Super Rugby Fiji, Burns, Morgan, Fearns, IRB HoF, Autumn Internationals

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NEW YORK, NY – There is a lot of news to cover and not much time to cover it. We have some big fixtures this weekend but also some very interesting news. Today’s recap will cover: Super Rugby Fiji, Burns, Morgan, Fearns, Autumn Internationals… So, lets get into the Weekend Rugby Preview.

News & Transactions:

Super Rugby: Plans are underway to create a new Super Rugby team based in Fiji in an attempt to stop players leaving the Pacific Islands for greener pastures. The Daily Telegraph revealed on Tuesday that £20 million has already been secured to back the idea, with more than four global companies and two leading kit manufacturers having pledged to fund the proposal.

The Western Force announced  two key additions to the front row. They have added Perth-born hooker Harry Scoble to their senior squad and have signed Australia U20 prop Shambeckler Vui for the 2017 Super Rugby season.

Aviva Premiership: It has been a busy week for Gloucester confirmed that fly-half Billy Burns has agreed terms on a new deal, extending his current contract which was due to expire at the end of the current season. Gloucester also announced that England international eightman Ben Morgan put pen to paper on a new deal with the Premiership club. In addition to those two, flanker Carl Fearns has been added for next season, who will be joining from Top 14 side Lyon, and finally versatile back Henry Purdy has agreed a new contract with the club, beginning from the 2017/18 campaign.  Worcester announced that young wing Perry Humphreys has committed his future to the Warriors by signing a new contract with the club… Harlequins announced that backrower James Chisholm has re-signed with the club.

Pro 12: Glasgow Warriors announced the signing of Australian-born winger Ratu Tagive on a one-year deal.

Top14: Bordeaux-Bègles announced that Samoan international hooker Ole Avei has signed a contract extension at the Top 14 club… Top 14 side Brive announced three new signings and a number of contract extensions ahead of next season. Etienne Herjean (Narbonne), Damien Lagrange (La Rochelle) and Franck Romanet (Lyon) have all been recruited for the 2017/2018 campaign. Eight players meanwhile have signed contract extensions: Soso Bekosvhili, François Da Ros, Vivien Devisme, Saïd Hireche, Sisaro Koyamaibole, Peet Marais, Johan Snyman and Matthieu Ugalde.

USA Rugby: It is the playoff weekend for College Men’s Round of 16 and Quaterfinals in DII, DI-AA, as well as the Women’s DII and DI.

World Rugby: Clark Laidlaw is unveiled as the new head coach of New Zealand, but only from 1 June, 2017 so Scott Waldrom and Tomasi Cama will take charge in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2016-17. Laidlaw’s appointment is a bit of a surprise as most figured Eric Rush was next in line let alone a Scotsman that is currently assistant coach of English Championship club London Irish… The World Rugby Hall of Fame has been officially launched in Rugby, England, following a star-studded grand opening in the town and induction of 12 more greats of the game on Thursday. The inductees are (with caps and country):

Brian O’Driscoll (121, Ireland), Shane Williams (122, Wales), Jeremy Guscott (123, England), Lawrence Dallaglio (124, England), Heather Moyse (125, Canada), John Dawes (126, Wales), GPS Macpherson (127, Scotland), Arthur Gould (128, Wales), Jonny Wilkinson (129, England), Daniel Carroll (130, Australia and USA), Daisuke Ohata (131, Japan) and Maggie Alphonsi (132, England).

Five amendments to law will be trialled in the southern hemisphere from 1 January and from 1 August in the north. Click here to read them.

The weekend’s fixtures:

As always, Ladies first…
Women’s International: There are three internationals scheduled this weekend. The biggest match of the weekend, in terms of importance is the Women’s Rugby World Cup qualifying match 1st leg where Scotland hosts Spain. The other big match of the weekend has England hosting New Zealand and finally Ireland host Canada.

Here is the schedule:
Fri – 18 Nov 2016
Women’s Rugby World Cup 2017 Qualifying
Scotland – Spain
Sat – 19 Nov 2016
England – New Zealand
Ireland – Canada

Autumn Internationals: This is the second official weekend the international fixture season. As for the fixtures themselves, they begin with the big rematch as Ireland host New Zealand. The next batch of matches feature England taking on Fiji, France host Australia and Wales welcome Japan. Scotland take on Argentina, Georgia face Samoa and Romania tackles Canada. The USA face off with Tonga, Spain clash with Uruguay, Germany and Brazil clash and finally Chile will battle Korea, the Southern one, in the second test of their series.

