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2007 Super 14 Season
The 2007 Super 14 season started in February 2007 with preseason matches held from mid-January. It finished on 19 May with the final at ABSA Stadium in Durban, in the first final between two South African teams in the history of Super Rugby. The visiting Bulls won the 2007 Super 14 Final, scoring a try in the 83rd minute and narrowly defeating the Sharks 20–19, thereby becoming the first South African side to win the Super Rugby title in the professional era. Super 14 is a provincial rugby union competition with 14 teams from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. This season is the second of the expansion, which led to the name change to the Super 14. The 2007 season saw an old team emerge with a new name, as the Cats changed their name to the Lions effective 8 September 2006. There was also some confusion over the inclusion of the Southern Spears franchise, who were in the end not included. The season is also notable of the New Zealand sides resting several All Blacks pla ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Round-robin Tournament
A round-robin tournament (or all-go-away-tournament) is a competition Competition is a rivalry where two or more parties strive for a common goal which cannot be shared: where one's gain is the other's loss (an example of which is a zero-sum game). Competition can arise between entities such as organisms, indiv ... in which each contestant meets every other participant, usually in turn.''Webster's Third New International Dictionary of the English Language, Unabridged'' (1971, G. & C. Merriam Co), p.1980. A round-robin contrasts with an elimination tournament, in which participants/teams are eliminated after a certain number of losses. Terminology The term ''round-robin'' is derived from the French term ''ruban'', meaning "ribbon". Over a long period of time, the term was Folk etymology, corrupted and idiomized to ''robin''. In a ''single round-robin'' schedule, each participant plays every other participant once. If each participant plays all others twice, this is freque ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stephen Larkham
Stephen Larkham (born 29 May 1974) is a retired Australian rugby union professional player, currently in the role of head coach for Brumbies. He spent his career with the Brumbies in Super Rugby, for whom he played from the inception of the professional Super 12 in 1996 through 2007. He is best known for his long tenure with the Wallabies at international level, for whom he played 102 times. After initial selection at fullback from 1996 to 1997, Larkham was the first-choice Australian fly-half from 1997 to 2007, playing in the 1999, 2003 and 2007 Rugby World Cups. He is married to Jacqueline and has two children, Jaimee and Tiahna. Playing career Having started his career as a fullback, Larkham developed into one of the greatest fly-halves in the history of Australian rugby, being named in 2005 at the position in Australia's team of the decade (the "decade" being the first 10 years of professional rugby union). At his peak, Larkham was one of the best flyhalves in world ru ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anton Oliver
Anton David Oliver (born 9 September 1975) is a retired New Zealand rugby union player. Previously, he played as a hooker for Marlborough (one of the predecessors to today's Tasman side) and Otago in the National Provincial Championship and Air New Zealand Cup, and spent twelve seasons with the Highlanders in Super Rugby. He earned 59 caps for his country and for a period was All Blacks captain. Early life Oliver was born 9 September 1975 in Invercargill and spent the early years of his life in several small towns in the deep south of NZ. When he was seven he moved to Blenheim where he went on to be Head Boy of Marlborough Boys' College in 1993. During this time, Anton made all of the possible New Zealand age group rugby teams – Under17, Under19, Under21, and the NZ Secondary Schools Team – captaining them all. He initially played at number 8 for the NZ under 17s. The following year he changed positions to hooker and made his provincial debut for Marlborough against Nelso ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Keven Mealamu
Keven Filipo Mealamu (born 20 March 1979) is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer. He played at hooker for the Blues in Super Rugby, Auckland in the National Provincial Championship, and the New Zealand national team. He was a key member of 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cup winning teams, becoming one of only 21 players who have won the Rugby World Cup on multiple occasions. In a Bledisloe Cup test match against Australia on 20 October 2012, Mealamu became the third All Black to reach 100 test appearances. He clinched the 2003 Super Rugby Title. Early life The grandson of Samoan immigrants, Mealamu was raised in Tokoroa where his father, a body building champion, worked at the local timber mill. The family eventually moved to Auckland due to the decline of the timber industry. He is a former student of Aorere College, where his brother and former Manu Samoa player Luke Mealamu currently works as a social worker. As a schoolboy he played as a flanker for New Zealand Under- ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chris Masoe
Chris Masoe (born 15 May 1979 in Savaii, Western Samoa) is a former New Zealand rugby union footballer, who last played for Racing Metro 92 in the Top 14 and a current professional boxer. He is the brother of boxer Maselino Masoe. He was born on the island of Savai'i Career Early life Masoe was born in Savai'i, Western Samoa as the second youngest of 13 children. He emigrated to New Zealand aged 8 and was raised in Wanganui. Super 14 Masoe used to play for the Wellington Hurricanes in the Super 14. He appeared in all 11 Hurricanes matches in the 2005 season. He is capable of playing in all three loose-forward positions but has been concentrating on the openside flanker's role. Masoe has good pace and is a strong ball runner and a tough defender. Sevens He has been a regular member of the New Zealand Sevens squad in the past and was a member of the 2002 Commonwealth Games gold-winning team. Handbag incident On the night of the Super 14 final on 27 May 2006, former All ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Richie McCaw
