Friday 12 September 2014

Jamie Roberts: Welsh Rugby Union deal is a step forward

Wales centre Jamie Roberts has hailed the country’s new £60m agreement – despite the fact it could hinder his international prospects.


The


deal


ended two years of instability and favours home-based players.


Overseas-based stars such as the Racing Metro back can only represent Wales if coach Warren Gatland makes an exception.


But the 27-year-old Lion said: “People want to go down the terraces and talk about rugby rather than politics.”


The package agreed between the Welsh Rugby Union and the regions in August is aimed at keeping star players in Wales.


In recent years there has been an exodus of Wales players moving to clubs in England and France, including Roberts’


team-mate in Paris Dan Lydiate,


Leigh Halfpenny moving to Toulon


and


Northampton signing George North.


Wales’ management has


compiled a list of more than 50 players


who are being considered for dual contracts and WRU chief executive Roger Lewis said this includes players they want to bring home from overseas.


The 60-times capped Roberts said: “The main thing is that people can concentrate on rugby now.


“These central contracts, I think it’s great for the Welsh guys who are playing their club rugby in Wales.


“They know if they sign these dual contracts they’ll be looked after in regards to how many games they’ll play for their regions, they’ll certainly be fresh for international rugby.”


The Top 14 season in France is well underway and Racing Metro sit 10th after two wins and two draws.


Article source: http://www.express.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/462140/Yeoman-Ben-Morgan-takes-his-England-guard


Jamie Roberts: Welsh Rugby Union deal is a step forward

Ryan Jones column: Ashton Gate is a fantastic rugby arena



Comments (0)


AFTER Sunday’s game, I tweeted that it was a different jersey, a different home, but same old Bristol Rugby. What a special atmosphere at Ashton Gate.


As if it wasn’t already clear to everyone involved with the club, the support is second to none and that’s one of the key elements that attracted me to join in the first place.


The feeling around the Gate on the weekend was fantastic. It felt like a rugby arena and that’s crucial as we look to stamp our identity on our new home going forward.


Fans from both sides enjoyed a beer and a pasty together in the sun, there were kids running around in Bristol shirts – everything that makes sport such a great spectacle was there. And it will only get better as we grow into our surroundings.



We have a blank canvas and the hard-fought win over Worcester was day one.


This is the start of an exciting new chapter.


We played the league favourites and notched a win. What a way to start. Seeing Ashton Gate full to the rafters, with flags waving and a world-class playing surface underlines the genuine intent of Bristol’s ambition.


We believe that we can fill that stadium – in two years time – with 25,000 people watching top-flight rugby. We’re part of that journey and so are the supporters.


I must admit, I’m not a huge watcher of rugby. It encompasses so much of my life that I try and switch off whenever I can.


But on Sunday I was completely engrossed in what was happening.


I really missed being a part of it, winning that first game at Ashton Gate is a piece of history that can’t be re-written. I’d have loved to have been involved. Having said that, I was so chuffed for the boys.


The effort that everybody has put in over the summer – players, coaches and backroom staff – was huge, so that result felt like a just reward.


We draw a line under that result now and look ahead to Yorkshire Carnegie.


It’s a great starting point, but now we have to ensure that it only gets better.


On a personal note, my rehabilitation is going well and I’m on target to be back on the field by the end of October. I’m itching to play.


I’ve spent 14 years training, so the novelty has worn off, but you always get the buzz from pulling on the jersey and playing a game. I feel at home at Bristol and have really settled here at the club.


A lot has been made about the nationality of our players and where they have come from. To me, that’s almost irrelevant. All the players that have come to the club are of a similar character: good, honest rugby people with a good attitude and who have bought into the ethos at Bristol. That has to be the case, irrespective of where you come from.


Of course, it’s important to have local lads because they have come through the pathways and inspire the next generation of players in the city.


Two such players are Marco Mama and Mitch Eadie, who signed new contracts this week. Both these guys have starred in a Bristol jersey over the last two seasons and have come up through the academy system. They’re great players to have around the training ground and on matchday.


Marco is a big, uncompromising player who makes an impact every time he plays. Mitch is at the start of his career and he’s a wonderful athlete. The challenge for him is how good he wants to be and how hard he wants to work, because the sky is the limit.



Article source: http://www.express.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/462140/Yeoman-Ben-Morgan-takes-his-England-guard


Ryan Jones column: Ashton Gate is a fantastic rugby arena

Rugby World Cup 2015: How to secure match tickets for the tournament

When and where can I apply for Rugby World Cup tickets?


From 10am on Friday 12 September until 6pm on Monday 29 September, so you have plenty of time to browse the schedule and make your selections. Go to www.tickets.rugbyworldcup.com and follow the instructions.


Is it first-come, first-served?


It isn’t. Your chances of getting the tickets you want are no different whether you apply at the beginning or end of the window. If a match you apply for is not oversubscribed by the end of the window, you are guaranteed a ticket. If demand outstrips supply (which in most cases is far more likely), it will go to ballot.


How many matches can I apply for?


You can apply for as many as you like – and then use the “Match Manager” tool to cap the number of games you are allocated tickets for in the ballot. As an example, you could apply for 30 matches but limit the number you are allocated to 10. You do not have to do this but it could increase your chances of landing a ticket to some of the higher-profile fixtures – particularly if you are willing to go up the price categories.



Can I see how well matches are selling, though?


Yes, and this might help you to make as realistic an application as possible when deciding on the tickets that you want. When a match goes to ballot, it will be shown on the website and you may wish to switch your attention to one that is attracting fewer fans if you are not feeling especially choosy.


How many tickets can I request per match?


Generally it is four per game but for 15 designated fixtures the limit rockets to 15. The website lists them in full, but there are some juicy ones on there: matches involving Australia, New Zealand, France and Ireland all feature and 10 of the 13 venues are involved.


Ah yes, the price categories. How much do tickets cost then?


They vary wildly, as you might expect. An adult will not be able to watch the opening match, England v Fiji at Twickenham, for less than £75, while the most expensive ticket for the final is £715. Child tickets, available for the pool games, are priced as low as £7 in some instances and, with Category D prices for adults available at £15 or £20 for certain fixtures, it is possible for a family group to watch matches cheaply. The prices for each game are outlined clearly on the website.


What if I would be happy to pay a little more than I said, if that was what it took to attend the game?


Then you are cut out perfectly for the “Increase Your Chances” facility, which will be flagged up when you apply. If you select it, you give permission to be allocated for tickets in the next-highest prices category – if available – should your preferred category be sold out.


Which matches do you think I should target if I’m not remotely fussy?


Well, it’s not rocket science to suggest that England’s pool games will all be hot tickets and that fixtures such as Australia v Wales, South Africa v Scotland, New Zealand v Argentina and France v Ireland aren’t going to hang around for long either. Some of the smaller stadia such as Exeter’s Sandy Park may find demand higher than you would expect for Tonga v Namibia and its like, too. Somewhere like Brighton or Leicester could be a good bet – both have capacities of a little over 30,000 and games like Argentina v Namibia and Samoa v Japan look eminently watchable without necessarily commanding an unseemly scrum for tickets.


What if I apply and then my circumstances alter or I just change my mind?


It’s ok, you can amend or even cancel your application at any stage during the ticketing window.


I’m not quite ready to commit to next September yet – can I apply nearer the time?


Yes, but you won’t have the safety net of a ballot then. Should any tickets be left over from this month’s window, they will go back on sale in November on a first-come first-served basis. In the spring, supporters will also have the chance to offload their unwanted tickets via the website – details will be announced nearer the time, but rest assured that these sales will be at face value.


What if I fancy chancing it on the day of a game?


Tread very carefully indeed, because there will be no tickets available on a walk-up basis. There have been well-documented fears that touts and criminal gangs will hijack the application process and buy in bulk to resell at exorbitant prices, but if you buy your ticket from someone outside the stadium – or from any other unofficial channel that springs up between now and September – then you run a very serious risk of not being let into the stadium and, of course, of breaking the law.


I am ready to book. How do I pay?


By card, as long as it is not an American Express. Using a MasterCard or debit card avoids a 2% transaction charge incurred by any other kind of credit card.



When do I find out whether I’ve been successful in the ballot?


Pretty soon – you will be notified during October but the actual seats you will be sitting in are not decided until 2015.


