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March 1, 2022

Rookie half happy to have O’Connor by his side SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 25: Spencer Jeans of the Reds passes the ball during the round two Super Rugby Pacific match between the NSW Waratahs and the Queensland Reds at Leichhardt Oval on February 25, 2022 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Jeremy Ng/Getty Images)

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An ankle injury to Reds co-captain Tate McDermott has given rookie Spencer Jeans an opportunity he’s keen to make the most of.

Rookie Queensland halfback Spencer Jeans feels blessed to have a player of James O’Connor’s class alongside him as he prepares for a likely Reds starting debut against Western Force in Perth on Friday night.

Jeans, 21, came off the bench as a replacement for injured co-captain Tate McDermott in the Reds’ gritty 20-16 Super Rugby Pacific win over the NSW Waratahs last Friday night at Leichhardt Oval.

With McDermott set to be sidelined for least four weeks with an ankle injury, Jeans has a chance to play an extended run of games, and is sure to seek advice from experienced Reds and Wallabies flyhalf O’Connor.

“I probably annoy him a bit too much asking him questions all the time about what I need to be doing, or how I want to do it, or what we’re doing,” Jeans said.

“He’s always straight back with a really solid answer and he’s been really supportive.

“Growing up as a kid and watching him play and be the player he was, to play with him last week was pretty special.

“I’m very fortunate in the position I’m in to have a (flyhalf) outside me. He’s very knowledgeable of the game.”

The Reds trained at Brothers on Tuesday as Ballymore continues to recover from the south-east Queensland floods.

“For us here as a squad, we’ve just got to look at not feeling sorry for ourselves,” Jeans said.

“We’ve got a job to do on the weekend … and we don’t have it as bad as some of the other Queenslanders out there.”

The impact of the flooding at Suncorp Stadium has led to Fijian Drua moving their match on Friday night against the Melbourne Rebels from the Milton venue to Sunshine Coast Stadium.

Fijian Drua CEO Brian Thorburn said: “We’ve really had no choice but to move the game given the flooding and water levels in and around Suncorp Stadium.

“We’ve had to make an early call due to the significant logistics associated with moving a match only three days before kick-off.

“Our hearts go out to everyone affected by the adverse weather conditions in parts of Queensland and northern New South Wales.”

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December 4, 2021

‘Crazy day’: Wallabies star Quade Cooper learns citizenship verdict Former Wallabies player Quade Cooper is seen training in isolation at Red Hill in Brisbane, Wednesday, April 15, 2020. The ex-Wallabies five-eighth Quade Cooper has confirmed his interest in joining the NRL after they announced that they will restart their season on May 28. (AAP Image/Darren England) NO ARCHIVING

Filed under: Outdoors — Tags: — admin @ 3:24 am

He has shed blood in the name of the iconic Wallabies gold jersey for 13 years, but Quade Cooper had never officially been an Australian.

He has been bloodied and bruised in the name of the iconic Wallabies gold jersey for 13 years, but Quade Cooper had never officially been an Australian.

Until now.

The Auckland-born fly-half on Friday updated fans on social media to reveal he took the test to officially become an Australian following changes to citizenship rules announced by the federal government earlier this year.

In mid-September, just days after Cooper made his triumphant return for the Wallabies in the Rugby Championship, the Australian government announced it had relaxed the criteria for the “most talented prospective Australians” applying to become citizens.

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Cooper has taken advantage of the changes and on Friday night announced he has now been cleared to take up his Australian citizenship after passing the test.

“Crazy day today, not going to lie,” he captioned a photo showing him arm in arm with former Wallaby and NRL player Joe Tomane.

“I was super nervous as there were some difficult questions on the citizenship test and I felt that if I failed, everyone’s efforts may have been for nothing.

“ But in truth, the law change itself is the victory.”

However, he has also criticised the updated laws and the existing immigration policy that has resulted in Tomane being locked out of Australia.

