Until their 2021 victory in Super Rugby Trans-Tasman, the Auckland Blues were the ugly duckling of New Zealand’s Super Rugby teams. Maybe it’s the fact that for six years, they came dead last in New Zealand conferences despite being from the largest city in the country. Maybe it’s because we are coming up on 21 […]
‘Hunger Games in headgear’: Why cash is flowing out west (and it’s not to do with Twiggy)
It might look like a distant mirage across the Nullarbor Plain for cash-strapped Rugby Australia after having the $20 million smoking ruins of the Melbourne Rebels dropped at the doorstep of Sydney’s Moore Park on the eve of the 2024 Super Rugby competition. But never before has club rugby in Perth been awash with so […]
‘Wealth of knowledge’: The 600km road trip Schmidt took to meet Wallabies stars ahead of Super Rugby launch
Incoming Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt doesn’t officially start until next month, but the New Zealander is already impressing his new players after making a surprise visit to see them on Wednesday morning. With representatives from all five Australian Super Rugby franchises on deck in Auckland for the launch of the 2024 competition, Schmidt went old […]
Can Shane Flanagan’s new ‘magnificent seven’ bring hope to downtrodden Dragons fans?
The recent signing of former Manly winger Christian Tuipulotu brings the Dragons 2024 recruitment drive to an end, and they’ve now filled all 30 of their squad positions. We all know recruitment at the Dragons has been a fraught and haphazard exercise over recent years, with the likes of George Burgess, Zane Musgrave, Josh McGuire, […]
New South Wales to host Western Australia in Marsh Cup final after Vics waste opening batter’s monster innings and Tasmania go out meekly
NSW will host WA in the one-day final after a stunning seven-wicket win over competition pacesetters Victoria. Despite 196 from opener Tom Rogers – the sixth-highest score in domestic one-day history – Victoria’s 311 was not enough on Wednesday at the small North Sydney Oval. After a half-hour rain delay late in the home side’s […]