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'A real coup' is how Harlequins have described signing Fijian Vereniki Goneva

By Online Editors
Vereniki Goneva has left Newcastle Falcons for Harlequins (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)

Harlequins have sign Vereniki Goneva from Newcastle Falcons for the 2019/20 season. The Fijian winger, who can also play centre, has a reputation as a prolific try scorer and he will add even more pace and power to Harlequins’ backline.

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He brings a wealth of experience to the London club having to date achieved 55 caps for his country, scoring 20 international tries in the process.

In the Premiership he has played for both Leicester Tigers and Newcastle, ultimately averaging a try every other match across his appearances for both clubs.

Head of rugby Paul Gustard said: “It’s a real coup for us to secure the signing of Niki to bolster our squad from next season. 

“With Tim Visser’s retirement at the end of last season we have been looking to bring in quality to supplement our very exciting young wingers in Gabriel (Ibitoye) and Cadan (Murley), and there is no doubt Niki is real quality.

“Pundits and media alike have commented on his age consistently over the last few years, but it’s of no concern to me for I have seen one of his passports and it said he was only 28 so we are happy!

“His mixture of strength and speed, coupled with his experience and his continued determination and desire to succeed will complement the strengths of our current players. 

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“He has been a success wherever he has been because he is talented and competitive but primarily because he is positive and a good human being. We welcome him and his partner Raijeli to the club.”

Goneva added: “After playing in the Premiership for the last six years I’m really excited to be joining Quins, whom I have always admired as one of the big English clubs.

“They were the first club that I had a jersey for as my dad bought me one when I was very little because it is his favourite team, so I have always had an affinity for them.

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“I cannot wait to join up with my new team-mates and look forward to pulling on that famous quartered jersey and running out at The Stoop next season.”

Newcastle boss Dean Richards said: “Niki leaves with the thanks and best wishes of everyone at the club. He has made a great contribution during his time here, and we wish him all the very best for his move down to Harlequins.”

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Jon 8 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

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