Boks, Pumas to open ‘Rugby Championship’
8 Nov 2011
The Springboks will play Argentina in their first game of next year’s Rugby Championship, the four-team southern-hemisphere tournament replacing the existing Tri-Nations.
An agreement confirming Argentina’s participation was signed in Auckland recently by the Sanzar Joint Venture partners after several months of negotiations with the Unión Argentina de Rugby (UAR) and the International Rugby Board (IRB).
The new-look tournament has been given a new name and a new fixture line-up with two Tests on each match day. Each participant plays home and away matches against each of the other three participants.
The Boks open their campaign against the Pumas in South Africa on 18 August before taking part in the first Rugby Championship match on the South American continent a week later. The match venues will be announced in due course.
‘The regular participation of Argentina at a higher level is long overdue and we are excited about their inclusion in The Rugby Championship,’ said Sanzar CEO Greg Peters, ‘Playing in the Championship will have significant benefits for Argentinian rugby as a whole and will bring new energy to the jewel in the crown of Sanzar.
‘The Pumas, as they showed at the recent Rugby World Cup, play an exciting and different brand of rugby to the other three teams, which will definitely add a new dimension.’
According to a statement by Sanzar, the new name of the Rugby Championship reflects its claim to be the ultimate contest, featuring teams that are currently ranked first, second, fourth and seventh in the world.
‘The Rugby Championship is an annual contest between the ‘best-of-the-best’ in world rugby – nations who have won six of the seven Rugby World Cups,’ said Peters.
Saru CEO Jurie Roux said he hopes these changes will result in a more balanced tournament. In the past, South Africa has suffered because of travel.
‘This is a significant moment in the history of Southern Hemisphere rugby and marks the launching pad to a dramatically changed landscape. It will add a new flavour and dimension to Sanzar rugby and offers the prospect of promoting rugby in other South American nations.
‘It also ensures a more logical and balanced Championship with fixtures and travel evened out across the region.’
The 2012 Championship will kick-off on 18 August 2012 and conclude on 6 October 2012. A Sanzar delegation will travel to Argentina in November on a fact-finding visit during which it will conduct venue inspections and hold discussions with the UAR, host broadcasters, sponsors and other key stakeholders to ensure the smooth transition from Tri-Nations to The Rugby Championship.
The Rugby Championship fixtures:
18 August 2012: Australia vs New Zealand, South Africa vs Argentina
25 August 2012: New Zealand vs Australia, Argentina vs South Africa
1 September 2012: Travel Bye
8 September 2012: Australia vs South Africa, New Zealand vs Argentina
15 September 2012: Australia vs Argentina, New Zealand vs South Africa
22 September 2012: Travel Bye
29 September 2012: South Africa vs Australia, Argentina vs New Zealand
6 October 2012: South Africa vs New Zealand, Argentina vs Australia
391 Comments
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8 Nov 2011, 16:19 pm
@gr8 white(gr8 white)-244: I know we need more. Doubt we will be getting any for next year. Would have loved to have had Brussow……lol.
8 Nov 2011, 16:21 pm
@grant10(grant10)-249: yip – KD is a 8
8 Nov 2011, 16:22 pm
Okay out of here now.
Cheers everyone.
8 Nov 2011, 16:23 pm
stormers are going to miss F Louw big time….that is a massive,huge loss…..i heard we believed we had Brussow sorted, then let F Louw go…..now we up a creek with no paddle…..Schalk must play at 7…..vermeulen at 8……6 ?????
8 Nov 2011, 16:23 pm
@Puma(Puma)-253: cheers
8 Nov 2011, 16:23 pm
My team for 2012:
15 – F Steyn
14 – JPP
11 – Habana
13 – J Fourie
12 – J de Jongh (vc)
10 – Lambie
9 – Hougaard
8 – Alberts
7 – Burger
6 – Brussouw
5 – F vd Merwe
4 – Bekker (c)
3 – Jannie
2 – Bissy
1 – Beast
16 – Chilliman
17 – CJ vd Linde
18 – Guthro / Spies
19 – J Smith
20 – C McCleod
21 – J div
22 – Aplon
8 Nov 2011, 16:24 pm
Carr is a rare talent….but an 8…..Koster no fetcher an 8…Kolisi a 7….
