Deal threat to Wilkinson's test future

England first five-eighths Jonny Wilkinson has signed a contract extension with French Top 14 club Toulon for a further season with an option for a second - a move which could spell the end of his international career.
The 86-times-capped 31-year-old, with 1178 international points to his name, will continue playing for the southern French outfit until 2013.
Wilkinson, whose extra-time drop-goal won the 2003 World Cup for England, arrived at Toulon in the northern summer of 2009 from Newcastle and scored 302 points in his first season in France. This season he is the top scorer in the French league with 169 points.
However, his decision to stay in France could have serious implications for his international career after the Rugby Football Union (RFU) decided to select players from domestic clubs after the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand.
His only escape route would be if the RFU activated its get-out "exceptional circumstances" clause.

"I can understand where they [the RFU] are coming from," said Wilkinson recently.
"For me, my main aim is to keep getting better and I made a move [to Toulon] a year and a half ago to try to continue to do that.
"I am happy where I am, it fits the bill for me. I am enjoying the experience and I'm learning a hell of a lot. I owe a lot to these guys."

Ali Williams laces up his boots

All Blacks lock Ali Williams is preparing to make his return to the playing field after arriving at his new temporary home in Nottingham.

Williams missed all of the 2010 season in New Zealand after rupturing his Achilles tendon for the second time and is hoping a short stint in England's second division get help him get him back up to speed ahead of the upcoming Super Rugby season.

The 29-year-old is set to play up to four games for the side as he attempts his recovery ahead of the Super 15 season in New Zealand and is eager to get back on the park.

"Already I can tell this is a great home stadium and I'm looking forward to experiencing the atmosphere in some key games in January," Williams told the Nottingham club website.

"It was really good to meet up with the squad yesterday evening and I'm sure I'll fit in well.

"I can't wait to get my boots back on and try and make a real impact for Nottingham," he said.

Nottingham have two crucial games in the time Williams is with them, against former Premiership side Bristol on January 9 and another with Munster on January 14.

Nottingham chief executive Glenn Delaney said Williams' presence would be a boost for the side.

"We had some good momentum which was halted by the snow, but with the boost of having Ali we know we [can] reproduce the same levels of quality and continue our three-match winning run," he said.

Quins banish Exiles at HQ

London Irish's crisis deepened as they crashed to their eighth straight defeat with a 28-18 loss to Harlequins at Twickenham on Monday.

Both sides appeared a little short on confidence for much of the match before it finally burst into life approaching the final quarter.

The first half descended into little more than a penalty trade-off as cynical play by the London Irish pack saw them repeatedly kill the ball at the breakdown.

The Exiles conceded 10 penalties to Quins' four during 40 first half minutes that stifled any promise the game showed of finding a spark.

They were much improved in the second half but Quins seemed to lose their own composure - conceding eight penalties to Irish's three - and looked in danger of letting Irish in until outside centre George Lowe sealed the win with a try 12 minutes from time.

Harlequins opened the scoring after five minutes when Nick Evans struck a simple penalty from under the sticks following some good pressure in the Exiles' 22.

Quins went perilously close minutes later when Tom Williams intercepted deep inside his own territory and set off on a magnificent break up the left touchline.

Bob Skinstad's "Tiki Tour" of New Zealand

Former Springbok and Rugby commentator Bob Skinstad was in New Zealand during 2010 to explore some of the exciting things that Rugby fans can do while in New Zealand next year for Rugby World Cup 2011. Follow him as he visits Northland, Auckland and Queenstown. Double click the video to watch it in full screen.

NORTHLAND

Bob tours north of Auckland to the gorgeous Bay of Islands scouting out some of the exciting activities for supporters during RWC 2011; fishing for snapper, golf and scenic flights.

AUCKLAND

Bob visits Auckland to scout out exciting activities for supporters during RWC 2011. His visit includes sailing, bungy jumping and a visit to North Harbour Stadium.

Pacific teams on course for 2011 and beyond

Excellent results by the Pacific Island teams in Europe in November have confirmed they are on track for RWC 2011...

