Reds young gun Jordan Petaia’s Super Rugby season could be over after the centre suffered a foot injury against the Crusaders on Saturday night.
Petaia suffered a lisfranc injury in the Reds’ 22-12 loss to the Crusaders and is set to miss four months of rugby, effectively ending his Super Rugby campaign.
The 18-year-old came off in the 16th minute against the Crusaders after being caught awkwardly in a tackle and surfaced later on the sidelines wearing a moon boot.
However long the teen misses, his loss is a big blow for the Reds after he showed his potential with an electric outing against the Highlanders in round two.
With a four-month time frame. Petaia would be back just in time for Wallabies season but whether a long sideline stint would harm his chances of a Test call-up remains to be seen.
Petaia is considered a genuine Wallabies contender, having just missed out on a Test debut against Italy on last year’s Spring Tour, but there will be plenty of competition for outside backs when the World Cup squad is selected in August.
Waratahs to don retro jersey
The Waratahs will again wear their retro NSW jersey when they take on the Reds at the SCG on Saturday night.
NSW wore the jersey in last year’s clash as a nod to the history of the QLD-NSW rivalry and it was a big hit with fans.
In even better news for fans, this year the jersey is available to buy online from Canterbury.
Highlanders and Kings reign supreme at Ella 7s
The Southern Kings and the Highlanders women took out the 2019 Ella 7s this weekend.
It was a tight finish in the men’s final with the Kings edging out the Bourke Warriors 10-7 in the Indigenous Sevens competition in Coffs Harbour.
For the women, the Highlanders came out on top of Mob Deep 22-12 in the Cup final.
Results
WOMEN
Bowl final
RAB 43 – Bowraville 0
Plate final
Central Coast 5 – Gracie 28
Cup final
Highlanders 22 – Mob Deep 12
MEN
Shield Final
Tingha 19 – Joe Trindall 26
Bowl Final
Western Goannas 17 – Mob Deep 19
Plate Final
Kempsey 12 – Gomeroi Goannas 45
Cup Final
Southern Kings 10 – Bourke Warriors 7
Chancellor passes it back
Wallaroo and NSW Super W player Emily Chancellor had a chance to spread the rugby message last month, travelling to Laos with the Pass it Back program.
The flanker joined former Wallabies flyhalf Stephen Larkham on the trip, spending time visiting schools and taking clinics with local players.
“These kids are playing rugby in slides or no shoes on dirt or rocky fields with almost no posts,” she said.
“It’s just a reminder that the game has some core values and they can be taken anywhere, you don’t need a grass field with posts and pads and shiny boots to make it happen.
“It’s nice to see kids enjoying their rugby and i think it’s a good reminder that we need to do that too.”
Spending time with Larkham was a rare opportunity for Chancellor as well to pick the brain of the legendary playmaker.
“It was a great week to get to konw him, he’s such a quiet character but he’s got so much knowledge and he’s so willing to help,” she said.
“Before every session I’d be like, “So, do you want to some passing?” and he’d stand there and he’d throw a ball with me and I was like, “Okay, now kicking” not that I’m a kicker but I’d ask him if he’d kick with me and help me with my technique and he was happy to stand there and kick a ball with me.”
Du Toit sidelined by syndesmosis
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The Aussie Sevens have been hit with another injury blow after Dom du Toit went under the knife for an ankle injury.
Du Toit injured her ankle playing a friendly against Japan and was sent for surgery last week.
The 21-year-old posted to Instagram after the surgery, confirming the injury.
“I had to get surgery yesterday to fix up my ankle after tearing my syndesmosis last week ?,” she wrote.
“Now that it is all done I’m ready to smash out rehab and be back as fit as ever!
“The hot cross buns that I have eaten for dinner breakfast and lunch since have definitely given me the strength I need ??.”
While Du Toit has had limited minutes in recent tournaments, the youngster is a key part of the side’s plans heading into Tokyo and her absence will be a blow for the side ahead of next month’s Kitakyushu Sevens.
Rugby career that nearly wasn’t for Eales
He’s a World Cup-winning captain and arguably one of the greatest Wallabies of all time but John Eales was almost lost to the game before he even picked up a ball.
Eales’ magnificent career has been celebrated with a statue outside Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane but he revealed at its unveiling this week that his mother Rosa did not want him to take up rugby as a youngster.
“Mum didn’t want me to play rugby actually, but then she loved it,” Eales said.
“Sport wasn’t on her agenda so much when I was growing up but I think over time she realised the power and positive aspects of all sport and has now grown to be a great fan of rugby and watches all the games.”
He also paid tribute to his father Jack, who has since died, for giving him a love of the game.
“Dad was my first coach in rugby – not necessarily technically the best coach I ever had – but he was very good at inspiring a lot of things that are important in the game.
“In many ways he taught me the seriousness of sport but then he taught me not to take it too seriously.
“He knew that sport was best when you went out there and had a go but also sport was best when you had fun doing it and that ethos really stayed with me.”
Aussie Sevens duo do Mardi Gras
Ellia Green and Sharni Williams flew the flag for rugby in Saturday’s annual Mardi Gras.
The Aussie Sevens duo were part of the Pride in Sport float, an organisation of which rugby was a founding member.
Gay rugby club the Sydney Convicts also had a float in the parade on Saturday night in Sydney.
The Rugby Club Foundation has this week announced a new partnership with NSW Rugby to help fund the state’s development officers.
Former Wallaby Stirling Mortlock said the new investment was a logical extension of their existing support.
“This partnership complements the relationships The Rugby Club Foundation already has with community rugby through its longstanding support of NSW Suburban Rugby, NSW Country Rugby, Sydney Premiership Rugby, Sydney Women’s Rugby and the Referees Associations,” he said in a release.
“The Rugby Club Foundation is committed to increasing its financial support of grass roots rugby as the Foundation grows and develops.”