Fenton wells at 6? At super 15 level?
MMMMM???
8 Nov 2011, 16:25 pm
@grant10(grant10)-254: Schalla can apparently play openside also, I believe.
Isn’t that where our next coach thinks he’s best?
8 Nov 2011, 16:27 pm
@Helen(Helen)-256: ELTON jANTJES AT 10…..GUTHRO TO START AT 1…..BEAST ON BENCH.
i CAN LIVE WITH THE REST
Fark…sorry caps
8 Nov 2011, 16:27 pm
@Helen(Helen)-258: dont remind me!!!
Gotta run
outta here
8 Nov 2011, 16:28 pm
@Nils(Nils)-201:
well how bout you guys split two away games before and after one of your byes for starters? and then even split your long distance travel (meaning those destinations furthest from you) over two of the legs, say maybe the 1st and 3rd legs?
yes this wouldnt be fair but its what we have to do as we’re away before and after our first bye and then we’re traveling long on our first and second legs of the comp.
8 Nov 2011, 16:28 pm
@Puma(Puma)-251: yip sharks are paying a shite load for what they have got already…hence hanging on to pensioners and the likes as they suppliment their package with their pension payouts!…think its gonna be a fraustrating year ahead for us…the Lions might not have as many stars but have a good balance between fforwards and backs…probably tha the best balance of all the SA teams…maybe not the strongest but no weakness like the Stormers with their tight 5 or the sharks with their 9-10 and 12&13.
8 Nov 2011, 16:29 pm
@grant10(grant10)-254: it seems that Kolisi is the flavour of the month in CPT … so Burger will revert to 6 with Kolisi at 7 and Vermeulen at 8. Very unbalanced loose trio.
Better to tell Burger to bugger off then move Vermeulen to 7 and Kolisi to 8 then bring in a proper fetcher, maybe Carr.
8 Nov 2011, 16:35 pm
@grant10(grant10)-259: Lambie at 10 – Jantjie on the bench…me thinks he needs a bit more experience yet…but he’ll be ready in a year or so…Carlos will coach him well! Agree with Guthro…technically a better scrummager than Beast and Beast has not been so good this year…off the pace…celebrity status gone to his head!
8 Nov 2011, 16:39 pm
@Roar my Lions …. Currie Cup Champions 2011(RL)-263: Kolisi is a prospect but still has a far road to go
8 Nov 2011, 16:42 pm
London -The International Rugby Board said on Tuesday it was mulling a change to disciplinary procedures after being prevented from acting upon evidence of serious foul play during last month’s World Cup final.
A statement from the IRB said the body was considering increasing the length of the window in which individuals can be cited following an incident involving France’s Aurelien Rougerie and New Zealand skipper Richie McCaw.
Television footage appeared to show France centre Rougerie raking his hand across McCaw’s face as the All Blacks captain lay trapped on the floor.
However, because the footage only emerged more than 36 hours after the completion of the match, the IRB’s citing commissioner Scott Nowland was unable to act on the evidence.
The IRB said on Tuesday it was now considering increasing the 36-hour window.
“The International Rugby Board can confirm that no action can be taken to initiate a citing case following an alleged act of foul play during the Rugby World Cup 2011 Final on 23 October,” the IRB statement said.
“Mr Nowland has determined that he cannot cite the alleged act of foul play as the footage emerged outside the citing period and he is unable to bring the matter within the exceptional circumstances provisions contained in the Tournament Disciplinary Rules which deal principally with mistaken identity and where further time is required to identify a player who may have committed an act of foul play.
“Both Unions have been advised of the outcome.
“The IRB and Rugby World Cup Limited take all acts of foul play seriously.
“The ongoing review of Regulation 17 governing the disciplinary process will give consideration to Tournament Rules and IRB Regulations to consider either extending the citing periods or widening the remit of the exceptional circumstance provisions to deal with the emergence of evidential materials following the elapse of the citing period.”
when it happens to a kiwi
8 Nov 2011, 16:44 pm
‘Hands off our winning recipe’
Thu, 03 Nov 2011 23:09
As was the case with the player upheavals, the Golden Lions Rugby Union went through some rough times before finding the right coaching combination.
In the past week the hard work of the last two years was rewarded with a number of titles and decorations.
