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Scotsman
2 days ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
Scotland's low-key tour carries great importance: Unusual KOs, strong squad but notable absentees
Sign up to our Rugby Union newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Set the alarms, stock up on coffee and bone up on your knowledge of Pacific Islands rugby. For the second year running, Scotland are off on a summer tour which will see them play Test matches against the so-called Tier 2 nations. Last year's jaunt to the Americas was one for the night owls and included matches against USA and Canada which kicked off back home at 11.30pm and 10pm respectively. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad This time around Gregor Townsend's side are heading east with a schedule more suited to (very) early risers. They'll open with a non-cap game against Māori All Blacks in New Zealand which is scheduled for 4.35am UK time. Next comes Fiji in Suva which Townsend has already earmarked as the key match. That one kicks off at 4am. Scotland will conclude the tour back in New Zealand where they will take on Samoa in Auckland at the more respectable hour of 9.05am. Scotland's Adam Hastings in action against Fiji at Murrayfield, on November 2, 2024. The sides will meet in Suva on July 12. | SNS Group / SRU It might not seem like the most glamorous itinerary, especially when you consider it coincides with the British & Irish Lions' tour of Australia, but Townsend has picked a squad he considers 'almost as strong as possible'. He is without his eight Lions, of course, but there is none of the left-field selections that characterised last summer's tour. Eleven new players were capped in the Americas, a trip which also included Tests against Chile and Uruguay. Only three uncapped players are included this time and Fergus Burke, Alexander Masibaka and Fin Richardson all have experience of being in previous Scotland squads. This is not a development tour and one of the chief reasons Townsend has eschewed experimentation is the proximity of the draw for the 2027 Rugby World Cup. Scotland got stung badly last time, ending up in the proverbial Group of Death alongside South Africa, Ireland, Tonga and Romania and, for the second World Cup in a row, they were eliminated in the pool stage. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Unlike the 2023 World Cup, the 2027 draw is taking place closer to the tournament itself and will be made in December. It means Scotland only have the summer games against Fiji and Samoa and the autumn Tests against USA, New Zealand, Argentina and Tonga to improve their ranking. They are currently seventh but Townsend would like to be in the top six by the time of the draw. That would see them included in the top group of seeds for the expanded 2027 tournament which will be the first to feature 24 teams who will be split into six groups of four. Fergus Burke looks set to win his first Scotland cap on tour. | SNS Group / SRU 'We know that playing and winning Test matches for Scotland is really important,' said Townsend. 'So we have to pick a strong squad to take on the likes of Fiji and Samoa. It's even more important this year with world ranking points. 'The World Cup draw is made after November, so these games are crucial to make sure we've got the best chance of being in that top six and getting a better seeding. There's always maybe one or two players that we've decided not to select. Not because of form, but because we think it's not right for them to go on tour at this time. But other than that, it's as strong a squad as we could select. The benefit of having that game against the Maori All Blacks will mean that everybody on tour will get game time.' Townsend intends to play his strongest team against Fiji who are only two places behind Scotland in the world rankings but he is also mindful of Samoa who are ranked 14th. By comparison, last summer's opponents are currently 15th (USA), 17th (Uruguay), 21st (Chile) and 24th (Canada). Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We knew we weren't playing teams ranked in the top 10, as we are on this tour, so that was a real opportunity for us to bring a lot more uncapped players,' said Townsend. 'I think we had 11 new caps last year, this time it's three, so it is a much stronger squad. 'And the games are important. The Test matches are important. They'll be tougher. So we need as strong a squad as possible to win those Test matches.' Townsend will be without Sione Tuipulotu, Huw Jones, Finn Russell, Blair Kinghorn, Duhan van der Merwe, Scott Cummings and Pierre Schoeman who will all be wearing Lions red this summer, and Scotland's eighth Lion, Zander Fagerson, sadly had to withdraw this week due to injury. But the coach has still assembled a strong cast list which will be led by Rory Darge. There is plenty of experience in the shape of Grant Gilchrist, Jamie Ritchie, Matt Fagerson, Rory Sutherland, Darcy Graham, George Horne and Ben White and also a welcome return for several players who missed out on the Six Nations such as Cameron Henderson, Andy Onyeama-Christie, Max Williamson, Adam Hastings, Cameron Redpath, Harry Paterson, Kyle Steyn and George Turner, the latter available again after ending his Japanese exile to sign for Harlequins. The timing of White's involvement will depend on Toulon's progress in the Top 14 play-offs. The scrum-half has helped the French side reach the quarter-finals and they will take on Castres on Saturday, with the semis and final scheduled for the following two weekends. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Of the three uncapped players both Burke and Masibaka were called into Six Nations squads this year and Richardson, the Glasgow Warriors tighthead prop, trained with Scotland in South America last summer to gain experience. Uncapped Glasgow prop Fin Richardson has been named in the Scotland tour squad. | SNS Group In the absence of Russell, Saracens stand-off Burke will be given a chance on tour although Tom Jordan and Hastings will also be vying for the No 10 jersey. Masibaka, of Soyaux Angouleme, offers another option in the back row, particularly with Jack Dempsey sidelined by a hamstring injury. Richardson, meanwhile, has impressed Townsend with the way he has stood up to Andrew Porter in recent matches against Leinster.
