Justin Marshall is not convinced that Scott Roberston’s ploy to have several hybrid players will benefit the All Blacks The former scrum-half has revealed that his old Crusaders teammate wants players that can feature in four positions in the squad going forward but Marshall believes that will be ‘detrimental’ Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie were the only two players to start for Robertson at fly-half in 2024 but both players also featured at full-back In the opening round of the Super Rugby Pacific season the pair both started in the respective number 15 jerseys as the Chiefs claimed a 25-14 victory over the Blues at Eden Park Ex-All Blacks fly-half Stephen Donald questioned the selection calls from the two head coaches as he believes that both Barrett and McKenzie should be starting at number 10 instead of at full-back “Josh Jacomb [Chiefs starting fly-half] is a wonderful footballer and has a huge future but He added: “It even seems funny to say that about Beaudy he looks like he’s a 15 playing 10 as opposed to what he used to look like.” Marshall is of the same opinion and agreed with Sport Nation NZ show host Mark Watson that New Zealand Rugby teams are getting into the habit of just trying to get the best players in the starting team even if it means playing them out of position The former scrum-half went on to reveal that having utility players is a goal of All Blacks boss Robertson even in key positions such as fly-half we have and I think it’s detrimental to be perfectly honest,” Marshall replied when asked if it is becoming a habit “I’ll be able to sit down and have a beer with Razor over this and he’ll disagree with me because he wants hybrid players “He wants players that can play at least four positions in certain positions and I feel that’s our problem All Blacks eligibility: ‘No conversations’ for change despite Scott Robertson’s warning and failed Richie Mo’unga swoop “I guess he could argue that he’s trying to get to a certain place and the team playing a type of game that he feels that those types of hybrid players – once they grow into it – they will be very hard to stop I look at some of the key jerseys and 10 is one where do they play full-back or first-five “They’re not getting enough time in the jersey to go through adversity Like I’d like to see someone like Damian McKenzie or Beauden Barrett play the entire Super Rugby competition in that jersey and work their way through problems.” Blues v Chiefs: Five takeaways as ‘irrepressible’ Damian McKenzie shines in visitors’ win over Super Rugby Pacific champions Playing an entire season at fly-half is crucial according to Marshall as the player is forced to problem-solve in different situations “Being a good ten is solving problems like in a game and being able to then change the picture all of that sort of stuff comes into it – you can’t do that when you’re finding yourself in different areas of the field,” he added Watson noted that there are suggestions that the All Blacks coaching team want Hurricanes star Ruben Love playing full-back this season despite his ability to play fly-half as well The show’s host said that the selector telling Super Rugby coaches where to play certain players did not sit well with him and asked Marshall if he believed that such situations were occurring “But ultimately if you’re strong enough as a Super Rugby coach not their head that’s on the chopping block “So you’ve got to pick the players and the jerseys that you feel is going to benefit your team and keep you your job I hear you Razor you want him playing 15 but at the end of the day what’s best for my team now and the way I want to coach the side is he plays 10.’ and then shut the door.” READ MORE: ‘I thought they were playing’ – Super Rugby streaker’s ‘nuts and bolts’ leaves All Blacks and coaches in stitches Our five takeaways from the New Zealand derby as the Hurricanes emerged victorious Murray Mexted picks his All Blacks back five ahead of their upcoming Test season Mark Tele'a ends speculation over his future confirming his departure from the Blues Former All Black Murray Mexted has concerns over the quality of players they are producing Stars coach Pete DeBoer expects to have leading goal scorer Jason Robertson and standout defenseman Miro Heiskanen available in the Western Conference semifinals after both missed Dallas' first-round series win over the Colorado Avalanche Following their thrilling Game 7 comeback victory over the Avalanche on Saturday night, the Stars will next face the Winnipeg Jets "I believe you're going to see them both play in the second round but I don't know if it's going to be Game 1 or Game 3 or Game 5," DeBoer said after Saturday's series clincher how much time we have between now and Game 1 We'll have a little better idea as we get closer." suffered a lower-body injury in the regular-season finale April 16 and was considered week-to-week at the time Heiskanen hasn't played since injuring his left knee in a Jan. 28 collision with Vegas Golden Knights forward Mark Stone Initially expected to miss three to four months the 25-year-old defenseman had surgery Feb 4 and sat out the final 32 games of the regular season 20 assists) and averaged 25:10 of ice time Field Level Media contributed to this report Liverpool winning the Premier League against Spurs is good news for Chelsea who will hope Arne Slot and his players are still drunk from the celebrations or too high on life after receiving a guard of honour It’s a huge game for the Blues and comfortably the Premier League game of the weekend Here’s our combined XI of the two sides… Liverpool probably have two keepers better than Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen – and Alisson is obviously our pick What Trent Alexander-Arnold lacks at the back he more than compensates for in the final third His defensive reputation is unfairly poor and when you’re that technically gifted There are not many right-backs capable of pipping Alexander-Arnold to a combined XI spot and there are probably none in the Premier League There’s no question Konate is better than any of Chelsea’s centre-backs can anyone even decide who Chelsea’s best centre-back is It’s probably Trevoh Chalobah and chances are he’ll get forced out of the club again this summer The Spaniard has chipped in with four Premier League goals from left-back this season including the only goal in a win over Leicester and a decisive one in a 2-1 win against Brentford – against whom he was also sent off but they’re not the be-all and end-all for full-backs The bigger story is Cucurella’s transformation After a nightmare first season at Stamford Bridge he’s massively improved – and we feel comfortable saying he’s now a better player than Andy Robertson The Ecuadorian midfielder had a rocky start at Stamford Bridge but has quietly been outstanding since the start of 2024 The biggest sign a big-money player is doing the business No-one really talks about the transfer fee anymore READ MORE: Two Man Utd flops in bottom three, Van Dijk top: All 17 £70m-plus Premier League signings ranked Slot may have missed out on Martin Zubimendi for the No.6 role Maybe it’s not the position that’s riling you up Maresca dropping the 22-year-old for Sunday’s trip to Anfield would be understandable – he hasn’t scored in 18 matches © Planet Sport Limited 2025 • All Rights Reserved Former All Black Murray Mexted believes that now is the time for Scott Robertson to shift Rieko Ioane and try someone else at centre Pressure continues to increase on the 28-year-old after a mediocre 2024 Test season and a poor start to the 2025 campaign for the Blues There are concerns that having Ioane in the midfield is limiting the effectiveness of the wide players and Mexted certainly agrees Although he does not want him dropped altogether, the former number eight has urged head coach Robertson to try a new centre combination he’s not a distributor like Bruce Robertson or Conrad Smith He’s not creating tries for his outside backs he’s a strike player and I think he should be playing on the wing,” he told the DSPN podcast with Martin Devlin “Ioane’s got everything as a rugby player: he’s fast but I still think he’s a strike player and should be played on the wing and wingers and full-backs finishing is a beautiful kind of rugby to watch.” The question is which player should replace him. Jordie Barrett is likely to line up at 12 when available, but there is uncertainty around what the coaches plans are for the All Blacks star who is currently on a sabbatical with Leinster will be eligible for selection in the mid-year series but he has effectively been playing non-stop since February 2024 Mexted would therefore like to see Anton Lienert-Brown get an opportunity as a regular starter I’ve always been unsure whether he’s a 12 or a 13 because he can really do both in many respects I don’t understand why he hasn’t been played more,” he said but he’s an outstanding footballer and at the moment with Jordie overseas I would have Lienert-Brown at 12 – I think that would be a very interesting little number it’s combinations they’ve got to find.” ✍️ Ex-All Black offers ‘world-class’ alternative following Rieko Ioane ‘frustration’ but slams critics who ‘relish getting into’ the centre That duly leaves the troublesome outside centre spot still open and Mexted is unsure as to who the obvious candidate is to fill it although he is a big fan of the Hurricanes’ Billy Proctor He remains out of action due to an ongoing Achilles issue but the ex-All Blacks back-rower has compared him to one of the country’s greats Proctor enjoyed an excellent 2024 and impressed when given an opportunity at Test level and he will hope to become a more regular fixture this year “Proctor is actually a little bit like Conrad Smith in many respects and players around him seem to score tries so I like that with a centre,” Mexted said Smith formed one half of arguably the greatest centre partnership in the sport’s history alongside the imposing Ma’a Nonu It is unlikely that the All Blacks could field a pair to rival that nowadays but Mexted hopes that Robertson can at least find a combination that works well together “Sometimes you’re on the same wavelength