A try scored by Jaque Fourie against the British & Irish Lions has been named  the International Rugby Players Association Try of the Year 2009.

The Springbok fought off stiff competition from some of the biggest names in the Game to claim the prestigious award after the global Rugby community selected his try from a shortlist of 15 in an online vote at www.irb.com. Nearly 8,000 votes were cast in the process.

Fourie’s try, scored in the 74th minute of the nail-biting encounter in Pretoria in June, sealed a dramatic Series victory for the Springboks, who went on to be named IRB Team of the Year in association with Emirates Airline and demonstrated superb control, team work and skills before the centre squeezed over in the corner.

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One of South Africa’s biggest rugby legends Ruben Kruger will be laid to rest today in Pretoria, attended by thousands of rugby colleagues, fans and friends.

Former Springboks, current players and friends will all pay homage to the 1995 World Cup star at a service at the CRC church on the corner of Lynnwood and Hans Strijdom Avenues, near Silver Lakes where Kruger and his wife Lize lived.

“The service will begin at 10am and will be led by Pastor At Boshoff from Bloemfontein,” close friend and former teammate FA Meiring told SuperSport.com.

“It won’t be a massive affair. Ruben was a quiet guy and he wouldn’t have liked that. He liked to keep things simple.” A large contingent of the Super 14 champions Bulls side will attend the funeral, as well as several former Springboks who are travelling from as far as Cape Town, Durban and Kimberley.

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Springbok winger Bryan Habana scored a hat-trick of tries to steer the Barbarians to a 25 - 18 victory over the All Blacks at Twickenham on Saturday for only the second time in 10 attempts.

New Zealand had rested most of their first-choice players against a strong Barbarian side but will nevertheless be disappointed to have ended their previously victorious European tour with a defeat.

The Barbarians’ only other win over the All Blacks was the 1973 success in Cardiff, highlighted by the most famous try in rugby, scored by Gareth Edwards.

Saturday’s match, in front of 65,000 fans, could not match that brilliance but after much of the dull fare served up in many of the November internationals it was played with a refreshing commitment to attack.

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Bryan Habana signed a two year deal with Western Province, allowing him to continue playing his rugby in South Africa until his contract then expires in 2011.

Bernie Habana, father of the Bok wing, confirmed on Sunday that Habana Jnr will be playing his domestic and Super Rugby in Cape Town for the next two years.

“Some details of the contract still has to be sorted out, but Bryan has decided that Cape Town is where it is at,” Habana Snr said, adding: “Those details will be sorted out in the next few days [before he departs with the Boks for Australasia on Tuesday].”

This follows less than a week after he arrived in Cape Town, last Monday, for ‘explorative talks’ with Stormers coach Rassie Erasmus.

Habana, winner of both the International Rugby Board and South African Rugby Union Player of the Year awards for 2007, also had an offer to stay with the Blue Bulls in Pretoria and had talks with the Bulls last Sunday.

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The Barbarians are to face the current Tri-Nations champions the All Blacks at Twickenham on December the 5th.

New Zealand captain Richie McCaw, a member of the star-studded Barbarians side that lost 11-18 to Australia at Wembley last December, that showed that the ’scratch’ team could be competitive against a Test nation, said he was looking forward to playing against them instead.

“I had a great time playing for the Barbarians last year and to now get the opportunity to play against them is going to be pretty special,” the captain of an All Black side currently number one in the world rankings, explained.

“Matches like this are rare and as there is such a long tradition of matches between the All Blacks and the Barbarians, it’s going to be huge for the team,” McCaw said.

Micky Steele-Bodger, president of the Barbarians said: “The confirmation of the Barbarians v All Blacks fixture in December is really good news as so many of the matches between us have proved to be memorable, containing some unforgettable moments of brilliance.

“As a club we are looking forward to another great challenge and in every sense, a marvellous occasion.”

The All Blacks have played the Barbarians on nine occasions. The match in 1973 in Cardiff, which the Barbarians won 23-11, featured what many fans consider to be one of the greatest tries ever, when legendary Wales scrum-half Gareth Edwards crowned a brilliant length of the field team move with the game’s opening score.

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The Klein Nederberg Secondary School hosted Peter de Villiers for a filmshoot with Sky TV on Tuesday.

De Villiers was interviewed for a documentary feature that is being produced by Sky which looks back on the 1974 British Lions tour of South Africa as well as ahead to the forthcoming series between the Springboks and the 2009 Lions in June and July. The documentary will be screened in the United Kingdom and Ireland in May this year.

In addition to the interview, de Villiers conducted a short skills session with the School�s 1st rugby team.

�When I was asked to find a venue for the shoot I approached Klein Nederberg and they happily agreed,� said de Villiers, whose daughter matriculated at the school.

�The headmistress and staff were very accommodating and hospitable as always and their efforts were much appreciated by myself and the Sky crew,� de Villiers said.

