Kyle Eastmond ready to make roaring return for Bath Rugby after tough England ...

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Kyle Eastmond is ready to make a roaring return for Bath Rugby after putting a tough tour to New Zealand with England behind him.

The cross-code convert was singled out for criticism during the All Blacks’ emphatic 36-13 victory in the third and final Test back in June.

The world champions ran riot in the first half in Hamilton, scoring four tries without reply, and inside centre Eastmond was withdrawn at the break as England head coach Stuart Lancaster tried to stiffen up his midfield.

Former St Helens ace Eastmond was winning just a fourth cap at the time but says the experience has had no adverse effect on him.

Eastmond, 25, said: “In all genuine honesty I wouldn’t read a paper if it was good or bad, so I don’t know what was said.

“But it happens and you have to be emotionless about these things.

“It was a big game and we didn’t play great for 40 minutes, and that’s it. They took advantage and scored four tries.

“It’s not even that they’re the best team in the world, we at Bath will do that to teams at some point. It’s rugby and it happens. It’s nothing that worries me at all.

“I was one of the last back in for training over the summer but I’ve got a few weeks under my belt and am feeling good. I’m excited and can’t wait to start playing for Bath again.”

Lancaster handed Eastmond just a second Test start in the series opener in Auckland and he produced a solid showing as the All Blacks snatched a last-gasp 20-15 victory.

And despite copping the flak for the troubles of the third Test, Eastmond remains firmly on the Red Rose radar and was part of last month’s training camp.

“If you’re going down to New Zealand to take on the best team in the world and don’t relish that experience then you’re an idiot,” added Eastmond.

“Eden Park was great. We could have sneaked a win there but didn’t quite do it. It was a great Test match and I really enjoyed it.

“And it was great to be back in that camp last month, it’s a great set-up.

“I’ve learned so much at Bath but you always learn so much in such a short space of time in that environment. It’s invaluable, especially for a player like me.”

Article source: http://www.skysports.com/rugbyunion/match_preview/0,,11069_62474_1,00.html

Kyle Eastmond ready to make roaring return for Bath Rugby after tough England ...

Former Rugby League player dies after plunging from hotel balcony in Ibiza

A former rugby league player has died after plunging from a hotel balcony in Ibiza.

Luke Rhoden, 25, is understood to have been running around ‘like a madman’ before falling or jumping from the first floor room but survived.

It is believed Rhoden, who played as a prop forward for Wigan Warriors in the same junior team as Sam and Joel Tomkins before moving to Oldham Roughyeds, was then involved in a struggle with Spanish Civil Guard officers.

Officers had to restrain him as they put him into an ambulance at the Ibiza Rocks Hotel in San Antonio.

Paramedics spent 40 minutes trying to revive him but he died in the ambulance.

Tributes have been paid to Luke from members of the rugby league world.

Wigan Warriors head coach Shaun Wane said: “I was absolutely devastated and saddened when news reached me of Luke’s death.

“I almost crashed my car I was so shocked and taken aback because I knew him well and he was great lad. It’s a real tragedy.

“It is very hard coming to terms with what’s happened because I spent a lot of time working and coaching Luke when he was a young player coming through.

“They were good times and Luke was so keen.

“I coached him at Wigan when he was in the junior ranks at 16’s, 17’s and 18’s level. He was a good lad who would look after himself.

“He was what I would term a rough diamond.

“He went into the semi professional ranks before ending up at Oldham.”

“I really feel for his family at this very sad time.”

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Oldham chairman Chris Hamilton said: “I am very saddened to learn of Luke’s death.

“He was one of those talented players who came from Wigan, trained and played hard and always gave 100 percent. He always showed total commitment.”

It is understood Luke no longer played professional rugby league.

A post mortem is due to be carried out to establish the cause of death.

It will also determine if Mr Rhoden had been drinking or taking drugs before the tragedy.

A Civil Guard source said: “He was a guest at the Ibiza Rocks Hotel and he was running around like a madman shouting that people wanted to kill him.

