By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Paul_Hesketh]Paul Hesketh
The Rugby World Cup 2011 starts on the 9 September until the 23 October 2011. The following article is an outline of the teams that will be featuring from pool C.
Australia - The Wallabies
Australia are currently ranked second in the IRB World Rankings, they are commonly known as the Wallabies, without question they are a team steeped in history and success. Australia have competed in all six Rugby World Cups, having appeared in the final three times, winning the World Cup on two occasions, in 1991 against England, and in 1999 against France; only South Africa have won the World Cup twice since the inaugural tournament. At the 2007 World Cup Australia crashed out of the competition at the quarter-final stage, this significant early round exit has led many to describe it as Australia's worst ever World Cup performance. The years since have seen the team rebuild with youth at its core; when the 2011 World Cup begins Australia will be ready with a squad that is youthful and experienced. Australia too many will be potential winners, being a southern hemisphere team the conditions are favourable, the squad strong and crowd support will be plenty, all factors that the wallabies will feed off. Star player: Matthew Giteau, Head Coach: Robbie Deans
Italy- Azzurri
Italy has competed at every Rugby World Cup except one since the tournament was first held in Australia and New Zealand in 1987; the furthest progress to date is only to the quarter finals. In an heartland of football fandom, rugby very much holds its own in this sports mad nation; strong recent performances in the six nations including Italy's first competitive win against France have given the Azzurri hope of a very good tournament. In the 2011 six nations winger Andrea Masi was named player of the tournament, the first time an Italian has won such an award. Italy's hope of getting out of the group stages relay heavily on getting a result against Ireland or Australia, both on paper stronger teams who should qualify ahead of them. That said the Italian side is going in the right direction, the win against France could ultimately prove a watershed moment for the Azzurri and there supporters. Star Player: Andrea Masi,Head Coach: Nick Mallett
Russia - The Bears
Russia will compete in their first Rugby World Cup in New Zealand 2011, a long wait for a team that has played the sport since 1936 predominantly under the USSR flag. Since March 2010, however, Russia's form has improved greatly, being placed 18th in the world rankings, above Romania and coming behind the USA. Group C is a very tough group for Russia to progress from, realistically Russia will be aiming to beat the United States and not pick up the group wooden spoon. Like all under dogs the Bears will be an unknown quantity that other teams will do well to not underestimate, something they will hope to exploit come kick off. Star Player: Andrei Ostriko, Head Coach: Nikolay Nerush
United States - The Eagles
The United States has competed at every Rugby World Cup except one since the tournament was first held; this record is only marked with two World cup victories so far. The United States has a fantastic history of rugby heritage in a land of great sporting diversity but with little international success to date. While the United States like Russia is a super power, the United States rugby team is not, group C will prove exceptionally tough for the Eagles to progress from. However the United States does now boast players from some of the top leagues in the world, a sign of progression and growing belief that the Eagles have what it takes to move up a level and start to compete against some of the more established teams. Star player Chris Wyles, Head coach Eddie O'Sullivan
Ireland - Men in Green
Ireland have competed at every Rugby World Cup since the tournament was first held, only progressing to the quarter-final stages to date. The 2007 World Cup was one to forget for the Irish, a tough group of death meant Ireland didn't progress out of this stage, the first time this had happened to the team. Ireland has since won the 2009 Six Nations Grand Slam, having achieved this feat for the first time since 1948; it's a massive boost for this rugby mad nation and gives hope of a great World Cup ahead. In current captain Brian O'Driscoll, Ireland's all-time leader in both tries and appearances, the men in green boast a player considered one of the best in the world. If the players in the rel=nofollow [http://www.cottontraders.co.uk/ireland-rugby-shirt-long-sleeve-classic/invt/ae90004/]Ireland Rugby shirt click and O'Driscoll stays fit, the Irish should comfortably make it out of the group stage; a favorable quarter-final draw may even see them make the semi finals for the first time in their history. Star player Brian O'Driscoll, Head coach Declan Kidney.
The first match of pool C is on the 11 September 2011 15:30
Australia v Italy- North Harbour Stadium, Auckland
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Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Rugby-World-Cup-Teams---Pool-C&id=6280099] Rugby World Cup Teams - Pool C
Monday, January 30, 2012
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Rugby World Cup Teams - Pool D
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Paul_Hesketh]Paul Hesketh
The Rugby World Cup 2011 starts on the 9 September until the 23 October 2011. The following article is an outline of the teams that will be featuring from pool D.
South Africa- Springboks
The South African rugby team is the current holder of the Rugby World Cup, beating England 15 -6 to lift the Webb Ellis Cup for a record equaling second time in 2007. Since the last World Cup the Springboks results range from all time highs to some indifferent results, they are however still one of the best teams on the planet. The South African team is renowned for scrummaging aggressively with a high level of technical excellence, a ball-in-hand style that often works very well against opponents. Expect a traditional high-pressure, attritional game plan at the 2011 World Cup; this approach is likely to see the Springboks get to the later stages of the competition and if like 2007 could see a successful defense of the Web Ellis. The Springboks possess quality in-depth and are renowned for being extremely difficult to break down over 80 minutes, they have also been drawn in a favorable group consisting of teams that shouldn't prove too much of a problem; complacency will be South Africa's biggest problem but once out of the group stage expect a charge towards the final in Auckland. Star Player: Bryan Habana, Head coach: Peter de Villiers
Fiji - The Palms
Fiji is one of the few countries where rugby union is the national sport, as a team they are very strong and definitely the strongest from the Oceania region. The 2007 World Cup was a great success for the Fijians who got knocked out at the quarter-final stage by future winners South Africa, prior to this they overcame Wales in the second round 38-31; this put Fiji in the top 8 teams in world rugby, no small feat for this pacific island. The Fijian style is very off the cuff and proves to be highly entertaining, their ball handling is generally excellent and is more akin to basketball at times. The Fijian free-flowing style does however expose a defensive fragility that the better teams capitalise on but on their day the Palms are a handful for any team. Group D throws up the mouth-watering repeat of the 2007 game against Wales, described by some as one of the best matches ever. The winner of this match will very likely progress to the next round behind South Africa but the game against neighbours Samoa will be tough and definitely one to watch. Star Player: Sisaro Koyamaibole, Head Coach: Sam Domoni
Samoa- Manu Samoa
Rugby was introduced to Samoa in the early 1920s; the first international was played as Western Samoa against Fiji in August 1924. Samoa did not compete at the first World Cup but have qualified for every tournament since. Samoa in the early years of the World Cup were an unknown, this worked exceptional well for the team and help them to progress to the quarter-final stages in the first three tournaments that they participated in; since these early highs Samoa have failed to get out of the group stages. There are strong links between Samoa and New Zealand even sharing a pre match challenge similar to the Haka called the Siva Tau. Many players switch nationalities between the two nations, often Samoan player's trying to realise a dream of playing for the All Blacks. Manu Samoa is a naturally strong, physical side, who will go toe to toe with any opponent. Group D represents a great opportunity for the side to get out of the group, the games against Wales and Fiji are vital to this - expect a great encounter when these teams meet each other. Star Player: Alesana Tuilagi, Head Coach: Fuimaono Tafua
Namibia- Welwitschias
Namibia has been playing international rugby since the early 1900s; they are the second best team from Africa and the most likely first team candidate to join the second tier of world rugby. Namibia have competed at every World Cup since 1999 but are yet to win a match, with a small player base, and lacking frequent or strong competition, the team has deteriorated in recent years. The Likelihood for Namibia in the 2011 World Cup is that they will again struggle. A potential result if possible will come against Samoa or Fiji but on paper the group D wooden spoon beckons for the Welwitschias. There have been a few excellent internationals out of Namibia; however these players often opt to play for South Africa, a country with strong ties to Namibia as past rulers. The shining hope for Namibia was surprisingly winning the IRB Nations Cup in 2010, proving their progress at international level is on the rise. Star Player: Jacques Burger, Head Coach: Johan Diergaardt
Wales- Dragons
Wales have contested at every Rugby World Cup since the inaugural tournament in 1987; the first one is still the best one. At the 1987 World Cup Wales finished third in the tournament, beating Australia 22-21 in a classic match, since this high the Welsh have seesawed between the quarter-finals and not progressing out of the group stages at all. To put on the rel=nofollow [http://www.cottontraders.co.uk/wales-rugby-shirt-long-sleeve-classic/invt/ae90002/]Wales rugby shirt is every Welshman's dream; engrained in the very fabric of the people of the valleys. Wales will look at group D with optimism, on their day Wales play a fluid, entertaining and often spectacular blend of rugby that creates fans around the world. South Africa will be very tough for Wales, having played each other 25 times and only winning once against the Springboks, the odds are firmly stacked against them. Samoa, Fiji and Namibia should prove more of a contest; maximum points from these three games will see the Welshman into the next round, expect a spectacular game when the opponents are the Palms of Fiji. Since the last World Cup Wales secured a grand slam victory in the Six nations back in 2008 but the years since have seen a decline in performances and results, it will interesting to see what Welsh side shows up in New Zealand 2011. Star Player: Stephen Jones, Head Coach: Warren Gatland
The first match of pool D is on the 10th September 2011 15:30
Fiji v Namibia - Rotorua International Stadium, Rotorua
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Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Rugby-World-Cup-Teams---Pool-D&id=6299143] Rugby World Cup Teams - Pool D
The Rugby World Cup 2011 starts on the 9 September until the 23 October 2011. The following article is an outline of the teams that will be featuring from pool D.
South Africa- Springboks
The South African rugby team is the current holder of the Rugby World Cup, beating England 15 -6 to lift the Webb Ellis Cup for a record equaling second time in 2007. Since the last World Cup the Springboks results range from all time highs to some indifferent results, they are however still one of the best teams on the planet. The South African team is renowned for scrummaging aggressively with a high level of technical excellence, a ball-in-hand style that often works very well against opponents. Expect a traditional high-pressure, attritional game plan at the 2011 World Cup; this approach is likely to see the Springboks get to the later stages of the competition and if like 2007 could see a successful defense of the Web Ellis. The Springboks possess quality in-depth and are renowned for being extremely difficult to break down over 80 minutes, they have also been drawn in a favorable group consisting of teams that shouldn't prove too much of a problem; complacency will be South Africa's biggest problem but once out of the group stage expect a charge towards the final in Auckland. Star Player: Bryan Habana, Head coach: Peter de Villiers
Fiji - The Palms
Fiji is one of the few countries where rugby union is the national sport, as a team they are very strong and definitely the strongest from the Oceania region. The 2007 World Cup was a great success for the Fijians who got knocked out at the quarter-final stage by future winners South Africa, prior to this they overcame Wales in the second round 38-31; this put Fiji in the top 8 teams in world rugby, no small feat for this pacific island. The Fijian style is very off the cuff and proves to be highly entertaining, their ball handling is generally excellent and is more akin to basketball at times. The Fijian free-flowing style does however expose a defensive fragility that the better teams capitalise on but on their day the Palms are a handful for any team. Group D throws up the mouth-watering repeat of the 2007 game against Wales, described by some as one of the best matches ever. The winner of this match will very likely progress to the next round behind South Africa but the game against neighbours Samoa will be tough and definitely one to watch. Star Player: Sisaro Koyamaibole, Head Coach: Sam Domoni
Samoa- Manu Samoa
Rugby was introduced to Samoa in the early 1920s; the first international was played as Western Samoa against Fiji in August 1924. Samoa did not compete at the first World Cup but have qualified for every tournament since. Samoa in the early years of the World Cup were an unknown, this worked exceptional well for the team and help them to progress to the quarter-final stages in the first three tournaments that they participated in; since these early highs Samoa have failed to get out of the group stages. There are strong links between Samoa and New Zealand even sharing a pre match challenge similar to the Haka called the Siva Tau. Many players switch nationalities between the two nations, often Samoan player's trying to realise a dream of playing for the All Blacks. Manu Samoa is a naturally strong, physical side, who will go toe to toe with any opponent. Group D represents a great opportunity for the side to get out of the group, the games against Wales and Fiji are vital to this - expect a great encounter when these teams meet each other. Star Player: Alesana Tuilagi, Head Coach: Fuimaono Tafua
Namibia- Welwitschias
Namibia has been playing international rugby since the early 1900s; they are the second best team from Africa and the most likely first team candidate to join the second tier of world rugby. Namibia have competed at every World Cup since 1999 but are yet to win a match, with a small player base, and lacking frequent or strong competition, the team has deteriorated in recent years. The Likelihood for Namibia in the 2011 World Cup is that they will again struggle. A potential result if possible will come against Samoa or Fiji but on paper the group D wooden spoon beckons for the Welwitschias. There have been a few excellent internationals out of Namibia; however these players often opt to play for South Africa, a country with strong ties to Namibia as past rulers. The shining hope for Namibia was surprisingly winning the IRB Nations Cup in 2010, proving their progress at international level is on the rise. Star Player: Jacques Burger, Head Coach: Johan Diergaardt
Wales- Dragons
Wales have contested at every Rugby World Cup since the inaugural tournament in 1987; the first one is still the best one. At the 1987 World Cup Wales finished third in the tournament, beating Australia 22-21 in a classic match, since this high the Welsh have seesawed between the quarter-finals and not progressing out of the group stages at all. To put on the rel=nofollow [http://www.cottontraders.co.uk/wales-rugby-shirt-long-sleeve-classic/invt/ae90002/]Wales rugby shirt is every Welshman's dream; engrained in the very fabric of the people of the valleys. Wales will look at group D with optimism, on their day Wales play a fluid, entertaining and often spectacular blend of rugby that creates fans around the world. South Africa will be very tough for Wales, having played each other 25 times and only winning once against the Springboks, the odds are firmly stacked against them. Samoa, Fiji and Namibia should prove more of a contest; maximum points from these three games will see the Welshman into the next round, expect a spectacular game when the opponents are the Palms of Fiji. Since the last World Cup Wales secured a grand slam victory in the Six nations back in 2008 but the years since have seen a decline in performances and results, it will interesting to see what Welsh side shows up in New Zealand 2011. Star Player: Stephen Jones, Head Coach: Warren Gatland
The first match of pool D is on the 10th September 2011 15:30
Fiji v Namibia - Rotorua International Stadium, Rotorua
Visit Cotton Traders for a great selection of [http://www.cottontraders.co.uk/page/rugby-shop]Rugby Shirts.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Rugby-World-Cup-Teams---Pool-D&id=6299143] Rugby World Cup Teams - Pool D
Thursday, January 26, 2012
2010/2011 Premiership Rugby Final - Leicester Tigers Vs Saracens
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Paul_Hesketh]Paul Hesketh
The Leicester tigers going into this match had back to back titles, and the incredible fact that this was their seventh straight final appearance, but the Tigers simply didn't have an answer to the more disciplined, more resolute even more dogged performance Saracens produced. At the end the air around Twickenham buzzed with talk of who was the outstanding performer, in fairness every player in black stood up, the likes of Schalk Brits, Richard Wiggleworth and Jacques Burger all excelled. The word on most lips was about the ice-cold performance of young Owen Farrell. The nineteen year who went head to head with Toby Flood, England's number one choice fly half and came out the victor, converting five excellent penalties, steadying his teammate's nerves and pushing the Saracens over the line. It was somewhat fitting that after the mammoth number of phases Saracens endured at the end it was Owen Farrell who hoofed the ball into touch to win the game. Owen Farrell's father Andrew a legendary rugby league player for the Wigan Warriors was full of praise for his young son describing his performance as so good it would have been a travesty if he was on the losing side.
