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Classic All Blacks
The Classic All Blacks is a rugby union team made up of former New Zealand Rugby (Men's) representatives. It is not an official national team of New Zealand. First put together in 2007, the team has played Japan three times, English Premiership side Leicester Tigers and 'classic' teams from France and Australia. In 2013, the side played Fiji as part of the Fiji Rugby Union's centennial anniversary. On 7 October 2015, the Classic All Blacks played RC Toulonnais at the Stade Mayol in a match to honour the late Jerry Collins. Matches against International sides Overall Squad for 2015 Jerry Collins honorary match The provisional squad to play Toulon on 7 October 2015. * Head Coach – Andy Haden Andrew Maxwell Haden (26 September 195029 July 2020) was a New Zealand rugby union player and All Black captain. He played at lock for Auckland and New Zealand from 1972 until 1985. He also played club rugby in the United Kingdom and Italy. Li ... ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Andy Haden
Andrew Maxwell Haden (26 September 195029 July 2020) was a New Zealand rugby union player and All Black captain. He played at lock for Auckland and New Zealand from 1972 until 1985. He also played club rugby in the United Kingdom and Italy. Life and career Haden was born in Wanganui on 26 September 1950. He attended Wanganui Boys' College. He made his All Black debut in 1972, and his Test debut against the British Lions in 1977, going on to make 41 Test appearances and scoring two tries. Of those 41 appearances, 8 were as captain of the All Blacks. Haden was noted for his powerful scrummage skills and for his imposing presence at the lineout. He played club rugby for Auckland, Harlequins in London and Algida Rome in Italy. Off the field, he published his autobiography, ''Boots ’n All'', in 1983. By receiving royalties from the book, he ostensibly tested the sport's strict amateurism rules in force back then. He ultimately prevailed, however, by claiming that being a w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Corey Flynn
Corey Robert Flynn (born 5 January 1981) is a New Zealand rugby union player who currently plays for West Coast in the Heartland Championship. He plays in the position of hooker. Career Club career Flynn previously played provincial for Southland until he moved to Canterbury in 2003; has played Super Rugby rugby for the Crusaders; and has played in Top 14 for Toulouse. On 29 February 2016 it was announced that Flynn would sign for Glasgow Warriors at the end of the 2015–16 season. Flynn had already played in Scotstoun with Toulouse and stated: "When I played at Scotstoun last season, the atmosphere was fantastic and it shows the club has a really good support base. I jumped at the chance to join the Warriors after chatting to Gregor and I'm good friends with Scotland full-back Sean Maitland and he couldn't say enough good things about Glasgow." On 26 May 2017 it was announced that Flynn was no longer contracted by the Warriors. International career Flynn made his intern ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Daniel Braid
Daniel John Braid (born 23 February 1981) is a former rugby union player from New Zealand who captained Sale Sharks in the English Premiership. He played at open-side flanker. Previously, he played for the Blues in Super Rugby. He also won six full caps for the All Blacks between 2002 and 2010. Career Braid made his debut for Auckland in 2001 and for the Blues in 2003. He won ITM Cups for Auckland in 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2007. For the Blues he won the 2003 Super 12. He played three Tests for the All Blacks in 2002 and 2003, and for the Junior All Blacks in the 2007 Pacific Nations Cup. He was named New Zealand 'Player of the Year' in 2007. In July 2008, he played another international against Australia and in November 2010 made two more international appearances. Braid left New Zealand in 2009, and broke new ground when he signed with the Queensland Reds. In April he signed with the Scarlets in Wales, but ruptured his Achilles tendon and so the agreement was abandoned. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ali Williams
Alexander James "Ali" Williams (born 30 April 1981) is a New Zealand rugby union player who played at lock, spending almost all of his playing career in his homeland. At provincial level, he played mainly with Auckland, though he spent one season with Tasman and was also loaned out to Nottingham in England's second-level RFU Championship in 2010. At Super Rugby level, he played for both the Blues and Crusaders. Williams played for New Zealand's national team, the All Blacks, between 2002 and 2012. He was in the All Blacks' squad for the 2003, 2007 and 2011 World Cups. In 2005, ''NZ Rugby Almanack'' chose him as one of its five players of the year. Williams spent what were to have been the final two seasons of his career in France with Toulon, playing there from 2013 to 2015. He came out of retirement to play in the 2016/17 season for top French club Racing 92. On 25 February 2017 Williams was arrested in Paris for allegedly buying cocaine. Rugby career before the All Blacks Wil ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brad Thorn
Bradley Carnegie Thorn (born 3 February 1975) is a rugby union coach and former rugby league and rugby union footballer. Born in New Zealand, he represented Australia in rugby league and New Zealand in rugby union in a 22-season career as a player. He is currently the head coach of the Queensland Reds and their second longest coach in history. Thorn played rugby league for the Brisbane Broncos in the National Rugby League competition for a total of ten seasons in two spells, and represented Queensland in the State of Origin series. He played eight times for Australia - five for the Kangaroos, and three games for the Super League Australia team. His preferred position in rugby league was in the , though he was equally effective as a . In 2000 Thorn was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for his contribution to Australia's international standing in rugby league. He first moved to rugby union in 2001 and, over two spells in the sport, became one of the most successful rugby union ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Montpellier Hérault Rugby
