Friday Fun - Leaky Australians, Fiji's new haka and my World XV

The weekend is nearing and the rugby therefore is creeping up on us once again. The Super 15 will be acting out the final round its' Round Robin stage, with the Hurricanes kicking it all off against the Chiefs in Wellington on Friday night.

While the three conference leaders (Stormers,Chiefs and Brumbies) have all but been confirmed (barring the Brumbies collecting zero points and the Reds getting a full house), five teams remain in contention for the other three play-off spots and it's all beginning to get a bit tense.

Until the action commences though, Dumptackle Rugby Blog rounds up some of the more quirky happenings from this week for your entertainment...

We divulge on the new Fijian war dance known simply as the 'I Bole', the problem of a rogue urinator in Australian domestic rugby and select our World XV for the season. What more could you want?


Fiji's new Wardance - The 'I Bole'

It appears the NZ set a precedent when they released the new 'Kapa O Pango' haka upon us under Graham Henry's tenure. Now everyone wants a crack. A few weeks ago I mentioned a purposely comical attempt by the Spanish Sevens side in Amsterdam. Madagascar now have one too and Fiji have recently decided that there old one just isn't up to scratch either.

Fiji did away with their traditional wardance known as the 'Cibi' against Scotland, first seen on the rugby field back in 1939 and replaced it with a new haka, known as the 'I Bole'.



Traditional Cibi Haka was apparantly 'inappropriate'


Apparantly, the old one was being used incorrectly as it was actually a celebration of victory rather than laying down or accepting a challenge.

This 'I Bole' has been composed by Ratu Manoa Rasigatale, and is explained as follows.

"I'm challenging you to be uprooted, yes, it will be done, let's turn them up side down. I'm ready, you think I'm afraid of you, you can't break my defence. You're only a hen, I'm the rooster, let's fight and you'll see. I don't sleep and will watch you.

My strength can reach the crushing of the waves, I will not be drowned, you think you'll defeat me by drowning? Your fence is only made of wawamere creapers, It's easy to untangle. I can uproot you, I can uproot you, yes it will be achieved."

.....Don't you just  hate it when people say your fence is made of wawamere creapers?

Anyway, click on the video below to see the new Haka in all it's glory!

Australian urinates to avoid being tackled

Uriniating in sport. What are the boundaries of common decency? Sometimes you've just gotta go haven't you?

One famous instance of a player urinating on the pitch was All Blacks' enforcer Jerry Collins letting out a warm dribble at the old Jade Stadium prior to a Bledisloe Cup kickoff; pictured (and blurred obviously!) below. That incident caused uproar at the time. Although ( as doctor Hugh Hazzard of the Cantebury Bulldogs remarked in defence), a full bladder on the rugby field could be quite dangerous "because if they got a knock they could rupture it". Niiice.

Jerry Collins was pilloried in the media for his actions on live tv

Paula Radcliffe (Great Britain's legendatry Marathon runner) famously also paused during the 2005 London Marathon, for a sneaky toilet break. It didn't stop her winning though...

While in professional cycling, where cyclists can be on the road for more than six hours, it is common etiquette not to take advantage of a competitor if he needs to take a break.

Cyclists do not take advantage of a rival's toilet break

However this week I came across one of the most bizarre stories I have ever heard in rugby union (let alone any other sport).

According to the 'Australian Daily Telegraph', an Australian club player has been accused of urinating on himself to put opponents off tackling him.

The complaint made by the opposition to the Illawarra District Rugby Union alleged that the player relieved himself in his shorts during a local league match against the Vikings 'in an effort to dissuade his rivals from getting close enough to bring him down'.

Vikings club president Mark McDonald wrote the furious letter of complaint that sparked the investigation into the unnamed Avondale player, who has believe it or not been accused of pulling the same trick several times in the past.

An official of another local club suggested that the player was famous locally for peeing in his shorts:

"It’s happened in the past and he’s obviously played up to it since," he told the paper on condition of anonymity. "It doesn’t surprise me to see something being made of it again now."

Whoever this bloke is, he's seriously taking the p***.

Will this be a trait seen in the Aussie Super Rugby sides in the future? It certainly isn't in my Rugby 101 manual!



Dumptackle Rugby Blog's Worlds XV

It's the end of the European season and while there is no perfect time to pick a World XV, this seems as good as any. Here we go...

Kurtley Beale narrowly beats Israel Dagg to the 15 jumper

1. Tony Woodcock (New Zealand), 2. Bismark Du Plessis (South Africa), 3.Euan Murray (Scotland), 4. Richie Gray (Scotland), 5. Eben Etzebeth (South Africa), 6. Willem Alberts (South Africa), 7. David Pocock (Australia), 8. Kieran Reid (New Zealand), 9. Will Genia (Australia), 10. Dan Carter (New Zealand), 12. Jamie Roberts (Wales), 13. Conrad Smith (New Zealand), 11. Digby Ione (Australia), 14. JP Pieterson (South Africa), 15. Kurtley Beale (Australia)

I have only selected players currently elligible for international rugby. Hence why the likes of Brad Thorn, Bakkies Botha, Sonny Bill Williams and Jerome Kaino have not been considered.

The unluckiest omissions were probably Dan Cole at tight head prop, Sam Whitelock at lock, Dan Lydiate, Sean O'Brien and Richie McCaw in the back row, Corey Jane on the right wing and Israel Dagg/Rob Kearney at full back.

Lets hear your choices!