After a 30 phase final siege on their own line Saracens finally got its significant mark in the clubs 135 year old history, a first Premiership final victory against the Leicester Tigers the revered kings of rugby in recent years. The general punter and rugby purist will say this game lacked the flair and slickness of last year's repeat final but for edge of your seat excitement and anxiety this game will take some rivaling. Maybe Saracen's had a point to prove after last year's cruel last gasp defeat to Leicester, maybe this was the added determination shown in the ferocious tackling of the final minutes, whatever it was it proved enough to seize the title from Leicester.
After trading penalties for most of the match the defining moment came in the twenty-ninth minute when a quick line out ball allowed Saracens the freedom to attack. The roaming Schalke Brits cut free and delivered a scoring pass to James Short, a neat cut inside was all it needed to get round Agulla; Saracens had broken the Leicester line for the only try of the match. rel=nofollow [http://www.cottontraders.co.uk/rugby-store/leicester-tigers/icat/leicester-tigers/]Leicester Tigers Toby Flood had his chance to gain the advantage but missed two crucial conversions that would on won the game; stirring in its defiance this was Saracens day. The future looks very bright for rugby in Watford, the talent now coming out of the Saracens can only give supporters belief this is the start of a very special time at Vicarage Road. The style of rugby some may say is conservative but on this performance it was nothing other than pure entertainment. Saracens with their first ever English title are only the fifth club to win the Premiership since its existence back in 1997, joining the likes of Newcastle Falcons, London Wasps, Leicester Tigers and Sale Sharks.
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Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?2010/2011-Premiership-Rugby-Final---Leicester-Tigers-Vs-Saracens&id=6329801] 2010/2011 Premiership Rugby Final - Leicester Tigers Vs Saracens
The Leicester tigers going into this match had back to back titles, and the incredible fact that this was their seventh straight final appearance, but the Tigers simply didn't have an answer to the more disciplined, more resolute even more dogged performance Saracens produced. At the end the air around Twickenham buzzed with talk of who was the outstanding performer, in fairness every player in black stood up, the likes of Schalk Brits, Richard Wiggleworth and Jacques Burger all excelled. The word on most lips was about the ice-cold performance of young Owen Farrell. The nineteen year who went head to head with Toby Flood, England's number one choice fly half and came out the victor, converting five excellent penalties, steadying his teammate's nerves and pushing the Saracens over the line. It was somewhat fitting that after the mammoth number of phases Saracens endured at the end it was Owen Farrell who hoofed the ball into touch to win the game. Owen Farrell's father Andrew a legendary rugby league player for the Wigan Warriors was full of praise for his young son describing his performance as so good it would have been a travesty if he was on the losing side.
After a 30 phase final siege on their own line Saracens finally got its significant mark in the clubs 135 year old history, a first Premiership final victory against the Leicester Tigers the revered kings of rugby in recent years. The general punter and rugby purist will say this game lacked the flair and slickness of last year's repeat final but for edge of your seat excitement and anxiety this game will take some rivaling. Maybe Saracen's had a point to prove after last year's cruel last gasp defeat to Leicester, maybe this was the added determination shown in the ferocious tackling of the final minutes, whatever it was it proved enough to seize the title from Leicester.
After trading penalties for most of the match the defining moment came in the twenty-ninth minute when a quick line out ball allowed Saracens the freedom to attack. The roaming Schalke Brits cut free and delivered a scoring pass to James Short, a neat cut inside was all it needed to get round Agulla; Saracens had broken the Leicester line for the only try of the match. rel=nofollow [http://www.cottontraders.co.uk/rugby-store/leicester-tigers/icat/leicester-tigers/]Leicester Tigers Toby Flood had his chance to gain the advantage but missed two crucial conversions that would on won the game; stirring in its defiance this was Saracens day. The future looks very bright for rugby in Watford, the talent now coming out of the Saracens can only give supporters belief this is the start of a very special time at Vicarage Road. The style of rugby some may say is conservative but on this performance it was nothing other than pure entertainment. Saracens with their first ever English title are only the fifth club to win the Premiership since its existence back in 1997, joining the likes of Newcastle Falcons, London Wasps, Leicester Tigers and Sale Sharks.
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Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?2010/2011-Premiership-Rugby-Final---Leicester-Tigers-Vs-Saracens&id=6329801] 2010/2011 Premiership Rugby Final - Leicester Tigers Vs Saracens
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Get Adequate Information About Rugby World Cup 2011
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Ali_Raza]Ali Raza
Throughout the world, the rugby world cup is ranked as the 3rd largest event. It is due to this fact that it is known to attract a large following and the 2011 rugby world cup is not any different. It is expected to attract more than sixty thousand international visitors and it will be covered by more than two thousand international media houses. For this reason, it is also expected to attract a large TV audience amounting to more than 4 billion people. The world cup is expected to deliver over $ 267 million to the region through direct economical benefits. There are a couple of highlights that make the event more appealing to fans and they include the following.
� Betting
It is due to all these facts it is important to know more about the game and what it has to offer. As people talk endlessly about the game, you should find a way of capitalizing on it in order to make money. There are several online sites designed to make this possible and this is through the following betting. Thanks to such sites, you can place your bet for the 2011 game and enjoy some cash benefits. There are several online sites that give fans the opportunity to bet on their favorite teams. While this is the case, it is advisable to find a reputable site before doing this. In this regard, you should also be on the lookout for free bets.
� Fixtures
The fixtures are comprised of 6 crazy weeks which begin on 9th September 2011 and they end on 23rd October 2011. In order to understand the fixtures it is advisable to find a website that offers the same. This especially comes in handy for people interested in betting. They will receive a clear outline of the games as they are expected to be played as well as the different pools participating in the game. The best thing about getting fixtures ahead of the game is the fact that it keeps sports lovers well informed about what they should expect before the curtain closes down. Additionally, it also offers reliable information about the playoffs and the teams expected to participate in the same.
� Important Facts
The following are some of the 2011 rugby world cup facts that you have to keep in mind in order to enjoy the season.
� For starters, New Zealand got the hosting rights on 17th November 2011.
� At least 20 countries are going to participate in the tournament by playing forty eight games.
� The organization responsibilities are going to be shared by the international Rugby Board, local authorities, major sporting stadiums and the rugby New Zealand among others
As a fan, if you want to get more about rugby world cup, use some of the reputable resources found online. By becoming an informed fan, it becomes increasingly easy to make wise decisions whether placing you want to place your bet or simply ensuring you don't miss any of the games. [http://onlinerugbysportsbetting.com/featured/rugby-world-cup-2011-sports-betting/]Rugby world cup 2011 is what you need to be on the lookout for and through [http://onlinerugbysportsbetting.com/featured/rugby-world-cup-2011-sports-betting/]rugby world cup, you get the opportunity to enjoy a variety of benefits such as the opportunity to bet.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Get-Adequate-Information-About-Rugby-World-Cup-2011&id=6339871] Get Adequate Information About Rugby World Cup 2011
Throughout the world, the rugby world cup is ranked as the 3rd largest event. It is due to this fact that it is known to attract a large following and the 2011 rugby world cup is not any different. It is expected to attract more than sixty thousand international visitors and it will be covered by more than two thousand international media houses. For this reason, it is also expected to attract a large TV audience amounting to more than 4 billion people. The world cup is expected to deliver over $ 267 million to the region through direct economical benefits. There are a couple of highlights that make the event more appealing to fans and they include the following.
� Betting
It is due to all these facts it is important to know more about the game and what it has to offer. As people talk endlessly about the game, you should find a way of capitalizing on it in order to make money. There are several online sites designed to make this possible and this is through the following betting. Thanks to such sites, you can place your bet for the 2011 game and enjoy some cash benefits. There are several online sites that give fans the opportunity to bet on their favorite teams. While this is the case, it is advisable to find a reputable site before doing this. In this regard, you should also be on the lookout for free bets.
� Fixtures
The fixtures are comprised of 6 crazy weeks which begin on 9th September 2011 and they end on 23rd October 2011. In order to understand the fixtures it is advisable to find a website that offers the same. This especially comes in handy for people interested in betting. They will receive a clear outline of the games as they are expected to be played as well as the different pools participating in the game. The best thing about getting fixtures ahead of the game is the fact that it keeps sports lovers well informed about what they should expect before the curtain closes down. Additionally, it also offers reliable information about the playoffs and the teams expected to participate in the same.
� Important Facts
The following are some of the 2011 rugby world cup facts that you have to keep in mind in order to enjoy the season.
� For starters, New Zealand got the hosting rights on 17th November 2011.
� At least 20 countries are going to participate in the tournament by playing forty eight games.
� The organization responsibilities are going to be shared by the international Rugby Board, local authorities, major sporting stadiums and the rugby New Zealand among others
As a fan, if you want to get more about rugby world cup, use some of the reputable resources found online. By becoming an informed fan, it becomes increasingly easy to make wise decisions whether placing you want to place your bet or simply ensuring you don't miss any of the games. [http://onlinerugbysportsbetting.com/featured/rugby-world-cup-2011-sports-betting/]Rugby world cup 2011 is what you need to be on the lookout for and through [http://onlinerugbysportsbetting.com/featured/rugby-world-cup-2011-sports-betting/]rugby world cup, you get the opportunity to enjoy a variety of benefits such as the opportunity to bet.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Get-Adequate-Information-About-Rugby-World-Cup-2011&id=6339871] Get Adequate Information About Rugby World Cup 2011
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Huddersfield Giants
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Mohammed_Sarwar]Mohammed Sarwar
Huddersfield is steeped in Rugby League history having been one of the original 22 clubs who formed what was known as the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895. In those days, and up until 1992 the club played at the Fartown ground and are often referred to by that name, particularly by the more senior of their following. From 1994 onwards they have been ground sharing with their soccer counterparts Huddersfield Town at the Galpharm Stadium. This partnership has been a great financial boost to both clubs and gives the rugby league and soccer fans of Huddersfield their very own mecca.
The Galpharm Stadium, originally known as the Alfred McAlpine Stadium, was opened in 1994 and has a capacity of 24,995. The stadium, which cost an estimated �40 million pounds to build, has hosted many high profile games including the World Cup semi finals in 1995 and 2000 where the Huddersfield faithful witnessed the awesome power of the Australian Rugby League national team.
The club is now known as Huddersfield Giants and they play in the European Super League, a competitive league which attracts some serious attention from the media in particular Sky Sports who feature many of the games live on TV. This generates a lot of revenue for the participating clubs. Being the home of rugby league, the north of England proudly boasts several of the European Super League teams. Household names such as Bradford Bulls, Leeds Rhinos, Wakefield Trinity Wildcats and Warrington Wolves number amongst these. Games between any of these northern sides attract a lot of attention and the rivalry between the sets of supporters almost guarantees cup tie like tension.
In recent years Huddersfield Giants have built a very rewarding partnership with Co-operative Championship side Batley Bulldogs, This union has all the makings of being successful and the supporters of both sides have warmed to this partnership. Batley is also one of the original twenty-two rugby league football clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895. Many Huddersfield players have gone on to represent their countries, England, Wales, Scotland and even Great Britain.
