The Rugby Thread

[PeteC]

Crusaders vs Chiefs in Christchurch. Wet, raining the entire match, slippery ball, slippery players. The penalties were low, but the turnovers were close to 20 each side due to the conditions. Another close match that could have gone the other way in the last minute, but didn't.

[PeteC]

Billionaire rugby owner wants All Black Beauden Barrett

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/a ... 343740&utm

By Ian Cameron of RugbyPass.

All Blacks star Beauden Barrett and Wales sharpshooter Dan Biggar and among two names linked with what many are touting as France's latest nouveau riche rugby club – Beziers.

The pair are among a growing list of players linked with the ProD2 side, who are reportedly being taken over by billionaire investors from the UAE. The investors are said to be members of a Middle Eastern royal family and are intent on pumping millions into the unassuming AS Beziers Hérault.

The investors are set to wipe away the club's €5 million worth of debts and invest heavily in star power to push the team into the Top 14. Barrett and Biggar are set to be high on their wish lists, according to reports.

Current San Diego Legion and All Blacks veteran Ma'a Nonu is also said to be a potential target, while French international Benjamin Fall is said to already be on onboard, provided the deal to take over the club actually goes ahead.

Former French international Christophe Dominici is said to be representing the new investors, and they are already active on the market according to French media outlet RugbyRama.

Beziers have won eleven French championship titles since its establishment in 1911, but have fallen down the tables in recent years, even facing the ignominy of relegation to the Federale 1 at the end of 2008-09 season. They stand at 9th in the ProD2 and face a complete overhaul if they want to win relegation form the super-competitive second division, which currently includes the likes of Grenoble, Biarritz, Perpignan and Colomiers.

The Top 14 has seen huge external investment from multi-millionaire and billionaire owners over the course of the last two decades. Racing 92, Stade Francais, Montpellier and mostly famous Toulon are among clubs who have wielded enormous financial clout thanks to super-rich owners taking over and opening up their purses.

Critics of the trend say it distorts the market, inflating player wages and ultimately making the sport unsustainable.

[PeteC]

Current standings..... I'm not familiar with the point system for this special tournament, therefore no idea why a team with 0 wins or draws has 2 points.

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[pharvey]

This could also have an impact on player transfers for next season. Leicester really are in turmoil of late.....

[EDIT] Worst case - up to 12 players could be leaving (for free) today, decimating the squad.

Leicester Tigers: Several First-Team Players in Contract Dispute

"A contract dispute has left the futures of several Leicester Tigers players unclear, reports BBC Radio Leicester.

Players have been offered amended terms as a result of the Premiership salary cap being reduced from 2021-22.

A number of senior Tigers players are involved and it is believed they could leave the club if they decide not to sign new deals at Welford Road.

It is understood the club made a compromise offer, but the players want to keep their legal position.

On 8 June, Premiership teams unanimously agreed to reduce the salary cap from £6.4m to £5m to help cope with the losses incurred as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

Only 75% of wages from deals signed before 18 June will count towards the salary cap from the start of the 2021-22 season.

That deadline has passed but Leicester's players have been given until Tuesday to make their decisions and the club remain in communication with all of the playing squad.

Tigers are 11th in the Premiership but not in danger of relegation this season as Saracens have already been demoted to next season's Championship because of salary cap breaches."

[PeteC]

Screen Shot 2020-07-01 at 1.24.03 PM.png (88.36 KiB) Viewed 334 times

Note: The bye is the Blues, not the Hurricanes.


https://mailchi.mp/sanzarrugby/2017-sup ... nd-3266867

[PeteC]

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https://mailchi.mp/sanzarrugby/2017-sup ... nd-3266883

[Nereus]

Screen Shot 2020-07-08 at 10.34.46 AM.png (88.86 KiB) Viewed 13 times

How did this end up here, Pete? I posted it in Coronavirus Humour.

[PeteC]

No idea. I can’t see what the image is. Nothing in the logs of any of your posts being moved by a Mod.

[Big Boy]

Probably more to the point, why would you have posted it in Coronavirus Humour? What am I missing? Tnhat aside, it was posted by PeteC not you. I'm confused.

[Nereus]

Probably more to the point, why would you have posted it in Coronavirus Humour? What am I missing? Tnhat aside, it was posted by PeteC not you. I'm confused.

You are not only confused, you are bloody RUDE as well! I DID post it, just after I copied it from where it came from.
It is much more relevant to humour than any Rugby thread!

[pharvey]

You are not only confused, you are bloody RUDE as well! I DID post it, just after I copied it from where it came from.
It is much more relevant to humour than any Rugby thread!

Meow.......!!

[Big Boy]

Probably more to the point, why would you have posted it in Coronavirus Humour? What am I missing? Tnhat aside, it was posted by PeteC not you. I'm confused.

You are not only confused, you are bloody RUDE as well! I DID post it, just after I copied it from where it came from.
It is much more relevant to humour than any Rugby thread!

I am certainly not rude. The key bit of your post was Screen Shot 2020-07-08 at 10.34.46 AM.png, which is the rugby post picture on the rugby thread, which is why I am confused.

The subsequent post shows 89ef268722de2d87251a63e98db25fa1.jpg, which quite rightly should have been in the Coronavirus Humour thread.

I am just as confused that it has appeared on this thread again. I'm obviously missing something

[PeteC]

Photo has now been moved over to Coronavirus Humour

[dtaai-maai]

I saw it there the other day - something to do with the change of server perhaps?

[PeteC]

Three All Blacks of the future. Perhaps the very near future.

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