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| New Zealand Rugby Media Release 1 July 2016 |
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| Chris Pollock to referee 200th first class match | |||||
| High Performance referee Chris Pollock will become just the fifth New Zealander to whistle 200 first class matches, when he takes up the main match official duties at the Hurricanes v Blues match in Wellington tomorrow night. Pollock, a 22-Test referee who retired from international duties last year, joins the ranks of some of New Zealand’s most respected whistlers. Other referees to have reached the rare milestone are Bryce Lawrence (201), Steve Walsh (210), Paul Honiss (220) and Paddy O’Brien (221). New Zealand Rugby High Performance Referee Manager Rod Hill congratulated Pollock on the eve of achieving the milestone. “To reach 200 first class matches for any athlete in this modern game is a special achievement. For match officials – it’s not an easy achievement over 15 years. Polly can be incredibly proud of what he has achieved in refereeing in New Zealand and on the international stage,” Hill said. Pollock’s first class debut was in 2000 with Hawke’s Bay v Southland. His career total takes in 79 Super Rugby matches, 80 provincial national competition matches, and nine Ranfurly Shield challenges. He was named New Zealand Rugby’s referee of the year in 2013. Pollock’s milestone caps off a strong year for the New Zealand Rugby professional referees squad. Former professional player turned referee Glen Jackson will notch up his 50th Investec Super Rugby match next weekend as he whistles the Crusaders v Rebels in Round 16 of the competition. Among the newly contracted referees, eye doctor Ben O’Keefe made his Test match debut refereeing the Samoa v Georgia match in Apia this month, and Paul Williams, who has had a solid Super Rugby season with the whistle, was appointed to the World Rugby Under 20 World Championship Final between England and Ireland. In the Sevens group, Nick Briant, Richard Kelly and Jessica Beard were appointed for the Olympic Sevens match officials team. Meanwhile, one of the most recognised figures of rugby refereeing in New Zealand, Paul Honiss, has been appointed New Zealand Women’s Referee Squad Coach. |
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| AllBlacks.com | Investec Super Rugby | Small Blacks | Community Rugby Facebook | Twitter | Google+ |
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| Ryan Crotty to join Super Rugby centurions club | |||||
| Electric Crusaders and All Blacks mid-fielder Ryan Crotty will join an elite group of players when he runs out for the 100th time in Investec Super Rugby in Christchurch tomorrow night. Crotty becomes New Zealand’s 42nd Super Rugby centurion – having played all 100 games for a New Zealand team or mix of New Zealand teams. He will become the 14th Crusader to reach the milestone including his current team mates Kieran Read, Wyatt Crockett, Owen Franks and Andy Ellis. Crotty will be presented with a special New Zealand Rugby greenstone mere to mark the occasion after the Crusaders’ home-ground match against the visiting Jaguares, from Argentina. New Zealand Rugby Chief Executive Steve Tew acknowledged Crotty’s achievement as a great cause for celebration in Christchurch. “Since making his Super Rugby debut back in 2009, Ryan has grown into an invaluable member of the Crusaders. He is an incredibly talented and versatile player who sets the bar of professionalism very high for all players. He’s a humble man and a natural leader who not only inspires his teammates but also his fans. Off the field, he is also generous in giving back to the game. On behalf of New Zealand Rugby, we congratulate him on the pending milestone,” Tew said. BNZ Crusaders Head Coach Todd Blackadder paid tribute to the immense contribution Crotty makes both on and off the rugby field: “Crotts is a superb player who has managed to grow his game year on year. His contribution is equally important off the field though, where Crotts is both a respected leader and a valued teammate. It will be a proud night for Ryan, his family, his New Brighton Rugby Club and for all of us here. I know the boys will be determined to make Friday night memorable for their good mate." Crusaders CEO Hamish Riach said Crotty had been a pivotal member of the BNZ Crusaders team over a number of years: "Ryan is a local lad who has shown wonderful commitment and loyalty to this team. He is such a talented player who has always shown professionalism, passion, commitment and leadership within this environment. We are privileged to have had him with the team for the last 99 games and we hope that he has many more games left in him yet." A veteran also for Canterbury, 27-year-old Crotty debuted in Super Rugby against the Hurricanes in 2009. His solid and reliable mid-field strength saw him picked for the All Blacks in 2013 when he debuted against Australia in Sydney. He has notched up 15 Test match caps. |
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| New strips, new teams, new draw and new stars to ignite Investec Super Rugby 2016 | ||||
