unable to hold off a second-half fightback by the Otago Highlanders as... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1767888/fringe-all-blacks-aim-boost-world-cup-selection-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1767888/fringe-all-blacks-aim-boost-world-cup-selection-hopes?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Apr 2015 02:55:36 +0000 The decision by All Blacks fly-half Colin Slade to head to Europe after the World Cup came with a rider on Tuesday that the exodus of New Zealand players is not yet over. Slade is the 10th All Black so far to announce he is heading offshore at the end of the year after the 27-year-old was offered a deal reportedly worth 660,000 euros (US$698,000) a year to join French club Pau. Still to confirm their post-World Cup futures are Julian Savea, Sam Cane and Ryan Crotty and, coupled with expected... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1766196/all-blacks-talent-drain-hit-home-2016-warns-steve-hansen?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1766196/all-blacks-talent-drain-hit-home-2016-warns-steve-hansen?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2015 07:30:45 +0000 All Blacks fly-half Colin Slade has signed a three-year contract with Pau, who have just won promotion to the Top 14, the club confirmed on Monday. Slade, 27, is considered the fourth-choice fly-half in New Zealand behind Beauden Barrett, Dan Carter and Aaron Cruden. Slade, who has played for the Crusaders for the past year after previously lining up for the Highlanders, joins a club coached by former All Blacks number 10 Simon Mannix. I have given it a lot of thought and considered all my... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1766058/all-blacks-fly-half-colin-slade-signs-french-outfit-pau?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1766058/all-blacks-fly-half-colin-slade-signs-french-outfit-pau?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Apr 2015 02:45:30 +0000 Hong Kong XV v Chiefs Development XV (April 11) HKRFU and Chiefs launch development partnership https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/play-week/article/1764727/videos-hong-kong-front-chiefs-match?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/play-week/article/1764727/videos-hong-kong-front-chiefs-match?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2015 07:45:00 +0000 South African teams rejoiced this weekend with three convincing wins over Australian opposition as New Zealand’s Wellington Hurricanes preserved a six-point lead at the top of Super Rugby. The Hurricanes and Waikato Chiefs had the weekend off with byes as did Australia's Melbourne Rebels with only South Africa's Northern Bulls closing some of the gap with a win. Australia’s top two contenders, the ACT Brumbies and defending champions New South Wales Waratahs, both went down with the Waratahs to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1764606/south-african-teams-blitz-aussies-resting-hurricanes-stay-top?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1764606/south-african-teams-blitz-aussies-resting-hurricanes-stay-top?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 12 Apr 2015 02:42:47 +0000 The Chiefs development team from New Zealand scored twice in the last three minutes to beat the Hong Kong training squad 28-14 in a practice match at Hong Kong Football Club on Saturday. The match was the centrepiece of activities marking the launch of a three-year development partnership announced earlier last week between the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union and the Chiefs Super Rugby franchise. We didn’t know what to expect from the opposition. They are young but they are a professional outfit... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1764444/chiefs-development-side-edge-hong-kong-training-squad?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1764444/chiefs-development-side-edge-hong-kong-training-squad?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2015 17:45:45 +0000 Hong Kong's brightest talent will get the chance to train with Super Rugby side Waikato Chiefs in a new strategic development partnership with the New Zealand team. The Hong Kong Rugby Football Union on Thursday announced the three-year deal, which includes coach and player exchanges and development programmes, community engagement activities and other strategic initiatives. Launching the partnership, a 26-man squad representing the Chiefs' development team arrived in Hong Kong for an eight-day... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1762770/hong-kong-talent-set-train-chiefs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1762770/hong-kong-talent-set-train-chiefs?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2015 14:45:30 +0000 Australia’s ACT Brumbies will look to make ground on inactive Super Rugby leaders Wellington Hurricanes when they take on the Blues in Auckland on Friday. The unbeaten Hurricanes cannot be overtaken at the top of the overall standings this weekend as their nearest rivals Waikato Chiefs also have a bye along with the Melbourne Rebels. The unchanged Canberra-based Brumbies have won on two of their last three visits to Eden Park and prop Scott Sio is expecting a torrid forwards battle with the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1761663/brumbies-chase-points-close-gap-resting-hurricanes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1761663/brumbies-chase-points-close-gap-resting-hurricanes?