Rugby Banter Page Weekly Round Up

Monday 10th November:

Nonu & Faumuina To Depart To France post RWC, according to reports in France:

According to reports in French publication Midi Olympique, Ma’a Nonu has signed a two-year deal to join Top 14 and Heineken Cup champions Toulon after the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

Midi Olympique also reported that Nonu's All Blacks team-mate Charliue Faumuina had agreed a two-year deal with Racing Metro.

Tuesday 11th November:

Hurricanes Trio Sign New Deals:

The Hurricanes have re-signed a promising trio of forwards ahead of the 2015 Super Rugby season.

Props Jeffery Toomaga-Allen (23) and Reggie Goodes (22) have joined back-rower Ardie Savea (21) in signing two-year contracts with the Wellington-based franchise.

Renaldo Bothma joins The Sharks:

The Sharks have announced the signing of talented loose-forward, Renaldo Bothma, who will join the franchise on a two-year Super Rugby contract.

Bothma will return to the Steval Pumas after he has completed his Super Rugby commitments for the Sharks

Wednesday 12th November:

IRB World Player of The Year Nominees Announced:

New Zealand winger Julian Savea is among five players shortlisted for the 2014 IRB World Rugby Player of the Year Award, the governing body announced on Wednesday.

Also on the International Rugby Board's shortlist are Savea's All Black team mate Brodie Retallick, South Africa's Willie Le Roux and Duane Vermeulen and Ireland's Jonathan Sexton are also included

Samoans Avert Planned English Fixture Boycott:

Intervention from the International Rugby Board and a players' union has averted a potential boycott by the Samoan team of their test match against England next week.The players had made the threat last month over issues they had with the Samoa Rugby Union including a lack of organisational transparency and communication with the squad and interference in team selection.

"The IRB was made aware of concerns raised by the Samoa senior men's national squad regarding the administration of the Samoa Rugby Union," the governing body said in a statement.

"This included an indication that the players would withdraw from the match against England on Nov. 22 if their concerns were not heard.

Thursday 13th November:

Lawes To Return For England’s Test With The Springboks

England insisted on Thursday that Courtney Lawes has made a recovery from the concussion that forced him off after just 23 minutes of last weekend’s game against New Zealand and is ready to take one of the most physical challenges in the game against the Springboks at Twickenham on Saturday.

Lancaster Backs RFU’s Homophobia Prob:

England rugby team coach Stuart Lancaster has reacted to allegations that referee Nigel Owens was the subject of homophobic abuse at Twickenham by warning fans that such behaviour has no place in the game.

England's Rugby Football Union is probing the claims made in a letter written to a national newspaper by a spectator who attended the 24-21 defeat by New Zealand last weekend.

"I could not believe that a bunch of men half my age watching a rugby match in the 21st century could be capable of hurling such nasty, foul-mouthed, racist, homophobic abuse at an openly gay match official," read the letter published in The Guardian.

Friday 14th November:

Beale To Rejoin Wallabies Squad:

Controversial Australia back Kurtley Beale has flown out to join up with Michael Cheika's squad in Europe and could start against England at the end of November.

Beale has not played for Australia since the Wallabies' loss in Cape Town against South Africa on September 27.

On the flight to Argentina for their next match the following weekend, Beale had an argument with then Wallabies business manager Di Patston, which quickly descended into a major scandal engulfing the Australian Rugby Union and leading to the resignations of Patston and Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie.