Planet Rugby Forum

towny

The reason I always felt that MP were a dead team walking is because they didn't have any Rugby infrastructure supporting them. NZ Super Rugby teams are supported by the provinces, which themselves are supported by club and school comps. MP had none of this. And whilst NZ has a huge Pasifika popula...

towny

Hodgman likely injured, so throw Fa’agase in there.
It’s a bit rough if there’s no room for Josh Nasser and Dre Pakeho, who was one of the Reds’ best this season imo.

I’m really keen to see Henry back on the field.

towny

:thumbup: I'm glad I lived in the 80s and 90s and got to see the likes of Sella, Blanco, Mensel, Roumat etc in NZ. Likely wouldn't see them if they were playing now. Actually, this is a great example of what clubs and fans alike fear. Sella used to play for a team called Agen. Blanco for a team call...

towny

In the lead-up to the last Lions tour on Australian shores, Cvntron united for the first time. Things were said that, though accurate, would no longer be acceptable in the modern 'me too' world of 2025. Most keen-eyed observers have directly linked this event to the subsequent decline in Welsh and ...

towny

grievous wrote: ↑Fri Jun 27, 2025 4:47 am 45k tix sold to date, dwarfs previous Perth Lions tour games

It does, but that ground does hold 60k. It’s probably too early for most OS Lions fans and the ticket prices are extraordinary - perhaps RA missed the mark on pricing with this one.

towny

That is true. We only know what we're being told. But assuming what we're being told is even in the ballpark of being accurate, the Iranian Regime just cannot be allowed to have nuclear weapons. They've set that country back decades, socially even further. They have spent billions of dollars trying...

towny

It's got absolutely nothing to do with Trump. It's because the Iranian Regime took precautions to protect the nuclear enrichment program when the conflict started. They're not complete morons. That said, it's by far the best thing the Trump administration has done. And to be clear, I think Trump is...

towny

There you go again thinking the FFR have any influence on the matter. WR has the power, right? Whoever paid ridiculous money for the tv contract has the power written on paper. Firstly, it's not ridiculous money. And the cable TV company won't walk out if the season is shortened by a few weeks so l...

towny

CM11 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 26, 2025 9:52 am
towny wrote: ↑Thu Jun 26, 2025 9:51 am
CM11 wrote: ↑Thu Jun 26, 2025 9:50 am

They have already taken a weekend from Europe. They'll just mangle that instead of compromising on the top 14.
They’ll do what they’re told, just like every other union.
There you go again thinking the FFR have any influence on the matter.

WR has the power, right?

towny

They have already taken a weekend from Europe. They'll just mangle that instead of compromising on the top 14. They’ll do what they’re told, just like every other union. I'm as disappointed as everyone and certainly fearing 3 good hidings. However, the last French B/C team produced a very watchable...

towny

Who cares, if they want to go and do their own thing then let them. Why let one nation dominate the game? Let's just get on with it in the rest of the world. The French can have their insular comp paying out huge money to homegrown stars and the retirement funds of other nations players cashing in ...

towny

Well stop being their bitches then - boot them from the 6 nations, boot them from the European Cup, make any player going to their comp ineligible for your national teams, ban them from age grade comps - until they start following WR regulations. I don't think you're getting it. The clubs would be ...

towny

I think most of you don’t understand the French rugby market, and the French posters on PR are not representative of what is going on… French fans put the Bouclier (French championship title) above all. They support their club. Most of the time even before the national team. They follow the VI nati...

towny

I think most of you don’t understand the French rugby market, and the French posters on PR are not representative of what is going on… French fans put the Bouclier (French championship title) above all. They support their club. Most of the time even before the national team. They follow the VI nati...

towny

The French Top 14 and Pro D2 also pay the salaries of hundreds of foreign internationals. This does a lot to develop rugby in nations where rugby is poorer. They also offer great retirements plans to those who gave their all to their country and then move on to save for their second career. Cool. T...

towny

It's a decent team, though it would have made a difference if Tizzano and Williams, who are easily their best players, were made available, however I understand why it didn't happen. I like the look of Henry Robertson, who (deservedly imo) gets the back-up halfback role ahead of IFL. The Force look ...

towny

Is Proctor a ringer? Don't recall him playing for the Force but probably mistaken. He signed when the Rebels folded but has been injured. Has played a handful of times for them though Yep. He's a good player that has had no luck whatsoever since he moved to Oz. The Force have had some poor luck wit...

towny

Actually, I take that back. That was a stupid and irresponsible remark. The team was announced at 2pm... FORCE (1-15): Tom Robertson, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Ollie Hoskins, Sam Carter, Darcy Swain, Will Harris, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Vaiolini Ekuasi; Nic White (c), Alex Harford, Dylan Pietsch, H...

towny

I like Bernie but we need to get serious. He would have been up against all media except those online clowns that worshipped him and HuffPost. It would have been a landslide.

