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'Gypsy football player' joins his fourth Super Rugby side

By Online Editors
(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Rugby nomad Robbie Abel wants to be a calming voice to the youngsters at the NSW Waratahs, the latest destination on his sporting journey.

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The 30-year-old hooker has been attached to three other Super Rugby franchises, Western Force, the Brumbies and last year with the Melbourne Rebels

He’s also plied his rugby trade in New Zealand for Northland and most recently Auckland, with who he won the Mitre 10 Cup premiership in 2018, when he also represented the Maori All Blacks.

“I’ve been to a few teams so I’ve kind of become a bit of a gypsy football player,” Abel said

“I’m always open to opportunities and exploring new things.

Continue reading below…

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“Being in this environment kind of suits me as well, to be able to bring something new to the team.

“I’ve learnt a lot along the way from different teams and franchises and I love to stay very open-minded so I look to continue to learn and grow.”

Abel, who will be vying with Waratahs stalwart Damien Fitzpatrick for the starting hooker role, also shapes as a mentor for their young emerging forwards.

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“It is a young pack, but for me that”s the exciting thing about it,” Abel said.

“Being a little bit older, these young kids definitely give me a fair bit of energy and I love throwing a little bit of chat around with the young boys here

“I look to bring the things that I’ve learnt along the way, hopefully that maybe sometimes I can give a calming voice to some of those young boys, who are really good players and are going to be stars of the future.”

Adjusting to the demands of the Waratahs new kiwi coach Rob Penney shouldn’t be an issue for Abel, given his familiarity with rugby in New Zealand.

‘”The mindset there is great, the positive way they approach their rugby,” he said

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“I’ve found that Rob brings that same enthusiasm, that same positivity to the way we approach our stuff here.”

Abel is set to have his first run in Waratahs colours on Friday in a pre-season trial against New Zealand’s Highlanders at Sydney’s Leichhardt Oval.

There should be some family banter in the lead-up to the Tahs games with the Brumbies, with Able’s father Tony, the operations manager at the Canberra-based franchise.

– AAP

The Crusaders have made a coaching signing straight out of left field ahead of the 2020 season:

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Adrian 1 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

8 Go to comments
T
Trevor 3 hours ago
Will forgotten Wallabies fit the Joe Schmidt model?

Thanks Brett.. At last a positive article on the potential of Wallaby candidates, great to read. Schmidt’s record as an international rugby coach speaks for itself, I’m somewhat confident he will turn the Wallaby’s fortunes around …. on the field. It will be up to others to steady the ship off the paddock. But is there a flaw in my optimism? We have known all along that Australia has the players to be very competitive with their international rivals. We know that because everyone keeps telling us. So why the poor results? A question that requires a definitive answer before the turn around can occur. Joe Schmidt signed on for 2 years, time to encompass the Lions tour of 2025. By all accounts he puts family first and that’s fair enough, but I would wager that his 2 year contract will be extended if the next 18 months or so shows the statement “Australia has the players” proves to be correct. The new coach does not have a lot of time to meld together an outfit that will be competitive in the Rugby Championship - it will be interesting to see what happens. It will be interesting to see what happens with Giteau law, the new Wallaby coach has already verbalised that he would to prefer to select from those who play their rugby in Australia. His first test in charge is in July just over 3 months away .. not a long time. I for one wish him well .. heaven knows Australia needs some positive vibes.

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B
Bull Shark 7 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

Of the rugby I’ve born witness to in my lifetime - 1990 to date - I recognize great players throughout those years. But I have no doubt the game and the players are on average better today. So I doubt going back further is going to prove me wrong. The technical components of the game, set pieces, scrums, kicks, kicks at goal. And in general tactics employed are far more efficient, accurate and polished. Professional athletes that have invested countless hours on being accurate. There is one nation though that may be fairly competitive in any era - and that for me is the all blacks. And New Zealand players in general. NZ produces startling athletes who have fantastic ball skills. And then the odd phenomenon like Brooke. Lomu. Mcaw. Carter. Better than comparing players and teams across eras - I’ve often had this thought - that it would be very interesting to have a version of the game that is closer to its original form. What would the game look like today if the rules were rolled back. Not rules that promote safety obviously - but rules like: - a try being worth 1 point and conversion 2 points. Hence the term “try”. Earning a try at goals. Would we see more attacking play? - no lifting in the lineouts. - rucks and break down laws in general. They looked like wrestling matches in bygone eras. I wonder what a game applying 1995 rules would look like with modern players. It may be a daft exercise, but it would make for an interesting spectacle celebrating “purer” forms of the game that roll back the rules dramatically by a few versions. Would we come to learn that some of the rules/combinations of the rules we see today have actually made the game less attractive? I’d love to see an exhibition match like that.

29 Go to comments
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