Messam replaces Thomson in Commonwealth Games

Posted on Sep 27, 2010 in Rugby News

All Blacks loose forward and New Zealand Maori Captain Liam Messam has been confirmed as the replacement player for the injured Adam Thomson in the Commonwealth Games Sevens team.

Thomson was ruled out of the team early last week with a knee injury.

Messam was part of Coach Gordon Tietjen’s Commonwealth Games gold medal winning team four years ago in Melbourne and will be hoping to add another medal to his tally when he heads into a pre-departure camp with the team on Wednesday.

Tietjens said the Waikato and Chiefs player was a welcome addition to the team.

“Adam was a big loss but we have been fortunate enough to now include Liam in our preparations.

“He has had the experience of playing in a Commonwealth Games before and that will be invaluable once we get to tournament time,” he said.

Messam said he was very pleased to get the call-up and was looking forward to getting back into the sevens environment again.

“The change in law interpretations has transformed the pace of fifteens this season and I think getting back into sevens will only enhance my game in that area.

“I have also been lucky enough to win one gold medal already and the opportunity to win another one is not something that comes along every day,” he added.

The New Zealand Commonwealth Games Sevens team assembles in Auckland this Wednesday, 29 September and will depart for Dubai on Friday 1 October where the team will be based before heading to Delhi on 6 October.

Gollings to lead England team at Commonwealth Games Sevens

Posted on Sep 15, 2010 in English Rugby, Sevens

Ben Gollings will lead England’s Rugby Sevens team at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi next month.

The 30-year-old from Bournemouth makes his third appearance at the Games after appearing at Manchester in 2002 and winning a silver medal at Melbourne in 2006.

Gollings is arguably the world’s greatest Sevens player, having scoring 2,374 points in the IRB Sevens World Series, a thousand more than his nearest rival, Waisale Serevi.

He captains the 12-man group named by head coach Ben Ryan at Twickenham today.

Seven players – Gollings, Greg Barden, Kevin Barrett, Chris Cracknell, Isoa Damudamu, Dan Norton and James Rodwell – were in the side that clinched the Wellington and London Sevens titles in 2009.

In Delhi, England face Namibia, Uganda and an eagerly anticipated game against Australia on the first day of the 16-team tournament staged on October 11-12.

Head coach Ryan said: “I’m pleased with the squad and we’re looking forward to what should be a hotly contested Commonwealth Games Rugby Sevens in Delhi.

“There will big guns like New Zealand, who have won three gold medals since Rugby Sevens was introduced to the Games in Kuala Lumpur in 1998, Samoa, who won the last World Series, and Australia will also be strong, so we’re certainly not going to be the favourites.

“But we’re fit and well prepared, and we have a hungry squad with a good blend of youth and experience who are desperate to wear the England shirt and will give their all to succeed in Delhi.

“The spirit is good, the players have fought for their places and they’ve put in lots of hard work. Those qualities will be our strengths and now it comes down to putting together a string of performances to get us on the medal podium.”

England chef de mission Craig Hunter welcomed the Sevens squad into the 550-strong England team today and said: “Rugby Sevens will be a great competition at the Games.  We wish the squad well in their final preparations and for the Games.”

In 2006, England beat Australia 14-12 in their pool encounter and defeated Samoa 17-14 and Fiji 21-14 before going down 29-21 in a pulsating final against New Zealand.

England were 15-7 down at the halfway mark at Melbourne’s Telstra Dome before a try by Andrew Vilk, converted by captain Simon Amor, cut the deficit to a single point.

But Tamati Ellison broke English hearts with two tries in quick succession to ensure the Kiwis maintained their impressive record at the Games, despite a late try from Gollings.

The full England team for the 2010 Games is as follows:

Name/Club/DOB/Place of birth/Current residence

Greg Barden (Royal Navy) 08.02.81 Perth, Poole
Kevin Barrett (Saracens) 06.07.80 Ascot, St Albans
John Brake (England Sevens) 22.04.88 London, Towcester
Dan Caprice (England Sevens) 20.10.89 Chatham, Rochester
Chris Cracknell (England Sevens) 06.08.84 Windsor, Wargrave
Isoa Damudamu (British Army) 01.09.81 Fiji, Southampton
Ben Gollings (England Sevens) 13.05.80 Launceston, Bournemouth
Simon Hunt (Birmingham & Solihull) 22.7.81 Clapham, Birmingham
Dan Norton (Bristol Rugby) 22.03.88 Gloucester, Bristol
Tom Powell (England Sevens) 11.10.85 Rotherham, Sheffield
James Rodwell (England Sevens) 23.08.84 Wendover, Birmingham
Mathew Turner (England Sevens) 19.01.88 Cape Town, Twickenham

The 2010 Commonwealth Games take place in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. They will feature 17 sports – archery, aquatics (swimming, synchronised swimming & diving), athletics, badminton, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, hockey, lawn bowls, netball, rugby 7s, shooting, squash, table tennis, tennis, weightlifting and wrestling. With the 2012 Olympic Games in London and the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Commonwealth Games England is entering a breath-taking four years of sport.

Rugby Sevens has been included in the Commonwealth Games since 1998 with England represented in all three tournaments so far, claiming the silver medal in 2006. New Zealand have won gold in all three Commonwealth Games Rugby Sevens tournaments in Kuala Lumpur, Manchester and Melbourne.

Commonwealth Games England (GCE) is the organisation responsible for selecting and organising England’s team at the Commonwealth Games. England finished second to Australia on the medal table at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games with 36 golds, 40 silvers and 34 bronzes.

SANZAR gives the prize franchise to Melbourne

Posted on Nov 17, 2009 in Rugby News

SANZAR has announced Melbourne as the 15^th Super Rugby Team to join the competition when expansion occurs in 2011.

An Expert Determination Panel was asked by the SANZAR Executive Committee to decide on the location of the 15^th Super Rugby team.  The Experts were former Rugby World Cup-winning captain David Kirk and retired New Zealand High Court Judge, the Hon Barry Paterson QC.

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Australia: Smith starts, Ioane at centre – squad announcement

Posted on Nov 5, 2009 in Rugby News

The return of George Smith to the starting XV, and the selection of an entirely new midfield combination featuring Digby Ioane and Quade Cooper, are the key changes to the Qantas Wallabies starting line-up that has been named today for Saturday’s Cook Cup Test against England in London.

Smith, the game’s fifth most capped player, has swapped roles with the Western Force 21-year-old David Pocock from last week. He will play in his 107th Test.

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SANZAR Executive Committee decides that the 15th Super Rugby Team decision is to go to Arbitration

Posted on Oct 21, 2009 in Rugby News

The SANZAR Executive Committee met today to consider the applications from Melbourne and the Southern Kings to be the 15th Super Rugby team.

Following discussion it was clear that the Executive Committee would not reach the required unanimity with the ARU expressing its support for Melbourne and SA Rugby expressing its support for the Southern Kings.

As a result no vote was taken by the Executive Committee and it was agreed that the matter should proceed to arbitration in accordance with the SANZAR Joint Venture Agreement.

SANZAR will move quickly to set up an independent arbitration process which will result in a binding decision.