Fiji, Samoa and Tonga all completed excellent European tours which have set up some mouth-watering RWC 2011 clashes. Tonga beat Italy A and a French Barbarians team featuring a host of international stars. Fiji’s tour was highlighted by a 16-all draw with RWC 2011 Pool D rivals Wales while Samoa’s extended tour started by beating Japan in Tokyo before falling narrowly to Ireland, England and Scotland.

This capped a memorable year for Samoan Rugby with a first ever series title in the IRB Sevens World Series followed by adding the 2010 ANZ Pacific Nations Cup title to the trophy cabinet.

Progress off the field in Samoa has mirrored recent results on it. Earlier this month the construction of the Samoa Rugby Union’s (SRU) High Performance Facility started at Faleata with a special ground-breaking ceremony.

The state-of-the-art facility will feature a High Performance gym, recovery and rehabilitation centre, four new training pitches, accommodation for up to 90 athletes and a dedicated administration centre for SRU staff. Construction is expected to be completed well ahead of Samoa’s RWC 2011 preparation camp in August.

The project is underwritten by IRB funding through strategic investments aimed at increasing the competitiveness of the global Game. The IRB has contributed over $2 million to the project, which has been made possible through the donation of 36 hectares of land by the Samoan Government.

Fiji’s draw in Cardiff reminded everyone how close Pool D will be next year. With the World Champions South Africa joining Wales, Fiji and Samoa, the group features four of the top 11 teams in the current IRB World Rankings. Namibia completes the group having qualified as Africa 1.

The Pacific Nations Cup (PNC) provides a competitive annual competition for the Pacific Island teams. Fiji and Samoa will use the 2011 tournament to fine tune preparations for Pool D while Tonga and Japan will seek a competitive edge ahead of their clash in RWC 2011 Pool A, a pool also including New Zealand, France and Canada.

Japan will host the sixth IRB Pacific Nations Cup in 2011 between July 2-13, with all matches being held at Tokyo’s Prince Chichibu Memorial Rugby Ground. The tournament also provides another valuable step in Japan’s preparations to host an outstanding RWC 2019, following the exceptional 2010 IRB Junior World Championship in the same city. With half of the PNC matches this year being decided by less than three points it promises to be an intriguing guide to RWC 2011 form.

RTÉ Sport awarded Irish free-to-air rights

Rugby World Cup Limited has announced the appointment of RTÉ Sport as Ireland’s free-to-air television broadcast rights holders for Rugby World Cup 2011 in New Zealand.

The announcement is another major boost for Rugby fans in Ireland, following the appointment of Setanta Sports as Primary Rights Holder and ensuring that there will be extensive coverage of the world’s third largest sports event within the Republic.

RTÉ Sport will broadcast live 13 key matches, including all of Ireland’s Pool matches, the Final, the Bronze Final, both semi-finals, all four quarter-finals and the opening match. All 13 matches will also be simulcast and available for catch-up on RTÉ.ie. In addition, all of Ireland’s games will be broadcast exclusively live on RTÉ Radio, ensuring a blanket multi-platform approach.

Mike Miller, Rugby World Cup Limited (RWCL) Managing Director, said: “RWCL is delighted to be extending its association with RTÉ Sport to broadcast Rugby World Cup 2011 throughout Ireland. RTÉ is recognised as a leading broadcaster of quality sports coverage and with its extensive broadcast experience of Rugby and commitment to the Game RTÉ will ensure the perfect platform for RWC 2011 to reach out to an extensive audience across Ireland.”

Ryle Nugent, RTÉ Group Head of Sport, said: "We are delighted to have secured these rights to ensure that the Irish public will enjoy live free-to-air coverage of all of Ireland’s games at Rugby World Cup next year. The Tournament showcases the best teams in the world and fans can look forward to following the Irish team’s progression every step of the way on all of RTÉ’s platforms. The awarding of these rights to RTÉ is recognition by RWCL of the quality of our sports coverage and we look forward to sharing what is set to be a momentous sporting occasion with the Irish public.”

Rugby World Cup 2011, the seventh edition of Rugby’s showcase event, kicks off in New Zealand on September 9 and will feature the top 20 teams in the world competing across 48 Tournament matches. The Final will be played on October 23 at Auckland's iconic Eden Park. It is expected that the Tournament will be broadcast to four billion fans worldwide.

New Zealand's biggest festival keeps growing

New Zealand will celebrate its role as host of RWC 2011 by staging the biggest nationwide festival the country has ever seen...

