European Club Rugby

[Kiwiwomble]

@stargazer oh, the explanation I read this morning said it was one combined ladder with the top 8 going through to play offs

Each conference winner goes through to the champions cups or what ever it’s called

Edit: just re read your original post

“ Final Series/Play-Offs: One league table will be used to rank teams and after 18 rounds the top eight sides will qualify for the Play-Offs”

Doesn’t sound like guaranteed finals spot for each conference

And they do play every other team at least once so they won’t have that situation where the sharks made the final without having to face the crusaders

[Kiwiwomble]

@machpants said in NH club rugby:

@mariner4life I dunno the time zone is the same, so that will help. Tournament costs will be very high though

Yeah, get on a plan and go to sleep, gets off and carry on, much easier than coming to nz

[Stargazer]

@kiwiwomble Yeah, it's confusing. To determine which team gets a spot in the play-offs, they're using one league table to rank teams. But for qualification for the Heinken Cup (first 4 of 8 spots), they're using the conferences:

All points won during the URC season will contribute to rankings in the regional pools and the highest-ranking team in each of the four pools will earn a place in the Champions Cup for the following season. This addition to the format is expected to add even greater intensity to these age-old local rivalries.

The remaining four places in the Champions Cup will be awarded to the four highest-ranked teams from the single-standing league table who have not already qualified through the four regional pools.

[Kiwiwomble]

@stargazer yeah, choosing to ignore the champions cups situation for a second and just look at the league

[mofitzy_]

@kiwiwomble
Time zone isn't an issue but what about climate? Probably it's been addressed but if they want games in European winter then it will be a killer playing in SA summer.

[Kiwiwomble]

@mofitzy_ I have to say that doesn’t really effect me as a viewer, if the teams are happy with it that’s all good

[mofitzy_]

@kiwiwomble
Easy to be happy with it now though. Wait till they are on multiple flights totalling over 12 hours one way, to a dusty, scorching hot, empty stadium in a country that hasn't got a handle on COVID. Then go back again and repeat in a few weeks.

[Stargazer]

@stargazer said in NH club rugby:

@stargazer said in NH club rugby:
I'm keeping an eye on the announcements from Top League clubs about players and staff leaving the club.

Obviously, some of these players may just go to other Japanese clubs, but others may come back to NZ (like Perenara and Retallick). Some of those coming back may retire because they're older; others may be available for NPC.

Here's the first list of names:

DoCoMo Red Hurricanes: TJ Perenara, Marty Banks, Tom Marshall

Mitsubishi Dynaboars: James Wilson

Canon Eagles: Jesse Parete

Kobe Kobelco Steelers: Brodie Retallick

More names of players/coaches leaving their Japanese clubs (some already back in NZ for a while):

Kintetsu Liners: Pasqualle Dunn, David Milo
Coca Cola Red Sparks: Jotham Wrampling (now coaching Te Awamutu Sports)
Shimizu Blue Sharks: player/coach: Luke McAlister; coach: Steve Jackson
Kamaishi Seawaves: Oliver Polson, Sam Malcolm; coach: Scott Pierce
NTT Comms Shining Arcs: Fletcher Smith, Piri Paraone (former Wellington player)

Next on the list:

Toyota Shokki Shuttles: Tusi Pisi, Levi Aumua (now playing club rugby in Ta$man)

Honda Heat: Shaun Treeby (now appointed defence coach of the club)

Ricoh Black Rams: Elliot Dixon, Ben Funnell

Suntory Sungoliath: Beauden Barrett, Richard Judd, Jordan Smiler

[Daffy Jaffy]

Has Faf lost his powers with his hair?

[Stargazer]

Leaving London Irish:

Motu Matu’u
Waisake Naholo

https://www.london-irish.com/news/london-irish-confirm-departing-players/bp3008/

[Margin_Walker]

@stargazer said in NH club rugby:

Leaving London Irish:

Motu Matu’u
Waisake Naholo

https://www.london-irish.com/news/london-irish-confirm-departing-players/bp3008/

Missed this before posting on the other thread. Naholo has had a horror show injury wise. Matu’u has been okay, but has copped two reds (and bans) for high shots this season.

[Bovidae]

@margin_walker said in NH club rugby:

Matu’u has been okay, but has copped two reds (and bans) for high shots this season.

He had the same problem in NZ trying to go for the big hit.

[Stargazer]

@bovidae For Samoa as well. Remember that red card during the RWC.

[Machpants]

Couldn't have happened to a worse bunch of financial doping fluffybunnies

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/jun/20/saracens-championship-ealing

[Machpants]

So maybe the SA teams wouldn’t have been much of an addition to SR!

https://www.planetrugby.com/benetton-thump-bulls-to-win-pro14-rainbow-cup/

[Tim]

Ntamack collision:

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x822wub

[antipodean]

@machpants said in NH club rugby:

So maybe the SA teams wouldn’t have been much of an addition to SR!

https://www.planetrugby.com/benetton-thump-bulls-to-win-pro14-rainbow-cup/

[mariner4life]

@tim said in NH club rugby:

Ntamack collision:

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x822wub

i had seen that, sickening seeing him just collapse like that

Deserved the red card, that was fucking reckless.

[Machpants]

@antipodean said in NH club rugby:

@machpants said in NH club rugby:

So maybe the SA teams wouldn’t have been much of an addition to SR!

https://www.planetrugby.com/benetton-thump-bulls-to-win-pro14-rainbow-cup/

Thumped by the only non SA team they played, an Italian one at that!

[MiketheSnow]

@machpants said in NH club rugby:

So maybe the SA teams wouldn’t have been much of an addition to SR!

https://www.planetrugby.com/benetton-thump-bulls-to-win-pro14-rainbow-cup/

3rd string Bulls lose to Benetton

Not much of a story really