“We were called at 10.30 when he jumped from a first-floor room and landed on a patio below.

“Our officers restrained him and put him in an ambulance but he died in the ambulance before it left the area of the hotel.

“The autopsy will establish the cause of death and whether drink and drugs were involved.”

A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We can confirm the death of a British national in Ibiza on 3 September.

“We are providing consular assistance to the family at this difficult time.”

Article source: http://www.skysports.com/rugbyunion/match_preview/0,,11069_62474_1,00.html

Former Rugby League player dies after plunging from hotel balcony in Ibiza

Biting Back: We need to get behind Ulster Rugby

Les Kiss has taken over the reins of Ulster

By Ali Gordon

– 03 September 2014

We are rarely optimistic. Until half the country jumps on the bandwagon to support an individual or a team, of course.

Look at Rory McIlroy, for example. He wins two majors in two months and then comes a credible fifth in the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston and the world and their grannies take to social networking sites to bash him as a choker.

Now cast your minds back to last Saturday, when Ulster secured a 10-7 victory over interpro rivals Leinster. Okay, it was a friendly, but a number of the keyboard warriors among us appeared disappointed with Ulster’s latest performance and I saw a few bitter Leinster fans slamming Ulster’s ‘easy’ early PRO12 fixtures. You can’t win in this digital age.

However, much can be gleaned from the 22-21 defeat by Exeter, which saw Rory Scholes, Louis Ludik and Ian Humphreys excel, and the win in Dublin against Leinster, where new South African signings Franco van der Merwe and Wiehann Herbst also impressed.

For a while, it felt a bit like everyone was leaving. Big name departures at the end of last season in the form of players Johann Muller, Stephen Ferris, John Afoa, Tom Court and Paddy Wallace, then David Humphreys surprised fans with his exit to Gloucester and coach Mark Anscombe was ousted.

But just look at the latest encouraging performances from Ulster and be reminded of the inspiring 19-17 triumph over Munster at the end of last season. The largely inexperienced side on that occasion was a class act.

So, bandwagon or not, maybe we should start sending our optimism in the direction of Ulster Rugby.

Article source: http://www.skysports.com/rugbyunion/match_preview/0,,11069_62474_1,00.html

Biting Back: We need to get behind Ulster Rugby

Rugby great Gareth Edwards to be honoured at awards

Welsh rugby legend Gareth Edwards is to receive an award for his outstanding contribution to the sport.

The former scrum half, who is one of only a small group of players to have won three Grand Slams, will accept the top accolade at the annual Rugby Legends Awards.

Edwards will also take part in a QA session about his achievements and influences.

This will include awards to those who played a key part in his career, including Clive Rowland, the former Welsh captain, scrum half and Edwards’ coach.

JBG Thomas Collection – New Zealand v British Lions, 3rd Test, Wellington. Gareth Edwards in action. New Zealand 3 British Lions 13

 

The awards dinner will raise money for The Willow Foundation, a national charity which organises Special Days for people aged 16 to 40 with serious illnesses.

The charity was founded by former Arsenal goalkeeper and sports presenter Bob Wilson and his wife Megs in memory of their daughter, Anna, who died of cancer at the age of 31.

Willow has since fulfilled more than 10,000 Special Days for people living with life-threatening conditions such as cancer, cystic fibrosis, motor neurone disease, muscular dystrophy, organ failure and Huntington’s.

The Rugby Legends Awards will be held at The Brewery in London on October 1.

The ceremony will be hosted by broadcaster John Inverdale and former England and British Lions lock Martin Bayfield.

Guests are set to include Maggie Alphonsi, John Dawes, Jeff Probyn, Lee Mears, Clive Rowlands, Catherine Spencer and Rory Underwood.

Winners of the Player of the Year and Special Merit awards will be announced on the night. A special award will also be presented in light of the recent success at the Women’s Rugby World Cup.

