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2012 Six Nations Championship
The 2012 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2012 RBS 6 Nations due to the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the 13th series of the Six Nations Championship. The annual northern hemisphere rugby union championship was contested by England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. Including the competition's previous incarnations as the Home Nations Championship and Five Nations Championship, it was the 118th tournament of the annual European championship. For the first time since 2008, there were no Friday night fixtures. Whilst Italy continued to play their home matches in Rome, they used the Stadio Olimpico instead of the Stadio Flaminio, which Italy had used for their home Championship fixtures since entering the competition in 2000. The Championship was won by Wales, who achieved their third Grand Slam in eight tournaments. Participants Squads Table Results Round 1 * Nicolas Mas and Thierry Dusautoir (both France) earned t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Leigh Halfpenny
Stephen Leigh Halfpenny (born 22 December 1988) is a Welsh rugby union player who plays as a fullback (rugby union), fullback or wing (rugby union), wing for Harlequin F.C., Harlequins in the Premiership Rugby, English Premiership. Halfpenny is the List of Wales national rugby union team records#Most points, third highest points scorer for Wales after Neil Jenkins and Stephen Jones (rugby union), Stephen Jones. Early life Halfpenny is from Gorseinon, in Swansea. He attended Pontybrenin Primary School and Penyrheol Comprehensive School. Early career A Wing (rugby union), winger or Fullback (rugby union), fullback, Halfpenny was signed as a youth by the Ospreys (rugby union), Ospreys and played the 2005–06 season with the Ospreys U18s. Halfpenny then trained with Neath RFC during the 2006–07 season, before signing for the Cardiff Blues and spending the whole 2007–08 season playing for feeder club Cardiff RFC, before making his Introduction of regional rugby union teams in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium (; usually known as Twickenham, and for sponsorship purposes known as the Allianz Stadium Twickenham) is a rugby union stadium in Twickenham, London, England. It is owned by the Rugby Football Union (RFU), the English rugby union governing body, which has its headquarters there. The stadium is England's List of national stadiums, national rugby union stadium and is the venue for the England national rugby union team's home matches. Twickenham is the world's largest rugby union stadium, the second largest stadium in the United Kingdom (behind Wembley Stadium), and the List of European stadia by capacity, fourth largest in Europe. The Middlesex Sevens, Premiership Rugby fixtures, Anglo-Welsh Cup matches, Harlequin F.C., Harlequins' annual The Big Game (rugby union), Big Game, the The Varsity Match, Varsity Match between University of Oxford, Oxford and University of Cambridge, Cambridge universities and European Rugby Champions Cup games have been played there. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2,746,984 residents in , Rome is the list of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, third most populous city in the European Union by population within city limits. The Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, with a population of 4,223,885 residents, is the most populous metropolitan cities of Italy, metropolitan city in Italy. Rome metropolitan area, Its metropolitan area is the third-most populous within Italy. Rome is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, within Lazio (Latium), along the shores of the Tiber Valley. Vatican City (the smallest country in the world and headquarters of the worldwide Catholic Church under the governance of the Holy See) is an independent country inside the city boun ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paul O'Connell
Paul Jeremiah O'Connell (born 20 October 1979) is an Irish rugby union coach and former player. When he retired, he was Ireland's third most-capped player (108) and the eighteenth most-capped international player in rugby union history. During his career, O'Connell captained Munster, Ireland and the British & Irish Lions. He is now the forwards coach for the Ireland national men's team. Early life O'Connell was born in Limerick, Ireland to Mick and Sheila O'Connell. He attended the Model School and Ardscoil Rís, Limerick where he initially excelled at swimming and only started playing rugby at the age of 16, playing for the school in the Munster Schools Senior Cup and representing Irish Schools in 1997–98 along with international teammate Gordon D'Arcy. He also played five consecutive games with the Ireland U21s with Donncha O'Callaghan as his second-row partner. O'Connell completed 3 out of 4 years of a Computer Engineering degree at the University of Limerick, bef ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rory Best
Rory David Best (born 15 August 1982) is an Irish former rugby union player who was the captain of the Ireland national team from 2016 to 2019. He played hooker for Ulster and was registered for Banbridge RFC. Best earned 124 caps for Ireland, making his debut in 2005 and retiring at the end of the 2019 Rugby World Cup, his fourth World Cup. Best is one of the most capped rugby players of all time. Best toured with the British & Irish Lions side in 2013 and 2017. Early life Best was raised in Poyntzpass, County Armagh. His mother is English, from Middlesbrough, Yorkshire. He was educated at Tandragee Junior High School and Portadown College. He then studied agriculture at The University of Newcastle. Club career Best returned home to join Belfast Harlequins in 2002 where he captained the team and gained his first Ulster contract in 2004. He made his debut for Ulster as a replacement at home to Munster in the 2005 Celtic League. He replaced his brother (now retired Irel ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Declan Kidney
Declan Kidney (born 20 October 1959) is an Irish rugby union coach. He was the head coach of the Ireland national rugby union team from 2008 to 2013, where he won the 2009 Six Nations with a Grand Slam, winning the 2009 IRB Coach of the Year award. He was also the head coach at Munster, leading them to four Heineken Cup finals, winning twice in 2006 and 2008. He was recently Director of Rugby at London Irish. Early life Kidney was born in Bishopstown, County Cork. He played rugby for UCC and later for Dolphin RFC. He studied to become an accounting and mathematics teacher, in which position he was appointed at Presentation Brothers College, Cork, and later became the career guidance officer. He took on the role of rugby coach at the school, where he had initial success as coach of the junior and later senior side. Coaching career Youth and professional Following his coaching of the Irish Schools team, Kidney coached the Ireland under 19s team which won the FIRA World Cup i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dublin
Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, part of the Wicklow Mountains range. Dublin is the largest city by population on the island of Ireland; at the 2022 census of Ireland, 2022 census, the city council area had a population of 592,713, while the city including suburbs had a population of 1,263,219, County Dublin had a population of 1,501,500. Various definitions of a metropolitan Greater Dublin Area exist. A settlement was established in the area by the Gaels during or before the 7th century, followed by the Vikings. As the Kingdom of Dublin grew, it became Ireland's principal settlement by the 12th century Anglo-Norman invasion of Ireland. The city expanded rapidly from the 17th century and was briefly the second largest in the British Empire and sixth largest in Western Europ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aviva Stadium
Aviva Stadium, also known as Lansdowne Road (, ) or Dublin Arena (during UEFA competitions), is a List of stadiums in Ireland by capacity, sports stadium located in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, with a capacity for 51,711 spectators (all seated). It is built on the site of the former Lansdowne Road, Lansdowne Road Stadium, which was demolished in 2007, and replaced it as home to its chief tenants: the Ireland national rugby union team, Irish rugby union team and the Republic of Ireland national football team, Republic of Ireland football team. The decision to redevelop the stadium came after plans for both Stadium Ireland and Eircom Park fell through. Aviva Group Ireland signed a 10-year deal for the naming rights in 2009, and subsequently extended the arrangement until 2025. The stadium, located beside Lansdowne Road railway station, officially opened on 14 May 2010. The stadium is Ireland's first, and only, UEFA stadium categories, UEFA Category 4 Stadium, and hoste ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thierry Dusautoir
Thierry Dusautoir (; born 18 November 1981) is a French former rugby union player who last played for France at international level and Toulouse in the French Top 14 club competition. He was called the "Dark Destroyer" during his career. Dusautoir was considered a strong ball carrier and possessed incredibly powerful and effective tackling. He was considered the best tackler in the world during his career. He first played for Bordeaux-Bègles before moving to US Colomiers for one season, and then signed with Biarritz. He played in the final of the 2005–06 Heineken Cup at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, which Biarritz lost to Irish team Munster 23–19. Despite losing the Heineken Cup, Biarritz did win the final of the 2005–06 Top 14 40–13 against Toulouse. He was however part of the side that won the 2010 Heineken Cup final. Dusautoir captained France to the 2011 Rugby World Cup final against New Zealand. France ended up losing by a score of 7–8. However Dusautoir was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Philippe Saint-André
Philippe Georges Saint-André (; born 19 April 1967) is a former French rugby union footballer and was most recently the manager of Top 14 side Montpellier. He earned 69 test caps for France between 1990 and 1997. His preferred position was wing but he could also play at centre. After retiring, Saint-André has found success as a rugby coach in both England and France. He was serving as director of rugby at Toulon before being announced as the successful candidate for head coach of France from 2011 to 2015. He formally took charge of the national team on 1 December 2011, and left his post on 17 October 2015 following a 13–62 loss to New Zealand. Playing career Club Nicknamed ''Le Goret'' ("the piglet") for his shuffling style of running, Saint-André began his rugby career at US Romanaise before joining AS Montferrand in 1988. He played with the club until 1997, and while with the club Montferrand appeared in the 1993–94 French Championship final against Toulouse, with ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis
Saint-Denis (, ) is a Communes of France, commune in the northern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the Kilometre zero, centre of Paris. Saint-Denis is the second most populated suburb of Paris (after Boulogne-Billancourt), with a population of 113,116 at the 2020 census. It is a Subprefectures in France, subprefecture () of the Departments of France, department of Seine-Saint-Denis, being the seat of the Arrondissement of Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, arrondissement of Saint-Denis. It is also part of the Métropole du Grand Paris. Saint-Denis is home to the royal necropolis of the Basilica of Saint-Denis and was also the location of the associated abbey. The commune is also home to France's national association and rugby football stadium, Stade de France, which was built for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. The stadium also hosted the Rugby sevens at the 2024 Summer Olympics, rugby and Athletics at the 2024 Summer Olympics, athletics events, along with the 2024 Summer Ol ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stade De France
Stade de France (, ) is the national stadium of France, located just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, Saint-Denis. Its seating capacity of 80,698 makes it the List of football stadiums in France, largest stadium in France. The architecture of the Stade de France is inspired by the Worldport (Pan Am), Worldport of the American airline Pan Am, Pan American at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. The stadium is used by the France national football team, French national football and France national rugby union team, rugby union teams for international competitions. It is the largest in Europe for sport of athletics, athletics events, seating 77,083 in that configuration. During other events, the stadium's running track is mostly hidden under the grandstands. Initially built for the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the Bids for the 2008 Summer Olympics, 2008 Summer Olympics failed bid the stadium's name was recommended by Michel Platini, head of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
