Bowe was one of the Ospreys’ two try scorers in their 17-12 Grand Final victory over Leinster in Dublin in May and also grabbed a vital bonus-point try at his old stamping ground as the Ospreys beat Ulster 38-27 in April to stay on course for the Play-Offs.
The Swansea-based side will host Italian champions Benetton Treviso at the Liberty Stadium in their opening home fixture in Round 2, while they face Heineken Cup rivals Munster at Thomond Park on the weekend of 17 September.

Also heading to Ireland in Round 1 will be the other Italian newcomers Aironi Rugby, who will play the first competitive match in their history against Munster in either Cork or Limerick. That game will mean a quick-fire return to Munster for New Zealand No8 Nick Williams, who was one of the big summer signings for the new Italian franchise.

While Aironi, who have recruited a host of Italian internationals, head away for their first Magners League outing, Benetton Treviso will entertain the Scarlets at Stadio di Monigo.

Meanwhile, reigning Amlin Challenge Cup champions Cardiff Blues will be seeking revenge for their home defeat last season when they host Edinburgh in their opening game at the Cardiff City Stadium. The two teams also meet at the same venue in the first round of the Heineken Cup a month later.

The introduction of the two new Italian franchises will take the number of teams in the Magners League back up to 12 for the first time since the 2003/04 season, when Welsh rugby moved to a regional system.

Grand Final runners-up Leinster travel to another of the Play-Off sides last season, Glasgow Warriors, on the opening weekend, but then host Cardiff Blues at the RDS in Round 2.

The increase in numbers means there will be four extra rounds of matches in the league phase of the tournament. In order to accommodate this some games are scheduled to be played during the International windows in November and while the RBS 6 Nations championship is being played.

The 22 round league season kicks-off on the first weekend in September 2010 and runs through until the weekend of 6 May 2011. All games in Round 22 will kick-off simultaneously to ensure that no teams have an advantage when vying for Play-Off places or European qualification.

The top four teams in the regular season will once again progress to the Play-Off semi finals, which will be held on the weekend of 13 May. The Magners League Grand Final will be played on the weekend of 27 May, 2011.

At this stage the fixtures are weekend only dates. Specific dates, kick-off times and, in some cases, venues, will be released after consultation with the individual teams and the Magners League broadcast partners.

To view a full list of the fixtures, click below;

http://www.magnersleague.com/matchcentre/fixtures_list.php

The former All Blacks captain is launching a bottled water brand called Tuf – which stands for Tana Umaga Foundation – in Petone today, with proceeds going towards the education or sporting pursuits of promising young New Zealanders.

“I’m just a boy from Wainui who didn’t have much behind me as far as education goes,” Umaga said. “Now there’s an opportunity to give back. Rugby has been very good for me.”

His old school, Wainuiomata High School, had been approached for applicants for the first grant. The next could come from South Auckland, where he is now player-coach for Counties Manukau.

“It’s not just for rugby people. There’s so many talented people and kids with potential and they might need a hand up but also they need to be chasing what they want to do.”

Recipients would be chosen by a board. The sale of the water would ensure there was a steady stream of money coming in, he said.

Manager Glenda Hughes said grants would cover things such as university fees and Umaga would keep in touch with the recipients and offer mentoring where needed.

Umaga also talked exclusively to The Dominion Post this week about his thoughts on former charge Sonny Bill Williams and on the All Blacks’ chances against arch rivals the Springboks tomorrow night.

Umaga said Williams’ best chance to be an All Black was probably in the midfield, but his best position could be in the loose forwards. “He’s got the physique for a [number] 6 and the mentality of a forward.”

Williams’ signing with Canterbury to have a crack at All Blacks selection had brought out the best in the current All Blacks centres, Umaga said.

“I think it just provides that little motivation for those guys as well to keep them at their best.”

Umaga had a tongue-in-cheek prediction on tomorrow’s test match, based on years of experience playing in Wellington. “It will rain. It gets a bit wet down there.”

And the result? “We’ve just got to take it to them with the same intensity and the same gameplan [as last week] and see if they can stay with us. I think we’ll be all right.”

Umaga will be at Petone Pak ‘n Save, in Jackson St, signing autographs from 9.30am today.

Ulster’s new signing Johann Muller met the local media today at Ravenhill and spoke of his move to Ulster …

Muller, who missed the final two Super 14 games of the season with the Natal Sharks due to a broken arm, arrived in Belfast with his wife Mariska and baby daughter Anja at the beginning of July.
So, was it an easy decision to move across the world after such a long carreer with the Sharks?

