Played every November, excluding Rugby World Cup years, the November or autumn internationals see European nations hosting incoming test teams from across the globe. It is a time when not only southern nations such as Argentina, Australia, Fiji, Namibia, New Zealand, Samoa, South Africa and Tonga tour the north but …
Read More »Forward Thinking (Vol. 1, Iss. 3): Time to re-think World Cup Repechage?
Uruguay’s return to the Rugby World Cup in 2015 ends a twelve year absence. Getting to the World Cup required intercontinental matches firstly against the USA and secondly against Hong Kong before reaching the final against Russia. The home and away series between Uruguay and Russia was, at the time, between …
Read More »Mafi in Tongan squad for PNC
Steve Mafi will play again for Tonga after all. The big Western Force lock has been included in head coach Mana Otai’s 31-man squad for the Pacific Nations Cup after skipping out on November’s European tour. Mafi had considered switching his allegiance to Australia using the Olympic loophole, but with …
Read More »