@canefan said in All Blacks 2026:

@Victor-Meldrew said in All Blacks 2026:

@Chris said in All Blacks 2026:

@xman said in All Blacks 2026:

If Robertson is sacked, the pressure on the next coach will be enormous to get better results. If the next coach loses the South Africa tour, loses the Bledisloe, loses the Eden Park streak, then what does NZR do? Don’t just assume Jamie Joseph will be the saviour of the All Blacks. Coaching Japan where you’re not expected to win, versus coaching the All Blacks where you’re expected to win every game is different level of pressure.

It will bring massive pressure in a very tough year ahead for a new coach.

Then again, if he's takes over a complete shit-show and we start to see signs of improvement, we'll all be happier.

I am of the opinion the RWC is basically gone for us. We need to rebuild our entire team from the ground up. Only then will we have a chance to be great again

Im a pessimist at heart but disagree in a way.

Cheika got the Wallabies to the final in 2015, Fozzie got us to the final in 2023 for example.

Neither were vintage teams.

Similarly, we just need to unearth one or 2 players ala Milner Skudder in 2015 who peak the year of the comp and come in with a hot hand.

The score board moves in 3's in RWC's. We need set piece parity, a kicker and the rub of the green from the TMO's.

To me the 4 year cycle is gone for us, in the sense that we are a much easier scalp for the bigger teams week to week, than we used to be, but come knockout footie, id hate to be a bookie laying us.

The RWC is 3 knockout games. Losing a pool game could even be beneficial.

We are more likely to be found out in the Nations League thing where you play everyone..the league table doesn't lie.

@booboo said in Black Caps tour of India:

280 + to win. Kinda thinking that's enough for them.

I think you are right.
Slow pitch hard to find boundaries and knowing Indian wkts if the first innings is like that it will get lower and slower.

https://www.reddit.com/r/rugbyunion/comments/1qa9xu3/super_rugby_pacific_ama_thursday_january_15/

Kia ora Reddit 👋

We’re a group of players from the six New Zealand based Super Rugby Pacific clubs, and we’re jumping on here this Thursday, January 15 (NZT) to do a live AMA ahead of the 2026 season starting on Feb 13.

Players from all six clubs will be rotating through the thread across the day to answer your questions:
• Blues
• Chiefs
• Hurricanes
• Crusaders
• Highlanders
• Moana Pasifika

You can ask us pretty much anything you’re curious about, whether it’s rugby related or just about life as a player, as long as it’s respectful and within reason.

Drop your questions below ahead of Thursday and we'll crack into it bright and early.

We’ll update the thread as different players jump in so you’ll know who’s live and when.

Looking forward to it 🙌

The big dog has arrived.

@Bones said in Highlanders 2026:

@Canes4life said in Highlanders 2026:

@Bones said in Highlanders 2026:

Razor to serve out his contract leading the landers to SR victory.

Not without the messiah Dylan Pledger.

Considering he won multiple titles without even considering Higgins for his squad, he'll cope.

Definitely a risky move, despite it paying dividends.

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@Chris-B said in Ashes 2025/6:

If the general tenor of these stories is true, I'd be extremely pissed off were I an England fan.

And were I in a position of power I'd be handing Brendon his cards.

Sounds like a fucking shambles from the 1980s.

Good news for Baz. There's a job opening up in NZ. And he was ahead of Dan Carter as a teenager, don't ya know, so that's enough of a pedigree for NZR!

Izzy has another fight after a long layout - Joe Pyfer (March 29)

Fighting someone well below him in the rankings. Pyfer is limited but has power. So it is dangerous given the errors he's made in recent fights/camps

I assume a loss here would be retirement. On the other hand, a good KO and he'll be wanting to squeeze onto the WH card

@KiwiMurph said in NFL 2025:

@mariner4life said in NFL 2025:

Hilarious that the only guy in that Division to keep his job is Taylor at the Bengals!

Cheapest owners in the league not wanting to pay out a coach

that's a crowded field

Streetclothes supposedly out for surgery now, and likely to be traded for pennies on the dollar. Fuck the Mavs.