FIXTURES BY VENUE


For each match, three prices are quoted: for the most expensive adult ticket; for the cheapest adult ticket; and for the cheapest child ticket, if available


Twickenham, London, capacity 81,605


Fri 18 Sep England v Fiji £315; £75; £15


Sat 19 Sep France v Italy £250; £50; £15


Sat 26 Sep England v Wales £315; £75; £15


Sat 3 Oct England v Australia £315; £75; £15


Sat 10 Oct Australia v Wales £250; £50; £15


Sat 17 Oct Quarter-final: Winner B v Runner-up A £250; £95; n/a


Sun 18 Oct Quarter-final: Winner A v Runner-up B £250; £95; n/a


Sat 24 Oct Semi-final: Winner QF1 v Winner QF2 £515; £125; n/a


Sun 25 Oct Semi-final: Winner QF3 v Winner QF4 £515; £125; n/a


Sat 31 Oct World Cup Final £715; £150; n/a


Olympic Stadium, London, capacity 54,000


Wed 23 Sep France v Romania £85; £20; £15


Thu 24 Sep New Zealand v Namibia £175; £50; £15


Sun 4 Oct Ireland v Italy £175; £50; £15


Wed 7 Oct South Africa v USA £85; £20; £15


Fri 30 Oct Bronze final £175; £50; £15


Wembley Stadium, London, capacity 90,256


Sun 20 Sep New Zealand v Argentina £175; £50; £15


Sun 27 Sep Ireland v Romania £175; £50; £15


Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, capacity 74,154


Sat 19 Sep Ireland v Canada £175; £50; £15


Sun 20 Sep Wales v Play-off winner £175; £50; £15


Wed 23 Sep Australia v Fiji £150; £50; £15


Thu 1 Oct Wales v Fiji £175; £50; £15


Fri 2 Oct New Zealand v Georgia £150; £50; £15


Sun 11 Oct France v Ireland £250; £50; £15


Sat 17 Oct Quarter-final: Winner C v Runner-up D £250; £95; n/a


Sun 18 Oct Quarter-final: Winner D v Runner-up C £250; £95; n/a


St James’ Park, Newcastle, capacity 52,409


Sat 3 Oct South Africa v Scotland £175; £50; £15


Fri 9 Oct New Zealand v Tonga £150; £50; £15


Sat 10 Oct Samoa v Scotland £150; £50; £15


City of Manchester Stadium*, capacity 47,800


Sat 10 Oct England v Play-off winner £250; £50; £15


Villa Park, Birmingham, capacity 42,785


Sat 26 Sep South Africa v Samoa £150; £50; £15


Sun 27 Sep Australia v Play-off winner £85; £20; £15


Elland Road, Leeds, capacity 37,914


Sat 26 Sep Italy v Canada £85; £20; £15


Sun 27 Sep Scotland v USA £85; £20; £15


Leicester City Stadium*, capacity 32,312


Sun 4 Oct Argentina v Tonga £150; £50; £15


Tue 6 Oct Canada v Romania £60; £15; £7


Sun 11 Oct Argentina v Namibia £85; £20; £15


Brighton Community Stadium*, capacity 30,750


Sat 19 Sep South Africa v Japan £85; £20; £15


Sun 20 Sep Samoa v USA £60; £15; £7


Stadium MK, Milton Keynes, capacity 30,717


Thu 1 Oct France v Canada £150; £50; £15


Sat 3 Oct Samoa v Japan £85; £20; £15


Tue 6 Oct Play-off winner v Fiji £60; £15; £7


Kingsholm, Gloucester, capacity 16,115


Sat 19 Sep Tonga v Georgia £60; £15; £7


Wed 23 Sep Scotland v Japan £85; £20; £15


Fri 25 Sep Argentina v Georgia £85; £20; £15


Sun 11 Oct USA v Japan £60; £15; £7


Sandy Park, Exeter, capacity 12,300


Tue 29 Sep Tonga v Namibia £60; £15; £7


Wed 7 Oct Namibia v Georgia £60; £15; £7


Sun 11 Oct Italy v Romania £85; £20; £15


*Stadium names changed for the event because of sponsorship reasons


Article source: http://www.express.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/462140/Yeoman-Ben-Morgan-takes-his-England-guard


Rugby World Cup 2015: How to secure match tickets for the tournament

Welsh rugby dual contracts list "over 50", says WRU chief

More than 50 players are being considered for dual contracts, Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) boss Roger Lewis says.


Of those players,


10 to 15


are expected to be awarded a contract


as part of a deal


between the WRU and the regions.


Negotiations have begun between the four regions and the WRU to discuss which players should be selected.


“We’ll work together with the regions to ensure that the very best players are looked after,” Lewis said.


Initially, the £60m deal suggested dual contracts would be offered to six players but that number has since risen.


“Those 50 players must be looked after at the highest level so if they don’t make it on to the national dual contract list, we’ve got to still ensure those players are given the best possible opportunity,” chief executive Lewis said.


“On Warren’s [Gatland] list are players that he’s identified that are playing their rugby outside of Wales that we want to bring back.”


In recent years, a number of players have left Wales for clubs in England and France including


Leigh Halfpenny to Toulon,


George North to Northampton


and


Jamie Roberts to Racing Metro.


The WRU and four regions – Cardiff Blues, Newport Gwent Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets – signed a six-year agreement in August after almost two years of disagreements over funding.


The deal also allows regions to have up to eight overseas players but two must be “time-serving” for international duty.


The Ospreys’ newest signing, South African lock De Kock Steenkamp, has already said


he wants to play for Wales


at the end of his three-year deal with the region.


Former Wales captain Michael Owen is one of those who has criticised this residency rule, saying


it is a joke that undermines academies.


Article source: http://www.express.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/462140/Yeoman-Ben-Morgan-takes-his-England-guard


Welsh rugby dual contracts list "over 50", says WRU chief

Thursday 11 September 2014

Harry to play wheelchair rugby

Prince Harry will take centre stage in the Invictus Games today as he joins stars of sport and entertainment for an exhibition wheelchair rugby match.


Harry will line up alongside Olympians Dame Kelly Holmes and Denise Lewis, as well as his cousin Zara Phillips and her Rugby World Cup-winning husband Mike Tindall, and fellow England rugby player Jason Robinson for the match at the Copper Box Arena this evening.


Rugby legend Jonny Wilkinson and former England rugby manager Sir Clive Woodward will lock horns as managers for each team in the competition, which will see the stars line up alongside wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women.


The match is part of the inaugural Invictus Games, championed by Harry, which sees 400 competitors from 13 nations go head-to-head in nine different adaptive sports over four days.


Yesterday, as he watched the action at the Lee Valley Athletic Centre in London, Harry said he was “thrilled” by the first day, which saw Britain’s wounded warriors win a clutch of gold medals.


The sporting spectacle continues today with archery and wheelchair rugby competitions, but one of the highlights is the star-studded exhibition wheelchair rugby match, which will be featured on the BBC’s One Show.


Olympic silver medallist Phillips said: “I have seen wheelchair rugby being played before but I haven’t played. I can’t imagine I’m going to be very good at it, but obviously we’ll bring our A-game!


“I’m looking forward to being part of an amazing Games. Having servicemen and women from all over the globe come together and compete in sport is going to be fantastic.”


Dame Kelly added: “As an ex-military soldier, I’m extremely honoured to be part of the Invictus Games.


“I have immense admiration for all these servicemen and women who have served their country.”


Yesterday Harry was joined by the Duke of Cambridge and his father the Prince of Wales at the opening day of the Games, declaring he was “thrilled” by the way it had gone.


By the end of the first day of the four-day Games, Britain had won 15 gold medals, seven silver and six bronze but were trailing to team US who had won more than 70 medals.


Wheelchair racer Joseph Townsend, a former royal marine, claimed four victories on the track in the 100m, 200m, 400m and 1,500m. He was dubbed by Harry as “our David Weir, a medal machine”, comparing the ex-serviceman to the athlete who won three gold medals at the Paralympics.


Former Army captain David Henson, British Armed Forces team captain, who was cheered by the ecstatic spectators as he won a 200m gold, declared: “It’s been an emotional day”.


