Latest news with #rugbycommunity
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Catalans ticket update with big Wire following expected in Perpignan
More than 800 tickets have already been sold to Warrington Wolves fans for next weekend's trip to Catalans Dragons (Image: Joe Richardson) WARRINGTON Wolves look set to be backed by a large number of fans for their annual trip to Perpignan next week. The Wire cross the Channel to face Catalans Dragons a week on Saturday – July 12 – in what will be their first trip to France during the summer months since 2019. Advertisement As such, a healthy travelling faithful is set to back them at the Stade Gilbert Brutus, with the club confirming last night that more than 800 tickets had already been snapped up and that an extra allocation is now on sale via the Warrington Wolves website. Supporters will also be pleased to know that away supporters will once again be housed in the corner of the Tribune Puig-Aubert behind the posts. In recent years, Warrington's visits to Perpignan have seen fans dotted around in various areas of the ground including in two temporary stands with limited views, but they will now move back to the usual away section of the stadium. All seats are reserved and it has been stressed by both clubs that supporters must sit in their allocated seat.
Irish Times
27-06-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Matt Williams: It's vital for Australia that the Lions play with style
In a unique twist of fate, the 2025 Lions are playing to save the game in Australia . For the Lions to play an exciting, expansive, courageous game, to inspire lovers of the game in Oz, is more vital for the long-term existence of rugby in Australia than how the Wallabies respond. When the 2025 Lions stepped off the plane in Perth and on to Australian soil for the first time, they were 3,844km from Australia's financial capital, Sydney. That's more than a three-day nonstop drive away. To put that into northern hemisphere proportions, driving to Moscow from Dublin is a mere hop, step and jump of 3,498km. While most of us have far more motivation to go to Sydney than Moscow, it is worth remembering that Australia is smaller than the United States, but not by much. Ireland would fit inside Western Australian alone, about 30 times. It's a big country. And most of it no longer cares about the Wallabies, who were once Australia's team. So, Australian rugby desperately needs this Lions tour. READ MORE Close to the top of a long list of self-harming decisions made by past leaders of Rugby Australia was to cut the Western Force from the Super Rugby competition in 2017. With a vibrant local club competition sitting below the Force and a large rugby community, reinforced by tens of thousands of South African and Zimbabwean migrants, the axing of the Force caught a disbelieving Australian rugby public completely off guard. Perth is a boom town at the centre of a mining industry that is pumping cash into the city on the banks of the Swan river. The mining billionaire Andrew 'Twiggy' Forest stepped in and took control of the Force, supporting them until they were eventually returned to Super Rugby in 2021. Frustratingly, the wasted years have been hard for the Force to overcome. The Lions match represents one of the franchise's biggest days since they were formed in 2006. In front of more than 40 000 fans, the Force players are going to give their all as the rugby world watches on. Joe Schmidt has no plans to do the Lions any favours. Photograph: Zac Goodwin/PA Wire The extended Wallaby squad will also be watching from their base in Newcastle, 180km north of Sydney, where they will play Fiji next week. Only a few of the 36 players in the Wallaby squad will be released to play for the Super franchises against the Lions in the lead-up to games. Joe Schmidt understands that to upset the Lions, he needs every player injury-free. While that has understandably drawn much criticism in Lions HQ, be crystal clear that the Wallabies have a plan that they believe can succeed in ambushing Andy Farrell's side, so they will be giving the tourists absolutely nothing before the Tests. The brilliant performance of the understrength Pumas at Lansdowne Road last Friday was motivated by another bout of disrespectful pregame talk from the northern hemisphere rugby community. In recent seasons, the Pumas have defeated Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Why a Lions team, dominated by players from a mediocre English team, who lost to the Wallabies last November, provided any evidence for the rugby media to speak so disrespectfully of the Pumas before the match was beyond my comprehension. The fact that bookies have the Lions as favourites for the series does not mean that they are an overwhelmingly superior team when compared with the Wallabies. As the Lions' social media marketing campaign reaches new levels of biased spin, what is more galling is that TV commentary continues to suggest to its audience that the combination of four traditional rugby nations playing against one solitary country somehow makes the Lions brave underdogs. Despite all of these failings, Australian rugby needs the great tradition of the Lions more than at any time in its history because the Lions are wonderfully unique. For the next few weeks, the Lions will dominate Australia's sporting media landscape, forcing AFL and rugby league off the back page. The Lions is a concept that should be celebrated, honoured and cherished. The legendary Lions teams of the past created this enormous legacy by playing exquisite rugby. The Lions team led by Martin Johnson won Tests and plenty of admirers. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho JPR Williams's 45-metre drop goal against New Zealand in the fourth Test in 1971 remains one of the game's most astonishing feats of skill under the greatest pressure sport can produce. The incredible achievements of the 1974 and 1997 Lions tours to South Africa did all their talking by their actions. We should all note that in the ocean of media content foaming from the Lions' marketing department, none of the disgraceful behaviour from their 2021 tour of South Africa has made the cut. The game plans and off-field actions from both sets of management on that tour remain a blight on rugby's soul. If the behaviours of the 2021 Lions are repeated on this tour, Australian rugby may be irreparably damaged. The most uplifting aspect of last weekend's match at the Aviva was the attacking mindset that Farrell has placed in his players. Thankfully, the signs that the Lions are attempting to play Ireland's attacking, high-tempo, short-passing, running game seem positive. The creative running rugby that Farrell coaches is vital because the legendary Lions jerseys also carries with it a grave responsibility. One of the most precious missions of every Lions team is to inspire the rugby communities at home and in the country they are touring. The Lions teams captained by Willie John McBride in 1974 and by Martin Johnson in 1997 inspired the rugby world along every step of their journey because of how they played. A vibrant and captivating three-Test contest that captures the hearts of the host nation will go a long way to reviving the game in Australia. As AFL and Rugby League watch on, codes with little or no international aspects to their game, a great Lions series can return the Wallabies to their rightful place in the hearts of Australia's sporting lovers.
Irish Times
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Irish Times
Rugby's 20-minute red card is a dangerous departure that risks devaluing the importance of player safety
'A good sketch is better than a long speech.' So spoke Napoleon Bonaparte, who was probably outlining a battle plan at the time. Those words came to mind following news from World Rugby that the 20-minute red card will now be trialled global. In case you hadn't heard, this refers to instances where a player is red carded but their indiscretion is deemed unintentional. In such cases, the player will still be sent off, but his team will be able to bring on a replacement after 20 minutes. We will see it in operation during the Lions tour . This is no surprise and nobody should be shocked. It has already been in place in southern hemisphere rugby for several years. Reasonable people understand the merits involved when serious foul play borders on the accidental or unavoidable. However, when it consists of slamming a shoulder into an opponent's face, for example, it is debatable whether the 20-minute red card should even be considered. READ MORE Let's think about the emperor's words in today's parlance. It would be very helpful if World Rugby drew us a modern-day sketch. By this, I mean video clips of what we can expect, including straight reds given in the past that would now lead to a replacement being introduced. They will have plenty of examples and could easily splice it together in an informative little movie. Is French club rugby becoming more popular than Ligue 1? Listen | 20:26 Bordeaux seem to represent a rare enough phenomenon; a domestic rugby team growing in both on-field and commercial success. They are the best attended club in France, to the extent they can boast to be more popular than the local football team. We all know of their on-field talent, the likes of Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Damian Penaud and Mathieu Jalibert playing a brand of rugby which is easy on the eye. Of course, with Joey Carbery and Noel McNamara involved, there is Irish interest in the French side as they prepare for Saturday's Champions Cup final. But how has the on-field product built into their off-field success? Is their rise an indication of France's domestic success, as rugby's television rights continues to dwarf those of football's Ligue 1? To what extent can this story be repeated elsewhere?Host Nathan Johns is joined on the podcast by France-based rugby journalist James by John Casey. We did see one clip in the Challenge Cup final. Bath's Sam Underhill smashed head-on-head into Lyon fullback Davit Niniashvili. It was a horrible collision. Unfortunately, referee Hollie Davidson misread it, deeming that a so-called step inside by Niniashvili was sufficient to mitigate to yellow. The referee clearly erred, with a chunk of criticism also to be laid at the door of the TMO, Mike Adamson, who failed to steer Davidson in the direction of a red card. Unsurprisingly, it has been cited. While the right team won, the referee will review her overall performance with a measure of disappointment. We've all been there – it comes with the job. In sniper mode, Underhill had a clear line of sight to the target before he pulled the trigger. He didn't miss. When the global trial kicks off, this high-level foul play will go to the bunker. It's hard to believe that those in high places