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Otago Daily Times
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Lienert-Brown latest to look to Japan
Anton Lienert-Brown has had an interrupted season due to injury, but chalked up his 86th cap for the All Blacks last weekend. Veteran All Blacks midfielder Anton Lienert-Brown will miss Super Rugby next year as part of a sabbatical to play in Japan. It is allowed for in his current contract, which is valid until the end of 2026. His new contract announced today will see him available for the All Blacks, the Chiefs in Super Rugby and Waikato in the NPC until the end of 2028. The 30-year-old chalked up his 86th cap for the All Blacks in their third test against France in Hamilton last Saturday. He will team up with Ardie Savea at the Kobe Steelers for Japan's League One competition, where his former mentor at the Chiefs, Dave Rennie, is coach and former All Blacks and Chiefs teammate Brodie Retallick is captain. Lienert-Brown and Savea will return home after their stints in Japan and be available for the All Blacks' July series. Lienert-Brown has had an interrupted season, after a month out with a leg injury followed by a few months recuperating from a broken collarbone suffered against Perth-based Western Force in April. "I'm excited to re-commit to New Zealand Rugby through to 2028. This year's been frustrating with injuries outside of my control but pulling on the black jersey again last Saturday reminded me just how special this journey really is. "Representing Waikato, the Chiefs, and my country is something I never take for granted. My decision to stay reflects my commitment - not just to the teams I play for, but to giving everything I've got to the work that lies ahead." Lienert-Brown has played 126 games through 12 Super Rugby campaigns and 22 matches for Waikato. All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson said Lienert-Brown was a player who embodied the values of the All Blacks jersey. "His experience, composure, and clarity in the midfield are hugely valuable. He's overcome injury setbacks in recent years and has shown real resilience. "We're thrilled to have him locked in through to 2028, and the experience he'll gain in Japan will only enhance his game and leadership."
RNZ News
a day ago
- Sport
- RNZ News
Anton Lienert-Brown to play in Japan, signs on again with NZ Rugby
Anton Lienert-Brown looks to pass for the All Blacks against France in the third test at Hamilton, Saturday 19 July 2025. Photo: Photosport Veteran All Blacks midfielder Anton Lienert-Brown will miss Super Rugby next year as part of a sabbatical to play in Japan. The sabbatical is allowed for in his current contract, which is valid until the end of 2026. His new contract announced today will see him available for the All Blacks, the Chiefs in Super Rugby and Waikato in NPC until the end of 2028. The 30-year-old chalked up his 86th cap for the All Blacks against France in Hamilton on Saturday. He will team up with Ardie Savea at the Kobe Steelers for Japan's League One competition , where his former mentor at the Chiefs, Dave Rennie, is coach and former All Blacks and Chiefs team-mate Brodie Retallick is captain. Lienert-Brown and Savea will return home after their stints in Japan and be available for the All Blacks' July series. Lienert-Brown has had an interrupted season, after a month out with a leg injury followed by a few months recuperating from a broken collarbone suffered against the Force in April. "I'm excited to re-commit to New Zealand Rugby through to 2028. This year's been frustrating with injuries outside of my control but pulling on the black jersey again last Saturday reminded me just how special this journey really is. "Representing Waikato, the Chiefs, and my country is something I never take for granted. My decision to stay reflects my commitment, not just to the teams I play for, but to giving everything I've got to the work that lies ahead." Lienert-Brown has played 126 games through 12 Super Rugby campaigns and 22 matches for Waikato. All Blacks coach Scott Robertson said Lienert-Brown was a player who embodied the values of the All Blacks jersey. "His experience, composure, and clarity in the midfield are hugely valuable. He's overcome injury setbacks in recent years and has shown real resilience. We're thrilled to have him locked in through to 2028, and the experience he'll gain in Japan will only enhance his game and leadership."