Montpellier Hérault Rugby (; oc, Montpelhièr Erau Rugbi Club) is a French professional rugby union club, based in Montpellier, Occitanie and named after the Hérault river. The club competes in the top level of the French league system, the Top 14. They originally played at Stade Sabathé (capacity 5,000) but moved to the Stade Yves-du-Manoir, later known as Altrad Stadium, and since renamed the GGL Stadium, in 2007. They wear white and blue. History The club was established in 1986 through the merger of two other rugby union clubs, the Stade Montpelliérain and MUC Rugby. In 1993 the club won the Challenge de l'Espérance. In 2003 the club became the champion of France's second division national rugby league, the Pro D2. After finishing second in the league table at the end of the 2002–03 season, Montpellier advanced to the playoffs. They defeated Auch in the semi-finals and Tarbes in the finals to win promotion to the Top 14. The following season the club played for th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tom Donnelly
Thomas Mathew Donnelly (born 1 October 1981) was a rugby union player who played for Montpellier in the Top 14. He also made 15 appearances for the All Blacks since 2009 and played for Otago Rugby Football Union. He moved into a coaching career at Otago from 2017. Playing career Provincial rugby Born in Rotorua, Donnelly moved south in 2000 to attend the University of Otago, and made his debut for Otago in 2002. He quickly established himself as a fixture at lock for the province, and by 2005 was one of the standout players in the provincial championship, forming a dynamic partnership with James Ryan. Although injuries and international duty have limited his availability for Otago, he remained a fixture in the squad, captaining the team for a stretch in 2007 in place of an injured Craig Newby. In 2008, he played his 50th match for the province. Due to a shoulder injury and his time with the All Blacks, Donnelly made only a single appearance for Otago in the 2010 ITM Cup. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Neemia Tialata
Neemia Stanley Tialata (born 15 July 1982 in Lower Hutt, New Zealand) is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He currently plays for Stade Toulousain in the Top 14. As well as representing New Zealand from 2005 - 2010, he also played for the Hurricanes in Super Rugby and for Wellington in the ITM/Air New Zealand Cup when available. Early life Tialata was born in Lower Hutt but moved, when he was one, to American Samoa with his parents who were undergoing religious training in Kanana Fou Theological Seminary. The family returned to their vocation in New Zealand when Tialata was five with his late mother Sipoutasi, late father Rev. Pelema and sisters. He was the only boy and was the third child out of the four. His father died after a year of serving at the CCCAS church in Porirua, New Zealand followed by his mother four years after. Tialata and his three sisters now reside with his aunt whom he now calls his mother (Nu'ulopa) and her five children whom Tialata also now consi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Castres Olympique
Castres Olympique () is a French rugby union club located in the Occitanian city of Castres and is currently competing in the top level of the French league system. Founded in 1898, the club took its current name in 1906. They play at the Stade Pierre-Fabre, which is one of the smallest in Top 14 with a capacity of 12,500. The team wear blue and white kits. The team won five French top-division championships in 1949, 1950, 1993 (in a match decided by an irregular try accorded by the referee), 2013, and 2018 as well as one Coupe de France in 1948. History In 1898 several alumni of Castres' municipal college met in a city centre bar and decided to create a team allowing them to play their favourite sport, rugby union. For the first few years this team was part of a multisport club until 1906. Unhappy with the dominating position cycling had within the club, the members of the rugby section decided to leave and create a club of their own, solely dedicated to their sport. It w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Saimone Taumoepeau
Saimone Taumoepeau (born 21 December 1979 in Ha'apai, Tonga) is a professional rugby union player in France. He is the younger brother of Tevita Taumoepeau. Career Born in Tonga, Taumoepeau emigrated to New Zealand in 1997. Taumoepeau was a shock selection in the 2004 end-of-year All Blacks squad after having only made his debut that season in provincial rugby's Air New Zealand Cup and having yet to play Super Rugby. He first made his name as a loosehead prop, but made his debut as a hooker for the Junior All Blacks. He played his rugby for Auckland at provincial level and the Blues at Super 14 level before moving to French club Toulon. While considered to be on the smaller side of the scale compared to most international props in terms of physical size, Taumoepeau has made a reputation for being a devastating scrummager via technique and brute strength. He also proved to be a reliable hooker for both Auckland, the Blues and at Junior All Blacks level. Taumoepeau signed ... [...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] |
Gloucester Rugby
Gloucester Rugby are a professional rugby union club based in the West Country city of Gloucester, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby, as well as in the European Rugby Champions Cup. The club was formed in 1873 and since 1891 has played its home matches at Kingsholm Stadium, on the fringes of the city centre. Their biggest successes are winning the Anglo-Welsh Cup five times: in 1971–72, 1977–78, 1981–82, 2002–03 and 2010–11; and the European Challenge Cup twice: in 2005–06 and 2014–15. The club has no official nickname but are often referred to as the Cherry and Whites by supporters and the media in reference to the traditional Cherry and white hooped shirts worn by the team. Matches with local rivals Bath and Bristol Bears are referred to as West Country derbies. History Formation & Early Years The club was formed in 1873 after a meeting at the Spread Eagle Hotel with the announcement in the Gloucester Journal: '' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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