“My brother and @Wallabies team mate @joetomane was locked out of the country he’s lived in since 9 months of age and forced to fly and quarantine in NZ earlier this year because he also didn’t fit the criteria of what it took to be identified as Australian, despite standing side-by-side in the Green and Gold,” he posted on Instagram.

“Hopefully he will be the next person to benefit from this law change and be able to fly home to his family and friends soon.”

Cooper had earlier posted about his nerves before taking the test.

“Weird feeling but it probably wouldn’t have happened with out your support,” he expressed to fans.

“Thank you to everyone who pushed for people like myself to be eligible to officially call Australia home. Forever grateful.

“Not going to lie I was super nervous as there was some difficult questions and it felt like if I failed that everyone’s efforts to help would have been for nothing. Then I realised that the law change had provided myself and many others this opportunity and that is the victory.”

Becoming an Australian citizen would cap off a remarkable year for Cooper, who had a number of previous citizenship applications denied.

Lured back for the Rugby Championship after more than four years in the Test wilderness, the 33-year-old was instrumental in Australia’s five-game winning streak.

His first game back was perhaps his most memorable. Cooper kicked seven penalty goals — including one after the siren — to seal a shock two-point win for Australia against world champions South Africa.

With the Kintetsu Liners’ pre-season approaching, Cooper opted to stay behind in Japan when the Wallabies travelled to the United Kingdom for the final leg of their spring tour.

He finished the stint with five wins and no losses to his name and was replaced at fly-half by James O’Connor.

In Cooper’s absence, Dave Rennie’s men lost to Scotland, England and Wales, bringing the curtain down on the Wallabies’ year in disappointing fashion.

— with NCA NewsWire

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November 25, 2021

‘Come straight in’: Folau comeback is on FILE: Israel Folau sacked by Rugby Australia for Homphobic tweet SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – JUNE 23: Israel Folau of the Wallabies looks on during the Third International Test match between the Australian Wallabies and Ireland at Allianz Stadium on June 23, 2018 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

Filed under: Outdoors — Tags: — admin @ 2:13 am

A decision by world rugby officials to make it easier for players to switch countries has opened the door for a controversial star to make an international comeback.

Former Wallabies and NRL star Israel Folau is set to resume his international career with Tonga after a rule change opened the door for a comeback and coach Toutai Kefu he will “come straight in”.

World Rugby has made a change to eligibility rules that means from January 2022, a player will now be able to represent another country after a stand-down period of three years.

A player can move to a nation of their birth, or that of their parents’ or grandparents’ but can only switch allegiance once.

Folau, who played the last of his 73 Tests for the Wallabies against England at Twickenham in 2018, has Tongan heritage and Wallabies great Toutai Kefu, the Tongan coach, confirmed the 32-year-old would be part of his team in 2022.

“We’ve been talking to a lot of players over the lats 12-18 months … Israel Folau is ready to jump on board, he’ll come straight in to the team or in the squad next year,” Kefu told the ABC.

“I’m sure there will be some controversy but we’ll cross that bridge when it comes.

“That’s always been our goal is to get those players playing for us.

“The biggest change we can make in terms of getting wins it to change the class of player we have and changing this rule does that straight away.”

Folau has struggled to find a foothold anywhere after being sacked by Rugby Australia for a series of homophobic tweets.

He joined French rugby league side Catalans Dragons in the UK Super League but left them in acrimonious circumstances.

After a brief stint with Gold Coast rugby league club the Southport Tigers earlier this year, Folau will return to rugby in 2022 with Japanese side Shining Arcs.

World Rugby said the amendment to its eligibility regulations passed by its ruling council would “benefit players and the global competitiveness of rugby”.

“We have listened to our membership and players and sought to update the regulation recognising the modern professional rugby environment without compromising the integrity of the international game,” said World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont, a former England captain.

The move has also been backed by the global players’ union.

“Many players across the world will now benefit from the chance to represent the country of their or their ancestors’ birth, serving as a real boost to the competitiveness of emerging nations, which, in turn, will benefit the game as a whole,” International Players’ Union chief executive Omar Hassanein said.

