Monday’s Rugby News – 24/7/23 – Green and Gold Rugby

Monday’s Rugby Information – 24/7/23

Greetings, GAGRs, and welcome to Monday’s Rugby Information!

Not a complete lot of motion this weekend, although the matches that have been on actually had important penalties with the outcomes. We’ll evaluate the weekend that was within the lead-up to the Invoice in Paris, the weekend that was for WXV, and the signing of gamers in Tremendous Rugby.

THE LEAD-UP TO THE PARISIAN BILL

We’ll begin off on our personal shores, with reports Michael Hooper is an unlikely starter for this weekend’s sport in opposition to the Darkness on the 2025 Lions Second Check and 2027 RWC grand remaining location, the MCG. Like all issues associated to the child cows, Hooper’s veal is taking a bit extra time to type itself out. Figuring out from private expertise (one first rate tear in every calf, and going beneath the knife in November to hopefully type the foot out) that this stuff take irritating quantities of time to recover from.

It seems that Isaiah Peres has firmed as favorite for a dream shot on the All Blacks in his specialist place of out of doors centre on Saturday evening. While actually a greater possibility than, say, Reece Hodge (beautiful bloke however a shite centre), I’m solely glad that, if chosen, we’re taking blokes who occur to play the place effectively, moderately than play rugby effectively. All too usually, the Wallabies do what the Australian Cricket Workforce (and, arguably, the ABs) does and places a participant in as a result of they’re seemingly undroppable moderately than the very best individual for the place.

PACIFIC NATIONS CUP

Samoa 24 def Japan 22 – match report here

In a gripping Pacific Nations Cup encounter on the Sapporo Dome, Samoa claimed a slim 24-22 victory over hosts Japan.

Michael Leitch was crimson carded in the course of the sport which can effectively have important penalties for the Japanese facet. Take a look at the second within the highlights at approx 3:20.

Fiji def Tonga – match report here

Fiji scored 5 tries to a few to beat Tonga 36-20 on Saturday within the first Check match of the yr for 2 international locations that may compete within the Rugby World Cup.

it’s a disgrace that that is Fiji’s solely residence sport earlier than the Invoice kicks off later within the yr. Highlights are under to your leisure.

SUPER SIGNINGS, NEW RA PARTNERSHIP AND CLUB v COUNTRY

Rugby Australia have announced a partnership, full with a signed MoU (clearly the regulation interns have modified over…). The MOU will likely be in place till 2029, designed to construct robust relationships between the 2 unions together with creating the respective nationwide groups, competitions and the game. It will embrace deliberate Wallabies and Australia A matches with Japan in 2024 and 2025, together with the intention to schedule Wallaroos-Japan fixtures between 2024-26.

If this isn’t a sneaky option to dodge the necessity for a NRC (i.e., kind competitions with a rugby mad nation that has gazillions of yen and hope they pay for it) then I don’t know what’s. However, it’s a shrewd piece of enterprise.

Additional reports of serious signings over the weekend embrace BPA heading over to Perth, becoming a member of what’s already a jacked facet, on the conclusion of the 2023/24 Euro season. The Rebels have announced their newest signing, with capped England scrum-half Jack Maunder the most recent participant to decide to the Melbourne-based Tremendous Rugby Pacific outfit. I don’t fairly know the place groups are discovering the money to splurge (effectively, odds on Twiggy has his pockets open…) however I ponder if it is a signal that some type of monetary windfall is coming Australia’s manner……

Rugby bosses in Fiji have misplaced their second participant within the final week in a membership v nation choice. Fiji will likely be with out Clermont star back-rower Peceli Yato for Rugby World Cup 2023, head coach Simon Raiwalui has confirmed. Lock Api Ratuniyarawa additionally made himself unavailable for choice after signing a Prime 14 Joker contract with Bayonne which guidelines him out, too.

WXV TOURNAMENT NEWS

Italy 23 def Spain 0 – match report here

Italy secured their place in WXV 2 this October with a cushty 23-0 victory in opposition to Spain in Piacenza on Saturday.

The Azzurre had by no means beforehand performed at Stadio Walter Beltrametti and marked their debut on the floor with 4 tries to verify their place within the second stage of World Rugby’s new annual world 15s competitors.

Because of this, Italy will journey to Cape City in October to compete alongside hosts South Africa, Scotland, Japan, Samoa and the USA. Spain, in the meantime, full the line-up for WXV 3, which will likely be performed in Dubai and likewise options Kenya, Eire, Kazakhstan, Fiji and Colombia. Each tournaments will kick-off on the weekend of 14 October and run for 3 consecutive weekends.

It implies that we now know the complete line-up for the inaugural version of WXV, the highest stage of which can start every week later in a New Zealand rugby roadshow . A nationwide celebration of ladies’s worldwide rugby, WXV 1 will kick-off at Sky Stadium in New Zealand’s Capital metropolis Wellington (Friday 20-21 October) earlier than shifting south to Dunedin’s Forsyth Barr Stadium (27-28 October), then on to Auckland the place the match winner will doubtless be determined at Go Media Stadium Mt Sensible (3-4 November).

As a reminder of the way it all works, see the beautiful photos and/or read this article and this article.

Completely satisfied Monday, people. I’ll be within the stands this weekend on the ‘G. It’s can’t be as dangerous as final yr’s sport in Melbourne…. can it?

CM