Judging from this weeks nuclear refereeing fallout, it would seem as if it’s about time the IRB seek new sponsorship with one of the major cotton wool manufacturers, because at the rate that they keep wrapping their referees in a cotton wool protective cocoon, it might become expensive.

This whole debacle with the state of refereeing in this year’s competition is reaching boiling point after the latest incident involving Steve Walsh’s refereeing display during round 11 of the 2010 Super 14, in the game between the Waratahs and the Brumbies.

For those of you who have been living under a rock for the past few days, the whole issue revolves around the Brumbies being extremely dissatisfied with the way in which Steve Walsh refereed the match between the two Australian franchises, in which the Brumbies lost.

The Brumbies were particularly unhappy about Steve Walsh not awarding a try  to Adam Ashley-Cooper, in which Walsh ruled there was a double movement.

Referees make these types of calls on a game to game basis, sometimes they are questionable, sometimes spot on. In the case of the questionable decisions, sometimes they will be for you, sometimes against. The law of averages might suggest that these for/against calls will balance out in the end and that should be the end of it.

But in a competition as closely contested as this year’s Super 14, where about 10 of the 14 teams still have at least an outside chance of making the playoffs, one questionable decision could mean the end of the season for you.

Adam Ashley-Cooper’s disalowed try: [s14twentyten]

I thought it was clear as daylight, but you be the judge?

One could also take into consideration the substantial financial implications Read More >>

Maties celebrate as winners once again.

The 2010 FNB Varsity Cup Final has seen the boys from Stellenbosch retain their title as varsity rugby champs. Maties,who also won the 2010 Cape Town Tens, muscled on to win their 3rd consecutive title as FNB Varsity Cup winners since the competition started back in 2008.

For those of you who missed the game, here is some catch up for you:

Maties survived a late UCT onslaught to win 17-14 in front of 20 000 people in Stellenbosch on Monday evening.

Outscoring their Cape Town rivals, FNB Ikey Tigers, by three tries to one, FNB Maties established themselves as the true university champions of South Africa – adding to the 2008 and 2009 titles they won in the country’s fastest growing competition.

The atmosphere at The Danie Craven Stadium was positively buzzing. Small pockets of visiting fans tried their best to make the UCT presence felt, but were drowned out by the swarms of Maties fanatics.

How the game played out?

The first half:

On the field, it was a nervy start from both sides and the players, who looked a bit daunted by playing in the high-pressure cauldron of a Final, looked to put boot to ball early on.

It was the visitors who showed the first signs of attacking intent and they put some good phases together. Flyhalf Doug Mallett – a late replacement for regular No.10 Matt Rosslee – distributed well to dangerous men outside him. Read More >>

We are mid-way into the 201 Super 14 campaign, and highlights of the weekend’s games will be up tomorrow, but something so much more exciting is happening in South African rugby this evening, The following are excerpts from Sports Network throughout the week

Full house signs went up for the Monday’s 18h30 kick-off 2010 Varsity Cup Final, between FNB Maties and FNB UCT  at the Danie Craven Stadium. 

Francois Pienaar, co-founder of the Varsity Cup was quoted, during the week, as saying,

“Who can forget those scenes in 2008 when some fans had to climb trees and walk up the mountains to catch a glimpse of that dramatic finale?

“I have no doubt we will see similar scenes come this Monday. Maties deserve a lot of credit for their various initiatives, and their huge crowds, but then again, who can blame the spectators for wanting to watch a cracking final (like Maties v the Ikeys)?”

“It’s a final that everyone is looking forward to and I have no doubt that it, and the two teams in the final, will once again do the Varsity Cup proud.”

Monday is not just about the Varsity Cup Final. The 2010 final will, again, be preceded by the Steinhoff Koshuisrugby Championships Final, this time between Steinhoff Dagbreek (Maties) and Steinhoff Vishuis (Shimlas).

The Koshuis Final between the country’s top rugby residences will kick-off at 16h15 and top SA singer Kurt Darren will also be performing at the Danie Craven Stadium, as he did last year, before the Varsity Cup Final gets underway.

It seems like just the other day that the FNB Varsity Cup, presented by Steinhoff International, was born. And, as a ‘parent’ of this exciting tournament, Francois Pienaar could not be any prouder of his so-called ‘baby’.

“I’d say this baby of ours is still crawling,” said Pienaar.

“It’s just about to stand up and grab hold of a chair… (and) I have no doubt that the Varsity Cup will be walking soon… then running… and, finally, sprinting!”

It is hard to blame Pienaar for being so proud of the Varsity Cup, a tournament that has, in just three years, captured the imagination of the South African rugby public.

Having kicked-off for the first time in February 2008, the first-ever Varsity Cup will best be remembered for its dramatic final at Coetzenburg a few weeks later when the Maties scored a try on the full-time hooter to beat UCT and lift the trophy.