and Smith and Nonu were definitely on the same wavelength Smith knew exactly what Nonu was going to do and vice versa they just seemed to be able to slip together,” he said 👀 READ MORE: Justin Marshall claims Blues made ‘unhealthy’ decision with ‘ineffective’ Rieko Ioane as pressure ‘ramps up’ on Scott Robertson How we rated the Hurricanes players in their victory over the Chiefs Our Blues player ratings following their 40-19 victory over the Western Force Jamison Gibson-Park has revealed the surprise felt in the Leinster playing group when news of All Blacks centre Rieko Ioane's signing was announced Murray Mexted weighs in on Mark Tele'a departure and suggests a positional switch for Rieko Ioane Stephen Donald and Jeff Wilson believe that the All Blacks have been sent a massive warning following France’s stunning Six Nations victory over Ireland Les Bleus ended the Grand Slam dreams of Simon Easterby’s outfit by securing an impressive 42-27 triumph at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Saturday As a result, it moved the Frenchmen to the top of the Six Nations table and installed them as favourites for the competition this weekend They face Scotland on Super Saturday looking to take home that silverware – their last international before Fabien Galthie’s men head to New Zealand in July France take on the All Blacks in their mid-year series in what could have been a mouth-watering contest That decision has caused a stir and may make the upcoming Tests rather uncompetitive but Donald and Wilson do not necessarily agree with that view The former was mightily impressed with what he saw from Les Bleus despite not knowing too much about some of the players on show “We don’t know who’s coming down but it was one of the most impressive French performances since there was all the hype around them,” Donald said on The Breakdown You talk about players who we might not know of – well I still couldn’t tell you the names of them – but the forwards coming off the bench just kept rolling through Ireland “We know how organised and structured Ireland are and how slick they are with ball in hand They took them out of it physically and then Ireland didn’t have too many places to go to.” World Rugby rankings: Ireland narrowly avoid double fall as All Blacks close in on Springboks Although France are set to bring a second-string squad to New Zealand Wilson believes that they have more than enough depth to be a huge threat to the All Blacks “I reckon there’s enough of them coming to be dangerous and their depth and their system is strong,” he said “I am wary because there are players we don’t know who will show up It’s hard to prepare for a team that you don’t know.” Les Bleus regularly use the mid-year series to rest their stars particularly with the physically demanding domestic competition the Top 14 finishing in late-June Last year they toured Argentina with a second-string and All Blacks centurion Mils Muliaina thinks it has provided them with the ideal preparation to face Scott Robertson’s men “I reckon the tour they went on to Argentina has actually prepared them in the best possible way to come here Whilst it looks like they’re bringing an understrength side this ain’t going to be an understrength side,” Muliaina said READ MORE: ‘It doesn’t look particularly good’ – Beauden Barrett joins Damian McKenzie on the sidelines as disaster strikes for Scott Robertson and the All Blacks Jeff Wilson believes that the British and Irish Lions should always win a series while landing a savage takedown of Wales Stephen Donald predicts the Wallabies will beat the Lions but is shutdown by All Blacks legend Former All Blacks winger Jeff Wilson believes that Ardie Savea is a frontrunner for the Super Rugby Player of the Year Check who's hot and not following the week's on and off-field action All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson remains hopeful that Richie Mo’unga will return to New Zealand and fight for a place ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup The talented fly-half left the country after the 2023 global tournament having signed a three-year deal in Japan with Toshiba Brave Lupus Robertson and New Zealand Rugby had hoped to bring him home early, but those talks broke down and Mo’unga will now see out the remainder of his contract That means the earliest he can return is midway through 2026, which leaves him just 12 months and one full Super Rugby campaign to force his way back into the All Blacks side the playmaker may decide to forgo his Test ambitions by signing another deal abroad but Robertson certainly wants him to come back to New Zealand ahead of the World Cup in Australia “You want all your best players available,” the head coach told the Rugby Direct podcast “That’s what it takes to win a Rugby World Cup “I still get messages from the old players checking in Sam Cane has had his time but he’s a prime example He’s asking how everything is going in the off-season ✍️ All Blacks: Richie Mo’unga lined up for shock World Cup switch after snubbing early New Zealand return Robertson was sitting alongside NZR chief executive Mark Robinson who was asked about the Mo’unga saga and what transpired during negotiations last year Robinson remained coy on the matter and rather deflected the question pointing to their current eligibility policy “There was a lot of speculation around that last year Clearly people understand there were conversations through last year but ultimately Richie has made a decision to work through to the obligations under his contract We respect that and we’re moving forward,” Robinson said “We’re really clear on our eligibility rules We always respect players who have left the All Blacks and are playing offshore “There’s always a degree of contact but that’s good coaches and good people doing their jobs properly That happens with players that are past their playing careers “We’re clearly moving forward and have a lot of belief in the people coming through and the protocol we have in place “It’s an area there’s always going to be a degree of scrutiny but for us we’ve been able to retain the vast majority of players we’ve wanted to retain “Within the policy there’s the tools and flexibility to be creative where we need to to recognise some of those long-term servants that have given so much to the game while retaining them longer-term “We’ll always be open to looking at it in the future but we’re pretty firm and supportive of it.” 👀 READ MORE 👉 Scott Robertson changes tune on All Blacks eligibility after talks with ex-Springboks coach 10 All Blacks who could represent another country at the 2027 Rugby World Cup After four rounds of Super Rugby Pacific action Hurricanes co-captain Du’Plessis Kirifi has emerged as a potential bolter for All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson’s squad later this year Former All Blacks openside flanker and captain Sam Cane retired from Test rugby at the end of 2024 which means that Robertson will have to select a new player to wear the famous black number seven jersey and apart from Kirifi Ethan Blackadder and Dalton Papali’i will also be the running to slot into that position Although the Hurricanes are currently languishing at the bottom of the Super Rugby Pacific standings, Kirifi has caught the eye with several outstanding performances for the Wellington-based franchise The 28-year-old was part of the All Blacks XV squad for their tour to Europe last November and captained the side in their victories against Munster and Georgia He is yet to represent New Zealand at Test level although he was called up to former All Blacks head coach Ian Foster’s Rugby Championship squad in 2020 while Savea was on paternity leave Kirifi was on the Hurricanes’ bench at the weekend in their defeat against Moana Pasifika and although his side suffered a 40-31 loss he impressed with a superb all-round performance during the game’s final 30 minutes Legendary All Blacks outside back Jeff Wilson believes that Kirifi should be rewarded with a call-up to current All Blacks boss Robertson’s squad for their upcoming three-Test series against France in New Zealand in July he’s a very good athlete,” he said on The Breakdown “He continues to fight and scrap every opportunity he gets at a breakdown Extent of Beauden Barrett’s injury confirmed after ‘not looking particularly good’ as concerns worsen for Scott Robertson and the All Blacks The impact he had on Saturday night was huge in the last 20 minutes when he came on the pitch Kirifi has matured over the last four years.” Wilson feels the All Blacks’ back-row can improve in the defensive aspects of the game and said Kirifi has the attributes to do just that the conceding points is the concern for me,” he said “We were the best defensive team and the best counter-attacking team for a long time that’s where we need to get our competitive advantage together “They set the tone defensively because they have to defend in the most difficult channels usually three or four out in a ruck or off a set-piece at the tail of a lineout or the edge of a scrum.” who was the All Blacks’ first choice number eight last season has also impressed on the openside flank for Moana in recent matches and another All Blacks great feels Robertson should select both Savea and Kirifi as part of his loose trio READ MORE: All Blacks: Sir Jim Ratcliffe explains decision to withdraw from New Zealand Rugby sponsorship deal Ex-All Blacks believe that Jordie Barrett must prove himself again after playing in the URC which is a 'low level' compared to Super Rugby The Chiefs have received a boost after it was confirmed that All Blacks duo Damian McKenzie and captain Luke Jacobson will make their return from injury in Saturday’s clash with the Blues in Hamilton McKenzie has recovered from a knee injury which ruled him out of the Chiefs’ defeat to the Fijian Drua and will make his first start at fly-half after being named at full-back for his team’s first three matches against the Blues The All Blacks star sustained his injury in that clash with the Brumbies in Hamilto and there were concerns in the Chiefs camp as McKenzie ruptured his ACL in that same knee during the 2019 season Chiefs assistant coach Roger