I didn't mind them not showing it, that was respectful to the player. However they should have mentioned it and wished him all the best.
Hope he recovers, he has been a great servant to Southland & the Highlanders over the years.
Am I right that that test tonight was awful?
Fuck this stupid game
Plus they made the ground all sticky.
"Phoenix till they lose"
Posting 97% bollox, 8% lies and 3.658% genuine opinion.
Genuine opinion: FTFFA
RIP Wilson Whineray, never got to watch him play but always sad to see a former captain pass away
If you get a chance, read his book. Amazing story, more for what he did outside of rugby but his rugby career wasn't bad either.
www.kiwifromthecouch.blogspot.com
Caught the end of the NZ Maori v Canada game this morning. I was getting annoyed every time they called them the Maori All Blacks, but seems the NZRFU rebranded them and the sevens team early this year.
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10810089
That wasn't the main reason for posting, it is this quote from the article
Surely there must be something wrong with the way NZ rugby is run if they need 100 mil a year to run it.
100 mil doesn't seem like much when you look at everything they do and everywhere they go.
All Blacks, age-grade All Blacks, Black Ferns, Sevens, lots and lots of sh*t to take care of, millions of hotel bills and flights, salaries etc etc. 100 mil seems light. Through my work I've seen the equipment storage/distribution set-up, the sheer volume of it is mind-boggling, that one aspect alone opened my eyes to what is involved with NZ rugby at the top level.
They must be doing something right - they've made great strides in player retention over the last 5 - 10 years so salaries must be decent. There were mass player losses after the 2003 and 2007 world cups, but not so last time round. Most of them were re-signed before that world cup kicked off.
Increased tv deals, the AIG deal, more flexible contracts (release clauses, sabbaticals etc) have all been great boosts for NZ rugby.
Brazil has worked hard and achieved similar successes in football now, often keeping their players at home when they used to leave for europe very early.
Having been involved at the RFU for 4 months now I can tell you that what the NZRU achieves is even more mind-boggling. The money and resources behind the game here is unbelievable.
That 100 million probably includes the pay outs to the provinces as well. Think they fund the provinces at $40ish per registered player.
www.kiwifromthecouch.blogspot.com
Having been involved at the RFU for 4 months now I can tell you that what the NZRU achieves is even more mind-boggling. The money and resources behind the game here is unbelievable.
Having been involved at the RFU for 4 months now I can tell you that what the NZRU achieves is even more mind-boggling. The money and resources behind the game here is unbelievable.
Where does the money all come from? TV? Sponsors?
In England? Or New Zealand?
Same answer really, sponsors, gates, tv money, SPARC/Sport UK funding (I assume, though I think this is targeted at 7s)
www.kiwifromthecouch.blogspot.com
Anyone catch the Campbell Live 7s story?
There's going to be some angst about that. Thanks fuck they didn't have cameras following us Saturday night.
2ndBest and I'd be back with the evidence if there was.
Free the Fever 2!!!
Anyone catch the Campbell Live 7s story?
There's going to be some angst about that. Thanks fuck they didn't have cameras following us Saturday night.
Have heard about it. Was it just a secret camera walking around the stadium?
www.kiwifromthecouch.blogspot.com
Pre-game on the waterfront, outside on the concourse, hidden cameras in the stadium and the Courtney afterwards.
Probably not a watch at work thing. Will save it for tonight.
My initial reaction would be, New Zealanders have problem with drinking excessively and behaving like mongs. How is that news or surprising to anyone?
www.kiwifromthecouch.blogspot.com
What gets me, is the amount of police standing there watching it happen. I've experienced and seen a lot of this too, as well as seeing it in the video.
Probably not a watch at work thing. Will save it for tonight.
My initial reaction would be, New Zealanders have problem with drinking excessively and behaving like mongs. How is that news or surprising to anyone?
Probably not a watch at work thing. Will save it for tonight.
