Category: Rugby

Rugby News

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Kitchen magnate finds recipe for Wakefield joy in historic rugby league city

Matt Ellis has transformed the club by spending £10m and they are now contenders to win a first Super League title

Matt Ellis is too young to remember the glory days of the club he has supported all his life and is now the proud custodian of, but he is reminded often enough to concede it serves as his greatest motivation to bankroll one of Super League’s sleeping giants.

For supporters of a certain age, Wakefield Trinity represent one of rugby league’s great names. In the 1960s they were league champions twice and Challenge Cup winners three times – but it is 60 years since they last won a major trophy. For younger fans like Ellis, Wakefield have been associated with one thing: mediocrity.

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Roosters pile on most points since 1935 as Cowboys apologise for their ‘darkest day’

  • Roosters record mammoth 82-12 NRL win in Townsville

  • Points tally is the third-highest in premiership history

Sydney Roosters sent a warning to the rest of the NRL about their premiership credentials with a 82-12 whipping of North Queensland in Townsville, the most points by a winning team in 91 years.

Halfback Sam Walker, in the midst of a multi-million dollar contract negotiation, showed why Roosters supremo Nick Politis wants to keep him at the club for life in a masterclass display.

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Missing the World Cup? The rugby league version will be here soon

There are similarities between the tournaments – three co-hosts, England challenging and diaspora players – but tickets are cheaper and there are half as many matches

Gianni Infantino said the World Cup was like 104 Super Bowls. The men’s event at the Rugby League World Cup will be more like 18 Super League games. Some matches will attract four-figure crowds while others will be played in front of full houses of 50,000. There will be tens of thousands fans visiting rather than millions, but they will have fewer visa issues.

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Waratahs spoil Fijian Drua party to claim third straight Super Rugby Women’s title

  • Fijian Drua 17-34 NSW Waratahs as grand final held in Fiji for first time

  • Tahs forward Faliki Pohiva named player of match

NSW Waratahs have produced a scintillating performance to complete a hat-trick of Super W rugby titles with a 34-17 win over minor premiers Fijian Drua in Ba, Fiji.

The Tahs also secured a record-extending seventh Super W title, with their tighthead prop Faliki Pohiva named player of the final.

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Rugby players seek new lawyers for brain injury cases against governing bodies

  • Richard Boardman was criticised by the managing judge

  • Players want ‘firm with resources and specialist expertise’

Hundreds of former rugby league and rugby union players taking legal action against the game’s governing bodies are now “staring into the precipice”, according to the barrister representing the claimants, Susan Rodway KC.

Richard Boardman, the solicitor who has been the organising force behind the litigation, has requested formally to come off the record after his handling of the case was criticised by the managing judge, Senior Master Cook. The case may now be taken over by Leigh Day, who has been working on it as consultants since February.

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Rugby’s landmark concussion case enters crucial week: the key questions answered

The outcome of this week’s hearings could determine the entire direction of the case – we explain the current state of play

It has been nearly six years since the Guardian first reported that a group of former rugby union players were bringing legal action against the game’s governing authorities because they were enduring brain injuries which they believe were caused by their playing careers. There are now two separate cases, one in rugby league and one in rugby union, involving hundreds of former amateur and professional players.

The two cases are being heard together because they have so many overlapping issues. They are both still in the pre-trial phase, as the legal teams try to agree on exactly what the size, shape and structure of the trials ought to be when they finally start.

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Argentina 24-31 England: Nations Championship rugby – as it happened

England survive a chaotic TMO ending to win in Santiago

4 mins. On the next attack Fin Smith floats a beautiful kick towards Freeman’s wing who soars above Carreras to claim it and score.

Who had four minutes on a fight breaking out? Because immediately after the touchdown there’s some afters that Freeman takes exception to which Chessum runs a full 15 metres towards to get involved with.

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South Africa 43-0 Wales: Nations Championship Rugby – as it happened

South Africa overpowered Wales in Durban thrashing

9 mins. A few minutes are taken up with the setting of a Wales scrum that goes to ground once, then brings a penalty for the Boks against Dillon Lewis for losing his feet under pressure. The lineout for the home team is wasted as Moyo encroaches the lineout too early.

5 mins. The crowd springs to life for the first time as Fassi steps off his left foot, leaving Edwards standing, to run 15 metres into the Wales half. Two phases later, after a strong run from De Allende, Wiese crashes through some poor tackling in the 22 on a short angle to rumble over.

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Schmidt leaves repaired Wallabies with gifts of Canham and Lonergan for Kiss | Daniel Gallan

Australia’s lack of forwards remains a problem, but the departing coach raised the ceiling and left a deeper and more experienced group.

Australia ended the Joe Schmidt era like a struggling restaurant producing one of its finest meals on the night the head chef handed back his keys. Everything came together: the service was sharp, the ingredients were handled with care, but loyal patrons left wondering why the place could not function like this every week.

Italy were swept aside 57-10 in Perth on Saturday. Josh Canham completed a hat-trick as the home side produced the sort of precise, powerful performance that offered a tribute to their departing coach and a reminder of why his spell has been so difficult to judge.

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Farrell rues Ireland errors as All Blacks extend unbeaten streak at Eden Park

  • New Zealand 40-21 Ireland

  • Hosts unbeaten in 32 years at Auckland venue

Andy Farrell rued an error-strewn display after Ireland suffered a 40-21 defeat to New Zealand in round three of the Nations Championship.

The All Blacks scored four first-half tries through Patrick Tuipulotu, Ardie Savea, Will Jordan and Asafo Aumua en route to stretching their remarkable unbeaten run at Eden Park to 53 Tests. Jack Conan crossed for Ireland in a punishing first half before Joe McCarthy and Hugo Keenan went over in an improved second period, with Sam Prendergast slotting all three conversions.

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Wallabies make selection gambles for Italy clash in bid to arrest losing streak

  • Declan Meredith to start again at flyhalf against Italy in Perth

  • Fraser McReight dropped to the bench in favour of Carlo Tizzano

Outgoing Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt is rolling the dice at the exit door, sticking with Declan Meredith at flyhalf and dropping Fraser McReight to the bench in favour of hometown hero Carlo Tizzano.

The Wallabies will be aiming to snap a six-game losing streak when they face world No 10 Italy in Saturday night’s Nations Championship clash in Perth.

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