Wednesday’s Rugby News sees the Reds deal with adversity, better people making better All Blacks, Cheika potentially kept away from the Wallabies and the post-protest Wallaroos’ funding improvements.
Paisami suspended, Campbell injured, Reds heroically endure
Pravda reports that Reds and Wallabies centre Hunter Paisami will miss up to three games of Super Rugby Pacific after his Round 2 citation was upheld.
Paisami, 26, avoided on-field sanction for a tackle on Moana Pasifika centre Lalomilo Lalomilo in the 30th minute of Queensland’s 56-36 victory last Friday but was referred to the Super Rugby Pacific Foul Play Review Committee (FKUPS).
“The FKUPS upheld the citing issued to Paisami and determined the mid-range entry point of six weeks/matches was appropriate,” their statement reads. “In light of the player accepting he committed an act of foul play as well as mitigating factors such as an exemplary disciplinary record, the FKUPS applied the full 50 per cent reduction in sanction.”
Paisami has been given permission to apply to take part in World Rugby’s Coaching Intervention Programme as a substitute for the final match of the sanction, meaning he could potentially return for the Saturday, 15 March lightly-opposed training run between Queensland and New South Wales.
Teenager ‘Doctor’ Dre Pakeho shapes the likeliest to partner Josh ‘he’s no’ Flook in the midfield this week against the Force, though Reds coach Les Kiss will consider Filipo Daugunu and Lachie ‘my name is Neo!’ Anderson as centre options.
“It’s unfortunate for us. We certainly feel for Hunter … we asked for an extension about how we could approach this because we were keen to protect the situation and fight it,” Kiss told reporters on Tuesday. “However time pressures get on top of you and we probably didn’t want to take the risk and go further with it.”
Kiss also confirmed four-cap Wallaby Jock Campbell was unavailable for selection this weekend following an injury to his right wrist/forearm against Moana Pasifika. Campbell, 29, is consulting specialists this week; however, it’s understood Queensland could miss him for both away fixtures against the Force and Crusaders.
All Black & Blue Caleb Clarke ‘apologetic and embarrassed’ over driving (riding) offence
PlanetRugby reports that Caleb Clarke has issued an apology after admitting that he drove (rode) dangerously and failed to stop for the squiggly-tails.
Clarke’s case was heard in the Auckland Dustruct Court on Monday but he was excused from attending. “Last year I made an error of judgement while riding my motorbike in Auckland,” read a statement released on behalf of Clarke. “I’ve taken full responsibility for my actions and have entered a guilty plea today.” “I’m extremely apologetic and embarrassed. The court and employment processes are ongoing and I am now going to focus fully on my rugby.”
However, according to The New Zealand Herald, that statement was later retracted by the Blues and a new statement was issued which read: “Blues winger Caleb Clarke has been charged with failing to stop and dangerous driving while riding his motorcycle in Auckland late last year. Caleb has admitted the offending and will be sentenced in June. He will now go through both that court process and, once it is complete, an internal employment procedure.”
According to court documents, Clarke was on State Highway 16 in the Mount Albert suburb in Auckland on 3 December when his riding attracted the attention of police. Wucked stunt hey bro!
Michael Cheika now favourite to take on Wales job
RugbyPass reports that Michael Cheika has emerged as the clear favourite to become the next Wales coach when his contract with Leicester Tigers runs out at the end of the season. The Welsh Rugby Union are looking for a new boss after ending Warren Gatland’s two-year reign earlier this month, following a 14th successive defeat (against Italy).
Caretaker boss and name-rhymer, Matt Sherratt, who oversaw a 16th defeat (against Ireland) at the weekend, has ruled himself out of taking the job on a permanent basis (that bad huh?) and will return to his post at Cardiff. Cheika took advantage of the Tigers’ Premiership Cup exit to return to Australia and was spotted having lunch with Rugby Australia boss Phil Waugh at a Sydney restaurant, sparking speculation that he could return to his old job.
But that has since been played down, with former London Irish boss (and best bit in the film Wild Things) Les Kiss, now in charge of Queensland Reds, seen as the clear favourite when Joe Schmidt stands down at the end of the Rugby Championship in October. Most of us at G&GR wish Michael Cheika all the best in securing a nice long contract coaching Wales.
How the Wallaroos won a better deal
The Sydney Morning Herald has given this recap and update of the Wallaroos’ protest for better conditions 18 months ago. Through coordinated social media posts, the players called out the governing body for what they said was a lack of funding for the women’s game. In August 2023, Wallaroos players were critical of the lack of full-time contracts and a full-time coach as Jay Tregonning juggled his role as a teacher with coaching the team part-time.
The Wallaroos protested after it was revealed that some partners of Wallabies players had been flown to Sydney at the expense of RA to farewell the team before the World Cup in France. Speaking at the launch of Super W 2025, the gifted Waratah, Piper Duck, said the protest was “something that needed to be done at the time”, and she believes the increased investment and support now gives the team a genuine chance to compete at the World Cup.
There are now 45 women’s players contracted across three performance tiers, with players in the highest bracket being able to earn up to (still not great) $72,458, in addition to their Super W club payments. The majority of Wallaroos can now compete and train as full-time athletes, although some players still work part-time by choice (yeah, that $72 grand thing again….).
One year ago, RA appointed the first full-time Wallaroos coach, former England captain Jo Yapp, who led the team to victory in the WXV 2 competition in October and qualified for the World Cup.
Some of Australia’s best Sevens players have signed up for their chance to play in the (15s) World Cup in England, including world-class talents such as Maddison Levi and Charlotte Caslick. Caslick and Levi have signed up with the Queensland Reds for the Super W competition, but will also play Sevens for Australia.
Levi is recovering from a thumb injury and hopes to return to play in the Hong Kong and Singapore Sevens tournaments in March and April, which would rule her out of Super W ahead of the World Cup. Levi hasn’t played a game of elite 15-a-side rugby, but Yapp said a lack of Super W rugby would not necessarily preclude the current women’s Sevens player of the year from being in the selection mix.
“No, it doesn’t rule her out,” Yapp said. “We just have to find other ways and means of seeing what opportunities we can find to give herself a chance.”
The Wallaroos will travel to take on Fiji in May ahead of the World Cup and the Waratahs take on the Fijian Drua next Friday in the first game of Super W. The Fiji Rugby Union recently sacked former women’s captain Laijipa Naulivou as director of rugby after she said the women’s game had a “gay problem”. (Noting that none of the Super W players seem to fancy today’s news editor, Naulivou could be onto something.)