The Lions scooped three categories at the South African Rugby Union’s annual awards ceremony this week, after ending 12 years of heartache when they beat the Sharks (42-16) in the Currie Cup Final last week.
They were named Team of the Year, their coach, John Mitchell, was awarded the Coach of the Year title and their captain, Josh Strauss, was named Currie Cup Premier Division Player of the Year.
It is thus not surprising then that GLRU President Kevin de Klerk plans on jealously guarding his union’s winning combination – especially their coaching staff.
De Klerk, in Part Two of his exclusive and all-encompassing interview with rugby365.com, spoke about the backroom staff that helped turn a near bankrupt entity into one of the country’s most popular outfits. (Read Part One of the interview here!)
De Klerk has made no secret of the fact that he will not easily release head coach Mitchell from the remainder of his contract. And the same goes for the rest of the backroom staff.
“Carlos [Spencer, the backline coach] has been signed on for the same period as [John ] Mitchell [head coach], as well as Wayne Taylor [conditioning coach]… they are with us till the end of 2013, with options to renew,” De Klerk told this website
He added: “Johan Ackermann is also there [as forwards coach].”
Although Mitchell has repeatedly been linked to the Bok job coaching shortlist, the Lions mentor told this website that he was not available.
“I will not apply,” was Mitchell’s forthright answer when we spoke to him about a position to be vacated by Peter de Villiers in December. When asked for a reason, he simply replied: “I’m not prepared to share that.”
Asked about the unbelievable energy created by the coaching team, De Klerk waxed lyrical about his backroom boys.
“That energy has been building, and you could see that flowing over into the spectators last weekend [at the Currie Cup Final].
“It has been a while since we have seen the stadium [Ellis Park] so enthusiastic.”
De Klerk believes the real value of Mitchell was in his management style.
“Plaudits to John [Mitchell], he also surrounded himself with the right people,” the Lions President said.
“Wayne Taylor, the team’s conditioning is from the top drawer.
“I also think here of Carlos Spencer, a quiet, unassuming guy, but he does his job with the minimum of fuss. His [Spencer's] experience helped a lot,” De Klerk said of the 35-Test All Black.
“Our medical team, and Johan Ackermann with the forwards, who all did unbelievable work – it was certainly a collective effort.”
But it was not always smooth sailing, certainly not in the first year, for the now victorious Lions.
Back in mid-2009, just before De Klerk arrived at GLRU headquarters, then coach Eugene Eloff was forcefully removed from the position.
Hans Coetzee, his successor, saw the team suffer a record 10-74 loss to the B&I Lions in his first match and managed to win just seven of their 14 Currie Cup matches, finishing a lowly sixth on the eight-team tournament.
De Klerk admitted that they had to go through the pains of getting the right coaching structures, making a few mistakes along the line – with Hans Coetzee, **** Muir and, finally, Mitchell all taking charge of the team between June 2009 and July the next year.
However, Mitchell, in less than 18 months, has completely transformed the team.
“We used Jake White’s winning ways,” he said of a costly short-term exercise that yielded very little results.
“Then we used Hans Coetzee, who achieved some success,” De Klerk said, adding that Coetzee was thrown in at the deep end and may have lacked the experience required at the time.
“Given, his first game was against the B&I Lions, where we suffered a huge hammering.
“After that I was brought in.
“He [Hans Coetzee] made progress, but with all respect to Hans, he did not have experience at that level and his strength has always been the juniors, where he is back now, and achieving success again,” he said of the Lions team that won the SA Under-19 title last week.
“We realised [back in 2009] we needed the experience of a coach that has been at Super Rugby level… which is where John Mitchell came in.
“However, it was a process that we had to go through.”
De Klerk felt it was worth pausing and recognising the role Coetzee still played within the union’s structures – having ensured the Lions won two of the three most important provincial titles in South Africa; the Currie Cup and U19 competitions.
“Credit to those junior coaches and the value they add to the union,” De Klerk said, adding: “Hans Coetzee’s talent identification over the years has always been outstanding.
“He was involved in schools rugby for years, he knows and understands young players and knows what he must look for.
