Rugby
Mitchell likely to miss Waratahs' Super start
ADRIAN WARREN - AAP
Wallabies' winger Drew Mitchell is resigned to missing the Waratahs opening Super Rugby clash with Queensland and admits he is enduring the toughest spell of his career.Mowen surprise choice as Brumbies' captain
CRYSTAL JA - AAP
Brumbies coach Jake White has defended his decision to appoint the untried Ben Mowen as captain, arguing international credentials aren't a pre-requisite for the job.Super Rugby referee bungling could be history
GREG GROWDEN
Every Super Rugby team has its SANZAR judicial atrocity story.Matt Giteau still simmering over Deans snub
GEORGINA ROBINSON
It appears Matt Giteau can't let go of being left out of Australia's Rugby World Cup squad.Jerome Kaino to the back of the pack with Blues
DUNCAN JOHNSTONE - © Fairfax NZ News
Jerome Kaino, the world's best No 6, is facing a shift to No 8 for much of the season with the Blues in this year's Super Rugby championship.
Gatland looming as Lions coach to Australia
Wales clear the way
DUNCAN JOHNSTONE - © Fairfax NZ News
Warren Gatland is firming as favourite to coach the Lions on their tour of Australia.France name unchanged squad for Scotland
MATHIEU BARATAS - Reuters
France manager Philippe Saint-Andre has retained the 23-player squad who were due to face Ireland last weekend for his side's first Six Nations away fixture of the season against Scotland at Murrayfield on February 26.Hurricanes rookie Shields hopes hype will help
DAVID LONG - © Fairfax NZ News
Rookie Hurricanes loose forward Brad Shield looms as one of the rising stars of the 2012 Super Rugby season.Sebastien Chabal to play Australian club rugby
GEORGIAN ROBINSON
Australian rugby circles were abuzz as it emerged that French cult rugby figure Sebastien Chabal was headed down under for the next stage of his career.Casey Laulala shifting from Cardiff to Munster
© Fairfax NZ News
Former All Blacks centre Casey Laulala is on the move, joining famous Irish club Munster from Welsh outfit the Cardiff Blues.Bulls to wear new pink jersey for Super Rugby
© Fairfax NZ News
The Bulls, a symbol of the rugged Afrikaaner, will be wearing pink jerseys for away games in this year's Super Rugby championship.Ireland unhappy at date for France rematch
MATHIEU BARATAS - Reuters
Ireland are "disappointed" their Six Nations match in France, called off last Saturday because of a frozen pitch, has been rearranged for March 4.John Kirwan honoured to coach Barbarians
© Fairfax NZ News
All Blacks great John Kirwan will coach the Barbarians in three rugby internationals against England, Ireland and Wales later this year.Tom Taylor eyes his first Super Rugby cap
RICHARD KNOWLER IN AUCKLAND - © Fairfax NZ News
Tom Taylor will be hoping to get noticed more at Eden Park next Friday night than he did at Rainbow's End yesterday.Old rivals set for a Super start to the season
LIAM NAPIER - © Fairfax NZ News
In nine days, New Zealand's two favoured contenders kick off arguably the world's pinnacle franchise rugby competition at Eden Park.Hoeata hoping normality a prelude to lots of wins
RUGBY DAVID LONG - © Fairfax NZ News
Highlanders forward Jarrad Hoeata feels he is finally getting a bit of normality back into his training as he battles back from arm surgery.Bateman has time to realise All Blacks dream
TOBY ROBSON - © Fairfax NZ News
It's a good thing that Tim Bateman looks his age.
Crusaders without Richie McCaw until April
Home playoff key target of season
LIAM NAPIER - © Fairfax NZ News
Richie McCaw could miss the first five rounds of this year's Super Rugby competition.How Nic Henderson turned tragedy into success
STATHI PAXINOS - © Fairfax NZ News
There is a point on the Olympic Highway near Gerogery in southern NSW that Nic Henderson avoided for a decade.Hopes fans hit the couch for Super Rugby season
DUNCAN JOHNSTONE - © Fairfax NZ News
Rugby bosses hope they can reverse a declining trend in TV viewership for Super Rugby matches on the back of NZ's World Cup success.South African whinges will get them nowhere
GREG GROWDEN
OPINION: The Super Rugby season is about to start, and - shock, horror - the South African provinces are having an almighty whinge.Richie McCaw puts pen to panties
'Luckily they were red'
Desperate for an autograph and with nothing for him to sign, Pahiatua mum Toni Andersen asked All Blacks captain Richie McCaw to put his name on her knickers.
Otago Rugby Union slashing wage bill by 400K
The Otago Rugby Football Union hopes to alleviate financial concerns by cutting about $400,000 off its player wage bill this year.
Microscope on Super Rugby tackle - again
Promise of less talk, more action
RICHARD KNOWLER - © Fairfax NZ News
Sanzar referees are once again promising to hammer teams that refuse to clear up the problematic tackled-ball area.Question mark over France-Ireland date
France and Ireland's postponed Six Nations match will not take place this weekend, tournament organisers said.
Super franchises in battle for hearts and minds
RICHARD KNOWLER - © Fairfax NZ News
OPINION: It is not just rugby's dancing girls who are dusting off their pom-poms.Lachie Turner to miss six months of Super Rugby
The Waratahs have confirmed strike weapon Lachie Turner will likely miss the entire Super Rugby season after tearing his hamstring off the bone.
