Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2018 + Calendar supplement i Rugby World

WEEKEND 30 NOV- 2 DEC HSBC World Sevens Series Men & Women (Dubai) TV Live on Sky Sports FRI 1 DEC Aviva Premiership Northampton v Newcastle (7.45) TV Live on BT Sport Worcester v Sale (7.45pm) Guinness Pro14 Southern Kings v Edinburgh (6.15) Dragons v Ulster (7.35pm) TV Live on BBC Wales/NI/TG4 Glasgow v Cardiff Blues (7.35pm) TV Live on BBC Alba Greene King IPA Championship Nottingham v Jersey (7.45pm) Principality Premiership East Bargoed v Newport Cardiff v Bedwas Cross Keys v Pontypridd Merthyr v Ebbw Vale Principality Premiership West Carmarthen Quins v RGC 1404 Neath v Bridgend SAT 2 DEC International Fixture Wales v South Africa (2.30pm, Principality Stadium) TV Live on BBC One Aviva Premiership Exeter v Bath (2pm) TV Live on BT Sport Gloucester v London Irish…

ST COLUMBA’S COLLEGE in St Albans attempted to break the world record for the most consecutive passes of a rugby ball last month. They fell shy of the record of 280, with just 156 passes, but the day was not a bust because the whole school – and visitor Billy Vunipola, who joined in with the attempt and took part in Q&As with pupils – used the effort to bolster their current charity drive. Head boy James Bromfield said: “As a school with a high standard of rugby, we believed the attempt suited us well. However, we did this primarily to raise money for a Brothers of the Sacred Heart mission in the Philippines, which is called the IconHope Home. This centre takes children off the streets and helps to…

TIM CROW SPORTS MARKETING & SPONSORSHIP EXPERT The UK sponsorship market has never been softer and the number one reason is Brexit. But there are others. In rugby, the Champions Cup sponsorship offer was never going to work. It was massively overpriced at £4m per partnership given how small BT’s and Sky’s audiences are. They should have stayed with Heineken as title sponsor but instead they’ve gone backwards. The one-year renewals we’ve seen with Aviva and Premiership Rugby, and RBS (NatWest) and the Six Nations, are going to become a new norm while Brexit is biting. I was surprised Premiership Rugby struggled because the product goes from strength to strength. Pricing was the issue. And that was definitely the case with the Six Nations, who were wildly optimistic. It’s not…

“I don’t really have friends in rugby. I’m not good at keeping in contact and am probably pretty rude in a way! I live in the moment and I’m having fun with the Dragons boys. Mind you, I bumped into James Hook the other day and we hit it off immediately.” “I prepare my own food before a game. I’ve always been big on nutrition, especially at my age when I need an edge.” “I’ve met some crazy people over the years. Lou Reed and Andy Powell are mental and Tom Shanklin is really funny, but the guy I miss playing with the most is Bridgend wing Adrian Durston.” “ Coaching skills is something that would come naturally to me. My only concern is, knowing how my mind works, I’d…

Age 45 Position Wing Teams Wakefield, Bath, Northampton & England “MY CAREER spanned the amateur and pro eras and I wouldn’t change a thing. It was good to have other things to focus on. “I retired in 2004 and now make a living as HR director for BillSaveUK, a leading supplier of energy-efficient solutions. “I’ve coached at Northampton Old Scouts for nearly ten years. My son Frankie is in the U14s side that I coach while Ollie, 17, played there and is now with Saints’ U18s. Most Saturdays I watch my boys play. “I was brought up near Malton in North Yorkshire, a racing town, and my partner and I have shares in racehorses. We’ve had nine winners in two years, the highlight being Capomento’s maiden win at Ripon. “I…

