The Fiji Times

Nadroga wary of Suva pack

After three months of restrictions in contact sports, the Nadroga rugby team is reinforcing plans for a good provincial rugby season. Union president Tiko Matawalu said they had planned an exciting season and would try to pick up momentum to substitute the lost time because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Our campaign for the 2020 season...

Fiji, Japan likely to join Six Nations competition

The Flying Fijians rugby team is expected to join the Six Nations competition with Japan as guest teams in an eight-team tournament later in the year once restrictions are lifted. The Fiji Rugby Union chief executive officer John O’Connor sees the opportunity as a breakthrough for Fiji rugby. “We can just confirm that we have...

Ex-Springboks hooker Chiliboy Ralepelle banned for eight years for doping

Former Springboks hooker Chiliboy Ralepelle has been handed an eight-year ban on a doping charge. That effectively ends the career of the 33-year-old who has been a repeat offender. Ralepelle, who captained the Springboks once during a lengthy international career, has the right of appeal but there has been no word whether he will. In...

Dan Carter named alongside Gareth Edwards in rugby ‘Dream Team’

Dan Carter is the third All Blacks great named in former British and Irish Lions coach Ian McGeechan’s ‘Dream Team’. The Blues recruit – who will play for his Canterbury club Southbridge on Saturday – is named in the halves alongside Wales and Lions legend Gareth Edwards – the man McGeechan rates as the greatest...

Rugby: Twins in lockdown, Chiefs rally around young dad

The Chiefs are facing some uphill battles in the new Super Rugby season, but for some young players there are even tougher challenges at home. 20-year-old lock Naitoa Ah Kuoi has welcomed twins during the lockdown, so there was no sidestepping the drills and chores and very little time to put his feet up. But...

All Blacks great Dan Carter to play club rugby for Southbridge on Saturday

He’s yet to take the field for the Blues in Super Rugby Aotearoa but All Blacks great Dan Carter will return for a familiar team this weekend. The new Blues recruit will make the most of the Blues’ bye weekend to travel to Canterbury and turn out for his beloved Southbridge club on Saturday. Carter...

Fiji men’s team finish third in World Sevens Series

THE Fiji men’s sevens rugby team will finish at third place in the 2019/2020 HSBC World Sevens Series after the remaining tournaments has been cancelled. The remaining rounds of the women’s and men’s HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2020 in Langford, London, Paris, Singapore and Hong Kong have been cancelled due to the ongoing and...

New Zealand awarded sevens titles

New Zealand has been awarded the men’s and women’s World Sevens Series titles after World Rugby cancelled the remainder of the season because of the coronavirus outbreak. Tournaments in London, Paris, Singapore and Hong Kong were cancelled on the men’s tour, while the women’s circuit lost rounds in the United States, Paris and Hong Kong....

Eels coaching staff tone down Sivo’s weights sessions

Parramatta Eels and Fiji Bati winger and strong man Maika Sivo has compelled his coaching staff to double down on the amount of weights he lifts at training. “We’ve had to really pull back on his weighs because he’s so big and strong, and he doesn’t carry any body fat,” Eels coach Brad Arthur told...

Former Samoa rugby internationals back local to lead the Manu

APIA, 29 JUNE 2020 (SAMOA OBSERVER)—Former Manu Samoa internationals have thrown their support behind the idea of a local coach leading the team into the next World Cup. Applications to succeed Steve Jackson close today, although the job description states the successful candidate must have a minimum of five years coaching experience at Super Rugby...

All Blacks gaffer Foster and his coaching ticket have salaries cut again

WELLINGTON, 29 JUNE 2020 (NZ HERALD) – All Blacks head coach Ian Foster has revealed he and his management team have taken another pay cut as New Zealand Rugby continue to suffer the impact of the Covid-19 crisis. Foster, who took a pay cut in March, told Martin Devlin on Newstalk ZB that he and...

Jordan double sets up Crusaders win

The Crusaders have fought off a strong Chiefs finish to hold on for an 18-13 Super Rugby Aotearoa win in Christchurch yesterday afternoon. Tries to winger Will Jordan either side of halftime looked to have wrapped up the win for the defending champions, but the Chiefs closed the gap to just five with 10 minutes...

Blues hang tough for narrow win

The Blues have extended their winning run to seven games with a hard-fought 27-24 win over the Highlanders in their Super Rugby Aotearoa match at Eden Park in Auckland. Flanker Dalton Papali’i grabbed a brace for the Blues, who ran in four tries but had to defend desperately in the closing minutes to secure the...

Australia urges Kaiviti Silktails to return to the competition in 2021

The Kaiviti Silktails rugby league team has been urged by the Australian government with support to recommence and reschedule their training program for a comeback in 2021. Australian ambassador to Fiji John Feakes visited the Silktails head office in Lautoka, where he reassured them and urged them to return to the competition next year with...

Rugby World Cup success leaves legacy and support for Tokyo 2020, report says

TOKYO, 28 JUNE 2020 (INSIDE THE GAMES) – A report by EY has shown that the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan was the most economically successful edition of the tournament, creating momentum and a foundation for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Nearly £4.3 billion (US$5.33 billion/€4.75 billion) was generated from the tournament, with £2.3 billion...

Super League to return with August triple header

LONDON (Reuters) – Rugby League’s 12-team Super League will resume on Aug. 2 without spectators and at a single venue, organisers said on Friday. The league, which features 10 clubs from England and one each from France and Canada, was suspended in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “We are in the final stages of...

Nasoko recovers and returns to full training

Kalione Nasoko has recovered and returned to full training with the Fiji 7s team with team mate Paula Dranisinukula to join later. “Kali is good and back in full work now. We have managed him with the medical staff with his rehab, he spent some time at home in the village and on the farm...

All Blacks coach open to cross-code Kangaroos clash

All Blacks coach Ian Foster is open to playing Australia’s rugby league world champion Kangaroos in a 14-a-side hybrid game in December, but his priority remains getting as many test matches as possible for New Zealand this year. The All Blacks and Kangaroos are among the most successful international teams in any sport, dominating their...

Baber content with condition of returning players

Fiji 7s coach Gareth Baber is content with the conditions of returning players as the Fiji 7s players returned to their first team training session today at the HPU Gym in Suva. I think they are in better shape then I possibly thought they were going to be in coming back in,” Baber said. “We...

NZ Rugby cut 25 per cent of staff, consider wage subsidy extension

New Zealand Rugby has laid off 25 per cent of staff and is considering a wage subsidy extension to survive the economic impact of Covid-19. Chief executive Mark Robinson confirmed on Thursday 40 head office staff in Wellington have been made redundant. In May, it was reported New Zealand Rugby was to cut up to...

Rugby

Union forms old players’ association