International Rugby Players
11386 replies · 1607755 views
Top 14
Toulouse 21 - 17 Perpignan
Brive 12 - 18 Racing Metro
Bordeaux-Begles 24 - 9 Castres
Premiership
Newcastle Falcons 16 - 16 Worcester Warriors
LIVE AVIVA PREM: Leicester Tigers v London Irish
http://lsh.lshunter.tv/index1.php?option=c...mp;layout=popup
LIVE TOP 14: Clermont v Stade Francais
Premiership
Leicester Tigers 24 - 24 London Irish
Exeter Chiefs 19 - 24 Gloucester Rugby
Top 14
Stade Francais 37 - 16 Clermont
LIVE AVIVA PREM: Wasps v Northampton Saints
Premiership
London Wasps 13 - 24 Northampton
Saracens 23 - 10 Sale Sharks
Six-month lay-off floors O'Driscoll
Brian O'Driscoll is expected to be out for six months after it was confirmed he will need an operation to fix a trapped nerve in his shoulder.
Ireland's captain will therefore have to sit out Leinster's bid to retain the Heineken Cup, which starts this week, and also the 2012 Six Nations.
The 32-year-old has been hampered by neck and shoulder problems for the last year and, although he took part in the recent World Cup in New Zealand, he had to sit out last Friday's RaboDirect PRO12 game against Munster at Aviva Stadium.
O'Driscoll has 117 caps for Ireland and his absence for such a prolonged spell will be a major blow to both his country and his province.
But Ireland's record try-scorer may be able to make it back before the season comes to an end if his rehabilitation goes well.
O'Driscoll, who is also the record try-scorer in the Five/Six Nations, said last month that he was hoping to retire after the Lions tour Australia in 2013.
Planet Rugby
Introducing the Rugby Championship
The expanded Tri-Nations tournament will be known as the Rugby Championship as of next year, it has been revealed.
The Springboks will play Argentina in their first game of next year's Rugby Championship - the four-team southern-hemisphere tournament replacing the existing Tri-Nations - whilst Australia take on New Zealand. An agreement confirming Argentina's participation was signed in Auckland recently by the SANZAR Joint Venture partners after several months of negotiations with the Unión Argentina de Rugby (UAR) and the International Rugby Board (IRB).
The new-look tournament has been given a new name and a new fixture line-up with two Tests on each match day. Each participant plays home and away matches against each of the other three participants. The Boks open their campaign against the Pumas in South Africa on August 18 before taking part in the first Rugby Championship match on the South American continent a week later. The match venues will be announced in due course. "The regular participation of Argentina at a higher level is long overdue and we are excited about their inclusion in The Rugby Championship," said SANZAR CEO Greg Peters.
"Playing in the Championship will have significant benefits for Argentinian rugby as a whole and will bring new energy to the jewel in the crown of SANZAR. "The Pumas, as they showed at the recent Rugby World Cup, play an exciting and different brand of rugby to the other three teams, which will definitely add a new dimension." According to a statement by SANZAR, the new name of the Rugby Championship reflects its claim to be the ultimate contest, featuring teams that are currently ranked first, second, fourth and seventh in the world. "The Rugby Championship is an annual contest between the 'best-of-the-best' in world rugby - nations who have won six of the seven Rugby World Cups," said Peters.
SARU CEO Jurie Roux said he hopes these changes will result in a more balanced tournament. In the past, South Africa has suffered because of travel.
"This is a significant moment in the history of Southern Hemisphere rugby and marks the launching pad to a dramatically changed landscape. It will add a new flavour and dimension to SANZAR rugby and offers the prospect of promoting rugby in other South American nations.
'It also ensures a more logical and balanced Championship with fixtures and travel evened out across the region.' The 2012 Championship will kick-off on 18 August 2012 and conclude on 6 October 2012. A SANZAR delegation will travel to Argentina in November on a fact-finding visit during which it will conduct venue inspections and hold discussions with the UAR, host broadcasters, sponsors and other key stakeholders to ensure the smooth transition from Tri-Nations to The Rugby Championship.