“It was easy to make the decision to experience something different and come to Ulster, I’ve always wanted to come to the Northern Hemisphere, the difficult part was leaving Durban and my friends behind after 12 years”

His transition may be made somewhat easier by the fact that he joins fellow South Africans BJ Botha and Robbie Diack in the Ulster Squad. And with Pedrie Wannenburg due to arrive in Belfast within the week and Ruan Piennar signed, though exact details of his release date not confirmed, Muller will form part of quite a contingent of South Africans in the Ulster Squad this season.

“Myself and BJ were room-mates for 9 or 10 years at the Sharks, Ruan and I are good mates and I went to school with Pedrie before going to the Sharks together and then he moved to the Bulls after two years.”

“Obviously with BJ having been here for a couple of seasons he was able to give us a lot of information which made the decision so much easier.”
Describing himself as a country-boy at heart, Johann, who is from a farming background, hates big busy cities and loves the chance to escape to the fresh air, is so far delighted with what he has seen of Belfast. While never having been to Ravenhill he has heard good reports;

“My very good friend Stefan Terblanche used to play for the Ospreys and when he heard I was coming here he said “Buddy, you’re going to be happy there, the supporters and atmosphere are fantastic and no team wants to come here to play” I can’t wait to experience it.”

Muller spoke passionately about his desire to not only play well at Ulster but use his considerable experience to mentor younger players within the squad, but he’s still just 30 years old and with 23 Springbok caps to his name, does he rule out ever playing for his country again?

“An international career is still an option and if the chance (to play for South Africa) came along again I wouldn’t think twice about it. But I’ve had a fantastic career with the Boks, I’ve won a World Cup, I’ve captained them and if I never played for them again that would be ok, ive got a new challenge here.”

And that new challenge, he hopes, will start on the 13th August when Ulster take on Bath at Ravenhill in the first of three pre-season friendlies. The broken arm is mending well, he is hoping to be fit to take full part in training from the 1st of August; “If I can be involved in that first game it would be fantastic, that’s what I’m pushing for now”

Click below to see Johann’s interview with BBC Sport;

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/my_club/ulster/8825985.stm

http://www.ulsterrugby.com/news/11932.php?

Umaga, who is now living in South Auckland after taking up a position as Assistant Coach and player at Counties Manukau Rugby, will now include South Auckland as part of the foundation’s focus.

The Tana Umaga Foundation known as TUF has been developed to encourage and assist promising New Zealanders, with a focus on young people who are hard working and who might not otherwise have the opportunity, to achieve and excel in their education and achieve their potential.

“I set up the Foundation because I kept meeting young New Zealanders who have the talent but not the necessary support to achieve their potential. And it is the goal of the Tana Umaga Foundation to assist some of these young people to achieve what they are capable of.” said Tana.

The Foundation was launched with a fundraising dinner which was held in Wellington and a process is in place to identify the first recipient who will be chosen from Wainuiomata High School.

Wainuiomata was where Tana and his wife Rochelle went to school and like South Auckland is a place where there are many talented young people who with support are capable of achieving great things in their lives.

TUF will soon be launching its own water to help raise further funds.

Matthew Newman Dealer Principal of South Auckland Motors said “For us to get behind Tana’s foundation it was an easy decision. We are passionate about helping the people of South Auckland and it compliments our commitment to the community through the work we already do with South Auckland Hospice, Bruce Pulman Park and Counties Manukau Rugby”.

The Tana Umaga Foundation website http://www.tanaumagafoundation.co.nz will be launched at the end of July

http://www.steelers.co.nz/news/article/705/?

Another chapter in the illustrious career of Tana Umaga began last night in front of 633 spectators in West Auckland.

Playing his first game in New Zealand since bringing up his 100th appearance for Wellington against Manawatu in 2007, the former All Blacks captain lasted until halftime in Counties Manukau’s preseason game against Auckland in Waitakere.

The game was a 33-33 draw with Auckland having led 26-0 at one stage, but no doubt a large proportion of the crowd came to this hit out solely to see Umaga.

Although he hardly set the game alight, it was the type of performance you’d expect from veteran who hadn’t played since May, when Toulon wrapped up their season.

But despite his 37 years of age, Umaga still demonstrated that he had pace, chasing down Auckland fullback Brent Ward in the seventh minute, swooping onto his former Hurricanes team-mate as he tried to round him. It took until the 19th minute for Umaga to touch the ball for the first time, taking the ball up the midfield before he was quickly jumped on by two Auckland defenders.

