Category Archives: Rugby union

Rugby team sparks row in NZ after calling government ‘rednecks’ in haka

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Questions asked over the place of protest in professional sport after Hurricanes Poua team in Wellington changed the lyrics for their haka just before a game

A row over the role of protest in professional sport has erupted in New Zealand after a women’s rugby team called the coalition government “rednecks” during a pre-match haka.

The Hurricanes Poua – the women’s rugby union team for Wellington – added lyrics to their haka just before their Super Rugby Aupiki match against the Chiefs Manawa in Hamilton on Saturday.

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Kurtley Beale trial: woman aired sexual assault allegations on family trip to buy wedding dress, court hears

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Former Wallaby has pleaded not guilty and denies sexually assaulting woman at Beach Road Hotel in December 2022

A woman aired allegations she was assaulted by the rugby star Kurtley Beale with her fiance’s family during a trip intended for wedding-dress shopping, a court has heard.

Beale, 35, is facing one count of sexual intercourse without consent and two counts of sexual touching in the NSW district court, following the alleged incident at Bondi’s Beach Road hotel in December 2022.

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Kurtley Beale trial: ‘convince him he is guilty’, alleged sexual assault victim wrote in taped call note

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Rugby union star has pleaded not guilty and denies sexually assaulting woman at Beach Road Hotel in December 2022

A woman accusing rugby star Kurtley Beale of rape made hand-written notes to herself before confronting him with the allegations in a secretly recorded phone call, a court has heard.

One of the notes mentioned trying to “convince him he is guilty and not innocent”, the court heard on Thursday.

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Kurtley Beale trial: jury to be shown CCTV footage of Wallabies star allegedly groping woman

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Rugby union player pleads not guilty and denies groping and sexually assaulting the complainant, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, at Bondi Beach venue in 2022

Footage showing the Wallabies star Kurtley Beale allegedly groping a woman at a pub before sexually assaulting her in a bathroom will be played to a jury as he fights the accusations.

More than an hour of recorded CCTV from the Beach Road Hotel near Bondi beach is expected to be played to the New South Wales district court jury hearing the case on Tuesday.

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Rugby Australia accepts Eddie Jones’s resignation as search for next Wallabies coach begins

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  • Governing body wishes embattled coach well after he quit post
  • RA expected to target Stephen Larkham and Dan McKellar

Eddie Jones’s tenure as Wallabies coach is officially over after Rugby Australia formally accepted his resignation following the team’s disastrous World Cup campaign in France.

RA on Tuesday confirmed the embattled coach’s departure from the national setup and said he would officially leave his post on 25 November.

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England and South Africa rugby fans gather around UK for World Cup semi-final

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Pubs in south-west London, where many of the UK’s 200,000-plus South Africans live, are hosting viewing parties

Excited fans of England and South Africa are gathering in bars, pubs and community centres around the UK to watch the tense Rugby World Cup semi-final between the two nations.

England secured their spot in the final four after overcoming Fiji 30-24 in a close-run quarter-final in Marseille, while South Africa narrowly defeated the hosts – and erstwhile favourites – France last weekend, 29-28.

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Ireland’s embrace of Zombie song at Rugby World Cup stirs debate over lyrics

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Fans seen singing the Cranberries’ hit in stadiums but some Irish republicans are unhappy at revival

Twenty years after a lethal IRA bomb inspired its stark, chilling lyrics, the Cranberries’ song Zombie has experienced an unlikely rebirth as a Rugby World Cup anthem.

Ireland fans have belted out its chorus in stadiums across France and hope to do so again on Saturday after a quarter-final tie against New Zealand at the Stade de France in Paris.

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British armed forces rugby player found dead in France

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Investigators believe player died in an accidental fall in Brittany, which is hosting World Defence Rugby competition

A British armed forces rugby player has been found dead in France, where the World Defence Rugby competition is being held.

Investigators believe the player may have died in an accidental fall in northern Brittany, a prosecutor said.

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Former rugby star’s Irish-accented French team talk hailed as ‘absolutely glorious’

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La Rochelle coach Ronan O’Gara lights up the internet seamlessly blending French with English with a few choice words

French may be the language of Baudelaire, Rimbaud and Voltaire, but sometimes it takes a rugby player from Cork to inject extra oomph.

Ronan O’Gara, a former Ireland international who coaches the French club La Rochelle, has lit up the internet with a pep talk to his team that seamlessly blended French with English swearing, graced with a Cork accent.

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Joe Biden confuses All Blacks with Black and Tans during Ireland trip

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White House edits transcript after US president referred to military force rather than New Zealand rugby team

The White House has corrected a gaffe by Joe Biden that confused New Zealand’s All Blacks rugby team with the British military force known as the Black and Tans that terrorised Ireland.

An official transcript of the remarks released on Thursday crossed out “Black and Tans” and inserted “All Blacks” instead.

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Joe Biden backs Ireland in Six Nations Grand Slam game against England

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President introduces former Ireland full-back Rob Kearney, a relative, at White House St Patrick’s Day event

Joe Biden has wished the Ireland rugby union team luck in their Grand Slam game against England in Dublin on Saturday.

On Friday, St Patrick’s Day, Biden welcomed the taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, to the White House for a traditional visit and talks.

