All Black fans are desperate to watch them take on Australia. But the arguments for playing in New Zealand are worse than flimsy, writes Scotty Stevenson. On October 10 this year, the All Blacks and the Wallabies will play the first match of a Bledisloe Cup series. If there is any fairness left in the … Read more
The brains trust at World Rugby have conjured up some optional law trials to obviate the risks of coronavirus. Scotty Stevenson is intrigued. The World Rugby Executive Committee yesterday announced that it had “approved 10 optional law trials which are designed to provide national member unions with Covid-19 transmission risk reduction options if required”. This … Read more
In what could be World Rugby’s most game-changing play since the introduction of the Rugby World Cup in 1987, plans for an annual ‘League of Nations’ tournament show the governing body’s intent to keep the international game on top, writes Scotty Stevenson. According the reports out of France, the days of the Southern Hemisphere’s annual … Read more
Even in New Zealand, where we’re awesome at playing rugby, one team always has to be the worst. For the last 10 years, that team has been the Auckland Blues. The Spinoff TV’s Ra Pomare examines what went wrong. The Spinoff TV, Fridays at 9.45pm on THREE
Good news for the rugby lovers of Taranaki: despite some stands being closed owing to earthquake risk, their temple will remain open after all, reports Lydia Burgham. In Taranaki, a disaster has been looming, shrouding the community in a dark, foreboding cloud. I’m not referring to the impending, overdue volcanic eruption, however. There has been … Read more
The Australian rugby star has triggered controversy by saying on social media gay people are headed to ‘HELL … Unless they repent of their sins and turn to God’. Such misuse of Bible scripture is the biggest impediment to Pasifika Rainbow people being able to live our lives without fear, backlash and hatred, writes Tuiloma … Read more
NZ rugby needs to act, and act fast. While it is financially the most dominant code in New Zealand, it could lose the attention of potential athletes fast if they can see that there’s money to be made elsewhere. What will 2017 be remembered for by rugby fans? There’s a couple of strong narratives, neither … Read more