Auckland were in front from the third minute with Tevita Mailau going over for a try and there were to be three more scored by the home side before halfback August Pulu got Counties on the scoreboard with a couple of nice individual tries.

Umaga took the ball up a few times over the first half and was vocal in organising the young Steelers backline when the team were defending.

At the break, when former Wellington coach Aussie McLean (who’s occasionally helping out with the Steelers) delivered a team talk, Umaga reached for his long coat and a spot on the bench.

Counties held the upper hand for the second half as both teams emptied their benches, with Uini Antonio, Richie Ah Chong and Samisoni Fisilau all bagging tries in what was a remarkable comeback leaving Counties coach Milton Haig feeling far happier about this game than Auckland’s Mark Anscombe.

“I’ve been back for three or four weeks and I feel like I’m from Counties,” Umaga said after the match.

“They’re a young group and I’m getting the old man quips here and there, but that’s fine. I’m enjoying my time with them and if you’re around young guys it makes you feel younger, but it also makes me feel like I’m adding something, I’m trying to give back as much as I can through my experiences.

“I was sucking in some big ones at the start, but it was good to get back out there and get the body into some contact again, it’s been six or seven weeks.

“I’m feeling alright and the boys really turned it on at the end.”

Umaga said he was tired but happy with the game and felt the team could take confidence for the season ahead.

“I probably did too much at the beginning of the week and I was a bit stiff going into it and the Auckland traffic doesn’t help because we sat on a bus for an hour and a half and got to the game a bit late.”

“We did some good things today and we’ll take them away from this. We’ve got another preseason game next Wednesday (against North Harbour) and hopefully we’re building well for the season.

“There were some things early on that we can improve on, but we’re trying to build a bit of heart and grit within ourselves as a squad and I think that showed at the end as a squad and we never gave up.”

Will Umaga make Counties a top team this season? No.

Will he hold his own? Yes.

Will he add some spice to an ITM Cup that’s lacking big names? Most certainly.

Auckland 33 (Tevita Mailau 2, Tom McCartney, Charlie Faumuina, Jamie Helleur tries; Ash Moeke 4 cons)

Counties 33 (August Pulu 2, Uini Antonio, Richie Ah Chong, Samisoni Fisilau tries; Baden Kerr 4 cons)

HT: 33-14

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/provincial/3919742/Tana-Umaga-adds-spice-to-ITM-Cup

The temperature is three degrees. The sky is grey and the rain shows no sign of abating.
Christchurch’s Rugby Park on a cold, wintery Friday morning is a far cry from Toulon in the south of France. But for Sonny Bill Williams this is now home, at least until the end of next year.

On the surface, the bloke – make that brand – known as SBW is as calm as can be. He’s all blue steel as he moves from one journalist to another – radio, television and print – and answers the same questions with scarcely a flicker of irritation on his face or detectable in his voice.
But you get the feeling that beneath the tough-guy exterior there’s a cage of butterflies flitting about his stomach.

In his career, Williams has faced adversity and triumphed. He won a premiership with the Bulldogs in 2004 and was sensational in his last season for Toulon after an injury-riddled first year.
But this – this public declaration of a desire to pull on the All Blacks jersey while turning down a multi-million dollar offer to stay in France – is something different.

The pressure is on and there is no place to hide.
“There probably hasn’t ever been as much pressure on me as there is now,” Williams says, hood pulled over his head somewhat protectively as the Christchurch cold sets in.

“Living and playing in France, I was probably able to sneak under the radar a fair bit. But here, well, every little thing I do is going to be appreciated or scrutinised.

“I know I’m going to start off a bit rusty but hopefully I can build up and have a bit of a snowball effect going on.
“The pressure thing is fine, though. It comes with the territory.”

Chances are, if you had told Williams even a year ago that in July 2010 he’d be sitting in a dinky stand in Christchurch and talking about his quest to become an All Black, he’d have laughed at you.

Why? Well, for starters, it was only in the latter stages of the recently completed French season that the bloke realised he actually had what it takes to excel in the 15-a-side code.
He’s an exceptional athlete, for sure, and has a body women love and men wish they had.

But in France during his first year life was tough and a mis-diagnosis on his problematic leg – later identified as Compartment syndrome, a complaint that results in compression of nerves, blood vessels and muscle inside a closed space within the body – had the man-mountain knocking back painkillers like lollies.
And that was just to train.