Huddersfield Giants play in Claret and Gold and have an impressive record in competition over the years. They have won the Championship seven times, the last time being in 1962. They have also won the Challenge Cup on six occasions. They have had their highs and lows having been down as far as the third division, which they were champions of in 1992. The do hold on auspicious record for the most points score in a season amassing a massive one thousand one hundred and fifty six points in the 2001 - 2002 season.
2006 will remain in many supporters memories as one of the finest years in the clubs history. Having signed a host of new players, including the legendary New Zealander Robbie Paul, to strengthen the side the battled through to the Challenge Cup final, having a notable victory in the semi final against the strong favourites Bradford Bulls. Whilst they did not lift the trophy on this occasion it was a season which laid the groundwork for future success.
If you are a Rugby League fan Huddersfield is definitely worth a visit. There are some great, good value hotels in Huddersfield to accommodate you.
Mohammed Sarwar runs one of the best hotels in Huddersfield the [http://www.cambridge-lodge-hotel.co.uk]http://www.cambridge-lodge-hotel.co.uk. It is ideally situated for access to the football stadium and the city attractions.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Huddersfield-Giants&id=6342533] Huddersfield Giants
Huddersfield is steeped in Rugby League history having been one of the original 22 clubs who formed what was known as the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895. In those days, and up until 1992 the club played at the Fartown ground and are often referred to by that name, particularly by the more senior of their following. From 1994 onwards they have been ground sharing with their soccer counterparts Huddersfield Town at the Galpharm Stadium. This partnership has been a great financial boost to both clubs and gives the rugby league and soccer fans of Huddersfield their very own mecca.
The Galpharm Stadium, originally known as the Alfred McAlpine Stadium, was opened in 1994 and has a capacity of 24,995. The stadium, which cost an estimated �40 million pounds to build, has hosted many high profile games including the World Cup semi finals in 1995 and 2000 where the Huddersfield faithful witnessed the awesome power of the Australian Rugby League national team.
The club is now known as Huddersfield Giants and they play in the European Super League, a competitive league which attracts some serious attention from the media in particular Sky Sports who feature many of the games live on TV. This generates a lot of revenue for the participating clubs. Being the home of rugby league, the north of England proudly boasts several of the European Super League teams. Household names such as Bradford Bulls, Leeds Rhinos, Wakefield Trinity Wildcats and Warrington Wolves number amongst these. Games between any of these northern sides attract a lot of attention and the rivalry between the sets of supporters almost guarantees cup tie like tension.
In recent years Huddersfield Giants have built a very rewarding partnership with Co-operative Championship side Batley Bulldogs, This union has all the makings of being successful and the supporters of both sides have warmed to this partnership. Batley is also one of the original twenty-two rugby league football clubs that formed the Northern Rugby Football Union in 1895. Many Huddersfield players have gone on to represent their countries, England, Wales, Scotland and even Great Britain.
Huddersfield Giants play in Claret and Gold and have an impressive record in competition over the years. They have won the Championship seven times, the last time being in 1962. They have also won the Challenge Cup on six occasions. They have had their highs and lows having been down as far as the third division, which they were champions of in 1992. The do hold on auspicious record for the most points score in a season amassing a massive one thousand one hundred and fifty six points in the 2001 - 2002 season.
2006 will remain in many supporters memories as one of the finest years in the clubs history. Having signed a host of new players, including the legendary New Zealander Robbie Paul, to strengthen the side the battled through to the Challenge Cup final, having a notable victory in the semi final against the strong favourites Bradford Bulls. Whilst they did not lift the trophy on this occasion it was a season which laid the groundwork for future success.
If you are a Rugby League fan Huddersfield is definitely worth a visit. There are some great, good value hotels in Huddersfield to accommodate you.
Mohammed Sarwar runs one of the best hotels in Huddersfield the [http://www.cambridge-lodge-hotel.co.uk]http://www.cambridge-lodge-hotel.co.uk. It is ideally situated for access to the football stadium and the city attractions.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Huddersfield-Giants&id=6342533] Huddersfield Giants
Friday, January 20, 2012
The Law Is Not Fair - It Is Just
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Paul_Dolan]Paul Dolan
The title for this post comes from a lecturer that I had in college, she was a retired solicitor and was teaching us a module on law. After she would tell us about some old case we would always bemoan that the judgement wasn't fair and her reply was always "The law is not fair; it is just".
All sports have rules or so players and coaches would say. Referees on the other hand refer to these guidelines as the laws of the game. Tag rugby is no different. There are quite a few laws associated with tag rugby. Now, don't worry I don't intend on listing off every single last one. If you are looking for a definitive run down on the laws of the game. I have placed links to the relevant sites where you can brush up on the laws of the game at the end of this article.
Aside from the actual laws of the game, the game itself has a simple philosophy surrounding it. This is quite simply enjoyment, everyone should enjoy themselves and play for the fun and social aspects to the game. The simplest way that this will happen is when everyone comes to the game in the spirit of participation. That's all well and good you might say, but what if you are a competitive person or the team you play on is of a high skill level and expectation? If this is the case that is fine too, because you will find that the players and teams you will be playing against are of the same mindset. But for 80% of players and teams, it is all about getting out for a few hours during the week and having a few drinks after the game with your friends.
The venues are run in such a way that a carnival atmosphere is created and everyone takes a more relaxed approach to the whole event, even the referee's, believe it or not! Ah yes, the referee, the men and quite often the women in the middle. Tag rugby referee's can come from a few different backgrounds. Some are 15-a-side rugby union referee's, some are former players and only referee tag rugby and others have no previous rugby knowledge but want to start refereeing rugby.
I referee tag rugby and have done so now for the past three seasons, I was a player in my youth and do love watching rugby, so for me it is an enjoyable experience. I have only refereed IRFU tag rugby matches and therefore I can only speak about the IRFU's approach to the sport. The main message that is given by the IRFU to tag rugby referee's is to let the game flow and try to make sure that both teams enjoy the game.
Basically, I and other tag rugby referee's take a holistic approach to refereeing the games. Having said that, the game has laws and those laws have to be enforced as well as adhered to. So, without further ado, here is the shorthand version of five laws that are most commonly seen. I will be explaining the reason for the law, not the actual law itself, for this please go to the websites listed further up this post.
Offside - This law applies to both attackers and defenders. The purpose of the law is to primarily allow the attacking team space. It also reduces the chances of contact occurring and keeps the game fluid. The referee enforces this law by asking the defending team to stay seven meters back from the attacking team.
Contact - Contact between players is strictly prohibited. The reason for this is simple, to reduce the chances of injury to players, especially if there are female players on the field. To avoid contact just remember that the defender must mark the space he/she thinks an attacker will run into and the attacker must attack the space between defenders. This law is strictly enforced by referee's. That is not to say that injuries can occur. For example,in a game I refereed recently one of the players had to leave the field because he pulled his hamstring. This happens so warming up correctly is always advisable.
Tagging - Specifically early or late tagging. This is when a defender tags his/her opponent either before they receive the ball or after the ball has left their hands. The reason this law is enforced is because by doing either of the above the defender is being cynical. The attacker, if tagged early or late will have an advantage but they will have to retrieve their tag and it can also lead to confusion whereby they may stop running momentarily giving the defending team a slight advantage. Referee's will use their discretion when it comes to tagging, if the ball and tag occur together, the referee will usually call "play on", "ball away". Otherwise advantage will be called and a penalty may arise or a yellow card if the offense is repeated.
Roll ball - When a roll ball occurs there are three people involved; the person who was tagged, the defender (marker) and the scrum-half. There are a few laws happening here. First the marker must not encroach upon the scrum-half until they have played the ball, either passed it or picked it up and run with it. The reasons for this are many. For starters it can lead to an accidental collision and possible injury, secondly it can cause irritation to the team with the ball which could manifest itself in tempers becoming frayed and thirdly the mechanics of such an action means that the marker is offside. From the defenders point of view, they are not allowed to block the marker from moving in on the scrum-half, once the scrum-half has played the ball. This is again two fold, potential collision scenario and frustrating the opposition (gamesmanship). Finally, the scrum-half (the person playing the ball), they must play the ball within 3-5 seconds of the ball being placed back to them. Not doing so will result in a penalty mainly because it is seen as time wasting and could also be used as a form of gamesmanship. So, marker stay until the scrum-half either passes, runs or is standing upright with ball in hand. Defender, don't impede the marker and scrum-half play the ball quickly after the rolling back of the ball has occurred.
Kicking - Kicking the ball is allowed, but only out of hand and once the ball doesn't go above shoulder height (mixed games). If the ball is loose on the ground, no player is allowed to put their foot to the ball and kick it. The reason again is down to safety and avoiding collisions or contact. If the ball is kicked too high, then players are watching the ball and not each other, this is where a collision can occur. If the ball is on the ground, the following may occur; a player may be in the act of picking the ball up while another player is in the act of striking the ball with their foot. This could end up in one player being kicked in the face, arm, hand or body and may end up in an injury.
Like I said, for the full outline of all the laws, go to the sites mentioned above. Most of the time, all players and referee's need to apply is some common sense. But as a friend of mine used to say, "Common sense ain't that common!".�
Thanks for reading this post. Next time I might go into some tactics and strategies that can be applied by tag rugby teams during a game.
rel=nofollow http://www.irishrugby.ie/tagrugby/usefulinfo/index.php for IRFU tag laws and here rel=nofollow http://www.tagrugby.ie/Basic-Rules-of-Tag-Rugby.html for ITRA tag rugby laws
There are a few small differences between the IRFU laws and the ITRA laws but small enough that it would be easy to adapt to playing both codes without much adjustment being required.
Paul Dolan aka Tagger
Learn more about tag rugby at http://tagrugbyireland.blogspot.com
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Law-Is-Not-Fair---It-Is-Just&id=6351693] The Law Is Not Fair - It Is Just
The title for this post comes from a lecturer that I had in college, she was a retired solicitor and was teaching us a module on law. After she would tell us about some old case we would always bemoan that the judgement wasn't fair and her reply was always "The law is not fair; it is just".
All sports have rules or so players and coaches would say. Referees on the other hand refer to these guidelines as the laws of the game. Tag rugby is no different. There are quite a few laws associated with tag rugby. Now, don't worry I don't intend on listing off every single last one. If you are looking for a definitive run down on the laws of the game. I have placed links to the relevant sites where you can brush up on the laws of the game at the end of this article.
Aside from the actual laws of the game, the game itself has a simple philosophy surrounding it. This is quite simply enjoyment, everyone should enjoy themselves and play for the fun and social aspects to the game. The simplest way that this will happen is when everyone comes to the game in the spirit of participation. That's all well and good you might say, but what if you are a competitive person or the team you play on is of a high skill level and expectation? If this is the case that is fine too, because you will find that the players and teams you will be playing against are of the same mindset. But for 80% of players and teams, it is all about getting out for a few hours during the week and having a few drinks after the game with your friends.
The venues are run in such a way that a carnival atmosphere is created and everyone takes a more relaxed approach to the whole event, even the referee's, believe it or not! Ah yes, the referee, the men and quite often the women in the middle. Tag rugby referee's can come from a few different backgrounds. Some are 15-a-side rugby union referee's, some are former players and only referee tag rugby and others have no previous rugby knowledge but want to start refereeing rugby.
I referee tag rugby and have done so now for the past three seasons, I was a player in my youth and do love watching rugby, so for me it is an enjoyable experience. I have only refereed IRFU tag rugby matches and therefore I can only speak about the IRFU's approach to the sport. The main message that is given by the IRFU to tag rugby referee's is to let the game flow and try to make sure that both teams enjoy the game.
Basically, I and other tag rugby referee's take a holistic approach to refereeing the games. Having said that, the game has laws and those laws have to be enforced as well as adhered to. So, without further ado, here is the shorthand version of five laws that are most commonly seen. I will be explaining the reason for the law, not the actual law itself, for this please go to the websites listed further up this post.
Offside - This law applies to both attackers and defenders. The purpose of the law is to primarily allow the attacking team space. It also reduces the chances of contact occurring and keeps the game fluid. The referee enforces this law by asking the defending team to stay seven meters back from the attacking team.
Contact - Contact between players is strictly prohibited. The reason for this is simple, to reduce the chances of injury to players, especially if there are female players on the field. To avoid contact just remember that the defender must mark the space he/she thinks an attacker will run into and the attacker must attack the space between defenders. This law is strictly enforced by referee's. That is not to say that injuries can occur. For example,in a game I refereed recently one of the players had to leave the field because he pulled his hamstring. This happens so warming up correctly is always advisable.
Tagging - Specifically early or late tagging. This is when a defender tags his/her opponent either before they receive the ball or after the ball has left their hands. The reason this law is enforced is because by doing either of the above the defender is being cynical. The attacker, if tagged early or late will have an advantage but they will have to retrieve their tag and it can also lead to confusion whereby they may stop running momentarily giving the defending team a slight advantage. Referee's will use their discretion when it comes to tagging, if the ball and tag occur together, the referee will usually call "play on", "ball away". Otherwise advantage will be called and a penalty may arise or a yellow card if the offense is repeated.
