|
2013 Rugby Championship
The 2013 Rugby Championship, known as ''The Castle Rugby Championship'' in South Africa, ''The Investec Rugby Championship'' in New Zealand, ''The Castrol Edge Rugby Championship'' in Australia and ''The Personal Rugby Championship'' in Argentina for sponsorship reasons, was the second edition of the expanded annual southern hemisphere championship consisting of Argentina, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. New Zealand as the 2012 holders, was trying to keep their 100% winning record in the championship after winning six from six in 2012. The Championship began on 17 August with Australia hosting New Zealand at Stadium Australia and South Africa hosting Argentina at the FNB Stadium. The match between South Africa and Argentina was originally meant to be held at the Free State Stadium, but it was moved to the FNB to form a unique sports programme – Nelson Mandela Sports Day – in honour of Nelson Mandela. The Championship concluded with South Africa hosting New Zealand ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Morné Steyn
Morné Steyn (born 11 July 1984) is a South African rugby union player who plays as a fly-half for the Bulls and played for the South Africa national team, up until his retirement from international test rugby in October 2021. Steyn has won an Under-21 World Cup, three Currie Cups, three Super Rugby titles, one Super Rugby unlocked, one Tri-Nations, one French Top 14 title and two British and Irish Lions series. Playing career With the Bulls, he was a member of the team that won Super Rugby in 2007, 2009 and 2010. In 2009 and 2010, he was the leading point scorer in the league. In the 2009 semi-final against the Crusaders, he kicked four drop goals, a league record for a single game. From 2013 to 2020, he played in the French Top 14 for Stade Français. He made his debut on 30 August 2013 in a 38–3 win over Biarritz. Coming on in the 60th minute, he scored four points by converting two tries. South Africa In early 2009, South Africa coach Peter de Villiers stated his ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ellis Park Stadium
Ellis Park Stadium (known as Emirates Airline Park for sponsorship reasons) is a rugby union and association football stadium in the city of Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. It hosted the final of the 1995 Rugby World Cup, which was won by the country's national team, the Springboks. The stadium was the country's most modern when it was upgraded in 1982 to accommodate almost 60,000 people. Today, the stadium hosts both football and rugby and is also used as a venue for other large events, such as open-air concerts. It has become synonymous with rugby as the only time when rugby was not played at Ellis Park was during 1980 and 1981, when the stadium was under construction during the upgrade. The stadium was originally named after Mr J.D. Ellis, who made the area for the stadium available. A five-year ZAR 450 million (US$58 million/ £30 million) naming rights deal was signed in 2008 with The Coca-Cola Company, resulting in the stadium being named Coca-Cola Park betwe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
South African Rugby Union
The South African Rugby Union (SARU) is the governing body for rugby union in South Africa and is affiliated to World Rugby. It was established in 1992 as the South African Rugby Football Union, from the merger of the South African Rugby Board and the non-racial South African Rugby Union (SACOS), and took up its current name in 2005. SARU organises several national teams, most notably the senior national side, the '' Springboks''. History The South African Rugby Board was the rugby union governing body of white South Africans between 1880 and 1992. The governing of white and coloured rugby union was handled separately during South Africa under Apartheid. On 23 March 1992 the non-racial South African Rugby Union and the South African Rugby Board were merged to form the South African Rugby Football Union. The unified body changed its name in 2005 to the current South African Rugby Union. The debacle of the 2003 World Cup saw the Springboks exit in the quarterfinals. Further, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Craig Joubert
Craig Paul Joubert (born 8 November 1977) is a South African professional rugby union referee and a Referee Talent Development Coach at World Rugby. Joubert officiated in domestic first class matches in South Africa since 2003, in matches in the Vodacom Cup and Currie Cup competitions. He refereed on the World Rugby Sevens circuit in 2003–04. He has been included in the Super Rugby refereeing panel since 2005 and has also refereed international test matches since 2005, making his debut in a match between the United States and Wales. Joubert took charge of Super Rugby finals in 2010, 2013 and 2014 and has officiated in Tri-Nations / Rugby Championship matches since 2009, refereeing matches between Australia and New Zealand in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2013. In the 2011 Rugby World Cup, Joubert refereed four pool games, a quarter final, a semi-final and the final. He refereed the deciding Six Nations match in 2012 and one of the British & Irish Lions games on their tour to Aust ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountains to the west, Hawkesbury to the north, the Royal National Park to the south and Macarthur to the south-west. Sydney is made up of 658 suburbs, spread across 33 local government areas. Residents of the city are known as "Sydneysiders". The 2021 census recorded the population of Greater Sydney as 5,231,150, meaning the city is home to approximately 66% of the state's population. Estimated resident population, 30 June 2017. Nicknames of the city include the 'Emerald City' and the 'Harbour City'. Aboriginal Australians have inhabited the Greater Sydney region for at least 30,000 years, and Aboriginal engravings and cultural sites are common throughout Greater Sydney. The traditional custodians of the land on which modern Sydney stands ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Beauden Barrett
Beauden John Barrett (born 27 May 1991) is a New Zealand rugby union player. He plays as a First five-eighth (fly-half) and fullback for Taranaki in the Mitre 10 Cup, the Blues in Super Rugby and New Zealand's national team, the All Blacks. He was a key member of the 2015 Rugby World Cup winning team. Barrett won the World Rugby Player of the Year award in 2016 and 2017, was also a nominee for the award in 2018, and is only the second player to win the award in back-to-back years, after former teammate Richie McCaw. He also won the overall Sportsperson of the Year Award in the Taranaki Sports Awards in 2013, 2016 and 2019. Barrett played at under-20 and Sevens levels for New Zealand before being called into the All Blacks' squad in May 2012, and made his international debut as a replacement in the final test against Ireland in Hamilton, when he kicked nine points, on 23 June 2012. He debuted for Taranaki in 2010, and debuted in Super Rugby with the Hurricanes in 2011. Bar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Conrad Smith
