Wednesday’s Rugby News sees Lions tour rules tweaks, Slipper’s career on track to outlast Rupert Murdoch’s, the new dumbest thing people are doing you’ve ever heard of, The Gatland Gun abseils from a helicopter into Val Verde and, stop the press, an All Black gets easy treatment from the officials.
Lions Tour: golden point on the cards, 20 min red card to be used
The SMH reports that Rugby Australia and the British and Irish Lions have agreed to use the 20-minute red card in their upcoming June, July and August Test series and, to prevent a repeat of the anti-climactic drawn Lions-All Blacks series in 2017, RA are also pushing for golden point to ensure a winner.
World Rugby announced it would extend the trial of the 20-minute red card to all elite global competitions after 1 August and RA and the Lions agreed to use the same foul play processes in the Lions tour. In the second Test of Lions’ tour of New Zealand in 2017, erudite philosopher Sonny Bill Williams was red-carded in the 25th minute for a shoulder charge. The Lions won 24-21.
The 2017 series has also been a factor in RA urging Lions management for this year’s series to have golden point extra time, to ensure a winner. The 2017 third Test saw the All Blacks and Lions play out a 15-15 draw, and the stony-faced captains both held up the trophy in a tied series.
RA boss and second-best openside of his era, Phil Waugh, revealed the potential rule tweaks. “We’ve had some really constructive conversations,” Waugh said. “That’s got to go to the Lions board around whether it’s a drawn series, or you decide it through golden point or extra time.”
Super Rugby introduced ‘Super Point’ this year, where teams play an extra 10 minutes of golden point time, with any score immediately deciding the winner before a draw is declared. The Waratahs scored a 90th-minute match-winner in Perth at the weekend.
Waugh said: “Our preference, if we put the fans at the centre of everything we’re doing, I think that the familiarity that everyone has with ‘Super Point’ and the interest for that in our market is a good guide. Obviously, we will be making sure both parties agree. Also, Sully from G&GR really loves golden point” , Waugh didn’t add.
Slipper on track to become most-capped Super Rugby player
Long-form podcaster Nick Wasiliev reports that James Slipper is close to becoming the most-capped Super Rugby player of all time in 2026, being only seven caps off the all-time record of 202, set by fellow prop Wyatt Crockett of the Crusaders.
Slipper is already the most-capped Wallaby of all time and became the most-capped Australian SR player in 2024. James Slipper has signed a one year extension with the ACT Brumbies for his eighth season with the Donkeys, which should help things along. Should Slipper pick up nine more caps for the Brumbies, he’ll also become the 15th player to earn 100 caps for the ACT franchise.
The Canberra Century, not to be confused with spending a few days in Canberra, would make Slipper the first player in the history of the competition to earn 100 caps for two separate clubs following his 104 caps for the Queensland Reds.
NZ Teen dies from tackle game
According to this ABC report, NZ police say a 19-year-old man has died after suffering head injuries while playing a game with friends based on ‘Run it Straight’, the latest stupid thing after you thought ‘slap fighting’ was the worst.
Ryan Satterthwaite, from Palmerston North on New Zealand’s North Island, suffered a serious head injury when tackled, and was taken to hospital by his friends. “Tragically, he passed away in hospital on Monday night,” Inspector Ross Grantham said.
Stuff.co.nz has put up this piece to assist those of us wondering what this nonsense is about. Called the RUNIT championship league, the sport made its debut in Auckland last week, with NZ $20,000 ($76.31 AuD) on the line to whoever wins.
Opposing individuals – a ball runner and a tackler – stand at each end of a 20m x 4m field then run full speed at each other with the goal of trying to bowl each other over. The RUNIT website lauds it as the “fiercest, new collision sport. Born to go viral, built to break limits, it has taken social media by storm with tens of millions of views. RUNIT is fast, intense, and raw. It rewards strength and grit. Designed for live crowds and global broadcasts, RUNIT delivers real athletes and the biggest collisions.”
New Zealand Rugby said they have no association with the event, which they “believe carry significant risk of serious injury.” CTE expert, Dr Helen Murray was quoted saying exactly what you’d expect about this.
The competition has been defended by former rugby league player George Burgess, who had over 150 NRL appearances and 15 caps for England before his retirement from rugby league in 2022. “As there is [risk] in the UFC, rugby league, union, any sport. We’re not different here, but we will be going to the best measures to make sure the players are protected and prepared,” Burgess told the NZ Herald. “We’re not getting anyone in off the street, we’re vetting the athletes… They’re athletes that know what they’re doing, they know how to hit and how to protect themselves. That’s a part of my role… to make sure each competitor is briefed with the target zone when they’re tackling, and also when they’re running, how to protect themselves.”
Right.
Warran Gatland’s South American Junta
The BBC reports that ex-Wales coach, Warren Gatland, has taken up an advisory role in Uruguayan rugby three months after ending his second spell as Wales head coach. The 61-year-old New Zealander will join Uruguay‘s professional club side Penarol for the Super Rugby Americas (SRA) play-off finals. Penarol provide the majority of the players in the Uruguay national side, although non-name-brand paracetamol tablets are apparently just as effective.
Reports from South America say Gatland will also contribute to Uruguay’s bid to reach the Rugby World Cup, with a qualifier against Paraguay in August before potentially playing either Chile or Brazil for a place at the 2027 tournament in Australia.
Ethan De Groot headbutt gets SFA
PlanetRugby reports that All Blacks prop Ethan de Groot will be available for the Highlanders’ final Super Rugby Pacific game of the season after escaping a citing for an incident at the weekend. The loosehead, who has become a key part of the national squad, appeared to headbutt Crusaders lock Jamie Hannah (as seen in this video) during his side’s 15-12 defeat on Friday.
In the first half, De Groot cleared out the second-row before then launching his melon into the defenceless Hannah while on the ground. It was not picked up by the television match official at the time and he has not been cited for it either, with SR revealing on Monday that no incidents have been referred to the disciplinary panel, with the citing commissioner deciding that it did not meet the red card threshold.
If the All Blacks prop had been banned then he would have missed the Highlanders’ final SR clash and a part of their mid-year series with France. A four-match suspension would have ruled the loosehead out of all three Tests, but Scott Robertson will now have him available for the July internationals. Earlier this week, a robed, grey-bearded, figure from NZ Rugby was seen leaving the citing commissioner’s office. When challenged by G&GR’s reporter on the scene he waved his hand and replied “You don’t need to see my identification….move along“.
