All Blacks Rugby
Scottish Rugby World cup ticket sales dissapointing

Last week the IRB announced that they had sold their 1 millionth ticket for the Rugby World cup in France next year and sales are going well for France.

However if you look north of England ticket sales in Scotland are very poor with less than a quarter of the Rugby World cup match tickets having been sold for Murrayfield.

According to the Herald only 15,300 tickets have been sold and the ground holds 67,500. Murrayfield will host Scotland's two matches one against The All Blacks and another against a European qualifier.

"The organising committee made a conscious decision to concentrate Allez au Contact in France for the first six months of its operation, as this is where the bulk of the two million-plus tickets will be sold," a RWC spokesman explained to the Herald.

Two more coaches will attend rugby meeting

Former Springbok coaches Ian McIntosh and Harry Viljoen have been roped into Thursday's meeting in Johannesburg between leading rugby personalities and national coach Jake White. South African Rugby President Oregan Hoskins initiated the meeting in the wake of South Africa's disastrous 45-26 defeat to the All Blacks at the weekend in the hope that a brainstorming session with a number of experts - including Nick Mallett, Andr Markgraaff, Carel du Plessis, Rudolf Straeuli, Eric Sauls and Zola Yeye - could lead to suggestions for a turnaround in the country's rugby fortunes. However, Mallett dismissed the notion as a public relations exercise, and it's highly unlikely that Markgraaff will attend after his fall-out with White last year. Yeye also has other commitments and will not attend. Du Plessis initially said he had other commitments, but will now make the meeting.

Messam Gets The Nod Over Lauaki

ANZC teams: Waikato rugby coach Warren Gatland has sprung a major surprise by opting for the silky skills of Liam Messam ahead of the brute power of All Black Sione Lauaki for Saturday night's trip to Eden Park. Gatland has made five personnel changes and one positional switch in his starting lineup to take on Auckland in the much-anticipated kickoff to the Air New Zealand Cup's Top Six. But it's the selection of Messam ahead of Lauaki that will create the most interest, possibly even from All Blacks coach Graham Henry who is no doubt evaluating the form of his blockbusting loose forward with a view to the tour in November. Lauaki missed the recent test season as he recovered from pectoral muscle surgery. Perhaps Henry will be best served shifting his sights to the impressive Messam whose form has been outstanding for Waikato duriung this year's campaign.

Officials see red over NZ Cup ploy

NEW Zealand's Rugby World Cup obsession has turned Queensland's opening Super 14 clash at Suncorp Stadium next year into a fizzer that has been stripped of six All Blacks headliners.

Hitman Jerry Collins and fellow Hurricanes stars Jason Eaton, Rodney So'oialo, Piri Weepu, Andrew Hore and Chris Masoe will all miss the February opener because they have been listed among NZ rugby's "untouchables".

The NZRU's controversial plan to rest 22 leading players from the first seven rounds of Super 14 to prepare them better for the World Cup later in the year is a box office nightmare and devalues the series.

The full anger of duped broadcasters is also about to be unleashed after the tournament's major backer, News Limited, yesterday revealed it would talk to major broadcasters in four countries over the next week to mount united opposition.

Crusaders fans wary over ABs rest

Canterbury Rugby Supporters Club president Dick Tayler is concerned resting All Blacks from the Super 14 will turn fans away.

And a Stuff website poll backed his claims, with 65 per cent saying they would be less inclined to attend Crusaders games without All Blacks on show.

The New Zealand Rugby Union's dictum that 22 All Blacks – including seven from the Crusaders – sit out the first seven rounds of next year's Super 14 does not sit easily with Tayler.

"A lot of people are disappointed in this decision," Tayler said.

"What worries me is that some people might think they will give the games a miss because the key players are not playing.

"We have to be careful because there are so many other things that people can do and they will think about giving the first half of the Super 14 a miss."

The Crusaders are the hardest hit by All Blacks' coach Graham Henry's World Cup "conditioning programme", with Richie McCaw, Reuben Thorne, Chris Jack, Greg Somerville, Dan Carter, Aaron Mauger and Leon MacDonald sidelined.