Randle revealed that McKenzie’s injury was not as bad as initially feared as it was understood to be bone bruising and they opted not to risk him in last weekend’s clash with the Drua in Lautoka The 29-year-old’s return to action will be welcomed by All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson after Blues star Beauden Barrett fractured his hand in his team’s loss to the Brumbies last weekend McKenzie and Barrett shared the fly-half duties for the All Blacks in 2024 and are the frontrunners for that position again this year All Blacks back-row Jacobson returns to lead the side from number eight after recovering from a facial injury sustained in the victory over the Crusaders in Round Two With McKenzie starting at fly-half, one-Test All Black Shaun Stevenson comes into the run-on side at full-back for his first start of the Super Rugby Pacific campaign after being on the replacements bench last week Stevenson missed the Chiefs’ first three matches after being granted a short-term sabbatical to represent Kubota Spears in Japan Rugby League One All Blacks greats urge Scott Robertson to pick ‘relentless’ candidate to fill Sam Cane void He is joined in the back three by Emoni Narawa and Leroy Carter while Anton Lienert-Brown and Quinn Tupaea continue as the starting centres and scrum-half Xavier Roe completes the backline alongside McKenzie as the half-back combination Jahrome Brown and Simon Parker get the nod as the two flankers while Tupou Vaa’i and Naitoa Ah Kuoi will start in the second-row George Dyer and Ollie Ross will pack down as the starting props while Brodie McAlister slots in at hooker Chiefs head coach Clayton McMillan has named Samisoni Taukei’aho Jimmy Tupou and Samipeni Finau as the forward replacements with the latter set to make his 50th appearance for the Hamilton-based outfit when he takes to the field Josh Jacomb and Daniel Rona will offer backline cover off the bench the Chiefs are still in first position on the Super Rugby Pacific table while the Blues are languishing in 10th spot with just the Hurricanes below them The Chiefs clinched a deserved 25-14 victory over the Blues when the sides met in the corresponding fixture at Eden Park in Round One READ MORE: All Blacks rookie recommits to New Zealand Rugby and Hurricanes beyond 2027 Rugby World Cup Dan Carter has given his verdict on the battle for the All Blacks 10 jersey. The World Cup hero believes that Damian McKenzie is far from his "peak ceiling" and could still surpass Carter. Ex-Chiefs and All Blacks star Aaron Cruden weighs in on the Damian McKenzie deal and the fly-half situation. NZR's chief executive used the Damian McKenzie deal to bask in their much-debated approach. Privacy PolicyTerms Of UseAccessibilityCompany DetailsContact Us © World Snooker Tour Chris Wakelin thwarted a Neil Robertson comeback to prevail 10-8 and score his first ever match win at the Crucible on day two of the Halo World Championship.  Wakelin has endured some difficult defeats in snooker’s biggest event The last two years have seen him lose in the final round of qualifying there were three first round losses at the Crucible including a gut-wrenching 10-9 defeat to Judd Trump on debut This time the Rugby cueman says he is thrilled to finally make some positive memories in Sheffield It comes off the back of a tremendous season for world number 20 Wakelin who reached the final of the International Championship and made his Masters debut in January he also became a father for the first time with the birth of his daughter Defeat for world number nine Robertson means he will have to wait another year in his hunt for a second Crucible crown The 2010 World Champion hasn’t been beyond the second round for four years and failed to even qualify 12 months ago tournament victories this season at the English Open and World Grand Prix have seen him return to the world’s top 16 and give him optimism for the future Wakelin held a hefty 7-2 advantage coming into tonight 69 and 53 helped Robertson to five on the bounce and parity at 7-7 Former Shoot Out winner Wakelin then stopped the rot with 90 in the 15th to lead 8-7 but just couldn’t find a way to get in front with Wakelin taking two near 30-minute frames to emerge victorious He will now face either Mark Allen or Fan Zhengyi It was the match I nearly won or the ball I nearly potted It is amazing now to think that some of my matches will be remembered in years to come for good things,” said 33-year-old Wakelin “The psychological part of this game and dealing with the fact this is the World Championship adds a lot of extra pressure “It’s what you expect from Neil I was ready for him to come back at me and I managed to get over the line in the end.” Robertson said: “Yesterday was a really cruel session I don’t think I’ve ever played so well to be 7-2 down I only missed one ball and Chris played really well He was aggressive and rode his luck and I was the opposite “I’ve been really consistent throughout the season and won a couple of titles to fly up the rankings It isn’t the end to the season that I wanted but I would have taken this overall.” Dr Cleeve Robertson has been announced as the 2024 winner of the International Maritime Rescue Federation’s Lifetime Achievement in the Maritime SAR Sector Cleeve has been recognised for his work as Chief Executive Officer of the NSRI from 2013 to his retirement at the end of October 2024 and for his leadership in the Maritime Search and Rescue sector for many years.“The NSRI has become a strategic national rescue service in South Africa and it's good to be recognised by international peers,” said Cleeve.“This award recognises the contribution of thousands of volunteers who live service search and rescue and saving lives every day." “I am humbled to be amongst such committed volunteers and honoured by this award Thank you,” he said.This is the second time that an NSRI member has received this award the first being in 2021 when Pat van Eyssen an NSRI SAR coxswain who has more than 50 years of operational service without a break was given the award.“Cleeve’s dedication as medical advisor and leader has been in inspiration to both NSRI volunteers and the broader rescue community  We are thrilled that Cleeve has won the IMRF Vladimir Maksimov Lifetime Achievement Award that recognises outstanding service to SAR by an individual or organisation,” said NSRI CEO Mike Vonk.Dr Robertson has spent his entire career caring for sick or injured people in their hour of need and has spent much of his free time out on the water or underwater.After graduating from UCT in 1983 and the South African Military Health Services he began a journey of 23 years in Emergency Medical Services.He served as the Honorary National Medical Advisor for the National Sea Rescue Institute since 2003 and successfully raised funding for R1.7m worth of medical equipment for NSRI bases.Dr Robertson’s leadership of the NSRI began in 2013 the NSRI transformed from a modest operation into a formidable force in maritime rescue the NSRI had 25 staff members and about 900 volunteers it boasts over 1,300 volunteers and 131 service locations nationwide including seasonal lifeguarded beaches.Dr Robertson proactively expanded the Sea Rescue bases significantly increasing the NSRI’s capacity to save lives.Because over 90% of South Africa’s fatal drownings happen in freshwater inland he started the NSRI’s Drowning Prevention department with the brief to focus on these drownings the department concentrated on teaching water safety to children in the safety of their classrooms and soon reached over 300,000 children a year the water safety instructors reach a million children a year with essential water safety messages the department now also teaches Survival Swimming and has innovative swimming pools built inside shipping containers - Survival Swimming Centres; Beach Safety Cameras and bystander rescue equipment (Pink Rescue Buoys) which have been used to rescue almost 200 people that we know of who were in danger of drowning This strategic shift to include prevention within the NSRI structures has had a profound impact potentially saving countless lives by preventing accidents before they occur.Dr Robertson's strategic vision ensured that the NSRI was involved in proactive drowning prevention as well as rescue and was always well-prepared and equipped to save lives.One of Dr Robertson's most notable achievements is the financial stability he brought to the NSRI He believes that the organisation’s independence is crucial to its success This economic independence allows the NSRI to direct resources where needed without external interference ensuring we can prioritise our strategies and respond swiftly and effectively to emergencies without political interference.Dr Robertson has been directly involved in numerous rescues throughout his tenure highlighting his hands-on approach and expertise in emergency medicine One particularly harrowing event was the Miroshga incident in 2012 Three women were trapped under an overturned catamaran off the coast of Hout Bay in freezing and skill turned a tragedy into a triumph and all three women were rescued.The NSRI community and the countless individuals whose lives have been touched by Dr Robertson's work extend heartfelt gratitude for his service and vision have saved many lives and built an enduring legacy that will continue to protect and serve South Africans for generations.Dr Robertson’s story is one of resilience As he transitions into the next chapter of his life with his retirement from the NSRI in October 2024 the impact of his contributions to NSRI and emergency services remains a beacon of inspiration and hope to us all.Media Queries:For interviews please contact NSRI communications manager Andrew Ingram andrewi@searescue.org.za or 082 990 5977A high-resolution photograph of Dr Robertson with his award can be downloaded from NSRI’s Flickr page https://www.flickr.com/photos/searescue/ Medical evacuation for German tourist off cruise liner We’re proud to announce that our newly rebuilt NSRI Station 21 in St Francis Bay is now officially open we held a blessing ceremony for two new state-of-the-art rescue vessels: the Spirit of St Francis III .. Gqeberha — The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) today officially celebrated the blessing of its latest state-of-the-art Offshore Rescue Craft (ORC) at a ceremony held at the PE Deep Sea Angling Club building Subscribe today for information about NSRI rescues Springboks Rugby World Cup winner Jake White believes that it would be a mistake for New Zealand Rugby (NZR) to change their overseas policy only those that ply their trade in the country are able to play for the All Blacks but Scott Robertson wants that to be altered Robertson has confirmed that he will go to the NZR bigwigs in an attempt to convince them to allow some foreign-based players to be able to feature for the national team White has warned the governing body about making any concessions to the head coach “I’m on record as saying I’m an admirer of New Zealand rugby and the values they stand for and I stand by it,” he wrote in his RugbyPass column “The moment they damage that mystique and lose that aura they’ve built over generations if you change the overseas rule for one player – Richie Mo’unga in this instance – you set a dangerous precedent “You can understand the soul-searching Scott Robertson’s men would have been frustrated to have gone down to France by a point and how they really failed to put an obdurate Italy away after they put 96 points on them just over a year ago “I can understand them looking around and saying ‘maybe we just bring the overseas guys in’ but I don’t think that’s the silver bullet to solve their desperation to retain the crown as the world’s best team.” Scott Robertson issues warning to New Zealand Rugby over key policy and urges All Blacks to follow Springboks example Former All Black Stephen Donald spoke out against the idea earlier this week and White agreed with the ex-fly-half “I really think we need to consider that word ‘sacrifice’ representing the All Blacks jersey is still the ultimate honour which don’t forget as an institution is 133 years-old.” South Africa have claimed the past two World Cup titles and it came after they removed any restrictions on selecting overseas players Robertson cited the Springboks when discussing the All Blacks’ policy but White does not believe that New Zealand should follow that example I know other countries have looked at the Springboks depth chart with covetous glances “We always used to look down there [New Zealand] and say how have they produced yet another superstar wing who seems to have come from nowhere?’ They’ve had the luxury of picking from four countries for decades; New Zealand “I remember coaching South Africa and we played the Pacific Islanders in a Test match in 2004 we played the All Blacks with the same Tongan No 8 “Remember at that stage there was no eligibility criteria like we have today That’s how envious we were of what they had.” READ MORE: Dan Biggar: I faced the 2015 All Blacks and Rassie Erasmus’ generational Springboks are better Bulls boss Jake White praised his players after their win over URC champions Glasgow Warriors on Friday but feels they are not the finished article yet The two coaches who have worked in both tournaments have added their view Our Bulls player ratings from the URC clash against the Glasgow Warriors Beauden Barrett is confident that he is now in sync with Scott Robertson after a challenging first year for New Zealand under the Crusaders legend The 33-year-old had never been coached by the new All Blacks head coach who took over following the 2023 Rugby World Cup having only played on the North Island for the Hurricanes Robertson started his off-field career at Canterbury before taking over as the head honcho and then moving into Super Rugby in 2017 with the Crusaders He enjoyed remarkable success with the franchise as they won seven titles in as many seasons the governing body decided not to appoint from within leading to an overhaul of the coaching staff With a number of key players also departing, there was some significant upheaval for the All Blacks last year, but Barrett feels that they are now on the right track At the Blues’ training base in Auckland the playmaker was asked if he understood Robertson’s methods and whether they were on the same page after a 2024 which saw them win 10 of their 14 matches Barrett initially responded by joking about the boss’ ability to not give anything away quipping: “I think one of his beauties and strengths is you never really know what he’s thinking; that’s one of his superpowers.” The fly-half then revealed that they have regularly been in contact and also how the messages are delivered in the All Blacks set-up We talk often and that’s what you want You want to have honest conversations with the head coach,” he added “It’s more with Scott Hansen and Jason Holland on the rugby side of things Beauden Barrett worried about ‘bad precedent’ if Scott Robertson gets his way Barrett ended the season as the first choice All Blacks fly-half despite Damian McKenzie starting the first eight matches of 2024 Those two will once again battle for the shirt in 2025 especially with Richie Mo’unga now not returning home early from Japan after reports emerged that NZR were unable to agree his release those two could well face-off in the Super Rugby Pacific opener when the Blues host the Chiefs giving them an opportunity to lay down a marker “I always really enjoy going head-to-head with my mate and I think more importantly it’s a rematch from last year’s final,” Barrett said “They probably want a little bit of revenge it’s an opportunity for the fans to come out and feel their support because Eden Park’s a great place to play rugby I’m really excited to get back into it.” READ MORE: Justin Marshall boldly predicts next All Blacks wunderkind to have a ‘statement year’ after Scott Robertson tip Our five takeaways from the Blues' victory over the Western Force at Eden Park Beauden Barrett is back in the Blues' starting XV and will start at fly-half as one of several changes for Friday's clash with the Western Force at Eden Park Defending Super Rugby Pacific champions the Blues have been boosted by the return of Hoskins Sotutu for their clash against the Highlanders on Saturday The loose forward missed their opener against the Chiefs through injury but he is back in the team for their Round Two encounter Sotutu will feature for the first time since playing a starring role in the Blues’ 2024 Super Rugby triumph where he was named the competition’s ‘most valuable player’ with Wallace Sititi sidelined for the whole of Super Rugby Sotutu has another chance to convince Robertson and he slots in at number eight this weekend That means Cameron Suafua shifts to the blindside with Anton Segner dropping out of the 23 for their game with the Highlanders The Blues have also made one change among the backs as Finlay Christie – another player that has dropped out of the Test reckoning – is selected at scrum-half Christie combines with Harry Plummer in the playmaking positions with head coach Vern Cotter once again opting to keep Beauden Barrett at full-back The holders succumbed 25-14 to a Damian McKenzie-inspired Chiefs last weekend as they began their title defence in disappointing fashion All Blacks hero hits out at Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie Super Rugby selections: ‘Look like 15s playing 10’ “We did not get the outcome we wanted against a very good Chiefs team but it was just the start of a long season and we will be much better for it this week,” Cotter said “There were a lot of things done well but the boys are well aware of the areas in which they need to improve and are working very hard this week in training “This competition is going to be extremely competitive between all New Zealand and Australian teams as we all saw with the close results throughout all matches in the opening round “We need a strong platform along with accuracy at the collision for us to prosper the team was dangerous but we need to achieve it for longer periods in the game.” READ MORE: All Blacks legend gives blunt verdict on who should start at fullback for New Zealand DALLAS – Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen who each missed the entire Western Conference First Round for the Dallas Stars are expected to return from injury in the second round though coach Pete DeBoer is not certain when that will be “I believe you’re going to see them both play in the second round, but I don’t know if it’s going to be Game 1 or Game 3 or Game 5,” DeBoer said after eliminating the Colorado Avalanche in Game 7 on Saturday We’ll have a little better idea as we get closer.” but DeBoer said he wasn't sure if they would play Game 1 against the Winnipeg Jets at Canada Life Centre on Wednesday (9:30 p.m “You take two key players out of anybody's lineup and your team looks different and that's the most important part,” DeBoer said and what they mean to us in every facet of how we play and still find a way for the group to not use it as an excuse and keep battling and to grind I couldn't be prouder of our group because we had to do it a different way.” Robertson sustained a lower-body injury in the regular-season finale, a 5-1 loss to the Nashville Predators on Apr. 16. Initially considered week-to-week, the 25-year-old forward led Dallas with 35 goals in 82 games and was third with 80 points behind Mikko Rantanen (88) and Matt Duchene (82) Heiskanen sustained a knee injury when he collided with Vegas Golden Knights forward Mark Stone on Jan 28 and missed the final 32 games of the regular season after undergoing surgery on Feb The initial timeline for his recovery was three to four months The 25-year-old defenseman had 25 points (five goals 20 assists) in 50 games while averaging 25:10 of ice time per game the fifth-most among defensemen in the NHL “When you lose two guys like that that are as important to our team as those two guys are, not many teams are getting through that,” Stars forward Wyatt Johnston said “I think it just shows the resiliency and the depth that we have Everyone had to step up and cover those holes we get them back as soon as possible because even though we can help try to fill those holes Strawweight Gillian Robertson talks with UFC.COM exclusively following