Friday’s rugby news has a pair of wingers on the comeback trail, SBW looking set for Sevens and the English lamenting player salary rises.
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Sefa primed for return
![SefaNews[1]](https://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/SefaNews1.jpg)
Sefanaia Naivalu will rejoin the Rebels this year with some added bulk, with the 23 year old reportedly working hard in the gym after he suffered a broken leg last season. “He’s put a lot of effort in in the gym and made a significant improvement on his size and leg and upper body strength,” Rebels general manager Baden Stephenson said. “He’ll certainly be a very explosive player when he returns.”
The Rebels have retained 24 players from last year’s squad, which finished 10th. The team has also added some valuable experience in in Reds recruits Wallaby James Hanson and Adam Thomson as well as Irish prop Jamie Hagan and Kiwi Culum Retallick.
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Guildford determined to repay Tahs
Former All Blacks wing Zac Guildford is determined to put his troubled past behind him and make an impact for the Waratahs in 2016. He joined the Waratahs on a 10-month contract after returning to New Zealand earlier this year from Top 14 side Clermont.
Guildford was approached by Daryl Gibson, a former assistant coach at the Crusaders where Guildford was sacked due to disciplinary issues stemming from heavy drinking. The 26 year old winger emphasised that Gibson’s approach was vital to signing, saying, “It showed me that he wanted me to be a part of an organisation, but also that he actually cared about me outside of rugby.
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SBW probable in Wellington 7s
The Wellington Sevens is being built up as the long-awaited Sevens debut of Sonny Bill-Williams, and the tournament’s general manager Steve Dunbar has said that early sales suggest rugby fans are being drawn back to the tournament because of the possible involvement of 15-a-side superstars.
There is some question of the impact that SBW will have on this form of the game though. In previous tournaments this year, Super Rugby stars August Pulu (New Zealand), Henry Speight (Australia), Francois Hougaard and Juan de Jongh (both South Africa) have all struggled to make the impact expected of them as explosive weapons in mainstream rugby.
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Ford warns of rising salaries
Bath head coach Mike Ford has warned that players’ mounting wage demands could ‘create a monster’ — just after the club signed Wales No 8 Talupe Faletau on a big-money deal. Falatau has become the latest high-profile international lured to the Aviva Premiership, following the decision to raise the salary cap by £1.5m over the next two seasons in a bid to compete with the French top 14.
Ford warns that over-extravagance in attempt to keep up with the Top 14 would be damaging to the game.‘The key is that when the money comes in it doesn’t all go into the players’ pockets,’ he said. ‘We need to think about the infrastructure of the sport and the stadium and people working there.’
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