NEW YORK, NY- This is the most globally saturated weekend of rugby that the RWU staff has possibly ever accounted. We have the semifinals of both the Amlin and Heineken cup, and a Pro12 make-up game… Not to be forgotten on ANZAC weekend is Super Rugby… What really stretches the calendar is the full array of Tier 3 action, ranging from North America, the Caribbean, South America, Asia and Europe plus we have all the weeks transactions… and USA Rugby! No sense mucking around, let’s get into the Weekend Rugby Preview:
Heineken Cup – The leanish, meanish writing machine known as put together a great preview of the action. Please CLICK HERE for the preview and the six pack’s picks.
Amlin Cup – We don’t call a machine for no reason. Please CLICK HERE to check his equally great preview.
Rabodirect Pro12 – The final previously postponed match will take place this weekend as the second leg of the 1872 Cup is played between Glasgow and Edinburgh. It is called the 1872 Cup because the two cities have been rugby rivals that long.
Here is this weekend’s schedule:
SAT – 26TH APR 14
Glasgow – Edinburgh
Super Rugby – The RWU Super Rugby Superman, Jamie Wall, has taken time from his Australia New Zealand Army Corps Day celebration. Which to the Antipodeans is memorial day, veterans day and Independence day all wrapped in one. Please CLICK HERE for his awesome preview.
Tier 3 – This is the busiest tier 3 calendar a fair few of us have ever seen. The European Nations Cup consists of 7 divisions, each with 4-6 teams. The upcoming matches determine who will get promoted and relegated form groups 1A, 1B, 2A – 2D, and 3A. The Asian5N is short for the Asian 5 Nations, which is similar to the ENC but with 5 divisions and 5 teams in each. The SAMC is the same as the two previously mentioned tournaments but for South America and that has 4 divisions featuring 15 teams. All these regional cups have their match-ups for promotion with a few doubling as RWC Qualifiers (RWCQs). One match occurred Wednesday in the A5N, as Singapore outclassed UAE. In the ENC there will be 7 matches with 3 doubling as RWCQs, both the A5N matches are also RWCQs. The two SAMC matches are not and there will be a simple old-fashioned test match as Mexico take on Bermuda.
Here is the midweek result and this weekend’s schedule:
WED– 23rd APR 14
ASIA5N UAE 13 – 30 Singapore
SAT– 5th APR 14
ENC Greece – Luxembourg
ENC Lithuania -Switzerland
ENC Bulgaria – Cyprus
ENC Latvia – Israel
ENC/RWCQ Sweden – Germany
ENC/RWCQ Ukraine – Poland
ENC/RWCQ Czech Republic – Moldova
M INT Mexico – Bermuda
SAMC Brazil – Chile
SAMC Paraguay – Uruguay
ASIA5N/RWCQ Korea – Sri Lanka
ASIA5N/RWCQ Hong Kong -Philippines
Conversion Kick:
Signings/Player Moves: Worcester Warriors have announced the signing of Bath and England Saxons winger Tom Biggs… Scrum-half Warren Fury has come to terms with Newcastle Falcons and signed a two-year deal… Wasps have continued to strengthen his pack for next season by signing Italian tighthead prop Lorenzo Cittadini (left). Wasps have signed Scotland international fly half Ruaridh Jackson from Glasgow Warriors for next season… Staying with the Glasgow Warriors are back-row pair Ryan Wilson and James Eddie as they signed two and three year deals respectively… Newport Gwent Dragons have announced three-year contract extensions for wing Tom Prydie and centre Ashley Smith… Lions and one-time South Africa second row Franco van der Merwe has signed for Irish province Ulster… Van der Merwe is expected to replace fellow South African Johan Mueller.
USA Rugby News and Updates: USA Rugby announced that Twelve all-star sevens teams are currently holding tryouts for the inaugural Elite City Sevens competition, to be held at Houston Sports Park June 6-7.
On the college scene, sixteen Men’s D1-AA and Womens D2 teams have begun battling it out to make the National final.
That’s it for now. Feel free to comment below, look for and “Like” our Facebook Rugby Wrap Up Page and follow us on Twitter@: RugbyWrapUp,Junoir Blaber, DJ Eberle, Nick Hall, James Harrington, Cody Kuxmann, Jaime Loyd, Karen Ritter , Jamie Wall, Jake Frechetteand Declan Yeats, respectively.
And until the next time… stay low and keep pumping those legs!
