The News Review:
- Josh Lewsey Rugby Academy Trains Rising Athletes in East London
- Rugby-Australian players’ union wants Wembley investigation
- Robertson: We must not lose again to a Wasps side lacking bite
- Economy forces Premier Rugby to review salary cap
- Vickerman not ready for rugby comeback
- The quiet man
- Rugby: Europe option for Muliaina
Josh Lewsey Rugby Academy Trains Rising Athletes in East London
MarketWatch
10 2008 LONDON UNITED KINGDOM Dec 10 2008 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) –Nomura the global investment bank and the East London BusinessAlliance have joined forces to continue the success of the JoshLewsey Rugby Academy bringing rugby training to over 100 youngpeople in East London. The initiative has provided pupils from primary schools across TowerHamlets with the opportunity to learn touch rugby skills from thebest in their game. Led by Josh Lewsey MBE and England and Waspsrugby player and qualified Rugby Football Union coaches theintensive training schedule has brought young people and physicaleducation teachers together to enhance grass roots rugby developmentin Tower Hamlets. Peter Welton executive director of East London Business Alliance’sLondon Legacy 2020 programme said “The academy is in its secondyear running and we are seeing real results. The number of childrenplaying sport in the community is on the up as well as the number oftrained rugby coaches. We are delighted Nomura has come on board tobuild on progress that was made last year in supporting theregeneration of East London.
Rugby-Australian players’ union wants Wembley investigation
Reuters.uk UK
Wallaby prop Matt Dunning ruptured his Achilles tendon andfellow front rower Sekope Kepu tore a pectoral muscle when ascrum collapsed during the match. The Rugby Union Players’ Association wants to know whetherthere is link between the injuries and the state of the pitch. “From discussions I have had it was very very unstableunder foot” RUPA boss Tony Dempsey told the Daily Telegraph onWednesday. “The employers are the ARU and as such they have a duty ofcare to ensure safe playing surfaces for the players. It issomething definitely worth exploring. Both players are facing extended stints on the sidelines withDunning who underwent surgery this week at most risk.
Robertson: We must not lose again to a Wasps side lacking bite
Scotsman United Kingdom
“I know my first instinct is always to have a run when I get the ball but under new laws sometimes you have to kick the ball in the air a point (coach) Andy Robinson made to me. “We need to win a series of smaller battles which is not as exciting for spectators no doubt but sometimes has to be done. “Maybe we were just too concerned with the ethos of attacking rugby in failing to get the balance right. “The message is that as professionals Edinburgh will adopt a ‘needs must’ policy more while always trying to entertain in the manner which brought Robertson his try. “It was a rehearsed move in as much as we knew Wasps adopt a blitz defence which is to say they cover from outside in. “When I spotted their full back out of position I called to Phil Godman that the move was on. Fortunately I got a favourable bounce after he’d put in a cross kick for me to dive on.
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Economy forces Premier Rugby to review salary cap
guardian.co.uk UK
4m it climbed to this season. Premier Rugby will review the cap next month. Earlier this season the Northampton chief executive Allan Robson called for it to go the way of the four-point try because he argued it was holding back English clubs where they were competing with French sides who could spend whatever they liked on wages. The economic climate has changed since then. Bristol last month announced that they were seeking financial help pointing out that they did not have the means to take advantage of the rise in the salary cap while Bath recently announced a loss of more than £350000 which the club predicted would double this season and that wages had climbed to 69% of turnover. The cap is £4m but it can be exceeded if a club applies for dispensation to replace a player who suffers an injury that puts him out of action for at least 12 weeks.
Vickerman not ready for rugby comeback
The Age Australia
The South African-born 29-year-old was a pillar of the Wallabies pack before turning his back on a 50-plus Test career earlier this year to study at Cambridge University. For a brief time only the books have taken a back seat to rugby once more as Vickerman turns his attention to Thursday’s annual Varsity match against Oxford. Cambridge have won the past three and a crowd of about 35000 is expected to watch the 127th encounter at Twickenham which will feature four other internationals. Former All Blacks hooker Anton Oliver will turn out for Oxford along with Canadian flanker Stan McKeen. Cambridge will field former New Zealand centre Mark Ranby and United States scrum-half Doug Rowe. “I’m looking forward to it – there’s so much history and tradition that goes with playing for Cambridge University” Vickerman said.
The quiet man
SkySports
Both were great Leicester leaders and mighty men of England. Johnson may have beaten Richards to the England job but there is no way anyone could argue that if the World Cup winning captain is to emulate his own playing achievements he has much to do and much to learn from the career of Richards before those of us sceptical about the appointment of an absolute novice into such a pressurised position are convinced. Scotland callingSo much for an English observation how about a brief thought on Scottish rugby. Have Scotland finally found their fly half? A young man named Ruaridh Jackson made a Heineken Cup debut at Bath on Sunday and the Glasgow man eclipsed Butch James and appeared to the manor born.
Rugby: Europe option for Muliaina
New Zealand Herald New Zealand
Although he still has a year to run on his NZRU contract the Chiefs star told a Welsh newspaper he was already considering his long-term options. “I’m certainly not getting any younger” he told the Western Mail. “My rugby playing days are getting shorter and shorter. I haven’t really thought about it in too much depth yet. I’ve still got another year left in New Zealand rugby. But to experience something different in a different part of the world is something I would certainly consider. “I would have to start thinking about my future in the next few months or so.