KeithQuinnRugby
Thinking and talking about rugby every day for 50+ years
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MY TAKE ON SOME OF THE RUGBY NEWS STORIES WHICH COME INTO MY WORLD.
The HSBC World Sevens Rugby Series - A truly Global tour but Won by 'Titch NZ teams' 12 times in the first 17 seasons.
Yet Another Newly Announced 15s All Black was a Gordon Tietjens' NZ Sevens Player first. The full list of similar 'Titch picks' really adds up...
30 May 2016
The first 15-aside All Blacks squad of 2016 has been released by the NZRU. Ardie Savea is one of 6 confirmed new caps. Which means he’s also now a member of another ‘exclusive’ New Zealand rugby club; those who were picked first by Gordon Tietjens as New Zealand sevens reps. That list is now climbing fast towards 50 players. Below is my up-date list of ‘Titch’ All Blacks – or rather – the list of ‘he saw them first All Blacks!’ Read more »
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Peter Sellers - Awarded a QSM (Queen's Service Medal) for his work in reporting sport on New Zealand radio.
Peter Sellers - A Man Much Bigger Than Any 'Bloody Pie' Story.
26 April 2016
When I attempt to write a tribute about the late New Zealand broadcaster Peter Sellers it is very hard to know where and how to start. Firstly, anyone who is reading this who lives offshore from New Zealand might be saying now, ‘wasn’t Peter Sellers that very funny and talented British actor/comedian of the 1960s? Didn’t he die in 1980?’ Read more »
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Lovely playing surface; Roof closed to keep out the rain; Aging commentator happy - Well done Canada Rugby!
Bravo Canada Rugby! Your new Sevens event set new world standards!
23 March 2016
In many ways it took the city of Vancouver in British Columbia, Canada to set several new standards for hosting and staging tournaments of the HSBC World Sevens series. Read on... Read more »
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Good rugby blokes talking about the 'Good Old Days' on the Martin Crowe rugby production 'Test Match Stories. From left; Keith Quinn, Bernie McCahill, Tane Norton and Peter Bush.
RIP Martin Crowe Not Only a Cricketer but a Great rugby producer too.
4 March 2016
These last few days there have been many fine tributes to test cricketer Martin Crowe. After his death the accolades to Martin have all been warm and all deserved.I was never a cricketer of any note but I would like to offer a tribute to him here if I may. Because Martin Crowe became a huge influence in my life. Read more »
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Diego Ormaechea of Uruguay - he played til he was 40 - but is he the record holder in this category?
This just in! There's always a question for a rugby stats man - but does anyone know the answer to this one?
10 January 2016
Here is the latest question to test the real rugby experts among us (self-styled or not) You might even call yourself a nerd! But the question has been raised to me in recent days - what is the widest age gap between two players playing in the same team of a full and official rugby test match. Read more »
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The dramatic picture which shocked the rugby world after the Lions v Canterbury game of 1971. Sandy Carmichael of Scotland took a hit from someone!
An Obituary for how one game totally affected a top referee's career. RIP Humphrey 'Doc' Rainey of New Zealand
3 January 2016
They say a week in politics is a long time. A lot can change... You could say that for a rugby referee the same principle applies. Back in 1971 Humphrey Rainey of Wellington who died on Boxing Day 2015 at the age of 89, was on his way to perhaps getting the call to control a test match on the British Lions tour Down Under of that year. But a week passed after a highly controversial match - and he did not. Read more »
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Every day there is Rugby History 25 April 1905
Click to show The great future All Black George Nepia is born in Wairoa, Hawkes Bay.
He lived most of his life in the far flung East Coast of the North Island but grew to be honoured all over the rugby world.
A-Z of Rugby
Click to show ALCOCK, ARNOLD
Guy’s Hospital and England
1 international for England 1906
Arnold Alcock was a ‘one cap wonder’ whose one game for his country came about in rather unusual circumstances.
Alcock was a useful enough club player for Guy’s Hospital who, it is insisted, never had aspirations at all of becoming an international. Imagine his surprise when he received in the mail an official invitation to play for his country against the touring 1906–07 Springbok team.
Alcock was initially shocked but then felt honoured and on the great day of the game he duly turned up at Twickenham all set to play. Upon seeing him, the secretary of the Rugby Union realised that the man before him was not the man the selectors had thought they were getting. Apparently they had chosen L.A.N. Slocock of Liverpool, and only by a typing error did Alcock receive his invitation to play. By then, of course, it was too late to summon Slocock from the north, so Alcock took the field for England. By all accounts he played sensibly and tolerably well. However, it was not a major surprise when Alcock was not invited to play for England again. Slocock was. In fact, Slocock went on to play the next eight internationals.
Arnold Alcock later had a distinguished association with the Gloucester club, for which he was president for nearly 50 years.
10 Questions to well known sporting people
Today's KQ Rugby Quiz
Who played ten tests for the All Blacks - but only in NZ?
What do you think?
Click here to show the answer.