The Silver Fern

@WoodysRFC said in Highlanders 2026:

Curious to see which nine will be added to that WTG squad.

Have the Highlanders had extra players training given they only had 9 in their WTG?

Injuries can happen at any time. All reports indicate it was Joseph who pushed for Pledger to not be selected for the AB XV. Those players are back training now.

Bears fans will be ecstatic to send the cheeseheads packing.

It was closer than I expected in the end. I read that a late dropped catch by Mitchell was costly.

Cricinfo might have jumped the gun as the TV graphic has Hay as the WK.

Hay is playing but Conway has the gloves. Strange.

We're batting after India won the toss.

Did no one in the Bulls and Bristol teams want to tackle?

@Daffy-Jaffy said in Exodus:

Gloucester Rugby is pleased to announce the signing of hooker, Manaaki Boyle-Tiatia, on a three-month contract. (Injury cover).

A good opportunity. I was surprised he wasn't in the Chiefs WTG again but they chose JJ Pokai.

@Canes4life said in Super Rugby - The Future:

If I could go back to any sort of rugby period it would be the early 2000s Super Rugby era. Electric rugby, huge crowds and amazing players.

The NPC was still a huge spectacle back then too. Full houses for finals, ABs on the bench, etc.

@Yeetyaah said in Blues 2026:

@Daffy-Jaffy said in Blues 2026:

Charlie Sinton

Keep your hands off him

The Chiefs gave Sinton an NDC for a second year to keep him in the system. You would expect he replaces TTT in 2027.

There are a few halfbacks from the Blues region who have made NZ age-group teams in recent years but not progressed further (yet).

Riley Williams is from Auckland. I'm sure he'd give up a sevens contract for SR.

Some pertinent comments from someone who was on the inside. Bums on seats is the only way a SR team makes money from matches. And the salary cap is a sham as I've mentioned previously.

https://www.rugbypass.com/news/former-hurricanes-ceo-avan-lee-opens-up/

Useful info:

Confirmed Super Rugby Pacific preseason fixtures

Friday 23 January
Western Force vs Queensland Reds – Scotch College, Perth

Friday 30 January
Western Force vs ACT Brumbies – Scotch College, Perth
Crusaders vs Highlanders – Fraser Park, Timaru
Blues vs Hurricanes – Sacred Heart College, Auckland
Chiefs vs Fijian Drua – Sir Gordon Tietjens field, Blake Park, Tauranga

Saturday 31 January
Queensland Reds vs NSW Waratahs – Ballymore Stadium, Brisbane

Thursday 5 February
ACT Brumbies vs NSW Waratahs – Marist College, Canberra

Friday, 6 February
Highlanders vs Moana Pasifika – Queenstown Events Centre
Blues vs Crusaders – Takapuna Rugby Club, Onewa Domain, Auckland

Saturday, 7 February
Hurricanes vs Chiefs – Jerry Collins Stadium, Porirua, Wellington

@SouthernMann said in Exodus:

We will always export rugby players. What is disappointing is that we spend so much time developing players and some overseas union gets the benefits of our hard work.

We need to start demanding a transfer fee as not all players are off-contract when they leave. There are enough examples of players being granted an early release (usually from a PU contract) without any compensation.

Some buzz around Jeneriro Wakeham. He is a 2.08 m/140 kg lock who was signed by Stade Français as a teenager and then played for Pro D2 side Stade Niçois and RFU Championship club Ealing Trailfinders. Also involved in the NFL International Player Pathway training camp last year.

A few others with NZ school/PU connections.

Tim Robinson is unlucky as they've selected a lot of all-rounders.

This is a reflection of the top-down approach to salaries by NZR, where you only maximise your income by being in the ABs, or are a marquee player. The NRL salary model would prevent so many players heading overseas as the majority of your salary would be for SR.

Robertson will have an unwanted AB record forever, or god help the coach that takes it off him.

The common theme of the bad loses in 2025 was leaking tries. Even in the 2022 home loss to Argentina the ABs only conceded one try while scoring two.

@ShaquilleOatmeal said in All Blacks 2026:

And the 1995 team was unbeatable.

France would say otherwise.

So many mistakes and typos (Fita and Hayden Sa?) in that article. Using where players first went to school is also convenient to have a dig at the Chiefs.

A better analysis would be using SR U18 representation as some players are schooled outside their home region but committed to their local PU.