Portal:Rugby Union/Selected article

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Articles of the month

These are current selected articles. For future ones see the talk page

January

Rugby union has been a men's medal sport at the modern Summer Olympic Games, being played at four of the first seven competitions. The sport was first part of the Olympic program at the 1900 Paris games. It subsequently featured at the London games in 1908, the Antwerp games in 1920 and the Paris games in 1924. Shortly after the 1924 games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) cancelled rugby union as an Olympic sport. There have been numerous attempts to bring the sport back to the Olympic programme. The most recent have been for the inclusion of the sevens version of the sport, which is played at similar competitions such as the Commonwealth Games.(More...)

February

Boston RFC (also known as BRFC) is a rugby union team based in Boston, Massachusetts. The club competes in, and is governed by, the New England Rugby Football Union (their LAU), the Northeast Rugby Union (their TAU), and USA Rugby. The club was established in 1960, but they would not be recognized as a nationally competitive club until they were accepted into Super League, the premier division of club rugby in the United States. The club has also contributed numerous international players to the United States national side.(More...)

March

Rugby union is a popular team sport that is played in Fiji. It is considered to be the national sport of the country. The sport was introduced in the 1880s and is considered a part of Fijian culture. Fiji are defined as a tier two rugby nation by the International Rugby Board (IRB). The national team has competed at the Rugby World Cup and made it as far as the quarter finals. Their sevens team is also noted for their success, and are considered one of the best sides in the world. Fijian rugby is famous for its "razzle-dazzle" style of play.(More...)

April

The Rugby World Cup is the premier international rugby union competition in the world. The event is organized by the sport's governing body, the International Rugby Board (IRB), and is contested by the men's national rugby union teams. The inaugural tournament was held in 1987, hosted by both Australia and New Zealand, and is now contested every four years. The winners are awarded the Webb Ellis Cup, named after the Rugby School pupil credited with the game's invention. The tournament is one of the largest international sporting competitions in the world. The title of world champion is currently held by England, who won the 2003 tournament held in Australia. The next Rugby World Cup will be hosted in France during September and October of 2007. (More...)

May

Portal:Rugby Union/Selected article/May

June

Portal:Rugby Union/Selected article/June

July

Portal:Rugby Union/Selected article/July

August

Portal:Rugby Union/Selected article/August

September

Portal:Rugby Union/Selected article/September

October

Stade Français CASG Paris is a French rugby union club that plays in the 16th arrondissement of Paris at Stade Jean-Bouin, across the road from Parc des Princes. It currently competes in the top level of the Ligue Nationale de Rugby ( LNR Rugby TOP 14). The club was founded in its current form in 1995 with the merger of the rugby sections of the Stade français and CASG sports clubs. They normally play at Stade Jean-Bouin (capacity 12,000), although they drew nearly 80,000 at Stade de France for two separate 2005-06 home matches, first against Toulouse and then Biarritz. Both Stade de France fixtures broke the all-time attendance record for a regular-season French league match in any sport. (More...)

November

Jonah Tali Lomu (born May 12, 1975) is a New Zealand rugby union footballer who has played 73 times (63 caps) as an All Black after debuting in 1994. Lomu was born in Auckland, New Zealand of Tongan descent. He is generally regarded as the first true global superstar of rugby union, and one of the sport's most intimidating players on the pitch, and has had a huge impact on the game. Lomu burst onto the international rugby scene during the 1995 World Cup in South Africa. At one time Lomu was considered 'rugby union's biggest drawcard', swelling attendances at any match where he appeared. He has played for several provincial teams, in the National Provincial Championship (NPC) and Super Rugby competitions. These included the Auckland Blues, Waikato Chiefs, and later the Wellington Lions and Hurricanes. He is making a comeback after undergoing a kidney transplant in 2004. (More...)

December

The Crusaders (formerly the Canterbury Crusaders) are a New Zealand Rugby Union team based in Christchurch, New Zealand that competes in the Super 14 (formerly the Super 12). They are the current Super 14 champions and the most successful team in Super Rugby history. Formed in 1996 to represent the upper South Island of New Zealand in the Super 12, the team struggled in its first year, finishing last. Their performance improved in 1997 and the team finished sixth (out of twelve teams). Between 1998 and 2000 the team won all three titles, with each final won away from home. Between 2001 and 2005 they finished runners-up twice, and won the competition twice, including in their 2002 unbeaten season. In 2006 the Crusaders hosted the Hurricanes in the inaugural Super 14 final, winning 19–12.(More...)