Roll ball - When a roll ball occurs there are three people involved; the person who was tagged, the defender (marker) and the scrum-half. There are a few laws happening here. First the marker must not encroach upon the scrum-half until they have played the ball, either passed it or picked it up and run with it. The reasons for this are many. For starters it can lead to an accidental collision and possible injury, secondly it can cause irritation to the team with the ball which could manifest itself in tempers becoming frayed and thirdly the mechanics of such an action means that the marker is offside. From the defenders point of view, they are not allowed to block the marker from moving in on the scrum-half, once the scrum-half has played the ball. This is again two fold, potential collision scenario and frustrating the opposition (gamesmanship). Finally, the scrum-half (the person playing the ball), they must play the ball within 3-5 seconds of the ball being placed back to them. Not doing so will result in a penalty mainly because it is seen as time wasting and could also be used as a form of gamesmanship. So, marker stay until the scrum-half either passes, runs or is standing upright with ball in hand. Defender, don't impede the marker and scrum-half play the ball quickly after the rolling back of the ball has occurred.
Kicking - Kicking the ball is allowed, but only out of hand and once the ball doesn't go above shoulder height (mixed games). If the ball is loose on the ground, no player is allowed to put their foot to the ball and kick it. The reason again is down to safety and avoiding collisions or contact. If the ball is kicked too high, then players are watching the ball and not each other, this is where a collision can occur. If the ball is on the ground, the following may occur; a player may be in the act of picking the ball up while another player is in the act of striking the ball with their foot. This could end up in one player being kicked in the face, arm, hand or body and may end up in an injury.
Like I said, for the full outline of all the laws, go to the sites mentioned above. Most of the time, all players and referee's need to apply is some common sense. But as a friend of mine used to say, "Common sense ain't that common!".�
Thanks for reading this post. Next time I might go into some tactics and strategies that can be applied by tag rugby teams during a game.
rel=nofollow http://www.irishrugby.ie/tagrugby/usefulinfo/index.php for IRFU tag laws and here rel=nofollow http://www.tagrugby.ie/Basic-Rules-of-Tag-Rugby.html for ITRA tag rugby laws
There are a few small differences between the IRFU laws and the ITRA laws but small enough that it would be easy to adapt to playing both codes without much adjustment being required.
Paul Dolan aka Tagger
Learn more about tag rugby at http://tagrugbyireland.blogspot.com
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Law-Is-Not-Fair---It-Is-Just&id=6351693] The Law Is Not Fair - It Is Just
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
The Barbarians Rugby Team - Now and Then
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Paul_Hesketh]Paul Hesketh
The Barbarians or the BaaBaas as they are often called are a unique invitational team with its origins in the United Kingdom. To play for the Barbarians rugby team is a great sporting honour, if selected the standard of rugby you play requires a high enough free-flowing quality to prove justifiable wearing the famous black and white jersey. The BaaBaas squad choice is not purely based on players from the United Kingdom, it is an all-star team assembled from around the globe with the colours of their parent club still on show through the players match socks, another tradition unique to the Barbarians heritage.
The Barbarian Rugby Club formed by William Percy Carpmael back in the 19th century; his idea of creating a touring team from all rugby sources to take on club and national sides was an instant hit. This philosophy of using players from all sources was recently proven with the surprise inclusion of Willie Mason. The ex Australian rugby league forward who recently converted to rugby union made a cameo appearance in the latter stages of the game against Wales, even producing a match winning moment of brilliance; a choice like this is why the Barbarians allure and longevity in the game has stood the test of time, even in the modern financially driven rugby arena.
Famous players to wear the black and white shirt range from Bill Beaumont to Zinzan Brooke, David Campese to Gareth Edwards to name just few. In the recent 2011 matches (heavily dominated by French and Italian club players) against the English and Welsh, the Barbarians line up proved it remains a truly competitive challenge for any opposition. While both matches were close hard-fought contests, against England the BaaBaas wrestled back a 17 point deficit, managing to convert this into a 6 point lead, with the final score 38-32 in favour of the BaaBaas, even with a slight underlying air of end of season finality it was a stirring match performance.
Two back to back wins against very well established national teams proves there is still a lot of room in the game for an association like the Barbarians, on average the team plays six games a year and they should very much remain part of the rugby calendar for years to come, its tradition of always selecting one uncapped player is something to commend. To pull on the rel=nofollow [http://www.cottontraders.co.uk/barbarians-rugby-shirt-short-sleeve/invt/ae10426/]Barbarians rugby shirt is part of every professional players bucket list before they hang up their rugby boots.
Visit Cotton Traders for a great selection of [http://www.cottontraders.co.uk/rugby-store/barbarians/icat/barbarians-rugby/]Barbarians rugby clothing
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Barbarians-Rugby-Team---Now-and-Then&id=6368071] The Barbarians Rugby Team - Now and Then
The Barbarians or the BaaBaas as they are often called are a unique invitational team with its origins in the United Kingdom. To play for the Barbarians rugby team is a great sporting honour, if selected the standard of rugby you play requires a high enough free-flowing quality to prove justifiable wearing the famous black and white jersey. The BaaBaas squad choice is not purely based on players from the United Kingdom, it is an all-star team assembled from around the globe with the colours of their parent club still on show through the players match socks, another tradition unique to the Barbarians heritage.
The Barbarian Rugby Club formed by William Percy Carpmael back in the 19th century; his idea of creating a touring team from all rugby sources to take on club and national sides was an instant hit. This philosophy of using players from all sources was recently proven with the surprise inclusion of Willie Mason. The ex Australian rugby league forward who recently converted to rugby union made a cameo appearance in the latter stages of the game against Wales, even producing a match winning moment of brilliance; a choice like this is why the Barbarians allure and longevity in the game has stood the test of time, even in the modern financially driven rugby arena.
Famous players to wear the black and white shirt range from Bill Beaumont to Zinzan Brooke, David Campese to Gareth Edwards to name just few. In the recent 2011 matches (heavily dominated by French and Italian club players) against the English and Welsh, the Barbarians line up proved it remains a truly competitive challenge for any opposition. While both matches were close hard-fought contests, against England the BaaBaas wrestled back a 17 point deficit, managing to convert this into a 6 point lead, with the final score 38-32 in favour of the BaaBaas, even with a slight underlying air of end of season finality it was a stirring match performance.
Two back to back wins against very well established national teams proves there is still a lot of room in the game for an association like the Barbarians, on average the team plays six games a year and they should very much remain part of the rugby calendar for years to come, its tradition of always selecting one uncapped player is something to commend. To pull on the rel=nofollow [http://www.cottontraders.co.uk/barbarians-rugby-shirt-short-sleeve/invt/ae10426/]Barbarians rugby shirt is part of every professional players bucket list before they hang up their rugby boots.
Visit Cotton Traders for a great selection of [http://www.cottontraders.co.uk/rugby-store/barbarians/icat/barbarians-rugby/]Barbarians rugby clothing
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Barbarians-Rugby-Team---Now-and-Then&id=6368071] The Barbarians Rugby Team - Now and Then
Monday, January 16, 2012
Super Rugby 2011 Review
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=M_A_Williams]M A Williams
The 2011 Super Rugby competition was the first time Super Rugby was played with 15 teams. Super Rugby has always been played between teams from New Zealand, South Africa and Australia. The Melbourne Rebels from Australia joined in 2011, marking the first time an equal amount of teams come from each country. 2011 was also the first time Super Rugby used a conference format. The five teams from each country formed a conference where each team played each other twice. Each team also played four teams from each of the other two conferences.
One of the criticisms of the new Super Rugby format is the fact that not all of the teams play each other. Two of Australia's teams in particular, the Western Force and the Melbourne Rebels are considered to be two of the weaker teams in the competition. The injustice is that all of the Australian teams get to play those two weaker opponents twice and likely get maximum points. However, some of the teams in the other two conferences will not get to pay those weaker teams at all. The Crusaders, for example, did not get to play the Rebels, who lost to all the other New Zealand teams. That disadvantage, not to mention being disrupted by earthquakes that condemned their home ground, was not enough to stop the Crusaders, who still topped the New Zealand conference.
In the final wash-up of the 2011 Super Rugby tournament there were two teams from each conference who made the finals. The Reds from Queensland came top of the ladder, lead by star halves pairing Quade Cooper and Will Genia. The Stormers from South Africa came second with the strong defense orientated game. Both teams earned a bye in the first week of the finals and a guaranteed home semi final. While no New Zealand teams made the top two of the table after the round robin, New Zealand arguably had the most successful tournament. Their lowest ranked team, the Chiefs came eleventh. This means all of their teams were ranked eleven and up and the lowest four places were occupied by Australia and South African teams. New Zealand also got to host both quarter finals. However, if wins go the wat of table rankings then these could be the last Super Rugby games in New Zealand this year. Not that this will mean much to their fans as the Blues stadium, Eden Park, was only a quarter fill for their first finals match since 2003. Perhaps New Zealand rugby union fans are saving themselves for the World Cup later this year.
Filling out the final six of the Super Rugby tournament was the Waratahs and the Sharks. The Waratahs limped into the finals being completely decimated by injury. One of the stars of the tournament, Kurtley Beale was forced to move to fly half for the quarter final and their tireless leader, retirement-bound Phil Waugh looked like he played most of the tournament on one leg. The Sharks had a rematch of their Twickenham match against the Crusaders. However, they will have to overcome even more travel issues to overturn the thrashing they got in Europe.
For more information about rugby union, such as [http://rugbyfix.com/rugby-jerseys-and-the-positions-they-play-in-rugby-positions-explained/]rugby union positions and [http://rugbyfix.com/rugby-supplements-and-training-for-amateur-players/]rugby supplements, check out my rugby blog.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Super-Rugby-2011-Review&id=6377223] Super Rugby 2011 Review
The 2011 Super Rugby competition was the first time Super Rugby was played with 15 teams. Super Rugby has always been played between teams from New Zealand, South Africa and Australia. The Melbourne Rebels from Australia joined in 2011, marking the first time an equal amount of teams come from each country. 2011 was also the first time Super Rugby used a conference format. The five teams from each country formed a conference where each team played each other twice. Each team also played four teams from each of the other two conferences.
One of the criticisms of the new Super Rugby format is the fact that not all of the teams play each other. Two of Australia's teams in particular, the Western Force and the Melbourne Rebels are considered to be two of the weaker teams in the competition. The injustice is that all of the Australian teams get to play those two weaker opponents twice and likely get maximum points. However, some of the teams in the other two conferences will not get to pay those weaker teams at all. The Crusaders, for example, did not get to play the Rebels, who lost to all the other New Zealand teams. That disadvantage, not to mention being disrupted by earthquakes that condemned their home ground, was not enough to stop the Crusaders, who still topped the New Zealand conference.
In the final wash-up of the 2011 Super Rugby tournament there were two teams from each conference who made the finals. The Reds from Queensland came top of the ladder, lead by star halves pairing Quade Cooper and Will Genia. The Stormers from South Africa came second with the strong defense orientated game. Both teams earned a bye in the first week of the finals and a guaranteed home semi final. While no New Zealand teams made the top two of the table after the round robin, New Zealand arguably had the most successful tournament. Their lowest ranked team, the Chiefs came eleventh. This means all of their teams were ranked eleven and up and the lowest four places were occupied by Australia and South African teams. New Zealand also got to host both quarter finals. However, if wins go the wat of table rankings then these could be the last Super Rugby games in New Zealand this year. Not that this will mean much to their fans as the Blues stadium, Eden Park, was only a quarter fill for their first finals match since 2003. Perhaps New Zealand rugby union fans are saving themselves for the World Cup later this year.
Filling out the final six of the Super Rugby tournament was the Waratahs and the Sharks. The Waratahs limped into the finals being completely decimated by injury. One of the stars of the tournament, Kurtley Beale was forced to move to fly half for the quarter final and their tireless leader, retirement-bound Phil Waugh looked like he played most of the tournament on one leg. The Sharks had a rematch of their Twickenham match against the Crusaders. However, they will have to overcome even more travel issues to overturn the thrashing they got in Europe.
For more information about rugby union, such as [http://rugbyfix.com/rugby-jerseys-and-the-positions-they-play-in-rugby-positions-explained/]rugby union positions and [http://rugbyfix.com/rugby-supplements-and-training-for-amateur-players/]rugby supplements, check out my rugby blog.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Super-Rugby-2011-Review&id=6377223] Super Rugby 2011 Review
Saturday, January 14, 2012
All About Joe Simpson - From the England Rugby Kits And Players Series
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jackie_A_De_Burca]Jackie A De Burca
Any idea which rugby player has a reputation of being passionate about penguins and has been nicknamed Dingo? This rugby player went to school in Ealing and he celebrates his birthday on 5th July; which means he is born under the star sign Cancer. As a boy, this rugby player grew up on rugby, as both of his parents were rugby fanatics and has worn some different rugby kits and has given his time voluntarily at London Zoo. The answer is Joe Simpson.
Currently Joe is on the Rugby World Cup training squad of 45 players. In the lead up to the 2011 Rugby World Cup one of the best birthday gifts (5th July) that Joe could get is to make it through from the 45 men down to the final 30 for the England Rugby's World Cup Team.
He was on the England squad against Australian Barbarians, but was not capped and remained on the bench for the match. Let's see if he is chosen for the Rugby World Cup and if he is if he can do us proud!
A professional rugby player, Joe plays the scrum half position for both the London Wasps and the England Saxons national rugby union team. Born in Australia, the son of two big rugby fans; which is not altogether surprising, as his mother hails from New Zealand and his father is English. His parents also have a younger son called Michael.
During this school going years, Joe attended the St. Benedict School, located in the London Borough of Ealing. There Simpson played for his school as both a cricket player and a rugby player. Right throughout the three different levels of schooling, Joe won the Victor Ludorum; an award for athletics on three different occasions.
Away from school, Simpson was a cricket player at Ealing Cricket Club and a rugby player with the Richmond Rugby Club Team, where he played with Dominic Waldouck.
As well as rugby and cricket, Joe hung out with some interesting characters, playing golf in the summertime. These characters are Joe's friends but they have funny names like Nathan "knockout" Nye!
Apart from his friends, other important influences in his life are those who have coached him at Wasps and Richmond and of course his parents. These people have been inspirational to him.
In the animal world, penguins are what do it for Joe! He frequently comments on his fondness of penguins, and he has worked for free because of this at the London Zoo.
During his rugby career, he was wearing the rugby kits of the London Wasps from summertime 2006 as a full timer at the Academy, but in the following couple of years was out on loan to Blackheath Rugby Club.
Internationally, during the 2007 to 2008 season Simpson won a position on the England Sevens Side, appearing in the World Seven Series, and was named to the England Under 20's team. He finished the season with a nomination for the Young Player of the Year Award, from the IRB.
During the season of 2008/9, he was promoted to the Wasps first team, initially for a substitution and gaining a more frequent position on the starting fifteen in the second half of the season. In 2009 Joe signed a contract with London Wasps, which he extended by three years in December of 2010. For the Guinness award "Try of the Season" he was in fourth place.
By June 2009, Joe was in the England Saxons squad playing and being declared as the man of the match, in the Churchill Cup in Colorado. May of 2010 saw Simpson as one of the nine players called to the English team, who were all uncapped at that time. In Joe's case, just nine minutes before the end of a Barbarians England match, he was substituted for David Strettle. However as luck would have it he injured his left hamstring and had to be pulled out of the tour.
Sydney born Simpson was named on the 2011 Six Nations England team. He has not had a lot of luck when it comes to injuries however he hasn't lost what makes him a potentially dangerous opponent - let's see how 2011 onwards go for Joe and if he'll appear in the Rugby World Cup sporting his national rugby kit or not!
Jackie writes about Joe Simpson, in a series of players' bios featured on the Team Colours blog. Team Colours is an excellent resource for all sports. Your team can buy quality customised rugby kits, which you can design online if you wish. Buy rugby kit at Team Colours, for the ultimate in kit quality and experience. http://www.team-colours.co.uk/rugby/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?All-About-Joe-Simpson---From-the-England-Rugby-Kits-And-Players-Series&id=6379765] All About Joe Simpson - From the England Rugby Kits And Players Series
Any idea which rugby player has a reputation of being passionate about penguins and has been nicknamed Dingo? This rugby player went to school in Ealing and he celebrates his birthday on 5th July; which means he is born under the star sign Cancer. As a boy, this rugby player grew up on rugby, as both of his parents were rugby fanatics and has worn some different rugby kits and has given his time voluntarily at London Zoo. The answer is Joe Simpson.
Currently Joe is on the Rugby World Cup training squad of 45 players. In the lead up to the 2011 Rugby World Cup one of the best birthday gifts (5th July) that Joe could get is to make it through from the 45 men down to the final 30 for the England Rugby's World Cup Team.
He was on the England squad against Australian Barbarians, but was not capped and remained on the bench for the match. Let's see if he is chosen for the Rugby World Cup and if he is if he can do us proud!
A professional rugby player, Joe plays the scrum half position for both the London Wasps and the England Saxons national rugby union team. Born in Australia, the son of two big rugby fans; which is not altogether surprising, as his mother hails from New Zealand and his father is English. His parents also have a younger son called Michael.
During this school going years, Joe attended the St. Benedict School, located in the London Borough of Ealing. There Simpson played for his school as both a cricket player and a rugby player. Right throughout the three different levels of schooling, Joe won the Victor Ludorum; an award for athletics on three different occasions.
Away from school, Simpson was a cricket player at Ealing Cricket Club and a rugby player with the Richmond Rugby Club Team, where he played with Dominic Waldouck.
As well as rugby and cricket, Joe hung out with some interesting characters, playing golf in the summertime. These characters are Joe's friends but they have funny names like Nathan "knockout" Nye!
Apart from his friends, other important influences in his life are those who have coached him at Wasps and Richmond and of course his parents. These people have been inspirational to him.
In the animal world, penguins are what do it for Joe! He frequently comments on his fondness of penguins, and he has worked for free because of this at the London Zoo.
During his rugby career, he was wearing the rugby kits of the London Wasps from summertime 2006 as a full timer at the Academy, but in the following couple of years was out on loan to Blackheath Rugby Club.
Internationally, during the 2007 to 2008 season Simpson won a position on the England Sevens Side, appearing in the World Seven Series, and was named to the England Under 20's team. He finished the season with a nomination for the Young Player of the Year Award, from the IRB.
During the season of 2008/9, he was promoted to the Wasps first team, initially for a substitution and gaining a more frequent position on the starting fifteen in the second half of the season. In 2009 Joe signed a contract with London Wasps, which he extended by three years in December of 2010. For the Guinness award "Try of the Season" he was in fourth place.
By June 2009, Joe was in the England Saxons squad playing and being declared as the man of the match, in the Churchill Cup in Colorado. May of 2010 saw Simpson as one of the nine players called to the English team, who were all uncapped at that time. In Joe's case, just nine minutes before the end of a Barbarians England match, he was substituted for David Strettle. However as luck would have it he injured his left hamstring and had to be pulled out of the tour.
Sydney born Simpson was named on the 2011 Six Nations England team. He has not had a lot of luck when it comes to injuries however he hasn't lost what makes him a potentially dangerous opponent - let's see how 2011 onwards go for Joe and if he'll appear in the Rugby World Cup sporting his national rugby kit or not!
Jackie writes about Joe Simpson, in a series of players' bios featured on the Team Colours blog. Team Colours is an excellent resource for all sports. Your team can buy quality customised rugby kits, which you can design online if you wish. Buy rugby kit at Team Colours, for the ultimate in kit quality and experience. http://www.team-colours.co.uk/rugby/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?All-About-Joe-Simpson---From-the-England-Rugby-Kits-And-Players-Series&id=6379765] All About Joe Simpson - From the England Rugby Kits And Players Series
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Rugby League and Rugby Union - Knowing the Trophies and Trophy Winners
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Nico_B_Rama]Nico B Rama
Rugby League and Rugby Union originated from a single sport called Rugby Football Union, which saw its beginnings in England. Sometime in the 19th century, several teams broke away, because of some disagreements in payments to its players. This breakaway group led to the rise of Rugby League, which now has simpler rules than Rugby Union. The two sports are now considered separate and distinct from one another, although both are equal in popularity in countries like Australia.
The latter, at present, is being governed across the globe by the International Rugby Board (IRB). Among the most prestigious Rugby Union trophies is the one awarded in its World Cup which takes place every four years. It is called the Webb Ellis Cup, which is named after William Webb Ellis. He was an English schoolboy who is believed to be the inventor of the sport. It was first awarded in 1987 and commissioned by the sport's governing board.
Its other celebrated competitions include the Six Nations Tournament and the Tri Nations, both separately crown their champions. The top-ranking international teams in this sport are Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, England, Wales, Scotland, and France. In the middle of all the worldwide competitions there are different test matches and series, usually part of the tours by national teams that normally happen from September to December and from June to August.
On the other hand, Rugby League is governed by the Rugby League International Federation (RLIF). The most coveted Rugby League trophy is the one awarded to the champion of its own World Cup, which prominently features the top 12 teams in the world and 2 qualifiers. It is also played every four years. Its other distinguished tournaments include the Women's RL World Cup, and the RL Four Nations. A separate crown is given in each competition, including regional ones, such as the RL European Cup, the Pacific Cup, and the Atlantic Cup.
The top nations of this sport are Australia, New Zealand, England, Fiji, France, and Papua New Guinea, where it is considered the national sport. These countries vie for several Rugby League trophies worldwide.
The Rugby League World Cup trophy was commissioned by Paul Barri�re, who was the president of the league's French Federation, for the first RL World Cup in 1954, which was held in France. Their most celebrated trophy cost 8,000,000 francs at the time it was made and had a very colorful history, including its disappearance in 1970. [http://www.awardsandtrophies.com.au/Select/s27/Rugby-Touch.aspx]Rugby League trophies can be purchased online complete with free engraving. Also available are touch football trophies and medals and an extensive range of other awards.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Rugby-League-and-Rugby-Union---Knowing-the-Trophies-and-Trophy-Winners&id=6399365] Rugby League and Rugby Union - Knowing the Trophies and Trophy Winners
Rugby League and Rugby Union originated from a single sport called Rugby Football Union, which saw its beginnings in England. Sometime in the 19th century, several teams broke away, because of some disagreements in payments to its players. This breakaway group led to the rise of Rugby League, which now has simpler rules than Rugby Union. The two sports are now considered separate and distinct from one another, although both are equal in popularity in countries like Australia.
The latter, at present, is being governed across the globe by the International Rugby Board (IRB). Among the most prestigious Rugby Union trophies is the one awarded in its World Cup which takes place every four years. It is called the Webb Ellis Cup, which is named after William Webb Ellis. He was an English schoolboy who is believed to be the inventor of the sport. It was first awarded in 1987 and commissioned by the sport's governing board.
Its other celebrated competitions include the Six Nations Tournament and the Tri Nations, both separately crown their champions. The top-ranking international teams in this sport are Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, England, Wales, Scotland, and France. In the middle of all the worldwide competitions there are different test matches and series, usually part of the tours by national teams that normally happen from September to December and from June to August.
On the other hand, Rugby League is governed by the Rugby League International Federation (RLIF). The most coveted Rugby League trophy is the one awarded to the champion of its own World Cup, which prominently features the top 12 teams in the world and 2 qualifiers. It is also played every four years. Its other distinguished tournaments include the Women's RL World Cup, and the RL Four Nations. A separate crown is given in each competition, including regional ones, such as the RL European Cup, the Pacific Cup, and the Atlantic Cup.
The top nations of this sport are Australia, New Zealand, England, Fiji, France, and Papua New Guinea, where it is considered the national sport. These countries vie for several Rugby League trophies worldwide.
The Rugby League World Cup trophy was commissioned by Paul Barri�re, who was the president of the league's French Federation, for the first RL World Cup in 1954, which was held in France. Their most celebrated trophy cost 8,000,000 francs at the time it was made and had a very colorful history, including its disappearance in 1970. [http://www.awardsandtrophies.com.au/Select/s27/Rugby-Touch.aspx]Rugby League trophies can be purchased online complete with free engraving. Also available are touch football trophies and medals and an extensive range of other awards.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Rugby-League-and-Rugby-Union---Knowing-the-Trophies-and-Trophy-Winners&id=6399365] Rugby League and Rugby Union - Knowing the Trophies and Trophy Winners
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
History of the Webb Ellis Cup
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Sarah_Fredrickson]Sarah Fredrickson
Every rugby player dreams of winning the famous Rugby World Cup trophy one day, but few players, and even fewer fans, know the story of how the trophy got its name, the William Webb Ellis Cup.
Legend has it that in 1823, William Webb Ellis was attending Rugby in England and playing for the school team when he picked up a football and ran with it. With that simple act, William unintentionally created the game of rugby and changed world sports forever. While William certainly did attend Rugby, the truth of the legend about rugby's invention remains unverified. Nevertheless, history credits him with accidentally creating the much-loved game.
Rugby is an elite and expensive private school in Britain's system that is strangely called public. William's widowed mother had very little money with which to educate her son, but Rugby granted scholarships to young men who lived within a ten-mile area surrounding the school. Since William and his mother lived in that area, he was able to attend the privileged school.
William would probably be surprised to know that his name is so famous today and still more surprised at its connection to the game of rugby. He was more serious about playing cricket at the school and continued to be a cricketer while attending Oxford University as well. After graduation from Oxford, he became an evangelical clergyman.
The William Webb Ellis Cup, the Rugby World Cup, was fashioned by Garrard's of London, the crown jeweller famous throughout the world. The jeweller's inspiration for the trophy came from the ornate but classic design of a cup that was crafted in 1740. The gold-plated solid silver trophy features two striking scroll handles. One handle has a satyr head on it, and the other has a nymph head. The renowned jeweller created the trophy for the International Rugby Football Board, which is now the IRB, over 100 years ago, many years before the first RWC competition. However, it sat out of sight in a vault for many years.
While the first Rugby World Cup was in the planning stages in 1987, the exquisite trophy was rescued from its dark vault and revealed to the organisers of the event. They ultimately chose it to be the trophy for the tournament, and Kiwis Dick Littlejohn and Bob Stuart, Aussies Ross Turnbull and Nick Shehadie, Irishman Ronnie Dawson and Welshman Keith Rowlands approved the selection. The glistening trophy is now one of the most coveted prizes in the sports world.
Sarah is a freelance travel writer from New Zealand. With the Rugby World Cup just around the corner and being played in her backyard she'll be covering a lot more rugby related topics in the near future. You can find more info on the [http://www.skysport.co.nz/rugby-webb-ellis-cup/]Webb Ellis Cup at skysport.co.nz
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?History-of-the-Webb-Ellis-Cup&id=6422710] History of the Webb Ellis Cup
Every rugby player dreams of winning the famous Rugby World Cup trophy one day, but few players, and even fewer fans, know the story of how the trophy got its name, the William Webb Ellis Cup.
