The News Review:
- R League: Iestyn lifts lid on union days
- Dean flies again after surviving wreckage
- Weekend rugby round up
- Planet-Rugby
- Four member team to probe school rugby woes
R League: Iestyn lifts lid on union days
Walesnline – Apr 29, 2007
Super League superstar Harris who experienced a rollercoaster three-year union sojourn in Wales has vowed to grab his Bradford Bulls by the horns in Cardiff and showcase his substantial oval ball talent. Harris graced the Millennium Stadium many times as a Welsh rugby union international but has never done so in his ‘natural’ code. And what better club than Leeds Rhinos the side Harris walked away from for the one-time fly-half to take out his frustrations on. “Some Welsh rugby fans might remember me as being a failure in union” said Harris. “Due to the hype surrounding my arrival in Welsh rugby union it was always going to be difficult to live up to it. Expectation was on me to play at a world-class standard and be the stand-out performer immediately… Harris graced the Millennium Stadium many times as a Welsh rugby union international but has never done so in his ‘natural’ code. And what better club than Leeds Rhinos the side Harris walked away from for the one-time fly-half to take out his frustrations on. “Some Welsh rugby fans might remember me as being a failure in union” said Harris. “Due to the hype surrounding my arrival in Welsh rugby union it was always going to be difficult to live up to it. Expectation was on me to play at a world-class standard and be the stand-out performer immediately. But coming in to an alien sport I think that expectation was quite ridiculous. “Before I came to Wales I’d never played or experienced the game at any level whether at school or as an amateur so it wasn’t as if I had a background in the game.
Dean flies again after surviving wreckage
Independent – Apr 29, 2007
Very few get to do it and there is only one about to do so having served a two-year ban for doping. Adam Dean will run out in the blue jersey of the Royal Navy in the annual match against the Army next Saturday and 50000 spectators at HQ will bear witness both to a dream fulfilled and a cautionary tale. Very few get to do it and there is only one about to do so having served a two-year ban for doping… He cried with joy last month on the morning of his first match back after the ban for the Combined Services’ Under-23 team against a Vale of Glamorgan XV. Dean was 18 and a hugely promising blindside flanker when he tested positive for 19-norandrosterone a metabolite of the anabolic steroid nandrolone and was banned from the sport he loved. All rugby contact was outlawed: from playing and training five days a week he was not allowed to do either or even walk through the door of his club. From scoring a try on his England Under-18 debut against Scotland he became the first English representative player to be suspended for drug-taking and the youngest anywhere. His story stands as a lesson and partly on the strength of it the Rugby Football Union employed their first anti-doping officer Gavin Dovey last year. Dean believed he needed to “bulk up” to get on in the game and in line with an attitude to rugby that it is about “smashing whatever is in front of you” he did it frighteningly quickly with visits to a “hardcore” gym and a bewildering array of dietary supplements. He was eating less but consumed extra protein in a sachet or a drink with each of his three meals a day.
Weekend rugby round up
Supersport – Apr 29, 2007
Affies travelled from Pretoria for their derby against Paul Roos; Grey College went to Pietermaritzburg and a number of Johannesburg teams trekked to the Wynberg festival. The first of various annual Gauteng vs KZN matches took place with DHS playing Jeppe KES vs Northwood and Voortrekker against St Benedict’s. Some of the biggest games of the weekend happened in the Super 16 series when semi-finalists converged on the LC De Villiers stadium in Pretoria; while other in Gauteng schools battled it out in the PUK Series finals. Two of the weekend’s big derby’s resulted in wins for Grey College over their hosts Maritzburg College while Paul Roos beat the visiting Affies side.
Planet-Rugby
Planet Rugby – Apr 29, 2007
Wentzel gets his Tigers stripesSunday 29th April 2007Forgotten South African utility forward Marco Wentzel has agreed to a move to Leicester Tigers for next season. The 27-year-old who has played in the Heineken Cup for the last three seasons with Italian side Benetton Treviso has also played for Boland Cavaliers Cheetahs and Pumas in South Africa’s Currie Cup competition in recent years. Wentzel started his provincial career with the SWD Eagles in birth city of George moved to the Pumas in 2000 and played his first Super (12) Rugby game for the Bulls in 2001. He again played Super rugby for the Bulls in 2002 and earned his two Springbok Test caps on South Africa’s year-end tour to Europe. He moved to the Cheetahs in 2003 played for the Cats that year and joined the Cavaliers in 2006.
Four member team to probe school rugby woes
Sunday Times.lk – Apr 29, 2007
41 – No 48 Sports Four member team to probe school rugby woes By Harry Jayachandra The schools rugby season has finally started. But even in its initial stages there are quite few hiccups and complaints. Principal of Royal Upali Gunasekera said they had to go ahead with the tournament as many of the players had come up through the junior levels and not participating would be unfair by them. But he added that due to the late start and demanding schedule some senior players may not be able to play every game. This is due to the ‘A’ Level examination that commences in the early part of August.