Edinburgh Reporter
3 days ago
- Sport
- Edinburgh Reporter
Rory Darge named as Scotland captain for Skyscanner Pacific Tour
Gregor Townsend has named his Scotland squad for the 2025 Skyscanner Pacific Tour. Rory Darge has been selected as captain for the matches against Māori All Blacks, Fiji and Samoa. Darge has co-captained Scotland along with Finn Russell in the last two Guinness Six Nations championships. He will lead a squad of 36 players with a number of familiar faces returning to the group. Andy Onyeama-Christie has been selected after overcoming an ankle injury sustained in October 2024. He made his return for Saracens in March. Hooker George Turner also comes back into the fold after missing the last year of international rugby following his move to Kobelco Kobe Steelers in Japan. He has since signed for Harlequins next year and will aim to add to his 45 caps amassed thus far. There are three uncapped players named in the squad in the shape of stand-off Fergus Burke, back-row Alexander Masibaka and tighthead prop Fin Richardson. Burke and Masibaka were both included in the Guinness Six Nations squad, when they trained regularly with the team, and Richardson has national team experience having travelled out to Chile and Uruguay on last year's summer tour. There are eight Glasgow Warriors backs named, following their exit in the United Rugby Championship play-offs over the weekend. Toulon's Ben White is chosen for his second summer tour and Arron Reed has been rewarded with a call-up after making his debut for Scotland last July. Edinburgh Rugby's Darcy Graham, Harry Paterson and Matt Currie have been called up along with Bath's Cameron Redpath, who has sights set on the Premiership final this weekend alongside Leicester. From the two finalists, Bath's Josh Bayliss and Tigers' Cameron Henderson will also tour with the squad. After missing out on the Guinness Six Nations, Max Williamson is back in the squad after impressing against South Africa in the autumn. Alec Hepburn, Nathan McBeth and Rory Sutherland will compete for the loosehead position while Will Hurd and Elliot Millar Mills join Richardson as the tighthead options. Hookers Patrick Harrison and Ewan Ashman have been familiar figures in the squad over the last year, Harrison being one of seven players in the squad who made their debuts on the Skyscanner Americas tour last year, and they join Turner as hooking options. Marshall Sykes made his Guinness Six Nations debut in March against France and he continues in the squad where he's joined by fellow second rows Max Williamson, Gregor Brown, Henderson and the experienced Grant Gilchrist. In the back row, Matt Fagerson has been selected as he continues his recovery from injury, along with Jamie Ritchie, Ben Muncaster, Darge, Bayliss, Onyeama-Christie and Masibaka. The tour kicks off with a match against the Māori All Blacks on Saturday 5 July, and will be the first time the sides have met since 2000, when the hosts edged a narrow encounter 18-15 in New Plymouth. It will be just the third match between the Māori and Scotland with the other game coming at Murrayfield in Edinburgh in 1998. The tourists will then take on Fiji, with the match marking Scotland's first game on Fijian soil since 2017. Scotland's last match against Fiji took place in November 2024 when the home side ran out 57-17 winners, with Darcy Graham scoring four tries. The tour will finish on