Friday Round-Up

Super Rugby for Japan

Reports coming from Australia today suggest that the Japanese rugby union will be awarded a team to take part in the Super Rugby competition from 2018. The competition is due to expand, with an additional South African team and new Argentinian team already confirmed to join the competition. There was some debate whether a third new team would come from Japan, or the Pacific Islands, but the Daily Telegraph in Australia has today revealed that SANZAR is leaning towards a Japanese side. The deal for a Japanese Super Rugby team is by no means finalised however, with issues such as fan base and travel time between Japan and the other nations yet to be discussed.

Twickenham to host Euro Finals

EPCR, the organisation overseeing the new European Rugby Champions Cup, have today announced that Twickenham will host the competition's inaugural final. The ground has hosted the Heineken Cuo final on four occasions, most recently in 2012, and will become the first ground to host the replacement competitions finale on May 2^nd 2015. Not only that but the nearby Twickenham stoop, home of Aviva Premiership side Harlequins, will host the Challenge Cup final on Friday May 1^st.

Wales to prepare for RWC in Qatar

Wales head couch Warren Gatland has today announced his teams preparations for the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England. Gatland will take his charges to Qatar and Switzerland as part of a grueling program aimed at getting his players in peak physical fitness ahead of the competition. Wales will travel to Qatar in July for fitness training, with temperatures in the region usually in the 40’s at that time of year. They will then head to Switzerland for two weeks to train in the altitude of the Alps. A tough regimen, it remains to be seen how it effects the fitness and morale of the team heading into a tough group in next year’s eagerly awaited competition.