Table-topping Canterbury Crusaders defend their unbeaten run against the Beauden Barrett-influenced Wellington Hurricanes on Saturday to start a season-defining fortnight of Super Rugby. In the fiercely-contested New Zealand conference, the Hurricanes and Waikato Chiefs, who the Crusaders play the following week, have only lost one game and are within striking distance of the top spot … Read more
Jaguares of Argentina snapped a four-match losing streak with a come-from-behind 46-39 victory over Sunwolves of Japan Saturday in a Super Rugby try fest. The hosts turned a 39-27 deficit 14 minutes from time into a seven-point victory thanks to tries from Matias Alemanno, Agustin Creevy and Matias Moroni. Jaguares scored seven tries and Sunwolves … Read more
The unbeaten Canterbury Crusaders won a ninth Super Rugby game this weekend, but the result was soured by an injury to All Blacks skipper Kieran Read. The rampaging Crusaders squashed the threatened South African team Central Cheetahs 48-21 in Bloemfontein to stretch their lead in the New Zealand conference to four points, but they could … Read more
The Canterbury Crusaders remained unbeaten as New Zealand teams dominated Super Rugby this weekend ahead of June’s British and Irish Lions tour. The seven-time champions smashed leading South African contenders Western Stormers 57-24 in Christchurch as Kiwi teams won all four of their encounters. George Bridge claimed a hat-trick and Kieran Read added a double … Read more
New Zealand’s Canterbury Crusaders are the only unbeaten team left in Super Rugby after the Golden Lions ended the Western Stormers’ winning start to the season this weekend. The Johannesburg-based Lions downed the Stormers in a bonus-point 29-16 win in Cape Town while seven-time champions the Crusaders crushed Japan’s Sunwolves 50-3 in Christchurch. The Waikato … Read more
The Western Stormers square off against the Golden Lions in a blockbuster South African derby while Crusaders prop Wyatt Crockett sets a match record in Super Rugby this weekend. The Canterbury Crusaders and Stormers are the only unbeaten sides remaining going into round eight of the competition, which next year will revert to a 15-team … Read more
RugbyWA has launched legal action against the Australian Rugby Union in a bid to keep threatened Super franchise Western Force afloat as the axe hovers over the club. A writ against the governing body was lodged on Monday evening, Western Australia’s rugby body said, notifying the ARU of the intention to apply for an injunction … Read more
New Zealand is not to blame for the problems that are forcing Australia to axe one of its five Super Rugby teams, New Zealand Rugby boss Steve Tew said on Monday. Amid anger and finger-pointing on the Australian side of the Tasman over the decision announced Sunday, Tew admitted Super Rugby over-reached by expanding to … Read more
The Australian Rugby Union said Monday either the Melbourne Rebels or Western Force face the axe from next year’s Super Rugby competition, with talks underway to decide which one survives. Governing body SANZAAR announced Sunday that two South African teams and one from Australia would be culled from the revamped 2018 southern hemisphere tournament. “It … Read more
South Africa’s Western Stormers joined Canterbury Crusaders as the only undefeated teams in this season’s Super Rugby after ending the Waikato Chiefs’ unbeaten start, while Japan’s Sunwolves broke through for their first win this weekend. Ahead of governing body SANZAAR’s much-anticipated announcement of Super Rugby’s future make-up later Sunday, the Stormers downed the Chiefs 34-26 … Read more
The Canterbury Crusaders joined the Waikato Chiefs and Western Stormers as the only unbeaten teams in Super Rugby with a smashing win over the NSW Waratahs in Sydney on Sunday. The seven-time champions powered to a bonus-point 41-22 win over the 2014 champions, scoring six tries to three for their sixth win of the campaign. … Read more
Australia’s professional rugby players may go on strike early next year if one of their Super Rugby teams is axed in a shake-up of the competition, a report said on Friday. Fairfax Media said Australia’s Rugby Union Players’ Association (RUPA) is considering pre-season strike action if one of the country’s five Super Rugby teams is … Read more
The Waikato Chiefs have been told to get their act together for their Super Rugby clash with the Northern Bulls after an unconvincing win over the struggling Melbourne Rebels. Coach Dave Rennie read the riot act to the two-time champions after they needed a late burst to overcome Australia’s bottom-placed team in their last outing. … Read more
The looming British and Irish Lions tour to New Zealand has added a twist to the Crusaders this week as the Canterbury franchise look to go top of the Super Rugby table. With the Waikato Chiefs and Wellington Hurricanes having the weekend off and the Western Stormers already a game behind, the Crusaders will hit … Read more
Australia back Luke Morahan has signed to play for Bristol from the 2017-18 season onwards, the English Premiership strugglers announced on Monday. The 26-year-old has been capped three times and can play at full-back, wing and centre. Bristol did not disclose the length of his contract. “Luke is an impressive player with excellent technical abilities,” … Read more
The yellow-carding of Takuma Asahara proved costly for the Japanese Sunwolves as they lost 38-31 to the Central Cheetahs of South Africa in Super Rugby Saturday. The replacement prop was sin-binned after 65 minutes for a second offence in quick succession with the visitors clinging to a 31-30 lead at Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein. … Read more
Defending champions Wellington Hurricanes are relishing the prospect of “brutal” clash with the Waikato Chiefs on Friday in what will be their first real test of the Super rugby season. “It’s going to be a real scrap,” Hurricanes assistant coach Richard Watt said of the showdown between the only two sides to take maximum points … Read more
Defending champions Wellington Hurricanes prepare to unleash their big guns this weekend but the pressure is on Super Rugby’s lesser lights amid talk of slimming down the 18-team competition. Governing body SANZAAR meet next week to discuss how to tackle Super Rugby’s unwieldy conference structure, exhausting travel schedules and lopsided contests which are now sprawled … Read more