Super Rugby 2020

[Stargazer]

Pre-Season Fixture:
Gallagher Chiefs vs. Blues
Date: Friday 17 January
Time: 3.00pm kick-off, 1.30pm gates open
Venue: Waihi Athletic Rugby Club, Waihi
Tickets: https://www.chiefs.co.nz/game-tickets

https://www.chiefs.co.nz/news-item/gallagher-chiefs-to-play-pre-season-match-in-waihi

[KiwiMurph]

Preseason
Blues v Hurricanes
Friday 24 January
3pm.
$10 for adults and free for kids.
Onewa Domain
All proceeds go to Takapuna RFC

[Bovidae]

Gallagher Chiefs hooker Liam Polwart has announced he is retiring from rugby following issues with concussion. 24-year-old Polwart, has opted not to play Investec Super Rugby this season to preserve his long-term health by seeking out new opportunities.

https://www.chiefs.co.nz/news-item/gallagher-chiefs-hooker-liam-polwart-retires-from-rugby

[Duluth]

@Bovidae said in Super Rugby 2020:

Gallagher Chiefs hooker Liam Polwart has announced he is retiring from rugby following issues with concussion. 24-year-old Polwart, has opted not to play Investec Super Rugby this season to preserve his long-term health by seeking out new opportunities.

https://www.chiefs.co.nz/news-item/gallagher-chiefs-hooker-liam-polwart-retires-from-rugby

About the same age Sean Polwart stopped playing rugby for the same reasons

[Bovidae]

@Duluth I'm sure a conversation with big brother played a part in his decision.

[Daffy Jaffy]

I won't post it every week. You can subscribe on YouTube if you want to follow the start of the Penny era.

[Stargazer]

This is not only for Super Rugby, but as it is the first competition to start in 2020, I'm posting it here:

New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has announced a 30-strong National Referee Squad for the 2020 season

2020 National Referee Squad

*Denotes Super Rugby Assistant Referee

Glen Jackson (Bay of Plenty) - Professional Referee
Mike Fraser (Wellington) - Professional Referee
Ben O’Keeffe (Wellington) - Professional Referee
Paul Williams (Taranaki) - Professional Referee
Brendon Pickerill (North Harbour) - Professional Referee
James Doleman (Otago) * - Professional Referee & HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series referee

Dan Waenga (Hawke’s Bay) *
James Munro (Canterbury) *
Angus Mabey (Auckland) *
Rebecca Mahoney (Wairarapa Bush) *
Brittany Andrew (Manawatu)
Nick Briant (Bay of Plenty)
Richard Kelly (Taranaki) - HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series referee
Cam Stone (Taranaki)
Tipene Cottrell (Hawke’s Bay)
Maggie Cogger-Orr (Auckland)
Lauren Jenner (Counties Manukau) - HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series referee
Stu Curran (Manawatu)
Jono Bredin (Otago)
Marcus Playle (Auckland)
Chris Paul (South Canterbury)
Richard Gordon (Wellington)
Hugh Reed (Hawke’s Bay)
Mike Winter (Waikato)
Nick Hogan (Wellington)
George Haswell (Canterbury)
Dan Moore (Canterbury)
Larissa Collingwood (Waikato)
Emily Hsieh (Wellington) - HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series referee
Tiana Ngawati (Bay of Plenty) – Sevens Referee specialist

Super Rugby Television Match Officials
Aaron Patterson (Waikato)
Glenn Newman (North Harbour)
Shane McDermott (Bay of Plenty)
Chris Hart (Otago)

National Coaches
Chris Pollock
Kane McBride
Colin Hawke
Brent Murray
Rob Parkes
Chris Morgan
Paul Honiss

National Selectors
Paul Honiss
Matt Peters
Nicky Inwood
Errol Brain

[KiwiMurph]

@Stargazer No Skeen?

[Stargazer]

@KiwiMurph Retired, hasn't he?

[Chris]

@Stargazer said in Super Rugby 2020:

@KiwiMurph Retired, hasn't he?

Oh I really really hope so that would be Awesome

[OleOleOle]

@Chris yes, Ben has retired

[Chris]

@OleOleOle said in Super Rugby 2020:

@Chris yes, Ben has retired

Excellent

[Tim]

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/sunwolves-bag-pair-of-springboks-for-upcoming-super-rugby-campaign

[Stargazer]

@Tim Another signing is Wellington loosie Mateaki Kafatolu.

https://sunwolves.or.jp/information/article/6922/

[canefan]

Maybe wrapping up the Sunwolves was a bad move. They could have been a way to keep more players in Super rugby and test eligible

[Stargazer]

@canefan NZ players playing for the Sunwolves aren't test eligible, though.

I also doubt the Sunwolves are paying the wages that players are earning when they take up overseas' contracts in Europe or in Japan's Top League.

[Stargazer]

The obvious result of the All Blacks' assistant coach announcement:

HURRICANES PROMOTE JASON HOLLAND TO HEAD COACH

Jason Holland has been promoted to Hurricanes head coach after John Plumtree’s elevation to the All Blacks coaching team.
Holland, who has been a successful and widely respected assistant coach at the Hurricanes since 2016, takes over his new role with immediate effect.

The 47-year-old has helped the Hurricanes make the Investec Super Rugby play-offs in every season he has been involved with the club, first as an assistant to Chris Boyd and then with Plumtree at the helm in 2019.

The former Manawatu and Taranaki representative enjoyed a successful playing career in New Zealand before he made 102 appearances for top Ireland club Munster between 1999 and 2008.

His coaching career started in Munster before he returned to New Zealand where he was an assistant at Canterbury before moving to the Hurricanes.

Cory Jane, who made 123 appearances for the Hurricanes between 2007 and 2017, and has made a successful move into coaching with the Wellington Lions, has joined the management team as defence coach on an initial two-year contract.

[Machpants]

Right decision in the circumstances. Cory jane maybe a boof head, but he does have a good rugby brain, he is also not constrained by convention which can be a good thing.

[taniwharugby]

@Machpants hopefully he can teach them the Jane-fend, was a thing of beauty!

[Stargazer]

Hmmm, Cory Jane has only two years of coaching experience and is already promoted to a Hurricanes coaching role. I hope they have considered other candidates as well and that this is not again an internal-Wellington promotion (less than 4 months after Wellington Head Coach Chris Gibbes was appointed as Hurricanes Ass Coach).

I'll give him the benefit of the doubt because he was awesome as a player, and maybe he'll remember that the Canes catchment is larger than Wellington.