Such a glorious decade of Millennium Stadium magic
The News Review:
- Such a glorious decade of Millennium Stadium magic
- Matt is off to French rugby training camp
- Rugby: why is our national game in decline?
- South Africa will not bully Lions again says Warren Gatland
- Rugby offers chance to break free from gang culture
- Rugby league on 5 Live
- Waikato rugby bans players and spectators
Such a glorious decade of Millennium Stadium magic
Walesnline
Football fans can reminisce about a series of classic FA Cup finals – the Liverpool-West Ham clash in 2006 probably being the pick of the bunch. Who can forget Cardiff City’s play-off win over QPR in 2003 or Wales’ win over Italy in 2002?A series of gigs from the Manic Street Preachers’ legendary Millennium Eve performance onward have cemented the stadium’s reputation as an A-list music venue. It is the fitting monument to sport theatre and excitement that a nation with sport especially rugby woven into its DNA truly deserves. While the National Assembly had to fight to gain acceptance in the hearts of the nation (some might argue that is hasn’t won that battle yet) the Millennium Stadium quickly established itself as a popular national icon. Few buildings or institutions have done as much so quickly to sell Wales to the world. Its attributes as a venue are so well known as to be almost taken as read by any Welsh sports fan. It was the first stadium in the UK to have a retractable roof an innovation yet to be followed by any of its major competitors.
Matt is off to French rugby training camp
The Arran Banner
He’s a young rugby star in the making and for 15-year-old Matthew Evans from Lamlash a trip to Perpignan could be the first step to great things. Matthew has been training on the mainland during the past few weeks with rugby youth development team the Glasgow Thistles. With the team he is taking part in a two-week intensive training programme in Perpignan. The boys are being coached by a number of Scottish Rugby Union development officers and past Scottish international players. Matthew has been really looking forward to the trip and starting his summer holidays early! Dad Steve Evans said: ‘Matthew has been training on a Wednesday evening throughout May and June at Ardrossan rugby club continuing his development through the SRU National pathways programme.
Rugby: why is our national game in decline?
TV3 News
A new Campbell Live poll conducted by Buzz TV has found almost half of all respondents say rugby no longer interests them as much as it used to. And it is a trend that has far reaching consequences for all levels of the game. There was plenty of passion at Ponsonby Rugby Club’s midweek training. The freezing midwinter evening was no obstacle for a group of committed youngsters. Like many local clubs around the country Ponsonby is in good health with registrations at an all time high.
South Africa will not bully Lions again says Warren Gatland
guardian.co.uk
“It has shades of 1989 when after losing the first Test to Australia having picked a running side the Lions changed their team and their tactics tightening up considerably and taking a confrontational stance. They won the next two matches to take the series. “The really disappointing aspect of last week was that South Africa did not have to play any rugby to win” said Gatland. “Everyone here goes on about how northern hemisphere rugby is a boring 10-man game but in Durban their centres only received one pass and they only took play through four phases once. “I was surprised how little rugby they played and we have to make sure tomorrow that we are in the game 30 minutes in because we cannot afford to give them a double-figure lead again. The way we finished in Durban scoring 14 unanswered points in the last quarter when we had 80% of the possession showed how fit we are and I am not concerned about playing at altitude. It will not make any difference.
Related from Unitedcrueltyofbenetton: Afternoon Delight: British model Tom Warren
Rugby offers chance to break free from gang culture
Times nline
It is about rugby as a force for good and if that sounds pretentious you need only meet Michael Dakets who is serving a 15-year prison sentence for murder for he will knock the cynicism clean from you. We are on the rugby field at Drakenstein prison. They have a sporting centre of excellence for their young offenders and Dakets is on the rugby union team. A short drive from their prison cells is a playing field which may have barbed wire and security guards beyond the dead-ball line but sits somewhat incongruously in a beautiful setting under the craggy mountains of the Cape winelands. They also have at the prison gates a three-metre statue of Nelson Mandela for it was in a house in the grounds of this prison — then called Victor Verster — that Mandela spent his last 18 months before famously making his walk to freedom in February 1990.
Rugby league on 5 Live
BBC Sport
n Friday there will be commentary from Headingley Carnegie on the eagerly awaited Yorkshire derby between Leeds and Bradford (2000 BST). Stuart Pyke and David ates will be joined by Wakefield coach John Kear for the game as the Rhinos seek revenge for their surprise 10-6 loss at the hands of the Bulls earlier in the season at dsal. Sunday’s 5 Live Sport will have extended coverage and commentary on the games between Warrington and Hull (1500 BST) and Wakefield against Harlequins (1530 BST). St Helens forward Jon Wilkin will join Stuart at the HJ Stadium as the Wolves bid to continue their revival under new coach Tony Smith while David ates and Salford’s Robbie Paul will be at Belle Vue.
Waikato rugby bans players and spectators
Stuff.co.nz
The judicial committee took a stern view of the incident during the Hautapu v Hamilton Marist premier grade rugby match at Memorial Park in Cambridge on Saturday. The WRU judicial ruled that two Hautapu players TK Moeke and Romana Graham would be banned from playing rugby for four weeks while two spectators Travis Church and Romana Graham (Senior) were banned from attending any rugby games in the next four weeks. All four people attended the WRU judicial hearing and appeared before the committee as a result of their involvement in the incident. “Saturday’s incident was an extremely disappointing affair involving two flagship clubs in our province” Waikato chief executive Graham Bowen said.
Written by admin on June 26th, 2009 with
no comments.
Read more articles on News.