Rugby Union

Does anyone know what streaming options are available for watching MLR and Japan League One games that aren't geo restricted?

We're a week out from the Japan season starting, and despite increasing their fees twice in the last 12 months or so Sky in NZ haven't bought the rights this year. As far as I am aware they never bothered with the MLR rights.

There's so many kiwis playing in both comps that i'm pretty keen to watch a game from time to time so wondering if there's any globally available (and legit) streaming services that show either of these comps?

First kick off 8pm with both Scottish teams in both cups. Fixture list to be added later

Friday

European Champions Cup

Pool 1

Connacht
20:00
Bordeaux Bègles

Pool 3

Glasgow
20:00
Northampton

European Challenge Cup

Pool 3

ASM Clermont Auvergne
20:00
Edinburgh

Saturday

European Champions Cup

Pool 1

Bulls
17:30
Saracens

Bristol
20:00
Lyon

Pool 2

Bath
15:15
Ulster

Toulouse
15:15
Cardiff Rugby

Pool 3

Toulon
13:00
Exeter

Munster
17:30
Bayonne

European Challenge Cup

Pool 1

Zebre
13:00
Cheetahs

Sharks
15:15
Pau

Dragons
20:00
Oyonnax

Pool 2

Ospreys
17:30
Benetton

Pool 3

Black Lion
13:00
Gloucester

Castres
15:15
Scarlets

Sunday

European Champions Cup

Pool 2

Racing 92
17:30
Harlequins

Pool 4

Sale
13:00
Stade Francais

La Rochelle
15:15
Leinster

Leicester
15:15
Stormers

European Challenge Cup

Pool 2

Perpignan
13:00
Lions

Newcastle
15:15
Montpellier

Nice to see women's sides align at least with the pro sides. Hopefully everyone in the league gets enough game time to close the England and France gap

A Leicestershire-based company called Hedkayse, who initially specialised in cycling helmets, have designed a rugby headguard that, according to data ratified by Imperial College, London, reduces the force of direct head impacts by up to 85%.

Friday

Munster 19:35 Glasgow

Saturday

Bulls 13:00 Sharks

Cardiff Rugby 15:00 Scarlets

Lions 15:05 Dragons

Stormers 17:15 Zebre

Ulster 17:15 Edinburgh

Benetton 19:35 Ospreys

Connacht 19:35 Leinster

Surprised it has taken so long for a major lawsuit to really progress

Article summarises statistics provided by Opta and some from Warren Gatland; with headline stats:

1. This RWC saw fewer offloads per game than any other.
2. The average number of phases per possession dropped to 1.8, compared to 3 in 2019.
3. Ball in play time dropped marginally to 34.18 minutes / game - but excluding halftime breaks some games took over 100 minutes total to play out.
4. Tackles per game have grown to 169, up from 129 in 2019 & 119 in 2015.
5. Kicks per game (might) have grown, Gatland suggesting 57 per game, the highest since 1995.
6. 25% of all kicks are box kicks.

A tasty Irish derby Saturday night, a nice mid table clash in Cardiff tonight, and a bottom of the welsh shield decider on Sunday. Buy my pick is the Bulls vs Connacht, will the Bulls bounce back up the table after tumbling down last week?

apologies for the link in french, but dupont will join the French 7s squad in January to prepare for a possible appearance at rhe olympics.

Last time i saw this being discussed, the consensus was that that would neab no six nations.

How he thought he could stay on after the fractious last couple of years, and disastrous time since sacking Rennie and hiring Eddie is baffling.

NZR and most of the Super Rugby clubs will probably be glad to see the back of him as he was constantly holding a sword over any progress and change for that competition.

I wonder if the SRU will settle the suit too

Off to watch Edinburgh vs the Bulls tonight! So no nice table formatting as I'm already a headless chicken and kick off is still 2hr away

Friday

Edinburgh 19:35 Bulls

Ulster 19:35 Lions

Zebre 19:35 Cardiff Rugby

Saturday

Sharks 15:00 Connacht

Dragons 17:15 Ospreys

Munster 17:15 Stormers

Glasgow 19:35 Benetton

Leinster 19:35 Scarlets

Can Dragons pick up a win against local rivals? Can Edinburgh knock the Bulls off the top spot? Will Leinster school boys fend off the Scarlets? Let's goooo!

Wow, who says they have no honour?

• | Friday | - Zebre | 17:30 | Sharks Cardiff Rugby | 19:35 | Bulls Ulster | 19:35 | Munster
• | Saturday | - Benetton | 15:00 | Stormers Ospreys | 17:15 | Glasgow Scarlets | 17:15 | Lions Edinburgh | 19:35 | Connacht
• | Sunday | - Dragons | 13:15 | Leinster

My home team Edinburgh trying to knock the only unbeaten team of the URC down a peg on Saturday, and a mouth watering Irish clash Friday night!

Anyone off to see any this weekend?

I'm not sure if this is a new intiative to get folks fizzing for next year's season, but there's a gap in Rugby news coverage with the World Cup over and no November tours so today starting at 10 NZDT every hour two teams will announce their squads for next season.

