Rugby: Gatland linked with Lions role

Wales coach Warren Gatland has failed to rule out coaching the Lions tour of Australia after revealing he was free for the role.

The former New Zealand hooker has just signed a new four-year contract with the Welsh Rugby Union following his Six Nations success in 2008 and has one eye on getting things settled ahead of next year's World Cup.

However, speaking about his new deal on Friday, Gatland revealed there was a clause in the contract which allowed him to take a five month break during the summer of 2013.

Gatland, who was a forwards coach on the Lions last tour, failed to say whether he would be involved in three years time but did say it would be an honour to coach the side.

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"Part of my contract negotiations included being able to spend some time back in New Zealand," said Gatland.

"Wales have agreed that for 2013, while the Lions are touring and Wales play Japan for a couple of games, I could appoint some younger coaches which would enable me to spend four or five months back in New Zealand.

“The Premiership is quicker than the Magners League. There is more strength in depth. Every match is a big one.

“Training is more intense, we work the whole time, there is pressure the whole time. I’m enjoying that.

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Toulon to ask England for give and take over releasing Jonny Wilkinson

Toulon will ask England to release Jonny Wilkinson from their pre-autumn international training camp at the end of the month to play in a Top 14 match in Toulouse on 30 October. The French club are prepared to rest the 31-year-old fly-half on Saturday when they take on Munster in the Heineken Cup, something they would use as a bargaining tool with the England team manager, Martin Johnson.

England's training camp is not governed by the International Rugby Board's regulation governing the release of players for Test match duty, because the opening November international, against New Zealand at Twickenham on 6 November, falls outside the official Test window, meaning clubs not in the Premiership are not obliged to make their players available.

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Wilkinson has a clause in his contract with Toulon allowing him to be with England whenever called on, regardless of whether it is within a period governed by the IRB regulation, and Twickenham issued a statement today which pointed out that a condition of Wilkinson being selected in the elite player squad, along with James Haskell and Tom Palmer of Stade Français, was that their club contracts allowed them to fulfil all of England's release dates.

"We will not make any attempt to stop Jonny playing against New Zealand," the Toulon team manager, Tom Whitford, said. "What we do ask for is a bit of give and take. Toulouse is a big match for us and we would like Jonny to be involved. We will sit down and talk with him next week and we are in constant dialogue with England."

Whitford said reports that Wilkinson would miss the trip to Munster because of a knee injury were untrue. "He is fit for selection but we have to take a decision on him because he has played every match this season. If he did not play, it would be something we hope would count in our favour come his availability for the Toulouse match."

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England competes annually in the Six Nations Championship, which is played against five other European nations: France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales. The Six Nations started out as the Home Nations Championship in 1883 which England won with a Triple Crown.
England has won the title more times than any other nation by winning it outright 25 times, and sharing victory ten times. Their longest wait between championships was 18 years from 1892 to 1910.

England players traditionally wear white shorts, navy socks with white tops, and a white shirt with a red rose embroidered on it, and for the first time in the English rugby team's history, their away shirt is red. Their home ground is Twickenham Stadium where they first played in 1910. The team is administered by the Rugby Football Union (RFU).

Italian Rugby really came to prominence in 2000 when it was added to the Five Nations, creating the Six Nations. Originally on the end of some heavy defeats, the side has grown in competitiveness, recorded a fourth place finish in 2007, and even in defeat, lop-sided losses are becoming far less frequent. Italy is ranked eleventh in the world by the IRB as of 21 June 2010.

Italy has also competed at every Rugby World Cup since the first tournament in 1987, but has to progress beyond the first round. Their best showing thus far has been in 2003 and 2007 where they managed two wins during the pool stages.

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Wales can retain European Cup claims Crusaders youngster Lewis Mills

Crusaders youngster Lewis Mills is confident Wales can retain their European Cup crown next month. Mills, 21, is hoping to be part of the Wales team that takes on Italy at the Racecourse on Sunday, October 3 when Wales warm up for the defence of their title.

The young Welsh star made two appearances for Iestyn Harris’ side during last year’s competition, where Wales defeated Serbia, Ireland and Scotland to lift the trophy.

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But Wales face an altogether tougher prospect this year, with France being added to the mix, while the winners will go onto the Four Nations competition the following season and potentially line up against Australia, New Zealand and England.

And Mills, who has made a huge impact playing for the South Wales Scorpions this season thanks to the dual registration agreement, says he hopes to play an even bigger part this time around, starting at the Racecourse next month.

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“I had a couple of games in the European Cup last year, which was a great boost for rugby league in Wales,” Mills said.

“Hopefully we can win this tournament again this year and qualify for the Four Nations, which would be massive and will be a great boost for the game in Wales.

“There’s been some really good banter among the Welsh boys and Rocky. He keeps saying that he’s going to give a couple of us some cheap shots on the field but it’s nothing we can’t handle.

“I’m looking forward to the Italy game, it’ll be a great game to watch and anyone who loves Rugby League should definitely come down to the Racecourse. It’ll be an interesting game, a bit of rivalry and banter and a great day out.”

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He said: “It’s not been too bad as I’ve been travelling back down to South Wales to go to university also so I’ve got used to going up and down from North to South Wales.

“I’ve enjoyed training with the Crusaders and also enjoyed helping the Scorpions and I’m pleased that both sides have done so well this year. Both teams made the play-offs, which was amazing.”

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England has won this championship on 25 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in the tournaments history. England also compete for the Calcutta Cup with Scotland as part of the Six Nations. They are ranked sixth in the world by the International Rugby Board as of 21 June 2010. England won the Rugby World Cup in 2003 and finished runners-up in 1991 and 2007.

Italy rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri. Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and today are considered to be in the top tier of European rugby and compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.

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Andy Irvine made new chairman of Celtic Rugby

Former Scotland and Lions full-back Andy Irvine has been appointed as the new chairman of Celtic Rugby as part of a major overhaul of the Magners League’s governing body.

Irvine, current chair of the British and Irish Lions committee and former president of the Scottish Rugby Union, replaces John Hussey to become Celtic Rugby’s first independent chairman as part of a new management structure. Hussey, the current vice-president of the IRFU, has been chair for the last seven years.

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Feehan, who is currently chief Executive of both the Six Nations and British and Irish Lions, will head up a team that will include 10 permanent members of staff, including the long-standing tournament director, David Jordan.

“As the Magners League prepares to expand through the introduction of two Italian teams to join the 10 clubs from Ireland, Scotland and Wales, I am delighted the Celtic Rugby Board has recognised there is a growing need to support the tournament’s expansion,” said Hussey.

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“Last season saw the highly successful introduction of a play-off system and grand final to determine our champions and the changes agreed by the board are aimed at continuing to shape the ever growing reputation of the tournament.

”Having a man of the calibre of Andy Irvine to take over from me is a real statement of intent from the Celtic Rugby Board and all the changes we have agreed will help support the growth of the Magners League product and our 12 clubs.”

“It is my desire to do everything I can to see the Magners League competition reach its fullest potential,” said Feehan. “Not only do I believe that the competition can be pushed further, I think that my team and I are uniquely qualified and ideally situated to make that a reality.

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“The taking on of the Magners League will undoubtedly pose a few challenges, but I know I speak for all of us in saying that we are ready to face them and are looking forward to getting involved with the game at club level.”

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