NEW YORK, NY – Happy New Year to all! And what better way to ring in 2017 then with lots of rugby? With that, today’s report will have news re: Florian Cazenave, Carl Hogg, Rob Hawkins and NDS.
News & Transactions:
Top14: Florian Cazenave, who lost an eye in a domestic accident back in 2013, is set to return to the Top 14 with Brive next season. Cazenave has been playing for Reggio in Italy since 2014 due to the laws in France preventing players from taking to the field while wearing specially made glasses. New FFR president Bernard Laporte however has changed the law to allow players to play wearing protective goggles. And a source has now told Rugbyrama that Cazenave is on the brink of sealing a return to France to join Brive.
Aviva Premiership: Worcester head coach Carl Hogg has confirmed that Namibia boss will join the struggling Premiership side on a “short-term secondment.” Bristol hooker Rob Hawkins has extended his contract until the end of the 2016/17 campaign, the club has confirmed.
USA Rugby: Each year, the entire rugby community is invited to the National Development Summit Dinner of Champions. This year’s dinner, held at the Renaissance Baltimore Inner Harbor, will feature WWE’s John Layfield, the United States Olympic Committee’s Chris Snyder, new USA Rugby Chief Executive Officer Dan Payne, and the USA Rugby Coach of the Year awards.
World Rugby: A Disciplinary Panel has convened in Dublin to consider the Citing Complaint lodged against Giulio Bisegni of Zebre for alleged foul play against a Treviso player on December 23 at Stadio Monigo. Bisegni was charged with committing an act of foul play under Law 10.4 (m) – Contact with the Eye or Eye Area.
The weekend’s fixtures:
Aviva Premiership: The 2016/2017 Aviva Premiership gets ready to start the second half of the season. This weekend began with Wasps winning a shootout against Newcastle and Bath will face Exeter in the match of the weekend. Bristol travel to Sale. Harlequins are on the road against Worcester, Gloucester and Northampton clash and finally Leicester go up against Saracens.
Here are the results:
Fri – 30 Dec 2016
Newcastle Falcons 30-34 Wasps
Here is the schedule:
Sat- 31 Dec 2016
Bath – Exeter Chiefs
Sun – 1 Jan 201
Sale Sharks – Bristol
Worcester Warriors – Harlequins
Gloucester – Northampton Saints
Leicester Tigers – Saracens
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. The line-up for the weekend began with Lyon defeating Bordeaux in a tight battle. The weekend continues with Pau – Montpellier, Castres and Bayonne doing battle, Stade Francis and Brive clash and Clermont Auvergne face off against Toulouse. La Rochelle meet Grenoble and finally the match of the round sees rematch of last year’s final as Toulon and Racing go toe to toe.
Here are the results:
Fri – 30 Dec 2016
Lyon 19-16 Bordeaux-Bègles
Here is the schedule:
Sat – 31 Dec 2016
Pau – Montpellier
Castres – Bayonne
Stade Français – Brive
Toulouse – Clermont Auvergne
Sun – 1 Dec 2017
La Rochelle – Grenoble
Toulon – Racing 92
Pro 12: The 2016–17 Pro12 has hit the second half of the season. This weekend sees Edinburgh travels to Zebre then the other Italian side Treviso hosts Glasgow. We have an Irish derbies as Ulster and Leinster go at it while Connacht and Munster face-off. Other long standing rivalries return as Cardiff and Scarlets do battle then finally, we have Ospreys going against Newport-Gwent to complete the round.
Here is the schedule:
Sat – 31 Dec 2016
Zebre – Edinburgh
Benetton Treviso – Glasgow Warriors
Leinster – Ulster
Connacht – Munster
Sun – 1 Jan 2017
Scarlets – Cardiff Blues
Newport-Gwent Dragons – Ospreys
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.