10am: Chiefs and Fijian Drua 11am: Highlanders and Rebels 12pm: Moana Pasifika and Waratahs 1pm: Hurricanes and Brumbies 2pm: Blues and Reds 3pm: Crusaders and Force

I may be the only Southern Hemisphere rugby nerd here, but if I can spare some time amidst my work day i'll post links to the teams as they come out. Given its a World Cup year there'll be more churn than normal and there's already been a lot of moves pre-announced. Eg some of the big moves are Leigh Halfpenny coming down to the Crusaders, Angus Ta'avao returning to the Blues.

What's potentially more interesting off the back of another great NPC season is the wider squad players who will almost certainly be needed as injury cover. Given the departure of Mounga, and uncertain international future for Beauden Barrett, the Flyhalf stocks in NZ are a bit pressed, so one to watch is whether Josh Jacomb gets picked up by anyone.

Very interesting article about how world rugby is forcing full tracking on all players, increasing the potential of completely killing the game (privacy issues aside).

Excited to see how Stephen Jones improves Lincoln McClutchie's game; and Tom Coventry is a well proven forwards coach.

Well done to @[email protected] !

It's been a week now, club rugby is back. I've not done any club threads yet, any opinions on how they should be done?

Going to be some holes to fill; and while I don't watch a huge amount of Super Rugby I think in most places its apparent who the replacements already are. I think its interesting in a way that for some of these players the replacement is already neck & neck with them anyway.

Brodie / Sam is kinda a combo - I think Scott Barrett is already obviously our #1 lock so its really who comes in as more of a lineout operator I think. Josh Lord is probably first cab off the rank but there's a few other young locks in NZ that look the goods too.

Nepo Laulala - obvious replacement is already an All Black in Fletcher Newell, so we're probably looking at who would be the 6th prop in the squad and I have no idea.

Aaron Smith - Cam Roigaard will be there, Finley Christie probably in the squad and then there's lads like Cortez Ratima or Folau Fakatava as well. NZ is not short on decent half backs, we're just short on ones that have got some international rugger under their belts.

Dane Coles - another instance of replacing a squad member rather than a starting 15 player which is a position NZ isn't often in. Taukeiaho was the #2 #2 already. Of the players coming through, I think Asafo Aumua has been tried and found wanting - if I were NZR i'd be investing time into Tyrone Thompson and Brodie McAlister.

Richie Mo'unga - Interestingly neither Beaudie or Ardie are listed as departing, so they presumably are both eligible for more games. DMac is the first cab off the rank at 10 for mine. Behind him there's a bit of a gap, Perofeta doesn't even play 10 at NPC and didn't get much time at the Blues. I think Blues should go all in on Zarn Sullivan at 10 anyway. Fergus Burke being out injured next year doesn't help, and Reuben Love looks good but needs a campaign or two at 10 to be sure. Big hole for the ABs unless BB is there as cover.

Shannon Frizell - Had a great year but I wished he wasn't in the ABs after his off field stuff. Todd Blackadder, Samipeni Finau - younger dudes but just need time in the saddle.

Leicester Fainga'anuku - Probably should have got more game time, but didn't because you can't deny Telea & Jordan and he was off overseas too early. Jordan will probably play 15, which leaves Emoni Narawa, Shaun Stevenson or Telea.

Ardie/Beaudie - I dunno how ready for international rugby Ardie will be after playing so much rugby back to back. At 8 we've got the likes of Cullen Grace or Devan Flanders, plus Hoskins Sotutu might find some form too. BB gets replaced by Jordan at 15, but if he's still around as a backup 10 that'd be very much a nice to have; albeit Perofeta fills the same role.

Here's a strange read from a curler about the closed shop nations cup. And Eve is bang on the money!

Denying tier 2 a chance after seeing Uruguay and Portugal play some great games last month a really really bad idea

Player of the year: Ardie Savea

Coach of the year: Andy Farrel

Breaktrough Player: Mark Telea

Try of the year: Duhan van der Merwe

7’s player of the year: Rodrigo Isgro

Special Merit Award: John Smit

Well done to all the winners

well, the shit show that was dropping Rennie 9 months out from a World Cup seems to be over (thank fuck) what a disastrous idea, trying to buy world cup experience by kicking out the bloke who had decent success with 30 injured players.

muppets...

Well here it is folks. What a 2 months it's been, I've enjoyed every interaction on Lemmy and want to thank you all too

Tonight it's going for 4. The boks after back to back wins, both away unlike the All Blacks', and NZ looking to settle scores after that abysmal world cup warm up. I wouldn't read much into that though: SA have been through the ringer, and NZ have been building since that opening loss vs France

7-1 bench for SA again, with NZ staying pretty strongly in shape match to match, so a tale of squad management. Game management from the inspriational Rassie and his pushing the laws across the whole pitch. And I expect a tale of 80' not unlike the 1995 final

Head, heart, and arse requested before kick off. The BBC rugby world cup daily podcast worth a listen too for a preview too

See y'all for 8pm BST

A pool D repeat, which England won 27-10 and Argentina failed to get out of first gear. Will we see England win ugly again or los pumas triumph?

Find out 9pm local time in Paris!