“Look at the young locks he fetched [from other provinces - Ettienne Oosthuizen, Leopards age-group teams since 2003, and Ruan Botha, Falcons age-group teams - both who were members of the SA U18 High Performance squad in 2010].
“In that regard he has done a great job for us. In fact, I believe that Under-19 team will develop into a great team one day.”
The ‘talent spotting’ doesn’t end there.
The Cronjé brothers, the Sharks halfback pairing of Guy and Ross, will also move to Johannesburg for the 2012 season.
The Lions have also recruited a second set of brothers in scrumhalf Whestley and centre Bradley Moolman, who represented the Leopards and Bulls U21 teams respectively this year. Other signings include more senior players like the Maties duo of lock Stephan Greeff and hooker Callie Visagie (the 2011 Varsity Cup Player of the Tournament), while lock Hendrik Roodt will join from Griquas.
While the Lions’ Under-21 team did not win anything, nor reach the final, De Klerk believes they can be proud of the progress they made in 2011.
“The Under-21s did not do too badly, losing in the semifinals, which is something [reaching the play-offs] which hasn’t happened in years.
“The Bulls [the eventual winners] had the better of us [in the U21 semifinals], with the six Currie Cup players they brought back in.
“You have to keep in mind that our Currie Cup-winning team had players like Elton Jantjies and Jaco Taute, who still qualify to play Under-21… imagine what a difference they could have made to that [junior] team.”
By Jan de Koning
8 Nov 2011, 16:46 pm
@grant10(grant10)-259:
Dude, Schalk has to be our opensider and I’d give Divvy another chance.
It irks me that we’ve lost one of our sons to Saracens. If Smitty is good enough for Saracens, he’s still good enough for the Boks, don’t you think?
8 Nov 2011, 16:46 pm
Now that the dust has settled, I hope what I said about the CC being played during a RWC makes more sense now.
8 Nov 2011, 16:48 pm
@XhosaKid(XhosaKid)-269:
the boks aren’t going to play in the currie cup for the forseeable future.
what is your point?
8 Nov 2011, 16:49 pm
@Gunther(gunther)-270: Its shouldn’t be called the CC its should be called The Recreation Cup, so that history is not distorted
8 Nov 2011, 16:50 pm
whole WC was a bit of a shocker – feel sorry for NZ as they put on a good tournie but to be let down by the officialdom…too much whining and complaining by all about refs!
8 Nov 2011, 16:50 pm
@Gunther(gunther)-266:
Quite right eye gouging is as low as it gets, lets hope these attacks cease once McCaw is knighted.
8 Nov 2011, 16:53 pm
@XhosaKid(XhosaKid)-271:
that’s puerile.
province “won” first few currie cups for playing attractive rugby and then won the next few against griquas.
distorted history lmfao.
go and cry to somebody cares.
you coming across sour like you did after the super 14 final year
8 Nov 2011, 16:53 pm
@gr8 white(gr8 white)-272:
Did you feel sorry for the French in 07′ after Barnesgate?
8 Nov 2011, 16:55 pm
@NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-273:
he won’t get knighted.
not yet anyway.
why do the rules have to change because a transgression against a kiwi has gone unpunished?
8 Nov 2011, 16:55 pm
@Roar my Lions …. Currie Cup Champions 2011(RL)-267: ja ja – you guys deserve it…fantastic turn around…but don’t get ahead of yourself…S15 still to come…you should do better but I don’t expect any SA franchise winning it next year.
8 Nov 2011, 16:59 pm
@Gunther(gunther)-276:
He will absolutely no doubt there, not sure you’ll have to ask the IRB (NZ rugby union)
8 Nov 2011, 17:02 pm
@NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-275: You get me wrong – only you guys where whining after 07…basically most of the sides including yourselves whined after 11…it just puts a sour taste in every ones mouth when the standard of refing is poor…and I’m not just refering to Mr Lawrence… **** happens but when it happens in a number of games and whn all the small unions leave the tournie bitching about the set up…it makes you wonder if it is at all worth it!?
8 Nov 2011, 17:02 pm
@gr8 white(gr8 white)-277: what is good is to see that the Lions are closing the gap off the field too – for far too long other unions have been abusing their equity partners money to screw the Lions and other unions.
8 Nov 2011, 17:02 pm
@NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-278:
thought as much.