her victory at UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs Figueiredo On May 3 Home » Featured » William Robertson Can Bring The Marula Home Today William Robertson (Trent Mayhew) wins at Hollywoodbets Scottsville in December (Pic – Candiese Lenferna) Hollywoodbets-sponsored Trainer Corne Spies sends out William Robertson in the Non-Black Type Marula Sprint He was running on too late when a beaten odds-on favourite over 1100m on this course last time He has won twice and finished second once from four starts over this course and distance It is encouraging that the red-hot Ryan Munger who rode four winners at Turffontein yesterday steps into the saddle and he should return to winning ways Happy Analia from the Tienie Prinsloo stable takes her place in Race 8 She has consistent recent form lines to her credit She finished 3 lengths behind Emerald Green in her penultimate run She is 5kgs better off at the weights today and that should be enough for the tables to be turned The Sporting Post will not publish comments submitted anonymously or under pseudonyms.Please note that the views that are published are not necessarily those of the Sporting Post The Rafeef purple patch continued in the 2025 Champions Season opener at Hollywoodbets Greyville on Saturday with another crackerjack performer in the shape of Mon Petit Cherie who won the World Sports Betting Gr2 Fillies Guineas A Transkei-born horseman who started as a Groom the groundbreaking Lunga learnt the ropes from top men like Mitch Wiese Better known as having raced iconic legend of the turf Pocket Power the affable Marsh Shirtliff is fast making a name for himself in the breeding fraternity On the eve of the launch of the 2025 Champions Season this coming Saturday South African horseracing awoke to a brand new chapter in its history on the Workers’ Day public holiday Justin Snaith sends out Let It Be Said in the eighth and if Richard Fourie can switch him off early he should notch up his fourth career victory The 3yo Great Plains was in need of the run and recorded the fastest 400m to finish time of the afternoon A longstanding racing man makes a case for four horses he feels should be in the Hollywoodbets Durban July entries Social media has reacted after Andy Robertson endured a nightmare run of mistakes for Fulham's second goal against Liverpool at Craven Cottage The Scotland international has endured a mixed season under new manager Arne Slot whose tactics have offered Robertson fewer opportunities to flex the attacking prowess seen regularly under former boss Jurgen Klopp A defiant Robertson has previously voiced a desire to prove his doubters wrong and speaking at a charity lunch alongside Jamie Carragher he made it clear he has no desire to walk away from Anfield this summer "I have only got a year left [on my contract," Robertson said "So I hope all you [fans] can help me with making the same noise around a new contract as you did with Mo [Salah] and Virgil [van Dijk]'s Maybe you [Carragher] can stop linking the club with other left-backs as well Robertson (right) wants to sign a new contract / Carl Recine/GettyImages"No look I've had eight wonderful years so far and I have a year left I am not as young as I once was but I love this club and I have had some great memories here "I still believe I can still produce good performances and some really good performances and I think I have done that this season so I still think I can produce at the top level and if I can do that then that is where I belong and hopefully I can stay here for many years to come." Robertson acknowledged that Liverpool are in a "new era" under Slot with the two full-back spots likely to be the strongest evidence of that While Robertson is facing a battle to avoid being replaced Liverpool are braced for the departure of right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold who is expected to complete a free transfer to Real Madrid this summer Signing a replacement for Alexander-Arnold is not seen as a priority with Conor Bradley expected to step up as the team's starter as Liverpool focus their efforts on bolstering in other positions © 2025 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Minute Media or its affiliates and related brands All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit If you or someone you know has a gambling problem crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER Former winger Jeff Wilson has reacted to Scott Robertson’s first year as All Blacks head coach and has compared him to his predecessors in the professional era For the first time since Argentina joined the Tri Nations to form the Rugby Championship New Zealand failed to win the Southern Hemisphere tournament losing back-to-back Test matches to the Springboks Robertson’s charges also fell to a defeat at the hands of Argentina before losing to France this November as well This means that Robertson won 11 of his first 14 Tests in charge, a record that sees him boast the worst winning record of an All Blacks boss after 14 games in charge His 71% win rate is worse than that of Wayne Smith, Ian Foster and John Mitchell who posted 79% success rates after their first 14 Tests while Sir Graham Henry and Sir Steve Hansen both won 86% of their matches none compare to John Hart who coached the All Blacks between 1996 and 1999 as he won all but one of his first 14 games in charge for a win rate of 93% The coaches’ win rates were compared on Sky Sport’s Breakdown show where Wilson said that Robertson will have learnt a lot from his first year in international rugby after a successful start to his coaching career with Canterbury and the Crusaders World rankings: Springboks cement top spot for 2024 but Ireland, England and Scotland could still tumble All Blacks coaches’ win percentages after 14 games (Stats via Sky Sports’ Breakdown) “He’s admitted himself it’s been a massive learning experience the things that he’s realised through the course of the season that things weren’t the way he thought they would be,” Wilson said “He’s had to make some really tough decisions one of those was very early on in his tenure when he had to part ways with a coach so all of a sudden he’s had to almost regroup mid-season and then he’s had to find a way to regroup from a couple of losses in South Africa and he’s made some steps forward the performance against Italy it wasn’t the finish he would have been looking for ultimately as a coach of the All Blacks that’s what you’ll get judged on when he goes into next year I’m not sure if he has another season at 71% that is going to be acceptable.” Nine things we learnt from the Autumn Nations Series including ‘mad scientist’ Rassie Erasmus, Razor’s influence and big decision loading for England Co-pundits Angus Taʻavao and Aaron Cruden agreed with Wilson that the 71% needed to improve in 2025 but the former added that international rugby is more competitive nowadays To which Wilson added: “Shouldn’t he be held to the same standard as all these other coaches though when they got their first year in charge “We’re talking about the All Blacks here I know the landscape is incredibly competitive right now there are four or five teams that have set themselves apart and we’ve played a few of them this year and those have been games that we haven’t come out on top But if I look at some of the other games where they weren’t convincing those three Test matches against England this season they were not convincing so there isn’t enough in terms of consistent performance and some of the errors and mistakes and ill-discipline that we showed throughout the course of the year I think was frustrating because it was almost like we are slow learning “We are not making adjustments and we started to finally finish games better than we had earlier on in the year but that wasn’t good enough for me when it came up against the real top teams.” All Blacks’ legendary boss Sir Steve Hansen insists that there are no excuses for Scott Robertson in 2025 and that they must be better next season The 50-year-old took over as New Zealand’s head coach following the 2023 Rugby World Cup final defeat but endured a mixed first year in charge They won 10 of their 14 matches but three of those losses came in the Rugby Championship where the All Blacks gave up the title they had held since 2019 Robertson was dealt a difficult hand given the departures of several key players after the conclusion of the global tournament The new head honcho also brought in his own backroom staff as New Zealand Rugby decided not to appoint from within for the first time since 2004 However, with the first 12 months now under his belt, Hansen states that the supporters will demand success this year “They will need to be better because New Zealanders expect them to be there’s no All Black team that’s allowed to go out and just have mediocre performances and not win,” he told Sport Nation’s Beaver & Guy show “They will need to win more and they will need to play better but that’s the pressure you have as a constant whenever you’re with the All Blacks they’ve experienced it so they will want to tighten up the back end of games it’s been well recorded they didn’t score a lot of points in the last quarter They will be scratching their heads trying to work out why that’s been and get the job done.” All Blacks great puts his head on the block with BOLD Scott Robertson statement for 2025 who has been outspoken about how Robertson’s predecessor was certainly not critical of the current head coach or the All Blacks in 2024 The 65-year-old understood the difficulties they faced last season and claimed that this year would provide a better indicator as to whether the new regime would be a success “They’re all trying to find their feet aren’t they The whole coaching staff and a lot of the backroom staff are all new to international rugby and it’s been a long time since that many people have been new to the team,” Hansen said “It’s totally different to where they’ve come from “They will have done a lot of learning in the last 12 months and realised that some of the stuff that they were wanting to do might not be what’s needed to be done and then they will have worked out that some of the stuff they