The gold rush began when Alex Tate, 24, who lost his left leg when he was blown up in Afghanistan in 2012, crossed the finishing line first in a 100m race and later described the Games as the “best rehabilitation any soldier could have”.


Double gold Andy Grant, 26, who triumphed in the 400m and 1,500m races for competitors who have lost limbs below the knee, said: “I don’t think there is anything more inspiring than seeing a guy who two years ago was lying in a ditch in Afghanistan bleeding to death, and now he is running 100m in Paralympic time.”




Harry to play wheelchair rugby

Harry to play wheelchair rugby

Prince Harry will take centre stage in the Invictus Games today as he joins stars of sport and entertainment for an exhibition wheelchair rugby match.


Harry will line up alongside Olympians Dame Kelly Holmes and Denise Lewis, as well as his cousin Zara Phillips and her Rugby World Cup-winning husband Mike Tindall, and fellow England rugby player Jason Robinson for the match at the Copper Box Arena this evening.


Rugby legend Jonny Wilkinson and former England rugby manager Sir Clive Woodward will lock horns as managers for each team in the competition, which will see the stars line up alongside wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women.


The match is part of the inaugural Invictus Games, championed by Harry, which sees 400 competitors from 13 nations go head-to-head in nine different adaptive sports over four days.


Yesterday, as he watched the action at the Lee Valley Athletic Centre in London, Harry said he was “thrilled” by the first day, which saw Britain’s wounded warriors win a clutch of gold medals.


The sporting spectacle continues today with archery and wheelchair rugby competitions, but one of the highlights is the star-studded exhibition wheelchair rugby match, which will be featured on the BBC’s One Show.


Olympic silver medallist Phillips said: “I have seen wheelchair rugby being played before but I haven’t played. I can’t imagine I’m going to be very good at it, but obviously we’ll bring our A-game!


“I’m looking forward to being part of an amazing Games. Having servicemen and women from all over the globe come together and compete in sport is going to be fantastic.”


Dame Kelly added: “As an ex-military soldier, I’m extremely honoured to be part of the Invictus Games.


“I have immense admiration for all these servicemen and women who have served their country.”


Yesterday Harry was joined by the Duke of Cambridge and his father the Prince of Wales at the opening day of the Games, declaring he was “thrilled” by the way it had gone.


By the end of the first day of the four-day Games, Britain had won 15 gold medals, seven silver and six bronze but were trailing to team US who had won more than 70 medals.


Wheelchair racer Joseph Townsend, a former royal marine, claimed four victories on the track in the 100m, 200m, 400m and 1,500m. He was dubbed by Harry as “our David Weir, a medal machine”, comparing the ex-serviceman to the athlete who won three gold medals at the Paralympics.


Former Army captain David Henson, British Armed Forces team captain, who was cheered by the ecstatic spectators as he won a 200m gold, declared: “It’s been an emotional day”.


The gold rush began when Alex Tate, 24, who lost his left leg when he was blown up in Afghanistan in 2012, crossed the finishing line first in a 100m race and later described the Games as the “best rehabilitation any soldier could have”.


Double gold Andy Grant, 26, who triumphed in the 400m and 1,500m races for competitors who have lost limbs below the knee, said: “I don’t think there is anything more inspiring than seeing a guy who two years ago was lying in a ditch in Afghanistan bleeding to death, and now he is running 100m in Paralympic time.”



Article source: http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/News/Royston-rugby-player-Harry-Bayford-16-left-speechless-by-spectator-trip-20140513060002.htm


Harry to play wheelchair rugby

Rugby World Cup 2015 tickets: Cyber criminals plotting to hijack launch


“It’s going to be one of the handful of events that would be one of the most

heavily targeted ever,” he told The Telegraph.



“The amount to be made would certainly be seven figures. These people don’t

get out of bed for peanuts.”



The nightmare scenario was made possible after the Government refused to ban

the resale of tickets for the tournament, despite repeated warnings from

England 2015’s chief executive, Debbie Jevans, and the police.



Both experienced first-hand the impact of such a ban while working on the

London Olympics and Paralympics and are now in a desperate fight to prevent

the Rugby World Cup being exploited by criminal networks.



“Of course I’m concerned that touts are potentially going to be able to buy up

the reasonably-priced tickets and then on-sell them,” Jevans said.



Commander Stephen Head, the National Police Coordinator for Economic Crime at

City of London Police, added: “These touts can put in a different kind of

scale of applications, so they can make multiple, multiple applications

instantaneously.”



Measures have been put in place in order to combat this threat, with Jevans

and Head working together to catch those illegally using multiple identities

to buy more than the four tickets per match to which each applicant is meant

to be limited.



Holding a ballot for oversubscribed games is one such measure but Walker, who

is operations director of the Iridium Consultancy and has helped tackle

ticket fraud at the O2 Arena, said of the touts: “What they will simply do

is flood the ballots.”



Applications made during the general sale window between Friday and Sept 29

will also be vetted to weed out those from the same IP addresses.



Walker said: “These people have so many identities, so many addresses, so many

proxy IDs around the world. It is physically impossible to stop harvesting.”



Head denied it was “impossible”, vowing to do everything to “mitigate the

risk”, adding: “It is in no one’s interest for these gangs to succeed.”



The Rugby World Cup’s ticketing platform will be run by Ticketmaster, whose

managing director, Simon Presswell, admitted it was in a “virtual arms race”

with touts.



He added: “We are able to identify the IP addresses, monitor any unusual

activity or behaviour and then de-duplicate any applications that we believe

to have been made fraudulently.”



Jevans warned that anyone buying a ticket other than through England 2015’s

official channels faced being refused entry to matches.



How practical that is to enforce at a tournament for which 2.3 million tickets

are expected to be sold remains to be seen.



Head said: “When you buy from these secondary sites in this instance, you will

potentially be supporting other aspects of criminality, so search your

conscience.



“You may also be throwing away huge amounts of money and you may still not get

to see the game.”



Jevans pointed out that was the fate that befell the parents of Rebecca

Adlington at the 2008 Olympics, when they bought second-hand tickets for

their daughter’s double gold medal-winning performance only to arrive in

Beijing and find they did not exist.



The England 2015 chief refused to play the “blame game” over Rugby World Cup

fans being left similarly vulnerable, something that dates back to the

International Rugby Board’s failure to make a ban on resale a precondition

of hosting the tournament.



“We respect the fact that we did not get legislation,” she added.



The shadow sports minister, Clive Efford, who lobbied for such a ban, said:

“It is a disgrace that the Government has refused to act.



“Preventing genuine fans being exploited must be a primary concern for all

major events hosted in the UK.”



The sports minister, Helen Grant, said: “We have confidence in the plans that

England Rugby 2015 and Ticketmaster have put in place to ensure that tickets

end up in the hands of genuine fans for the Rugby World Cup.



“Many major events are held in this country successfully using similar

measures and technology and we are sure the tournament will be a great

success that will grow rugby at home and abroad.”



IRB president Bernard Lapasset added: “It is our objective to ensure that fans

from around the world have a wonderful Rugby World Cup experience.



“We are aware that unofficial sources will attempt to exploit fans and we have

been working in full collaboration with ER 2015 and the appropriate

authorities to deliver a proactive programme that focuses on education,

prevention and monitoring.



“Our message to fans is clear – buy from official channels only and visit www.rugbyworldcup.com/buyofficial

to verify sources.”



- How

to apply for Rugby World Cup 2015 tickets

- Rugby

World Cup tickets: Everything you need to know


– RWC: Nine games to apply for in the ballot

How

to beat the ticket touts


Rugby

World Cup 2015 venues


Rugby

World Cup 2015 full fixtures list and match schedule

- Will

Greenwood: RWC 2015 is once-in-a-lifetime for fans



Rugby World Cup 2015 tickets: Cyber criminals plotting to hijack launch

Rugby World Cup 2015 tickets: Cyber criminals plotting to hijack launch


“It’s going to be one of the handful of events that would be one of the most

heavily targeted ever,” he told The Telegraph.



“The amount to be made would certainly be seven figures. These people don’t

get out of bed for peanuts.”



The nightmare scenario was made possible after the Government refused to ban

the resale of tickets for the tournament, despite repeated warnings from

England 2015’s chief executive, Debbie Jevans, and the police.