Here is the schedule:
Sat – 19 Nov 2016
Ireland – New Zealand
England – Fiji
Italy – South Africa
France – Australia
Wales – Japan
Scotland – Argentina
Georgia – Samoa
Romania – Canada
Tonga – United States
Spain – Uruguay
Germany – Brazil
Chile – Korea

Aviva Premiership: The 2016/2017 Aviva Premiership will be the 30th season of the top flight of English domestic rugby union competition, and the seventh to be sponsored by Aviva Insurance. The current champions are Saracens. The most recently promoted side is Bristol, who have returned to the top flight after defeating Doncaster in the 2015-16 RFU Championship Play-Off Final. This weekend will have Bath hosting Bristol. Worcester welcome Northampton, Newcastle tackle Exeter, Gloucester play Wasps, Sale will face Saracens and finally Leicester battle Harlequins.

Here is the schedule:
Fri – 18 Nov 2016
Bath – Bristol
Worcester Warriors – Northampton Saints
Newcastle Falcons – Exeter Chiefs
Sat – 19 Nov 2016
Gloucester – Wasps
Sun – 20 Nov 2016
Sale Sharks – Saracens
Leicester Tigers – Harlequins

Top 14: The Top 14 season continues. The twelve teams this season are champions Racing 92, runners-up Toulon, Clermont, Montpellier, Toulouse, Castres, Bordeaux, Brive, La Rochelle, Grenoble, Pau and Stade Français… Two new teams from the 2015–16 Pro D2 season were promoted to Top 14 this year, Bayonne and Lyon in place of the two relegated teams, Agen and Oyonnax. It marks the first time that both teams relegated are both promoted in the following season (Bayonne and Lyon where both relegated during the 2014–15 Top 14 season). The line-up for the weekend begins with Castres and Toulon doing battle… There’s also Bordeaux against La Rochelle, Brive versus Pau, Clermont-Auvergne plays Lyon and Racing challenges Grenoble. Finally, Stade Francais travels to Montpellier and in the final bout Bayonne and Toulouse clash.

Here is the schedule:
Sat – 19 Nov 2016
Castres – Toulon
Bordeaux-Bègles – La Rochelle
Brive – Pau
Clermont-Auvergne – Lyon
Racing 92 – Grenoble
Sun – 20 Nov 2016
Stade Français – Montpellier
Bayonne – Toulouse

European Nations Cup: The ENC, or the 6 Nations “B” , is the premier tournament for the second-tier nations of Europe. Unbeknownst to some, the ENC consists of seven divisions, each featuring between four and six teams. The matches played will determine who will get promoted and relegated from groups Championship, Trophy, Conference 1 North &1 South and 2 North & 2 South over a two-year cycle. The Championship, where the best teams in Europe not called England, Ireland, France, Italy, Wales or Scotland reside, has no promotion option – only relegation back to 1B. Hopefully promotion from 1A to the proper 6N will eventually occur… but we aren’t banking on it.

As for the the weekend’s fixtures, in a Trophy division matches, The Netherlands welcome Moldova while Switzerland and Portugal do battle.

Here is the schedule:
Sat – 19 Nov 2016
RET: Netherlands – Moldova
RET: Switzerland – Portugal
Hong Kong Cup of Nations: The Hong Kong Cup of Nations is a fifteens rugby tournament which in 2015 featured four national sides – Hong Kong, Papua New Guinea, Russia and Zimbabwe – playing six test matches on 12, 16 and 20 November 2016. The round-robin competition replaced the HKRU’s autumn international test series. The second round in the midweek saw Russia crush Papua New Guinea and Hong Kong dominate against Zimbabwe.

Here are the results:
Wed – 16 Nov 2016
Russia 49 – 19 Papua New Guinea
Hong Kong 34 – 11 Zimbabwe

The third and final round begins with hosts Hong Kong taking on Russia and Zimbabwe play Papua New Guinea.

Here is the schedule:
Sun – 20 Nov 2016
Hong Kong – Russia
Zimbabwe -Papua New Guinea

Sudamerica Rugby: Formerly the SAMC now just Sudamerica Ruby is the same as the ENC – except it’s South America, a minor detail – and that it has 4 divisions featuring 15 teams. It is the battle to find the 2nd best team in South America with Argentina the firm number 1. The top division is called the CONSUR division and features Argentina’s B team, Uruguay and Chile. In the big South American Qualifier this weekend Paraguay takes on Colombia.

Here is the schedule:
Sat – 19 Nov 2016
WCQ Sth America Playoff: Paraguay – Colombia

That’s all for now, please feel free to comment below, look for and “Like” our Facebook Rugby Wrap Up Page and follow us on Twitter@: @RugbyWrapUp, @Junoir Blaber, @MeetTheMatts, @Luke Bienstock, @Ronan Nelson, @Brian C Cole and @Declan Yeats.

And as always, stay low and keep pumping those legs.