Pumas To Join Tri Nations
An agreement in principle has been reached for Argentina to join Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in the Tri Nations by 2012.
The Pumas, who finished third in the 2007 World Cup, are to receive funding from the International Rugby Board to ease their introduction into the tournament, with IRB chairman Bernard Lapasset saying they will provide a one-off financial contribution of around US $2 million (R14.9 million).
“It is done,” Lapasset told www.thesportbriefing.com at the Global Sports Forum in Barcelona. “The principle is to support the cost of the introduction of Argentina into the Tri Nations.
“It will be a one-off payment of around US Dollars 2 million. The principle is agreed, and we just need the IRB Council to confirm at the next meeting (scheduled for May 12).
“It will be done so Argentina can enter in 2012.
“We have an agreement with South Africa, New Zealand and Australia for the financial programme that is now in place, and the three existing nations are supportive.”
Have your say: Do you think the inclusion of Argentina into the Tri Nations is good or bad for the competition?
With thanks to SkySports.co.uk
Styris, Johnson Fined For Mid-Pitch Clash
New Zealand’s Scott Styris was fined 15 percent of his match fee while Australia’s Mitchell Johnson was handed a more serious charge for breaching the International Cricket Council’s code of conduct.
Match referee Ranjan Madugalle summoned both players after their mid-pitch exchange late in New Zealand’s two-wicket win in the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy opener at McLean Park.
He wasn’t commenting until official confirmation from the ICC, but a New Zealand team spokesman confirmed Styris accepted the charge on the lowest end of the scale.
It is understood Johnson accepted a more serious level two charge. His penalty was yet to be revealed, but it could range from a heftier fine to a suspension.
The pair were reported by umpires Rudi Koertzen and Tony Hill.
Styris and left-armer Johnson (1-46) bumped shoulders then appeared to clash heads after 34-year-old Styris hit the Australian paceman for consecutive boundaries in the 46th over.
Said Styris: “There was nothing more than normal, the Australians play good competitive cricket and I’d like to think that we’ll match them in that competitiveness. There wasn’t anything untoward out there.
Asked if Johnson had butted heads with Styris, he said: “He might have come quite close, I don’t know, he may have done.”
Before the hearing, Australian captain Ricky Ponting said he was unsure what led to the Styris-Johnson clash.
“There was obviously something happened,” Ponting said.
“I rushed in as quickly as I could and separated them as quick as I could and we just tried to finish off the game well from there.”
Styris’ unbeaten 49 off 34 balls led New Zealand home by two wickets with four balls to spare as they chased down 276 in the five-match series opener.
“I’d have to say it rates pretty highly, because any time you can be the guy at the end and win a game you’ve obviously got to be happy,” he said.
“When you couple that with the fact that it’s Australia, the No 1 team in the world, it’s even better.
“Dan (Vettori) has said this series will define how New Zealand’s gone this summer, so to get the guys up and hopefully win this series is a great feeling.”
Styris, playing his 160th ODI after being unwanted for the Bangladesh series, was initially omitted and only found out he was in the playing 11 an hour before the start, when Vettori withdrew with a neck injury.
With thanks to Stuff.co.nz
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- New Zealand defeat Australia in opening Chappell-Hadlee contest (telegraph.co.uk)
VIDEO: Crazy Cricket Shot
Brendon McCullum on his back after his crazy flick six.
The start of the IPL Twenty20 competition is less than 10 days away, so have a look and see what some of the game’s stars have been working on…
The very first match of the inaugural IPL produced an individual batting display that signalled that the tournament had arrived – with a big bang! Brendon McCullum, in the gold helmet and pads of the Kolkata Knightriders, smashed 158 runs off just 73 balls to post a record that hasn’t been matched since. The closest contender was Andrew Symonds’ 117 not out for the Deccan Chargers in 2008.
Now Brendan McCullum has been at it again. In Sunday’s T20 International between New Zealand and Australia, the tattoed Kiwi smashed 116 runs off 56 balls, narrowly missing out on bettering Chris Gayle’s world record for internationals of 117 (off 57 balls), established during the T20 World Cup in SA in 2007.
But the best part of McCullum’s innings were the unorthodox shots, including this crazy flick over his head for six. Watch and see for yourself…
Aussie Cricketers Seeking Sex, Err, Success
Australian cricket coach Tim Nielsen, fronted the media on the team’s arrival at Wellington Airport today and, after a polished start he got himself a fraction tongue-tied.
“To be honest, we haven’t had a huge amount of sex… um, success, the last two times we’ve travelled here,” he said, to some muffled guffaws.
Hard to believe when you consider Shane Warne and his cellphone were part of the 2005 tour squad.
Nielsen grimaced, forced a smile then continued, undaunted: “We lost in 2007 and we might have even lost in 2005 so we’re looking to right the ship here on this tour and keep our run going.”
Maybe that bodes well for New Zealand’s single women in the next few weeks.
The coach recovered strongly, with no more references to the s-word, then farewelled the tv and radio types with a sheepish grin: “Could you wipe the sex bit, I don’t really want the wife hearing that.”
Too late. They were off and gone, and perhaps gleefully on the phone to their editors.
In Nielsen’s defence, it was a late night in Sydney as his side hammered the West Indies in the final Twenty20 match, then an early start to catch the flight to Wellington, so lack of sleep may have been to blame.
For the record, the Australians swept all before them (on the field) in early 2005, winning the ODI series 5-0 and the tests 2-0. Later in the year they returned for the Chappell-Hadlee Trophy and led the three-match series 2-0 before New Zealand chased down 332 in Christchurch for a consolation win. They then whitewashed the Aussies 3-0 in New Zealand in 2007, before Ricky Ponting’s side went on to win the World Cup.
With thanks to Stuff.co.nz
VIDEO: All Blacks Furious Over Haka Rip-off
All Black Haka
The New Zealand Rugby Union is exploring its legal rights after a troupe imitated the All Blacks by performing a haka for a Japanese Coca-Cola commercial.
The haka also upset Maori who said the portrayal was disrespectful and want the campaign stopped.
But while Coca-Cola Japan apologised for any offence caused, it stuck to its guns saying it was an original haka and not Ka Mate.
It said the haka was created, choreographed and performed by a Japanese-based Maori cultural group.
However, the performers were dressed as All Blacks – without the Silver Fern – and the haka bore a striking resemblance to Ka Mate.
The commercial featured Japanese popstar Namie Amuro and dancing girls facing off with the group described as “a troupe of studs from Kiwiland in the traditional Maori haka dance”.
NZRU spokesman Paul Dalton said it appeared no All Blacks trademarks had been infringed.
“But the NZRU remains concerned that an association with the All Blacks will have been suggested to the average Japanese consumer.
“We are currently exploring what our legal rights might be under Japanese law.”
Depending on the advice, NZRU would be working with Coca-Cola to resolve the matter.
Ngati Toa spokesman Te Ariki WiNeera said the commercial was disrespectful.
The iwi was extremely unhappy with the portrayal of the haka. Though it was an original composition it alluded to the fact that the haka in the commercial was Ka Mate and the All Blacks through their performance. “That’s what we find offensive,” he said.
Last year the New Zealand embassy contacted Ngati Toa advising they had told producers of the commercial to make contact before using the haka, but nothing happened.
The iwi believed the company should change or remove the commercial.
Coca-Cola Japan said it engaged extensively with parties when developing the Coke Zero campaign.
With thanks to Stuff.co.nz
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