Thursday’s rugby news has the Rebels injury crisis, Pulver criticised, Brett Gosper confirmed for Sydney event and medical concern for school rugby.
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Rebels injuries worsen
The Rebels have suffered a massive setback after it was confirmed that Mike Harris and Colby Fainga’a will return to Melbourne due to injury. Harris and Fainga’a suffered injuries in the 25-19 victory over the Western Force in the first round of the Super Rugby season on Saturday.
Harris suffering a quad strain during the warm up while Fainga’a sustained an elbow strain. The versatile back is expected to miss between ten and twelve weeks while flanker Fainga’a is ruled out for up to six weeks. Rebels new recruit Kotaro Matsushima, along with Culum Retallick and Paul Asquith, will travel to Johannesburg ahead of Round Two against the Bulls.
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Grassroots funding criticised
Brett Papworth, a former Wallaby and current president of Sydney club Eastwood, has made a scathing attack against the ARU for their failure to fund grassroots rugby. The article criticises the top ARU executives who reportedly earn an average of $700k in salaries, while Eastwood are spending $500k in a whole season and consistently winning minor premierships.
While the ARU expenditure last year was $106 million, “the game at grassroots level was handed $4 million,” says Papworth, who goes on to report that Pulver had even said at a NSWRU meeting that if he gave clubs money, they would “piss it up against the wall.” He was also critical of the “pathways” system that diverts money away from the broader funding of all players at club rugby.
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Brett Gosper joins RBN 2016
The next Sydney Rugby Business Network (RBN) meeting is scheduled for Monday 14th March and the guest speaker has been confirmed as World Rugby CEO Brett Gosper. The theme for the talk will be “Rugby World Cup 2015 de-brief and preview of rugby at the Rio Olympics 2016”.
The host for the evening is Bill Calcraft, who played for Manly, NSW and the Wallabies. To attend this event, please register and pay on Eventbrite. The cost is $30, which includes a free beer or wine on entry.
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Doctors to end school rugby
More than 70 doctors and health experts have written to the UK Government calling for a ban on tackling in school rugby games. They warn of a high risk of serious injury among under-18s and said schools should move to touch rugby and non-contact rugby.
“Children are being left exposed to serious and catastrophic risk of injury,” sgnatory Professor Allyson Pollock, with particular weight given to the concerns over repeated concussions. “As a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the UK and Irish governments should ensure the safety of rugby, by removing the contact from the children’s game in schools.”
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