The Crusaders are back to their dominating best and they proved as much as they crushed the Blues 23-3 in Christchurch.

Kieran Read returns to the Crusaders’ starting XV and Israel Dagg remains on the bench for the side’s clash with the Blues in Christchurch tomorrow night.

The Reds have put the rest of the competition on notice.

Injury concerns for Aaron Cruden and Tim Nanai-Williams have been offset by the returns of Tawera Kerr-Barlow and Ben Afeaki for the Chiefs’ clash with the Force in Pukekohe tomorrow night.

Derren Witcombe has been named Northland’s ITM Cup coach for 2013.

Waikato has bolstered its front-row stocks by signing Ben Tameifuna for the 2013 ITM Cup season.

Canterbury has named former Manawatu, Taranaki and Munster midfielder Jason Holland as the assistant coach of its ITM Cup side.

Waikato will defend the Ranfurly Shield against Heartland Championship sides Horowhenua Kapiti and East Coast in July.
 

A potential crowd of 90,256 will be able to view the All Blacks’ first match of the 2015 Rugby World Cup against Argentina on September 20, after Wembley Stadium was confirmed as the venue for the opening fixture by RWC officials in London last night.

The All Blacks have avoided the pool of death after the groups for the 2015 Rugby World Cup were announced in London earlier this morning.

The International Rugby Board has agreed to hand out a bigger slice of the Rugby World Cup revenue pie in what is being hailed as a major boon for the SANZAR nations and Argentina.

Teams with the tallest backs and the heaviest and most experienced forwards tend to win the Rugby World Cup, according to a French study.

Former Wallabies halfback Luke Burgess has confirmed he will return to Australia in time to be considered for the British and Irish Lions series in June and July.

Quade Cooper, Kurtley Beale and Drew Mitchell are just three of a long list of top Australian players who have missed out on the Wallabies training squad for their series against the British and Irish Lions in June.

Junior World Championship-winning  South African Under 20 stars Pieter-Steph du Toit and Jan Serfontein are the surprise inclusions in Springbok coach Heyneke Meyer’s training squad.

All Blacks tight forwards Brodie Retallick and Wyatt Crockett have re-signed with the New Zealand Rugby Union for two more years.