I'd like to thank @Crazy-Horse for his contribution

@Darren said in Whats your "second team" in Super Rugby?:

I don't have a second team, but I support any NZ team playing any overseas team.
But if 2 NZ teams play each other and It's not the Canes I'll just enjoy the game

I'll add the caveat, in the case of 2 NZ teams playing I will enjoy game but chher for who will help the Canes on table , or another NZ team get further up ladder.

It looks like you can have up to 8 overseas players in your squad but there is a limit of 4 in your playing XI.

IPL Auction 2024 | IPL Mini Auction Live Updates

A 2 - 1 ODI series win in the end. The moment of last night's Super Over loss coinciding with the exact moment that "Sumo" decided to tell us Sophie Devine had never played in a losing one.

Emily Drumm was brilliant as a player. Some of her opinions & decisions as a selector, and published views on Tests, arguably don't meet the same high bar.

That fend at 7mins40ish in the highlights above was exceptional. The commentator was talking up the St Michaels gaelic football playing 10 all game

The Australian Girls were too good in the final beating Japan 38-7.

The NZ Boys beat the NZ Cavaliers 24-19 in a thriller with the winning try scored after time. At one stage it was 6 vs 5 in the Cavs favour.

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It’s a really good choice. What I hope to see is improvement from year to year, development of players to support that, building a strong squad and culture. Good news for 2024, with Corey Evans as well.

@SouthernMann said in Otago 2024:

@frugby said in Otago 2024:

The point is a competent, ambitious set-up rarely loses players, particularly ones like Withy who aren't moving due to a GF etc.

I disagree. We often see players leave provinces to go 'home'. Have seen it with the likes of Dalton Papalii, Kieran Read, Jordan Taufua, Gareth Evans, Tom Franklin, Tyrone Thompson. The list can go on. This hurts as he is our captain. Comes across as a really good bloke and is the sort that you'd want to build a team around. It will be a good opportunity to see Max Ratcliffe at the NPC level. For Withy I'd be more concerned if he buggered off to Northland or Bay of Plenty. He has also signed a three year deal which likely signals a long-term future with the Highlanders.

If Otago was properly run, won games and actually tried to keep players by paying fair value, we wouldn't lose our captain to Southland. Doesn't matter where he is from.

@ACT-Crusader said in Lincoln McClutchie - 16th best 1st 5:

@delicatessen said in Lincoln McClutchie - 16th best 1st 5:

Also can't figure out what Brett Cameron offers that he doesn't. Apart from elderliness.

Grant Fox could tell you…

That was five years ago.

I guess Carter only shone in the latter part of the sevens circuit, plenty more years left but he's a difference maker eh.

Another recent controversy was a Rawalpindi pitch that produced a bore-draw and was only rated as below average, rather than poor. I also vaguely recall an MCG one from an Ashes series, maybe when Alisitair Cook got a big double hundred, don't know of they had the current pitch rating system then.

11 Mar 2022
Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium given one demerit point for the surface produced for the lifeless opening Test between Pakistan and Australia

... has officially been rated "below average" by the match referee and given a demerit point.

In all, 1,187 runs were scored for the loss of only 14 wickets.

and

03 Jan 2018. MCG on notice after ICC rates pitch 'poor'
Had the Test finished two days later, the nation’s most famous cricket ground would have been slapped with three demerit points as part of a new ‘name and shame’ system from the ICC that came into effect on Monday.

News MCG on notice after ICC rates pitch 'poor' | cricket.com.au MCG on notice after ICC rates pitch 'poor' | cricket.com.au

MCG pitch in spotlight after governing body hands famous venue a formal warning

Didn’t know where to post this so..

Dominic Bird hangs up the boots after 12 years in professional rugby Dominic Bird hangs up the boots after 12 years in professional rugby

Home tests official now
The Springboks’ home Test schedule for 2024 is:
Saturday, 6 July: SA vs. Ireland (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria)
Saturday, 13 July: SA vs. Ireland (Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban)
Saturday, 20 July: SA vs. Portugal (venue TBC)
Saturday, 31 August: SA vs. New Zealand (Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg)
Saturday, 7 September: SA vs. New Zealand (DHL Stadium, Cape Town)
Saturday, 28 September: SA vs. Argentina (Mbombela Stadium, Nelspruit)

I got a new cap and jacket in the online sale but looks like they’re clearing everything out, makes me wonder if we’re moving on from Gilbert?

The reactions under this post reflect what many have been saying after the SR squads were announced, including here. I still can't believe no NZ franchise offered him a spot.

Hawkes Bay Magpies Hawkes Bay Magpies

What a season for 'The General' in 2023. Bunnings NPC Top Points Scorer 🤫

The draw for 2024 has been announced:

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2024 Sky Super Rugby Aupiki Draw

Round 1

Chiefs Manawa v Hurricanes Poua, Saturday 2 March, FMG Stadium Waikato, kick off 2.05pm

Matatū v nib Blues, Saturday 2 March, venue TBC, kick off 4.35pm

Round 2

nib Blues v Chiefs Manawa, Saturday 9 March, venue TBC, kick off 2.05pm

Hurricanes Poua v Matatū, Saturday 9 March, SKY Stadium, 4.35pm

Round 3

nib Blues v Hurricanes Poua, Saturday 16 March, venue TBC, kick off 2.05pm

Chiefs Manawa v Matatū, Saturday 16 March, FMG Stadium Waikato, kick off 4.35pm

Round 4

Hurricanes Poua v Chiefs Manawa, Friday 22 March, CET Arena Palmerston North, kick off 4.35pm

nib Blues v Matatū, Saturday 23 March, Eden Park, kick off 4.35pm

Round 5

Matatū v Hurricanes Poua, Friday 29 March, Apollo Projects Stadium, kick off 4.35pm

Chiefs Manawa v nib Blues, Saturday 30 March, venue TBC, kick off 2.05pm

Round 6

Hurricanes Poua v nib Blues, Saturday 6 April, Levin Domain, kick off 2.05pm

Matatū v Chiefs Manawa, Ngā Puna Wai, Christchurch, kick off 4.05pm

Action filled afternoons set for Sky Super Rugby Aupiki Action filled afternoons set for Sky Super Rugby Aupiki

Family-friendly afternoon kick offs are the feature of an extended 2024 Sky Super Rugby Aupiki draw announced by New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and the Super Clubs today.

@Snowy said in Americas Cup:

Anybody interested in this now that the traitors stole government money and ran away offshore with it?

So far I've resisted clicking on all news items about it except this thread. Team Treason sums up the whole circus that the "NZ" syndicate has become nicely...

@SBW1 said in Opinions on possible back-up All Blacks 10s:

newbies will come through and fill the void. Aidan Morgan being a good example.

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@Duluth Seeing Hodge and Lolesio on that list just reminds me of badly Eddie Jones messed up the Wallabies RWC campaign. I get wanting to blood new players and not wanting too many ULTRA-experienced oldish players, but if he had mixed Ultra-experienced players with Rennie Wallabies and his EJ youngsters they could've strolled their way to a RWC SF. Not too mention the handful of Aussie tight forwards playing in the French Top14.