Since then, the tournament has continued to make headlines. Not only for its exciting rugby and various cutting edge off-field innovations, but also because of its worth as a ‘feeder-system’ to the Currie Cup and Super 14 competitions.

Provincial talent aside, however, the Varsity Cup has also produced Sevens Springboks in Kyle Brown, Chase Minnaar and Robert Ebersohn and a full Springbok tourist in the shape of Juan de Jongh.

Pienaar and his Varsity Cup brainstrust will sit down after the 2010 tournament for their annual ‘audit’, to see what did and did not work this year, but he was happy to report that most of the new innovations this year had been very well received.

The Pink Shorts Campaign:

“I ‘borrowed’ the Pink Shorts concept from the IPL [cricket]. People were skeptical at first that the players wouldn’t embrace it, but it has produced a huge debate amongst the supporters and the players have treated it as a real honour. It’s been a great concept and we’ve also managed to do some good (through the Pink Shorts campaign) with the Varsity Cup Trust.

The Pink Shorts campaign is a campaign where every player who wins a man-of-the-match award gets to wear pink shorts in his next match, to show support for current and past rugby players living with cancer improve their circumstances.

You can also show your support for the pink Shorts Campaign by SMSing your favourite team’s name to 36199 and your R5 donation will go to The Varsity Cup Trust.

Scenes from 2009′s Steinhoff Varsity Cup final:[BEJStudios] Read More >>

This from Varsity Cup: FNB Maties and FNB UCT, the two top teams in the Varsity Cup at present, face entirely different scenarios in Round Five of the 2010 FNB Varsity Cup presented by Steinhoff International.

The Maties will be up against their so-called ‘bogey team’ in the Varsity Cup, FNB Tuks, at 16h30, in Stellenbosch, whilst UCT will be travelling to Johannesburg to go up against the giant-killing University of Johannesburg, who last week, upset the Pukke in Potchefstroom.

Maties, the back-to-back Varsity Cup champions, last played against Tuks in the 2009 Varsity Cup semifinals; winning that encounter 38-14 to progress to a second successive final and, eventually, a second title in a row.

However, just the week before, Tuks beat the Maties in league action in Stellenbosch, having previously drawn with them in their opening league match of 2008 and losing a thrilling semifinal later that year in extra-time, after the scores were level at the end of regulation time.

Maties coach, Chean Roux, believes Read More >>

The following VC wrap from Howie Kahn: FNB Maties remained in first place on the Varsity Cup log after yet another exciting Monday night packed full of action. With UJ, Shimlas and UCT all making their presence felt at the top of the standings at the completion of Round Two.

The back-to-back champions smashed the TUT Vikings by 62-0 in Stellenbosch, in the last game of round 2, on Monday, but all the action beforehand produced the real news in this round of the 2010 FNB Varsity Cup, presented by Steinhoff International.

In Cape Town, UCT showed they will once again be strong semifinal contenders in the Varsity Cup when they did well to out-scrap last year’s losing finalists, NWU-Pukke, at the Green Mile. The Ikeys recorded an 18-11 win, scoring two tries to one after trailing the visitors, who had the wind at their backs, 5-6 at half-time. UCT’s tries were scored by centre, Marcel Brache and hooker, Dayne Jans. With the former also slotting a superb long-range penalty in the second half to keep his side’s noses in front at a very crucial stage of the match. Pukke skipper, Dirco Rautenbach rumbled over for his team’s customary rolling maul score, but the Men from Potchefstroom were unable to deal with the tough-tackling Ikeys who played the conditions at their home ground a lot better.

Shimlas, who drew 30-30 with UCT last Monday, picked up their first win of the 2010 season when they smashed the NMMU Madibas 54-5 in Bloemfontein. In the process, No.8 Boom Prinsloo, became the second man this season to score four tries in one match, joining Maties inside centre Dabeon Draghoender, who, ironically, did the same last week against the same NMMU team. Prinsloo also set up a number of his team’s other tries and was named as the official Varsity Cup Man of the Match, following in the footsteps of teammate PW van Niekerk who wore the cancer awareness pink shorts against NMMU. Read More >>

While enjoying the many sun scattered days over the festive season, one day led to one evening, led to one night and before we knew it we were treated to a drinking lesson from one of the masters of the “beer funnel”, also known as the “beer bong”.

Gran Gran, more commonly referred to as the “Double G” has mastered this talent through her many active years in the boot legging era and came out of early retirement to show us who’s boss at this method of beer drinking. A few quick reminders and Double G was funneling beer like the good old days!

Without further a due, we present you the “Double G”: ….(Down! Down! Down!)

Many thanks to the “Double G” and friends for a great party!

I doubt that even Francois Louw could beat out “Double G” at that one…. Oooh, do I feel a challenge coming on…?