Richard Hugh McCaw (born 31 December 1980) is a retired New Zealand professional rugby union player. He captained the national team, the All Blacks, in 110 out of his 148 test matches, and won two Rugby World Cups. He has won the World Rugby player of the year award a joint record three times and was the most capped test rugby player of all time from August 2015 to October 2020. McCaw was awarded World Rugby player of the decade (2011–2020) in 2021. McCaw is also a winner of the New Zealand sportsman of the decade award, the highest sporting honour a sports individual can achieve in New Zealand. McCaw was the first All Black to reach 100 caps, and the first rugby union player to win 100 tests. He was the most-capped player in rugby union history with 148 caps, having overtaken Brian O'Driscoll's record in 2015 and losing the record to Alun Wyn Jones in 2020. McCaw has also equaled the record for most appearances at the Rugby World Cup with Jason Leonard. McCaw predominan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chris Jack
Christopher Raymond Jack (born 5 September 1978) is a former New Zealand rugby union player who played as a lock. He played for Canterbury and the Tasman Mako in the National Provincial Championship and its successor, the Air New Zealand Cup; the Crusaders in Super Rugby; Saracens in the Guinness Premiership; and internationally for the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks. Rugby career His test debut for the All Blacks was against Argentina on 23 June 2001 in Christchurch. With his size and athleticism, he established himself as a regular in the All Blacks side. It was announced on 7 June 2006 that Jack had signed a two-year contract with the newly formed Tasman Rugby Union. He spent two years with the English Premiership side Saracens joining after the 2007 Rugby World Cup, joining another New Zealand player, Glen Jackson. In April 2009 he re-signed with the New Zealand Rugby Union until 2011. He played with South African side Western Province and then made a return to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Andrew Hore
Andrew Keith Hore (born 13 September 1978) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. He played for the All Blacks between 2002 and 2013. His position was hooker. He notably played for the Hurricanes in Super Rugby, but also represented the Highlanders and the Crusaders. When available, he played for Taranaki in the ITM Cup, now known as the Mitre 10 Cup. Hore retired from international rugby after playing during the 2013 All Black Northern Hemisphere tour, with a total of 83 test caps to his name. In 2008 Hore received the Kelvin Tremain Trophy for Rugby player of the year. In 2011 Andrew Hore captained the All Blacks against Canada. Rugby career ITM/Mitre 10 Cup Hore debuted for Otago in 1998, and in 2001 shifted to Taranaki; in 2014 Hore made his debut for Southland. In 2016 he made a comeback and helped Otago in the Mitre 10 Cup final. Super Rugby Hore made his Super Rugby debut for the Crusaders in 2001. In 2002 he shifted to the Hurricanes, with whom he made over ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Carl Hayman
Carl Joseph Hayman (born 14 November 1979) is a retired New Zealand rugby union footballer who played at tighthead prop. Hayman has previously played for the Highlanders in Super Rugby, Otago in the NPC, and Newcastle Falcons in the English Premiership, as well as making 45 appearances for New Zealand at international level. Hayman announced his retirement from professional rugby in January 2015, aged 35. Post retirement Hayman has been diagnosed with early-onset dementia and probable chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Professional career and the All Blacks He became the 1000th All Black when he made his debut against Samoa in 2001. Since then he established himself as one of the elite props in world rugby. In 2005, Hayman played for the New Zealand Māori, against Fiji in Suva and against the British & Irish Lions at Hamilton. In 2006 he was shortlisted as one of 5 candidates for New Zealand Player of the Year. On 19 April 2007 it was announced that Hayman had signed a three ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jason Eaton
Jason John Eaton (born 21 August 1982) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. He played as a lock. Early life Although born in Palmerston North, Eaton grew up on a farm near the small community of Colyton. He attended Feilding Intermediate and then Palmerston North Boys' High School. Career Eaton made his provincial debut for Manawatu in 2002, before transferring to Taranaki in 2004. He played for Stratford in the Taranaki premier competition. He was picked out of obscurity by Graham Henry to tour with the All Blacks on their successful Grand Slam Tour of November 2005. At the time, Eaton had not played professional super series rugby. He made his All Black debut aged 23, versus Ireland on that tour. Notably, Eaton played for the Hurricanes in Super Rugby where he scored 10 tries and played in 89 games. Eaton had an explosive start with the Hurricanes; scoring a pair of tries against the Western Force in his first match for the Hurricanes at Taranaki’s home ground ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jerry Collins
Jerry Collins (4 November 1980 – 5 June 2015) was a Samoan – New Zealand rugby union player. He played for New Zealand, for whom he was capped 48 times, as well as for the Wellington Hurricanes in New Zealand, Toulon and Narbonne in the Rugby Pro D2, Ospreys in the UK, and Yamaha Júbilo in Japan. He played as a flanker and number eight, and was considered to be one of the hardest tacklers in rugby history, along with Brian Lima. Collins and his partner, Alana Madill, were killed in a car accident in southern France in June 2015. Early career Collins was born in Samoa but grew up in his beloved hometown of Porirua. He made New Zealand Secondary Schools through his performance in the 1st XV side at St. Patrick's in Wellington for three seasons running in 1996, 1997 and 1998 and was Player of the Tournament at the 1999 World Junior Championships (Under-19) which New Zealand won, before going on to become the first player from that team to be called up to the All Blacks in 20 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2006 Mid-year Rugby Test Series
The 2006 June rugby union tests (also known as the summer tests in the Northern Hemisphere) were rugby union Test matches played during between June in 2006. It saw several tests between touring Northern Hemisphere sides and home Southern Hemisphere sides, including a test series between Australia and England, Argentina and Wales, New Zealand and Ireland and South Africa and Scotland. France played Romania and the Springboks, while Italy played Fiji and Japan. Most of the fixtures acted as end-of-season tours of the Northern Hemisphere nations, and pre season matches for the Tri Nations Series and Pacific 5 Nations for the Southern Hemisphere nations. Overview Series Other tours Fixtures *The scoreline belied the closeness of the contest, as Ireland were 20 minutes away from a first-ever win over the All Blacks, holding a 23–15 lead halfway through the second half. ---- *This was Scotland's largest-ever defeat in South Africa. ---- * This was Argentina's first-ever Test ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