The REAL New Zealand Festival will run from September 9 to October 23, and will complement the match and team hosting schedule for RWC 2011. But it will go well beyond the 23 centres hosting teams and matches, and will include every part of the country.

Festival Director, Briony Ellis, says the Festival will include events and attractions all over the country which showcase New Zealand’s arts, food and wine, heritage, culture, entertainment, industries and business, experiences and lifestyle – including our abiding passion for Rugby.

“We’ve called it ‘REAL’ because the programme for the festival celebrates the aspects of living in New Zealand that Kiwis are most proud of – the experiences that present the real New Zealand, and events that showcase our people, landscapes, languages, culture and stories”.

“There’ll be plenty of time between matches so we want to encourage people to take the long way around from one match to the next and really see the country and meet the people.”

TWENTY11 Newsletter Christmas edition out now

Merry Christmas from TWENTY11 - the official newsletter of RWC 2011.

In this issue:

• CEO Martin Snedden looks back on a year of solid preparation
• Bob Skinstad's "Tiki Tour" of New Zealand
• See how New Zealand's biggest festival keeps on growing
• Pacific teams on course for RWC 2011 and beyond

RWC 2011 event preparations well on track

Tournament organisers for Rugby World Cup 2011 (RWC 2011) today confirmed that key match ticket sales and revenue targets have been achieved for 2010 and that international visitors will number 85,000 at least.

In addition the organising body Rugby New Zealand 2011 (RNZ 2011) and the event owners Rugby World Cup Limited (RWCL) have today both indicated that they are pleased with overall preparations to date as New Zealanders gear up to deliver the largest event ever hosted in the country.

“This is a very good position to be in with 267 days to go until kick-off,” said RNZ 2011 CEO Martin Snedden. “We still have a lot left to do, but event preparations, coupled with ticket sales to date and strong international visitorship projections, mean we are getting ourselves in good shape to host the Tournament.

“Since the ticket sales programmes were launched earlier this year a total of 864,000 tickets have now been sold, taking us to just short of two-thirds of our overall target of around 1.45 million sales across the 48 matches.”

This includes 662,000 sold through RNZ 2011’s global public ticket phases. Ticket sales revenue across all programmes to date currently totals NZD$166m (excl GST).

“We are on track to achieve the forecast total ticket sales revenue of NZD$268m. We knew this NZD$268m sales target was always going to be a big leap into the unknown given that the biggest grossing event previously in New Zealand’s history was the 2005 Lions tour during which the NZRU grossed NZD$24m from ticket sales.

“We’ve now achieved seven times that figure. In the end, we’ll need to do eleven times that amount to hit budget.”

In addition, the Official Travel and Hospitality Programme is tracking strongly, with sales to date exceeding initial forecasts.

RNZ 2011 today also released the key results of a survey of ticket purchasers carried out by independent research company Covec. During November Covec surveyed all of those who had purchased tickets by the end of October 2010 from RNZ 2011 through its global sales process. The response rate was 30%, providing a strong credible base for analysis.

“The survey results are great news for New Zealand and for our tourism industry. This is reliable evidence that we can expect at least 55,000 international visitors from sales to date in our public ticket programme, in addition to the 30,000 plus visitors who we know will come through packages sold by the Official Travel Agents operating worldwide.

“Attracting visitors is a key part of the benefits of staging a Rugby World Cup. It’s terrific that 44% of these FIT (free and independent travellers) visitors will be coming to New Zealand for the first time. Furthermore, almost half of those surveyed have indicated an intention to arrive before the opening match on September 9 with the average length of FIT stay being 23 days.

“Many intend travelling right around the country. While the bulk of visitors (36,500) expect at some stage to visit Auckland, at least 11,000 say they will also travel down the West Coast of the South Island and 18,000 to Otago and Southland. Regions up and down New Zealand will benefit.

“These survey results also auger well for the REAL New Zealand Festival. All of us involved in supporting the Festival preparations have been encouraging visitors to ‘take the long way round’ the country and to really enjoy the host of uniquely New Zealand events that will be happening right across the country so these numbers underline the great opportunity for our regions to really turn it on for visitors.”