In other news, it looks like Ja will get the Trae Young treatment and be traded away to whoever might give up any expiring contract to get him. The Bucks might be interested which could be an improvement on fucking Kuzma, but Ja is such a jumped up little fluffybunny I don’t think I’d want him on my team (apparently he’s from a middle class home, just likes acting like a gangsta, silly stupid piston wristed gibbon).

you know what? fuck this bitch ass, punck ass, fuck ass "competition" there isn't even a pretence at parity or a salary cap.
Fucking Sydney just signed Torrey Craig. Fuck you Torrey. One of my favourite Taipans ever. Turning out in that shit fucking uniform.
Meanwhile the Taipans have the two worst imports in the league (and Andrew Andrews who is bottom 5), Waardenburg is hurt AGAIN, Reyne Smith has been broken since November, and it's just fuck us i guess? We can't send shit imports home and get new ones like other clubs (how come Adelaide suddenly have money?) we just suffer in our jocks and get hammered ever 2nd week.

And somehow we aren't the worst team in teh comp.

@nzzp said in Blues 2026:

@Kirwan said in Blues 2026:

@nzzp said in Blues 2026:

@nostrildamus said in Blues 2026:

Unless you are BB or Christie.

Beaudy came as a senior AB

Christie is the exception - but that's hardly a ringing endorsement

And plays for Ta$man

I wondered about saying that - but you're right

60% of the time, I'm right every time.

@mohikamo said in NZR CEO Mark Robinson Resigns:

@Chris

He led the AB review, for sure.
But the others would have been reviewing the review.
And he promptly resigned on completion.
Says it all . . . oh well . . . the other job pays more anyway.

Haha
Normally the job of the CEO to review the review . . . but . . . that's right, we dont have one of those.

Fucking mess then.

For the Fiji Coral Coast 7s.

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Reports that Max Hicks will be joining the growing Kiwi contingent at Newcastle from Perpignan.

Actually very happy to stumble upon some news regarding the California Legion - they will be spreading home games throughout the state and will be playing in the Bay area/Sacramento in back to back weekends in May. Will plan on going to both matches.

I'm assuming they are playing around the state as a way of gauging fan interest. Ofc it must be shit for their established fanbase in socal but hopefully the crowds are good enough that at the least they continue to play some matches in Nor cal. Even better would be a permanent team in this part of the state.

@Daffy-Jaffy said in Exodus:

Gloucester Rugby is pleased to announce the signing of hooker, Manaaki Boyle-Tiatia, on a three-month contract. (Injury cover).

A good opportunity. I was surprised he wasn't in the Chiefs WTG again but they chose JJ Pokai.

@Canes4life said in Super Rugby - The Future:

@Dan54 said in Super Rugby - The Future:

@mohikamo said in Super Rugby - The Future:

@Dan54 said in Exodus:

Yep, I want to keep the NPC. Why? Because it probably the best and enjoyable comp in the country. Does it cost NZR money, yep, but I only looking at it as what I want.

Haha
The older ferners can remember when NZ did have a world class domestic rugby comp.
Big crowds, great players, great games.
So sad for the younguns; at least the olduns have the memories.

Mate I pretty keen on our domestic comp now. I prefer to to super.
Not as good as maybe could be, but I find it best we got.
Even that I would be very keen to having (as some have said) 9-10 team comp, or even the old 3 tier system. I also understand why it wouldn't work in this day or professionalism .
I also understand the idea of 9-10 teams in extended Super, but could only work with full rework of world rugby calendar (and perhaps a lot more money) . Perhaps not only moving RC to beginning of year, but also the inbound tours etc. Then go for a proper comp without stopping for tests?
Just a random thought.

If I could go back to any sort of rugby period it would be the early 2000s Super Rugby era. Electric rugby, huge crowds and amazing players. Take me back.

The domestic NPC comp is nothing more than a development comp now unfortunately. The standard has dropped hugely over the last 10 years and with All Blacks barely playing in it, it’s just not a profitable model anymore with very moderate crowds. If nothing is done with Super Rugby it could end up with the same fate unfortunately.

Yep would love it, but we stuck with paying the bills with test rugby now aren't we! The test window moved later etc, and followed by Autumn series etc has surely put ruined things.
F*** professionalism stuffing things up!!

I know we had to have it etc, but it certaily ruins sport really doesn't it?

World cross country champs on rn in Florida, Aussies won the mixed relay event earlier.