Both experienced first-hand the impact of such a ban while working on the

London Olympics and Paralympics and are now in a desperate fight to prevent

the Rugby World Cup being exploited by criminal networks.



“Of course I’m concerned that touts are potentially going to be able to buy up

the reasonably-priced tickets and then on-sell them,” Jevans said.



Commander Stephen Head, the National Police Coordinator for Economic Crime at

City of London Police, added: “These touts can put in a different kind of

scale of applications, so they can make multiple, multiple applications

instantaneously.”



Measures have been put in place in order to combat this threat, with Jevans

and Head working together to catch those illegally using multiple identities

to buy more than the four tickets per match to which each applicant is meant

to be limited.



Holding a ballot for oversubscribed games is one such measure but Walker, who

is operations director of the Iridium Consultancy and has helped tackle

ticket fraud at the O2 Arena, said of the touts: “What they will simply do

is flood the ballots.”



Applications made during the general sale window between Friday and Sept 29

will also be vetted to weed out those from the same IP addresses.



Walker said: “These people have so many identities, so many addresses, so many

proxy IDs around the world. It is physically impossible to stop harvesting.”



Head denied it was “impossible”, vowing to do everything to “mitigate the

risk”, adding: “It is in no one’s interest for these gangs to succeed.”



The Rugby World Cup’s ticketing platform will be run by Ticketmaster, whose

managing director, Simon Presswell, admitted it was in a “virtual arms race”

with touts.



He added: “We are able to identify the IP addresses, monitor any unusual

activity or behaviour and then de-duplicate any applications that we believe

to have been made fraudulently.”



Jevans warned that anyone buying a ticket other than through England 2015’s

official channels faced being refused entry to matches.



How practical that is to enforce at a tournament for which 2.3 million tickets

are expected to be sold remains to be seen.



Head said: “When you buy from these secondary sites in this instance, you will

potentially be supporting other aspects of criminality, so search your

conscience.



“You may also be throwing away huge amounts of money and you may still not get

to see the game.”



Jevans pointed out that was the fate that befell the parents of Rebecca

Adlington at the 2008 Olympics, when they bought second-hand tickets for

their daughter’s double gold medal-winning performance only to arrive in

Beijing and find they did not exist.



The England 2015 chief refused to play the “blame game” over Rugby World Cup

fans being left similarly vulnerable, something that dates back to the

International Rugby Board’s failure to make a ban on resale a precondition

of hosting the tournament.



“We respect the fact that we did not get legislation,” she added.



The shadow sports minister, Clive Efford, who lobbied for such a ban, said:

“It is a disgrace that the Government has refused to act.



“Preventing genuine fans being exploited must be a primary concern for all

major events hosted in the UK.”



The sports minister, Helen Grant, said: “We have confidence in the plans that

England Rugby 2015 and Ticketmaster have put in place to ensure that tickets

end up in the hands of genuine fans for the Rugby World Cup.



“Many major events are held in this country successfully using similar

measures and technology and we are sure the tournament will be a great

success that will grow rugby at home and abroad.”



IRB president Bernard Lapasset added: “It is our objective to ensure that fans

from around the world have a wonderful Rugby World Cup experience.



“We are aware that unofficial sources will attempt to exploit fans and we have

been working in full collaboration with ER 2015 and the appropriate

authorities to deliver a proactive programme that focuses on education,

prevention and monitoring.



“Our message to fans is clear – buy from official channels only and visit www.rugbyworldcup.com/buyofficial

to verify sources.”



- How

to apply for Rugby World Cup 2015 tickets

- Rugby

World Cup tickets: Everything you need to know


– RWC: Nine games to apply for in the ballot

How

to beat the ticket touts


Rugby

World Cup 2015 venues


Rugby

World Cup 2015 full fixtures list and match schedule

- Will

Greenwood: RWC 2015 is once-in-a-lifetime for fans


Article source: http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/News/Royston-rugby-player-Harry-Bayford-16-left-speechless-by-spectator-trip-20140513060002.htm


Rugby World Cup 2015 tickets: Cyber criminals plotting to hijack launch

Rugby Championship: Australia make changes to face Argentina

Australia have recalled hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau among three changes for Saturday’s Rugby Championship match against Argentina.


Polota-Nau, 29, has been brought in to help counter the Pumas’ driving forward play while Peter Betham and Ben McCalman also start.


Argentina have also made three changes with Juan Imhoff, Manuel Montero and rookie Matias Alemanno coming in.


The Wallabies have not lost to Argentina in eight Tests over 17 years.


Australia are third in the four-team championship with six points from three games, while Argentina are bottom with two points.


Australia:


Folau, Betham, Kuridrani, Toomua, Horne, Foley, Phipps, McCalman, Hooper (capt), Fardy, Simmons, Carter, Kepu, Polota-Nau, Slipper. Replacements: Hanson, Cowan, Alexander, Horwill, Higginbotham, Hodgson, White, Beale.


Argentina:


Tuculet, Imhoff, Bosch, Hernandez, Montero, Sanchez, Landajo, Senatore, Leguizamon, Lobbe, Alemanno, Galarza, Herrera, Creevy (capt), Ayerza. Replacements: Cortese, Postiglioni, Chaparro, Macome, Baez, Cubelli, De la Fuente, Amorosino.



Rugby Championship: Australia make changes to face Argentina

Rugby Championship: Australia make changes to face Argentina

Australia have recalled hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau among three changes for Saturday’s Rugby Championship match against Argentina.


Polota-Nau, 29, has been brought in to help counter the Pumas’ driving forward play while Peter Betham and Ben McCalman also start.


Argentina have also made three changes with Juan Imhoff, Manuel Montero and rookie Matias Alemanno coming in.


The Wallabies have not lost to Argentina in eight Tests over 17 years.


Australia are third in the four-team championship with six points from three games, while Argentina are bottom with two points.


Australia:


Folau, Betham, Kuridrani, Toomua, Horne, Foley, Phipps, McCalman, Hooper (capt), Fardy, Simmons, Carter, Kepu, Polota-Nau, Slipper. Replacements: Hanson, Cowan, Alexander, Horwill, Higginbotham, Hodgson, White, Beale.


Argentina:


Tuculet, Imhoff, Bosch, Hernandez, Montero, Sanchez, Landajo, Senatore, Leguizamon, Lobbe, Alemanno, Galarza, Herrera, Creevy (capt), Ayerza. Replacements: Cortese, Postiglioni, Chaparro, Macome, Baez, Cubelli, De la Fuente, Amorosino.


Article source: http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/News/Royston-rugby-player-Harry-Bayford-16-left-speechless-by-spectator-trip-20140513060002.htm


Rugby Championship: Australia make changes to face Argentina

Rugby World Cup 2015: Debbie Jevans confident every game will sell out

With just over a year until England charge out against Fiji to kick off a home Rugby World Cup with ambitions to forever transform the sport in this country, the scramble for tickets begins on Friday amid mounting excitement tempered by nervousness over prices, touting and whether it can live up to its lofty billing.


As talk has turned to how Stuart Lancaster’s squad can best evolve during the coming season to deliver the Webb Ellis Trophy in their own backyard, so the redoubtable London 2012 veteran Debbie Jevans is contemplating similarly high expectations off the pitch.


“I’m feeling that excitement and it makes me even more determined to dot every I and cross every T and deliver the tournament the players and fans expect,” says the England Rugby 2015 chief executive, whose office sits directly opposite Twickenham’s towering East Stand.


While fans besiege the website to register their interest in up to one million tickets of the 2.3 million total, there will be an altogether different kind of scrum on the Twickenham turf on Friday.


As the PR machine whirrs into top gear as part of a blitz that includes a rousing Charles Dance-fronted ad that has already clocked up 1.9 million YouTube views, organisers are trying to stage the world’s biggest scrum to publicise the launch of the ballot.


The tournament’s marketing tagline is Too Big to Miss. For the IRB and the RFU, it’s also too big to fail.


The giant scrum will be child’s play next to the biggest challenge facing Jevans – ensuring tickets for the event, which range in price from £7 to £715, not only balance affordability with accessibility but don’t fall into the hands of touts or end up changing hands for thousands of pounds on the “secondary market”. Jevans lobbied for months for legislation that would put the Rugby World Cup on a par with the London Olympics, the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and every football match in this country and make resale of tickets a criminal offence. But with plans for a “major events bill” running into the long grass and the IRB failing to make it a condition of awarding the tournament, the government refused to play ball.