For more information or to book tickets, visit www.willowfoundation.org.uk/rugbylegendsawards

Article source: http://www.skysports.com/rugbyunion/match_preview/0,,11069_62474_1,00.html

Rugby great Gareth Edwards to be honoured at awards

Charles Dance gives rousing pep talk in Rugby World Cup 2015 promotional video

• Games of Throne star Charles Dance provides rousing speech to rugby stars in video


• Dunne tells them they ‘are not just any team’ in the inspiring speech


• He also says encourages them to ensure the 2015 World Cup in England is the best ever


• All Blacks snubbed in World Cup promotional video

By

Sean Gallagher for MailOnline

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16:32, 2 September 2014


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17:45, 2 September 2014

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Charles Dance has given a rousing pep talk in the latest Rugby World Cup promotional video ahead of next year’s tournament in England.




The Games of Thrones star claims next year’s Rugby showcase will be ‘too good to miss’ during the pep talk, which lasts over two minutes and forty seconds. 




The likes of Dylan Hartley, Joe Launchbury and George North feature in the video plus heroes Martin Johnson, Scott Quinnell and Lawrence Dallaglio,




VIDEO Scroll down to watch Charles Dance’s rousing pep talk in the Rugby World Cup 2015 promotional video









Passionate: Games of Throne star Charles Dance gives a rousing pep talk in the 2015 World Cup video









All eyes: Dance gives a impressive team talk during the promotional video









Standing tall: Martin Johnson looks in serious yet reflective mood during the video









Head-to-head: New Zealand and Canada rugby stars face off in each other in the promotional video




During the video Dance names regions quoting: ‘Leeds, Manchester, Brighton, you are the backbone of this land. ‘Milton Keynes, you’re our shoulders. Are you ready to carry the legion of fans?’




Current and former Rugby stars featured in the video – most notably from South Africa, Australia and France – with the World Champions All Blacks snubbed in the video.




The Bartle Bogle Hegarty ad is just one of a host of integrated marketing and PR campaigns ahead of the tournament next year, with a city dressing programme in each of the 11 host cities also.




England Rugby 2015 CEO, Debbie Jevans has also been speaking about the tournament:  ‘We are excited to launch the ticketing campaign and begin the build up to tickets going on sale for the Rugby World Cup 2015.’




Tickets for the Rugby World Cup will go on sale on 12 September.














 





 




 




 




 




 




 




 




 




 




Article source: http://www.skysports.com/rugbyunion/match_preview/0,,11069_62474_1,00.html


Charles Dance gives rousing pep talk in Rugby World Cup 2015 promotional video

Rugby"s riches must not hurt England - Bath owner Bruce Craig

Bath owner Bruce Craig says rugby union in England must not follow the football model, regardless of how much money comes into the game.

Craig – who is also vice-chairman of Premiership Rugby – has been influential in securing clubs greater power to run their commercial affairs.

But he is adamant they must continue to provide a wealth of home-grown players to serve the national side.

“One of the fundamental things in English rugby today is to make sure we have a very strong England national team as well as a very strong club culture,” he told BBC Radio 5 live.

The high number of foreign players in football’s Premier League is perceived by some to have had a detrimental impact on the England team, who

failed to qualify from their group

at this summer’s World Cup in Brazil, with young England-qualified players struggling to find first-team football at top sides.

Young English players like Tom Cleverley and Danny Welbeck have left Manchester United as more foreign players have joined

“A huge amount of international players are coming into English football and you have repercussions,” Craig added. “Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal – they are all fabulous clubs, but they are almost international teams.”

In the Aviva Premiership, clubs must average 15 England-qualified players – through birth, ancestry or residency – in their match-day squad of 23 in order to continue to receive payments from the Rugby Football Union (RFU).

That equates to 65% and the league average across the 2013-14 season was over 70%, the highest ever, while

Harlequins

– with more than 40 England-qualified players in their senior squad – fielded nearly 90%.

