The News Review:
- Tackling rugby’s player drain
- Rugby: RFU funding All Black exodus
- Rugby: Weepu shines as Force are flattened
- Youth keeps rugby union alive and kicking: Mike Colman
- Stormers fuel Cape rugby boom
Tackling rugby’s player drain
stuff.co.nz – May 10, 2008
Rugby players good ones are heading through the departure gates at an alarming rate and though the young ones are being contracted that "good news" barely rates as a silver lining. Last year 10 All Blacks shifted to Europe and while some like Anton Oliver were getting close to their use-by date others like Carl Hayman were at their peak. It's the same this year. Caleb Ralph has done his time but Daniel Carter? The bloke's only 26. It's a catastrophe… So it's not new and with the on-going success of the New Zealand Under-19 and Under-21 teams (now merged into the Under-20 side) the production line continues to replace those who are leaving. New Zealand Rugby Union chief executive Steve Tew accepts there is widespread concern about the player exodus but confirms the number of players heading away is not that different to other years. "What's changed is the nature of the player leaving [they are younger now] which is a concern and we are seeing an escalation in what's being offered to our players. "Tew said that in most cases the deals were 30 to 50 per cent more lucrative than last year – taking the cash strapped NZRU even further out of the fight. It's also a fact that for some players there is little left for them to achieve in New Zealand.
Rugby: RFU funding All Black exodus
New Zealand Herald – May 10, 2008
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) – the administrative body that runs the English game – has inadvertently helped to finance the club deals that are taking so many All Blacks away from New Zealand. Premier Rugby Ltd the body which represents English rugby clubs takes RFU money intended to encourage the signing and development of young English players and allocates it among the clubs in a way that encourages the signing of foreign players.
Rugby: Weepu shines as Force are flattened
New Zealand Herald – May 10, 2008
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Youth keeps rugby union alive and kicking: Mike Colman
NEWS.com.au – May 10, 2008
At home games the Reds provide the visiting team with an unofficial mascot. Skip to: Search Box Section Navigation Network Navigation Content View the Sitemap ndm.
Stormers fuel Cape rugby boom
Independent Online – May 10, 2008
Coming on the back of the Springbok World Cup triumph late last year the Stormers’ winning run in the Super 14 has helped generate enthusiasm for the sport across all cultural and economic divides with this year showing a sharp increase in the number of club players active in the province. “The effect of the Stormers’ recent run of good form has just been amazing. I call it the start of the ‘wow era’ for Western Province rugby” said WPRFU deputy chief executive officer Herman Abrahams on the eve of the Stormers’ biggest match of the season so far.