wanted to do was good “I think the next 12 months is how we can really judge them.” READ MORE: Sir Steve Hansen’s verdict on ex-NRL star compared to Sonny Bill Williams whose All Blacks ambitions are ‘no secret’ Scott Robertson believes that the All Blacks could be left behind if New Zealand Rugby (NZR) do not make changes to their overseas policy The Kiwis ended their northern hemisphere tour with a 29-11 victory over Italy on Saturday as they went four from five in October and November they have won 10 out of 14 games during the head coach’s first year in charge which is not a bad return considering the rebuild that needed to be undertaken They lost several greats of the game after the Rugby World Cup Some may have retired from Test rugby anyway but others, such as Richie Mo’unga and Shannon Frizell, remain in the thoughts of the All Blacks selectors However, under the current laws laid out by NZR, Robertson is not able to pick players that are plying their trade outside of the country The head coach will now meet up with the governing body and make his recommendation to the board “We don’t want to be a cycle behind or a couple of years behind,” he told reporters Let’s keep an open mind and see what’s next Robertson repeated his words from earlier in the year where he urged New Zealand Rugby to keep an “open mind” but the All Blacks boss now wants them to make changes He pointed at the Springboks’ success as to what can be achieved with a more relaxed overseas policy they get the opportunity to use a lot of experienced players who are looked after and managed well into their 30s so they’ve got a great balance,” he said they can have two really quality fifteens.” Italy v New Zealand: Five takeaways as All Blacks’ scrum ‘decimates’ the Azzurri while a ‘true warrior’ bows against ‘brave’ opposition South Africa have no restrictions and will pick players wherever they are based in the world Robertson isn’t necessarily advocating that understanding the need to keep Super Rugby strong but the head coach would like to be able to pick certain individuals outside of New Zealand He added: “What’s right for all of our game How do we create it so we still get the best players we’ve still got the best competitions and we’ve still got the best All Black group “You might look at the guys that have shown a lot of loyalty to us Despite the restrictions that Robertson has to work with New Zealand have developed nicely over the course of the year They endured a disappointing Rugby Championship irrespective of the narrow loss to France which blotted the copybook your roles and how you set a team up to win a Test match,” he said READ MORE: All Blacks overcome brave Italy as Will Jordan surpasses Jonah Lomu feat Coach Scott Robertson said on Sunday he will ask New Zealand Rugby bosses to make overseas-based players eligible for the All Blacks in a bid to keep up with pacesetters South Africa Robertson said the world champion Springboks have benefited from an open policy which allows players to accept lucrative offshore club contracts but still be eligible for test selection New Zealand has barred national selection for players if they're not contracted domestically a rule aimed at preventing an exodus of players and weakening local competitions who completed his first year in charge as All Blacks coach with a 29-11 win over Italy on Saturday will propose a change to the New Zealand Rugby board soon after returning home "We don't want to be a cycle behind or a couple of years behind," Robertson told New Zealand media in a Zoom call Let's keep an open mind and see what's next they get the opportunity to use a lot of experienced players who are looked after and managed well into their 30s so they've got a great balance Robertson said he was wary of preserving the strength of New Zealand's Super Rugby and national provincial competitions indicating he would push for a targeted eligibility rule It would mean the likes of Japan-based fly-half Richie Mo'unga could become available because of his 56 test caps Rugby Australia allows a maximum of three players to be selected from overseas for the Wallabies but only if they have played at least 30 tests or committed to playing for an Australian-based franchise for the following year Robertson said New Zealand's regulations would need to be thrashed out with stakeholders we've still got the best competitions and we've still got the best All Black group "You might look at the guys that have shown a lot of loyalty to us Former Crusaders coach Robertson said he was satisfied with his record of 10 wins and four defeats across the year He pointed out the losses were all tight affairs including the two Rugby Championship tests in South Africa your roles and how you set a team up to win a test match," he said Former All Blacks scrum-half Justin Marshall has boldly predicted that Scott Robertson’s side will dominate the sport in 2025 New Zealand are looking to get back to the top of the rankings this year a place they haven’t been since 2019 and Marshall reckons they have a very good chance of doing that They start their Test season with three matches against what will likely be a second-string France outfit before heading into the Rugby Championship Unlike in 2024, where the All Blacks took on the Springboks in South Africa that doubleheader will take place in Auckland and Wellington Should they come through those matches unscathed, Robertson’s men head on their northern hemisphere tour which potentially includes a match with Ireland in Chicago “We want the All Blacks winning every Test match, we don’t want us targeting blocks [of fixtures]. We’re not going, ‘let’s just beat South Africa, the world champions, and if we drop the odd Test match in between we don’t really care’. We want them winning them all,” Marshall told DSPN with Martin Devlin Are we capable of winning every Test match We just need to get to the level of intensity needed where each week we are very consistent That’s what the good teams in the world do but we showed signs last year of being able to get there If we can start off against whatever team France sends to us early in the season and start to perform and then roll into the Rugby Championship and beat South Africa twice “It’s not an easy task by any means because they are a very good the All Blacks are going to win every Test match this year.” All Blacks great: Six Nations only behind the Rugby World Cup as the sport’s ‘pinnacle’ The All Blacks endured a mixed first year under new head coach Robertson who was forced into a rebuilding job following the departure of some key players after the Rugby World Cup There were signs towards the end of 2024 that it was starting to come together and they look well set for a positive 2025 The highlight will once again be their encounters with the Springboks while their rumoured clash with Ireland in the USA is another game Marshall is looking forward to that Eden Park game is going to be a belter and let’s not discount the fact we’ve got the world champions on our doorstep and we’ve got to beat them twice,” he said “You’ve got the neutral venue to play Ireland although we’ve had the wood on them over the last couple of years beating them at the Rugby World Cup and then again last year in Dublin “Having that on the way through to the northern tour in Chicago again is a great advocate for rugby – to get it into the US with them going to be hosting the Rugby World Cup in the future “It’s a possibility for the New Zealanders to go let’s go to Chicago and watch that game’ It’s going to be incredibly exciting.” READ MORE: New Zealand Rugby’s pursuit of Richie Mo’unga ‘stalls’ as ex-All Blacks star’s agent issues concerning update The highly anticipated IMRF People's Choice Award 2024 winner was announced at the IMRF Annual Meeting in Thessaloniki received the award for his outstanding contributions to the NSRI This follows his win of the International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF) Lifetime Achievement Award The IMRF People's Choice Award is determined by a vote from the global maritime SAR community All ten IMRF Awards winners and runners-up are eligible for the recognition “Dr Robertson’s recognition as the winner of the IMRF People’s Choice Award following his recent IMRF Vladimir Maksimov Lifetime Achievement Award is a testament to his exceptional dedication to NSRI vision of making South Africa a water-safe nation.” “Under his visionary leadership the NSRI underwent a remarkable transformation that saves lives and touches countless others through our commitment to drowning prevention.” “This prestigious honour celebrates his tireless advocacy and the profound impact he has made on the maritime search and rescue community.” “On behalf of the NSRI we extend our heartfelt congratulations and gratitude to Doc Cleeve for his legacy of excellence,” said Vonk Being acknowledged and recognised by your peers and volunteers is a great honour and a fulfilling reward for my humble contribution to rescue and preserving life Thank you to everyone who voted,” said Dr Robertson All Blacks coach Scott Robertson has given up on his push to select overseas-based players saying New Zealand Rugby's (NZR) strict eligibility policy is flexible enough to give him a strong squad NZR limits selection to home-based players to bolster domestic competition but has allowed some long-serving All Blacks to take short-term contracts overseas while on sabbaticals Robertson previously called for more flexibility to pick offshore players but said he had reconsidered his stance "I had a year to look at it and where we stand," he told the Rugby Direct podcast "One of my jobs is to make sure our pathways are strong so we can continue the flow of quality professional rugby players "I understand how important it is and I've probably now got more insight around the flexibility there is in the current regulations The policy means Robertson is unable to select star flyhalf Richie Mo'unga who took up a three-year deal to play in Japan after the 2023 World Cup NZR boss Mark Robinson revealed on the podcast that he and Robertson went to Japan last year on a failed mission to try to lure the flyhalf back to New Zealand early Robertson said he hoped Mo'unga would be back playing in New Zealand next year and eligible for selection in the lead-up to the 2027 World Cup in Australia "You want all your best players available," Robertson said "That's what it takes to win a Rugby World Cup High on Robertson's list of targeted retentions is playmaker Damian McKenzie whose national contract is set to expire at the end of the 2025 season "We'll work as hard as we can to have a player like him at the peak of his powers," said Robertson Rugby Australia also limits the selection of overseas players but has allowed recent Wallabies coaches to bring in up to three for an individual series or an overseas tour South Africa ditched its ban on selecting overseas players in 2018 and has won the past two World Cups The UFC has developed an impressive card for UFC Fight Night event on May 3 Gillian Robertson and Marina Rodriguez will be going head to heading a contest for the UFC Women’s Strawweight Division.  