As such, the Rugby World Cup – arguably now the third largest sporting jamboree on the planet – has long been at the mercy of both organised criminals who will target the ballot via a variety of sophisticated means to secure as many tickets for resale at inflated prices as possible and those who simply fancy making a quick buck.


Jevans says organisers have done all they can. Selling tickets via a ballot, with fans able to register their interest until 29 September, will help. So too will the decision not to send out tickets until next summer and the provision of an “official” resale platform that will allow fans to sell unwanted tickets at face value.


Building on the experience of London 2012, where ticket allocation proved controversial, applicants will be limited to four tickets apiece for most matches and prospective buyers can cap the number of games they purchase tickets for. Ticketmaster, meanwhile, will attempt to weed out the bad guys.


“We respect the fact there isn’t legislation in place. That was the decision the government took,” insists Jevans. “We have put measures in place to ensure that, as far as possible, those tickets go to fans at face value. We have worked with the police. We have done everything we can.”


The wider picture is further obscured by the fact that many sports bodies have entered into partnerships with websites such as Viagogo and StubHub, which claim they are simply providing a service for consumers who deserve the right to re-sell their tickets at a profit.


Even Ticketmaster, which failed to cover itself in glory during the London 2012 ticket rush but has nonetheless been retained by England Rugby 2015, has its own secondary platform.


Fans could be forgiven for feeling confused. But Jevans and the IRB chief executive, Brett Gosper, insist the message is clear – only buy through official channels and any tickets purchased elsewhere run the risk of being cancelled and their holders denied entry.


“We have to keep hammering home the message that you have to buy from official sources. The delivery of the tickets is quite late in the day,” said Gosper. “That works in our favour so we can identify any problems in the meantime. We will do the best we can to stamp it out.”


Yet another viral marketing campaign, featuring an excited gaggle of fans visibly deflating as they are refused entry, will ram home the point.


Asked whether unwitting fans who might have paid hundreds of pounds for a ticket from a secondary site will really be turned away at the Twickenham gates, Jevans said: “Our terms and conditions are very clear and give us the ability to do that. The message is very clear: don’t risk it.”


The sports minister, Helen Grant, on Thursday reiterated her confidence “in the plans that England Rugby 2015 and Ticketmaster have put in place to ensure that tickets end up in the hands of genuine fans for the Rugby World Cup”.


Even without any mark up, many tickets are already pretty pricey. Watching England play Australia at Twickenham will cost you at least £75 for the cheapest category D ticket, rising to £160, £215 or £315.


Gosper admits the pricing is “sharp” for the biggest matches at the business end of the tournament but says they are subsidising lower prices elsewhere and still compare well with other major sporting events.


The challenge for Jevans has been to deliver on the RFU’s promise to reach new audiences and grow the game while also bringing in enough revenue to stage the tournament and deliver £80m by the IRB under its hosting agreement.


“Where I think we’ve ended up is fair and proportionate. You’ve got some top-end prices but £7 and £20 tickets at the bottom end,” she insists. “It ensures accessibility and also that we can deliver the revenue to stage a top-quality event and pay the fee that we’ve promised the IRB.”


Yet if the huge demand for tickets highlights a big challenge, it also represents the scale of the opportunity. Even with more than a year to go until the tournament kicks off, Jevans is supremely confident that all 48 matches across 13 stadiums in 11 cities will sell out.


Unlike London 2012, where many venues had to be built from scratch, the only new construction required for the Rugby World Cup is the rebuilt Olympic Stadium. Jevans visited on Wednesday and insists work at the stadium, which will host five matches, is “on track”.


From Exeter to Newcastle and Leeds to Leicester, Jevans maintains a quiet conviction that the tournament will capture the imagination of the nation, despite the fact that only London and Cardiff will host matches from the quarter-finals onwards.


Nor does she buy the argument that tickets for some of the more unattractive matches on paper will prove hard to shift, particularly outside rugby union strongholds.


“If you look at this over the history of the Rugby World Cup, some of the most exciting matches have involved what are regarded as smaller nations – Samoa, Tonga, Canada, Japan,” she said.


“We are encouraging people to look beyond England and Twickenham and be part of the Rugby World Cup. The momentum is gathering and the excitement is building.”


On a recent visit to Darlington’s Mowden Park, one of 41 training bases that will be used during the tournament and home to the All Blacks, Jevans said plans were already under way to welcome the team with a mass haka.


Taking several leaves from the London 2012 playbook, where she was director of sport, Jevans insists that the carefully calibrated campaign to stoke the public mood is on track. “We’ve got the trophy tour, which is going really well and has visited 14 countries. We’ve interviewed 5,000 volunteers so far and the turn-up rate is over 90%, which is an extraordinary statistic,” she says.


“The enthusiasm is immense. That is something that is very rewarding to us – the interaction we’re having with the stakeholders, the interface with everyone from the cities to the local authorities”.


For those not trained to translate the lingua franca of sporting blazerdom, that means everything is pretty much on track.


For an RFU that three years ago was convulsed by one of its periodic bouts of self-harm, the success of the 2015 Rugby World Cup has become an article of faith for the new regime that emerged from the wreckage. Fanning out from Lancaster’s avowed intent to be judged on England’s performance in 2015, the RFU chief executive, Ian Ritchie, has spoken endlessly of its potential to deliver lasting change.


“The fact that the legacy is an integral part of the planning is crucial. The women winning the Rugby World Cup was fantastic news for them and for us. What is exciting is that the plan has longevity,” says Jevans.


A flurry of initiatives have emerged to encourage more women and girls to play and watch the sport, to accelerate growth in state schools, to improve grassroots facilities, to boost mini-rugby, to put rugby posts in public parks. And on and on.


Steve Grainger, the RFU’s development director, is the man responsible for ensuring the mistakes of the RFU in 2001, the England and Wales Cricket Board in 2005 and the London Olympics of 2012 are not repeated when it comes to translating an upsurge of interest into long-term involvement and participation.


“We launched three years out from the final because we know we have to be ready the day after the final. That was about building capacity – investing in club facilities, referees, coaches and volunteers. And making sure we’ve got more schools offering rugby,” he says.


The RFU has invested £7.5m in club facilities, while more than 35,000 coaches and referees have attended courses.


The All Schools programme to bring rugby union back into state schools has signed up 300 schools and will be at 400 by next summer. More than 16,000 people are now playing touch rugby socially at 230 new centres, with another 150 planned by next year.


“We’ve talked and listened a lot – I was in New Zealand in the summer talking to people involved in 2011,” says Grainger. “The big message you pick is that you need to invest up front. The inspiration will happen, you’ve got to make sure the foundations are strong. The only way you’ll do that is to put them in place up front.”


Which is all very well, but if the computers collapse and all the tickets end up in the hands of touts, all that goodwill is threatened. Likewise, if Lancaster’s players fail to emerge from a tough group, those foundations will crumble.


Gosper is honest in his appraisal: “The economics will work wherever England get to. But to really get that magical atmosphere and the home population behind it, it would be great for the host side to go all the way.”


As Dance says in his knowingly preposterous speech: “We’re going to grasp this moment with both hands. Stand together and this will be the biggest and the finest and the most glorious Rugby World Cup ever.” For Jevans and Lancaster, for Gosper and Ritchie, it is time to deliver.



Rugby World Cup 2015: Debbie Jevans confident every game will sell out

The big Welsh rugby nicknames quiz (Part Two): Do you know Santa from the ...



 


 


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Article source: http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/News/Royston-rugby-player-Harry-Bayford-16-left-speechless-by-spectator-trip-20140513060002.htm


The big Welsh rugby nicknames quiz (Part Two): Do you know Santa from the ...