think this is what the game needs. It is, we are told, designed to punish the player, but not to punish the team or the spectacle. Balancing safety with spectacle is an impossible task. Inevitably, it removes the safety element from its priority position. An extra 10 minutes of bin time cannot possibly have the same deterrent effect as straight reds. Lengthy suspensions and fines for coaches were perhaps alternative options, but turkeys have a habit of not voting for Christmas. The global trial announcement also informs us that referees can issue a straight red if they deem it appropriate. Oh, come on. Pull the other one! The evidence to date simply does not back that up. Referees send everything to the bunker and once it arrives there, it cannot be upgraded to a straight red. Nika Amashukeli shows a yellow card to Tommy Freeman of Northampton Saints (not pictured) during last Saturday's Champions Cup final in Cardiff. Photograph:The minuscule number of straight reds given down south have been for truly heinous acts. Stamping, kicking, eye gouging, head butts and targeting the lower limbs at breakdown will, rightly, still see red. Dangerous collisions to the head, such as Underhill's, are not mentioned, despite being the primary cause of brain injury. Recently, this column outlined an incident in a southern hemisphere fixture. It involved a spear tackle by the Blues' Mark Tele'a on his Reds opponent Tim Ryan. It went to the bunker, so Tele'a was replaced. The judiciary subsequently handed him a paltry three-match ban. If that's what we can expect, then this global trial decision risks being remembered as one of rugby's blackest days. Referee Nika Amashukeli has found himself in many interesting matches. However, last Saturday's Champions Cup final provided him with a new level of difficulty. It was nonstop pressure-cooker stuff and both halves were like chalk and cheese. Bordeaux supporters will rarely have watched their team resort to a kicking game to grind out a win. Having dominated the first half with a blistering display of creative rugby, they found that Northampton had somehow hung in there. They evened things up on the stroke of half-time with a try by the superb Alex Coles. He was then subjected to a defender sliding into him, knees first. It wasn't the worst cheap shot of its kind, but it warranted a penalty. The second half saw a complete switch of tactics. Maxime Lucu and Matthieu Jalibert, kicking well and repeatedly, pinned the Northampton team in their own backyard, while French forward power supplied the only try of the half. This altered approach kept Northampton scoreless after half-time, which was quite some feat. [ Why are so many young Irish rugby players moving to France? Opens in new window ] [ Matt Williams: Decision to abandon men's Sevens programme has shattered the dreams of generations of players Opens in new window ] There are few referees who could have come out of this torrid, attritional affair as well as the Georgian. The TMO, Marius Jonker, was also highly involved, some say too much. There was an unusually high number of critical moments and failing to advise the referee would not have pleased the teams' coaches, who demand microscopic perfection. Having let the players get on with things in a magical first half, Amashukeli became much busier as the match went into dogfight mode. Nobody would contend that every refereeing decision was right as that's never going to happen. But it was a fine performance by the man in the middle, notable for his typical calm assuredness. At least half a dozen of his ilk are needed, but they don't appear to be emerging. So, the European season ends with a deserved French victory – their fifth in succession. Who can halt their Napoleonic march towards a sixth? It won't be easy.
Times
22-05-2025
- Business
- Times
Zinedine who? Bordeaux's rise to rugby-mad city with Europe's biggest crowds
The streets of Bordeaux are prepped to celebrate the fulfilment of a union formed of something old and something new. In the city where French rugby built its first provincial home, a teenaged coalition senses its maiden glory. Merger is a dirty word in rugby. Time and time and place again, attempts to combine teams are viewed as a sacrifice of history. Better to fail alone than succeed together. Not so much in Bordeaux and, because it's a merger, in Bègles. Though the city of wine carries the cachet, her southern suburb is an equal partner in the club with the highest attendances in Europe, on the cusp of success to match. Union Bordeaux Bègles, born in 2006, could become European champions on Saturday. As
Times
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Times
Champ Rugby: second-tier revamps with French-style play-offs
The Championship will be relaunched next season with a new name, a new format and a vision to build English rugby's second tier into a 'credible league' that can ultimately join forces with the Gallagher Premiership in being run by one body. The 14-team league will be known as Champ Rugby, with each season ending in a six-team play-off competition at the top end of the table. The winners will be crowned champions and advance to a play-off against the bottom team in the Premiership to decide whether they win promotion to the top flight. The bottom team in Champ Rugby would go straight down to National League 1, the third tier, with the 13th-placed team facing the team who finish second in National 1