Age 21 (3 Apr 1996) Born Newtownstewart, County Tyrone Club Ulster Position Back three Height 6ft 3in Weight 16st Ireland debut v USA, June 2017 Twitter handle @JacobStockdale NOBODY EMBODIES Irish optimism better than Jacob Stockdale, whose try burnished last month’s 38-3 rout of South Africa. “He’s like a young Tommy Bowe,” says Stephen Ferris, “and a future Lion.” Yet as the wing explains, not long ago such talk was fanciful… Everyone thinks I was born in Lisburn as I went to school there. But I was born in the wee town of Newtownstewart. My dad (Graham) was a minister so we moved about when I was younger. Dad became a chaplain and works part-time in a prison and part-time in a hospice. I was destined to play rugby. Dad…

ATMOSPHERE This was a good day out for kids, plus an event for the older lads. A place to relax and meet old friends. As casual as you get. 6 FOOD Match day normally means a curry buffet. A former member’s recipe is still used. I filled my boots so can’t complain! 7 PINT An ice-cold jug of Sapporo lager in the afternoon sunshine will soothe even the most jet-lagged of goons like myself. 8 TOILETS This is a country club where every member mentions the facilities. But Japanese toilets still confuse me… 7 OVERALL 28…

BILLY VUNIPOLA: WRECKING BALL £20 Headline Weighty matters from England’s bruising No 8 – a captivating read THE LIONS: WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH £20 Hodder & Stoughton A blueprint for a winning Lions tour by legendary coach Sir Ian McGeechan HENRY FRASER: THE LITTLE BIG THINGS £12.99 Seven Dials Strength of mind can overcome any adversity. One man’s touching story WOODEN SPOON RUGBY WORLD YEARBOOK £20 Lennard This year’s annual comes with a Lions supplement – and at no extra cost CLEM £19.99 Iponymous The life and times of the great Welsh flanker Clem Thomas, as told by his son FROM SAINTS TO WINNERS £16.99 Pitch Agony becomes ecstasy – how Northampton won the double in 2013-14 WARREN GATLAND: IN THE LINE OF FIRE £20 Headline Get a front-row…

SINGAPORE IS the perfect place for rugby fans from all over the world to ‘try’ this spring. It has already run two marvellous editions of the HSBC Singapore Rugby Sevens, as well as played host to Sunwolves’ Super Rugby games and the Italy-Scotland Test earlier this year. The Singapore Sevens is being played on 28-29 April at the 55,000-capacity National Stadium, which has the world’s largest retractable dome and air-cooled seats. Adult, family and youth tickets are reasonably priced and easier to get hold of than for other HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series events in the Asia-Pacific. While the rugby may bring you to Singapore – fast, furious and frenetic games are guaranteed and you’ll see 45 matches over two days – there’s so much else on offer that you’ll…

1 How can I get my players to ‘win the race’? The entry to the ruck through the ‘gate’ and hindmost foot is strictly refereed nowadays and therefore makes this skill even more impressive. You can have great success by getting your tacklers to practise getting to their feet quickly, staying low and using their own body weight to ensure correct entry to rucks. And remember, these players have to ‘release’ tackled players or players on the floor and referees like to see a clear show of hands. Why not experiment with a heavy tackle bag and devise some post-tackle exercises? 2 What are the potential pitfalls of the third defender rushing out? Defenders either side of this player – sometimes called a ‘rabbit’ – have to be on high…

Help out Samoa It’s a great shame to hear the Samoa RFU declare itself bankrupt, especially considering the talent that has come from the island over the years. I understand that the host country of a Test match, such as England v Samoa, doesn’t have to share the gate receipts. I think this is wrong. The host team should get the majority of the gate receipts to help cover overheads etc, but the visiting team should also get a percentage of the gate because without two teams there is no match to look forward to. Maybe this is a rule change that could be looked at. I hope Samoa can sort themselves out and hopefully one day be a real challenge to the Tier One nations. Simon Hirst Leeds, West…