Rugby World Cup 2015 tickets: five matches to target

You are an England fan


The pool games against Wales and Australia at Twickenham will be huge but a more convenient option for northern-based supporters is the final group fixture against Russia or Uruguay in Manchester on 10 October. Expect a party atmosphere – unless England have already been eliminated earlier that day …


You want to see the All Blacks


New Zealand will be criss-crossing the country and, among other destinations, are even visiting Darlington to train. On paper their two most competitive early fixtures will be against Argentina at Wembley on 20 September (if you fancy a nice late afternoon kick-off) and Tonga in Newcastle on 9 October (if you would like a little late Friday action on Tyneside)


You want to take the family


Given it will be school term-time you will ideally want a spiky weekend contest in daylight hours at an affordable price at a fun venue. Step forward Samoa v USA in Brighton on 20 September. Child tickets start from £7, adults from £15. The beach is free


You want to see biff


Pound for pound the two most physical sides in the world are probably South Africa and Samoa. Historically, they don’t like each other much either. Book a ringside seat at Villa Park on 26 September


You just want cheap tickets


For discerning skinflints Tonga v Namibia at Sandy Park in Exeter on 29 September is not a bad option. If you’re lucky, tickets for two adults and two kids should total £44, a friendly atmosphere is guaranteed and top-notch pasties are already being promised. Who cares who wins?



Rugby World Cup 2015 tickets: five matches to target

Rugby World Cup 2015 tickets: five matches to target

You are an England fan


The pool games against Wales and Australia at Twickenham will be huge but a more convenient option for northern-based supporters is the final group fixture against Russia or Uruguay in Manchester on 10 October. Expect a party atmosphere – unless England have already been eliminated earlier that day …


You want to see the All Blacks


New Zealand will be criss-crossing the country and, among other destinations, are even visiting Darlington to train. On paper their two most competitive early fixtures will be against Argentina at Wembley on 20 September (if you fancy a nice late afternoon kick-off) and Tonga in Newcastle on 9 October (if you would like a little late Friday action on Tyneside)


You want to take the family


Given it will be school term-time you will ideally want a spiky weekend contest in daylight hours at an affordable price at a fun venue. Step forward Samoa v USA in Brighton on 20 September. Child tickets start from £7, adults from £15. The beach is free


You want to see biff


Pound for pound the two most physical sides in the world are probably South Africa and Samoa. Historically, they don’t like each other much either. Book a ringside seat at Villa Park on 26 September


You just want cheap tickets


For discerning skinflints Tonga v Namibia at Sandy Park in Exeter on 29 September is not a bad option. If you’re lucky, tickets for two adults and two kids should total £44, a friendly atmosphere is guaranteed and top-notch pasties are already being promised. Who cares who wins?


Article source: http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/News/Royston-rugby-player-Harry-Bayford-16-left-speechless-by-spectator-trip-20140513060002.htm


Rugby World Cup 2015 tickets: five matches to target

David Strettle predicts little change to Stuart Lancaster"s World Cup plans

These statistics he claims as evidence in his favour, never mind his age, and intends to show so tonight at his former rugby home just as he did over the road last weekend.


“At Saracens we have certainly expanded our game and in its way that’s assisted me to get more headlines,” he said.


“But the way we used to play also highlighted areas that, when I was at Quins, I didn’t really understand, to do with kick-defence, kick-chase, putting on pressure. They are not what people necessarily notice but they are vital to the team and have improved me as a player.


“People often say it’s an easy game made difficult but often it really is quite complex and you have to know exactly when to play rugby in an attacking sense or else do the sensible thing by clearing your lines. Refereeing decisions can sometimes make it a disadvantage to have the ball.


“We pride ourselves at Saracens that every game is massively important. So there would be no point in taking points against Quins if they were then thrown away against someone else. But even if Quins were an average team, going back there would always mean the world to me.”


Proof of the efficacy of Saracens’ rugby, expanded but still pragmatic according to Strettle, has been finishing first in the past two Premiership seasons. Quins are not an “average team” but genuine contenders, and both eked out first-up victories six days ago, Quins against London Irish.


“Since I have been at Saracens, every year we have built on what we had done the season before, collectively taking these steps forward, with wins increased, losses down, defence better, a Heineken Cup final, Premiership finals,” said Strettle.


“But it’s not just us getting better. Look at Northampton, Leicester, Quins – they rarely take a backward step. So though we’ve succeeded so far, the better you get each year, the harder it always is to keep replicating it.”



David Strettle predicts little change to Stuart Lancaster"s World Cup plans

David Strettle predicts little change to Stuart Lancaster"s World Cup plans

These statistics he claims as evidence in his favour, never mind his age, and intends to show so tonight at his former rugby home just as he did over the road last weekend.


“At Saracens we have certainly expanded our game and in its way that’s assisted me to get more headlines,” he said.


“But the way we used to play also highlighted areas that, when I was at Quins, I didn’t really understand, to do with kick-defence, kick-chase, putting on pressure. They are not what people necessarily notice but they are vital to the team and have improved me as a player.


“People often say it’s an easy game made difficult but often it really is quite complex and you have to know exactly when to play rugby in an attacking sense or else do the sensible thing by clearing your lines. Refereeing decisions can sometimes make it a disadvantage to have the ball.


“We pride ourselves at Saracens that every game is massively important. So there would be no point in taking points against Quins if they were then thrown away against someone else. But even if Quins were an average team, going back there would always mean the world to me.”


Proof of the efficacy of Saracens’ rugby, expanded but still pragmatic according to Strettle, has been finishing first in the past two Premiership seasons. Quins are not an “average team” but genuine contenders, and both eked out first-up victories six days ago, Quins against London Irish.


“Since I have been at Saracens, every year we have built on what we had done the season before, collectively taking these steps forward, with wins increased, losses down, defence better, a Heineken Cup final, Premiership finals,” said Strettle.


“But it’s not just us getting better. Look at Northampton, Leicester, Quins – they rarely take a backward step. So though we’ve succeeded so far, the better you get each year, the harder it always is to keep replicating it.”


Article source: http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/News/Royston-rugby-player-Harry-Bayford-16-left-speechless-by-spectator-trip-20140513060002.htm


David Strettle predicts little change to Stuart Lancaster"s World Cup plans

Outcry over shortage of tickets for Twickenham

Only around 20,000 seats at the 82,000-capacity Twickenham Stadium, where all three contests will be staged, are available to the public following early distribution to governing bodies, sponsors, hospitality companies, travel groups and rugby clubs.


Tournament organisers will use a ballot system to allocate tickets for the most popular fixtures, arguing it is fairer than a “first come, first served” policy and will help minimise the business conducted on the black market.


But their strategy has been criticised by Twickenham debenture holders, some of whom were threatening court action earlier in the summer, and by members of the England Rugby Supporters’ Club, an organisation set up by the Rugby Football Union.


“Like many others, I’ve followed the team for years, through bad times as well as good, and was expecting some form of priority when it came to World Cup matches,” said an ERSC member yesterday.


“My hopes were high when we were told back in June that we could go online ahead of the public sale and buy tickets. So we could – for all games except those three headline fixtures at Twickenham.


“Whether or not you think we should have priority, the average rugby supporter is going to find it very difficult to watch England at their own World Cup. I’m not alone in thinking the system stinks.”


Joanna Manning-Cooper, the director of communications and marketing at the World Cup delivery organisation England 2015, confirmed yesterday there were strict limits on the number of tickets available for general sale.


“We have half of the total ticket allocation to distribute,” she said. “The rest are distributed by the International Rugby Board to unions, travelling supporter packages, hospitality, sponsors etc.


“Of our tickets, around 50 per cent were made available to fans through clubs in our ‘rugby community sale’ between May and July. By the time that sale was extended to ERSC members, all the England tickets had been sold.”


Of course, those with deep pockets will have no problem buying seats for the major contests. While the cheapest adult seat for the crucial England-Wales game on 9 September is £75, England Rugby Travel, an official partner of the RFU, is offering the self-same grade of ticket for £399 as part of a “day return” package including transport. Their most expensive package, which offers a night in the Dorchester Hotel, is £1,549.


The police expect a concerted attempt by fraudsters to set up ticket scams when the online application process opens today. City of London Police Commander Steve Head warned the various ruses would be “sophisticated and very convincing” and added: “We are urging supporters not to be fooled by cheap or discounted tickets and to buy only from official sources.”


On the club front, Harlequins and Saracens have made a single change to their starting line-ups for tonight’s Premiership derby at the Stoop. Ollie Lindsay-Hague replaces the injured Ugo Monye on the left wing for Quins, while the visitors have promoted the blind-side flanker Jackson Wray ahead of the Scotland captain Kelly Brown. Owen Farrell, the England outside-half, must settle for a seat on the Sarries bench for the second time in six days.



