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Southland Stags
Rugby Southland (formerly the Southland Rugby Football Union) is the provincial rugby union who govern the Southland region of New Zealand. Their headquarters are at Rugby Park Stadium in Invercargill, which is also the home ground of the union's professional team, the Southland Stags who compete in the Mitre 10 Cup Championship Division and challenge for the Ranfurly Shield. Despite their proud history, no Southland team has ever won the top division of the New Zealand National Provincial Championship since organised competition began in 1976. However, they have won the NPC second division title five times and held the Ranfurly Shield seven times, most recently in 2011 where they defended the shield twice before losing it to Taranaki. Southland also plays for the Donald Stuart Memorial Shield against rivals Otago in what is the longest tenured provincial rivalry in New Zealand first-class rugby, with 229 matches. History Formation and early years Founded in 1887 after split ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rugby Union
Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. In its most common form, a game is played between two teams of 15 players each, using an oval-shaped ball on a rectangular field called a pitch. The field has H-shaped goalposts at both ends. Rugby union is a popular sport around the world, played by people of all genders, ages and sizes. In 2014, there were more than 6 million people playing worldwide, of whom 2.36 million were registered players. World Rugby, previously called the International Rugby Football Board (IRFB) and the International Rugby Board (IRB), has been the governing body for rugby union since 1886, and currently has 101 countries as full members and 18 associate members. In 1845, the first laws were written by students attending Rugby School; other significant ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Queensland Rugby Union
The Queensland Rugby Union, or QRU, is the governing body for the sport of rugby union within the state of Queensland in Australia. It is a member and founding union of Rugby Australia. The QRU was founded in Brisbane in 1883 as the ''Northern Rugby Union'', after breaking away from the Queensland Football Association before being formally constituted in 1893 when the name was changed to the Queensland Rugby Football Union. The first 1883 season began with two clubs: Fireflies and Wanderers. Early intercolonials were played at Eagle Farm Racecourse. Early member clubs * Fireflies (1883) * Wanderers (1883) * Wasps (1884) * Wallaroo (1885) * Beenleigh (1887) See also * Rugby union in Queensland *Queensland Reds The Queensland Reds is the rugby union team for the Australian state of Queensland that competes in the Southern Hemisphere's Super Rugby competition. Prior to 1996, they were a representative team selected from the rugby union club competitions ... References ... [...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 inter ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rugby World Cup
The Rugby World Cup is a men's rugby union tournament contested every four years between the top international teams. The tournament is administered by World Rugby, the sport's international governing body. The winners are awarded the Webb Ellis Cup, named after William Webb Ellis, who according to a popular legend, invented rugby by picking up the ball during a football game. The tournament was first held in 1987 and was co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia. Four countries have won the trophy; New Zealand and South Africa three times, Australia twice, and England once. South Africa is the current champion, having defeated England in the 2019 tournament final. Sixteen teams participated in the tournament from 1987 until 1995; since 1999, twenty teams have participated in each tournament. Japan hosted the 2019 Rugby World Cup and France will host the next in 2023. Beginning 2021, the women's equivalent tournament was officially renamed Rugby World Cup to promote equal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Justin Marshall
Justin Warren Marshall (born 5 August 1973) is a New Zealand former rugby union player. He played 81 games for the New Zealand All Blacks between 1995 and 2005. Marshall played for the in the Super 12 from 1996 to 2005, winning the competition five times. He subsequently moved to Europe and had spells playing for Leeds Tykes, the Ospreys, Montpellier and Saracens. He is now a Sky Sports commentator in New Zealand for most All Blacks games and other provincial matches. Early life He was born in Gore on 5 August 1973 and educated at Gore High School, before settling in Christchurch where he played for the High School Old Boys club. Playing career Marshall began his rugby union career with Southland and was then asked to join Christchurch by Canterbury coach Vance Stewart. It was whilst here that Marshall first made the break into the All Blacks side for the 1995 tour of Italy and France. Marshall was just 22 when he made his début against in a 37–12 win. In 1997 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jeff Wilson (sportsman)
Jeffrey William Wilson (born 24 October 1973) is a New Zealand sportsman who has represented his country in both rugby union and cricket – a so-called " Double All Black", an increasingly rare achievement in the professional era. He is also a basketballer, and won national secondary school titles in track and field. With 44 tries in 60 tests, Wilson is ranked thirteenth on the list of highest test try scorers in rugby. Wilson is married to Adine Wilson (née Harper), former captain of the New Zealand netball team. Rugby career Early career Wilson attended Cargill High School, where in one rugby game against James Hargest College he scored nine tries and a total of 66 points in a game with a final score of 102–6. At the time tries were only worth 4 points He played for the national secondary schools side against Australia in 1992. All Blacks rugby Wilson was first selected for the All Blacks tour to Britain in 1993, making his debut as an All Black against London an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Simon Culhane