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Tadhg Beirne: 'I felt the pressure. I'm not going to lie. A lot of people calling for my head out there'
WHEN the talking stopped, and the debates around selection gave way to the noise of a Test match build-up inside Suncorp Stadium, Andy Farrell knew the players those outside the British & Irish Lions camp may have doubted would perform they way he believed they would. It was not perfect in any shape or form but the way the Lions dominated Australia during Saturday's first half in Brisbane on their way to a 27-19 victory was confirmation enough that Farrell had got his combinations right. Flankers Tadhg Beirne and Tom Curry had been selected despite not setting the world alight in the opening skirmishes of this tour against Australia's Super Rugby franchises but their head coach backed them regardless, based on his trust that when it mattered, their experience and ability to raise their performances would come to the fore. And so it proved, openside Curry's thundering power in the tackle rocking the foundations of prop James Slipper to the core with the first hit of the game, his blindside partner Beirne following up with jackal to win the first penalty of the games after just 14 seconds. Less than a minute later Finn Russell had opened the scoring and the Lions were up and running, first taking a 10-0 lead and then leading 17-5 at half-time. By the 42nd minute, Curry had perfectly read the Wallabies' overthrown lineout to meet the ball on the run and spark the superbly executed transition attack that led to Dan Sheehan's try which killed the game off there and then, Russell's touchline conversion sending the tourists into a 24-5 lead. SWEET FEELING: Beirne shows off his Player of the Match medal from Brisbane's first test. 'You see it time and time again,' Farrell said. 'When it really matters, big game players, that's what they do, they turn up, they trust themselves to be able to perform on the big stage. It's not an easy thing to do, I suppose it comes with a little bit of experience and they deliver it again. 'We have conversations of 'why do you think you're selected' and 'what is it that you're going to bring to the team performance' and to a man they're unbelievably honest. They're men of their word and that's what they delivered.' Munster captain Beirne, who contributed 23 tackles to the series-opening victory, gave a rare insight into what it feels like to be at the centre of a very public selection debate and the positive impact Farrell had had in those conversations with the back row he had placed his faith in, also including his Ireland team-mate and No.8 Jack Conan. 'It was right up there,' Beirne said. 'I felt the pressure. I'm not going to lie, I did feel the pressure this week. There are some things you can't shy away from. 'A lot of people calling for your head out there. I know my performances to this date weren't up to par by my standards. So to be in this team, Faz has put a lot of trust in me and it was an honour to be selected. 'I had to put in a performance. All of us did. Everyone around me put in great performances and the best part about it was that we were able to make each other look good, particularly for the first half. That last quarter we probably fell off a bit and we will need to look into that to go better.' Beirne did not reveal what was said by his head coach, save to say that his words helped the back-row unit. "Look, Andy had a quiet word with the back row, the captains, and he said a few things to us. He put a little bit of pressure on us without putting pressure on us, as Andy does. 'But it gives you motivation and it gives you a little bit of realisation as to where his head's at and the opportunity that's being presented to us. So those words certainly sat with me for the 24 hours leading up to the game. 'I knew how important this game was and not just because of what he said, but it's also a massively important game because each week is the biggest game of your career on these tours. 'I'm 33 now, I'm not going to be on another Lions tour, let's be realistic, so these are special moments. These are huge games and I want to be involved in all of them, so I knew how important this game was and hopefully I've done enough to help this team win and hopefully be selected next week." FAMILY AFFAIR: Tadhg Beirne is reunited with his sister and family down under. Pic: Alannah Beirne/Instagram It sounds a little out of kilter to hear a Lions Test man of the match say he could not be certain of his place in this Saturday's team to take the field at the Melbourne Cricket Ground but Beirne understands he is in rarefied air on this tour with the players Farrell has brought to Australia. "That's the thing about the Lions. Any man next up has more than earned their spot. There's been incredible performances in the lead-up to these Tests. 'If I'd have gone down with an injury, Chess (Ollie Chessum) would have went into six, no-one would have batted an eyelid there, not 'oh no, Tadhg's out', do you know what I mean? It would have been like 'great, Chess is in'. 'So that's the tour we're in. These guys, everyone's gunning for a position here and everyone's worthy of a position here. The responsibility's on us to try and keep our positions.' Despite the hothouse environment, Beirne has been able to absorb the points of difference a Lions tour creates and as a veteran of the 2021 'Covid' tour to South Africa when his two Test appearances off the bench alongside starters Curry and Conan were in the empty concrete void of the Cape Town Stadium, he is relishing 'proper touring' to coin a Farrell phrase, particularly with so many of his nearest and dearest able to finally watch him play for the Lions inside Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night. There were 10 family members in the stands, including his three sisters, all of whom live in Australia, one in Adelaide, another close to Brisbane on the Gold Coast and the Sydney-based Jennifer, whose birthday was on gameday. The juxtaposition with a fanless tour spent in splendid isolation at a resort hotel outside of Cape Town was brought into sharp focus as hordes of Lions jerey-clad supporters flooded into the Queensland city. 'Just the whole experience since we've been here has been so different, so much more enjoyable. 'Getting to walk around today, it was my sister's birthday today so I met up with her quickly for a coffee in the morning and just as we were walking around the place, the amount of Lions jerseys. That sea of red is just incredible to see, the amount of people turning up as the day started getting closer to the game and it's just such a different experience. 'You feel the buzz and it affects you. It affects how you feel going into the game and it affects your motivation, everything. You become more excited, you know, the whole experience of the game and you feel how important it is, how big of an occasion it is. It gets you very excited.' The feeling was mutual on Saturday night but all the Lions players know they are going to have to up their game at the MCG for the second Test against a Joe Schmidt team that grew into the game after what their head coach described as a 'submissive' first half to prevent the rout that had seemed likely just two minutes into the second half. Yet the Lions were in a similar spot four years ago, winning the opening Test of a rancorous series with the Springboks, only to lose the second two. Beirne appears to have learned the lessons. 'You can't rest on your laurels at all. You've got to take a big step forward. You've got to elevate your performances. 'If we put in the same performance as we did tonight it probably won't be good enough next week, it's going to have to step up. There's going to be a lot of players back, they're going to be desperate to win. 'So we're going to have to elevate our performance to make sure we bring that up.'
