Super Rugby 2017

http://www.iol.co.za/sport/rugby/world/willie-britz-having-a-ball-in-japan-7742869

Willie Britz having a ball in Japan

TOKYO – Former Cheetahs and Lions loose forward Willie Britz has explained why he chose Japan and the club NTT Shining Aces to continue his career.

In an interview with MyPlayers Britz he said: "There were many reasons that motivated me. I get to help improve rugby in another country and I get to see another part of the world. Rugby careers are short, so playing in Japan gives me the chance to make the most of it." Britz says he has settled in well in a foreign country.

"I’ve always been quick to adapt. When I was young, we moved around a lot, so I’m used to new environments. I’m also open to learning about new cultures." Britz says he is loving every minute of his life in Japan.

"The league is very competitive and the pace of the game is quick. I’ve managed to make a number of good friends and there are many familiar faces, especially with so many South Africans making the move to the Far East."

Asked about any major culture shocks, he smiles, and says the food can be interesting.

"It's very different but I’m enjoying the traditional Japanese cuisine. The weather is also very extreme. It gets very humid during summer and very cold during winter. I’m still trying to get used to the snow! Questioned about the major differences compared to professional rugby in South Africa, he replies. "The Japanese people have so much pride in everything they do. They always strive to be the best. So that’s helping them grow rugby exceptionally fast. l believe their level of rugby will be one of the stronger forces in the world in the near future."
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A team from South Africa and one from Australia would lose its Super Rugby status, the newspaper speculated.

If this is true bye Sharks rugby (just joking). Kings will go and stop giving away free bonus points to everyone.
 
Scary_Turtle said:
A team from South Africa and one from Australia would lose its Super Rugby status, the newspaper speculated.

If this is true bye Sharks rugby (just joking). Kings will go and stop giving away free bonus points to everyone.
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Source?
 
Fulcrum29 said:
There was an article on the speculated structure that is being considered entering 2018-2020. It is still but only an rumour.
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Well ordinarily I'd say this is a good thing, but it depends what happens with those two slots. Does the tournament get scaled down (good) or do those vacancies get filled from teams even further afield, extending the travel demands for other side meant to face them; and potentially becoming mobile bonus points themselves (bad).
 
Agent_Smith said:
Well ordinarily I'd say this is a good thing, but it depends what happens with those two slots. Does the tournament get scaled down (good) or do those vacancies get filled from teams even further afield, extending the travel demands for other side meant to face them; and potentially becoming mobile bonus points themselves (bad).
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They are considering between 15 or 16 teams, going with 15 teams will mean that SA must drop 2 teams pending on the Australians. More will be made known when SANZAAR meets on the 9th. Expect an expansion beyond 2021, but keeping it manageable. I don't think that they will exceed 18 teams, currently it is more about getting these competitions in sync with World Rugby's new rule.
 
Radike Samo (?) is interestingly one of only a handful of players who have won super titles with different teams, the two others I know of is Rico Gear who won it with the Blues (2003) and Crusaders (2005) and Ali Williams who won it with the Blues (2003) and Crusaders (2008)
 
CorrieV2.0 said:
Radike Samo (?) is interestingly one of only a handful of players who have won super titles with different teams, the two others I know of is Rico Gear who won it with the Blues (2003) and Crusaders (2005) and Ali Williams who won it with the Blues (2003) and Crusaders (2008)
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Those New Zealanders could draw their squads from a hat and of them would still win!
 
Sunwolves playing the Top League All Stars on Saturday. 9 Sunwolves in the All Stars squad. I wish that I could watch the match.
 
CorrieV2.0 said:
Radike Samo (?) is interestingly one of only a handful of players who have won super titles with different teams, the two others I know of is Rico Gear who won it with the Blues (2003) and Crusaders (2005) and Ali Williams who won it with the Blues (2003) and Crusaders (2008)
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Yes, twice with the Brumbies in 2001 and 2004, once with the Reds in 2011 and also bagged a Top 14 championship with Stade Francais in 2007.

He also owns this try at 35.

[video=youtube;ngZG8YbJpbg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngZG8YbJpbg[/video]
 
http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/SuperRugby/sanzaar-clears-up-super-rugby-bye-week-ban-issue-20170216

SANZAAR clears up Super Rugby bye week ban issue

Cape Town - SANZAAR on Thursday confirmed a new and updated judicial process to be implemented for the 2017 Super Rugby season.

Rugby’s governing body, World Rugby, has endorsed the process and SANZAAR believes it represents an enhancement to an important part of the tournament that will provide improved consistency and efficient decision-making.

The changes to the SANZAAR judicial rules for 2017 include:

- Permitting an incident to be referred back to the citing commissioner for review if new evidence becomes available outside the existing allowable time frame for determination.

- The introduction of a three-person foul play review committee

- The inclusion of the regular season bye rounds in any sanction. Bye rounds will therefore not be included in any sanction handed down to a player - i.e. a three week suspension will see a player miss three Super Rugby matches.

- The ability of judicial committees to issue a warning for foul play offences that in their opinion do not quite meet the “red card” threshold.

Central to the amendments in 2017 is the formation of the foul play review Committee. The committee will be comprised of a consistent panel of three members who in the first instance will review all incidents of red cards, citing commissioner referrals and misconduct, and make a determination based on the information before them.