Conrad Gerard Smith (born 12 October 1981) is a New Zealand rugby union coach and former player, who played predominantly at centre. He captained the Hurricanes in Super Rugby, and played for New Zealand from 2004 until 2015. He was a key member of New Zealand's 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cup winning teams. Following the 2015 World Cup he retired from international rugby and took up a contract with in France, before retiring in 2018. After retiring, he began a defence coaching role with Pau, and extended his contract as the club's High Performance Manager in 2020. He eventually returned to New Zealand in 2021, but still worked for Dublin-based International Rugby Players. Early life Smith played in various Taranaki age group teams. He attended St Joseph's Catholic School and Francis Douglas Memorial College, both in New Plymouth. Besides rugby he also excelled in cricket and was known as a fast bowler; his current nickname "Snakey" originated from his fielding which his ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Richie McCaw
Richard Hugh McCaw (born 31 December 1980) is a retired New Zealand professional rugby union player. He captained the national team, the All Blacks, in 110 out of his 148 test matches, and won two Rugby World Cups. He has won the World Rugby player of the year award a joint record three times and was the most capped test rugby player of all time from August 2015 to October 2020. McCaw was awarded World Rugby player of the decade (2011–2020) in 2021. McCaw is also a winner of the New Zealand sportsman of the decade award, the highest sporting honour a sports individual can achieve in New Zealand. McCaw was the first All Black to reach 100 caps, and the first rugby union player to win 100 tests. He was the most-capped player in rugby union history with 148 caps, having overtaken Brian O'Driscoll's record in 2015 and losing the record to Alun Wyn Jones in 2020. McCaw has also equaled the record for most appearances at the Rugby World Cup with Jason Leonard. McCaw predomin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aaron Cruden
Aaron Wiremu Cruden (born 8 January 1989) is a New Zealand rugby union player, who plays for Chiefs and formerly Montpellier, Manawatu and New Zealand internationally. Cruden's usual position is first five-eighth (fly half). Early life Cruden of Māori descent was born in Palmerston North and attended Palmerston North Boys' High School. He captained the 2006 Palmerston North Boys' High School 1st XV which included the likes of Hadleigh Parkes, Kurt Baker and Andre Taylor. Cruden was diagnosed with testicular cancer at the age of 19, which necessitated the removal of one of his testicles. The cancer has since gone into remission. In 2008, Cruden attended the High Performance Player's Course at the International Rugby Academy NZ (IRANZ). Cruden's Positional Coach was former All Black Grant Fox and Course Facilitator former All Black Jeff Wilson. Domestic career Manawatu (2008–present) Cruden made his provincial debut for Manawatu Turbos in 2008. Cruden captained New Z ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Christian Lealiifano
Christian Leali'ifano (born 24 September 1987), is an Australian professional rugby player. He is of Samoan heritage, and his surname is spelled Leali'ifano when using Samoan diacritics. He currently plays for Moana Pasifika in the Super Rugby Pacific competition and his usual position is inside centre or fly-half. In August 2016, two weeks after the Brumbies were knocked out of the Super Rugby finals, Leali'ifano was diagnosed with leukaemia. He has resumed playing after receiving a bone marrow transplant, and in 2017 signed for Ulster, who play in the Pro14, on loan. He has signed with the Moana Pasifika for the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific season. Early life Leali'ifano was born in Auckland, New Zealand, and moved with his family to Melbourne, Australia when he was seven years old. He attended Epping Primary School and Peter Lalor Secondary College. He played rugby union for the Australian Schoolboys team in 2004 and 2005. Leali'ifano joined the Brumbies rugby academy progr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
James O'Connor (rugby Union)
James David O'Connor (born 5 July 1990) is an Australian professional rugby union footballer who currently plays for Queensland Reds in Super Rugby. He made his international debut for Australia in 2008 at the age of eighteen. He has played for the Western Force and Melbourne Rebels in Super Rugby. In 2013 he played for English Premiership side London Irish, and in the 2014–15 season he moved to France to play in the Top 14 competition for Toulon. His regular playing positions are Fly-half, Centre, Fullback and Wing. Early life O'Connor was born in Australia on the Gold Coast. He lived in Auckland for five years as a child, attending Rutherford Primary School, until the age of eleven when he returned to Australia with his family. He became a boarder at Nudgee College in Brisbane's northern suburbs. In 2006 O'Connor suffered a ruptured spleen, but went on to be part of the Australian Schools representative team that played against England, Samoa and New Zealand in 2007. O' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Will Genia
Sanchez William Genia (born 17 January 1988) is a professional rugby union player, currently playing scrum-half for the Kintetsu Liners in Japan. He had previously played Super Rugby for the Queensland Reds (2007–2015) and Melbourne Rebels (2018–2019). He also had previously played for Stade Français in France's Top 14 from 2015 to 2017. Born in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, he played for Australia at international level from 2009 to 2019. Genia made his test debut against New Zealand, and went on to earn 110 international caps. Former New Zealand scrum-half Justin Marshall said Genia was "best in the world for his position". Family and early life Genia was born in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. He was introduced to rugby union (after playing rugby league growing up in PNG) when he moved to Brisbane, Australia at the age of 12 for his secondary education at Brisbane Boys' College, boarding at the school from 2000 to 2005. Genia played rugby for the Australia 'A' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