JANUARY FEBRUARY MARCH APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER OCTOBER NOVEMBER DECEMBER…

I’LL START with a timely homage to Eddie Jones as he celebrates his two-year anniversary. After bustling into Twickenham with some swagger, he has walked the walk as England have tasted defeat only once, in Dublin last March, while registering consecutive Six Nations titles and five wins over Australia. Granted, the financial and numerical advantages England enjoy will always be levelled at them, but you have to doff your cap to a side who seem to have forgotten how to lose. To do otherwise would be churlish. Elsewhere, with the kerfuffle over the 2023 World Cup (P28) and the Samoa Rugby Union’s financial woes, if we needed a timely reminder of why our game still resonates with so many, you only had to look at the sport’s heartfelt response to…

8 England Rob Andrew (above) was one of five players inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame last month. The others were Felipe Contepomi, Al Charron, Fabien Pelous and Phaidra Knight. 9 New Zealand Tabai Matson, who left his Bath role earlier this season for family reasons, has been appointed Chiefs assistant coach in NZ. He said: “The unexpected opportunity was too good to pass up.” 10 Australia Wing Filipo Daugunu (above) crossed for a hat-trick as Queensland Country beat Canberra Vikings 42-28 to win their first National Rugby Championship title. James Tuttle amassed 17 points and Duncan Paia’aua got a brace.…

THE GREAT thing about England at the moment is we expect them to win. If you compare that to two years ago, when we bombed out of the World Cup, it’s unrecognisable. Eddie Jones has done a fantastic job but he’s developed foundations laid by Stuart Lancaster, because the spine of the squad hasn’t changed a great deal. I’m not sure what his magic ingredient is, but I know players are scared of losing their place and I think that points towards why results have improved so much. It seems like the players love him. England huffed and puffed against Argentina but proved they could win a tight, pressurised game. Then against Australia they showed they could score tries in atrocious conditions. They are learning to adapt, which is promising.…

THROUGH THE sea of kids I spot it plodding around, waving enthusiastically. I shoot a quizzical look to my interpreter ‘Mike’, who smiles and replies: “Here in Japan, every club, every town, every company has a mascot like this.” As he finishes speaking I notice that the pale, rugby ball-nosed creature is not the only mascot in attendance – True Aussie Beef have a grill set up pitchside today and have brought a large, gaping-mouthed koala with them. Anxious, I scan the horizon for other critters creeping around… I am in Japan to see the national team take on the Wallabies at Yokohama International Stadium, the venue for four massive World Cup 2019 pool clashes – New Zealand v South Africa, Ireland v Scotland, England v France, and Japan v…

Age 25 (8 Jan 1992) Born Eadestown, County Kildare Region Scarlets Position Lock Height 6ft 6in Weight 16st 11lb Honours Ireland U20 Twitter handle @longdogbeirne MAY 2016: Tadhg Beirne was contemplating hanging up his boots. Leinster weren’t going to offer him a new contract and he was thinking of drawing a line under his rugby career to focus on his masters degree in real estate. May 2018: Tadhg Beirne will return to Ireland, signing for Munster from the Scarlets, with hopes of winning international honours. This is not a pipe dream but a tangible goal, for he has been such a standout performer for the Welsh region that he’s had Joe Schmidt on the phone. So the lock is hugely grateful to Wayne Pivac for taking a punt on him…

“Before the game I do a lot of analysis on the trends of the opposition wingers. If they defend high in the line and come up hard, I try to exploit the space behind them. I spend some time analysing my opposite player, but it’s the guys out wide I focus on.” “Ryan Crotty is the first guy picked in the All Blacks for his ability to identify space and do the basics. A 12 needs to be a jack-of-all-trades – the glue and balance in the back-line.” “If you’re in the middle of the field, chances are their wingers are going to be set deep so you have space on the flank for, say, a kick-pass. If you’re in the opposition’s half, chances are they will press a bit…