Rugby World Cup Limited Managing Director Mike Miller, in New Zealand to check on progress at Stadium Christchurch and the new state-of-the-art Otago Stadium, underscored RWCL’s confidence that overall Tournament preparations are right on track.

Something old and something new for Ireland

Ahead of this weekend’s crunch game against England, Ireland head coach Declan Kidney has called up experienced full-back Geordan Murphy and promising number 10 Jonathan Sexton, in his team’s bid to bounce back from a disappointing 33-10 defeat against the French two weeks ago. Also returning to the fold is Munster second row Donncha O’Callaghan, who having spent a month on the sidelines is fit enough to replace Leo Cullen. The only enforced change for Ireland is Ulster hooker Rory Best, who comes in for the banned Jerry Flannery. Flannery is facing a six week ban for his flying karate kick on France winger Alexis Palisson, which would end his tournament if his optimistic appeal fails.
When considering your Six Nations Free Bet, it should be pointed out England go into the match as narrow favourites over Ireland. Despite winning impressively against Wales and less impressively against Italy in their opening two games, Martin Johnson’s team have come under intense criticism from all directions for their performances. Jonny Wilkinson has been the focal point of debate after his poor display in Rome, but has been backed by his manager and retains his place in the unchanged England team.
Ireland will be desperate to prove they are still challengers for the title after being outplayed against the French, and will be hoping three cap Sexton will handle the inevitable pressure he will face at Twickenham. Dropping the proven and reliable Ronan O’Gara is a gamble but coach Kidney has stated he sees 24yr old Sexton as the future Ireland fly-half and is confident in his choice.

Lions Test Team Announced

So here we have the first test Match day 22 of the 3 match test series for the Lions of 2009. The Lions will take on the Springboks in Durban This Saturday
15. Lee Byrne (Wales)
14. Tommy Bowe (Ireland)
13. Brian O’Driscoll (Ireland)
12. Jamie Roberts (Wales)
11. Ugo Monye (England)
10. Stephen Jones (Wales)
9. Mike Phillips (Wales)
8. Jamie Heaslip (Ireland)
7. David Wallace (Ireland)
6. Tom Croft (England)
5. Paul O’Connell (Ireland) C
4. Alun-Wyn Jones (Wales)
3. Phil Vickery (England)
2. Lee Mears (England)
1. Gethin Jenkins (Wales)
Replacements:
16. Matthew Rees (Wales)
17. Adam Jones (Wales)
18. Donncha O’Callaghan (Ireland)
19. Martyn Williams (Wales)
20. Harry Ellis (England)
21. Ronan O’Gara (Ireland)
22. Rob Kearney (Ireland)

IRB statement on Jock Hobbs

The International Rugby Board is saddened to learn that Jock Hobbs has stepped down from his position as Chairman of both the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) and Rugby New Zealand (RNZ) 2011 Limited due to ill health.

Hobbs was elected Chairman of the NZRU in 2002 and has served with distinction, overseeing considerable success on and off the pitch while securing New Zealand the right to host Rugby World Cup 2011.

“Jock's contribution to New Zealand Rugby as Chairman of the New Zealand Rugby Union and to world Rugby as an IRB Council Member has been considerable," said IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset.

"Amongst numerous highlights to date he provided the vision and leadership that secured New Zealand the right to host Rugby World Cup 2011 and as Chairman of RNZ 2011 those qualities have underpinned planning and preparation that is on track and on target to deliver an exceptional tournament."

"While Jock will no longer be hands on in the day to day delivery of the tournament, his legacy remains strong and I am sure that his dedication will be rewarded with a tournament that will write another successful chapter in the Rugby World Cup success story and an event that all New Zealanders can be proud of."

“On behalf of the International Rugby Board and the global Rugby family, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Jock for his immense contribution to global Rugby and I would also like to extend our very best wishes and support during this difficult time."

Team Managers gather for Tournament overview

Team managers from the twenty participating nations were greeted with a powhiri [Maori welcome] as they gathered at New Zealand House in London this week to for a detailed overview of preparations for next year’s Tournament.

While the city was in the grip of a heavy snowfall, inside, the managers got down to work amidst backdrops of New Zealand’s scenic beauty to remind them of how different their surroundings will be in just over nine months time.

