Rugby News from unexpected places

[Antony]

Further to the last thing I posted about Guatemalan rugby, here's a video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=share&v=eVyZW9Xmiw8&app=desktop

It's in spanish, but have a look to see what the state of the game is in a country that has absolutely zero historical association with rugby, and has a GDP of about $13. It actually looks like they have a reasonable set-up.

I met the bloke being interviewed when I was over there. Top guy.

 

[USARugger]

Excerpt from an interview with Mark Cuban from 2010/11:

You played rugby at Indiana University. Tell me a little bit about how rugby affected your college experience.

"It made my college experience. When I got to Indiana I knew maybe three people. I started playing rugby when I got to IU because I wanted to do something physical athletically. Pickup basketball games are fun, but rugby gave me a chance to take out all of my aggressions. I fell in love with it my first practice. What I didn't realize was just how important the rugby community and my teammates would become. The friends I met my freshman year, are still my friends to this day. They have always been there for me , from the bad to the good. And not just my teammates. It still amazes me that because of rugby, I can walk onto any rugby pitch, whether its to pick up a game, practice or just hang out and know I'm among friends. Anywhere in the world."

And then there's this wonderful little taste of college rugby in the United States (I can't honestly say the social side of things have changed..at all): http://deadspin.com/5818693/hey-it-...lery-of-his-debaucherous-college-rugby-years/

 

[Hugh Jarse]

Arkansas State Universisy vs University of Arkansas.
How is this for a "round the houses" dummy?

 

[boyo]

Arkansas State Universisy vs University of Arkansas.
How is this for a "round the houses" dummy?

^^^ As seen on Rugby HQ

 

[exISA]

Update from Germany:

So after 3 games in the last couple of months getting postponed due to oppostitions not having enough players or weather cancelling games, we finally played our first game of the new season and our first game since our 93-7 win in the last game last year.

Our league has combined with the Southern league due to one of the teams pulling out (the team we beat 93-7 ) and we have two new teams to play. One of which we played on the weekend away.

The team we played is called Heusenstamm and it was their 2nd team - the only team in the comp that is a proper 2nd team - all others are single team clubs with the exception of the other new team a combined team of left over players from two 2nd league teams.

We lost 50-27 (half time 17-12) but the score doesnt show how closely fought the game was and was easily the best I have seen my guys play since I got here. THey were up against a really strong team (and club overall) as Heusenstamm is one of Germany's strongest home grown clubs (by that I mean they have developed from within and have a really strong first team) . We gifted them 3 soft tries through either freak occurrences or soft defensive lapses. Plus they had 5 guys who had been part of their first team set up over the years . I didnt tell this to the guys until after the game but they really competed well and were not overawed. We got a bonus point out of it for 4 tries , so despite the disappointment of knowing we could beat them if some errors weren't made , its a good result to get a bonus point away from home - when they have to travel to us , they most likely will be without their first team guys as they will have to bench for them and can't be in two places at once.

We've had 8 new players join , all of whom have picked up the game really quickly , including a guy who played his first game on the weekend scoring a try and not afraid of contact . Another guy is a full back who did 6 months in New Zealand on exchange when he was 15 and played when he was there - hes a natural athlete too , so his skill level was on show on the weekend.

This weekend we play the team that beat us 71-0 before I came, and speaking to Heusenstamm's coach after the game (they drew with them 25 all a few weeks ago) , he said that they didnt have their first team players when they played and that they were at full strength for us because they had heard word around the traps of our improvement ! He also said that he thinks we will beat them this weekend as we play a much more structured and disciplined game . Add to that - we have probably the strongest line up (but still not THE strongest line up overall) on paper since I have come with only two of our "good" players not available - and we have a full squad of 23 available for the game even though its an away game . So really excited this weekend to see how much the improvement has been since a year ago when they lost 71-0 to them and the guys are hungry to play them knowing they have improved .

 

[Bardon]

Sounds like the great work you did last season is carrying over to this season.

How many of the squad that lost 71-0 last season will be in the first 15 for the revenge game at the weekend?

 

[Jagman]

Update from Germany:

So after 3 games in the last couple of months getting postponed due to oppostitions not having enough players or weather cancelling games, we finally played our first game of the new season and our first game since our 93-7 win in the last game last year.