Friday 18 July when Scotland take on Samoa. The last time the two sides played against each other was six years ago, when Scotland won 34-0 during the 2019 Rugby World Cup. The match will take place in Auckland, New Zealand, at the historic Eden Park Skyscanner Pacific Tour: Fixtures Māori All Blacks v Scotland – Semenoff Stadium, Whangārei Saturday 5 July 2025, kick-off 3.35pm (local time, Saturday 5 July, kick-off 4.35am BST) – Live on Sky Sports. Fiji v Scotland – HFC Bank Stadium, Suva Saturday 12 July 2025, kick-off 3pm (local time, Saturday 12 July 2025, kick-off 4am BST). Samoa v Scotland – Eden Park, Auckland Friday 18 July 2025, kick-off 8.05pm (local time, Friday 18 July 2025, kick-off 9.05am BST) Broadcast details for the Fiji and Samoa games are still to be confirmed. Skyscanner Pacific Tour Squad Backs (15) Fergus Burke – Saracens (uncapped), Matt Currie – Edinburgh Rugby (4), Jamie Dobie – Glasgow Warriors (12), Darcy Graham – Edinburgh Rugby (46), Adam Hastings – Glasgow Warriors (32), George Horne – Glasgow Warriors (36), Tom Jordan – Glasgow Warriors (8), Cameron Redpath – Bath Rugby (140 Stafford McDowall – Glasgow Warriors (13), Harry Paterson – Edinburgh Rugby (3), Arron Reed – Sale Sharks (3), Kyle Rowe – Glasgow Warriors (12), Ollie Smith – Glasgow Warriors (9), Kyle Steyn – Glasgow Warriors (23), Ben White – Toulon (29) Forwards (21) Ewan Ashman – Edinburgh Rugby (27), Josh Bayliss – Bath Rugby (10), Gregor Brown – Glasgow Warriors (9), Matt Fagerson – Glasgow Warriors (55), Rory Darge – CAPTAIN – Glasgow Warriors (30), Grant Gilchrist – Edinburgh Rugby (80), Patrick Harrison – Edinburgh Rugby (3), Cameron Henderson – Leicester Tigers (1), Alec Hepburn – Scarlets (4), Will Hurd – Leicester Tigers (8), Alexander Masibaka –Soyaux Angoulême XV Charente (uncapped), Nathan McBeth – Glasgow Warriors (2), Elliot Millar Mills – Northampton Saints (7), Ben Muncaster – Edinburgh Rugby (2), Andy Onyeama-Christie – Saracens (8), Fin Richardson – Glasgow Warriors (uncapped), Jamie Ritchie – Edinburgh Rugby (59), Rory Sutherland – Glasgow Warriors (41), Marshall Sykes – Edinburgh Rugby (2), George Turner – Kobelco Kobe Steelers (45), Max Williamson – Glasgow Warriors (6) Like this: Like Related
NZ Autocar
04-05-2025
- Automotive
- NZ Autocar
Toyota NZ drives New Zealand rugby
Toyota New Zealand has announced a major sponsorship deal, becoming the Official Training Kit Partner for New Zealand Rugby. In a three-year agreement, Toyota will be the official vehicle partner for all national rugby teams, including the All Blacks, Black Ferns, Māori All Blacks, and Sevens sides. Toyota branding will appear on training kits and during test matches. NZR CEO Mark Robinson says the tie-up is a natural fit. 'Much like rugby, Toyota is deeply embedded in the fabric of New Zealand life. 'Having a global partnership with a New Zealand-based organisation of this calibre presents a significant opportunity to collaborate, as we support our national teams and advance New Zealand's national sport.' Toyota New Zealand CEO Tatsuya Ishikawa (third from right). Toyota NZ CEO Tatsuya Ishikawa echoed those sentiments, calling it a proud moment. 'Sport is a powerful connector, and we are excited to work with NZR to engage even more meaningfully with our local communities.' The deal kicks off in June with the Māori All Blacks debuting the new-look training kit in their 28 June clash in Japan.