| A new strip, new opposition, a new format, and loads of new talent will combine to make for thrilling rugby action when Investec Super Rugby 2016 kicks off in 10 days’ time. The 2016 season was officially launched at a special event featuring the hip-hop world champion ReQuest Dance Crew in Auckland today, with the Blues and Highlanders kicking off the whole competition at Eden Park on 26 February. ReQuest was founded by Kiwi choreographer Parris Goebel, who is riding a massive wave of international success having just won the World Dance Industry’s Female Choreographer of the Year award last week. Goebel and the ReQuest Dance crew worked with players from all the New Zealand teams in the 2016 competition marketing campaign. New Zealand Rugby General Manager Rugby Neil Sorensen said many of rugby’s young fans were also huge fans of hip hop music and dance so the partnership was a great fit. “We’ve done something different this year to underscore that the competition is reaching new places and connecting to new fans while continuing to showcase the best rugby players in the world.” This year’s expanded Super Rugby competition heralds the start of a new era with the Kings (South Africa), the Sunwolves (Japan) and the Jaguares (Argentina) joining the fray. Sorensen said it was an exciting time for Super Rugby fans. “There’s a lot that’s fresh about Super Rugby this year - the teams all have new strips, the referees have a new sponsor in Specsavers and a new strip to match, there are new coaches in the mix, the new Jaguares will tour here in April – and I'm really looking forward to watching more of the pulsating and outstanding rugby we know this competition produces. “The new format may appear vastly different, but in reality, fans may notice very little difference. For fans, the task is simple – cheer your team on to win the conference to bank a quarterfinal playoff – or they’ll have to battle it out on the points table to grab one of the four wildcard spots to keep their championship hopes alive. “Basically we’ll have 17 weeks of great footy, and then it’s knock-out rugby. Fans are in for a treat this year,” he said. All the New Zealand teams will play six matches against the other New Zealand teams (two teams once, and two teams home and away). They will play all five of the Australian teams and four from one of the two South African conferences (which have absorbed the three new teams). #Superbangbang a big hit Sorensen said that the #Superbangbang campaign had already pushed the New Zealand Super Rugby profile into new places and new audiences all over the world. The TV commercial featuring Goebel, the ReQuest and the Super Rugby players was released on social media ahead of the season launch, and reached over one million people, had over 650,000 views on the Super Rugby New Zealand Facebook page, and more than 2000 shares. “We know that when this commercial hit social media, fans from all over the world were googling and looking for it, so we’re hopeful that a lot of that enthusiasm and fun will translate into support for our teams.” Sorensen acknowledged the support of sponsors behind the teams and the competition, specifically title sponsor Investec which is again backing Super Rugby in 2016. “In an age where competition for the attention of fans and the entertainment dollar is fierce, we are grateful that Investec continues to support the Rugby Championship and Super Rugby in New Zealand and that they readily get behind our efforts to promote these competitions,” he said. New Zealand teams in action Straight after the Blues and Highlanders kick off the first match for all countries, the Hurricanes open their campaign in Canberra against the Brumbies on Friday night. On Saturday, 27 February, the Crusaders host the Chiefs in Christchurch. The competition takes a break for the annual June Test series. This year Wales makes the journey over for a three-Test series against the All Blacks, a tour that will also include a mid-week fixture against the Chiefs in Hamilton, on Tuesday 14 June. Round 17, the last of the regular season, kicks off on 15 July, with the qualifiers (quarterfinals) the following weekend on 22 and 23 July. The semifinals will be played on 29 and 30 July with the Final scheduled for 6 August. All matches will be screened live on SKY Sport. To view 2016 fixtures, click here. Check out the Hurricanes’ fun interpretation of the new format. Check out the #Superbangbang campaign commercial. |
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10 February 2016 |
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Should've gone to Specsavers? Not to worry, Investec Super Rugby refs have Professional referees in three-year deal with Specsavers |
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 Investec Super Rugby referees (from left) Brendon Pickerill, Mike Fraser and Nick Briant in their new Specsavers strip for the 2016 season |
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| New Zealand Rugby’s high performance referees will have an even sharper eye on the action, thanks to a new partnership with Specsavers. The optometry brand has signed a three-year partnership with New Zealand Rugby (NZR) that sees Specsavers getting behind New Zealand’s Investec Super Rugby referees. The new deal was celebrated at a launch event with professional referees Nick Briant, Mike Fraser and Brendon Pickerill at Specsavers Queen Street store in central Auckland today. All referees with duties at New Zealand Super Rugby matches will don a new strip, and all NZR high performance referees will have regular comprehensive eye examinations at Specsavers as part of their pre-season preparation. “It’s a great match for referees,” said Neil Sorensen, NZR’s General Manager Rugby. “At the pace and energy that today’s modern professional rugby