towny

I really don’t think the US was going to vote for a socialist.

towny

There is a timeline somewhere where Hilary didn't fudge over Sanders in the primary and America was put on a better path with competent leadership during COVID etc and after losing his first attempt at it Trump f**ked off forever, thus all the populist far right movements copying the MAGA one note ...

towny

So…. Trump wants a criminal probe into the leaking of a report that he’s claimed is fake. https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/trump-hegseth-rage-over-bombshell-leak-reveal-fbi-criminal-probe/ Like the bumbling f**king clown he is he telegraphed what they were going to do so Iran moved all the mater...

towny

Improved almost everything we touched . Let’s start with India, which was at the time that the British arrived, the richest country in the world - how’d that go again? The collapse of the mughal empire happened independent of the EIC, they just happened to be the neighbourhood at the time and fille...

towny

So…. Trump wants a criminal probe into the leaking of a report that he’s claimed is fake.

https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/tru ... nal-probe/

towny

The French clubs are the issue - I don’t blame the FRU and certainly not the players. Players have a forced stand-down period (6 weeks?) and the club season goes for 10 months - the maths doesn’t work for the test window. The clubs couldn’t care less how the national team goes - they’d probably pre...

towny

I don't really care how , but perhaps they could begin by citing and enforcing the relevant World Rugby regulations, and applying genuine sanctions for non-compliance. Here's a shocking idea: perhaps they could organise the Top 14 not to clash with the July window? You know, like literally every ot...

towny

It’s a bit weird how many Saffer dudes from this era have died of rare medical shit. It’s weirder that no-one in a nation of conspiracy theorists seems to be asking questions.

towny

If Australia carry through with their threat to break the contract and not pick international players in their provincial teams, they should no longer be included as a Lions opponent for future tours. They should be replaced by France and Argentina. Have you seen this contract? Now name the teams t...

towny

The French clubs are the issue - I don’t blame the FRU and certainly not the players. They are, and on the other hand, they detect the players, invest on them and develop them, and contribute immensely to the success of the french championship... If you add to this the fact that he FFR is having hu...

towny

You know, I’ve been to Wales. There is literally no high ground for you, and you know it. There is high ground in Wales, not very high though as we don't want to overdo it Do we get to claim the moral high ground by not having our government legally ban us from naming a child "Osama Bin Laden"? You...

towny

They don’t want your 500 quid, they don’t care. More people watch the T14 every weekend than your population. They repeat that every weekend. They don’t care. As for “you get bigger prices , fine we will give you 30% more than we pay Fiji. And there in a nutshell is why England supporters are the b...

towny

The French clubs are the issue - I don’t blame the FRU and certainly not the players. Players have a forced stand-down period (6 weeks?) and the club season goes for 10 months - the maths doesn’t work for the test window. The clubs couldn’t care less how the national team goes - they’d probably pref...

towny

Fez and Paisami released for the Reds clash against the Lions... Schmidt indicated when the squad was announced that Fez would likely play in this game to get some match fitness as he'll likely start against the Lions. But more importantly it looks like Paisami won't be near the Wallabies 23. :thum...

towny

Reds should offer Ollie Hoskins a one-game contract or perhaps borrow Pene from the Drua.

Trevor King is in the squad but he’s not ready to face a test scrum.

towny

The Emerging Irish were basically a development team of sub-internationals, who barely played together before or since. They shouldn't be beating a club side. They didn’t actually beat the Force club side……… The Lions are playing them in a couple of days - I’m not sore why you feel the need to get ...

towny

Fez and Paisami released for the Reds clash against the Lions... Schmidt indicated when the squad was announced that Fez would likely play in this game to get some match fitness as he'll likely start against the Lions. But more importantly it looks like Paisami won't be near the Wallabies 23. :thum...

towny

Fez and Paisami released for the Reds clash against the Lions... Schmidt indicated when the squad was announced that Fez would likely play in this game to get some match fitness as he'll likely start against the Lions. But more importantly it looks like Paisami won't be near the Wallabies 23. :thum...

towny

It seems that a simple solution would be for SH teams to stop playing EOYT games in France. The only way it’ll change if it the French rugby union feels some financial pain, and then decides to rein in the clubs. Fwiw, I do acknowledge that it’s the clubs and not the FRU that’s creating the problem...

towny

Hmm, you say that. Here is the real test. Big Mac or Double quarter pounder? DQP every day of the week. Actually, it’s cheaper here to get 2 x Triple Cheeseburgers, so that’s my go-to. Always good sticking it to those multi national carnts when they leave logical holes in their multi item offerings...

towny

It seems that a simple solution would be for SH teams to stop playing EOYT games in France. The only way it’ll change if it the French rugby union feels some financial pain, and then decides to rein in the clubs.

Fwiw, I do acknowledge that it’s the clubs and not the FRU that’s creating the problem.

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