Our league has combined with the Southern league due to one of the teams pulling out (the team we beat 93-7 ) and we have two new teams to play. One of which we played on the weekend away.

The team we played is called Heusenstamm and it was their 2nd team - the only team in the comp that is a proper 2nd team - all others are single team clubs with the exception of the other new team a combined team of left over players from two 2nd league teams.

We lost 50-27 (half time 17-12) but the score doesnt show how closely fought the game was and was easily the best I have seen my guys play since I got here. THey were up against a really strong team (and club overall) as Heusenstamm is one of Germany's strongest home grown clubs (by that I mean they have developed from within and have a really strong first team) . We gifted them 3 soft tries through either freak occurrences or soft defensive lapses. Plus they had 5 guys who had been part of their first team set up over the years . I didnt tell this to the guys until after the game but they really competed well and were not overawed. We got a bonus point out of it for 4 tries , so despite the disappointment of knowing we could beat them if some errors weren't made , its a good result to get a bonus point away from home - when they have to travel to us , they most likely will be without their first team guys as they will have to bench for them and can't be in two places at once.

We've had 8 new players join , all of whom have picked up the game really quickly , including a guy who played his first game on the weekend scoring a try and not afraid of contact . Another guy is a full back who did 6 months in New Zealand on exchange when he was 15 and played when he was there - hes a natural athlete too , so his skill level was on show on the weekend.

This weekend we play the team that beat us 71-0 before I came, and speaking to Heusenstamm's coach after the game (they drew with them 25 all a few weeks ago) , he said that they didnt have their first team players when they played and that they were at full strength for us because they had heard word around the traps of our improvement ! He also said that he thinks we will beat them this weekend as we play a much more structured and disciplined game . Add to that - we have probably the strongest line up (but still not THE strongest line up overall) on paper since I have come with only two of our "good" players not available - and we have a full squad of 23 available for the game even though its an away game . So really excited this weekend to see how much the improvement has been since a year ago when they lost 71-0 to them and the guys are hungry to play them knowing they have improved .

Is that the same Heusenstamm in south east Frankfurt? Have inlaw relatives who live there. They have told me in the past that the local rugby club was popular and I think my nephew played juniors maybe u6. Small world. Is this a Hessen comp? I might move back to Germany one day who knows.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[exISA]

Is that the same Heusenstamm in south east Frankfurt? Have inlaw relatives who live there. They have told me in the past that the local rugby club was popular and I think my nephew played juniors maybe u6. Small world. Is this a Hessen comp? I might move back to Germany one day who knows.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yep thats the one. Its super popular there, hence why they are one of the strongest "home grown " clubs - by that I mean thye don't rely on oveseas players to be strong - like you said - they start from U6's. We play in the Regional League Hessen (was previously Hessen North and Hessen South but this year they have combined the two.

 

[exISA]

Sounds like the great work you did last season is carrying over to this season.

How many of the squad that lost 71-0 last season will be in the first 15 for the revenge game at the weekend?

We lost 5 players from last year - 4 of them were centres so had to really dig deep to get some other guys up to standard for centres. Thankfully its come to fruition.

This weekend - from the guys that played last year there will be 13 starters and 2 on the bench - so total of 15 from the 23 man squad.

PS its funny you say "revenge game" thats exactly what we have been calling it at training this week! "

Auf Deutsch - "Das Rache Spiel!"

 

[Redsfan]

Well, this is interesting. Fijian sevens stars being poached by Sri Lankan clubs:

