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2021 Rugby Championship
The 2021 Rugby Championship was the ninth edition of the annual southern hemisphere competition, involving Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The Springboks returned to the tournament after a year out in 2020 due to South African government travel restrictions and player welfare and safety concerns related to COVID-19. The tournament returned to its normal window of August, kicking-off on 14 August and concluding on 2 October. Sponsorships The competition was operated by SANZAAR, a joint venture of the four countries' national unions, and known for sponsorship reasons as ''The Castle Rugby Championship'' in South Africa, ''The Fortinet Rugby Championship'' in New Zealand, ''The eToro Rugby Championship'' in Australia, and ''The Zurich Rugby Championship'' in Argentina. Travel disruptions With continued restrictions relating to the COVID-19 pandemic, most of the tournament was staged in Australia and New Zealand, with South Africa also hosting two games - their ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Handré Pollard
Handré Pollard (born 11 March 1994) is a South African professional rugby union player who currently plays for the South Africa national team and Leicester Tigers in England's Premiership Rugby. His regular playing positions are fly-half, where he started for South Africa in their 2019 Rugby World Cup Final win, and inside-centre. He has previously played for the and in his native South Africa, Osaka Red Hurricanes in Japan and Montpellier in France. Rugby career Youth Pollard earned a provincial call-up as early as primary school level, when he was selected in the squad for the Under-13 Craven Week competition in 2007. He also represented them at the Under-16 Grant Khomo Week in 2010, before playing at the Under-18 Craven Week competitions in 2011 and 2012. Professional career Bulls / Blue Bulls / UP 2012–13 In July 2012, it was announced that Pollard would make the move to Gauteng to join Pretoria-based team the at the start of the 2013 season. His first involvement ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Super Rugby
Super Rugby is a men's professional rugby union club competition involving teams from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. It previously included teams from Argentina, Japan, and South Africa. Building on various Southern Hemisphere competitions dating back to the South Pacific Championship in 1986, with teams from a number of southern nations, the Super Rugby started as the Super 12 in the 1996 season with 12 teams from 3 countries: Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. The Super 12 was established by SANZAR after the sport became professional in 1995. At its peak the tournament featured the top players from nations representing 16 of the 24 top-three finishes in the history of the Rugby World Cup. After the COVID-19 pandemic forced the competition to split into three, the reformed competition in 2021 and beyond will only include Oceanian clubs representing Australia, New Zealand and from the Pacific islands (specifically a Fijian team, and a New Zealand ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tate McDermott
Tate McDermott (born 18 September 1998) is an Australian rugby union player who plays for the Australian national rugby union team internationally and the in the Super Rugby competition. His position of choice is scrum-half. In 2017, McDermott made his Australian Men's Seven debut at the Wellington SevenHe also debuted in 2017 in the NRC Championship for Queensland Country (NRC team), Queensland Country. In round 2 of the 2018 Super Rugby season, McDermott made his debut off the bench for the Queensland Reds. McDermott has since had a stellar 2020 campaign with the Queensland Reds in Super Rugby AU starting all nine matches played and scoring 10 points. McDermott used to surf competitively but quit to focus on rugby when his childhood friend drowned at the Australian Surf Lifesaving Championships on the Gold Coast. Professional career In Late 2020, McDermott was called up to the Wallabies as scrum-half under Dave Rennie, which was an extended 44-man squad. He was rew ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Damian McKenzie
Damian Sinclair McKenzie (born 20 April 1995) is a New Zealand rugby union player who plays fullback or First five-eighth for Waikato in the Bunnings NPC competition and Chiefs in super rugby . McKenzie has played 40 tests for New Zealand since his international debut in 2016. McKenzie began his professional career playing for Waikato in the Bunnings NPC. McKenzie has also previously represented the Chiefs in Super Rugby, he is their all-time highest points scorer. Early life McKenzie, of European and Māori descent, was born in 1995 in Invercargill. He received his secondary education at Christ's College in Christchurch. Domestic rugby McKenzie has received attention for his trademark smile before attempting a kick at goal. Since the beginning of the 2015 season, McKenzie has been contracted to the franchise who compete in the Super Rugby competition. He has become a regular starter and is often in charge of goal kicking. In 2016, McKenzie played every game in the C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Beauden Barrett
Beauden John Barrett (born 27 May 1991) is a New Zealand rugby union player. He plays as a Fly-half (rugby union), First five-eighth (fly-half) and Fullback (rugby union), fullback for Taranaki Rugby Football Union, Taranaki in the Mitre 10 Cup, the Blues (Super Rugby), Blues in Super Rugby and New Zealand's national team, the New Zealand national rugby union team, All Blacks. He was a key member of the 2015 Rugby World Cup winning team. Barrett won the World Rugby Player of the Year award in 2016 and 2017, was also a nominee for the award in 2018, and is only the second player to win the award in back-to-back years, after former teammate Richie McCaw. He also won the overall Sportsperson of the Year Award in the Taranaki Sports Awards in 2013, 2016 and 2019. Barrett played at under-20 and Sevens levels for New Zealand before being called into the All Blacks' squad in May 2012, and made his international debut as a replacement in the final test against Ireland national rugby ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Richie Mo'unga