My initial reaction would be, New Zealanders have problem with drinking excessively and behaving like mongs. How is that news or surprising to anyone?
There was a crush in aisle 30, day two, that friends made repeated calls to security over. The police and security turned up an HOUR after they first called. They have taken it up with the stadium and police.
Super 15 kicks off again tonight. I can see every one is just buzzing with anticipation.
Chiefs to go back to back.
Wait really? There's like, no coverage of it anywhere.
Wait really? There's like, no coverage of it anywhere.
God the Aussie conference is terrible. The Rebels and Force will likely be the same old, the Waratahs will definitely be tipped to do superbly and then underwhelm, while the Reds and/or Brumbies will make the playoffs then get routed. #AussieOut
Wow, Rebels vs Force as the opener??? Really??? No wonder no-one cares about it.
At least they could have made it Tahs vs Reds with Folau's debut or something else at least mildly interesting.
Yeah was really surprised it was kicking off tonight. Literally hadn't heard a thing about it until I saw it on the sky schedule while was booking in A league.
I only knew because of the 5 reminders sent to me by Picking games, undecided on this year, probably just play the jimungo one whoever that is now under.
Maybe it's because I am in winter and through my snobbery haven't watched any rugby in the UK, but I am excited about the start of Super Rugby. Can't wait to watch the Canes go around next weekend.
www.kiwifromthecouch.blogspot.com
The future of Australian rugby...
Well kudos for that definitely. But he still looks like a knob in the picture above.
Everything you hear out of the Blues this year is what you heard out of the Canes last year. I imagine season will follow similar path.
As an aside, a friend of mine made a very good point last week and its particularly applicable to the Crusaders. These days, you seldom see the big name All Blacks have massive Super Rugby seasons. Your Nonus, Carters, Read know they will be All Blacks and know they need to deliver for the next nine months consistently. Therefore they ease themselves into Super Rugby and their teams suffer. Fring All Blacks and young kids have the most to gain from Super Rugby seasons and thus the teams with the most of those tend to do well. Chiefs with Cruden, TKB, Cane, Retallick. Highlanders with the Smiths, Ellison, Hoeata. Very interesting point and a pretty fair one.
www.kiwifromthecouch.blogspot.com
Everything you hear out of the Blues this year is what you heard out of the Canes last year. I imagine season will follow similar path.
As an aside, a friend of mine made a very good point last week and its particularly applicable to the Crusaders. These days, you seldom see the big name All Blacks have massive Super Rugby seasons. Your Nonus, Carters, Read know they will be All Blacks and know they need to deliver for the next nine months consistently. Therefore they ease themselves into Super Rugby and their teams suffer. Fring All Blacks and young kids have the most to gain from Super Rugby seasons and thus the teams with the most of those tend to do well. Chiefs with Cruden, TKB, Cane, Retallick. Highlanders with the Smiths, Ellison, Hoeata. Very interesting point and a pretty fair one.
Everything you hear out of the Blues this year is what you heard out of the Canes last year. I imagine season will follow similar path.
As an aside, a friend of mine made a very good point last week and its particularly applicable to the Crusaders. These days, you seldom see the big name All Blacks have massive Super Rugby seasons. Your Nonus, Carters, Read know they will be All Blacks and know they need to deliver for the next nine months consistently. Therefore they ease themselves into Super Rugby and their teams suffer. Fring All Blacks and young kids have the most to gain from Super Rugby seasons and thus the teams with the most of those tend to do well. Chiefs with Cruden, TKB, Cane, Retallick. Highlanders with the Smiths, Ellison, Hoeata. Very interesting point and a pretty fair one.
Random question, but does anyone watch club rugby in Welly? Haven't been to a lions/canes game for a couple of years now, but I love watching club rugby. Saw Tawa thrash Upper Hutt at Lyndhurst on Monday. Good game, apart from a bizarre moment where the Tawa first five got in a punch up with the second five.