8 Nov 2011, 17:04 pm
@Gunther(gunther)-266:
jeezuz!
wow!
wow!
so reechee’s knee to the french scrumhalfs face thus taking him out of the game completely is not in any way foul play?.
wow!
wow!
8 Nov 2011, 17:06 pm
@gr8 white(gr8 white)-279:
what specific reffing are you talking about outside of your 1/4 exit, surely not the Welsh game it was a spear tackle and a red?
8 Nov 2011, 17:06 pm
@Gunther(gunther)-276: check out your boy “burst condom” chilling with the OTHER dude who was caught with his pants down..
birds of a feather
8 Nov 2011, 17:06 pm
@Gunther(gunther)-274: Fact is CC shouldn’t be called CC in a world Cup year. Nor should it be called CC with the new changes.
8 Nov 2011, 17:07 pm
i cant deal with this
i need a stiff drink
i will be back to deal with this.
8 Nov 2011, 17:07 pm
@au revoir mon tout noirs, au revoir…(i_love_u_bakkiesbotha)-282:
Sir Richard captain of the world champion All black side never commits foul play.
8 Nov 2011, 17:08 pm
@XhosaKid(XhosaKid)-271:
ARE YOU STILL ON ABOUT THIS??????????????????//
I thought we set you straight last week??
It ain’t gonna happen chum! Get over it and rather waste your time on another worthless pursuit like regulating initiation ceremonies or training sharks to ask before they bite
8 Nov 2011, 17:09 pm
What bullshhit!!!
Recreation Cup!!! Seriasly!!???
Why don’t we just get them to play the games in the street with a golfball and go for a whole Monte Carlo thing?
8 Nov 2011, 17:10 pm
@Roar my Lions …. Currie Cup Champions 2011(RL)-280: Ja again – there is alot of catching up to do…to think that it was once the richest union in the world??? How things change…but I’m glad they are back…I don’t like any SA side being the butt end of jokes from anybody especialy not a union with a history like TVL/Lions.
8 Nov 2011, 17:10 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-284:
here you go!
http://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/2011/10/31/fikile-mbalula-party-photos#13
8 Nov 2011, 17:11 pm
@NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-287:
No foul play?/??
You mean other than that incident with a particularly cute rooster in the jacuzzi that was quickly swept under the carpet.
8 Nov 2011, 17:13 pm
@NZINCHINA(NZINCHINA)-283: there was a fair amount of whining about it in general – even in the final the french where bitching about illigal tactics and i don’t begrudge the AB’s the cup they where the choice team at the WC but Joubert didn’t have his best day in the centre.
8 Nov 2011, 17:16 pm
Wonder why Pieter Louws contract at WP has not been renewed, think he is a good player very under rated. BUT in saying that dont want him for the Sharks we need quality backs.
8 Nov 2011, 17:27 pm
@Treehugger(Treehugger)-294: As an fugly face Plo did not fit into the whole metrosexual borkeback mould the WP like their players to fall into ……………………………. so if you want you can get Strooli to contract him.
What you say sharkie.
p.s. hows the humidity down there? just do not lick if you know what I mean.
8 Nov 2011, 17:35 pm
@Treehugger(Treehugger)-294:you guys need a fetcher, keegan is kakker than stegmann @ playing towards the ball.
8 Nov 2011, 17:36 pm
You would have sworn that these Lions had just won the S15, TriNations and World Cup all in one season…. not just some arbitory no name cup that no-one gives jacksherbet about and than your real die hard that doesnt have a life.
8 Nov 2011, 17:43 pm
@Bod(bod)-297: allow them their little moment in the sun…it was a long hard and bitterly cold winter and reality is going to come rushing back come Feb! But in the mean time…hey whats the harm?
8 Nov 2011, 17:46 pm
To elaborate in levels of importance from bottom up:
Vodacom Cup
Currie Cup
Stellies Koshuis Cup
Grand Challenge
Varsity Shield
S15
TN
WC
As a matter of interest, does anyone remember who won the Vodacom cup this year? In two months time everyone will be asking the same question about the Currie Cup
8 Nov 2011, 17:46 pm
@Transformation(Transformation)-296: Ja KD is no fetcher but he makes up for that is so many other rolls…Steggman just sucks!
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