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/ 7 February 2008

Stick gets stuck into Sevens series

Mzwandile Stick, one of South Africa’s top and most experienced Sevens players, has been called up by Springbok Sevens coach Paul Treu to replace teenage sensation Juan de Jongh for the San Diego leg of the International Rugby Board (IRB) World Sevens Series on Saturday and Sunday.

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/ 6 February 2008

Aussie rugby shocked at funding withdrawal

The cash-strapped Australian Rugby Union said on Wednesday it was shocked at a government decision to scrap funding for a national rugby academy in Queensland state. Former prime minister John Howard committed Aus-million to the project last June but the new Labour government of Kevin Rudd said it was now being axed under a cost-cutting programme.

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/ 11 January 2008

New rugby laws to be tested at all levels in SA

Changes in the laws of rugby are to be given a trial at all levels of the game in South Africa from next month, the International Rugby Board (IRB) said on Thursday. The IRB has already conducted a series of trials on the Experimental Law Variations at lower levels in South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, England and Scotland.

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/ 4 December 2007

Sevens seeks to ride World Cup wave

Rugby Sevens, the abbreviated form of rugby union, is seeking to ride the wave of popularity in the sport generated by the highly successful World Cup in France. The three-day season-opening Dubai leg of the World Series Sevens circuit attracted 32 000 spectators a day, but importantly offered a showcase for many future international stars.

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/ 30 November 2007

Rugby World Cup 2011 to stick with 20 teams

The 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand will remain a 20-team competition, the International Rugby Board (IRB) announced on Friday. Before this year’s World Cup, where South Africa beat England in October’s final in Paris, plans for a reduction from 20 teams to 16 were being considered because of the numerous mismatches that had taken place in the previous five editions.

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/ 25 November 2007

I won’t be bored, says White

Departing South Africa coach Jake White insisted he wouldn’t miss the demands of international rugby after seeing his last Test in charge of the Springboks end in a 34-12 win for the world champions over Wales in Cardiff at the Millennium Stadium on Saturday. ”I am not going to get bored at all,” White said.

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/ 22 November 2007

Habana hopes Boks build on White legacy

Springbok World Cup hero Bryan Habana believes South Africa have been given a great inheritance by departing coach Jake White. This Saturday sees White, barely a month after masterminding the Springboks’ march to the World Cup title in France, coach South Africa in a full international for the final time when his side face Wales.

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/ 12 November 2007

Dispute hurts coverage of match in Australia

A Sri Lankan newspaper chose a graphic way to illustrate how a media rights dispute between Cricket Australia and the international news agencies is hurting its coverage of the series. Next to the report, in a space where a match photo would usually go, was a black figure in the shape of a batsman playing a stroke.

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/ 26 October 2007

Butch leads SA’s exodus north

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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/ 26 October 2007

White needs a little time out

For the first time in its 20-year history, the third place play-off game was better than the Rugby World Cup final. A joyous Argentinian side swept aside host nation France at the Parc des Princes 24 hours before South Africa finally quenched the English flame and put the light out on that team’s four-year reign as champions.

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/ 24 October 2007

Leave rugby’s rules alone, says Eddie Jones

Former Wallabies coach and Springbok consultant Eddie Jones on Wednesday dismissed calls for changes to rugby union’s rules after a drab World Cup final that featured no tries. Jones, who helped South Africa to their win in Paris, said the demand for change was ”Australia-centric” as the calls in that country have grown since the Wallabies’ defeat by a defensive England side.

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/ 22 October 2007

Race debate awaits World Cup heroes

They may be the world champions, but the Springboks have few illusions that their new status will stave off a new push by the government to overhaul the team’s racial composition. Meanwhile, Springbok wing Bryan Habana was on Sunday named the International Rugby Board player of the year.

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/ 21 October 2007

World Cup leaves mixed emotions in France

France’s first hosting of rugby’s World Cup will leave mixed emotions on the home front. The six-week long tournament was superbly organised, the grounds were packed, and there was colour and drama aplenty. But the script that had the French hosts taking on the mighty All Blacks in the final in Paris failed to materialise.

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/ 16 October 2007

England once again in White’s sights

Jake White has a lot to thank England for as South Africa coach and he may be eternally grateful by the end of Saturday’s World Cup final at the Stade de France. Twickenham, across the English Channel from France, marked the moment 11 months ago when White’s Springbok side beat England 25-14 to ensure they remained together for the World Cup campaign.

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/ 12 October 2007

Rugby revolution is coming

Spectators at this Rugby World Cup have had the privilege of ringside seats at a revolution. If there is one overarching conclusion to be drawn from the emergence of Argentina and the Pacific Islanders into major powers it is that the shape of international rugby between the quadrennial tournaments cannot stay the same.

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/ 10 October 2007

Du Preez looms as SA’s big trump card

South Africa have always prided themselves on their giant forwards, but scrumhalf Fourie du Preez, one of the smallest members of the team, has arguably played the biggest part in getting them to the World Cup semifinal. Du Preez may be little in stature compared with his teammates but what he lacks in size he makes up for skill and sheer courage.

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/ 5 October 2007

IRB must play ball

A Rugby World Cup featuring upset results pleases many, but not the International Rugby Board (IRB). The IRB likes to hide behind the profitability of the Rugby World Cup, stating that the funds raised from it go towards helping to grow the game globally. What they don’t like to see is any sign of the boat rocking.

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/ 25 September 2007

Francois Steyn cited on biting allegation

South Africa centre Francois Steyn has been cited for allegedly biting an opponent during Saturday’s World Cup Pool A match against Tonga in Lens, tournament organisers said on Monday. ”Francois Steyn has been cited in connection with an allegation of biting involving the Tonga wing Joseph Vaka,” organisers said in a statement.

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/ 14 September 2007

Kiwi coach calls for consistency in citings

All Black coach Graham Henry on Friday called for consistency from the International Rugby Board (IRB) when it dealt with incidents of foul play after a severe clampdown in the opening games of the World Cup. With the tournament barely into its second week, the IRB has sent out a firm message to the teams that foul play will not be tolerated.

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/ 13 September 2007

Wallabies shocked at IRB’s foul-play crackdown

The Wallabies are shocked by what they see as an over-the-top crackdown on foul play at the Rugby World Cup and are on notice to keep it clean during the rest of the tournament. The International Rugby Board (IRB) has sent out a firm message to the teams that foul play will not be tolerated with four citings and suspensions from the opening matches.

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/ 13 September 2007

Burger’s ban reduced to two matches

The Rugby World Cup appeal committee on Thursday reduced Springbok flanker Schalk Burger’s four-match suspension to two matches. This was announced following an appeal hearing by the committee into the incident where Burger tackled a Samoan player in the air during the Boks’ opening match on Sunday.

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/ 11 September 2007

White keeps England guessing

South Africa coach Jake White kept England guessing by delaying naming his team for their World Cup Pool A match at the Stade de France on Friday. White announced a 22-man squad on Tuesday and said he would reveal his starting team only 48 hours before kick-off as tournament rules allow.

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/ 7 September 2007

The Boks’ big chance

Australia beat England at the 1991 Rugby World Cup final, but in the South Stand at Twickenham lurked a couple of fellows who held up a banner emblazoned with this motto: ”South Africa, the real World Champions”. As it turned out, the blazers of the International Rugby Board had met during the second World Cup to debate the re-entry of the Springboks into the international fold.