In adherence to Rugby Africa request for good governance, the present board led by Mbagwu has just acquired a new office for a professional administration of the game in Nigeria going forward called “Rugby House”
 
LAGOS, Nigeria, January 19, 2018/ -- Early in 2017, The Lagos League started with 8 teams in two divisions of 4 teams a piece. However, the Rugby Federation elections took center stage with after effects of a suspension on Nigeria by Rugby Afrique. 

Namibia is preparing for the upcoming 2015 IRB Rugby World Cup and the national team recently held trials in order to have a look at some of the players who have been often over looked for selection.

National team coach, Danie Vermeulen expressed his satisfaction with the outcome of the trials that were recently held at the Hage Geingob Stadium in Windhoek during the weekend. The trials were held as part of a long term campaign to prepare for next year’s World Cup in England as well as selecting a side for Namibia’s end of year tour to Wales, France, and Portugal.

DHL Western Province and the Xerox Golden Lions continued with their recent fine run for home semi finals in the Absa Currie Cup this weekend as they earned valuable bonus point victories to distance themselves from the chasing pack.

Despite this, the battle for semi final places and home semi finals is expected to be thrilling in the remaining three rounds of pool matches, as only 10 points separate the top five teams on the log standing. The sixth placed team, the Vodacom Blue Bulls still have a chance of sneaking into the semi finals in the next few weeks.

In the weekend matches, the DHL Western Province bounced back strongly from their defeat last week by outplaying the GWK Griquas 36-12 in Cape Town, the Xerox Golden Lions defeated the Steval Pumas 29-15 at Ellis Park, the Toyota Free State Cheetahs registered a 37-22 victory against the EP Kings in Port Elizabeth and the Cell C Sharks beat the Vodacom Blue Bulls 26-15 in Pretoria.

The Brazilians Sevens rugby squad will visit South Africa from 19 to 26 September on a training mission to help them prepare for the 2016 Olympic Games in their home country. The South Americans will host the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in three years time and, as a result, have gained automatic qualification for the Sevens competition at the international showpiece.

The team will be based at the Stellenbosch Academy of Sports for the duration of their visit to South Africa. The SAS training facility is also the base camp of the Springbok Sevens, the current Commonwealth Games Gold Medallists.

During their visit, the Brazilians will have several field sessions at the Paul Roos Markotter Stadium and the adjacent indoor centre, in addition to usage of the modern facilities at SAS.

The Springboks team was riddled with injuries after their physical battle with the All Blacks in a pulsating Castle Lager Rugby Championship Test encounter in Wellington, New Zealand on Saturday. Influential players such as Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira and Ruan Pienaar were taken off the field of play with injuries.

The Boks lost 14-13 and were ultimately denied at the death by a gallant All Blacks outfit that killed off the game when Kieran Read received a killer pass from Aaron Cruden and combined well with captain Richie McCaw to score New Zealand’s try in the second half.

While Zimbabwean born Mtawarira left the field bleeding from the nose following a messy tackle, Pienaar was stretched off in what is likely to be a long injury layout. He will go for scans on Monday to determine the extent of the injury.

Idris Elba arrived in a Heritage Land Rover, before reciting the Invictus poem at the Invictus Games Opening Ceremony in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park this evening.

The Heritage Land Rover carrying Idris Elba during the ceremony has previously carried Her Majesty the Queen and the late Queen Mother during the 1970s/80s.

It is a Land Rover Series IIa – commonly known as a Defender – a British icon that has been evolving for 65 years.

The Land Rover in the Opening Ceremony was built in June 1968 and issued to the British Army on The Rhine.

It was based in Germany until de-mob in 1993, having covered around 4000Km, then donated to the national Army Museum.

It is estimated that more than two million Land Rover Defenders have been bought since the car first appeared in April 1948.

Two Australians made history today as they were awarded the first gold medals of the Invictus Games by Prince Harry.

