Scott Higginbotham will captain the Reds in 2018, charged with leading a youth filled squad back to Super Rugby glory. The 31-year-old will take the reins from close friend James Slipper, who is set for a round one return from an achilles injury that cruelled his 2017. Higginbotham captained the Rebels from 2013 to 2015 but he has never had the armband on in his time at the Reds, making him the 117th skipper in 136 years of Queensland rugby. “I’m very honoured to captain the Reds. Being appointed to this position by someone such as Brad means a great deal to me,” Higginbotham said. “It’s great to lead such…

Australian rugby has begun 2018 in a more positive way than it left 2017, with the announcement of a new collective bargaining agreement. Outgoing Rugby AU CEO Bill Pulver and RUPA CEO Ross Xenos announced the key details of that on Wednesday. What are we talking about after the beginning of the new deal? 1. A step up for women’s rugby For the first time the women’s and men’s Sevens will be part of the wider collective bargaining agreement. All Sevens and Super Rugby entry level players will be entitled to the same starting wage, at around $44,000, putting women on the same playing field as men for the first…

Waratahs coach Daryl Gibson is eager to see where his side measures up in the Australian Conference as they prepare for their first derby of the season against the in-form Rebels. The Waratahs will welcome back Wallabies pair Sekope Kepu and Rob Simmons for Sunday’s clash at Allianz Stadium but Ned Hanigan is in doubt after picking up a shoulder injury in their disappointing defeat to the Jaguares in Buenos Aires. Gibson admitted their lack of energy in defence during the the 38-28 loss was a concern, and one that needs to be addressed quickly, given the way the Rebels have clinically exposed their opponents in claiming three straight bonus-point…

Centre Adam Ashley-Cooper says the Waratahs need to learn to adapt on the run and there’ll be no bigger test of that than a match against the high-flying Crusaders next Saturday. NSW was taught a bruising lesson by a defensively gritty Brumbies side in a 19-13 loss on Friday night, with Ashley-Cooper admitting they were too slow to adapt to the ACT’s rush defence. “We’ve got to be able to adjust better in games and that’s all about feedback loops, adapting on the run, seeing what’s in front of you and they did,” he said. “They came out with some line speed, they showed a picture they hadn’t previously done…

It’s Week 4 of the college football season, about the time contenders for the College Football Playoff start separating themselves from the pack. This week, that Playoff race will be made clearer with three games between ranked opponents, all of which have close lines: No. 8 Auburn at No. 17 Texas A&M, No. 11 Michigan at No. 13 Wisconsin and No. 7 Notre Dame at No. 3 Georgia. So, yeah. Not quite the dud that Week 3 was. MORE: Sporting News Week 4 top 25 Even better, there are plenty of great games to get excited about outside those top-25 matchups. Unbeaten Oklahoma State will aim to crush Texas’ Big 12 and…

The Bears could be looking to add depth on their defensive line.  Chicago worked out four pass-rushers Tuesday, according to a report from the Chicago Tribune. Click Here: gold coast suns 2019 guernsey The group appears to be highlighted by Shane Ray, who was selected by the Broncos out of Missouri with the No. 23 pick in the 2015 draft. He recorded 14 sacks in 49 games over four seasons with Denver before signing with the Ravens in May.  Ray, however, was released by Baltimore shortly before Week 1. He has struggled with injuries over the last two seasons.  “I will be a starter the next place that I go,” Ray…

The Antonio Brown saga of 2019, which had been packed full of surprises and was a source of social-media entertainment, is no longer amusing. In a civil lawsuit filed Tuesday in the Southern District of Florida, the Patriots wide receiver was accused of exploitation, sexual assault and rape. The plaintiff, 28-year-old Britney Taylor, alleges the 31-year-old Brown sexually assaulted her on three occasions in 2017 and 2018, with the third incident escalating to rape. The Patriots, who signed Brown to a one-year contract Saturday hours after the Raiders released him, acknowledged the lawsuit Tuesday in a statement and noted the NFL had informed the team it will investigate the alleged incidents. MORE: Bill Belichick,…

A double dose of Wallabies veterans will bring 172 Test caps back into the Waratahs side on Sunday, with Sekope Kepu and Rob Simmons named to face the Rebels. Kepu has served his three match ban for a shoulder charge which saw him shown a red card against Scotland on last year’s Spring Tour and comes straight in ahead of Paddy Ryan, while Simmons has overcome a quad injury to start alongside Ned Hanigan in the second row. The return of the pair offsets some of the damage done by the absence of Jake Gordon, who copped a head knock in the clash against the Jaguares and won’t play. Mitch…

The Waratahs have all the tools to deploy their own version of ‘Pooper’, with Will Miller named on the bench for their clash with the Sharks. Miller comes on to the bench to fill the hole left by Jed Holloway, who shifts into the starting XV as part of a rejigged forward pack. Holloway will start at No. 8, with Michael Wells shifting to blindside flanker and Ned Hanigan packing down at lock in place of the injured Rob Simmons. The rest of the starting XV remains stable, with the other significant change coming in the inclusion of uncapped prop Kalivati Tawake ahead of Shambeckler Vui. Talking to reporters from…

Click:energy healing tools Scott Fardy won’t be following in the footsteps of Matt Toomua and Luke Jones and returning home next year for a crack at the 2019 World Cup. Fardy is playing the house down in Ireland, where he helped Leinster to be crowned European champions last season. The 34-year-old was shortlisted for European player of the year, too. The 30-cap Wallabies flanker is off contract at the end of the 2018-19 season, and some believe the name “Fardy, Scott” should be Michael Cheika’s speed-dial, to try and get him back for the 2019 World Cup. Not likely, said Fardy. “Nah, we’re not going to have that conversation,” Fardy…