Tuesday’s Rugby News has a new jersey, a new u20s side, an angry QRU boss, and the June series tickets will go on sale tomorrow (but wait, there’s more!).
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New Jersey
The Wallabies have a new jersey. It’s gold and green, and has green piping and junk. It also has a southern cross, symbolising Australia’s position in the southern hemipshere, on the right shoulder.
The new shirts have been shown off one month before the June series.
Jerseys are $160 for men, and $150 for women (expect Mark Latham to mention that in a tweet at 5am tomorrow morning).
You can check out Bernard Foley, Nick Phipps, Sefa Naivalu and Adam Coleman showing off the gear here (WARNING: contains photos of Phipps passing a ball), and a promotional video with Israel Folau boxing a punching bag and getting mad and junk here.
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Changes to u20s
Australian u20s coach Simon Cron has made a bucketload of changes for tonight’s game against Fiji. Despite beating Samoa 43-20 on Saturday, Cron is unhappy.
“We talked after our match against Samoa and thought we blew a number of opportunities through not executing our basic skills,” Cron told rugby.com.au.
“As a squad, we need to continue to up-skill in regards to skill execution and attacking knowledge. Our defensive shapes were taking form against Samoa, but again we can improve of our contact zone.
“We’ve had a good few days on the paddock and I am looking forward to seeing the boys back playing.
“Fiji are strong, explosive athletes and they will be a big physical challenge. They’re a very passionate Rugby nation and it’s a pleasure to have a chance to play against them.”
You can check out the squad here. The most interesting thing is the inclusion of one player – David Puchert – from the Port Macquarie Pirates. Rah!
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Ref Makes Reds Red
QRU boss Richard Barker wants an independent refs panel, whatever that is, according to the Daily Telegraph.
“I’m proud that any fan at Suncorp Stadium got great value from the spectacle but you want them to return, not be talking about the refereeing,” Barker said, who’s talking about the refereeing and not about the board who re-signed Richard Graham.
“It’s time to stop tap dancing around performance when there are such enormous ramifications on crowd appeal and the financial bottom line for all clubs.
“Players, coaches and clubs are held accountable every day and it should be the same for everyone, refs included,” continued Barker, ominously excluding ‘executives who gave Richard Graham another contract’ from that sentence.
“We’re not ref-whingeing. At this level we want a better process and, to me, a panel with one or two non-referees involved has merit because there is a flaw to peers just rating peers in refereeing.”
The report also adds that “Barker said the AFL system should be examined where former Hawthorn coach and premiership player Peter Schwab is national head of umpiring atop four umpire coaches in administration.”
Ah yes, the AFL. Where no one complains about refereeing, no one makes a mountain out of a molehill, and where no one has employed Richard Graham.
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Arvo Ruggers
The upcoming June series will feature a trilogy of 3pm Saturday games, the ARU have announced.
What’s more, tickets are going on sale today (or tomorrow, it’s a bit confusing).
“These afternoon Test matches make it much easier to take the family along, giving our youngest fans the opportunity to watch their Wallabies heroes in action,” Bill Pulver told rugby.com.au.
“During last year’s June Series against England we set new attendance records at Allianz Stadium and AAMI Park and had another very strong crowd at Suncorp Stadium.
“We’re going back to these same venues this year as they’re all purpose-built for Rugby and inspire a tremendous atmosphere not just in the stadiums but across the cities.”
“Arvo Test Rugby” series:
10 June – Melbourne – Fiji
17 June – Sydney – Scotland
24 June – Brisbane – Italy
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