NZ Herald
03-05-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Blues loose forward Cameron Suafoa announces rare cancer recurrence
Despite the diagnosis, the 27-year-old has appeared in seven of the 11 games the Blues have played this season – four of which he was named as a starter for. Suafoa was first diagnosed with sarcoma – a rare form of cancer that affects connective tissue such as muscles and bones – in November 2023, requiring surgery. Shockingly, Suafoa continued training and even played twice for the Blues while undergoing radiation treatment for six weeks between February and April in 2024. He was declared cancer-free in May last year. He played a total of six games in the Blues' title-winning season. Suafoa was rewarded after arguably the best season of his career – despite significant setbacks – being named in the Māori All Blacks side for their 2024 end-of-year tour of Japan. 'As always, health comes first and check on your people,' he said. In May last year, Blues teammate Dalton Papali'i hailed Suafoa's resilience in battling cancer while actively being taking part in Super Rugby. 'He's a kid that didn't want any special treatment when we all found out about it,' he said. 'He was still getting treatment while playing, he wasn't missing a beat at training as well. Then he got the weeks off to get a little bit better. 'It [takes] a lot of resilience for him to do what he's been doing. It shows so much courage by him coming back into the fold and wanting to play. 'All the boys are around him, he just got itchy feet going through it all. Once he got over it, he's come back and is keen to get stuck in. 'It just shows the resilience and courage from him to really get through that and be with us fulltime.'
NZ Herald
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Tauranga's family-friendly scavenger hunt on two wheels
She said the trail, which is completely flat, had all ages riding it. 'Our kids enjoy cruising along down the valley. It's nice and flat for young kids.' 'K Valley', as it is often referred to, is packed with history, wildlife and great cycling and walking trails, as well as sites of significance to Ngāi Tamarāwaho. 'The scavenger hunt had activities along the way, like throwing water balloons and eggs without popping them,' said Anita. 'It was a little adventure through the valley to complete the hunt with fun activities for the kids along the way. Our kids won a Māori All Blacks shirt at the spot prizes at the finish too.' 'This year we have prizes for the best costumed team,' said Tauranga Sunrise Rotary member Michele Beaton. The dress-up theme for 2025 is 'Wildlife', Beaton said. 'So let your imagination go wild. But keeping safety in mind too.' She said participants will be enjoying some 'crazy' games along the way. 'And look out for the friendly Swamp Monster. Extra points will be awarded if you can guess his or her identity.' Last year former mayor Greg Brownless donned a ghillie suit, becoming 'Swampie' the friendly Swamp Monster. 'He did a great job, because we couldn't guess who he was,' said a participant in the 2024 event. 'It's very much a family occasion, essentially a scavenger hunt by bike. All the tasks carry points, as will the dress-up competition that we're adding this year.' In 2023, more than 200 cyclists took on the adventure. In 2024, more than 40 teams competed, with four to six people per team. 'The event is organised by our Rotary Club of Tauranga Sunrise club's environment group and is aimed at raising awareness of the historical, ecological, carbon-sink and recreational value of this amazing reserve, the largest urban wetland reserve in New Zealand and possibly in Australasia,' Beaton said. 'There's also a fundraising side to this, though because we keep ticket prices low to make sure the event is accessible to most, amounts raised have not been huge.' In previous years, funds raised have gone to the Graeme Dingle Foundation. 'In 2025, we'll put what we raise towards the Kōpūrererua Valley Rotary Centennial Trust's annual planting of thousands of native plants,' Beaton said. 'You'll be helping restore the valley's original vegetation and the habitat of our native birds, fish and other wildlife as well as a valuable carbon sink.' Tickets are $40 for a team of up to six people. Beaton said on the day teams can sign in and start their hunt any time between 10am and noon on Sunday, April 27, at the 17th Ave entrance to Kōpūrererua Valley. 'You need to finish by 2pm and prizegiving will begin 2.30pm,' Beaton said. To register for the Great K Valley Cycle Adventure, visit:
