Thursday’s Rugby News has Tom Robertson feeling good, the Pumas feeling good too, a new/old Tahs signing and a Sevens shakeup.
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Robertson: “I’m Legit”
Ever since he was made a Wallaby three weeks ago in Perth, Waratahs prop Tom Robertson has had a spring in his step, telling the Daily Telegraph “You just don’t feel like a fraud anymore when you call yourself a Wallaby”.
The medical student, who has been given the imaginative name ‘Doc’ in the Wallabies camp, continued on. “You’d always say ‘I’m in the squad but I haven’t played yet’.” (We all have that feeling).
“That’s a pretty crap feeling and once you get your cap and you make your debut, you don’t sort of feel like a fraud saying you’re actually a Wallaby. It’s a good feeling but you always want to add more.”
Robertson’s also pretty stoked about playing at Twickenham.
“To come to one of the best grounds in Europe, or the world, is going to be a great feeling if I get out there,” he said. “You hear all the stories from Drew Mitchell and Adam Ashley-Cooper about how good a packed Twickenham is to play at. They just said, you’ve got 80,000 people singing anthems and it’s a good feeling even if it’s not your own with the unbelievable atmosphere.”
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Los Pumas de Londres
Los Pumas are happy to host in London, rugby.com.au says, according to Juan Manuel Leguizamon.
The 33-year-old backrower, now a veteran in the Argie side, is just super pleased that Argentina is able to play with the big boys in the biggest of the big boys’ stadium.
“I would never have imagined we would be where we are when I started playing for the Pumas,” he said. “It’s amazing, the job that our union did, bringing the Jaguares team into Super Rugby, putting the Pumas in the Rugby Championship. I would never have imagined it. We’re very happy to have these opportunities.”
Leguizamon went on: “We are really happy to be here, we love London and England and it’s amazing to be playing at Twickenham again…We are enjoying it and all very happy to be here. It’s a great opportunity to take, and it’s all about enjoying this week.”
If you’re looking for a funny and insightful discussion about why Argentina is playing Australia in London, look no further than the Green and Gold Rugby Show (and the Report Card, of course, linked above).
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Tahs Sign Fitzpatrick
News is filtering in all the way from Waratahs HQ (via rugby.com.au) that the NSW side have signed former player Damien Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick, a hooker currently hooking for the Sydney Rays, is expected to fill in for the departing Tatafu Polota-Nau, and has signed on for two seasons.
Fitzpatrick has 22 Super caps to his name, having made his debut in 2009. He left in 2013 to pursue a career in France, finding a home at Top 14 club Lyon.
The signing of Fitzpatrick probably means no way back in for TPN, as the Waratahs already have two promising hookers in Tolu Latu and Hugh Roach already on the books, although there have been whispers lately that Latu will be retrained as a prop.
Daryl Gibson, head coach of the Tahs, is pleased to have Fitzpatrick in his squad: “Damien returns from France a much improved player,” he said, “he offers leadership potential and I’m sure he can really add to the team…[and] his return increases competition for the hooking spot next season, which will challenge all three players to new heights.”
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Sevens Shakeup
Move over, Super Rugby ‘cos the World Sevens Series is getting the competition restructure you’ve been dying for. To align the main rugby sevens comp with the Olympic structure, from 2016-17 on, there will be gold, silver and bronze medals awarded.
The Cup, Plate, Bowl and Shield competitions are now old news, with teams now split in half after the group stage in the Cup and Challenge Trophy competitions. In other words, the top two teams from each group will go into the medal comp, with gold obviously being the top prize, and the other teams fighting it out for dignity or pride or something like that in the Challenge Trophy.
Now every series will end with the 13th-place play-off, followed by the 9th-place play-off (the Challenge Trophy final), the 5th-place play off, the Bronze medal game (or 3rd-place playoff if you will) and then the Gold medal match.
Other than that, every thing else – number of teams in a leg, points distribution – is the same.
World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont: “This is the first season within the Tokyo 2020 cycle and therefore the timing of these adjustments makes sense. They are designed to enhance fan understanding of the schedule and format, while providing teams with the opportunity to win a medal, as is fitting with an Olympic sport.”
The 2016-17 season of the rugby sevens kicks off in Dubai on 1 December.
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Toothy Memorial
This Saturday, 8 October, the Quirindi Rugby Club in northern New South Wales will play host to the Toothy Tens Rugby Memorial Day in honour of local man, Nick “Toothy” Tooth.
Founded and organised by a bunch of Toothy’s peers, the rugby tournament is a celebration of Nick’s life, after he passed away from sustaining a head injury during a local rugby union match in Quirindi in April 2015. The event will aim to raise funds and awareness of sports-related head injuries and the Westpac Rescue Helicopter Service.
Nick played for the Quirindi Lions since the under 6s, and was a team favourite throughout his time playing for the Shore School, the Eastern Suburbs Colts and premiership winning player for Woollahra Colleagues Rugby Club.
The tournament, now in its second year, will kick off at 10am and run through to the early evening, featuring 16 teams from all around NSW. Other than rugby games, there will also be a live auction where things such as an Enforcer Pro scrum machine, a stud Hereford bull, signed international jerseys and Australian open tickets will be all up for grabs.
For more information, visit this site.