Harlequins had more than 40 England-qualified players in their squad in 2013-14

And Craig maintains this is the way to give the national team the best opportunity to be successful.

“The strong club structure is feeding into a very strong England team, and the only way to do that is to make sure there are a considerable number of English youngsters coming from school, through the academies and into the main competition,” he continued.

“There are very positive signs for English rugby going into the World Cup year.”

The same cannot be said of France, where an influx of foreign players to the Top 14 has left head coach Philippe Saint-Andre bemoaning the lack of depth at his disposal.

France coach Philippe Saint-Andre has complained of a lack of depth in the national squad

“They’ve done certain things very well, but those things have repercussions. They’ve brought in those foreign players, but the national team don’t have enough players who are French qualified,” Craig continued.

“They would like to emulate the England system. But we have things to learn from them in terms of commerciality and making sure the audience is increased.”

With that in mind, Craig says he would be open to moving some live club rugby union matches to terrestrial television in the future, in order to increase exposure to the game.

Premiership Rugby currently has a lucrative broadcasting agreement with BT Sport, while Sky Sports and BT will share the rights for the new European Rugby Champions Cup.

But Craig believes rugby union may have to move into the terrestrial market for some live matches.

Craig believes some terrestrial TV coverage is needed to increase exposure to domestic rugby union

“I think it would be very good to have some free-to-air exposure of club rugby,” he said. “But there’s a fine balance between the money coming into the game and getting more interest in the game.

“I look at the number of spectators in France, which is far greater than in England. They have actually put European rugby on terrestrial television – two games a weekend – and that fostered an interest in the domestic game, which then drove the subscriptions. So over a period of time the numbers have grown. It’s a longer-term game.

“It definitely needs to be looked at. You need that pay-per-view element from a commercial point of view. But from a national interest point of view, it would be great to see some of the big club games [on terrestrial television].

“Those games I’m sure would generate 2/3/4 million people. We don’t get that at the moment.”

Hear more from Bruce Craig on the 5 live Rugby podcast

Article source: http://www.skysports.com/rugbyunion/match_preview/0,,11069_62474_1,00.html

Rugby"s riches must not hurt England - Bath owner Bruce Craig

Rugby lads line out to unveil new pub

By Laura Butler

– 03 September 2014 02:30 PM

THESE Ireland rugby stars are preparing for the scrum of punters at their new D4 pub this season.

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Brothers Rob and Dave Kearney, Sean O’Brien and Jamie Heaslip joined forces earlier this year along with The Grafton Lounge’s Noel Anderson to buy Ballsbridge watering hole Bellamy’s.

The Leinster and Ireland team mates took over the popular rugby haunt earlier this year and have been busy with a major overhaul.

They are getting ready to throw open the doors of the pub, renamed The Bridge 1859 at the end of the month.

The venue, located close to both the Aviva and the RDS stadiums, has been completely redesigned and will be serving food and drink all day.

The sporting stars decided to give a nod to the past when it came to picking a name for their new venture.

History

“For all of us it was important to get a name that paid homage to the history of the building and the area,” said British and Irish Lion Heaslip.

“We feel that The Bridge 1859 captures both – we’re located in Ballsbridge, and the building was first used as a pub in 1859.

“We also wanted a name that was easy to roll off the tongue standing in the RDS or the Aviva – ‘let’s go to The Bridge for one’.”

Renovations have been going on all summer in order to be ready for the rugby season and Dundalk native Rob Kearney insisted they are “thrilled” with progress.

“People are going to be really surprised at how the place has been transformed,” said the 28-year-old.

For Tullow Tank Sean O’Brien, owning a pub is a dream come true.

“I’ve always been interested in owning a pub and now that is has become a reality, I can’t wait to get behind the bar and pull a few pints,” he said.

hnews@herald.ie

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Article source: http://www.skysports.com/rugbyunion/match_preview/0,,11069_62474_1,00.html

Rugby lads line out to unveil new pub