New York, NY – Highlighted by the big Team USA v Canada match, there will be a plethora of rugby action and news allover the globe this weekend… Let’s get straight to our Weekend Rugby Preview.
USA v Canada: The rivalry between these two nations is a long one. Canada continue to hold the upper-hand especially over the last few years. The US keep coming close but short. The stakes are high this weekend. This match will be a RWC 2015 qualifier with the Webb Ellis Cup present as the 2 teams take the field in Charleston, South Carolina.
USA vs Canada: The winner of the qualifier will win the Americas 1 seed and go into RWC Pool D with the loser having to play and defeat Uruguay to win the RWC Pool B seed. The Americas lost the Canadians in Edmonton in the first match of the Pacific Nations Cup. The USA went winless in that competition, while Canada came a hair short of winning the competition. Both sides will have key loses, with USA Rugby legend Paul Emerick retiring the Eagles will be searching for something special in the centers. Canada will be without forwards Jeff Hassler and Hubert Buydens, the former sick with illness and the latter deciding to stay in New Zealand and play ITM Cup rugby. Our red, white and blue crystal ball at our RWU offices predicts a victory for ‘Murikka!
The Rugby Championship: The second year of The Rugby Championship kicks off this Saturday. It will begin with one of the oldest rivalries in the game; Wallabies v. All Blacks, in a fight for one of the oldest trophies, Lord Bledisloe’s Cup. This will be the first of 3 matches for the Bledisloe, with 2 during the TRC and a 3rd sepearate. Meanwhile in The Republic of South Africa, The Mighty Bokke go up against a fired up Argentina. There is a long history of friendship between the two nations and this history is making for a budding rivalry. Here is the schedule:
Australia – New Zealand
South Africa – Argentina
France Top 14: The longest season in domestic rugby begins this weekend. France’s Top 14 league starts play this weekend. Be on the lookout for our season preview coming out the soon: For now, here is this weekend’s schedule:
Montpellier – Toulon
Biarritz – Clermont Auvergne
Racing Metro Paris – Brive
Bordeaux-Begles – Toulouse
Grenoble – Stade Francais
Bayonne – Oyonnax
Perpignan – Castres
The Currie Cup: The first weekend of action featured 1 draw, a 1-point victory and a 2-point victory. If this keeps up this may be the most tightly contesedt season of Currie Cup in a long time. For more information on the ITM Cup check out our preview. Here is the weekend schedule:
Sharks – Lions
Blue Bulls – Griquas
Western Province – Cheetahs
The ITM Cup: The storied New Zealand National Provincial Championsihip kicked off on Thursday. Wellington welcomed Counties Manukau into the Premiership division with a drubbing, while Canterbury began the campaign for their 6th consecutive title with thorough victory over Taranaki. For more information on the ITM Cup check out our preview. Here are the midweek results and this weekend’s schedule:
Thru – 15th Aug 13
Counties Manukau 16 – 55 Wellington
Fri – 16th Aug 13
Canterbury 30 – 6 Taranaki
Sat – 17th Aug 13
Hawkes Bay – Manawatu
Southland – Tasman
Waikato – Northland
Sun – 18th Aug 13
Auckland – North Harbour
Otago – Bay Of Plenty
World Club 7s Championship: The winner’s of the J.P. Morgan Premiership 7s will do battle with some of the best 7s teams int he world. Pushed by Premiership Rugby, the people behind the Aviva Premiership and Premiership 7s, this will be the contest’s inaugral year and will hopefully help in the gorwth of 7s globally and become a marquee global event. Here is all the importnat info:
Location: Twickenham, London, England
Teams:
Pool A
Gloucester Rugby
VVA Moscow
New York
DHL Western Province
Pool B
Buenos Aires
Northampton Saints
San Francisco – Golden Gate
Vodacom Blue Bulls
Pool C
ACT Brumbies
Auckland
Harlequins
Kuban Krasnador
Schedule: Please Click here
HSBC 7s World Series News:
1) Our friends at This is American Rugby put to rest the rumours that the USA 7s Eagles expected to take part in the World Club 7s had gone MIA.
2) Friend of the show Paul Treu has officially stepped down as head coach of SA 7s. Rumor has it he is headed to Kenya according to my sources.
3) No Treu means that Kenya, Fiji, USA, England and SA will be heading into the new 7s season with a new coach. To date only the USA have annouced their new coach. That coach being RWU Correspondent Matt “Polar Bear” Hawkins.
That is it for now, feel free to comment below, look for and “Like” our Facebook Rugby Wrap Up Page and follow us on Twitter @RugbyWrapUp, @JunoirBlaber, @Declan Yeats, @ckuxmann and @Ebstide52, respectively. And until the next time… stay low and keep pumping those legs.
