Mark Thomas 马健明’s Post

According to website Rugby365, the sale of Newlands Rugby Stadium - to an undisclosed buyer - was voted on, and approved, at a recent Western Province Rugby Football Union council meeting. Following the move of Western Province Rugby’s professional teams to DHL Stadium in early 2022, Newlands Rugby has ceased to be a rugby venue. When Western Province Rugby was placed under administration by SARU in October 2021, one of the major tasks assigned to the administrator was to finalise the sale of the stadium. One of the obstacles included a proposal to have the stadium declared a heritage site however, an independent report by a heritage specialist suggested otherwise. Rugby365: https://bit.ly/4bKLJPr Western Province Rugby: https://bit.ly/3LiXRfR The independent report by Bridget O’Donoghue: https://bit.ly/3LiXRfR #newlandsrugbystadium #sport #rugby #commercialrealestate #rugbystadium #realestateinvestment #capetownproperty #assetmanagement #capetown #propertydevelopment #realestatenews #propertynews

It's too much of a coincidence that on the day World Rugby elects Brett Robinson as its new Chair, the news of a #LIV style breakaway Rugby league, backed by US and Middle East funding, is leaked to the press, it's a clear challenge to the #establishment. Let's see how this plays out, but it comes down to the fact that compared to other high-profile sports, elite Rugby players play too much, and get battered week-in week-out for quite frankly relatively little #remuneration. Owen Farrell is reportedly the highest-paid player in the world, earning $1.2m. It doesn't take a PhD in mathematics to do the sums and work out that for a pittance of what it took to fund LIV Golf, you could buy control of most of the top Rugby players and fund your own global rugby competition. No matter how much tinkering is done with rules, governance, player vs country contracts, concussion protocols, etc. this lack of money paid to its stars, leaves the sport more vulnerable than ever for a group like this to come along with a big cheque and mix things up a bit. Those of us with long memories have been down the Rugby breakaway road before and it failed. It is probable that the establishment has game played this scenario and will have plenty of power-plays of their own to bring to the table to prevent what some feel is inevitable. Therefore, the nuanced cause-and-effect, #fragmentation, and #revolution this disruption may cause is up for debate. Ultimately the sentiment of the players will be key. The disrupting protagonists have played their first card, so it's game on! In the meantime, I'm looking forward to a nice day out in #Cardiff on Sunday, hoping against hope, that my beloved #Wales can somehow avoid a record 11th consecutive international defeat against the Aussies! 🙏 #Rugby #WorldRugby #Disruption WRU - Welsh Rugby Union England Rugby Scottish Rugby South African Rugby Union (SA Rugby) Rugby Australia New Zealand Rugby FFR - Fédération Française de Rugby Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) RugbyDAO World Rugby AYNE - are you not entertained? podcast Public Investment Fund (PIF) CVC

According to website Rugby365, the sale of Newlands Rugby Stadium - to an undisclosed buyer - was voted on, and approved, at a recent Western Province Rugby Football Union council meeting. Following the move of Western Province Rugby’s professional teams to DHL Stadium in early 2022, Newlands Rugby has ceased to be a rugby venue. When Western Province Rugby was placed under administration by SARU in October 2021, one of the major tasks assigned to the administrator was to finalise the sale of the stadium. One of the obstacles included a proposal to have the stadium declared a heritage site however, an independent report by a heritage specialist suggested otherwise. Rugby365: https://bit.ly/4bKLJPr Western Province Rugby: https://bit.ly/3LiXRfR The independent report by Bridget O’Donoghue: https://bit.ly/3LiXRfR #newlandsrugbystadium #sport #rugby #commercialrealestate #rugbystadium #realestateinvestment #capetownproperty #assetmanagement #capetown #propertydevelopment #realestatenews #propertynews

Ulster Rugby: Iain Henderson and Rob Herring sign contract extensions Ireland internationals Iain Henderson and Rob Herring have signed contract extensions with Ulster. Ulster captain Henderson, whose central Irish Rugby Football Union [IRFU] contract will expire at the end of the season, has penned a two-year extension with the province until 2027. Herring's new deal will keep the hooker at the Belfast-based club until 2026. - https://lnkd.in/d5Br5tZz

