The Fiji Times

Rugby coach wasn’t allowed to watch Shield challenge

The Hawke’s Bay rugby coach Mark Ozich didn’t dare look at his phone last Sunday, but he knew a Ranfurly Shield game was brewing. A day after beating Canterbury for the first time in 37 years, Hawke’s Bay found out they’d be challenging Otago for the Shield in Dunedin this weekend. Otago took the shield...

South Africa votes to leave Super Rugby

South Africa has voted to pull its four major franchises from Super Rugby and explore expanding their presence in the European PRO14 competition in a major shift for the game in the country. In a widely expected move, a Special General Meeting of the South African Rugby Union has decided in favour of entering the...

Wallaby forward keen to play at home in Wellington

Wallabies forward Jordan Uelese is up to his 15th week away from his Melbourne home. Life on the road for the Melbourne Rebels player is taking a toll but dreams of playing in front of family in the Bledisloe Cup game in his city of birth keep the 23-year-old positive. The Wallabies are currently in...

Special World Rugby Awards to celebrate rugby’s pandemic heroes and stars of the decade

DUBLIN, 30 SEPTEMBER 2020 (WORLD RUGBY) – A special edition of the World Rugby Awards will take place on 7 December, 2020 to celebrate members of the rugby family who have provided incredible service to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic and players and teams who have starred over the last decade. With the global...

Fiji Rugby Union to conduct drug tests this weekend

SUVA, 30 SEPTEMBER 2020 (FRU)—The Fiji Rugby Union will officially begin conducting drug tests for the remainder of the Skipper Cup competition this weekend. After a series of discussions with World Rugby, the union has been given the green light to sanction players for any use of illegal substances under the World Rugby guidelines. The...

Springboks still uncertain participants for Rugby Championship

JOHANNESBURG, 30 SEPTEMBER 2020 (WORLD RUGBY) – The Springboks are still far from certain starters in the Rugby Championship. World champions South Africa are due to join New Zealand, Australia and Argentina in the tournament due to be played in Australia from November 7 to December 12. But South African director of rugby Rassie Erasmus...

Asia Pacific Dragons rule themselves out of 2021 contention

AUCKLAND, 30 SEPTEMBER 2020 (STUFF NZ) – Strike the Asia Pacific Dragons from the list of possible Pasifika entrants into an expanded Super Rugby Aotearoa competition in 2021. While New Zealand Rugby is closing in on a decision about the 2021 competition, the Dragons insist they only want to be considered from 2022 onwards, and...

Tonga Rugby Union agrees to governance changes

NUKU’ALOFA, 30 SEPTEMBER 2020 (RNZ PACIFIC) – The Tonga Rugby Union has agreed to a new governing arrangement which ensures it will continue to receive critical funding from World Rugby. It comes after the global body had threatened to pull all financial support if the TRU did not sign the agreement by the end of...

More interest for women’s coaching in Fiji

SUVA, 29 SEPTEMBER 2020 (FIJI RUGBY UNION) – One of Fiji Rugby Development Unit’s focus right now is to drive many women as possible into coaching and get them accredited. FRU Development Unit has been successful so far after rolling out World Rugby level 1 women’s coaching course around the country, and seeing a spike...

Wallabies excited for freedom

Three days of managed isolation is set to come to an end for the Wallabies overnight. In New Zealand for two Bledisloe Cup matches next month, the Australian side were going through their mandatory 14-day quarantine in a Christchurch hotel. Pending negative Covid-19 tests on Monday for the entire touring party, they would have the freedom to...

Louisa eyes NZ spot

Fiji secondary schools champion sprinter is running towards becoming the first Fijian to be selected into the New Zealand Black Ferns 7s team. Louisa Tabuilagi has exchanged her track shoes for rugby boots and has been named in the Northland Kauri team that is playing in the Farah Palmer Cup, formerly NZ’s Women’s Provincial Championship....

Tough season for Yasawa

Participating in the Skipper Cup for the first time has been a learning experience not only for the Yasawa rugby players but the executives as well. Yasawa, the only island team in the top flight has lost nine of its ten matches in the competition, recording one draw against fellow strugglers Tailevu. The side is...

Dragons dominate

Fullback Isaia Vuda scored a hat-trick of tries to guide the Saru Dragons to a massive 62-2 victory against the Yasawa Saints in the ‘Maroon State’ Fiji National Rugby League Vodafone Championship at Prince Charles Park in Nadi yesterday. With the win the Dragons team has maintained its place in the top four positions in...

Rennie backs All Blacks’ pleas to be home for Christmas

Wallabies coach Dave Rennie is backing New Zealand pleas to have the All Blacks home by Christmas. A scheduling disagreement is threatening to derail the Rugby Championship that will be staged in Australia. New Zealand officials are unhappy with the last round being played on December 12, a date that won’t allow the All Blacks...

