OPINION: There came a time when Carl Lewis could not run the 100 metres in under ten seconds, when Roger Federer began to sweat like ordinary men and when Viv Richards was no longer the master blaster. And these times feel like heresy. Buildings will fall and the sky will fill with ash and no... Continue Reading →

The Chiefs will host their second Super Rugby final in as many years after somehow managing to turn the tables on the Crusaders in tonight's semifinal in Hamilton. Willed on by a crowd of about 22,000, the home side were on the back foot early in the second half, trailing 9-3 at halftime, only to... Continue Reading →

Todd Blackadder has drawn first blood. Having alleged the Chiefs' tactics of using support runners to knock over opposition defenders is illegal, Crusaders coach Blackadder has fired the opening shot ahead of tomorrow night's Super Rugby semi-final at Waikato Stadium. After sifting through footage of the Chiefs' past performances, Blackadder believes some referees and their... Continue Reading →

For 65 minutes at AMI Stadium on Saturday night Richie McCaw had the best seat in the house for a performance that may just have instilled the Crusaders as Super Rugby title favourites. Certainly after their 38-9 demolition of the Queensland Reds in a one-sided quarter-final, the seven-time champions demonstrated palpably that they possess the... Continue Reading →

WEEK ROUND MATCH HOME AWAY 1 Qualifier A Crusaders Reds 1 Qualifier B Brumbies Cheetahs 2 Semi-Final C Bulls Highest-ranked winner of A and B 3 Semi-Final D Chiefs Other winner of A and B 4 Final E Highest-ranked winner of C and D Other winner of C and D SANZAR will confirm the Super... Continue Reading →

Springbok record-holder Bryan Habana’s provincial career in South Africa came to an end in Cape Town on Saturday evening. He is off to France soon where he will play for Toulon. He made his debut in 2005 and played a total of 118 Vodacom Super Rugby matches (61 for the Vodacom Bulls and 57 for... Continue Reading →

Richie McCaw will be added to the bench for Saturday night's Super Rugby qualifying final against the Queensland Reds, Crusaders coach Todd Blackadder has indicated. Having watched openside flanker McCaw play for his Christchurch club at the weekend after a seven-month break, Blackadder appears satisfied the All Blacks captain will be fit enough to play... Continue Reading →

Round Twenty see's the final round robin games of the 2013 Investec Super Rugby tournament. This Friday the Crusaders take on the Hurricanes at AMI Stadium. Kick-off is at 7.35pm NZ time Crusaders Head Coach Todd Blackadder has named his team to play the Hurricanes making only one change to the starting fifteen that beat... Continue Reading →

No restrictions on game time have been placed on All Blacks skipper Richie McCaw when he returns from his sabbatical on Saturday. McCaw will end his seven-month break when he turns out for his Christchurch club against University at Christchurch Park in the Canterbury Metro competition. The 32-year-old has not played rugby since the All... Continue Reading →

Here come the Crusaders. Tonight's 43-15 win over the Chiefs guaranteed the Crusaders a place in the Super Rugby playoffs but it was ruthless way they ripped apart the defending champions that will have everyone talking this weekend. This bonus-point victory wasn't just a warning shot to the Chiefs, who they may meet again in... Continue Reading →

When: Friday July 5, 7.35pm (NZST) Where: AMI Stadium, Christchurch Referee: Jonathon White (New Zealand) Head-to-head: Played 21, Crusaders 14, Chiefs 7 In Christchurch: Played 6, Crusaders 5, Chiefs 1 Last meeting: Round 15, May 24, 2013: Chiefs beat the Crusaders 28-19 at Waikato Stadium, Hamilton AS FAR as heavyweight Super Rugby rematches go, they... Continue Reading →

The selection of Australia’s third highest capped player, four years after his most recent Test appearance, highlights the Qantas Wallabies side named today ahead of Saturday night’s third and series-deciding game against the British & Irish Lions in Sydney. In gaining selection, George Smith returns for a possible ‘farewell’ Test appearance on Australian soil, after... Continue Reading →

This weekend sees the Crusaders take on the 2012 Investec Super Rugby champions the Chiefs. Crusaders Head Coach Todd Blackadder has named his team making five changes to the starting fifteen that beat the Highlanders last weekend. The forward pack sees Wyatt Crockett, Corey Flynn and Owen Franks return to the front row. Crockett and... Continue Reading →

Two quite contrasting acts put the exclamation points on Kieran Read's 50th test and underlined why the next 50 are as inevitable as night following day, or the hard-nosed Cantab putting team goals before individual glory. Read, in just his second home test as skipper of this new generation All Blacks, was, as the French... Continue Reading →

OPINION: Rugby can be relied on for throwing up innocuous sounding terms which soon take on a controversial bent. A couple of years ago you couldn't get through an interview with a union chief executive without at least one "going forward". There was Graham Henry's infamous "rotation" policy ahead of the 2007 World Cup, and... Continue Reading →

Richie McCaw expects his six-month holiday will empower him to once again appreciate the job of being All Blacks captain. McCaw, who yesterday confirmed he will play his first match of 2013 for his Christchurch club in "three or four weeks", said the New Zealand Rugby Union's decision to grant a sabbatical gave him a... Continue Reading →

THE Kings is dead, long live the King, they say when one man’s departure can’t be too heavily lamented because there has to be celebration for the ascendancy of the new ruler, but in terms of the Sharks’ coaching job, that is bull dust. With respect to Brendan Venter, who I have nothing against and... Continue Reading →

The Springbok team to face Scotland in Nelspruit on Saturday shows five changes, three of them on the bench, from the match-23 which beat Italy in the opening round of the Castle Lager Incoming Series last weekend. The two new players in the starting line-up are scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar, who comes in for the injured... Continue Reading →

The Qantas Wallabies squad for the DHL Australia 2013 Lions tour is: Player Position State Age Appearances Ben Alexander Prop Brumbies 28 48 Adam Ashley-Cooper Fullback-Wing-Midfield NSW Waratahs 29 77 Berrick Barnes Flyhalf/Inside Centre/Fullback NSW Waratahs 27 50 Kurtley Beale Fullback/Flyhalf Melbourne Rebels 24 36 Nick Cummins Wing Western Force 25 6 Dave Dennis Loose... Continue Reading →

Any illusions about the legitimacy of France's challenge or the gap left by the All Blacks most senior players ended at Eden Park. The first test of the season was not a classic, but it was a classic contest as France tore into a series that is now poised for a cracking rematch in Christchurch.... Continue Reading →