 

The Australia team, made up of Matthew Taxis and Sarah Archibald, took gold in the Jaguar Land Rover Driving Challenge, which saw 11 nations compete in two stages designed to test the competitors’ driving and navigation skills.

 

Teams, made up of a driver and navigator, completed an all-terrain stage in a Land Rover Discovery and a tarmac track stage in a Jaguar F-TYPE, with a series of gates required to be correctly negotiated in order.

 

With the four quickest teams qualifying for this afternoon’s final, it was Australia who came out on top, finishing ahead of silver medalists Germany and the Netherlands, who took bronze.

While the Proteas smashed through a six wicket victory over Australia, it was a different tale for the Springboks who fell by the wayside after a last minute Australian try handed them a 24-23 defeat in an entertaining rugby championship encounter.

The defeat left the Springboks disappointed after losing their first match in more than 11 months in a windy and wet Perth.

The home team won thanks to a converted try by Australian winger Rob Horne late in the match, which sealed their first victory over the Boks since 2012.

The Blue Bulls are sitting on a Currie Cup time bomb after a number of their players have reported to the doctor’s consultation room with various injuries.

Trusted full back and future Springbok Jesse Kriel has already been ruled out of this weekend’s clash against the Lions in an eagerly awaited Gauteng derby at Loftus. Kriel injured his ankle during last weekend’s unforgettable 23-18 loss to the log leading Western Province.

Kriel has been ruled out for between two to three weeks which is an even greater set back after regular number 15, Jurgen Visser was ruled out for the rest of the season with a foot injury.

Visser joins Pierre Spies, Arno Botha, Frik Kirsten, Jaco Visagie and Flip van der Merwe on the long term injury list.

Prop Hencus van Wyk has also been ruled out of the Gauteng derby after being stretchered off with a knee ligament tear last weekend.

England narrowly squeaked past Norway in a friendly game, which served as a tune up for the upcoming 2016 European Championship qualifying campaign. It was a game, which was meant to usher in the new era, with the likes of Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard now retired. This was reflected in the team selected by Roy Hodgson, which also saw 20 year old John Stones chosen at right back.

Daniel Sturridge combined, with Sterling finding his Liverpool teammate with a back heel in the Norwegian box but He could not quite connect with a shot.

With the prospect of Olympic qualification as a major incentive to aim for, the Springbok Sevens have started with preparations for the new season after a three week break following their Commonwealth Games gold medal break.

Apart from their gold medal performance in Scotland, the team also managed to finish second on the HSBC Sevens World Series log. The top four teams on the final log table of the 2014/ 15 World Series will qualify automatically for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The team underwent their customary medical examinations on Monday and also had to go through a series of fitness and conditioning tests. This was followed by a tough gym session.

A few regulars will join the team at a much later stage due to Absa Currie Cup commitments, while some will be eased back gradually into full training following surgery and rehabilitation to recover from injuries.

With just three weeks to go until the Invictus Games, Jaguar Land Rover speaks to three wounded warriors about their recovery from injury and what the Invictus Games means to them.

British Armed Forces team members JJ Chalmers, Mickaela Richards and Derek Derenelagi will go for gold when the Invictus Games athletics takes place at Lee Valley on Thursday 11th September.

The Invictus Games, presented by Jaguar Land Rover, takes place in London from 10th-14th September. Over 400 competitors from 14 nations will compete in nine Invictus sports, plus a competitive Jaguar Land Rover Driving Challenge. 

Tickets priced at £12.85 are on sale now at www.invictusgames.org

It is only a matter of a day before the Springboks get their 2014 Rugby Championship campaign underway when they host a rejuvenated Argentina outfit at Loftus Versfeld stadium in Pretoris on Saturday at 5pm (local time).

While New Zealand starts off as the favorites, Coach Heyneke Meyer has stated that they are entirely focused on Saturday’s match.

Damian de Allende will make his debut for the home side and will play next to Captain Jean de Villiers. De Villiers is one of three returning Boks who played no part in the Castle Lager Incoming Series because of injury. The others are Frans Malherbe and Eben Etzebeth, who have both made the bench.

Junior Springboks captain, Handre Pollard, will get his second Test cap when he lines up between the experienced De Villiers and Ruan Pienaar, while Willem Alberts and Tendai Mtawarira are also back after missing the Scotland Test because of injuries they sustained.

There are five changes to the Springboks squad that takes on France in an IRB Women’s World Cup match later on Tuesday in Marcoussis. Pressure is on the Boks to beat the hosts after losing their Pool opener to Australia on Friday.

Three of the changes include prop Portia Jonga and number 8 Shona Leah Weston earning starts while flank Lamla Momoti has recovered from the knee injury that forced her to withdraw from the team that clashed with the Aussies on Friday.

They replace prop Asithandile Ntoyanto, Number 8 Mandisa Williams and Rachelle Geldenhuys respectively.

In the backline, full back Siviwe Basweni replaces Cindy Cant and scrumhalf Fundiswa Plaatjie will start in place of Tayla Kinsey.

It is back to the basics for South Africa’s women’s rugby team as they gear up for their next IRB Rugby World Cup match after being derailed by Australia in their opening world cup match. They take on hosts France on Tuesday in a must win match if they are to remain in contention for women’s rugby’s big prize in Paris.

The players were given Saturday off as a rest day to prepare for the storm and got a glimpse of what Paris has to offer.

‘It was important for the players to rest both mentally and physically after the clash against Australia. This certainly lifted the attitude among the players on Sunday morning because they were fresh and keen to begin their preparations for the France Test. It is always a challenge to balance match preparations and rest on a tour such as this where the matches are four days apart, but we believe that adequate player management is important to get the best out of the ladies on the field,’ said assistant coach, Renfred Dazel.

With South Africa’s oldest rugby competition about to kick off, Western Province are leaving no stone unturned in their quest for glory. They have added the signature of seasoned Kenyan wing William Ambaka Ndayara in their ranks.

Willy Ndayara, who weighs an astounding 100kgs and stands 1.95m tall, first came to prominence after a string of outstanding performances for Kenya at International Sevens level having made his debut for his country in 2011.

“We first heard about Willy through Jerome Paarwater who has been working with the Kenyan 15s team and very nearly helped them qualify for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Our DHL Western Province selection played against Willy and the Kenyan side in Nairobi in June and of course we have done plenty of research on him on top of that,” said Gert Small, Western Province’s Director of Rugby in an interview with wprugby.com.

“He is a strong runner with plenty of pace and tremendous aerial skills. He is an exciting addition to our playing ranks,” he added.

South Africa’s women’s rugby team is on a mission in France were they will take part in the IRB Womens Rugby World Cup. The Boks women meet old nemesis Australia in their opening game tomorrow before they meet the hosts on August 5 and wrap things up with a clash against Wales on August 9.

Their pool matches are scheduled to take place at the French Rugby Federation headquarters in Marcoussis, outside of Paris.

The team arrived in France on Monday and had a short recovery session before attending a welcome function at the Les Ulis community hall. They resumed full training on Tuesday with early morning training followed by a video session and their first field training session in France.

The Cell C Sharks have appointed talented loose forward Tera Mtembu as their new captain for the prestigious Absa Currie Cup.

Having come through the Sharks Academy ranks, Mtembu has always displayed leadership skills in addition to being a favourite among the clubs squad members. He is also highly respected by his team mates and he has captained the club during this years Vodacom Cup.

Tera made his debut for the Cell C Sharks in 2012 when he featured in the both the Vodacom Super Rugby and the Absa Currie Cup tournaments.

“Tera is a talented player and I have great faith in his ability. My hope is that he embraces this leadership role and gains valuable experience as the tournament progresses, which will assist us in grooming grooming him to take the next step into becoming a more consistent Super Rugby player who can eventually stake a claim for international honours,” said Jack White, Sharks Director of Rugby.