Tough call ends Kiwis' winning run in Vegas
MARC HINTON IN LAS VEGAS - © Fairfax NZ News
Just a few kilometres away on the Strip, it's the luck of the cards you need to go your way. Here at the Las Vegas sevens, it's the referee's shuffling of the deck that makes all the difference.Conrad Smith's body still a work in progress
TOBY ROBSON - © Fairfax NZ News
Conrad Smith says his body remains a work in progress, but that his mind has never been more focused.Melbourne Rebels excited for big guns' arrival
MELISSA WOODS - AAP
All the talk ahead of the Melbourne Rebels' second Super Rugby season can be summed up in five words; James O'Connor and Kurtley Beale.Faingaa ready to tackle 2012 with Reds
Reds tackle machine Anthony Faingaa will on Thursday make a timely comeback from shoulder surgery brought upon by his defensive hunger.
Turner, Mitchell likely to miss Waratahs' opener
GREG GROWDEN - (Live Matches)
The Waratahs are in danger of being without their two Wallabies wingers - Lachie Turner and Drew Mitchell - for their opening Super Rugby match.Pat Lam still mum on Piri Weepu's Blues role
'It's whatever we think is best for the team'
CHRIS BARCLAY - © Fairfax NZ News
Blues coach Pat Lam must put on his thinking cap heading into their final Super Rugby warmup against the Highlanders.New Hurricanes prop tested by best in business
GEORGE HEAGNEY - © Fairfax NZ News
It doesn't get much tougher than learning your trade against an All Black front row as new Hurricanes prop Jeffery Toomaga-Allen did on Saturday.New Zealand lose Las Vegas final to Samoa
Halai, King missed by Tietjens' men
MARC HINTON - © Fairfax NZ News
New Zealand’s luck ran out in Sin City as injuries and a committed Samoa saw their sevens streak come to a halt.South Africans agitated about Super future
DUNCAN JOHNSTONE - © Fairfax NZ News
South Africa's five Super Rugby franchises are turning up the heat on expanding the competition to 16 teams next year, clearly worried about their own futures.Jonah Lomu seeking new kidney donor
Jonah Lomu confirms he needs a new kidney and has lost 30kg in his latest health struggles.
Wales outclass Scotland 27-13 in Cardiff
JUSTIN PALMER - Reuters
Wales overcame a sluggish start to crush an error-prone and ill-disciplined Scotland 27-13 and make it two from two in the Six Nations.Mission accomplished: one down for Crusaders
RICHARD KNOWLER - © Fairfax NZ News
Robbie Fruean was the only casualty during the Crusaders' 19-8 victory over the Hurricanes in their hit-and-run mission on Saturday.Mackintosh working hard for start of season
NATHAN BURDON - © Fairfax NZ News
Highlanders and Stags skipper Jamie Mackintosh hopes to be fit in time for the Super rugby season opener against the Chiefs.Uncertainty over Smith's start for Hurricanes
TOBY ROBSON - © Fairfax NZ News
The curious case of Conrad Smith continues with the Hurricanes captain not planning to take the field for his side's final warmup match.Chiefs still have work to be done despite win
EVAN PEGDEN - © Fairfax NZ News
The Chiefs will revisit their breakdown work after being heavily penalised despite a 38-36 pre-season trial victory over the Highlanders.NZ Sevens team through to semi in Las Vegas
NZ sevens skipper DJ Forbes was looking on the positive side of a tough but successful day at the office for his team in Sin City.
Piri Weepu stakes his claim for Blues No 10
Ownership of the Blues' No 10 jersey is still a three-horse race after Piri Weepu staked his claim on debut for his new team.
Piri Weepu stakes his claim for Blues No 10
Ownership of the Blues' No 10 jersey is still a three-horse race, publicly at least, after Piri Weepu staked his claim when debuting for his new Super 15 team.
Rudi Wulf eyes Rokocoko's spot with Blues
DAVID LONG - © Fairfax NZ News
Blues wing Rudi Wulf wants to take over Josevata Rokocoko's role during his second stint with the franchise.Blues' Faumuina up for tighthead challenge
DAVID LONG - © Fairfax NZ News
Blues prop Charlie Faumuina has some big shoes to fill in the front row of the scrum this season.Blues preparing for Highlanders challenge
Blues coach Pat Lam was pleased with his side's win over Melbourne but wants to take it up a notch for Friday's Highlanders match.
Crusaders signal their intent
The setting was unusual for Super Rugby even if the result was no surprise as the Crusaders beat the Hurricanes 19-8 in a preseason match yesterday.
France v Ireland postponed due to frozen pitch
Today's Six Nations encounter between France and Ireland was called off because of a frozen pitch, 10 minutes after the game had been due to kickoff.
Court tells Government to think again on Crafar farms decision
Job fears take toll on public servants
Legal aid funding changes drive lawyers away
Rumbles hold no terror for perky soccer stalwart
Family loses 'nature's gentleman'
Corrections official admits accepting bribes
Riled residents arm themselves against crime
Rahui placed on unforgiving river
East-West fusion dish aiming to woo judges
Family loses 'nature's gentleman'
Job fears take toll on public servants
Riled residents arm themselves against crime
Rahui placed on unforgiving river
Corrections official admits accepting bribes
Court tells Government to think again on Crafar farms decision
Hawks snatch Kiwibowl title from Wildcats
Job fears take toll on public servants
Gatland looming as Lions coach to Australia
Letter - Will council say no to pay rise?
Riled residents arm themselves against crime
Provincial house prices lower than a year ago
Court tells Government to think again on Crafar farms decision
Riled residents arm themselves against crime
Ultrafast broadband in Hamilton from July
Legal aid funding changes drive lawyers away