FIJI Rugby Union cannot compete with the offers received by the Vodafone Fiji 7s players to play in Sri Lanka.
A number of players have left to play rugby in Sri Lanka weakening the extended 7s national squad preparing for the 2014/15 HSBC Sevens World Series.
FRU CEO Radrodro Tabualevu said they were not in a "position presently to compete with moneys that are being offered offshore".
He said matching the $50,000 six-month contracts which was being offered by clubs in Sri Lanka was a "stiff climb".
According to FRU, the 7s contract which will be available for 15 players will be on three tiers.
The bottom tier players will receive a salary of $15,000, the middle tier $17,500 and the top tier $20,000.
Apart from the salaries, each player is paid daily allowances during tournaments, $1000 appearance fee per tournament and cash bonus from Vodafone starting from the plate competition win.
Pio Tuwai, who has taken up a contract in Sri Lanka, and skipper Osea Kolinisau are the only players contracted with FRU.
Tabualevu said coach Ben Ryan had given the names of 11 players who they were negotiating the contract with.
"Sri Lanka at this time, the sort of money they are throwing around, is having an impact on our contract negotiations here," Radrodro said.
"So what was being offered before is probably not enough.
"FRU cannot match offers from overseas. We are working with our consortium partners trying to find a way to secure them."
FRU is not pleased with Tuwai for breaching the contract.
Tabualevu said Tuwai had not advised them of his decision to leave for Sri Lanka as he was bonded under the contract with FRU.
He said they have written to the Sri Lankan Rugby Union advising them of their opposition regarding Tuwai.
"We do not begrudge or hold back players from going to better their lot," Radrodro said.
"All we ask is fairness to FRU. FRU invests a lot of time and money and resources in players. The least we ask that players are open and frank with us.
"Our players are under lot of duress to earn and we do not want to hold them back from earning.
"In fact if we can train our players and get them to earn this lucrative contract elsewhere, that's part of our objective achieved.
"What we do not want is a reputation of our players that they don't value contracts."

 

[qwerty51]

Whilst not good news for Fiji, that's great news for the game that Sri Lanka can afford those payments.

 

[Joeleee]

Hopefully everything works out for the players. I personally know a number of people who have been screwed over going to less than mature teams in a few different sports, especially in places where contracts are difficult to enforce (don't know if Sri Lanka is like that).

 

[Highlander35]

Dunno where else to put it.

Hong Kong and Russia want a second tier World Cup. Not a theoretically bad idea. Implementation potentially a problem.

http://www.scmp.com/sport/rugby/fifteens/article/1640171/irb-urged-set-second-tier-world-cup

 

[MarkJ]

Cyprus' world record winning streak (24 games) has come to an end with a 20-39 loss to Latvia on the weekend

 

[exISA]

Sorry for the late update - we lost the game on the weekend 22-7, whilst that looks like an admirable score compared to last season, it was a bitterly disappointing game as we played one of the worst games I have seen us play - and the guys knew it - it was one that got away. lots of 50/50 passes, impatient play, unnecessary errors , many wrong options not taking a quick tap - then instead of going for the line for a lineout after the opposition had time to re-align back 10 metres, our captain took the ball out of our flyhalfs hands and then decided to tap, run away from his team mates, then throw a 50/50 pass forward in the hands of the opposition which lead to a try, I lost my shit at him ( I can because he has played for 10 years and knows what to do) . Just really uncharactaristic errors from good players."Ball watching" at the breakdown from some players leading to turnovers in key moments. Everyone was basically expecting other players to do the work - they thought they had the game won before it was played and the opposition had wind of our improvement and were fired up for the game.

Score at half time was 17-7 .

Next game is in two weeks - we will be missing some players through injury too so its not looking too good.We'll see how we shape up next week, we have this weekend off and we are doing a video session from the game on the weekend tonight.

 

[papabear]

That bloke sounds like a bit of a hero.

 

[BarneySF]

Not sure that the New York Times qualifies as an "Unexpected Place" anymore for rugby news. Kind of sobering to read stories about the growth of the great game on a world scale, while domestically it seems that news is generally bleak:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/09/s...gby-extends-global-reach.html?ref=sports&_r=0

 

[lpd]

Leading on from that story about rugby in Sri Lanka, I went there on holiday in June and the number of rugby pitches you see especially in Colombo is astounding. Whilst I was there a high school final was being played and there must have been over 10,000 people in the stadium watching, the domestic 7s comp is constantly advertised on t.v., rugby is getting pretty big over there.

 

[Mr Wobbly]

On the subject of rugby in Sri Lanka:

http://melbournerebels.com.au/news/article/rebels-spread-the-rugby-gospel-in-sri-lanka

 

[Lindommer]

Don't know if any gospel-spreading-the-word's needed in Sri Lanka, it's one of the few countries where rugby's the premier football code. Another obscure one's Madagascar. Would that make six countries where rugby's #1?