Good Rugby Reads
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<p>Ted has his latest column up at the Guardian. He justifiably spooges over the ABs & Richie who can blame him, not me, then pivots to rugby in general, says it's in good hands but raises questions about the Laws:</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote"><span style="font-size:18px;">What are we going to do with the rules of rugby? Mum is a little concerned about little Johnny because the game is becoming too physical. She may have a point. The rulebook is far too complicated, no wonder itâ€
s difficult for referees. Start again: simplify the laws, decrease the physicality by lowering the tackle zone and use hands to recycle at the breakdown. Make sure all the props are straight and square at a scrum, heads above hips. And does the rolling maul from a lineout give the team with the ball too much of an advantage? Does it contradict how the game is refereed outside of the lineout, with players in front of the ball carrier protecting him? And should we substitute the referee when he is either tired or having a shocker?</span>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/nov/02/new-zealand-rugby-world-cup-final-australia-emerging-countries-rulebook'>http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/nov/02/new-zealand-rugby-world-cup-final-australia-emerging-countries-rulebook</a></p> -
<p>Only slightly rugby related</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/players/lionel-messi/11972771/How-the-genius-of-Lionel-Messi-and-Dan-Carter-gave-me-hope-in-fighting-cancer.html'>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/players/lionel-messi/11972771/How-the-genius-of-Lionel-Messi-and-Dan-Carter-gave-me-hope-in-fighting-cancer.html</a></p>
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<p> </p>How the genius of Lionel Messi and Dan Carter gave me hope in fighting cancer Two moments of breathtaking skill made my illness fall away and confirmed that there is no finer vehicle for optimism than sport<p> </p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11539563'>http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11539563</a></p>
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<p>A Sumo article on SBW</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="KiwiPie" data-cid="538962" data-time="1446567863">
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<p>Only slightly rugby related</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/players/lionel-messi/11972771/How-the-genius-of-Lionel-Messi-and-Dan-Carter-gave-me-hope-in-fighting-cancer.html'>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/players/lionel-messi/11972771/How-the-genius-of-Lionel-Messi-and-Dan-Carter-gave-me-hope-in-fighting-cancer.html</a></p>
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<p>Jeez did you read some of the comments at the bottom? Some people really are fluffybunnies aren't they?</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="JC" data-cid="539168" data-time="1446612878">
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<p>Jeez did you read some of the comments at the bottom? Some people really are fluffybunnys aren't they?</p>
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<p>There's a fair few fluffybunnies, weirdos, and obsessives who act like this sadly, Gave up on those type of forums years ago for that reason. Some of the articles seem designed to bring them out of the woodwork - e.g any article on PI rugby always has a reference to NZ "benefitting unfairly".</p>
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<p>If you have a black sense of humour, you can have a bit of fun though - once got one fluffybunny who was complaining about alleged poaching to admit the real reason he was upset was there were "too many dark faces representing a predominatantly white country".</p> -
<p>Some interesting points made in this. </p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.the42.ie/milner-skudder-profile-simon-hick-2424563-Nov2015/'>http://www.the42.ie/milner-skudder-profile-simon-hick-2424563-Nov2015/</a></p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Crucial" data-cid="539297" data-time="1446670772">
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<p>Some interesting points made in this. </p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.the42.ie/milner-skudder-profile-simon-hick-2424563-Nov2015/'>http://www.the42.ie/milner-skudder-profile-simon-hick-2424563-Nov2015/</a></p>
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<p>Ireland gets rugby stories like this. We get Reason and Ratturd.</p> -
Excellent interview post final with Nigel Owens. Very good read. <br><a class="bbc_url" href="http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/nigel-owens-rugby-world-cup-10383894">http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-news/nigel-owens-rugby-world-cup-10383894</a><br><br>
Some of the other links on that page are worth a look too -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Crucial" data-cid="539556" data-time="1446718060"><p>
I think we could change the thread name on this and keep it going. Have discovered the is some good rugby writing out there if you get past the crap.</p></blockquote>
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Done -
<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://eliteperformancesportpsychology.wordpress.com/2015/11/02/why-sonny-bill-williams-handed-the-medal-to-the-child-all-black-culture/'>https://eliteperformancesportpsychology.wordpress.com/2015/11/02/why-sonny-bill-williams-handed-the-medal-to-the-child-all-black-culture/</a></p>
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<p>Austen Healey provides a solution to England's Rugby problems - buy a S15 Franchise.</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/england/11980146/English-rugby-needs-to-raise-its-standards-they-should-buy-a-Super-Rugby-franchise.html'>http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/international/england/11980146/English-rugby-needs-to-raise-its-standards-they-should-buy-a-Super-Rugby-franchise.html</a></p> -
<p>only problem is which Country will relinquish a team to stack full of English players? </p>
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<p>NZ teams would still be owned by the NZRU (well 51%) and as such have NZ Rugby interests at heart, Aus teams are the same I think? SA want more teams for themselves to cope with thier abundance of talent...Argies arent gonna let thier chance go by giving up spots to English players, so maybe the Japanese team is where they should look?</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="taniwharugby" data-cid="539828" data-time="1446841172">
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://eliteperformancesportpsychology.wordpress.com/2015/11/02/why-sonny-bill-williams-handed-the-medal-to-the-child-all-black-culture/'>https://eliteperformancesportpsychology.wordpress.com/2015/11/02/why-sonny-bill-williams-handed-the-medal-to-the-child-all-black-culture/</a></p>
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<p>Thanks for that.</p>
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<p>My partner's into <span>Psychology & Team -building and found it fascinating</span></p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Kirwan" data-cid="539847" data-time="1446848877">
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<p>It's an always expanding Comp buy a new place in it.</p>
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<p>Who actually owns the teams?</p>
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<p>NZ franchises and player contracts are all owned (presumably) by NZRU. I suspect the same is true of Aus and SA franchises, but perhaps the provincial unions own their own franchises (dunno), but I've long wondered if expansion would mean franchises in future become property & playthings of individuals like pro sports clubs in the rest of the world; and if so, will there be salary-caps, draft lotteries, unrestricted free agency, player trades & transfers, etc.</p>
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<p>Brave New World...?</p> -
Not sure if all, but at least a couple of the NZ franchises are partly owned by private backers, 49% I think, and yes the provinces have shares in the gpfranchises too.
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<p>Beautiful paean to DC in the Guardian:</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2015/nov/25/dan-carter-the-future-will-always-be-bright-in-new-zealand-rugby'>http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2015/nov/25/dan-carter-the-future-will-always-be-bright-in-new-zealand-rugby</a></p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="red terror" data-cid="540702" data-time="1447256817">
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<p>Who actually owns the teams?</p>
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<p>NZ franchises and player contracts are all owned (presumably) by NZRU. I suspect the same is true of Aus and SA franchises, but perhaps the provincial unions own their own franchises (dunno), but I've long wondered if expansion would mean franchises in future become property & playthings of individuals like pro sports clubs in the rest of the world; and if so, will there be salary-caps, draft lotteries, unrestricted free agency, player trades & transfers, etc.</p>
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<p>Brave New World...?</p>
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<p>Melbourne Rebels are owned by a private consortium, 'Infinity Sports Group' or something similar. Don't think its made a huge difference in the way they are run, imagine they are free of the blazers in NSWRU/QRU though.</p> -
<p>some good reads on here</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://thespinoff.co.nz/21-11-2015/rugby-richie-mccaw-is-hippie-and-that-transformed-the-all-blacks/'>http://thespinoff.co.nz/21-11-2015/rugby-richie-mccaw-is-hippie-and-that-transformed-the-all-blacks/</a></p>