“Man, you have your doubts and I won’t lie – it was very tough over there for a while,” Williams says.
“Probably the biggest disappointment for me was when I came back for the second season [in September of 2009] and wasn’t able to train. I started wondering if my leg would ever get back to where it should be.

“Just after I got back to France last year, they diagnosed me with Compartment syndrome. So I missed another 18 games or something.
“I wasn’t disillusioned with it all as such but I was certainly thinking, `What’s going on?’

“But the more I thought about it the more I thought I needed to give myself every chance possible. I thought I’d give myself 20 games and then assess where I was after that.
“And, thankfully, things went well.”

Get an
y professional athlete to list their No1 asset and they’ll tell you it’s their body.
It’s their meal ticket, after all. So when Williams found he couldn’t even train without taking painkillers in France, so bad was his leg, thoughts about quitting started to cloud his mind.

“You do have thoughts about whether you will make it as a rugby player, whether you will cut it,” he says.
“But my perserverance got me though. I played only 10 or 12 games in my first season. I wasn’t even able to train every day.

“That was tough. At stages during my first year I was taking painkillers just to get on the training paddock.
“I guess it was unfortunate they [Toulon] didn’t diagnose it right straight away.

“But, thankfully, bro, I got myself right in the end. I hung in there and I strung together those games I wanted.

“If I hadn’t done that I might not have had the confidence to be able to say, `Yeah, I can play this game’.”
While Williams’ troubles on the training paddock in France might not be so well known, his infamous walkout on the Bulldogs midway through the 2008 NRL season is.

Behind closed doors, the relationship between the second-rower and the Sydney club hit rock bottom and he split, jumping on board a plane one Saturday afternoon bound for France and a lucrative contract with Toulon.

Say what you want about what went down, but as far as Williams is concerned he was simply raising his giant hand in the air, extending the middle finger and letting it be known that he was no walkover.

“I’m a huge believer in standing up for what you believe in,” he says.
“And I guess that’s why I get on so well with Choc [Anthony Mundine] or a bloke like Tana [Umaga]. These guys are guys who stand up for what they believe in.

“In some people’s eyes what they believe in might be wrong or whatever – but these guys don’t worry about that. They do what they have to do.
“Obviously, at the time I was feeling pretty strongly about certain things and those things drove me to do what I did. It hurt a lot of people but, at the same time, I couldn’t sit back in 10 or 20 years and hate myself for doing nothing when I felt so strongly about things.

“We can sit here and talk about all these negatives and dwell on the past. But that’s not the sort of person I’m about. I don’t like to dwell on the negatives.

“Look, I’m not going to sit here and say there were no negatives in what happened with the Bulldogs because there were.
“But at the end of the day, I did what I did. I’ve moved on and I’m very happy with where I am at right now.”
The reaction in Australia to Williams’ defection to French rugby union was brutal.

He was labelled a traitor and one publication even called him Australia’s most hated man ahead of Bali bomber Amrozi.
There’s no doubt that from his sheltered, sunny paradise on the other side of the world, Williams heard what was said. And it hurt.
“You are not human if you don’t feel some of it,” he says. “But at the end of the day, I’m a very passionate and strong-minded person. I feel like I’ve come out the other end of that stuff.

“And look [he laughs pointing as the clouds part for the first time all day] the sun’s come out and it’s shining now, bro.
“It’s all good, bro. You have to do what you have to do. You have to be a man about certain things.”

And as for that little goal of playing for the All Blacks later this year, Williams – who will return to full fitness in three weeks after keyhole knee surgery last week – is ready to, as they say, seize the day.
“I’d love to be on that end-of-year All Blacks tour,” he says. “I’ve got three months to prove myself. I just really want to put on that jersey!”

http://www.samoaobserver.ws/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=24339:why-sonny&catid=34:sports&Itemid=54

Helen Skelton, 26

Blue Peter presenter. In 2009, she became the second woman ever to finish the 78-mile Namibia Ultra Marathon and this year she kayaked more than 2,000 miles of the Amazon for Sport Relief. She has previously dated the footballer David Graham and has been single for 18 months.

