Rugby Archive

  • Gareth Hughes

    Transport fiasco inquiry blocked - by Gareth Hughes



    Just now the National-dominated Transport and Industrial Relations Select Committee blocked my attempt at the committee conducting an urgent inquiry into the transport fiasco on the opening night of the Rugby World Cup. read more
    September 15, 2011 11:40 am - 10 Comments
  • Keith Locke

    Prejudice against Pasifika players offside - by Keith Locke



    The New Zealand Herald was right to call “offensive” Andy Haden’s suggestion that the Crusaders rugby team has done better by having fewer Polynesians in the team. After claiming the Crusaders had a quota of three Polynesian players Haden said “and it’s worked”. This prejudicial attitude is not new, particularly in Haden’s Auckland where some [...] read more
    May 30, 2010 12:33 pm - 46 Comments
  • frog

    Maori Rugby: A new political football - by frog



    So maybe South Africa doesn’t want a visit from the New Zealand Maori team anymore, but does that mean we don’t want the team either? Those of you who took intro to logic at uni can probably give us a formal refutation in two minutes flat, and while you’re doing that, a couple of things [...] read more
    February 20, 2009 4:40 pm - 35 Comments
  • frog

    Losing more World Cups - by frog



    Following on from my previous post about the use of the highly toxic pesticide endosulfan on sports fields; I should note that also on Sue Kedgley’s list of fields that currently get a dose of endosulfan are Hamilton’s Seddon Park and Waikato Stadium, New Plymouth’s Pukekura Park and Yarrow Stadium, Rotorua’s International Rugby Stadium. These [...] read more
    October 2, 2008 11:31 am - 4 Comments
  • frog

    Highly toxic but gives an even bounce of the ball - by frog



    Endosulfan, one of the more toxic chemicals in the world, and banned in over 50 countries, still has a couple of havens where it is still respected and welcomed.  One is on our tomatoes and other food crops. And the other is on our children’s sports fields. Sue Kedgley has today released the results of [...] read more
    October 2, 2008 11:02 am - 4 Comments
  • frog

    Racist? - by frog



    According to the Dominion Post, ‘Springboks coach Peter de Villiers has questioned whether former All Blacks’ prop Craig Dowd is racist and says racism is rife in New Zealand’. I don’t know Craig Dowd, and don’t read rugby commentary the same way I do political analysis so I can’t comment on the specific accusations against [...] read more
    July 12, 2008 12:53 pm - 87 Comments
  • frog

    The inalienable right to free rugby - by frog



    I see Jim Anderton has found his own little election niche by calling for compulsory free-to-air rugby.  Now I’m a cricket fan, and not against the concept of free to air sports.  But I’m not really convinced that if we were to sit down and draw up a list of events and programmes that needed [...] read more
    July 10, 2008 9:44 am - 26 Comments
  • frog

    Blogs I like today - by frog



    A few worthwhile reads from other blogs: Anna McM at the Hand Mirror continues a fascinating discussion on the value, or otherwise, of rugby. You’ll also want to read as background the Hand Mirror’s earlier pieces on the casual way our rugby media has brushed aside accusations of rape against the English rugby team as [...] read more
    June 25, 2008 10:58 pm - 7 Comments
  • frog

    Rugby fatigue - by frog



    According to this survey yesterday New Zealanders are ‘losing interest’ in rugby this year. No surprise really when the media’s sports coverage is so full of rugby this and rugby that. You get a brief respite during summer when all the rugby players have a short holiday but other than that it is now continuous [...] read more
    February 21, 2008 8:56 am - 19 Comments