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 09 Apr 2015 06:15:00 +0000 The ACT Brumbies ground out a 20-3 win over South Africa's Central Cheetahs to stretch their unbeaten Super Rugby home run to 11 games in Canberra on Saturday. The well-drilled Brumbies controlled the rucks and mauls to beat the Cheetahs two tries to one to consolidate their lead at the top of Australia's conference. It was the Brumbies' seventh straight win over the Cheetahs in Canberra and continues their unbeaten run at home from early last season. I thought our defence was really good,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1756408/brumbies-gallop-11-wins-row-home-super-15?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1756408/brumbies-gallop-11-wins-row-home-super-15?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Apr 2015 16:45:30 +0000 All Blacks powerhouse Ma'a Nonu joins select company in Super Rugby over the Easter weekend as leaders Wellington Hurricanes face the Western Stormers, while David Pocock returns to his favoured number seven position for the ACT Brumbies. Nonu will play his 150th Super Rugby game at inside centre for the Hurricanes against the South Africans in Wellington on Friday. He will join two New Zealand hookers - Keven Mealamu and Corey Flynn - and Australian lock Nathan Sharpe in reaching the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1754551/maa-nonu-set-join-super-rugbys-elite-150-club?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1754551/maa-nonu-set-join-super-rugbys-elite-150-club?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2015 15:00:15 +0000 Ulster have signed versatile All Blacks back Charles Piutau on a two-year deal from July next year, the Irish province announced on Wednesday. The 23-year-old, who can play at fullback, wing or centre, has won 14 caps for the All Blacks since making his test debut against France in June 2013 and arrives from Super 15 side Auckland Blues. “It was a difficult decision to leave the Blues and New Zealand rugby as I have really enjoyed my time with them so far,” Piutau told the Ulster... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1753817/ulster-sign-all-black-back-charles-piutau?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1753817/ulster-sign-all-black-back-charles-piutau?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2015 16:00:45 +0000 The Wellington Hurricanes are poised to open up a huge lead in the Super Rugby competition this weekend, despite resting a galaxy of stars when they tackle the struggling Melbourne Rebels. But there is the prospect of a shake-up in the chasing pack. The ACT Brumbies have a bye. There are also intriguing match-ups between the Otago Highlanders and Western Stormers as well as the Northern Bulls and Canterbury Crusaders. The Hurricanes, already two points clear of the non-playing Brumbies and six... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1748016/shake-looms-super-rugby-hurricanes-push-open-gap?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1748016/shake-looms-super-rugby-hurricanes-push-open-gap?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2015 14:31:38 +0000 A Sampie Mastriet try secured the Golden Lions their first win of the season on Friday when they beat the Auckland Blues 13-10 at North Harbour Stadium. In the battle to escape the bottom of the ladder, the Lions' rare win on New Zealand soil left the Blues suffering their fourth consecutive loss, the worst start to a season for the franchise. The Blues dominated possession and led 10-3 at half-time, but in the end they were trumped by the Lions' superior scrum and solid defence. While the Blues... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1732155/sampie-mastriet-scores-golden-lions-beat-auckland-blues-their-first?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1732155/sampie-mastriet-scores-golden-lions-beat-auckland-blues-their-first?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 07 Mar 2015 14:30:00 +0000 High-profile rugby star Karmichael Hunt was banned for six weeks and fined A$30,000 (HK$182,000) by the Queensland Reds following a drug conviction on Thursday in a case that rocked Australian sport. The 28-year-old, a former rugby league international who switched to Super Rugby's Queensland Reds from Australian Rules team Gold Coast Suns this year, pleaded guilty to four charges of cocaine possession. The conviction was not recorded. As well as his club fine, he was stripped of the Reds'... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1730302/karmichael-hunt-suspended-and-fined-queensland-reds-over-cocaine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1730302/karmichael-hunt-suspended-and-fined-queensland-reds-over-cocaine?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2015 13:45:15 +0000 All Blacks Dan Carter and Israel Dagg will miss the Canterbury Crusaders' Super Rugby derby against the Waikato Chiefs on Saturday as the seven-time champions' tough start threatens to worsen. Injuries to fly-half Carter and explosive fullback Dagg, plus New Zealand prop Owen Franks' suspension for striking an opponent, have caused headaches for the Crusaders ahead of the New Zealand derby. The Crusaders dug deep last week to beat the Otago Highlanders and bounce back from their shock... https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1724346/all-blacks-carter-and-dagg-miss-crusaders-chiefs-derby?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/article/1724346/all-blacks-carter-and-dagg-miss-crusaders-chiefs-derby?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2015 06:48:14 +0000