Folau could be among a number of beneficiaries from the rule change, which could be a game changer for the Pacific Islands with the amendment meaning that the likes of New Zealand stars like Charles Piutau, who has 17 All Blacks caps, George Moala and Vaea Fifita could play for Samoa.

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September 6, 2021

Super Rugby mountain to climb for Reds coach Brad Thorn wants the Queensland Reds to go to another level. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Filed under: Outdoors — Tags: — admin @ 6:54 pm

Super Rugby AU success with the Reds felt good, but Queensland coach Brad Thorn wants to take his team to the next level.

Domestic success isn’t enough for Brad Thorn, who has set his sights on taking the Queensland Reds to the top of the Super Rugby tree.

Born winner Thorn has extended his Reds coaching tenure by a further two years, signing a new deal that will keep him at Ballymore at least until 2023.

It’s a case of unfinished business for the former All Blacks, Kangaroos, Broncos and Queensland State of Origin star, whose job is far from done at the Reds despite guiding the team to a drought-breaking Super Rugby AU title this year.

Next year’s new Super Rugby Pacific competition – which brings together teams from Australia and New Zealand as well as Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika – holds plenty of appeal for Thorn.

The Reds got a renewed taste of against playing against Kiwi outfits in this year’s short and sharp Super Rugby Trans-Tasman competition.

Despite winning just one from five matches, it was a great learning experience for both Thorn and the Queenslanders, with the lessons set to enhance their chances of greater success in Super Rugby Pacific.

“There’s still a lot to do here,” said 46-year-old Thorn, who has been Reds coach since 2018.

“We had success in the AU. We achieved something, which was good, we won that title … but the trans-Tasman tournament was healthy as well because it showed that we still have a way to go.

“It’s like climbing a mountain. You get to the top of it, and it feels good, but then there’s another bigger mountain to climb.

“It bodes well for the guys’ mindset over the pre-season of where we need to get to.

“We’ve got to be better in all areas because we want to compete to win next year.

“Since I was a little kid in primary school, I’ve never been a fan of just being a participant. I’m there to win games and try to win competitions.”

However, Thorn – who will be assisted by Jim McKay, Michael Todd and Cameron Lillicrap – said it would be dangerous for him to declare the Reds could win the 2022 Super Rugby Pacific title.

“You want to be super careful about throwing out anything around that sort of stuff,” he said.

“The Australian rugby public they want to see actions, not talk. There’s sometimes been frustrations over the years about the talk. Let’s see the actions and do the talking after.

“There’s a whole lot of hard work ahead of us. Just know that we’ll be working hard and we’ll be competing to win.”

The extension of Thorn’s deal will result in him becoming the longest-serving Reds coach since John Connolly, who was in charge from 1989 to 2000, a period of solid success for a star-studded Queensland team.

“I wanted to play forever,” Thorn said.

“I just love the game … when I was playing, I just felt good, being in the game, and the next best thing, if you love the game, is to be a coach.

“There was a challenge here. I have a connection with the state. Queensland means a lot to me. New Zealand’s where I’m from, Brisbane’s my home.

“I’ve seen a rugby public that was crying out to feel good about their rugby again. Ballymore’s a special place.

“The hardest thing I would have done previously was going from league to union the first time, but this was a whole other level.

“There’s so many angles … but the strength of my staff is massive for me. We’re a really tight group here.”

Read related topics:Brisbane

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June 30, 2021

Get to Know CrossFit Games Champion Jamie Simmonds

Jamie Simmonds, 2019, the Third Fittest Woman on Earth, is an international CrossFit Games champion and ambassador for plant-based nutrition company Nuzest.

Formerly a gymnast and rugby player, Jamie made her name in the CrossFit competition scene in 2016 when she became a podium finisher with team CrossFit Yas.

Read From Being a Mom to the Podium at the CrossFit Games at its original source Breaking Muscle:

https://breakingmuscle.com/fitness/from-being-a-mom-to-the-podium-at-the-crossfit-games

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