An admirable aim undermined by a design-by-committee solution. The declared intention to roll out T1 rugby as the non-contact version of rugby in schools is as parochial as it gets. There is already a fast-paced, well-regulated, recognised non-contact version of rugby with national teams, World Cups and its own star players- it is called touch and is managed by the Federation of International Touch - you could even point to Try Tag Rugby as a more union-adjacent version. Instead World Rugby and the RFU with T1 rugby and previously Touch Union are trying to own the non-contact game and claim its players for their own- hence the dissolution of the O2 touch initiative after lockdown that had successfully seen many people take up touch rugby. As a player of both contact rugby union and touch rugby- I think T1 looks a hateful sport and a miserable experience as a competitive game. I'm surprised, and yet not surprised, that the overriding aim of 'get people running around with an oval ball and scoring tries' is being ignored here in the name of ownership and politics. Original Article: https://lnkd.in/ezdW_iRJ

#1 of 4 in the way forward for the WRU A Leader in Decline It’s painful to admit, since the WM headline where I urged Pickering to get on a plane and get Gatland. Warren Gatland’s recent performances as coach have left much to be desired. His return to Wales has seen a record-breaking slump, including 12 consecutive test match losses—the worst in Welsh rugby’s 143-year history. Gatland himself has acknowledged this disastrous run, stating he would support "whatever the best decision for Welsh rugby is," even if that means stepping aside. While this might sound selfless, it reflects a lack of conviction and confidence that has become increasingly apparent. His remarks about staying only if Welsh rugby supports him don’t inspire hope; they come across as disengaged and even dismissive of the fans’ passion and expectations One of his most contentious statements was his suggestion that fans and the media should avoid "knee-jerk reactions." This tone feels more like a rebuke to those who have poured their hearts into the game rather than a rallying cry for improvement. When Gatland returned to New Zealand to coach Waikato, his tenure ended in disappointment. The same scenario seems to be playing out in Wales, where the team’s performances and morale have nosedived It’s time for the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) to make bold changes. Let’s not wait for the Six Nations to solidify another year of mediocrity. Appoint someone like Dai Young, who has shown resilience and tactical acumen. The Welsh fans deserve a coach who is fully engaged, passionate, and capable of building a team that reflects their enduring love for the sport. Gatland’s legacy will always include his past successes, but history cannot be the sole justification for keeping him in charge. Professional Rugby is a results-driven sport, and Welsh rugby needs a leader who embraces the challenges head-on—not one who dwells on former glories or prepares exit strategies.

Excited to launch Australian Rugby’s strategy for 2025 - 2029 yesterday. Australian Rugby’s “From Green To Gold” strategy towards 2029 - formed in collaboration with stakeholders across the game including member unions, Super Rugby clubs and the Rugby Union Players’ Association - features three key pillars: performance excellence, participation growth and promotion effectiveness. Performance excellence: To consistently build winning teams in Gold, connecting and inspiring Australians and our rugby community. Participation growth: To increase support for clubs, schools, coaches and match officials to enable growth in participation and strengthen the rugby community. Promotion effectiveness: To leverage major events and engage bigger audiences across platforms increasing visibility, support and interest in rugby and driving commercial value.

With the start of the Autumn Internationals, we have 3 exciting matches this weekend, all with potential impacts on the World Rugby rankings: • Sep 6: Scotland vs Wales (BBC iPlayer/RugbyPassTV) • Sep 7: Barbarians vs South Africa (TBD) • Sep 7: England vs France (BBC One/RugbyPassTV) Here’s how the rankings could shift: • England vs. France: England can’t boost their rating but stays #1. A 15+ point win for France could leap them to 2nd, ahead of 🇨🇦 and 🇳🇿! • Wales vs. Scotland: A win could move Wales to 6th, while Scotland may drop to 9th with a big loss (15+). • Scotland: Even with a win, they remain 6th, still trailing 🇦🇺 by 1.22 points. More: https://bit.ly/4dSz2nH

World Rugby to limit influence of lawyers World Rugby plans to overhaul the red card disciplinary system and restrict any advantage enjoyed by richer nations who can employ expensive lawyers. Standard bans of two or four weeks are to be handed down for red cards during a trial in the Under-20 World Championship, WXV and Pacific Nations Cup. World Rugby's plan recognises the difference between a rugby incident (punished by a ban of two weeks) and reckless conduct such as a shoulder charge (four weeks). The governing body expects 70% of all disciplinary cases to trigger one of the two automatic bans, reducing substantially any influence of lawyers on the outcome of disciplinary hearings. World Rugby wants to remove any perception of the disciplinary system being rigged against developing nations.