7th It’s the ‘Battle of the Blues’ at Twickenham with the annual Varsity Match. The double header kicks off with Oxford v Cambridge Women at 11.30am, followed by the men’s fixture at 3pm. For more information, see thevarsitymatch.com 12th  Warren Gatland and Sam Warburton are the headline guests for a Christmas lunch at Ashton Gate Stadium in Bristol. The coach and captain of the last two British & Irish Lions tours will take part in a Q&A with event host David Flatman after the three-course lunch. Visit bristolsportingdinners.co.uk to book a table. 17th Will there be any rugby winners at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year ceremony in Liverpool? Tune into BBC One this Sunday night to see the great and the good of the sports world honoured at…

Last person you phoned My missus, Jo, or my mum Most important person on your phone Eddie Jones and then my agent Last person you texted My communications chief, I gave him the thumbs up Music app Spotify on Sonos. Did I mention I like the Moana album? Favourite social network Instagram. Loads of pics and you can keep in touch with your mates News app I don’t go to any specific site but get all my news from Twitter Favourite WhatsApp group I have a few but I’ve disabled notifications. I don’t like to be bugged Last app downloaded Not exciting but I think it was probably Dropbox…

1 ABIGAIL DOW Age 20 (29 September 1997) Born Slough, Berkshire Club Wasps Country England Position Wing How did you first get involved in rugby? My brother was playing for the minis at Maidenhead and me and my sister, Ruth, were sat on the side. We asked to play and got into it through that. I was five then and when it split to girls’ rugby, we moved to Reading for U15s and U18s. Did your sister help motivate you? Ruth’s two years older, played flanker and I was following in her footsteps. She played in the Premiership and for England U20 before me. We’d motivate each other. She had a serious injury and just plays socially now. Have you always played wing? We struggled for numbers up to U18s…

BUDGE ROGERS won 34 England caps from 1961-69 and played two Tests for the 1962 Lions before later becoming his country’s chairman of selectors. In 2003 the former England captain was part of a group of friends that travelled to Australia to watch the World Cup. Lawyer Jeremy Caplan and former Bedford team-mate Roger Dalzell were on the trip and the latter recalls an incident with the local constabulary… “Budge was driving and we were travelling through mountain passes and very tricky roads. For safety reasons, there were double yellow lines down the middle of the road, which you weren’t supposed to cross. This didn’t seem to trouble Budge, who drove at his normal speed – very fast. Suddenly, a police car appeared behind us with horns blaring and lights…

PLAYER POWER Richie McCaw and Johnny Sexton, co-presidents of the International Rugby Players’ Association, have agreed a new deal with World Rugby to ensure players are consulted on key issues about rugby’s future. IRPA will relocate from Auckland to Dublin. NEW ROLES Kim Oliver has been named head coach of Bristol Ladies, Gemma Fay is Scotland’s new Head of Women and Girls’ rugby, and Craig Philpott has been appointed to a new full-time role as New Zealand U20 coach. CALLING TIME Leicester, England and Lions flanker Tom Croft has been forced to retire aged 32 due to a neck injury. SEIZE THE DAY Single-day tickets are now on sale for the Sevens World Cup in San Francisco on 20-22 July – but they will only be available until 24 December.…

POOL A IrELAND | SCOtLAND | JAPAN | EurOPE 1 | PLAy-OFF WINNEr Fri 20 Sep Japan v Europe 1 (Tokyo) Sun 22 Sep Ireland v Scotland (Yokohama) Tue 24 Sep Europe 1 v Play-off Winner (Kumagaya) Sat 28 Sep Japan v Ireland (Shizuoka) Mon 30 Sep Scotland v Play-off Winner (Kobe) Thu 3 Oct Ireland v Europe 1 (Kobe) Sat 5 Oct Japan v Play-off Winner (Toyota) Wed 9 Oct Scotland v Europe 1 (Shizuoka) Sat 12 Oct Ireland v Play-off Winner (Fukuoka) Sun 13 Oct Japan v Scotland (Yokohama) POOL B NEW ZEALAND | SOutH AFrICA | ItALy AFrICA 1 | rEPÊCHAGE WINNEr Sat 21 Sep New Zealand v South Africa (Yokohama) Sun 22 Sep Italy v Africa 1 (Higashiosaka) Thu 26 Sep Italy v Repêchage Winner (Fukuoka)…

