Rugby

2022 - 9 - 15

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Image courtesy of "New Zealand Herald"

'The reason I stayed': Cocksedge reflects on early rugby hurdles (New Zealand Herald)

Growing up in Okato, a small coastal township in Taranaki, Cocksedge played in a boys team. For the players, coaches and parents of the opposition, seeing a ...

If that's the only time you can fit it in, you have to allow that. Surely you're too small to play rugby' - just a side comment like that," she said. "I think it got to a point where I just held my own. But even as a young player growing up, she refused to let comments from others about her size and gender deter her from playing the game she loved. If that meant she had to play on a boys team, so be it. For the players, coaches and parents of the opposition, seeing a girl take the field wasn't always a welcome sight.

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Image courtesy of "Stuff.co.nz"

How I got the shot: The Rugby World Cup moment that put Michael ... (Stuff.co.nz)

Geoff Dale's photo of All Black (Sir) Michael Jones flying for the try line during the first game of the first Rugby World Cup in 1987 nearly didn't happen.

Jones was in the right place at the right time and so was Dale. He spoke about the fact that he was told if you score a try in your first game you might be a great All Black,” Dale says. It’s of David Lange, Dr Michael Bassett, Roger Douglas and Mike Moore, eating takeaways in Lange’s office after he lost a caucus vote to lead the Labour Party in the 1981 General Election. Before the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, Dale’s daughter, Natalie Stamilla, created a 4.5m bronze sculpture of Jones scoring that first try. “Here’s a Trivial Pursuit question – who scored the first try at the first World Cup? The answer to that question is, it was a penalty try. But instead of returning to New Zealand to shoot the rugby, they found themselves detained and stuck in their hotel room. The All Blacks won 70-6. That first game of the first World Cup was also Jones’ All Black debut. “He (Jones) made a nice speech at the unveiling of the sculpture that my daughter made from my picture. “But the first person to score a try was Michael Jones.” Geoff Dale’s photo of All Black (Sir) Michael Jones flying for the try line during the first game of the first Rugby World Cup in 1987 nearly didn’t happen.

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Image courtesy of "RugbyPass"

Rugby Europe Championship expands as part of major shake-up (RugbyPass)

The Rugby Europe Championship is to expand the number of teams participating as part of an overhauled tournament format.

Rugby Europe CEO Florent Marty said: “The new Rugby Europe Championship is central to our commercial strategy. Rugby Europe Head of Competitions Philippe Tuccelli said: “This new format aims to increase the interest for our top XV-a-side competition on a sporting side by creating more of a spectacle in who wins the annual title with the integration of the new playoff system. “In addition, the pools will be locked with 2 years cycles. On the back or Russia’s suspension, three new countries have been integrated into next year’s competition, which will now include Belgium, Germany, and Poland. “The REC has been expanded from 6 to 8 teams. It will also include a new pool system, with eight teams spreads across two pools.

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Image courtesy of "Rugby World"

Opinion: Aggression without control equals awful rugby - Rugby World (Rugby World)

It's time to change the discourse about aggression in rugby, argues our features editor. Let's celebrate control and berate berserkers.

But at the very elite end, the best players have both the physicality and the game intelligence. However, if we all want to preserve the physical nature of the game, let’s hammer poor technique and talk in a direct fashion. And let’s be clear, your coaches and colleagues are being hindered by you here. But if you don’t have the timing, technique or attitude to do that consistently, and have to fall into a berserker state just to get in the mix, that ain’t good enough. So when a physically dominant player gets the upper hand over and over, great. Fans want the book thrown at the guy.

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