TimesLIVE
3 days ago
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Facing unique French test makes All Blacks better, says coach Robertson
New Zealand coach Scott Robertson believes his team will have gained long-term benefits from overcoming a France side that offered a unique challenge on Saturday as the All Blacks completed a 3-0 series win over the Europeans. Robertson's team were forced to fight their way back into the game after a fast start by the tourists to clinch a come-from-behind 29-19 win in Hamilton that ensured the All Blacks swept the series. 'What we take out of it is you've got to play different teams,' said Robertson. 'They attack differently to anything in Super Rugby, maybe in world rugby, so you train all week in opposition to try to beat the French, and it's really unnatural. 'We know what's coming, we've got to stop them. And that's what we've learnt again tonight. They start, they get ahead of us, that fills our hunger. But that's Test match footie. You never under-assume anyone and we're better for it.' Robertson made 10 changes to the team that started the previous Test and the French dominated the opening exchanges to claim a 19-10 lead through back-to-back penalties by scrumhalf Nolann Le Garrec. A try by All Blacks centre Anton Lienert-Brown late in the half reduced the deficit to two points and a strong second-half showing, inspired by replacement Jordie Barrett, led New Zealand to victory. 'We know how important the 23 is and Jordie was just so professional when he came on,' said Robertson. 'He made a huge difference for us. Some of that wasn't pretty, we understand that, but there was a hell of a lot of character and effort off the back of a lot of care. 'One thing for us is we've got to get the balance right. Sometimes we can overplay and sometimes we can underplay with our kicking. That's the balance.'
The Citizen
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Johan Ackermann returns home to lead the Vodacom Bulls
Benoni-born Johan Ackermann has been appointed as the new head coach of the Vodacom Bulls—an opportunity he described as a dream come true. The three-time South African coach of the year comes to Loftus Versfeld with elite-level experience, having coached both locally and overseas, most recently with the South African U20s. Ackermann, currently in Italy assisting the Junior Springboks ahead of the World Rugby U20 Championship final, reacted to his appointment in a press statement issued by the Vodacom Blue Bulls. 'The moment I received the call, I got goosebumps! It still feels too good to be true. I'm like a Grade One going to school for the first time. I'm so excited. It's a privilege and an honour.' 'It's a great union with a wonderful tradition and incredible supporters. Eighty percent of my friends are Bulls supporters. The Vodacom Bulls have been successful for many years. I now face that challenge, and I must thank the Board for the opportunity. 'It's a bit different from my previous roles, where I had to help build teams up. The Bulls are already there—now I must help them grow and succeed even more,' said Ackermann. Journey Ackermann's journey through rugby is one of resilience, transformation, and quiet authority. Born in Benoni in 1970, he forged a robust playing career as a lock, earning 13 Test caps for the Springboks between 1996 and 2007. Known for his relentless physicality and grit, he became a formidable presence—and when he made his Test debut at age 37, he became the oldest Springbok debutant in history. After retiring in 2008, Ackermann transitioned seamlessly into coaching, beginning with the Lions in Johannesburg. Initially appointed as forwards coach, he took over as head coach in 2013 and ushered in a bold new era. Under his stewardship, the Lions reached two consecutive Super Rugby finals. His teams played expansive, high-tempo rugby grounded in discipline and player empowerment. He cultivated a culture of respect and trust, transforming overlooked talent into Springboks and rekindling pride in the Lions jersey. Ackermann's tactical acumen and emotional intelligence earned him acclaim and international recognition. He led the SA 'A' side in 2016 and 2017 before joining Gloucester in England, where he guided the club to a Challenge Cup final and a Premiership semi-final. In Japan, he continued to leave his mark with the Red Hurricanes and Urayasu D-Rocks, bringing cohesion and values-based leadership to diverse squads. Ackermann returned to South African rugby earlier this year as a coaching consultant for the SA U20s. Ackermann's influence extends far beyond the field. Steeped in faith and shaped by his time in the police force, he values character and resilience as deeply as tactics. Whether developing young talent or rebuilding team identity, he remains a coach committed to building both champions and men of character. New chapter for Bulls Willem Strauss, president of the Blue Bulls Rugby Union, affirmed, 'He's the right person at the right time.' 'He's a Carlton League legend, he played his first Test at Loftus, and he played for the Bulls. His blood is blue! This was always meant to be. His management of people and ability to drive culture are renowned.' Strauss's view is echoed by Edgar Rathbone, the chief executive of the Blue Bulls Company. 'Johan is not just an outstanding coach; he is a leader who lives and breathes the values of this union. His reputation for forging powerful team cultures, developing players to their full potential, and delivering results at the highest level is well proven. 'The Vodacom Bulls are a club built on legacy and ambition, and with Johan at the helm, we are confident our future will be shaped by excellence, resilience, and unity. This appointment marks an exciting new chapter for Bulls rugby, and we are thrilled to welcome him home.' At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