The committee will meet at a fixed time to be determined at the conclusion of each round and the infringing player will have the ability to accept the decision of the committee or have the right to be heard at a formal judicial hearing within the following 24 hours.
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http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/SuperRugby/bulls-name-46-man-super-rugby-squad-20170215

Bulls name 46-man Super Rugby squad

Bulls squad for 2017:

Backs

Ulrich Beyers, Warrick Gelant, Jesse Kriel*, Travis Ismaiel, Luther Obi, Jamba Ulengo*, Jade Stighling, Duncan Matthews, Kefentse Mahlo, Sibahle Maxwane, Johnny Kotze, Dries Swanepoel, Burger Odendaal, JT Jackson, Jan Serfontein*, Francois Brummer, Tony Jantjies, Tian Schoeman, Handre Pollard*, Ivan van Zyl, Piet van Zyl*, Rudy Paige*, Andre Warner

Forwards

Hanro Liebenberg, Arno Botha*, Nick de Jager, Renaldo Bothma**, Jannes Kirsten, Jacques Potgieter*, Roelof Smit***, Shaun Adendorff, Ruan Steenkamp, Lood de Jager*, RG Snyman***, Jason Jenkins, Trevor Nyakane*, Conraad van Vuuren, John-Roy Jenkinson, Martin Dreyer, Jacobie Adriaanse, Pierre Schoeman, Lizo Gqoboko***, Adriaan Strauss*, Edgar Marutlulle, Corniel Els, Jaco Visagie

* Springboks
** Namibian international
*** Springbok tourist v Barbarians

Players in: Johnny Kotze (Stormers), Jacques Potgieter (Sharks), Conraad van Vuuren (Free State).

Players out: SP Marais, Bjorn Basson, Dan Kriel (all Stormers), Lappies Labuschagne, Deon Stegmann, Grant Hattingh (all Japan), Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg, Marcel van der Merwe (both France), Werner Kruger (Wales), Callie Visagie, Bandise Maku (retired)
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According to Supersport and Rugby365, Cornal Hendricks is back in training with the Bulls and will officially join the squad, pending results of his medical. Excellent news for him!
 
Agent_Smith said:
According to Supersport and Rugby365, Cornal Hendricks is back in training with the Bulls and will officially join the squad, pending results of his medical. Excellent news for him!
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Yeah, that is good news. On the Stormers side I still think that it is silly to have Senatla return to the game. He is much more valuable to the Blitzbokke where the game is continually growing, it may not be as lucrative as Super Rugby at this stage, but is has much potential and I can see Senatla be an ambassador to the game. Then again, Stormers needs players, the last thing that I want to see is Senatla having an early exit...
 
http://www.espn.com.au/rugby/story/...ign-young-wallabies-star-reece-hodge-end-2020

Reece Hodge to remain in Super Rugby with Rebels for three years

Reece Hodge's career has been on a meteoric trajectory but his landing place is locked in until at least the end of the 2020 Super Rugby season with Melbourne Rebels.

The utility back made his Rebels debut last year but went on to play 10 Tests for the Wallabies as well as 12 appearances with Melbourne, scoring nine tries.

The 22-year-old has become the first Australian player to commit beyond the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

Hodge said he wanted to repay the club for giving him his first crack at Super Rugby.

"They gave me my first shot at professional rugby and it's been an awesome bunch of players and coaching staff so it was a pretty easy decision in the end," Hodge said.

"I'm grateful they put their faith in me and 2019 is the goal but it's awesome to be sticking around Melbourne for that long."
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Interesting commitment as the Force or Rebels may be on the chopping block.
 
http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2017/02/459029.html

Rugby: Tiatia names 1st match-day squad as Sunwolves coach

New Sunwolves head coach Filo Tiatia named his first match-day squad Thursday as his side gear up for the 2017 Super Rugby season.

The Sunwolves take on a Top League All-Star XV on Saturday in their only warm-up game before they open their campaign against New Zealand's Hurricanes in Tokyo on Feb. 25.

"There are a couple of positions that we are not 100 percent sure about and there is still competition for a few places," Tiatia said when asked whether Saturday's side was an indicator of who would play against the reigning Super Rugby champions.

"In some positions we need to see if they are Super Rugby level. Some will surprise us in a positive way and some in a negative way. The key thing is for everyone to do their job."

Ed Quirk leads the side from No. 8 and with Willie Britz and Shokei Kin joining the Australian in the back row the signs are the Sunwolves will play an expansive game.

"We want to play an exciting brand of rugby," said Britz, who has 27 Super Rugby caps from his time with the Lions and the Cheetahs in his native South Africa.

"We want to play with ball in hand, get the offloads going and play with width."

That view was backed up by Top League MVP Takaaki Nakazuru, who will play on the right wing despite being named in the No. 11 jersey.

"I seem to be playing a lot wider out with the Sunwolves than with (club side) Suntory," the Sungoliath flyer said following training at Honjo Stadium.

...

Tiatia admitted injuries had played a role in his selection, as he has just 31 of his 51-strong squad in camp in Kitakyushu.

Nine players have been lent out to bolster the Top League side, a further nine have been sent home to undergo reconditioning in order to get over some niggling injuries, while two -- utility back Michael Bond and wing Ataata Moeakiola -- have yet to join the squad.

"That's the reality of sport. You have casualties," Tiatia said, adding that the walking wounded would be reassessed next week to see if they could be included in the mix for selection for the season opener.

As for the players lent out to the Top League side, which includes another of last year's standouts in Derek Carpenter, Tiatia said: "With our massive squad it is a challenge to give everyone game time. But this is an opportunity for those players in the All-Star side to express themselves and an opportunity for them to put their hand up."
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I never quite understood why these teams are so open with their game plan… my best wishes to their campaign.
 
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