During his visit, the Bok coach interacted with scholars and educators and signed autographs. He also met five-year-old Bok fan Peter Esterhuizen whose dream is to play for the Springboks and whose favourite players are Jongi Nokwe and Percy Montgomery.

The Sky TV crew was grateful to Klein Nederberg for making their facilities available for the shoot.

Source + Pic: sarugby.co.za

Test referee Jonathan Kaplan will make South African history this weekend when he referees his 50th Test match.

Kaplan will celebrate his half century when he takes charge of the Six Nations clash between Scotland and Ireland at Murrayfield in Edinburgh on Saturday.

Kaplan, who made his Test refereeing debut in 1996, became the most-capped international referee at 47 tests in November last year when he blew the clash between France and Argentina in Marseilles.

SA Rugby�s Manager of Referees, Andre Watson, paid tribute to Kaplan, describing the achievement as �truly remarkable�.

�This is equal to a player playing 100 tests for his country,� said Watson.

�Players play on average 12 test matches a year whereas referees get on average 4, maybe 5 appointments a year. This indicates how long Jonathan has been around on the world scene.

�I cannot think of a nicer and more humble guy to achieve this remarkable feat. He has always shown the potential to become a �great� and he has achieved this status while he is still active, which makes him a living legend in my view. I trust the rugby world will join me in raising a glass to salute Jonny,� he said.

Watson added that Kaplan was a role model for young referees and those wanting to take up refereeing.

�He is an example to young referees not only for achieving the magical number 50, but the way he performs weekend in and weekend out.

�Jonathan started out whilst still at school and his desire to get better and better eventually took him to the top of the sport. SA Rugby is presently busy with a recruitment campaign and we are looking for the Jonathan Kaplan�s of the future to ensure that South Africa continues to produce world class match officials,� Watson said.

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English prop Matt Stevens might be looking at the end of his professional rugby career after confirmation on Thursday that he will be banned for two years following a positive test for cocaine.

Stevens, who tested positive after his club Bath’s European Cup clash with Glasgow in December, received the ban from the tournament organisers after a hearing in Glasgow on Tuesday.

He will not be allowed to play again until January 18, 2011, two years after he was charged with the offence. He will miss this year’s Lions tour of South Africa and would appear to have little chance of featuring in the 2011 World Cup in New Zealand.

Confirmation of the ban will come as a devastating blow to the 26-year-old, who had hoped that his admission that he used the recreational drug and commitment to seeking treatment would result in a shorter ban.

Stevens, who has won 32 caps for England and would have been an automatic choice for this year’s Six Nations, confessed last month that he was struggling with substance abuse.

“Like any drug problem you don’t know it’s happening and then it mounts up and before you know it you have a problem and an illness,” he said.

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The Stormers and Springbok flanker Schalk Burger have turned down a offer from Saracens in England and won’t join the exodus of South African players to Europe.

�I am with the Stormers until the end of the year. I want to play my rugby here. There are big tests coming up against the British and Irish Lions, as well as a Tri-Nations,� said Burger.

�I would like to play in South Africa and for the Springboks for as long as possible. If I want to do that, I probably can�t go overseas.�

Saracens were planning a loan agreement with Burger for ten games during the Currie Cup. It is believed that Stormers captain Jean de Villiers was also in their sights.

Brendan Venter, who is currently working as a defence consultant for the Stormers, will assume the role of director of rugby at Saracens in July.

It was reported on Wednesday that the English club had decided not to renew the contracts of 15 players, including former All Black lock Chris Jack.

Saracens reportedly want to replace them all with South Africans, but that is not entirely accurate. However, a handful of South Africans are in Saracens� sights.

Loose forward Justin Melck has already joined, while a source told Die Burger that Stormers hooker Schalk Brits has �already signed� for the club. Brits can effect an escape clause in his contract after the Super 14.

It has been reliably learned that offers are also on the table for the Lions duo of hooker Ethienne Reynecke and lock Anton van Zyl.

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Springbok and Sharks star Francois Steyn could be lost to South African rugby within a couple of months.

According to a report in Afrikaans Sunday newspaper Sondag, Steyn has emerged as the major target of French club Racing Metro on their trip to South Africa next month and has been offered �one of the biggest contracts ever in rugby history� to make the move to France.

Steyn has apparently not signed anything yet, but according to Sondag�s information he is the only Springbok who is still looking overseas after the recent contract offers from SA Rugby.

SA Rugby�s player of the year Jean de Villiers, has reportedly said no to a massive offer of almost R4 million per season from Irish province Munster. Steyn�s contract offer is said to be in the region of R4.5 million per season.

SA Rugby yesterday announced the names of 19 players who signed contracts, but confirmed that CJ van der Linde has not signed a contract by the deadline on Saturday.

Steyn�s agent Gerrie Swart meanwhile admitted the young utility back has been approached about the contract.

�He hasn�t signed anything yet and will look at the offer with the same careful consideration and the knowledge of both SA Rugby and the Sharks. Frans needs to discuss the offer in his own time with his family and must then take a decision that will have all the implications considered,� Swart said.

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