COLOURING-IN BALL £12.99 rhino.direct Make your mark with this midi-sized ball, complete with a Christmas scene illustration to colour in. Rhino are offering RW readers a 10% discount – just use the code XMAS10 IRFU INFANT KIT PACK €65 shop. irishrugby.ie It’s never too early to get behind your country. This kids’ kit is a full replica of the Ireland strip and will make others green with envy! POLAR BEAR TOY £10 englandrugbystore.com A cute and cuddly way to show support for England, this bear not only has its own hat and scarf but the red rose emblem on its foot SANTA SHIRT £55 lovell-rugby.co.uk Why not swap the Christmas jumper for this festive-themed rugby shirt? You’ll also help raise money for the Help for Heroes charity IRELAND ACRYLIC…

SOMETIMES RUGBY moves far too slowly; it is afraid to offend people and easily bullied, afraid to be radical. Here are a dozen Christmas crackers to set rugby skyrocketing, and also to clean up the dusty areas for a new year. Easy! 1 TOUR DE FORCE When the major southern hemisphere unions come up here every year and when all the European teams go down there every year, it gets boring. The Test-only itineraries give the host nations no chance to get know the players and nowhere to watch them outside a tiny inner circle of Test grounds. They should allow teams to only once every four years but let them stay longer, so it really becomes an event when they arrive. Say New Zealand came up to play three…

RICHIE McCAW The man who led New Zealand to back-to-back World Cups developed an interest in flying through gliders and is now a commercial helicopter pilot. Rugby’s most-capped player, McCaw is a director of Christchurch Helicopters and takes tourists on scenic flights over the city. TOMMY BOWE The Ireland winger started working towards obtaining a private pilot’s licence while at the Ospreys, then completed the necessary hours and passed his test in August 2014, after returning to Ulster. Former England and Lions hooker Lee Mears is another who has his PPL. THE UNDERWOOD BROTHERS Former England wings Tony and Rory Underwood haven’t just flown down the touchline at Twickenham. Rory, still England’s record try-scorer with 49, flew jets for the RAF while Tony became a commercial airline pilot after retiring…

LAST MONTH I explained how the new ruck laws have reduced the attempts by a defence to compete for the ball. One team bucking the trend are Leinster, whose aggressive rush defence and insatiable appetite to challenge over the ball at the tackle makes them hard to penetrate. Teams taking on Leinster require centres who are highly skilled passers and able to control their running speed and depth, because the Irish province’s outside backs fly out of the line to try to create havoc in the passing channels. The international calibre of their back row means they’re equipped technically and physically to counter-ruck and jackal for turnovers. Their centres are emulating the tenacious prowess of their famous predecessors, Brian O’Driscoll and Gordon D’Arcy. But it’s the significance of the leader…

1 MOVE HEADING INTO December the temperature is falling, it’s getting wet and you have to keep pushing on through the dark. This is the challenge of northern hemisphere rugby – and all club grounds stay puddle-free. The season is still relatively young, though, and you have to maintain your physicality, particularly in the set-piece. During these periods of training and games, collisions rack up and the joints and bones go through a huge amount of impact and stress. And this means recovery is key, says nutritionist James Morehen. To help you be ready for the next brutal scrum session or game, you need meals high in Omega 3. In the time of ‘winter warmers’, something like a salmon and mackerel fish stew will do the job. Any veggies added…

Bonus points are now just about ubiquitous in all forms of 15-a-side rugby, but the problem is that the ability of the losing side to score two bonus points affects other teams in the league, even though they aren’t playing in the game. This can impact on relegation battles, when a few points might separate teams, while the impact in small leagues, such as the pool stages of European competitions and the World Cup, can be great. The solution is to make the total number of points awarded in a game the same for all results. One way to do this is for games to contest four points Draws give each team two; a narrow win splits the points 3-1 and a large win 4-0. ‘Large’ could be defined as…