The action and excitement of the Rugby Sevens at Ibrox Stadium over the weekend will be one of THE spectacles of the Commonwealth Games, Gavin Hastings said today.

The former Scotland Captain said the two-day event would be watched by an audience of more than 175,000 – the largest ever number of people to watch rugby live in Scotland over a single weekend.

Speaking at a press conference at the Commonwealth Games main press centre today, he said: “Rugby Sevens is set to grow massively around the world and the Commonwealth Games brings a real boost to the sport.

“Rugby Sevens are synonymous with people having a party. There’s a saying that if you’re not enjoying yourself, you can just turn around and watch the rugby.

“I’m really looking forward to it. I think it’s going to be one of the spectacles of the Games.”

Ibrox Stadium – the home of Rangers Football Club – has been transformed into a rugby ground for Scotland’s biggest-ever sporting and cultural festival.  

The temporary new-look for the football stadium during the Commonwealth Games has seen the pitch lengthened by 15 metres, the walls at each end raised and fitted with padding to protect players and the goal posts replaced with…. rugby posts.

Adam Running, 6, and Sandy Heather, 5, from Cartha Kids - part of Cartha Queen’s Park Rugby Club based in Pollok Park in Glasgow - kicked the first rugby balls through the posts with a little bit of expert coaching from Colin Gregor, captain of the Scotland Rugby Sevens Team.

Japan and Singapore will vie for the last berth in Super Rugby when the competition grows to 18 teams in 2016, Sanzar said in a statement.

“We are now able to confirm that two parties from Asia will compete for the opportunity to join an expanded Super Rugby in 2016,” Sanzar Chief Executive Greg Peters stated in the statement.

“Asia is a region that has been the focus of considerable investment by the International Rugby Board and is a sound location for the evolution of Super Rugby,” he added.

The two contenders have until mid August to submit formal tender documents to Sanzar outlining why they are best positioned to join the world’s premier rugby competition.

It was an unforgettable Sunday for African rugby after Namibia upset all the odds by coming from 3rd position to clinch the sole ticket to the 2015 IRB World Cup slated for England.

After Zimbabwe had beat Kenya and looked set to make it to next years tournament, Namibia needed to beat Madagascar by more than 53 points in order to secure automatic qualification. The South West Africans did just that by dismantling the hosts 89-10 in Antananarivo.

At the beginning of the gripping day, the Namibians were outside hopefuls at best, but Zimbabwe’s 28-10 win against Kenya, denying the Kenyan’s a losing bonus point, while failing to secure a bonus pointof their own, left the door wide open for the seasoned Rugby World Cup campaigners.

The Cell C Sharks will be the only team representing the South African Conference in the Vodacom Super Rugby playoff competition after the Vodacom Bulls suffered a major set back as their aspirations went up in thick smoke.

The Bulls slipped up in Cape Town on Saturday afternoon. The DHL Stormers recorded the fourth ever clean sheet in a local derby when they beat the Bulls 16-0 at Newlands. Just before the June break, the Capetonians did the same when the Toyota Cheetahs 33-0, again in Cape Town.

It will be only the third time in the last 10 years that the Bulls will not feature in the playoffs.

IRB Junior Player of The Year, Handre Pollard, cannot ask for a better season after faith was shown in him by South Africa national coach Heyneke Meyer. He was picked as the starting flyhalf for Saturday’s Test against Scotland.

This is only the second time that Meyer has handed a debut to a 20 year old Number 10 since he took over as the Springboks mentor. The other being Johan Goosen, who received that honour in 2012.

The South Africa junior rugby side failed to shrug off a tough fight from England after they lost the 2014 IRB Junior World Cup final that was held at Eden Park in New Zealand on Friday morning. Having controlled the game from the onset, South Africa were eventually dismantled in the second half losing 21-20.

The Baby Boks, went into the match clearly knowing the dangers posed by England but their confidence was sky high after they defeated hosts New Zealand in the semi finals. England controlled the ball well with an excellent rolling to run down the clock and were duly rewarded for their perseverance.