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/ 11 November 2009
Former All Blacks lock Chris Jack will return to Super 14 rugby with the Canterbury Crusaders next year after two years playing for Saracens.
Former New Zealand Test lock Chris Jack has poked fun at the standard of European club rugby, calling it ”easy”.
All Black coach Graham Henry is planning to stick with experienced players for next month’s Tests against Ireland and England despite the defection of some high profile candidates overseas. Henry also backed the New Zealand Rugby Union’s policy of picking only domestically-based players for the All Blacks.
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/ 7 December 2007
Outgoing International Rugby Board (IRB) chairperson Syd Millar believes foreign invasions will have a damaging effect on European domestic rugby. Several World Cup stars — including All Blacks Chris Jack, Aaron Mauger, Carl Hayman and Luke McAlister, plus Springbok flyhalf Butch James — have arrived in the Premiership.
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/ 26 October 2007
The World Cup last week then the EDF Energy Cup this? Not quite, but Butch James will barely have time for the Springboks’ victory tour of South Africa before he is back on a plane heading for Europe. After signing a two-year contract with Bath this summer, the flyhalf is expected to be in the squad when the Heineken and European Challenge cups start on November 9.
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/ 29 September 2007
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New Zealand finished the World Cup pool stage in style with a spectacular demonstration of running and passing to demolish Romania 85-8 on Saturday. The All Blacks racked up 13 tries, three coming from flying winger Joe Rokocoko, as they blew away their opponents with some dazzling rugby to the delight of the packed crowd at the Stade Toulouse.
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/ 8 September 2007
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Hot tournament favourites New Zealand got their World Cup campaign off to the ideal start at the Stade Velodrome with a scintillating 76-14 rout of rivals Italy. The contest was dead and buried after the first 20 breathless minutes, during which the All Blacks scored five converted tries against an Italian team shown up to be woefully inept in their early defensive alignment.
Club rugby in the northern hemisphere has long been derided as the poor cousin in world rugby. But the post-World Cup exodus of a raft of top-flight internationals from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa will help confound that long-standing belief.