The Rugby Championship fixtures:
18 August 2012:
Australia vs New Zealand
South Africa vs Argentina
25 August 2012:
New Zealand vs Australia
Argentina vs South Africa
1 September 2012:
Travel Bye
8 September 2012:
Australia vs South Africa
New Zealand vs Argentina
15 September 2012:
Australia vs Argentina
New Zealand vs South Africa
22 September 2012:
Travel Bye
29 September 2012:
South Africa vs Australia
Argentina vs New Zealand
6 October 2012:
South Africa vs New Zealand, Argentina vs Australia
Planet Rugby 
can't wait for this
Heineken Cup Launch - Paris
French and Italian club captains Lionel Nallet (Racing Metro 92), Antonio Pavanello (Benetton Treviso), Yannick Nyanga (Stade Toulouse), Chris Masoe (Castres Olympique), Fulgence Ouedraogo (Montpellier), Aurelien Rougerie (Clermont Auvergne), Imanol Harinordoquy (Biarritz Olympique) and Marco Bortolami (Aironi) @ Pavillon Royal.
HEINEKEN CUP : ROUND 1
FRI - 11TH NOV 11
Heineken Cup Pool 2 Racing Metro 92 vs Cardiff Blues
Heineken Cup Pool 6 Harlequins vs Connacht
SAT - 12TH NOV 11
Heineken Cup Pool 4 Aironi Rugby vs Leicester
Heineken Cup Pool 4 Ulster vs Clermont Auvergne
Heineken Cup Pool 1 Scarlets vs Castres
Heineken Cup Pool 1 Munster vs Northampton
Heineken Cup Pool 2 London Irish vs Edinburgh
Heineken Cup Pool 3 Montpellier vs Leinster
Heineken Cup Pool 5 Ospreys vs Biarritz
SUN - 13TH NOV 11
Heineken Cup Pool 3 Glasgow vs Bath
Heineken Cup Pool 5 Saracens vs Benetton Treviso
Heineken Cup Pool 6 Toulouse vs Gloucester
Northampton Saints training
Tindall axed and fined £25,000
Gloucester centre Mike Tindall has been removed from England's elite player squad after an investigation into his behaviour at the World Cup.
The veteran back has also been fined £25,000 for his part in an infamous night out in Queenstown. Chris Ashton and James Haskell were both fined £5,000 while Dylan Hartley was cleared.
The sanctions follow appearances by the players before the RFU's Professional Rugby Director Rob Andrew and Legal and Governance Director Karena Vleck.
"We have considered all the evidence carefully and interviewed the players at length. These actions have not been taken lightly but we believe that in all these cases the sanctions are commensurate with the level of seriousness of what occurred," said Andrew.
"Mike Tindall's actions reached a level of misconduct that was unacceptable in a senior England player and amounted to a very serious breach of the EPS Code of Conduct. Whilst we acknowledge his previous good character it needs to be made clear that what he did will not be tolerated.
"Regarding the events in Dunedin, it should be stressed that the allegations of very serious wrong-doing made against Chris Ashton, Dylan Hartley and James Haskell by Annabel Newton, a member of staff at the team hotel, were entirely false. We do not believe the players had any intention to sexually harass or intimidate Ms Newton.
"However, the incident is precisely the kind of dangerous, compromising situation the players were warned about prior to departure for New Zealand and that they were specifically told to avoid in the EPS Code of Conduct.
"While we found that Dylan Hartley played no part in the ill-considered exchange with Annabel Newton, Chris Ashton and James Haskell's behaviour on September 9 did breach the EPS Code of Conduct and they have each been given suspended fines of £5,000. If they commit any further breaches of the Code before December 31, 2012 the fines will become due.
"Finally, these episodes and the subsequent disciplinary action should stand as a strong reminder that the highest standards of personal conduct are expected from any England player on and off the field."
The players have the right to appeal to the RFU Acting Chief Executive within three working days from today. The RFU will not be making any further comment.
Planet Rugby
LIVE H CUP: Racing Metro vs Cardiff Blues
http://184.168.69.224/?username=LiveSport1