Friday Morning Round Up
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Brown completes Highlanders coaching ticket
Just a few days after announcing their playing squad for 2018 the Highlanders have now completed their coaching team with the appointment of Cory Brown to the High-Performance coaching role.
Brown joins Aaron Mauger, Glenn Delaney, Mark Hammett and Clarke Dermody in an all South Island coaching group that will guide the team in 2018.
Rebels sign Haylett-Petty brothers
The Melbourne Rebels have strengthened their squad ahead of the 2018 Super Rugby season with the addition of experienced brothers Dane and Ross Haylett-Petty for the next two years.
The 28-year-old Dane Haylett-Petty has established himself as one of Super Rugby’s premier outside backs and finished the 2017 season as the Force’s leader for try assists, average run metres per game and line break assists, and second for tackle busts.
The 23-year-old, Ross represented the Australian U20s at the 2014 World Rugby U20s Championship, finished the 2017 Super Rugby season as the Force’s leader for lineout steals, second for lineouts won on the throw and average tackles per game.
Best of Fijian Drua
2017 saw the first Fijian flavour in the NRC, look back at some of their tasty tries from the regular season.
Wallabies hooker Polota-Nau linked with Leicester Tigers
According to reports from Australia 78 Test cap Wallaby hooker Tatafu Polota-Nau is looking off-shore to continue his professional career after failing to spark any offers from the Australian Super Rugby sides.
Ahead of his 79th Test, against Japan in Yokohama, Polota-Nau said he’d missed the boat after counting on his club the Western Force getting a Super Rugby lifeline.
Polata-Nau has been linked to England club Leicester after Australia’s four-Test tour but said no deal had been done.
SA can count on NZ’s 2023 RWC vote - Steve Tew
South Africa can count New Zealand Rugby’s support when the final votes are cast to determine the host nation for the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
This assurance was given by New Zealand Rugby’s chief executive officer Steve Tew on Thursday.
"From a New Zealand point of view our board made a decision early on that if the process was seen to have worked well and been done fairly and professionally then it would be very hard not to vote the way of the recommendation," Tew told the New Zealand Herald.
Tew continued: "While the scores are relatively close there was a clear margin. South Africa is the best candidate so we'll be guided by the recommendation and vote accordingly.”
LINEUPS: Canada v Maori All Blacks