Legend has it that in 1823, William Webb Ellis was attending Rugby in England and playing for the school team when he picked up a football and ran with it. With that simple act, William unintentionally created the game of rugby and changed world sports forever. While William certainly did attend Rugby, the truth of the legend about rugby's invention remains unverified. Nevertheless, history credits him with accidentally creating the much-loved game.
Rugby is an elite and expensive private school in Britain's system that is strangely called public. William's widowed mother had very little money with which to educate her son, but Rugby granted scholarships to young men who lived within a ten-mile area surrounding the school. Since William and his mother lived in that area, he was able to attend the privileged school.
William would probably be surprised to know that his name is so famous today and still more surprised at its connection to the game of rugby. He was more serious about playing cricket at the school and continued to be a cricketer while attending Oxford University as well. After graduation from Oxford, he became an evangelical clergyman.
The William Webb Ellis Cup, the Rugby World Cup, was fashioned by Garrard's of London, the crown jeweller famous throughout the world. The jeweller's inspiration for the trophy came from the ornate but classic design of a cup that was crafted in 1740. The gold-plated solid silver trophy features two striking scroll handles. One handle has a satyr head on it, and the other has a nymph head. The renowned jeweller created the trophy for the International Rugby Football Board, which is now the IRB, over 100 years ago, many years before the first RWC competition. However, it sat out of sight in a vault for many years.
While the first Rugby World Cup was in the planning stages in 1987, the exquisite trophy was rescued from its dark vault and revealed to the organisers of the event. They ultimately chose it to be the trophy for the tournament, and Kiwis Dick Littlejohn and Bob Stuart, Aussies Ross Turnbull and Nick Shehadie, Irishman Ronnie Dawson and Welshman Keith Rowlands approved the selection. The glistening trophy is now one of the most coveted prizes in the sports world.
Sarah is a freelance travel writer from New Zealand. With the Rugby World Cup just around the corner and being played in her backyard she'll be covering a lot more rugby related topics in the near future. You can find more info on the [http://www.skysport.co.nz/rugby-webb-ellis-cup/]Webb Ellis Cup at skysport.co.nz
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?History-of-the-Webb-Ellis-Cup&id=6422710] History of the Webb Ellis Cup
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Periodization of Training for Amateur Rugby Coaches
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Steve_P_Carter]Steve P Carter
I am writing this article for the benefit of the Amateur Rugby Coach who may be well versed in tactics and skill training of their Rugby Team but are not so up to speed on the Conditioning Element of training. This will give a simple insight into how a team coach should put together a pre-season programme and how to maintain any gains that are made throughout the playing season.
Rugby is a complicated sport as far as conditioning is concerned. It is neither an Endurance Sport nor an out and out power sport. If you were to draw a straight line and place Sprinting at one end of the line and a marathon at the other end of the line and call it a continuum, then Rugby would fit somewhere in the middle, maybe edging toward the power end.
Before you can put any training programme into use, it is important to carry out what is known as a needs analysis. This means looking at the physical demands on the player and the team that the sport makes. A short list would look something like this.
Skill
Speed
Power
Strength
Endurance
Suppleness and Mobility
Each of the above subheadings show what the demands of the sport are, however, some positions will require more of one aspect than another. That is to say, an outside back would need to concentrate more on Speed work than a Prop forward, this is because, the Prop forward requires great strength and good stamina as opposed to the Outside back who needs great Speed and Power and not so much Stamina as his continuous involvement in the game is less than the prop forwards.
At a professional level where the team has conditioning coaches, each playing position can be conditioned individually, however, this is not usually possible for the amateur coach as there is a lack of knowledgeable coaches to deliver position based programmes, not only that, but the amount of time the amateur coach is exposed to the team is far less than in the professional game. So the Amateur coach has to adopt a plan that will get the most from his team with the time, tools and coaches available, to do this, using Periodisation of training will be the most effective way.
Periodisation of training is a fancy name for time management. It was first used in the Eastern Block back in the 60's. It means that each stage of training is allocated a particular time frame.
Pre-season training will normally be around 12 weeks long with the playing season taking into account the weather and postponements of games being around 30 -36 weeks long. This means that the coach has to prepare the team in 12 weeks and then keep them at a good level of conditioning for a further 30-36 weeks, no easy task.
First things first.
Before starting out and making any plan, the coach must do some form of basic testing, to find out the current conditioning level of the team. From the results of these tests, he will be able to decide where he/she must direct the main effort of conditioning training.
I am going to assume that these days; most Amateur clubs have access to a gym that has free weights and also a field that they can train on.
Common tests that can be used and are simple to administer are the following
Speed. 10 and 30 meter speed tests
Agility. The Agility T test or the 5-10-5 Pro Agility Test
Power. The Vertical Jump Test & The 5 standing Broad Jump Test
Strength. The 1 Rep Maximum Bench Press. The 1 Rep Maximum Squat Test. The 1 Rep Maximum Pull Up Test
Endurance. The 5 minute Run Test
After the testing phase and the coach has decided what needs training the most he/she can sit down and make out his/ her basic Periodisation plan.
I have set out a Hypothetical pre-season training programme below. I have decided that the team needed to concentrate on all aspects of their training equally after seeing the testing results. During the pre-season and your competition phase, some weeks should be lighter in volume than others; I would suggest every fourth week is good for this.
We have established that 12 weeks are available for Pre-season Training. Now we have to split these 12 weeks up into smaller training phases. Each Training phase will last 4 weeks (These we will call Mesocycles) and each week in each training phase is called a Micro cycle. The whole season will be called a Macro Cycle. So Periodisation has Macro cycles (the whole training period), Meso Cycles (Phases of the training period) and Micro cycles (weeks within the training phases).
Now to split the Pre-season up, you can have Macro cycle 1 = 4 weeks. Macro cycle 2= 4 weeks. Macro Cycle 3 = 4 weeks. The competition period (when you have your games) is split up similarly.
You will now have to allocate the type of training you want to be the main effort to each of the Macro cycles. At the start of the pre season, fitness training is very important and so is strength training. These two elements are called General Preparation. So Macro Cycle 1 will be called; The General Preparation Period (GPP)
During this period it is suggested that you work on Basic Strength work, mainly Muscular Growth (Hypertrophy) which means that your strength training should revolve around 8 - 12 repetitions at 65-80% of 1 rep maximum Lifts.
Running should be based around longer distance Interval Training. For example 2 x 5 x 400 mtr runs at 80% effort, with 120 seconds recovery between runs and 5 minutes recovery between sets.
You would build the training volume up over the GPP.
Next is Macro cycle 2. That will be known as the Sport Specific Preparation Period. At this stage you would start to put your main effort toward Skill and Team development, physically you would now have a shift toward Basic Strength training, this means your lifting would be 3 - 6 repetitions at 75-90% of 1 repetition Maximum weight. Your Conditioning work would still be running based, but now is the time to bring the distances down. Now you should be looking at more intense interval work Distances should be 100 - 200 meter sprints. Up to 5 x 200 and 6 - 8 100. Rest times should be around 2 to 3 minutes between repetitions. And they should be run at 85-90% of maximum speed. You should also start to bring in some type of Agility training at the start of your conditioning sessions; these can be skill based and could last 10 - 20 minutes. This phase is abbreviated to SSPP
The final phase of the Pre-season training programme is referred to as the Pre-competition Phase (PCP) as a coach you should now be concentrating much more on Team Drills and getting all your set piece sorted. Physically it is now all about the team peaking for optimum performance for the first game; the majority of fitness work should be Power related, High intensity sprint drills with longer rest periods and a lot more skill bases agility work. Just keeping your fitness gains topped up. In the last week prior to the first game of the season, training should be intense but probably only a third of the volume that you have been doing over the pre-season.
Now that you are into the competition phase of the season, you should split the season up into further Meso cycles where you can concentrate on topping up your fitness, power, speed and agility etc, throughout the season, these Meso cycles can be from 4 -6 weeks long.
Please bear in mind that the above explanation and examples are exactly that, examples! The model has been written purely so that you as a coach have a basic understanding of a Basic Periodisation Model. I hope you have found the article informative. For further information on Periodisation please visit my website listed in the resource box below.
Steve would like to invite you to get further quality information in the form of Free e:books, PDF Downloads, Articles and Exercise videos at http://www.ultimateperformancecentre.com all you have to do is register, and all the information is yours with our compliments.
I hope you enjoy it.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Periodization-of-Training-for-Amateur-Rugby-Coaches&id=6412700] Periodization of Training for Amateur Rugby Coaches
I am writing this article for the benefit of the Amateur Rugby Coach who may be well versed in tactics and skill training of their Rugby Team but are not so up to speed on the Conditioning Element of training. This will give a simple insight into how a team coach should put together a pre-season programme and how to maintain any gains that are made throughout the playing season.
Rugby is a complicated sport as far as conditioning is concerned. It is neither an Endurance Sport nor an out and out power sport. If you were to draw a straight line and place Sprinting at one end of the line and a marathon at the other end of the line and call it a continuum, then Rugby would fit somewhere in the middle, maybe edging toward the power end.
Before you can put any training programme into use, it is important to carry out what is known as a needs analysis. This means looking at the physical demands on the player and the team that the sport makes. A short list would look something like this.
Skill
Speed
Power
Strength
Endurance
Suppleness and Mobility
Each of the above subheadings show what the demands of the sport are, however, some positions will require more of one aspect than another. That is to say, an outside back would need to concentrate more on Speed work than a Prop forward, this is because, the Prop forward requires great strength and good stamina as opposed to the Outside back who needs great Speed and Power and not so much Stamina as his continuous involvement in the game is less than the prop forwards.
At a professional level where the team has conditioning coaches, each playing position can be conditioned individually, however, this is not usually possible for the amateur coach as there is a lack of knowledgeable coaches to deliver position based programmes, not only that, but the amount of time the amateur coach is exposed to the team is far less than in the professional game. So the Amateur coach has to adopt a plan that will get the most from his team with the time, tools and coaches available, to do this, using Periodisation of training will be the most effective way.
Periodisation of training is a fancy name for time management. It was first used in the Eastern Block back in the 60's. It means that each stage of training is allocated a particular time frame.
Pre-season training will normally be around 12 weeks long with the playing season taking into account the weather and postponements of games being around 30 -36 weeks long. This means that the coach has to prepare the team in 12 weeks and then keep them at a good level of conditioning for a further 30-36 weeks, no easy task.
First things first.
Before starting out and making any plan, the coach must do some form of basic testing, to find out the current conditioning level of the team. From the results of these tests, he will be able to decide where he/she must direct the main effort of conditioning training.
I am going to assume that these days; most Amateur clubs have access to a gym that has free weights and also a field that they can train on.
Common tests that can be used and are simple to administer are the following
Speed. 10 and 30 meter speed tests
Agility. The Agility T test or the 5-10-5 Pro Agility Test
Power. The Vertical Jump Test & The 5 standing Broad Jump Test
Strength. The 1 Rep Maximum Bench Press. The 1 Rep Maximum Squat Test. The 1 Rep Maximum Pull Up Test
Endurance. The 5 minute Run Test
After the testing phase and the coach has decided what needs training the most he/she can sit down and make out his/ her basic Periodisation plan.
I have set out a Hypothetical pre-season training programme below. I have decided that the team needed to concentrate on all aspects of their training equally after seeing the testing results. During the pre-season and your competition phase, some weeks should be lighter in volume than others; I would suggest every fourth week is good for this.
We have established that 12 weeks are available for Pre-season Training. Now we have to split these 12 weeks up into smaller training phases. Each Training phase will last 4 weeks (These we will call Mesocycles) and each week in each training phase is called a Micro cycle. The whole season will be called a Macro Cycle. So Periodisation has Macro cycles (the whole training period), Meso Cycles (Phases of the training period) and Micro cycles (weeks within the training phases).
Now to split the Pre-season up, you can have Macro cycle 1 = 4 weeks. Macro cycle 2= 4 weeks. Macro Cycle 3 = 4 weeks. The competition period (when you have your games) is split up similarly.
You will now have to allocate the type of training you want to be the main effort to each of the Macro cycles. At the start of the pre season, fitness training is very important and so is strength training. These two elements are called General Preparation. So Macro Cycle 1 will be called; The General Preparation Period (GPP)
During this period it is suggested that you work on Basic Strength work, mainly Muscular Growth (Hypertrophy) which means that your strength training should revolve around 8 - 12 repetitions at 65-80% of 1 rep maximum Lifts.
Running should be based around longer distance Interval Training. For example 2 x 5 x 400 mtr runs at 80% effort, with 120 seconds recovery between runs and 5 minutes recovery between sets.
You would build the training volume up over the GPP.