Gillian Robertson is notable for being one of the best women grapplers in the UFC has also established herself as one of the best women strikers in the company Let’s take a look at the MMA journeys record and tale of the tape for these women Read More:- UFC Fight Night 256 – UFC’s Debut in Des Moines Brings Exciting Match-Ups! Gillian “The Savage” Robertson hails from Canada started her MMA career with the UFC in 2017 Robertson was originally a member of The Ultimate Fighter she first competed in the UFC Women’s Flyweight Division till 2022 She became a member of the UFC Women’s Strawweight Division in 2023.  Gillian Robertson has become one of the best women grapplers in the UFC and most of her wins have come via submission. She also ended three of her fights in the first round, as per her official UFC profile She is also presently #12 in the UFC Women’s Strawweight Division Marina Rodriguez has developed herself into one of the best women’s strikers in the UFC Her early MMA career consisted of participating in the Dana White Contender Series in 2018 Rodriguez then officially became a member of the UFC in 2018.  Marina Rodriguez has elevated herself as the #9 fighter in the UFC Women’s Strawweight Division Her fights inside the Octagon have also brought her two Performance of the Night and one Fight of the Night bonuses.  two of Marina Rodriguez’ fight in the UFC ended in a draw This makes her involved in a total of 24 fights so far.  The fight between Gillian Robertson and Marina Rodriguez have been considered to be a grappler vs striker fight The end of the fight will reveal which of these two women will stand tall inside the Octagon I'm a sports content writer focusing on MMA I have a Master's degree in Media Science (M.Sc) from my college The Heritage Academy I got into the sports industry through my previous company where I worked from 2023 to March 2025 I'm a fan of combat sports like pro wrestling and MMA My favorite  part about working at The Playoffs is speculating  what can be happening in WWE especially face-heel turns and results of matches Get the biggest stories delivered straight to you - for free you consent to our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy nad to receive marketing and account-related emails from The Playoffs The Playoffs has been a go-to source for sports and sports betting enthusiasts Our mission: To help bettors make the best choices with in-depth analysis Our motto: Share our passion for sports and betting our editorial teams work to deliver the most accurate and relevant information so you can place bets with confidence—and most importantly and understand that betting is a form of entertainment—not a way to earn money If gambling stops being enjoyable or starts affecting your life negatively don’t hesitate to seek support or take advantage of self-exclusion tools provided by betting platforms responsible betting is the key to a safe and enjoyable gaming experience DISCLAIMER: This site is 100% for entertainment purposes only and does not involve real money betting COPYRIGHT © 2025 - THE PLAYOFFS - SHARE THE PASSION FOR SPORTS AND BETTING Liverpool fans have criticised Andy Robertson for picking up a very early red card in their Premier League clash against Fulham Rugby World Cup-winning former All Blacks fly-half Stephen Donald has accused Scott Robertson of “giving up” on New Zealand’s national game in a passionate rant about overseas-based stars playing for the Test team Following the All Blacks’ final match of the year Robertson issued a warning to New Zealand Rugby about their policy around selecting players based abroad the All Blacks boss cannot select any players not contracted to NZ Rugby or one of the Kiwi Super Rugby Pacific teams The 50-year-old will now meet up with the governing body and make his recommendation to the board that this policy is changed allowing him to select players like Richie Mo’unga who is currently plying his trade in Japan “We don’t want to be a cycle behind or a couple of years behind,” the All Blacks boss said after the victory over Italy Robertson used New Zealand’s fiercest rivals as an example to reinforce his point adding: “They get the opportunity to use a lot of experienced players who are looked after and managed well into their 30s so they’ve got a great balance and they’ve got big squads But Donald does not agree with the head coach as he believes that South Africa doesn’t ‘deal with’ the same issues that New Zealand do in terms of attracting young players The former fly-half added that some players are just paying lip service as to how much the All Blacks jersey means to them while others have proved it by turning down overseas offers “The biggest issue for me, and call me old school, call me whatever – there has got to be an element of sacrifice,” Donald said on his Sports Nation “The Run Home” show with Kirstie Stanaway “We’d go around and I’m sure they are still in the environment saying Donald also feels that Robertson is making his case purely to get Mo’unga into his team – a player he enjoyed huge success with during his time as the Crusaders head coach signing a long-term deal with the Toshiba Brave Lupus thus making him ineligible for selection under the current NZ Rugby policy this is about getting Richie Mo’unga back – it’s one person,” Donald continued Beauden Barrett and Damian McKenzie – look maybe Richie Mo’unga at his best is better than both of them – but both of them have sacrificed and I don’t think I’m being outlandish here to suggest $1 million “They would have both sacrificed $1 million because they put a price on the All Black jersey and that’s what they were prepared to give up to go again is probably even more attractive in Japan than a Richie is because of the way he plays.” Ex-All Blacks star extends overseas deal after Scott Robertson’s plea Donald also pointed to two All Blacks legends who also made huge sacrifices to play in the black jersey with Jonah Lomu snubbing other sporting codes which paved the way for rugby to go professional double World Cup-winning captain Richie McCaw never played for a club outside of New Zealand representing the Crusaders throughout his illustrious career You’ve got to make sacrifices,” he added “Jonah Lomu is the reason why we all got paid as rugby players because he sacrificed the Dallas Cowboys sacrificed the NRL and in fact sacrificed Super League before rugby was even professional who had nothing decided that the black jersey had a price and the price he was prepared to sacrifice was all of these offers “Richie McCaw never left New Zealand Richie McCaw is never going to have to work a day in his life because he is the greatest All Black of all time and New Zealand will always look after Richie because of what he’s done for the country “So you can say ‘Oh look we can’t hold guys back and they have to go over all of this’ – that’s fine but look historically how it has happened All Blacks v France: Fresh twist for 2024 series as USA Test is tabled despite Les Bleus’ reluctance The Springboks used to have a policy similar to Australia where overseas-based players had to meet certain requirements to represent South Africa that all changed when Rassie Erasmus took over in 2018 during a dire time for SA Rugby He is now allowed to select players regardless of how many Test caps they have with Cheslin Kolbe and Jasper Wiese examples of players who earned their debuts while playing for clubs in the northern hemisphere The loosening of the SA Rugby’s selection policies played a huge role in the Springboks winning back-to-back Rugby World Cup titles but Donald feels that cannot be used to justify the All Blacks changing tack This is because New Zealand faces different challenges that he believes South Africa don’t and rugby league attracting the attention of kids in Aotearoa “This South African argument will never wash with me because South Africa doesn’t have the Warriors doesn’t Auckland FC and Phoenix taking all the young kids eyes and wanting to be football players,” Donald added “South Africans don’t deal with that If you are an Afrikaans kid in South Africa you are going to be a rugby and that’s what you are going to do and you are going to strive to be a Springbok “And now you can see the impact of the Springboks in their coloured policies that even the coloured boys who would have been football boys in the past are now following the Siya Kolisis because they have got heroes “But if you don’t see your heroes playing week in and they’re up they’re playing a meaningless competition in Japan or playing over there for Toulon what has that got for my kids to aspire to be “So you are just giving up on our nation’s game and saying ‘Oh well as long as we win the World Cup’ but how many World Cups are you going to win maybe even win one after but if there’s not going to be kids coming through you won’t win the ones in 20 years.” After surviving a seven-game battle capped by a comeback 4-2 win at home, they now turn their attention to the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets The Jets edged out St. Louis 4-3, beating the Blues in double overtime of Game 7. Jets captain Adam Lowry scored the game-winning goal to book Winnipeg’s second-round matchup against the Stars according to the latest update shared by head coach Pete DeBoer DeBoer addressed the status of two of Dallas' core players offering optimism but no guarantees or a set timeline for their respective returns “I believe you’re going to see them both play in the second round, but I don’t know if it’s going to be Game 1 or Game 3 or Game 5,” DeBoer said “I consider them both day-to-day now how much time we have between now and Game 1.  ”We’ll have a little better idea as we get closer.” Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen (4) skates in warm-ups prior to a Stanley Cup Playoffs game at T-Mobile Arena Robertson missed the entire first round after suffering a lower-body injury in the regular-season finale on April 16. The 25-year-old led the Stars with 35 goals and 80 points in 82 games Heiskanen, also 25, hasn’t played since Jan. 28, when he injured his left knee in a collision with Mark Stone. He underwent surgery in early February and sat out the final 32 regular-season games. He finished the season with 25 points in 50 appearances Liverpool boss Arne Slot came to Andy Robertson's defence after the full-back picked an early red card against Fulham Andrew Robertson admits that Trent Alexander-Arnold's head is "not great" but he insists it is nothing to do with his potential move to Real Madrid Scott Robertson has reacted to Eben Etzebeth’s elevation back into the Springboks team as well as Rassie Erasmus’ tactic of naming his squad early Etzebeth looked set to miss the clash between the Springboks and All Blacks at Ellis Park in the Rugby Championship through injury after Erasmus named his initial team without the powerhouse lock on Tuesday However, the Bok boss stated that there could be a change and that proved to be the case as just a day later Etzebeth was included on the bench at the expense of back-rower Marco van Staden When asked about the change, Robertson was rather straightforward in his response and understood why Erasmus made the change “Changing again have they, another one?” the All Blacks boss joked “Obviously they have done the medical check and it’s gone better than expected or planned and if you have got a great player you take every opportunity to get him on the field if you can and they have.” Unlike other teams, the Springboks name their team early in the week with most other head coaches – like Robertson – only releasing their teamsheet to the public on a Thursday before a Saturday Test match Erasmus adopted the tactic of naming his team early back in 2019 and has largely kept it in place with a few exceptions Asked for his views on the Boks naming their side early and whether it caused a rethink in the All Blacks’ selection Robertson swiftly responded ‘no’ but added: “We name our team on Tuesday too but we just don’t tell anyone on Tuesday All Blacks winners and losers: Leadership vital for Scott Robertson as Sam Cane seeks to ‘exact revenge’ on Springboks Saturday will not only be the first time that he goes toe-to-toe with Erasmus on the international stage but also his former teammate Tony Brown will also be in the opposing coaching box New Zealand Colts with Tony… ah he is tough good rugby man and he’s brought a little bit of his magic touch to the Springboks,” the head coach noted “We’ve seen their game evolve and how they play how they use their forwards so they’re doing well.” READ MORE: How Tony Brown ended up in the Springboks and not the All Blacks coaching box Sam Whitelock will assist the Robbie Deans coached Baa Baas against the Springboks Pieter-Steph du Toit has returned to training but won't be taking the pitch for Toyota Verblitz All Blacks boss Scott Robertson has responded to Joe Marler’s comments around the haka ahead of the clash between England and New Zealand at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday The England prop, who has left the squad due to personal reasons, sparked the debate around the All Blacks‘ cultural challenge earlier this week with his posts on social media platform X “The haka needs binning. It’s ridiculous,” Marler wrote on Tuesday The 34-year-old then added: “It’s only any good when teams actually front it with some sort of reply He would deactivate his account shortly afterwards before returning and writing: “Context is everything Just having a bit of fun trying to spark interest in a mega rugby fixture Also needed to satisfy my narcissism.” Joe Marler slams ‘ridiculous’ All Blacks haka as England star calls for war dance to be ‘binned’ His comments have led to a plethora of articles and posts online calling for the All Blacks to stop performing the haka Others believe that it should remain while some insist that teams should be allowed to respond to it and shouldn’t have to remain so far back due to World Rugby’s regulations Meanwhile, Robertson has named his team for Saturday’s match which features 12 changes to the starting XV that soundly beat Japan last week the All Blacks boss was asked for his response to the England prop’s remarks and Robertson wondered if the front-rower wished he had articulated his point better “I know Joe. I wonder if he wishes he could have articulated himself better on that,” Robertson said “The Haka for us it’s a custom it’s for occasions it’s for joy and also for challenge We use it as a challenge and we believe it’s a great tradition of rugby of rugby that all Pacific nations do before to honour where they come from “It’s not just about the All Blacks World Rugby’s regulations require teams to be at least 10 metres back from a cultural challenge which was part of Marler’s criticism All Blacks Haka: Why teams are no longer allowed to advance during the cultural challenge Robertson says that this is a sign of respect but adds that teams and fans can respond to the Haka in different ways and slipped in a cheeky dig at South Africa after the debacle caused with a plane flying over during the challenge at Ellis Park earlier this year “We have to dig a little bit deeper into how that is obviously it’s the respect thing isn’t it from there how do you create it as something that when they’re finished can you show a sign of respect,” he explained when asked if teams should be allowed to respond how often do we come up here and some clap Some put a plane over the top – whatever it is there is a lot of meaning behind it and whatever the response is All Blacks team v England: Winners and losers as Damian McKenzie ‘plays his way out’ and Scott Robertson makes ‘brave call’ in the pack Former All Blacks boss Sir Steve Hansen said that England’s response to the haka by forming an arrowhead ahead of the 2019 Rugby World Cup semi-final Marler was at the centre of the controversy then too as he progressed past the 10-metre mark which ultimately led to a fine “They didn’t get fined for responding to the haka – they got fined for coming over halfway,” Hansen said at the time “Joe didn’t go back when he was told two or three times “I thought it was brilliant and quite imaginative Robertson agreed with the ex-All Blacks head coach’s assessment “There was a clear meaning behind and it was respectfully done – great that’s what we are all about,” he said When asked if he expected something similar this week it’s all I’ve heard about it and after that it’s a distraction so whatever they come up with we’ll face it.” Scott Robertson could soon be down a fly-half after reports emerged that one of the All Blacks’ options has opened talks with a French side New Zealand’s head coach has trialled Beauden Barrett Damian McKenzie and Harry Plummer this year and it is the latter who could be set to head overseas Plummer has already visited Clermont Auvergne’s base and should sign a deal with the Top 14 giants ‘in the coming weeks.’ If it goes through, it would be a blow for Robertson, with the All Blacks boss struggling to find his first choice option in the number 10 slot this year McKenzie was handed the reins at the beginning of the campaign before Barrett took over at the end of the Rugby Championship the former World Rugby Player of the Year is now 33 and Robertson will want younger options to come through to at least challenge the experienced duo Even McKenzie is only a few months shy of his 30th birthday who has established himself as their third choice option The Blues playmaker enjoyed an outstanding 2024 domestically helping the Auckland-based side to win their first Super Rugby title since 2003 He then made his All Blacks debut in the Rugby Championship coming on for the final few minutes in their 31-28 victory over the Wallabies Although Plummer was left out of the squad for the northern hemisphere tour he was selected in the second-string All Blacks XV and impressed in the triumph over Munster All Blacks player ratings: Ardie Savea ‘overshadows’ breakout star as Scott Robertson makes ‘bizarre’ and costly blunder After Billy Proctor returned home for the birth of his first child the playmaker earned an All Blacks recall and helped them prepare for their games against Ireland and France The 26-year-old still has a year remaining on his contract but that will open the door for other fly-halves Josh Jacomb joined Plummer in the All Blacks XV squad and started in the triumph over Georgia That followed a good end to the Super Rugby Pacific season with the Chiefs and a fine NPC campaign with Taranaki they will be boosted by Barrett’s return in 2025 following his stint in Japan which could influence Plummer’s decision over his future READ MORE: ‘He’s the future’ – Scott Robertson hails All Blacks rookie after exceptional 79-minute performance against France Liverpool have been urged to sign a new left-back in January by Jamie Carragher as he says Andy Robertson is having a "tough time" this season Written by RotoWire Staff Robertson (knee) participated in Monday's practice and is still day-to-day according to Lia Assimakopoulos of The Dallas Morning News Robertson sat out Dallas' first-round series against Colorado after getting injured in the Stars' regular-season finale versus Nashville on April 16 His status for Game 1 versus Winnipeg on Wednesday remains unclear but he has made some progress in his recovery 80 points and 211 shots on net across 82 appearances during the 2024-25 regular season.