Julian Savea was the world’s best, says Chris Ashton

The Bus may be running on fumes but at his peak he was the best winger in world rugby. That’s the view of former England international Chris Ashton, who admitted in a piece for The XV website that former All Black star Julian Savea left him feeling helpless each time he faced him. “If you...

Nonu answers Toulon SOS and heads back to France

All Blacks great Ma’a Nonu is returning to Toulon to play in France’s Top 14 championship at the age of 38. The double World Cup winner has been recalled to the club as “medical joker” to help cover for injuries to their midfield. A statement from Toulon reads: “In order to compensate for the injuries...

Young Dutch trio forging a path in New Zealand rugby

Three young Dutch women who chose to stay in New Zealand when Covid-19 struck, are striving to make their mark in the Farah Palmer Cup before establishing professional rugby careers. Lisa Egberts and Lynn Koelman hadn’t met before becoming roommates last year in Tauranga, half a world away from their homes in the Netherlands. The...

PM reiterates quarantine rules can’t be changed for All Blacks

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Monday reiterated quarantine rules won’t be changed to allow the All Blacks to have Christmas with their families after the Rugby Championship in Australia. And yet, she gave some hope that the All Blacks (and others) might be with their families for Christmas, telling TVNZ’s Breakfast show it was “possible’’ travel to...

Bole secures New Zealand deal

Yalovata Young Boys captain Josefa Bole from Ovalau has secured a contract in New Zealand and is part of his sevens team that played in the 2020 Marist 7s wants to inspire and motivate his brothers. Captain courageous was given a contract to join the Southland team in New Zealand in the ITM Cup competition....

Dominion Brothers shares one goal

They came from different family backgrounds but share one common goal, that is to play rugby and expose their knowledge in rugby sevens. Yesterday the Suva-based Dominion Brothers won the 2020 Marist 7s tournament under-21 title beating Marist 10-0 in the final. Coach Rokolua Manuapa said his boys deserved the win because they worked hard...

Baber takes note of upcoming reps

The Fiji 7s team head coach Gareth Baber was impressed with some of the players performances in the 2020 Marist 7s tournament in the past three days. As the Welshman keeps a close eye on his training squad participating in the tournament he has also opened the doors to other untapped talents who might have...

Back on top – Tabadamu wins for late manager

A memorable win for the Tabadamu rugby 7s team in the 44th Marist 7s as they dedicated their victory to their former manager the late Leo Naikasau Sr. They defeated a star-studded Police White team 22-19 in the final last night. The former Tabadamu team manager passed away earlier this year at the Nawaka 7s...

Eastern Blues trio rejoin camp

Eastern Blues trio Fiji Bati halfback Penioni Tagituimua, Mesake Kurikitoga and Amini Siga have recovered from injury and will rejoin the Blues camp for game two of the Vanua State of Origin tri-series. Blues coach Vula Dakuitoga said the returning players would boost the sides bid to clamp the series. “Penioni, Mesake and Amini have...

Stallions survive wrath

Home ground advantage helped Nadroga beat Tailevu 23-18 in a close finish in another round of the 2020 Skipper Cup competition at Lawaqa Park in Sigatoka yesterday. The win has kept Nadroga’s hopes of making the cup semi-finals at the end of the season alive. The visitors had taken an 18-11 lead heading into the...

City boys ousts Jetsetters

Defending champion Suva maintained its lead in the Skipper Cup beating a determined Nadi side under the lights by 22-3 at Lawaqa Park. Team manager Nemani Tuifagalele (pictured) said it was a sweet victory as Suva came with a mission to settle the score with the Jetsetters after a close 20-15 win in their first...

Maroons win Lautoka derby

Lautoka defeated Yasawa 26-10 in the Skipper Cup at Churchill Park yesterday with high hopes to maintain its status in the top flight. Both Yasawea and Lautoka were promoted to the major union this year however the transition hasn’t been so rosy for both teams. Yasawa remains winless in the competition recording eight losses and...

Tuisese Jr happy – Hard work pays off for Naitasiri

Naitasiri head coach Ilaitia Tuisese Jr attributed their 25-15 bonus point win over Farebrother holder Namosi to nothing but hard-work and sacrifice. “The boys have put in the effort,” Tuisese said post match at Ratu Cakobau Park yesterday. “They came with the will to win and it’s the hard work and sacrifice that goes into...

PNG league comp hitting business end and hoping for crowds

As Papua New Guniea’s national rugby league competition begins its final series there is a hope that larger crowds will be allowed in the near future. The Digicel Cup heads into the first round of the series this weekend with all six matches, including the grand final scheduled for October, being played in Port Moresby....

Vodafone Cup: Saru Dragons thrash Yasawa Saints

The Saru Dragons team thrashed Yasawa Saints to a score of 62-2 in round six of the Vodafone Cup championships today. Dragons fullback Isoa Vuda scored a hat trick bagging three tries giving them their lead ahead in the first quarter of the match. Jone Raivunaci, Netava Ravokoliwa, Kelemedi Waqa and Samisoni Navatu each had...

Rugby

Namosi ruggers break from training for team bonding exercise