Managers included representatives of the newly qualified Romanian team which clinched the final berth at Rugby World Cup 2011 (RWC 2011) after defeating Uruguay on the weekend in Bucharest.

They were welcomed by International Rugby Board (IRB) CEO Mike Miller, Rugby New Zealand 2011 (RNZ 2011) CEO Martin Snedden, and Rugby World Cup Tournament Director Kit McConnell.

“It was a really valuable day and a half,” said McConnell. “We had a great mix of veterans who have been team managers for nearly a decade now or in some cases up to 15 years, along with some who were new to the job and in fact aren’t even starting until the New Year. So it was a real mix of personalities and experience.”

Managers were taken through various aspects of the Tournament preparations including security, medical, anti-doping, match officials and communications.

“We were able to provide an in-depth look inside our preparations and give them the sort of reassurance they need now that we are well under 300 days to kick-off,” said Nigel Cass, General Manager Tournament Services for RNZ 2011.

“The general view is that our plans are well developed and the services they are going to get at the Tournament will be first rate.”

November TWENTY11 Newsletter out now!

The November edition of TWENTY11 - the official newsletter of RWC 2011 – is out now!

In this issue:

• Romania and Uruguay battle for the final qualification spot
• NZRU looks at long-term legacy for RWC 2011
• CEO Column: Marking five years of progress
• RWC 2011 Team managers converge on London

RTH awarded RWC 2015 and 2019 contract

Rugby World Cup Limited (RWCL) has awarded the contract to exclusively create, implement and market the official corporate hospitality and travel programmes for Rugby World Cup 2015 and 2019 to Rugby Travel & Hospitality (RTH) Limited.

RTH, a joint venture between Sodexo UK and the Mike Burton Group, managed the delivery of the award-winning official travel and hospitality programmes for Rugby World Cup 2007 in France, achieving record sales figures.

RTH is also managing the delivery of the official programmes for Rugby World Cup 2011 in New Zealand and with just over a year to go sales are ahead of target.

Bernard Lapasset, Rugby World Cup Limited Chairman, said: "We are delighted to be extending our excellent partnership with RTH through to Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan. The company has vast operational experience, a highly professional and innovative approach and is globally renowned for delivering exceptional travel and hospitality programmes."

"The commercial ticketing programme has been one of the major success stories for Rugby World Cup, enhancing the tournament experience for hundreds of thousands of Rugby fans from all around the world and contributing massively to the global development of the Game."

Andrew Burton, Chief Executive of the Mike Burton Group and RTH, said: "We are very excited about this fantastic opportunity to extend our association with Rugby World Cup. The decision to award the contract for two Tournaments is testament to the dedication, hard work and professionalism of the team. This is a prime contract and will help us deliver on our corporate objectives whilst benefiting the Game of Rugby around the world."

A market leader in the delivery of world class travel and hospitality programmes for major sports events, RTH is also part of the group that will create, implement and deliver the exclusive in-venue official prestige ticketing programme for the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in London.

Under the agreement, RTH will also manage the in-stadia private hospitality catering.

RTH will establish offices in London in 2012 to plan and deliver the RWC 2015 travel and hospitality programmes before moving to Tokyo in preparation for Rugby World Cup 2019.

DHL appointed RWC 2011 Worldwide Partner

Rugby World Cup Limited (RWCL) has announced the appointment of DHL Express as a Worldwide Partner for Rugby World Cup 2011 in New Zealand.

A global market leader in the international express and logistics industry, the announcement represents the first time that Deutsche Post-owned DHL has partnered with Rugby's showcase Tournament.

Under the deal, DHL will perform the key roles of in-tournament ticket distribution and express freight logistics for the 20 participating teams, including equipment transportation. The agreement will also see DHL partner with the International Rugby Board as international express shipments partner.

Rugby World Cup Limited Chairman Bernard Lapasset said: "Rugby World Cup Limited is delighted to announce that DHL has joined the family of Worldwide Partners supporting Rugby World Cup 2011. The appointment of a globally renowned brand and a world leader in the logistics industry further underscores Rugby World Cup's considerable global prestige and appeal."

Land Rover joins RWC sponsorship inventory

Rugby World Cup Limited has announced the appointment of Land Rover as an Official Sponsor of Rugby World Cup 2011 in New Zealand and a top-level Worldwide Partner of Rugby World Cup 2015 in England.