Next is Macro cycle 2. That will be known as the Sport Specific Preparation Period. At this stage you would start to put your main effort toward Skill and Team development, physically you would now have a shift toward Basic Strength training, this means your lifting would be 3 - 6 repetitions at 75-90% of 1 repetition Maximum weight. Your Conditioning work would still be running based, but now is the time to bring the distances down. Now you should be looking at more intense interval work Distances should be 100 - 200 meter sprints. Up to 5 x 200 and 6 - 8 100. Rest times should be around 2 to 3 minutes between repetitions. And they should be run at 85-90% of maximum speed. You should also start to bring in some type of Agility training at the start of your conditioning sessions; these can be skill based and could last 10 - 20 minutes. This phase is abbreviated to SSPP
The final phase of the Pre-season training programme is referred to as the Pre-competition Phase (PCP) as a coach you should now be concentrating much more on Team Drills and getting all your set piece sorted. Physically it is now all about the team peaking for optimum performance for the first game; the majority of fitness work should be Power related, High intensity sprint drills with longer rest periods and a lot more skill bases agility work. Just keeping your fitness gains topped up. In the last week prior to the first game of the season, training should be intense but probably only a third of the volume that you have been doing over the pre-season.
Now that you are into the competition phase of the season, you should split the season up into further Meso cycles where you can concentrate on topping up your fitness, power, speed and agility etc, throughout the season, these Meso cycles can be from 4 -6 weeks long.
Please bear in mind that the above explanation and examples are exactly that, examples! The model has been written purely so that you as a coach have a basic understanding of a Basic Periodisation Model. I hope you have found the article informative. For further information on Periodisation please visit my website listed in the resource box below.
Steve would like to invite you to get further quality information in the form of Free e:books, PDF Downloads, Articles and Exercise videos at http://www.ultimateperformancecentre.com all you have to do is register, and all the information is yours with our compliments.
I hope you enjoy it.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Periodization-of-Training-for-Amateur-Rugby-Coaches&id=6412700] Periodization of Training for Amateur Rugby Coaches
Friday, January 6, 2012
The Anglo All Black
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Mike_Watt]Mike Watt
On the 22nd May 1987, an English fullback walked out onto the pitch of Eden Park in Auckland for the first match of the inaugural Rugby World Cup. His kit was all black. John Gallagher would go on to win the tournament with New Zealand, etching himself into the list of All Black greats and beginning a journey that would see him crowned 'International Player of the Year' in 1990. He never lost a match wearing that jersey.
Now a head teacher in Southeast London, the man once known as Kipper is remembered as one of the finest players of his generation, and will doubtless be watching with fond memories as the Rugby World Cup returns to New Zealand this year for the first time since its inception. We recently caught up with him to talk about the 1987 World Cup, this year's tournament, and his reflections on New Zealand...
The Rugby World Cup returns to New Zealand this year, twenty-four years after its birth. What are your memories of playing in the 1987 World Cup?
I have many happy memories. My All Black Test debut in the inaugural match of the RWC, a game which we won 70-6, was obviously special, as were the four tries I scored against Fiji a few days later, which set a Test match record. The quarter-final against Scotland was significant for me, as my father had just flown in from London and was there to see me score a try from the stands. Otherwise, beating France in the RWC final and being crowned world champions was, of course, pretty memorable!
Who was the best player you played with, and against?
There are quite a few contenders, but it was always good to be in the same team as John Kirwan and Buck Shelford. In opposition, Serge Blanco of France was always a special challenge, together with David Campese of Australia.
What is your fondest memory from your playing career?
I am fortunate enough to have many fond memories; making my All Black debut on my mother's birthday in October 1986 against a French Selection in Strasbourg; winning the first RWC in 1987; being undefeated in my All Black career from 1986-89; being awarded NZ player of the Year in 1989 and International Player of the year in 1990.
My favourite try was against Ireland in 1989 in Dublin, it was special because both my parents were watching as well as all my Irish cousins.
Did you have to learn the Haka when you joined the New Zealand squad? Can you still do it now?
Yes - after the team was named for the Strasbourg match, Buck Shelford (Haka leader) took me to one side and asked me if I had performed the Haka before. I confessed that I hadn't and so he then gave me a crash course in its history and meaning, together with the words and actions.
After about half an hour I wasn't exactly well prepared, and he then said 'Just stand behind me and do what I do!' I still get a number of requests from the pupils in my school; I tend to teach them rather than doing it myself.
What did your New Zealand team do in between the matches of the 1987 World Cup?
Most memorably, a burger eating competition in a well-known fast food chain just outside Napier in the North Island. I was the surprise winner, destroying the reputations of Zinzan Brooke, Andy Earl and Michael Jones in the process.
We were also billeted with families in the Wairarapa; our Coach, Brian Lochore, was from that area and he got all of his farmer mates to put us up for a few days. It was complete escapism for me (completely different to Southeast London), but it also gave all the players a real insight into what the All Blacks meant to the rural communities of NZ.
What five words would you use to sum New Zealand up?
Friendly, beautiful, peaceful, fresh and creative.
What's your favourite thing about New Zealand; what do you miss most?
The fresh air.
Where is your favourite place in New Zealand?
Wellington - when the wind isn't blowing!
What should be on visitors' 'To Do List' when they make their trip to this year's World Cup?
Queenstown - Milford Track; Martinborough Vineyards in the Wairarapa (the Alana Estate Pinot Noir is especially good there); Bluff Oysters (South Island); visit a Marae to experience some traditional Maori culture. There's also plenty of choice on the east coast of the North Island, as well as Lake Taupo (NI) and Fox Glacier (SI).
How much do you value specialist local knowledge about a destination that you are travelling to?
It can be the difference between a good trip and a great trip.
How do you think this year's World Cup will differ from that in 1987? What should fans expect?
It will be much more commercial, many more spectators making the journey from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. With the recent earthquake in Christchurch, I feel the international rugby community will embrace the efforts that the host nation have made, and there will be a very strong bond of fellowship.
Rugby has changed drastically over the past twenty-four years; how is it different now?
In 1987, the game was amateur and the All Blacks were definitely an unknown quantity. They had lost their hold on the Bledisloe Cup as well as being well beaten by France in Nantes in '86. The team had also been split by the rebel tour to South Africa, which also divided public opinion. What's more, the average age of the team was 24!
Now the game is professional. South Africa and Australia are frequent visitors to NZ and know how to win there. Events such as the Autumn Test schedule in the Northern Hemisphere means there is a wealth of knowledge about all of the leading squads.
The All Blacks have had great opportunities to claim their second World Cup victory, especially in 1995 and 2007. There will be very high expectations on all of the young men who don the All Black jersey, but they wouldn't want it any other way!
Who's your pick to win this year's World Cup? And your outside bet?
Well it's New Zealand again - although I've said that every time since '87! I have it on good authority that Japan could be worth a bet, but not until 2019. After Ireland's display against England in March, they demonstrated that they have everything required - except consistency - but if they can get through their group and put three top quality performances together, they could be worth a shout!
For more information on the 2011 Rugby World Cup, along with a comprehensive guide to everything New Zealand has to offer, please visit [http://www.MyDestination.com/NewZealand]http://www.MyDestination.com/NewZealand.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Anglo-All-Black&id=6423277] The Anglo All Black
On the 22nd May 1987, an English fullback walked out onto the pitch of Eden Park in Auckland for the first match of the inaugural Rugby World Cup. His kit was all black. John Gallagher would go on to win the tournament with New Zealand, etching himself into the list of All Black greats and beginning a journey that would see him crowned 'International Player of the Year' in 1990. He never lost a match wearing that jersey.
Now a head teacher in Southeast London, the man once known as Kipper is remembered as one of the finest players of his generation, and will doubtless be watching with fond memories as the Rugby World Cup returns to New Zealand this year for the first time since its inception. We recently caught up with him to talk about the 1987 World Cup, this year's tournament, and his reflections on New Zealand...
The Rugby World Cup returns to New Zealand this year, twenty-four years after its birth. What are your memories of playing in the 1987 World Cup?
I have many happy memories. My All Black Test debut in the inaugural match of the RWC, a game which we won 70-6, was obviously special, as were the four tries I scored against Fiji a few days later, which set a Test match record. The quarter-final against Scotland was significant for me, as my father had just flown in from London and was there to see me score a try from the stands. Otherwise, beating France in the RWC final and being crowned world champions was, of course, pretty memorable!
Who was the best player you played with, and against?
There are quite a few contenders, but it was always good to be in the same team as John Kirwan and Buck Shelford. In opposition, Serge Blanco of France was always a special challenge, together with David Campese of Australia.
What is your fondest memory from your playing career?
I am fortunate enough to have many fond memories; making my All Black debut on my mother's birthday in October 1986 against a French Selection in Strasbourg; winning the first RWC in 1987; being undefeated in my All Black career from 1986-89; being awarded NZ player of the Year in 1989 and International Player of the year in 1990.
My favourite try was against Ireland in 1989 in Dublin, it was special because both my parents were watching as well as all my Irish cousins.
Did you have to learn the Haka when you joined the New Zealand squad? Can you still do it now?
Yes - after the team was named for the Strasbourg match, Buck Shelford (Haka leader) took me to one side and asked me if I had performed the Haka before. I confessed that I hadn't and so he then gave me a crash course in its history and meaning, together with the words and actions.
After about half an hour I wasn't exactly well prepared, and he then said 'Just stand behind me and do what I do!' I still get a number of requests from the pupils in my school; I tend to teach them rather than doing it myself.
What did your New Zealand team do in between the matches of the 1987 World Cup?
Most memorably, a burger eating competition in a well-known fast food chain just outside Napier in the North Island. I was the surprise winner, destroying the reputations of Zinzan Brooke, Andy Earl and Michael Jones in the process.
We were also billeted with families in the Wairarapa; our Coach, Brian Lochore, was from that area and he got all of his farmer mates to put us up for a few days. It was complete escapism for me (completely different to Southeast London), but it also gave all the players a real insight into what the All Blacks meant to the rural communities of NZ.
What five words would you use to sum New Zealand up?
Friendly, beautiful, peaceful, fresh and creative.
What's your favourite thing about New Zealand; what do you miss most?
The fresh air.
Where is your favourite place in New Zealand?
Wellington - when the wind isn't blowing!
What should be on visitors' 'To Do List' when they make their trip to this year's World Cup?
Queenstown - Milford Track; Martinborough Vineyards in the Wairarapa (the Alana Estate Pinot Noir is especially good there); Bluff Oysters (South Island); visit a Marae to experience some traditional Maori culture. There's also plenty of choice on the east coast of the North Island, as well as Lake Taupo (NI) and Fox Glacier (SI).
How much do you value specialist local knowledge about a destination that you are travelling to?
It can be the difference between a good trip and a great trip.
How do you think this year's World Cup will differ from that in 1987? What should fans expect?
It will be much more commercial, many more spectators making the journey from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. With the recent earthquake in Christchurch, I feel the international rugby community will embrace the efforts that the host nation have made, and there will be a very strong bond of fellowship.
Rugby has changed drastically over the past twenty-four years; how is it different now?
In 1987, the game was amateur and the All Blacks were definitely an unknown quantity. They had lost their hold on the Bledisloe Cup as well as being well beaten by France in Nantes in '86. The team had also been split by the rebel tour to South Africa, which also divided public opinion. What's more, the average age of the team was 24!
Now the game is professional. South Africa and Australia are frequent visitors to NZ and know how to win there. Events such as the Autumn Test schedule in the Northern Hemisphere means there is a wealth of knowledge about all of the leading squads.
The All Blacks have had great opportunities to claim their second World Cup victory, especially in 1995 and 2007. There will be very high expectations on all of the young men who don the All Black jersey, but they wouldn't want it any other way!
Who's your pick to win this year's World Cup? And your outside bet?
Well it's New Zealand again - although I've said that every time since '87! I have it on good authority that Japan could be worth a bet, but not until 2019. After Ireland's display against England in March, they demonstrated that they have everything required - except consistency - but if they can get through their group and put three top quality performances together, they could be worth a shout!
For more information on the 2011 Rugby World Cup, along with a comprehensive guide to everything New Zealand has to offer, please visit [http://www.MyDestination.com/NewZealand]http://www.MyDestination.com/NewZealand.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Anglo-All-Black&id=6423277] The Anglo All Black
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
A Visit From an Old Rugby Friend
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Alan_Marsden]Alan Marsden
Looking through my wardrobe, I discovered a brown paper parcel tied up with string (If, like me you could not guess its contents, the fact that it was wrapped in brown paper and tied with string should give you a hint as to its age) knowing that brown paper and string disappeared from earth along with the dinosaurs who knew how to wrap a parcel, sometime in the very early 60s.
Intrigued by the parcel, and admiring the craftsmanship of every folded corner and carefully tied knot and twist of the yellowing string, I proceeded to untie the string wrapping it around my fingers and placing it carefully to one side, recalling my gran doing the same thing, my father on the other hand would put the string in his pocket, he always carries a piece of string in his pocket, even to this day, (he celebrated his 90th birthday in January.)
Prompts the question; how long is a piece of string?
Answer: 90 years long.
On opening the parcel I was greeted by a very old friend who had stuck to me through thick and thin, mud and rain, snow and ice, now showing the same traces of age as myself, going a little thinner, faded, and now having as many creases as surface area would allow.
My old rugby shirt, preserved in time, back to join me once more, or would it? The passage of Time, Food and Beer, on both the shirt and myself was more than obvious. Would we still fit together skin to skin? there was only one way to find out. Stopping for a moment to consider, as one does when an old school friend tries to contact you on Friends Reunited pondering whether it is best to forget the idea of getting in touch and just remember things as they were so as to avoid any embarrassment or disappointment.
