New Zealand Rugby -- Latest News

[MODMAN]

Under 19 talent set to grow at New Zealand Rugby development camp

Fifty players have been identified and selected to take part in a week-long Under 19 development camp at NZCIS in Wellington.

The players were selected following New Zealand Schools, New Zealand Barbarians and New Zealand Māori Under 18 campaigns, as well as Provincial Union Under 19 representative matches.

New Zealand Rugby (NZR) High Performance Player Development Manager Matt Sexton said the focus of the camp would be on personal skill development, with the opportunity to provide a benchmark for players seeking to achieve at the next level.

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[MODMAN]

Sam Cane announces sabbatical to play in Japan

All Blacks captain Sam Cane will take up a sabbatical option in his New Zealand Rugby (NZR) contract in 2024 to play a season for Suntory in Japan League One.

The 31-year-old, 95-Test loose forward will miss the 2024 DHL Super Rugby Pacific season with the Chiefs, but will return to New Zealand in June to be available for selection to the All Blacks for the 2024 Steinlager Series and Rugby Championship campaign.

Cane, who is contracted to NZR through to the end of 2025, said he was looking forward to experiencing a new playing environment with Suntory and learning more about a new culture in Japan.

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[MODMAN]

ASB Rugby Awards nominees announced​

A blockbuster year for rugby in New Zealand will be celebrated with the 2023 ASB Rugby Awards show broadcast live on Sky Sport on 14 December.
From announcing the women's and men's players, coaches and teams of the year to acknowledging the volunteers at community level, awards will be presented for efforts on and off the field.

Two new awards for 2023 will recognise those at the heart of our game with the Bunnings Warehouse Rugby Club of the Year and the Te Hāpai New Zealand Rugby Community Impact Award.

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[MODMAN]

Ian Foster fires warning to New Zealand Rugby over Super Rugby’s future

Ian Foster insists that Super Rugby needs to change or the All Blacks risk slipping behind the rest of the world.

Once the game’s premier club tournament, it has gradually declined in interest, quality and competitiveness over the years.

Various attempts to expand it have failed and, in 2020 following Covid, it reduced in size after the South African franchises were cut from the competition.

They have since aligned themselves with the northern hemisphere, leaving just New Zealand and Australia as the main countries involved in Super Rugby.

Introduction of Pacific Island sides
Moana Pasifika and Fijian Drua were added to create Super Rugby Pacific, but it has fallen behind what Europe is currently offering as a spectacle.

“The Super Rugby competition needs a massive amount of attention,” Foster told The Platform.

“We’ve got to make sure Super Rugby’s a viable competition, and that our players are playing as much as possible, and are playing teams with a diverse way of playing.

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[MODMAN]

EXCLUSIVE: All Blacks icon's keys to ending Wallabies freefall

He made a career out of tormenting Australia but Richie McCaw says New Zealand needs a resurgent Wallabies for the sake of its own rugby health.

The All Blacks icon spoke to Wide World of Sports in the wake of Australia's historic Rugby World Cup flop and New Zealand's heartbreaking loss to South Africa in the final.

McCaw, who captained the All Blacks to World Cup triumphs in 2011 and 2015, said he took no pleasure from watching the Wallabies sink to ninth in the world rankings and failing to reach the quarter-finals in France this year.

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[MODMAN]

NEW ZEALAND RUGBY​

 

[MODMAN]

‘Respect is important’ – Scott Robertson addresses the All Blacks captaincy question

Scott Robertson will let the dust well and truly settle on the Rugby World Cup before he announces the next New Zealand captain.

The former Crusaders boss recently took over from Ian Foster as the new All Blacks head coach.

Robertson’s first New Zealand game will be in July 2024, but he still has plenty to sort out before then, including the skipper conundrum.

The current skipper
San Cane has been in the role since 2020 – following the retirement of Kieran Read – and will be in contention once again when he returns from his sabbatical in Japan.

However, the 49-year-old may want someone different, and perhaps a player that knows how he operates from his time with the Crusaders.

Cane, who has played his entire professional career at the Chiefs, has had little to no experience of being coached by Robertson.

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