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Former All Black Rene Ranger set for the United States as Major League Rugby's newest marquee signing
Former All Blacks utility back Rene Ranger is heading to the United States to prolong his rugby career after signing with Major League Rugby side, the Colorado Raptors.
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The 33-year-old played six tests for New Zealand between 2010 and 2013, and made a name for himself as an explosive ball runner during his two stints with the Blues and Northland.
Ranger has also spent time with North Harbour, Montpellier and La Rochelle, and was signed on with the Sunwolves for the 2019 Super Rugby campaign, but an ACL injury ruled him out of action for the majority of the season.
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His wealth of experience in New Zealand, France and Japan is bound to make him a valuable member of the Raptors, formerly known as the Glendale Raptors, who have also signed former Wallabies speedster Digby Ioane and ex-Manu Samoa prop Zak Taulafo for next year.
Ranger becomes the third All Black to move to MLR ahead of the 2020 season, with one-test wing Frank Halai joining the Austin Herd from French club Pau, while 103-test double World Cup-winner Ma’a Nonu has moved to the San Diego Legion from the Blues.
The Utah Warriors announced earlier this year that 29-test All Blacks loose forward Adam Thomson had signed with the club on a two-year deal, but visa issues kept him from playing at all in his first season.
Instead, the 37-year-old turned out for Otago in the Mitre 10 Cup, but it is unknown whether he will take to the field in the United States in 2020 after missing out on a Super Rugby contract.
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Steve Hansen stayed on past his expiry date says former NZR chief. https://t.co/AcQQKjdqKU
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 17, 2019
New Zealand isn’t the only nation whose ex-international stars are being targeted by the new North American club competition, which inaugurated in 2018.
The Legion have recruited three-test Wales lock Dominic Day from Saracens to accompany Nonu’s arrival in San Diego, while perhaps the biggest signing of the off-season came from Rugby United New York, who signed ex-France captain Mathieu Bastareaud.
The 31-year-old midfielder, who won 54 caps for Les Bleus between 2009 and 2019, will join 34-test former England fullback Ben Foden, who has already spent a season at MCU Park in Brooklyn.
Ranger’s addition to the league adds to the growing international flavour of the competition, and it’s something the Raptors’ New Zealand-born coach Peter Borlase is excited about.
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“We’re all really excited to have Rene join our environment for the coming season,” he said.
“With Rene playing at the highest level both internationally as well as in southern and northern hemisphere competitions his knowledge and leadership will be well received in our squad, especially developing some of the young blood in our back line.
“Rene is known for his direct physical style of play, but also his distribution skills and will add to our players play. He is a top man with humility, a hard work ethic and team-first attitude.”
Ranger will link up with the Raptors next month in preparation for the new season, which begins in February and will feature three new teams, the New England Free Jacks, Old Glory DC and Rugby ATL.
The MLR final is scheduled to be held in June.
In other news:
Comments on RugbyPass
An on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
24 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
24 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
24 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
24 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
11 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
11 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to comments