There was only one solution to this question, off came my top, standing ceremoniously, in ritualistic fashion with the red and white hooped shirt spread across the bed in front of me, no 5 staring back at me, waiting to be transformed from this flat shapeless form into the fine physique it once enjoyed, gripping the bottom of the shirt with my thumbs tucked inside I proceeded to gather the shirt into a ring to slip over my head, once inside,eyes closed, the shirt transformed into a time machine, whisking me back to the changing room, at the bottom of that muddy lane, the freezing cold floor and showers the mixture of aromas, winter greens liniment, dubbing, wet socks, sweat, smoke coming from the open fire in the bar area of the club.
Opening my eyes I now pulled the shirt over my head, Relief at least that still fitted, Now to maneuver my arms into the sleeves (did I mention it was an old shirt) being careful not to put too much strain on this old-timers already stretched seams, sliding my arms through gently until my hands popped out of the cuffs, relief they still fitted, gripping the bottom of the shirt which was still in a rucked up state across my chest I decided to go for it and pulled with all my might to bring the bottom of the shirt to its rightful resting place, feeling proud that at least it was on and now had form, it felt great, or was I looking at it with my time machine vision, turning to the mirror, for that "mirror, mirror" on the wall moment we all like to take part in, I saw before me not a transformation, but more of a shape-shift, what was once a red and white hooped rugby shirt now resembled a barbers pole, the shirt had developed what can only be described as a beer belly, taking one last look and appraisal of the still proud shirt, I decided that the distorted shape was the result of being enclosed in the brown paper for all those years and too much tension applied to the knots in the string, after all it never looked like that when I last wore it 42 years ago!
The origins of the rugby shirt or jersey as it was Known then, date back to 1839 At Rugby School, the School House team of 1839 was the first side to adopt a uniform. All their players wore red velvet caps during a match that Queen Adelaide, is thought to have watched.
These velvet caps, together with white trousers and jerseys, became accepted for players 'following up' although each wore his own favorite colors and carried a personal motto on his shirt (equivalent to today's Tee-shirt slogan). I bet it wasn't "rugby players do it with odd shaped balls"
With the fast approaching Rugby World cup my wardrobe will be seeing a new addition, after a visit to the rugby Store, my old friend will nonetheless have the honour of watching the games with me just hanging around together, unless he can get back in shape in time?
How old is your Rugby Shirt? http://planetrugby.yolasite.com
Having avoided serious injury I have been privileged to be able to play the game since the age of 11 until my last game at the age of 48 and proud to boast that I never hung up my boots! To tell the truth I didn't get the chance. My faithful old dog ate them all that was left were the soles and studs, a fitting end to a good pair of boots, and no ill effects to the dog.
Since then I have been following rugby at all levels, my love for the game has never faltered.
I look forward to the coming World Cup in New Zealand and the return of the Webb Ellis Cup, back to its rightful home once more. http://www.planetrugby.yolasite.com
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?A-Visit-From-an-Old-Rugby-Friend&id=6416427] A Visit From an Old Rugby Friend
Looking through my wardrobe, I discovered a brown paper parcel tied up with string (If, like me you could not guess its contents, the fact that it was wrapped in brown paper and tied with string should give you a hint as to its age) knowing that brown paper and string disappeared from earth along with the dinosaurs who knew how to wrap a parcel, sometime in the very early 60s.
Intrigued by the parcel, and admiring the craftsmanship of every folded corner and carefully tied knot and twist of the yellowing string, I proceeded to untie the string wrapping it around my fingers and placing it carefully to one side, recalling my gran doing the same thing, my father on the other hand would put the string in his pocket, he always carries a piece of string in his pocket, even to this day, (he celebrated his 90th birthday in January.)
Prompts the question; how long is a piece of string?
Answer: 90 years long.
On opening the parcel I was greeted by a very old friend who had stuck to me through thick and thin, mud and rain, snow and ice, now showing the same traces of age as myself, going a little thinner, faded, and now having as many creases as surface area would allow.
My old rugby shirt, preserved in time, back to join me once more, or would it? The passage of Time, Food and Beer, on both the shirt and myself was more than obvious. Would we still fit together skin to skin? there was only one way to find out. Stopping for a moment to consider, as one does when an old school friend tries to contact you on Friends Reunited pondering whether it is best to forget the idea of getting in touch and just remember things as they were so as to avoid any embarrassment or disappointment.
There was only one solution to this question, off came my top, standing ceremoniously, in ritualistic fashion with the red and white hooped shirt spread across the bed in front of me, no 5 staring back at me, waiting to be transformed from this flat shapeless form into the fine physique it once enjoyed, gripping the bottom of the shirt with my thumbs tucked inside I proceeded to gather the shirt into a ring to slip over my head, once inside,eyes closed, the shirt transformed into a time machine, whisking me back to the changing room, at the bottom of that muddy lane, the freezing cold floor and showers the mixture of aromas, winter greens liniment, dubbing, wet socks, sweat, smoke coming from the open fire in the bar area of the club.
Opening my eyes I now pulled the shirt over my head, Relief at least that still fitted, Now to maneuver my arms into the sleeves (did I mention it was an old shirt) being careful not to put too much strain on this old-timers already stretched seams, sliding my arms through gently until my hands popped out of the cuffs, relief they still fitted, gripping the bottom of the shirt which was still in a rucked up state across my chest I decided to go for it and pulled with all my might to bring the bottom of the shirt to its rightful resting place, feeling proud that at least it was on and now had form, it felt great, or was I looking at it with my time machine vision, turning to the mirror, for that "mirror, mirror" on the wall moment we all like to take part in, I saw before me not a transformation, but more of a shape-shift, what was once a red and white hooped rugby shirt now resembled a barbers pole, the shirt had developed what can only be described as a beer belly, taking one last look and appraisal of the still proud shirt, I decided that the distorted shape was the result of being enclosed in the brown paper for all those years and too much tension applied to the knots in the string, after all it never looked like that when I last wore it 42 years ago!
The origins of the rugby shirt or jersey as it was Known then, date back to 1839 At Rugby School, the School House team of 1839 was the first side to adopt a uniform. All their players wore red velvet caps during a match that Queen Adelaide, is thought to have watched.
These velvet caps, together with white trousers and jerseys, became accepted for players 'following up' although each wore his own favorite colors and carried a personal motto on his shirt (equivalent to today's Tee-shirt slogan). I bet it wasn't "rugby players do it with odd shaped balls"
With the fast approaching Rugby World cup my wardrobe will be seeing a new addition, after a visit to the rugby Store, my old friend will nonetheless have the honour of watching the games with me just hanging around together, unless he can get back in shape in time?
How old is your Rugby Shirt? http://planetrugby.yolasite.com
Having avoided serious injury I have been privileged to be able to play the game since the age of 11 until my last game at the age of 48 and proud to boast that I never hung up my boots! To tell the truth I didn't get the chance. My faithful old dog ate them all that was left were the soles and studs, a fitting end to a good pair of boots, and no ill effects to the dog.
Since then I have been following rugby at all levels, my love for the game has never faltered.
I look forward to the coming World Cup in New Zealand and the return of the Webb Ellis Cup, back to its rightful home once more. http://www.planetrugby.yolasite.com
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?A-Visit-From-an-Old-Rugby-Friend&id=6416427] A Visit From an Old Rugby Friend
Monday, January 2, 2012
North Island Rugby World Cup Destinations In NZ
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Bill_Sedgwick]Bill Sedgwick
If you're heading to the Rugby World Cup in 2011, there are a lot of things to consider - accommodation, which games to attend and where and you'll also need to consider transport. There are 13 different cities in New Zealand where the games will be played, of which eight are in the North Island. Having a car hire for your time in NZ makes it easy to get around and ensure you see all the games you want to see.
If you're considering booking a car hire for your time in NZ, you need to know where to go. Here are the cities in the North Island that are hosting Rugby World Cup 2011 games:
Whangarei: This city is located about 160 km north of Auckland. The first game here will be on September 14th, between Tonga and Canada. That will be followed by a game on September 21st, which will feature Tonga vs. Japan.
Auckland: A 2 hour drive from Whangarei, Auckland is home to many Rugby World Cup games for the 2011 season. September 17th will have Australia vs. Ireland, which is followed by New Zealand vs. France on the 24th and Fiji vs. Samoa on the 25th. Then, on October 1 England will play Scotland at the Eden Park field. Quarterfinals 2 and 4, as well as the Semi-finals and Finals will all be played here, as well.
Hamilton: A little under two hours drive south is the third host city of Hamilton. September 16th will feature New Zealand vs. Japan, followed by Wales vs. Samoa on September 18th. Finally, Wales will play Fiji on October 2nd.
Rotorua: This city is about 1 � hours from Hamilton by car, and is located in the middle of the North Island, central to many other game locations. It's hosting the Fiji vs. Namibia game which will be played September 10th, followed by Samoa vs. Namibia on September 14th, and finally Ireland vs. Russia on September 25th.
New Plymouth: 4 � hours south of Auckland (or approximately 4 hours from Rotorua) on the West coast this rugby mad province is hosting three games. Ireland vs. USA, Russia vs. USA, and Wales vs. Namibia. Games will be played on September 11th, 15th, and 26th, respectively.
Napier: Almost 3 hours from Rotorua to the Southeast, Napier will be home to France vs. Canada on the 18th and Canada vs. Japan on the 27th of September.
Palmerston North: Drive 2 hours south of Napier to find Georgia vs. Romania on the 28th September and Argentina vs. Georgia on October 2nd.
Wellington: The final destination for the North Island games is 2 hours south of Palmerston North. Games played here will include: South Africa vs. Wales, South Africa vs. Fiji, Australia vs. USA, Argentina vs. Scotland, France vs. Tonga, New Zealand vs. Canada, and the Quarterfinals Games 1 and 3.
Kiwi Direct Car Rentals is a family owned and operated business with many years of experience and knowledge.
We offer free pickup and drop off to Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch Airports (during business hours) a small fee will apply out of hours.
Our [http://www.rentalcarhire.co.nz/]NZ rental car network enables you to pick up and drop off in other locations; we have other affiliated rental car firms which are located throughout New Zealand.
Book your [http://www.rentalcarhire.co.nz/]car hire in NZ with us today for the 2011 Rugby World Cup games.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?North-Island-Rugby-World-Cup-Destinations-In-NZ&id=6369707] North Island Rugby World Cup Destinations In NZ
If you're heading to the Rugby World Cup in 2011, there are a lot of things to consider - accommodation, which games to attend and where and you'll also need to consider transport. There are 13 different cities in New Zealand where the games will be played, of which eight are in the North Island. Having a car hire for your time in NZ makes it easy to get around and ensure you see all the games you want to see.
If you're considering booking a car hire for your time in NZ, you need to know where to go. Here are the cities in the North Island that are hosting Rugby World Cup 2011 games:
Whangarei: This city is located about 160 km north of Auckland. The first game here will be on September 14th, between Tonga and Canada. That will be followed by a game on September 21st, which will feature Tonga vs. Japan.
Auckland: A 2 hour drive from Whangarei, Auckland is home to many Rugby World Cup games for the 2011 season. September 17th will have Australia vs. Ireland, which is followed by New Zealand vs. France on the 24th and Fiji vs. Samoa on the 25th. Then, on October 1 England will play Scotland at the Eden Park field. Quarterfinals 2 and 4, as well as the Semi-finals and Finals will all be played here, as well.
Hamilton: A little under two hours drive south is the third host city of Hamilton. September 16th will feature New Zealand vs. Japan, followed by Wales vs. Samoa on September 18th. Finally, Wales will play Fiji on October 2nd.
Rotorua: This city is about 1 � hours from Hamilton by car, and is located in the middle of the North Island, central to many other game locations. It's hosting the Fiji vs. Namibia game which will be played September 10th, followed by Samoa vs. Namibia on September 14th, and finally Ireland vs. Russia on September 25th.
New Plymouth: 4 � hours south of Auckland (or approximately 4 hours from Rotorua) on the West coast this rugby mad province is hosting three games. Ireland vs. USA, Russia vs. USA, and Wales vs. Namibia. Games will be played on September 11th, 15th, and 26th, respectively.
Napier: Almost 3 hours from Rotorua to the Southeast, Napier will be home to France vs. Canada on the 18th and Canada vs. Japan on the 27th of September.
Palmerston North: Drive 2 hours south of Napier to find Georgia vs. Romania on the 28th September and Argentina vs. Georgia on October 2nd.
Wellington: The final destination for the North Island games is 2 hours south of Palmerston North. Games played here will include: South Africa vs. Wales, South Africa vs. Fiji, Australia vs. USA, Argentina vs. Scotland, France vs. Tonga, New Zealand vs. Canada, and the Quarterfinals Games 1 and 3.
Kiwi Direct Car Rentals is a family owned and operated business with many years of experience and knowledge.
We offer free pickup and drop off to Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch Airports (during business hours) a small fee will apply out of hours.
Our [http://www.rentalcarhire.co.nz/]NZ rental car network enables you to pick up and drop off in other locations; we have other affiliated rental car firms which are located throughout New Zealand.
Book your [http://www.rentalcarhire.co.nz/]car hire in NZ with us today for the 2011 Rugby World Cup games.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?North-Island-Rugby-World-Cup-Destinations-In-NZ&id=6369707] North Island Rugby World Cup Destinations In NZ
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