New Zealand Warriors captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck will switch codes at the end of the 2021 NRL season with the aim of playing for the All Blacks in the Rugby World Cup.
Talismanic full-back Tuivasa-Sheck, 27, has been granted an early release from his Warriors contract to try and force his way into the New Zealand squad for the 2023 showpiece in France.
The 2018 Dally M Player of the Year and two-time Dally M Fullback of the Year expressed gratitude to the Warriors for allowing him to move to the 15-man format.
"This will be my last year with the club and yes, I will be moving to NZ rugby next year," Tuivasa-Sheck said during a press conference on Saturday.
"The club has been supportive in the request and giving me the option to explore.
"Rugby [union] has been the game I've grown up playing. It's always been there in the background. It's always been there, it's no secret.
"To do it now in a time like this and have the club's support, that's why I chose it now. But rugby is down the line and all that stuff will happen later in the year.
"2021 is my focus, I'm excited about this year and so should the Warriors and NRL fans be.
"There's still a lot of goals I'm chasing [in league] and that's what I'm trying to do this year with the club. We've got a great group here and coaching staff to do something special this year."
Calabar High, Campion College win JRL U-14, U-16 titles, respectively, as schoolboy season concludes
Rugby League Jamaica wrapped up its 13-a-side high school championships on Monday when both the U14 and U16 finals were played at Campion College.
The games marked the first time since the Covid pandemic that the Championships have been played in full and saw over 200 student athletes participate. The Cedar Grove Academy placed teams in both finals, a remarkable achievement, seeing they had already won the U19 title last November. However, they were denied the sweep as opponents Calabar High (U14s), and Campion College (U16s) craved out narrow victories.
In the U14 finals, Calabar were chasing their own piece of history as they sought to become the first High school team to win 5 consecutive age grade Championships. They achieved this with a narrow and hard fought 18-14 score line. The match had several lead changes and was tied 14-14 at fulltime.
The contest was decided in overtime by Amare Anderson who scored a break away try on Calabar’s first set of six. Other scorers for the winners Jhaidan Williams with a try and finals MVP Tevez Tulloch with10 points from 2 tries and a goal. Meanwhile, for Cedar Grove, Laquan Burton, Christian Campbell and Shamar Cunningham each scored a try and Nathan Brown kicked a goal.
Calabar coach Derone Davis said, “We are extremely proud of our performance. Cedar Grove is a very good team and played a great match, they’d beaten us in the round robin stage and so we knew we had to dig deep in the finals. We held our composure well in the second half and overtime and it paid off, it means a lot to have one more Championship in this age grade.”
The U16 finals was also a hotly contested affair as both Campion and Cedar Grove chased their maiden U16 National title. Campion took an early first half lead through prop Ehinome Ehikhametalor, but Cedar Grove immediately hit back through Tajay Brown. The scores remained tied until late in the second half when Ehinome crashed over for his second and decisive try, his performance cementing him as the finals MVP.
Campion’s coach Andrew Dixon said, “The boys worked hard throughout the season, and it all came together for them. Our season was built on being able to defend well and this enabled us to overcome a very talented Cedar Grove outfit today. Overall, we are just happy to bring Campion its first U16 rugby league Championship, it means a lot to this team.”
Dupont makes history by winning 2023 Six Nations Player of the Championship
Antoine Dupont has been named the 2023 Six Nations Player of the Championship, while grand slam victors Ireland dominate the Team of the Championship.
France’s scrum-half is just the third player to win the award back-to-back, and only the second to claim it three times after also winning in 2020.
It puts him alongside Brian O’Driscoll, who won in 2006, 2007 and 2009, after receiving 26 per cent of the fan vote.
He edged out team-mates Thomas Ramos and Damian Penaud – leading try-scorer of the 2023 Championship with five – as well as Irish trio Caelan Doris, Hugo Keenan and Mack Hansen who were also shortlisted.
The Team of the Championship also sported a blue and green flavour with a combined 13 players named between the two teams after their superb performances.
Lock Thibaud Flament was the only non-Irishman included the forward pack, while Dupont was partnered with Johnny Sexton at fly-half after the latter ended his final Six Nations tournament with victory.
Penaud, Doris, Keenan and Hansen were all also included, with Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan and Finlay Bealham completing a front row lockout for Ireland among the selections.
Scotland centres Sione Tuipulotu and Huw Jones marked the only representation from beyond Andy Farrell and Fabien Galthie's sides, following an impressive campaign that saw Gregor Townsend's men come third.
Ireland and France will now set their sights on a successful World Cup campaign later this year, with the latter set to play host when the tournament begins in September.
Scotland and Exeter full-back Hogg to retire after Rugby World Cup
Scotland and Exeter full-back Stuart Hogg has announced he intends to retire after this year's Rugby World Cup.
The 30-year-old this month became only the fourth player to reach a century of appearances for Scotland after Ross Ford, Chris Paterson and Sean Lamont.
But Hogg, who also leads the way for the most tries scored by a Scotland player (27), will hang up his boots after competing in France later this year.
"After RWC2023, my professional rugby journey will end and I will be retiring from the game," Hogg said in a statement posted on his personal Instagram account.
"As a young kid growing up in The Borders, all I wanted to do was to play rugby for Scotland.
"I feel privileged to have represented my country on 100 occasions, play on 3 British & Irish Lions tours and represent some amazing clubs. I couldn't have asked for any more.
"Rugby has allowed me to meet some incredible characters, make lifelong friends, travel the world and be part of some unbelievable experiences that I will cherish forever."
As well as representing Scotland since 2012 and featuring on three British and Irish Lions tours, Hogg also spent nearly a decade with Glasgow Warriors before joining Exeter.
Explaining the reason behind his shock retirement call, Hogg's statement added: "I don't feel my body can achieve the standards that I set myself for much longer.
"I've always wanted to finish at the top end of the game. A new career beckons and I will attack it in the same manner as I play the game. I hope I have done you proud."
Hogg signed off his statement with the words "100 not out (just yet)" in reference to the caps milestone he recently reached with Scotland.
He won the European Champions Cup and Premiership with Exeter in the 2019-20 season, following Pro12 success with Glasgow in 2014-15.
The Melrose native was also named Six Nations Player of the Tournament in 2016 and 2017.
Should he be selected as expected, Hogg will feature in his third World Cup, having played eight times across the past two tournaments.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
