NEW YORK, NY – We’ve got a lot going on in the rugby world right now and we can’t cover it all. But as usual, we’ll give you the nuggets to get by at the office party. Here is a good bit re: USA Rugby College Championships, Elia, Toner, Dupont.
News & Transactions:
Aviva Premeirship: Harlequins confirmed that Samoan international hooker Elia Elia has joined the club on a short term contact with immediate effect.
Pro 12: The IRFU and Leinster announced that Devin Toner has signed a three-year deal which keeps him at Leinster until at least June 2020. Toner is VERY TALL.
Top14: Montpellier announced that scrum-half Benoît Paillaugue has extended his current club contract that expired in 2018 to June 2020… Toulouse have pulled off a major signing by securing the signature of scrum-half Antoine Dupont from Castres for next season.
USA Rugby: It was Fall College Championship Weekend in USA Rugby… The United States Air Force Academy silenced their demons Sunday, defeating University of Connecticut, 19-8, in the 2016 USA Rugby Women’s College Division I Fall Championship, a year after losing the same fixture at Furman University… Notre Dame College will return to the USA Rugby Men’s College Division 1AA National Championship match following its 39-17 defeat of Bowling Green State University in the Fall Championship Final at Furman University Sunday. The Davenport University Panthers secured their third trophy in a year Sunday, shutting out Winona State University, 37-0, in the 2016 USA Rugby Women’s College Division II Fall Championship Final… University of Wisconsin, Whitewater won its second title in six years, 29-13. The Warhawks won their first D II National Championship in four tries in the past three seasons, including a 2015 USA Rugby College Sevens National Championship defeat.
World Rugby: Iconic Swiss watch brand, TAG Heuer has signed on to become official HSBC Sevens series timing partner… And in timely fashion, click here for the latest edition of the World Rugby Rankings.
The weekend’s fixtures:
Dubai 7s Womens: The 2016/2017 HSBC World Rugby Womens 7s Series kicked of in Dubai. For a look at the tournament from a USA perspective and review of the tournament, please CLICK HERE for our review of all the action.
Dubai 7s Mens: The 2015/2016 HSBC World Rugby Mens 7s Series also kicking off this weekend in Dubai. As we did for the women, we have look at the tournament from a USA perspective and review of the tournament CLICK HERE for our review
Autumn Internationals: Th international window is technically closed. However, that didn’t stop England and Australia playing a money grabbing fourth test this window and fourth head to head this season. England managed to go this season undefeated against the Wallabies and all comers in 2016.
Here are the results:
Sat – 27 Nov 2016
England 37-21 Australia
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 began with Sale falling short against Exeter, Bath secured a huge upset against Saracens and Gloucester thumped Bristol, Leicester were too strong Northampton, Worcester had no answer to Wasps and finally Newcastle won against Harlequins.
Here are the results:
Fri – 2 Dec 2016
Sale Sharks 3-21 Exeter Chiefs
Sat – 3 Dec 2016
Bath 14-11 Saracens
Gloucester 26-18 Bristol
Leicester Tigers 19-11 Northampton Saints
Sun – 4 Dec 2016
Worcester Warriors 12-26 Wasps
Newcastle Falcons 38-32 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 began with La Rochelle drew with Racing 92, there was also Grenoble falling short against Montpelliet, Castres were too much Lyon, Stade Francais romped over Bayonne and Pau were too strong for Clermont-Auvergne. Finally, Toulon beat Bordeaux-Begles and in the final bout Toulouse easily against Brive.
Here are the results:
Sat – 3 Dec 2016
La Rochelle 23-23 Racing 92
Grenoble 37-51 Montpellier
Lyon 19-23 Castres
Stade Français 51-5 Bayonne
Pau 40-35 Clermont Auvergne
Sun – 20 Nov 2016
Toulon 37-10 Bordeaux-Bègles
Toulouse 30-12 Brive
Pro 12: The 2016–17 Pro12 (also known as the Guinness Pro12 for sponsorship reasons) will be the sixteenth season of the professional rugby union competition originally known as the Celtic League, and the seventh with its current four-country format. It is the third season to be referred to as the Guinness Pro12. The weekend saw Muster edge out Glasgow, Ospreys beat Edinburgh. Leinster fought off Newport, Ulster defeated Cardiff, and Treviso had no answer for Connacht, in the last match Zebre were too much for Scarlets.
Here are the results:
Fri – 2 Dec 2016
Glasgow Warriors 15-16 Munster
Ospreys 31-22 Edinburgh
Sat- 3 Dec 2016
Leinster 28-15 Newport Gwent Dragons
Cardiff Blues 22-35 Ulster
Connacht 47-8 Treviso
Zebre 24-31 Scarlets
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 are the results:
Sun – 4 Dec 2016
C Division Championship: Costa Rica 53-22 El Salvador
C Division Championship: Guatemala 34-0 Panama
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.