Simon Culhane (born 10 March 1968 in Invercargill, New Zealand) is a former rugby union player who won six caps playing at fly-half for the New Zealand rugby union side (the All Blacks). Culhane made his international test debut at the age of 27 on 4 June 1995 during the 1995 Rugby World Cup. The match, against Japan was won 145-17 and is the largest winning margin for an All Blacks side. Culhane amassed 45 points during his debut, a world record for first class test rugby that still stands today, slotting 20 of 21 conversion attempts and scoring a try. He lost his place in the starting line-up for the next match to first-choice Andrew Mehrtens. He then went on to win just five more caps. He currently coaches Rugby Southland in the New Zealand National Provincial Championship. He also played cricket for Southland in the Hawke Cup The Hawke Cup is a non-first-class cricket competition for New Zealand's district associations. Apart from 1910–11, 1912–13 and 2000–01 the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paul Henderson
Paul Garnet Henderson, (born January 28, 1943) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. A left winger, Henderson played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Detroit Red Wings, Toronto Maple Leafs and Atlanta Flames and five in the World Hockey Association (WHA) for the Toronto Toros and Birmingham Bulls. He played over 1,000 games between the two major leagues, scoring 376 goals and 758 points. Henderson played in two NHL All-Star Games and was a member of the 1962 Memorial Cup-winning Hamilton Red Wings team as a junior. Henderson is best known for playing for Team Canada in the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union. Played during the Cold War, the series was viewed as a battle for both hockey and cultural supremacy. Henderson scored the game-winning goal in the sixth, seventh and eighth games, the last of which has become legendary in Canada and made him a national hero: it was voted the "sports moment of the century" by The Canadian ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Geoff Valli
Geoffrey Thomas Valli (born 3 November 1954) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. A full-back, Valli represented Southland and North Auckland at a provincial level. He played a single game for the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, against Fiji in 1980, for which the New Zealand Rugby Union did not award full international caps. Valli's brother, Keith, was killed in the Pike River Mine disaster The Pike River Mine disaster was a coal mining accident that began on 19 November 2010 in the Pike River Mine, northeast of Greymouth, in the West Coast region of New Zealand's South Island following a methane explosion at approximately 3:44 p ... in 2010. References 1954 births Living people People from Nightcaps, New Zealand New Zealand rugby union players New Zealand international rugby union players Southland rugby union players Northland rugby union players Rugby union fullbacks {{NewZealand-rugbyunion-bio-1950s-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Steven Pokere
Steven Tahurata Pokere (born 11 August 1958) is a former New Zealand rugby union player. A second five-eighth and centre, Pokere represented Southland, Auckland and Wellington at a provincial level, and was a member of the New Zealand national side, the All Blacks, from 1981 to 1985. He played 39 matches for the All Blacks including 18 internationals. In 2005, Pokere was sentenced to 2½ years in jail for conspiracy to defraud investors of $NZ4million, relating to a company that he ran with three others, all Mormons Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ..., that targeted fellow church members, many of whom were friends and family of the quartet. References 1958 births Living people Rugby union players from Hāwera People educated at Southland Boys' Hi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brian McKechnie
Brian John McKechnie (born 6 November 1953) is a former " double All Black" - representing New Zealand in both rugby union and cricket. Rugby career He played 26 matches for the All Blacks as a first five-eighth and fullback, most memorably being the player to kick the winning penalty goal against Wales in 1978 when Andy Haden dived out off a lineout near full-time and was apparently awarded a penalty (the referee later said the penalty was for a completely separate incident and was clearly visible in video footage) which would secure the "Grand Slam" for the All Blacks against the home country unions. Cricketing career As a cricketer, McKechnie was an economical right-arm pace bowler and useful lower-order batsman who played 14 one day games for the Black Caps, including the 1975 and 1979 World Cup tournaments in England. His last match for New Zealand was the infamous " underarm match" against Australia in 1981, when McKechnie was the batsman who faced Trevor Chappell ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
National Provincial Championship (1976–2005)
The National Provincial Championship, often simply called the NPC, was an annual promotion and relegation rugby union competition in men's domestic New Zealand rugby. First played during the 1976 season, it was the highest level of competition in New Zealand until Super Rugby launched in 1996. It was organised by New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and ceased following the 2005 season. The league was restructured into two distinct competitions. The National Provincial Championship would include professional and semi-professional players, and consist of the top fourteen financial and best performing regional teams. For sponsorship reasons it was rebranded as the Air New Zealand Cup. The remaining teams would form a breakaway amateur competition known as the Heartland Championship. Twenty-eight teams had competed since the inception of the competition in 1976. Auckland were the most successful union with fifteen titles and Bay of Plenty were the inaugural champions. Six other teams had w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