Land Rover’s support of both tournaments extends the company’s strong association with the Game worldwide. In addition to sponsorship of the last three British & Irish Lions Tours to South Africa, New Zealand and Australia and sponsorship of the Emirates Airline Dubai Rugby Sevens, Land Rover has also enhanced its role of Official Vehicle of England Rugby, Premiership Rugby and the UK’s Land Rover Premiership Cup in recent years.

As part of the deal for RWC 2011 and RWC 2015, Land Rover will supply vehicles to support the organisers, teams and officials. It is the first time that the leading car manufacturer has been involved with Rugby’s showcase tournament.

Rugby World Cup Limited Chairman Bernard Lapasset said: “We are delighted to be welcoming Land Rover to the Rugby World Cup family. This long-term partnership with an internationally recognisable brand further enhances the enormous prestige and attraction of Rugby World Cup in the global market place.”

“Land Rover is a true champion of Rugby from community to elite level and we look forward to working closely with Land Rover to promote Rugby around the world across two tournaments that will position Rugby in new markets around the world, reaching out to new communities and audiences.”

John Edwards, Global Brand Director, Land Rover, added: “Today’s announcement marks a significant development in the partnership between Land Rover and Rugby. The Company is proud of its ongoing support of the sport from a grassroots level to the elite Game and it is fitting that the world’s finest all-terrain vehicles - sold in over 160 markets worldwide - are now supporting the world’s ultimate Rugby competition.”

“The International Olympic Committee’s decision to include Rugby in the Olympic Games from 2016 will have a hugely significant impact on the growth of the sport in emerging Rugby markets such as America, China and Asia. This global growth is also shown by the IRB’s decisions to host RWC Sevens 2013 in Russia and RWC 2019 in Japan.”

Romania win final Rugby World cup place

Romania have become the 20th and final qualifier for Rugby World Cup 2011 after overcoming Uruguay 39-12 before a passionate and vocal home crowd at the stadionul National Arcul de Triumf in Bucharest on Saturday.
The two sides had been locked at 21-21 after the first leg in Montevideo a fortnight ago, but Romania produced an impressive display to take their place in New Zealand alongside Argentina, England, Scotland and Georgia in Pool B.
The perfect script had been set for the 184th and final qualifier of a process that began back in April 2008, but Romania were determined to preserve their ever present record on the Rugby World Cup stage and make their experience count.
Two thousand additional seats had been added to the intimate Bucharest venue for this winner takes all qualifier and the atmosphere was understandably electric before kick-off with a huge cheer greeting the home side as they ran out to warm up.

Northern rugby World Cup hopes swept away

Those hoping for only a second northern hemisphere victory in the rugby World Cup next year will, on the basis of what transpired in the now concluded autumn test matches, travel more in hope than expectation.
French travel agents will be fearing the backlash after the high of the Six Nations Grand Slam earlier in the year raised genuine optimism for at last lifting the Webb Ellis trophy in New Zealand next October.
That sentiment has now been replaced with deep pessimism as they ended the year with a 59-16 drubbing by Australia.
Head coach Marc Lievremont looked shellshocked and was right to do so as his side succumbed to a second drubbing in a matter of months - having gone down 41-13 to Argentina in Buenos Aires in June.
However, the 42-year-old insisted that he would not step away from the job and would battle to set matters right with the two-time World Cup finalists.
"I take full responsibility for this failure but I repeat, I am hungry to carry on," said the former France backrow forward, who played in the 1999 World Cup final defeat to Australia.
"I am not sure that Pierre, Paul or Jacques could do better, even if they did it differently.
"I'm still convinced that we are going about things the right way in terms of management, managing the squad, and strategy."
Their predecessors as Grand Slam champions Ireland also have proved no great advertisement for winning the prestigious title and look old and tired though they rounded off their campaign with victory over an old nemesis Argentina - the 2007 semi-finalists looking as if their best years are behind them.
Despite this Irish coach Declan Kidney saw an encouraging picture developing.
"We'd a number of objectives, one was to build a squad, and after a four games series, we saw today everybody buying into it," said Kidney, who nevertheless admitted there was a lot of work to do.