Outcry over shortage of tickets for Twickenham

Outcry over shortage of tickets for Twickenham

Only around 20,000 seats at the 82,000-capacity Twickenham Stadium, where all three contests will be staged, are available to the public following early distribution to governing bodies, sponsors, hospitality companies, travel groups and rugby clubs.


Tournament organisers will use a ballot system to allocate tickets for the most popular fixtures, arguing it is fairer than a “first come, first served” policy and will help minimise the business conducted on the black market.


But their strategy has been criticised by Twickenham debenture holders, some of whom were threatening court action earlier in the summer, and by members of the England Rugby Supporters’ Club, an organisation set up by the Rugby Football Union.


“Like many others, I’ve followed the team for years, through bad times as well as good, and was expecting some form of priority when it came to World Cup matches,” said an ERSC member yesterday.


“My hopes were high when we were told back in June that we could go online ahead of the public sale and buy tickets. So we could – for all games except those three headline fixtures at Twickenham.


“Whether or not you think we should have priority, the average rugby supporter is going to find it very difficult to watch England at their own World Cup. I’m not alone in thinking the system stinks.”


Joanna Manning-Cooper, the director of communications and marketing at the World Cup delivery organisation England 2015, confirmed yesterday there were strict limits on the number of tickets available for general sale.


“We have half of the total ticket allocation to distribute,” she said. “The rest are distributed by the International Rugby Board to unions, travelling supporter packages, hospitality, sponsors etc.


“Of our tickets, around 50 per cent were made available to fans through clubs in our ‘rugby community sale’ between May and July. By the time that sale was extended to ERSC members, all the England tickets had been sold.”


Of course, those with deep pockets will have no problem buying seats for the major contests. While the cheapest adult seat for the crucial England-Wales game on 9 September is £75, England Rugby Travel, an official partner of the RFU, is offering the self-same grade of ticket for £399 as part of a “day return” package including transport. Their most expensive package, which offers a night in the Dorchester Hotel, is £1,549.


The police expect a concerted attempt by fraudsters to set up ticket scams when the online application process opens today. City of London Police Commander Steve Head warned the various ruses would be “sophisticated and very convincing” and added: “We are urging supporters not to be fooled by cheap or discounted tickets and to buy only from official sources.”


On the club front, Harlequins and Saracens have made a single change to their starting line-ups for tonight’s Premiership derby at the Stoop. Ollie Lindsay-Hague replaces the injured Ugo Monye on the left wing for Quins, while the visitors have promoted the blind-side flanker Jackson Wray ahead of the Scotland captain Kelly Brown. Owen Farrell, the England outside-half, must settle for a seat on the Sarries bench for the second time in six days.


Article source: http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/News/Royston-rugby-player-Harry-Bayford-16-left-speechless-by-spectator-trip-20140513060002.htm


Outcry over shortage of tickets for Twickenham

Rugby World Cup: Venues to include Twickenham, Kingsholm, Villa Park and ...


Brighton Community Centre

As one of the newest venues on the rugby circuit — it opened in July 2011 —

the £93million stadium will next year get the chance to show off its

state-of-the-art facilities to the world.
Capacity 30,000
Did you know? With the ground’s close proximity to the coast, hawks are

regularly brought in to deter nesting seagulls and pigeons.
Rugby history The stadium has not staged any rugby before.
Number of matches 2



Twickenham (London)

As the world’s largest dedicated rugby union stadium, there is no more

fitting venue for the Rugby World Cup. Next year it hosts 10 games,

including both semi-finals and the final.
Capacity 82,000
Did you know? The first game played at the ground was between local

clubs Harlequins and Richmond in 1909, two years after it was bought by the

RFU.
Rugby history It staged the 1991 Rugby World Cup final and 1999

semi-finals.
Number of matches 10



Olympic Stadium (London)

Fresh from its redevelopment after the Olympic Games, the ultra-modern

Stratford stadium is hoping to rekindle the spirit of London 2012. Step

aside, Usain Bolt and Mo Farah; enter Dan Carter and Bryan Habana.
Capacity 54,000
Did you know? West Ham will play football and Essex will play Twenty20

cricket at the Olympic Stadium from 2016.
Rugby history The stadium has never staged any rugby before.
Number of matches 5



Wembley Stadium (London)

The impressive arena in north-west London already boasts the world record

attendance for a club rugby match. Now it is ready to put itself on the

international stage. First up, the All Blacks.
Capacity 90,000
Did you know? The Wembley arch has a diameter of 24ft — wide enough to

accommodate a Channel Tunnel train.
Rugby history Wembley has been frequently used by Saracens to stage

showpiece European and domestic matches.
Number of matches 2



Stadium MK (Milton Keynes)

Milton Keynes is not normally associated with English rugby — it’s home to MK

Dons FC — but that will change next year when the rugby world will become

aware of the Buckinghamshire town.
Capacity 31,000
Did you know? Stadium MK opened in 2007 to accommodate Wimbledon FC’s

controversial relocation to Milton Keynes.
Rugby history It has staged occasional Saracens and Northampton games.
Number of matches 3



Leicester City Stadium

Leicester will welcome the Rugby World Cup with open arms. With Leicester

Tigers’ Welford Road ground near by, you can expect a passionate crowd.
Capacity 32,000
Did you know? In 2006 a World XV played South Africa here to

commemorate the Springboks’ centenary as a touring team.
Rugby history Leicester Tigers have played two European Cup semi-finals

at this stadium.
Number of matches 3



Elland Road (Leeds)

Leeds may be more accustomed to rugby league than union but the city will

catch cross-code fever when it hosts a weekend of international action next

year.
Capacity 39,000
Did you know? While Elland Road is synonymous with football, its first

live televised match was the rugby league Challenge Cup final replay in

1982.
Rugby history It staged a match between the North of England and South

Africa in 1992.
Number of matches 2



St James’ Park (Newcastle)

It is one of England’s most passionate sporting cities, although the No 9s

that Newcastle fans worship tend to be centre-forwards rather than

scrum-halves. But rugby-wise, it is the city where Jonny Wilkinson spent 12

seasons playing for Newcastle Falcons.
Capacity 52,000
Did you know? A swimming pool was built beneath one of the stands as

part of a redevelopment in 1905, and the ground is built on the site of the

city’s former execution gallows.
Rugby history The second biggest ground in England outside London has

never staged the sport before.
Number of matches 3



- How

to apply for Rugby World Cup 2015 tickets

- Rugby

World Cup tickets: Everything you need to know


– RWC: Nine games to apply for in the ballot

How

to beat the ticket touts


Rugby

World Cup 2015 venues


Rugby

World Cup 2015 full fixtures list and match schedule

- Cyber

criminals plotting to hijack tickets launch

- Will

Greenwood: RWC 2015 is once-in-a-lifetime for fans


Article source: http://www.espnscrum.com/2015-rugby-world-cup/rugby/story/232977.html


Rugby World Cup: Venues to include Twickenham, Kingsholm, Villa Park and ...

Breath test that can diagnose concussion could be introduced at rugby and ...



  • New technology could lead to breathalysers being used at sports matches 

  • Aims to prevent sportsmen and women from playing on with head injuries

  • Until now, ‘full assessment or brain scan needed to diagnose concussion’

  • Discovery was made by two scientists from the University of Birmingham


By

Ben Spencer for the Daily Mail










    2


    View
    comments


    A quick breath test will soon be all that is needed to spot the signs of concussion, scientists claim.


    The new technology could lead to breathalysers being used at football and rugby matches to stop sportsmen and women from playing on with head injuries.


    Until now, scientists have said there was no way to accurately assess whether someone had concussion without a full medical assessment or brain scan.


    Schoolboy Ben Robinson died after twice suffering head injuries during a school rugby match at Carrickfergus in Northern Ireland in 2011Striker Jeff Astle died aged 59 with severe brain damage


    Tragic: Schoolboy Ben Robinson (left) died after twice suffering head injuries during a school rugby match at Carrickfergus in Northern Ireland in 2011, while striker Jeff Astle (right) died aged 59 with severe brain damage


    But Dr Michael Grey and Professor Tony Belli, from the University of Birmingham, are developing a breath test which they hope will vastly reduce the number of severe head injuries.