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Kurtley Beale: Wallabies winger granted bail and denies Bondi sexual assault allegations

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Beale was ordered to surrender his passport, not contact witnesses and to report to police daily after appearing in Parramatta local court

High-profile rugby union player Kurtley Beale has denied sexually assaulting a woman in Sydney’s eastern suburbs last year after he was charged over the alleged incident.

The 34-year-old Wallabies winger was ordered on Saturday to surrender his passport, not contact witnesses and to report to police daily after he was granted bail in Parramatta local court.

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Wallabies star Kurtley Beale arrested over alleged sexual assault at Sydney hotel

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Rugby union player is being questioned over report a 28-year-old woman was sexually assaulted at a Bondi Beach venue

The rugby union star Kurtley Beale has been arrested over an alleged sexual assault.

The 33-year-old Wallabies winger was taken into custody by police on Friday over an alleged incident in Sydney’s east on 17 December.

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Australia triumph at Hong Kong Sevens for the first time in 34 years

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  • Nathan Lawson scores thrilling late gold medal-winning try
  • Maurice Longbottom named player of the final against Fiji

Australia’s rugby men have earned a remarkable triumph at the Hong Kong Sevens, winning the global circuit’s blue riband event for the first time in 34 years.

Coached by John Manenti, the side proved their world series triumph may be just the start of something big on Sunday as they began their 2022-23 campaign by beating Olympic and World Cup champions Fiji 20-17 in the final after a nail-biting finish.

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Amid the grandstanding, Sydney’s new stadium leaves same issues unresolved

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The Allianz Stadium has been rebuilt at a cost of $800m but the harbour city still lacks the right grounds in the right places

Walking into Sydney’s new Allianz Stadium feels a bit like walking into an old house with new fixtures. Everything is a bit brighter and works a little better – the couch somehow feels closer to the TV and that pesky leak in the roof has stopped – but the foundations are much the same.

That isn’t all that surprising given the architectural firm that designed the old 42,500-capacity venue is the same firm that designed the new 42,500-capacity venue. But it does prompt a query: if a stadium is demolished and rebuilt to look strikingly similar, was it rebuilt at all? If the New South Wales government had not spent $828m on it, could we say it had really happened?

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Australia 25-17 South Africa: Rugby Championship Test – as it happened

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Paul Williams from New Zealand is the man in charge of today’s contest. He was in Australia recently, taking care of the final Test of England’s tour in Sydney.

There was collateral damage in the Wallaby camp after the trip to South America. Defence coach Matt Taylor has been let go with veteran Brumbies forwards coach Laurie Fisher returning to the fold. “He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience which will only benefit our playing group,” Rennie said.

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Wallabies captain Michael Hooper withdraws from tour, citing ‘mindset’

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  • Australian captain out of Argentina tour for personal reasons
  • Coach Dave Rennie says Hooper has shown ‘true courage’

Captain Michael Hooper has withdrawn from the Wallabies’ Rugby Championship Test against Argentina 24 hours before kick-off, saying he isn’t in the “right mindset” to lead or represent the country.

The tireless flanker had been named to lead the side in his 122nd Test on Sunday morning (AEST) but will now return to Australia, missing both matches against the Pumas. Fellow Test centurion James Slipper will captain the side in Mendoza, while Fraser McReight will replace Hooper in the number seven jersey.

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Jock Campbell handed Wallabies call-up as Rory Arnold returns for Argentina Tests

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  • Full-back on 36-man list for next month’s two-match tour
  • Lock Arnold one of three overseas-based players in squad

Full-back Jock Campbell has earned his first call-up while lock Rory Arnold returned to the Wallabies fold for their two-Test Rugby Championship tour of Argentina. Coach Dave Rennie will reveal a 36-player squad on Thursday ahead of their first Test against the Michael Cheika-coached Pumas in Mendoza on 7 August (AEDT), with the second in nearby San Juan a week later.

The Australians are looking to rebound after losing the three-Test series against England, going down 21-17 in the decider last Saturday in Sydney.

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Fan who appeared to urinate from SCG roof given life ban by Rugby Australia

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Wallabies fan who made his way to roof during third Test against England charged by police and condemned for ‘deplorable’ behaviour

Rugby Australia has condemned the “deplorable” behaviour of a Wallabies fan who climbed up the big screen during Saturday’s third Test against England and appeared to urinate from the roof of the SCG.

The intruder, who made his way to the roof of the Bill O’Reilly stand during the second half of the series decider, was charged by police after the game in Sydney and on Monday RA handed him a lifetime ban.

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Eddie Jones in furious row after Australia rugby fans call him a traitor

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  • Videos emerge of two incidents during England series decider
  • Rugby Australia condemns fans as ‘totally unacceptable”

Eddie Jones was embroiled in angry exchanges with Australian supporters, who accused the England head coach of being “a traitor”, following the series decider in Sydney on Saturday. Rugby Australia has condemned the behaviour as “totally unacceptable” after videos emerged on social media in which Jones reacted furiously to the insults.

Videos of two incidents came to light after England’s 21-17 win in Sydney to clinch the series. In one of the incidents, a supporter, who is seen holding a beer, can be heard being urged to “spray” Australia-born Jones before pointing at the former Wallabies head coach and saying: “You’re a traitor.”

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