Professional rugby union teams in New Zealand and Australia have ceased training as efforts to establish alternative domestic competitions after the suspension of Super Rugby failed in the face of government moves to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Rugby Australia hoped on Friday next week to launch a competition involving its four Super Rugby teams and the Perth-based Western Force, but now says that competition would not begin until at least May 1.
New Zealand also sought to create a competition among its five Super Rugby franchises, but yesterday said that would not be possible as the government moved toward a more comprehensive national lockdown.
All rugby in New Zealand has now been stopped “for the foreseeable future,” and teams have been told to stop group training.
New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson said his organization’s priority is the health of players and fans.
Rugby Australia chief executive Raelene Castle said the sport’s stakeholders are united behind the decision to suspend all rugby union at this stage.
“Rugby Australia and the Super Rugby teams have made the decision today to suspend the start of the revised competition on the latest guidance from the various government and health authorities, and our chief medical officer,” Castle said in a statement. “Our priority is the health and welfare of our athletes, and our wider rugby community, as we continue to adapt to an unprecedented and constantly evolving situation for our game and society.”
All Australian and New Zealand Super Rugby teams are to cease training for at least two weeks, though individual players are able to continue personal fitness regimes.
Phil Thompson, chief executive of the Australian conference-leading Brumbies, said that the players should continue to work out “as best they can.”
“A bit of old-school stuff. There’s a hill, run up it, type of thing,” Thompson said.
Coaches are to remain in contact with players by videoconference.
The suspension of play will put heavy financial pressure on the teams and broadcasters. Players have not yet been asked to take pay cuts, but that might come.
In New Zealand, support staff might be eligible for government wage support.
There is so far no indication when the teams could regather, whether any more matches would be played this season or whether the summer Test matches would go ahead.
In related news, Japan’s Top League yesterday said that it has canceled its remaining 42 matches to help stem the spread of the coronavirus, and safeguard the health of players and spectators.
The Top League said it was taking the step because many players would be returning to their home nations after New Zealand, Australia and other nations urged the return of their expatriated citizens.
Additional reporting by Reuters
Barcelona star Lamine Yamal would be motivated by criticism ahead of the Clasico, Barcelona assistant coach Marcus Sorg said yesterday. Teenage winger Yamal has been in the spotlight in the Spanish capital after joking that Real Madrid “steal” and “complain” during an appearance on a social media stream. Champions Barca face Real Madrid today in La Liga at the Santiago Bernabeu, looking for a fifth consecutive win over their rivals. “Lamine is a top player and I think [the criticism] will be motivating for him,” Sorg told a news conference. “I hope we all see him tomorrow [give] the best performance.” The 18-year-old Spain
‘A HISTORIC moment’: ‘I think we all need to take a step back and appreciate Leo Messi is playing in Major League Soccer,’ league commissioner Don Garber said Lionel Messi raised the Golden Boot. He then got Inter Miami started with his head. The Argentine opened the scoring with a diving header in the first half, then capped the scoring in the 96th minute as Inter Miami opened the MLS playoffs with a 3-1 win over Nashville SC in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference best-of-three first-round series on Friday night. Messi and Ian Fray had the assists on Tadeo Allende’s second-half tally for Inter Miami, who now get two chances to advance out of the first round for the first time in Messi’s two-and-a-half-year tenure with the team. Game
‘COMPLETE GAME’: ‘To be honest, I’m not sure about the history, but I’m very happy about what I did today,’ Yamamoto said through a translator after the game Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched a World Series game from another era. Sandy Koufax had October outings like this, and so did Orel Hershiser, but those types of performances have vanished in modern baseball. Until this 178cm starter from Japan delivered like the aces of old. Yamamoto threw a four-hitter for his second consecutive complete game, the first in the World Series since 2015, and the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-1 on Saturday night to tie their best-of-seven matchup at one game apiece. “It’s kind of the throwback,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “When he starts a game, he
Japan’s narrow defeat by Australia showed they can compete with the best teams in the world, coach Eddie Jones said after his side fell to a 19-15 loss yesterday. Australia coach Joe Schmidt led the Wallabies for the first time against Eddie Jones, his predecessor and now Japan coach. During Jones’ second tenure as Australia coach, the Wallabies lost seven of nine tests and were eliminated in group play at the 2023 World Cup. “What I’m super pleased about is that now we [Japan] are a team that stays in the fight,” Jones told reporters. “We kept going, we could have won
RSS