    Their discovery has been shown to work in the laboratory and is to undergo wider tests on athletes. Dr Grey said: ‘It is really important that we protect players from themselves.


    ‘We are talking about someone with mild brain injury when we are looking at concussion. They are not in a position to decide whether they are fit to play.’


    The scientists have discovered three chemicals which are released into the bloodstream when the brain receives an injury. The molecules make their way into the lungs and a trace can be detected in the breath.


    Tottenham keeper Hugo Lloris remained on the pitch last season after being knocked out for almost a minute


    Injured: Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris remained on the pitch last year after being knocked out for almost a minute


    Sporting bodies are under pressure to deal with the problem after several high-profile cases.


    Last year an inquest heard that Ben Robinson died after twice suffering head injuries during a school rugby match in 2011.


    The 14-year-old collapsed on the pitch at Carrickfergus in Northern Ireland and died in hospital. 



    The Football Association is also under pressure to act, after Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris remained on the pitch last year after being knocked out for almost a minute.


    Lloris and his then manager Andrew Villas-Boas decided he was fit to continue playing – despite the advice of the team’s medical staff.


    Lloris said later: ‘When you are on the pitch you don’t want to leave the pitch, you want to stay with your team-mates and help them get the best result.’


    Determined: Lloris and his then manager Andrew Villas-Boas decided he was fit to continue playing - despite the advice of the team¿s medical staff.


    Determined: Lloris and his then manager Andrew Villas-Boas decided he was fit to continue playing – despite the advice of the team’s medical staff.


    Another, tragic, example is former England and West Bromwich Albion striker Jeff Astle, who died at the age of 59 with severe brain damage.


    Astle’s inquest found that his neurological disorder was caused by the repeated impact of heading footballs, which had caused a problem usually only seen in professional boxers. 



    The International Rugby Board recently trialled a pitch side concussion assessment comprised of psychological questions to see whether players are fit to carry on.


    But Professor Belli, a clinical neuroscientist, said it is easy to rig the test and carry on playing.


    ‘Players have come out and said it is easy to fudge this test,’ he told the Birmingham Science Festival.


    Dr Grey added: ‘If you send them back on to the pitch you are potentially putting them at risk. That test is not good enough to make that decision.’


    The scientists have discovered three chemicals which are released into the blood stream when the brain receives an injury.


    The molecules make their way into the lungs and a trace can be detected in the breath.


    Professor Belli said: ‘The chemicals are released within minutes.’


    The scientists have also developed a secondary test which uses a portable machine that sends magnetic pulses into the brain to assess brain damage.


    The machine, which uses technology called trans-cranial magnetic stimulation, could be kept in treatment rooms at sports venues to give a better assessment of problems if the breath test highlights any problems.


    Jeff Astle’s daughter Dawn, 46, is calling for the FA to support further research into the impact of footballing head injuries.


    She told the British Science Festival in Birmingham: ‘If players today had seen my dad in the four years he was ill, if they had seen him die, they would never head a ball again. It is a matter of life and death, it really is.’


    Last month, a group of parents in the US filed a lawsuit against FIFA which pushes for rule changes around the return to play following a concussion.


    They have also called for limits on how many times children under 17 can head the ball.


    Dr Grey said: ‘Children’s brains are not fully formed, they are not as well protected as an adult and we do not fully understand the damage these repeated blows to the head are doing to these children’s brains.


    ‘May be the day will come when we do need an outright ban on heading balls for children of a certain age.’ 


     


     


    Article source: http://www.espnscrum.com/2015-rugby-world-cup/rugby/story/232977.html


    Breath test that can diagnose concussion could be introduced at rugby and ...

Rugby passport rules built on shaky foundations with Rio 2016 in view

The International Rugby Board, soon to be known as World Rugby, coveted Olympic status from the onset of professionalism, seeing that it was a way of securing more money for developing unions and so widening the sport’s boundaries.


A consequence of the IRB’s ultimately successful bid is that certain regulations have to be tailored to meet those of the International Olympic Committee. The headline one is that the strict rule on international eligibility has had to be compromised: a consequence of the Grannygate affair in Wales in 2000 was that no player was permitted to represent more than one country at Test level. So, if someone played just one minute of one match for a nation at full international level or for a team at the level below, such as an A side, or in a sevens tournament, they were committed to that country for life. That is still the rule of the IRB and will remain so for capped players who do not take part in the Olympics.


It will be different for those taking part in the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. A stand-down period of three years has been laid down for capped players representing another country, as long as they hold a passport for it, in the Olympics, although that has been cut to 18 months for the event in Rio de Janeiro. So, someone capped two years ago may appear for his or her other country in a sevens tournament that is part of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics’ cycle. Any switch will also apply to the 15-a-side game, one reason why the Toulon flanker Steffon Armitage, who won the last of his five England caps four years ago, is considering making himself available for France’s Olympic team, though he would only be able to play in next year’s World Cup if he played in what is described in the IRB’s handbook as an “Olympic Event”, which translates as a qualifying tournament.


By taking part in the Olympics, the IRB is making its regulations subject to outside interpretation. If a player disputes a refusal by the Board to allow his eligibility for another country in the Olympics, he or she will have recourse to the court of arbitration for sport, something denied to those in other forms of the game. “The Cas will resolve definitively the dispute,” the IRB handbook goes on, “in accordance with the code of sports related arbitration. The IRB has the right to appear and/or participate in any appeal to Cas involving eligibility considerations for Olympic Events.”


The IRB had to concede that passports determined eligibility otherwise it would not have gained Olympic status, and as rugby has only been included up to 2020 it has to be seen to be adopting the spirit of the IOC’s regulation, but in doing so it is being discriminatory: some players will have a way back into Test rugby at 15-a-side level well in time for the World Cup, but the majority will not.


“The objective of the regulation is that players qualify for sevens,” said the IRB chief executive, Brett Gosper. “There is a regulations committee that will look at all applications for transfer to see that it is for bona fide sevens reasons. The transfer will have to be passed by the committee: if we have huge props applying for a career in sevens, we’ll smell a rat. Obvious abuses that are counter to the spirit of why we are doing it will be caught in the net.”


Gosper failed to mention that Cas, not the IRB, would be the last resort for anyone looking to change allegiance for the Olympics. But when he implied that huge props need not apply, passport or not, the question that went unasked was why a change in the eligibility system, one that many smaller unions have been urging for years, should benefit only those proficient at the short form of the game and member unions that play on the sevens circuit.


Why not align IOC regulations with those of the IRB over eligibility and make it passport based, with the restriction that a player may only switch international allegiance once? Many of the larger unions on the board regard such a move with horror and have consistently opposed it. Some of the reasoning has been specious, not least the view that it could make the developing unions weaker because their best players could be picked off, but underlying the conservatism has been a desire to preserve the old order.


As Warren Gatland, the Wales head coach, put it this week: “I think it is going to make most teams stronger and that is what we want, isn’t it? Ideally, you get countries like New Zealand and Australia that pick their World Cup squads and there is probably a heap of players who can go back to Samoa and Fiji and make the World Cup more exciting. It will make it tougher on countries like ourselves, Ireland and Scotland, but that is part of sport. I do not see it as a bad thing.”


The Welsh Rugby Union has not agreed with those sentiments in IRB meetings when eligibility has been discussed. The former New Zealand wing Sitiveni Sivivatu won the last of his 45 caps in 2011; born in Suva, Fiji, he would meet the passport requirement to play in the Olympics and, therefore, the World Cup next year. So would Joe Rokocoko.


Sevens would be a vehicle for them back into the Test arena, should they choose. The IRB is concerned that the integrity of sevens should be preserved and that players, and countries, should not use Olympic status as a bogus means of re-entry.


If that is understandable, given that the IRB only changed to the passport rule to gain entry into the Olympics, it is patently unfair. Opening the door enough so that only those of a certain size will gain admission will have its day when a huge prop puts his shoulder to it. As will surely happen.


• This is an extract taken from the Guardian’s weekly rugby union email, the Breakdown, to subscribe just visit this page, find “The Breakdown” and follow the instructions


Article source: http://www.espnscrum.com/2015-rugby-world-cup/rugby/story/232977.html


Rugby passport rules built on shaky foundations with Rio 2016 in view