is played, referees have to be able to keep up, and they need to be in tip-top condition. That includes having perfect eyesight to make all the tough calls they have to make throughout each game. “Our referees know that to be selected, they need to be performing well, be in great physical shape, and have the mental strength to thrive in a highly visible job where all eyes can be on you, and not just the players. “We know referees get a lot of stick for the things they see – or don’t see – on the field. This partnership sends a good message to everyone, not just referees, that getting your eyes checked is important. That’s why we have ensured our referees have had their Specsavers vision warrant of fitness from professional optometrists,” said Sorensen. All New Zealand professional referees will be examined before their first match of the season and then annually. Briant, Fraser and Pickerill received their comprehensive eye examinations at today’s launch. The eye examinations not only test for vision, but with tools like digital retinal photography, the optometrists are able to examine overall eye health and screen for conditions like glaucoma and macular degeneration. The referees – who run an average seven kilometres in a game, and make hundreds of split-second decisions - also showcased their visual and mental acuity in-store by using the latest Fitlight training technology, a unique wireless reaction training system, which improves reaction times and peripheral vision. Brendan Thompson, Specsavers New Zealand retail director, said the company had a long history of sports partnerships and was committed to ensuring the top referees were provided the best service and technology. “They need to keep their eyes on the ball, and we’re proud that we can help them do that.” Investec Super Rugby kicks off on 26 February with the Blues taking on the Highlanders at Eden Park. Specsavers recommends every New Zealander gets a comprehensive eye examination every two years from the age of three. AA members, and those under the age of 16 can have their eyes examined at Specsavers for free. About Specsavers Specsavers offers Digital Retinal Photography with every standard eye exam at all of its 51 stores across New Zealand, for free. Digital Retinal Photography is a powerful tool that allows optometrists to screen for abnormalities, assisting with the early detection of diseases including diabetes, macular degeneration and glaucoma. At Specsavers, we believe New Zealanders deserve access to this advanced technology, which is why unlike some optometrists, we don’t charge extra for it. Maybe this is why more New Zealanders chose a Specsavers optometrist for their last eye exam than any other optometrist (Roy Morgan Research 2013). |
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28 October 2015 |
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| 33 players to debut in Investec Super Rugby in 2016 |
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| The 2016 Investec Super Rugby season will see 33 players make their debut including 11 who were part of this year's World Champion New Zealand Under 20 side. A total of 195 players have been confirmed as contracted members of one of the five New Zealand Super Rugby teams. This includes 46 players receiving full time contracts for the first time. The Blues, Chiefs, Hurricanes, Crusaders and Highlanders have today announced their finalised full-contracted and wider training group squads. New Zealand General Manager Rugby Neil Sorensen said he was excited by the talent within the squads. “Today’s Investec Super Rugby announcements come at a particularly thrilling time of year for rugby. As everyone’s eyes are on our national team up ‘north’, it’s important to note that all of the guys who are in that team are our stars of Super Rugby and their performances highlight how critical this competition is. “What’s also really exciting to see this year is the bounty of youth in the squads. Of all the debutants, 11 players were in this year’s winning New Zealand Under 20 side. The fact they have picked up Super Rugby contracts at a young age is just fantastic. “I’m looking forward to seeing them performing out on the field - not only in the coming season, but in the years ahead. As we witness the retirement of some of New Zealand's finest ever players, I’m sure we will see many future legends of New Zealand rugby emerge. “In addition, a number of players have picked up their first contracts after standout form in the ITM Cup.” The 2016 squad lists see the return of 22 Rugby World Cup 2015 All Blacks including Kieran Reid (Crusaders), Sam Cane (Chiefs), Jerome Kaino (Blues), Victor Vito (Hurricanes) and Ben Smith (Highlanders). The season gets under way on Friday, 26 February 2016, as 2015 champions the Highlanders go up against the Blues in Auckland before the Brumbies host the Hurricanes to cap an enormous opening night involving three of last year's four semi-finalists. The Crusaders take on the Chiefs at home the following night in the second all-New Zealand derby of the opening weekend. With the exception of All Blacks currently at Rugby World Cup 2015, most Super Rugby players are now officially on leave with the majority returning for training in late November. Super Rugby debutants will attend a one-day induction with New Zealand Rugby in late November. Details on all Super Rugby squads can be found via the below links: |
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