Richard Fou'a Mo'unga (born 25 May 1994) is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as a first five-eighth for in the Bunnings NPC, the in Super Rugby, and the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks. Early life Mo'unga was born in Christchurch, to a Tongan-born father and a Samoan-born mother. He was initially educated at Riccarton High School in his hometown before being offered a scholarship at St. Andrew's College where he played U15 in 2009 then first 15 rugby for 3 years and captained them in his senior year (2012). After graduating college, he began playing for Linwood in the local Canterbury senior club rugby competition while at the same time being a member of the Academy. Playing career Early career He was not named as a full member of Canterbury's squad for the 2013 ITM Cup, but in what was just his first year out of school, he was called up to cover injuries and All Black absences and went on to make 8 appearances during the campaign which finis ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David Havili
David Kaetau Havili (born 23 December 1994) is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays as a fullback, centre or first five-eighth for in the Bunnings NPC and the in the Super Rugby competition. Early career Havili is of Pākeha and Tongan descent and is the son of former Nelson Bays rugby representative Bill Havili. David Havili was born in Nelson in the South Island of New Zealand, but raised in nearby Motueka. He initially attended Motueka High School, but later went to Nelson College, where he was a member of their top side. After finishing school he began working as a builder's apprentice while playing local club rugby for Nelson. During this time, he made his way through 's youth structures and was a member of the Knights Development team. Senior career Tasman Havili made the Tasman Mako squad for the first time in 2014, and burst onto the scene with four tries in 10 appearances for the Mako as they reached the final of the ITM Cup Premiership befor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Will Jordan (rugby Union)
William Thomas Jordan (born 24 February 1998) is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays for the Tasman Mako in the Bunnings NPC and the in Super Rugby. His position of choice is fullback. Jordan received the World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year Award in 2021. Youth rugby Jordan attended Fendalton Open Air School then Cobham Intermediate then Christchurch Boys' High School in Christchurch, New Zealand. He played as fullback for the top side, and led the UC Championship in tries scored in 2015. Professional career After a successful school career, Jordan made his debut for the Tasman Mako in Round 1 of the 2017 Mitre 10 Cup against at Trafalgar Park in Nelson. In the 2017 Mitre 10 Cup season he scored 5 tries, and was second in the tournament for clean breaks. Jordan made his debut for Super Rugby team the in 2019 after missing the 2018 season with injury. Jordan was part of the Mako side which won the Mitre 10 Cup for the first time in 2019. He was na ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sevu Reece
Sevuloni Lasei Reece (born 13 February 1997) is a rugby union player who currently plays as a wing for the Crusaders in Super Rugby and in the Bunnings NPC. Born in Fiji, he moved to New Zealand in 2014. He made his debut for the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks, in 2019 and has won 23 caps. Early career Reece was born and raised in Nadi in Fiji, and attended Ratu Navula where he excelled at rugby, and went on to attend Queen Victoria School, a boys' boarding school in Fiji. He represented the school in rugby and track and field in the Coke Games. He was a high jumper and a 100m sprinter. Reece moved to New Zealand in 2014 and attended Hamilton Boys' High School where he played first 15 rugby. After graduating high school, local Waikato club Melville signed him on a development contract. In 2016, he finished as the club's top points scorer as they lifted the Breweries Shield for the first time in 35 years. Professional career Excellent performances as a centre and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Codie Taylor
Codie Joshua Dane Taylor (born 31 March 1991) is a New Zealand rugby union footballer who plays as a hooker for Crusaders in Super Rugby, Canterbury in the ITM Cup, and New Zealand internationally. Having grown up in Feilding and Levin before moving to Christchurch, he was a member of the Wider Training Squad for the 2012 Super Rugby season and he has subsequently been promoted to the senior squad for the 2013 season, before making his international debut in 2015. Taylor was the winner of Tom French Cup in 2018. He was also a nominee for the New Zealand Rugby Player of the Year in 2018. Playing career Early career Taylor was part of the Junior All Blacks team which won the 2011 IRB Junior World Championship. Of Ngāti Raukawa and Muaūpoko descent, Taylor played for the Māori All Blacks in 2014. Taylor was selected for the All Blacks 2015 Squad, having surpassed Ben Funnell as the Crusaders' first-choice hooker suring the 2015 Super Rugby season. His first game for the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ardie Savea
Ardie Suemalo Savea (born 14 October 1993) is a rugby union player who plays as a flanker or number 8 for in the ITM Cup, the Hurricanes in Super Rugby and international rugby for the New Zealand All Blacks. Savea was a member of New Zealand's 2019 Rugby World Cup squad and a nominee for 2019 World Rugby Player of the Year. Savea has previously captained Wellington, and also previously played for the Barbarian F.C., for the New Zealand U20's team, and the New Zealand national rugby sevens team. Early life Savea was a member of the Rongotai College 1st XV, captain of the side in his final year of high school and was head prefect in his final year. Savea played as an outside centre at high school, shifting to the forwards in his professional career. Playing career Early career Savea has represented New Zealand on the international sevens circuit. In the 2013 Super Rugby season he joined the Hurricanes after signing a two-year deal. In November 2013, Savea travelled with ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brodie Retallick
Brodie Allan Retallick (born 31 May 1991) is a New Zealand rugby union footballer, who plays as a lock for the Chiefs in Super Rugby and is part of the squad for New Zealand's domestic National Provincial Championship competition. Retallick made his international debut for New Zealand in 2012 and has been a regular starter ever since, with 100 test caps. He was a key member of 2015 Rugby World Cup-winning team, the winner of World Rugby Player of the Year in 2014 and is the award's youngest winner to date. Retallick has earned frequent comparisons to the late former All Black lock, Sir Colin Meads. Career Early career Retallick played for the Hawkes Bay Magpies in the 2010 and 2011 ITM Cup. He represented New Zealand under 20 in the 2011 IRB Junior World Championship. Retallick earned a contract with the Chiefs for the 2012 Super Rugby season and had become a regular starter for the Chiefs by the end of the season. He started in the Super Rugby Final, on 4 August that ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