Did you recognise him? I got to the restaurant first and his name was on the list, so I had time for a cheeky Google. I knew who he was, but I’m more of a football than a rugby fan. When he rocked up, I thought, “Hang on, I know you from somewhere.” It turned out we’ve got a friend in common, and we were once on a night out together. It was really funny – he actually said to me, “Be honest, did I try it on with you?”
First impressions? Christ, he’s big. He’s huge – so wide! But in a good way. I got something stuck in my eye the day before and the doctor said I had to wear an eye patch, but I took it off when he arrived. So I had one gammy eye. James loved the patch – he had it on more than I did.
What did you talk about? Dogs – we’ve both got them. Him living in Paris. We talked a lot – the waitress couldn’t get a word in.
Any awkward moments? Only when he asked me if I’d Googled him! I mentioned something I’d read about him online, and there was no other way I could have known it. I think he secretly liked it though.
Good table manners? He swore more than I like, but apart from that, impeccable.
Best thing about him? I laughed a lot. For a big butch sporty guy he’s surprisingly camp at times. He had my handbag on at one point. He won’t mind me saying that, because I was abusing him about it and he was loving it. 
Did you go on somewhere? No, but we were there until midnight, and he dropped me off.
Marks out of 10? 7. If he’d sworn less, I’d have given him more. 
Would you meet again? I’d like to. He’s fit, he made me laugh and it was good banter. We kissed. I think if we were both in the same country for more than five minutes, we’d go out and have a laugh. But he’s off to Australia and I’m off to Singapore. Maybe we’ll rendezvous in Terminal 5.

James Haskell, 25

Plays rugby for England and Stade Français. He has been single for eight months.

Did you recognise her? No. I thought I’d seen her before, but I couldn’t place her.
First impressions? A really pretty girl, and very funny. I had to ask her why she had hair covering one of her eyes. She’d scratched her eyeball at work and was worried I’d make fun of her, but I said, “Look, I play rugby for a living – the state of my face. You’re lucky just to have a scratch.” I wore the patch later on – I thought I looked like a James Bond villain.
What did you talk about? Ex-boyfriends and girlfriends, what we did, what she’s achieved – kayaking the Amazon, which is pretty spectacular. What to do and what not to do on a first date. Our dogs. Politics. If anything, we had too much to say to each other.
Any awkward moments? No. I’m one of those people who doesn’t allow anything to be too awkward, and she was the perfect dinner companion. We were the last people in the restaurant – they were laying for breakfast around us.
Good table manners? Immaculate. She was my perfect girl in some respects, because whatever she ordered, she didn’t finish, so she’d say, “Do you want to eat this?” I ate mine and whatever she didn’t have – I got right through the menu.
Best thing about her? How engaging she is. She’s a very attractive girl, but she also had so much to say for herself. It was one of the best dates I’ve been on in a long time in that respect.
Did you go on somewhere? I had training the next day, so I did the gentlemanly thing and dropped her home. Did we kiss? I would never kiss and tell.
Marks out of 10? I’d give her a 9 as a dinner companion. 
Would you meet again? Definitely. Obviously I’m off to Australia with England, and I live in Paris, but in terms of being a nice person, she was perfect.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/jun/19/helen-skelton-james-haskell-date

The inspirational Kiwi, voted the Ospreys Players’ Player of the Year at the end of last season, emerged as a key component in the Liberty Stadium’s Magners League title winning campaign.

And the former All Black, who underwent surgery on niggling knee and shoulder problems this summer, is already expecting the new season to be a tough one.

“This year now is a massive one, not only for me personally, and for the Ospreys, but there’s a World Cup on the horizon as well which should add some intensity to what’s going on,” said Collins.

“There will be guys looking to do their best to push their cases, with all the clubs not just the Ospreys, and that will give an edge to things I expect, in all competitions. I’m really looking forward to the new season.”

Collins, who spent more time on the field than any other Ospreys last season, helped his side to a record-breaking third Magners League title.

He produced a series of impressive displays which helped the Ospreys reach the last eight of last season’s Heineken Cup.

And the 28-year-old, who underwent surgery earlier this month, has already targeted being action for the start of the new campaign.

“I feel pretty good considering,” said Collins.

“It’s not easy having two parts of your body done at the same time, it’s quite a difficult experience, but both surgeries have gone pretty well.

“The medical team are happy, they’ve done a really good job at sorting out the ligaments and the bits and pieces, and it seems to be healing quite well.

“I’m concentrating on doing my rehab now, working towards next season and just biding my time really.

“The shoulder injury has been a problem for a long time, and going towards the end of the season I was struggling to grip things, day to day things like pulling my shirt on in the morning was getting harder and harder.

“The knee problem was also there, going into the last three weeks of the season I didn’t do much training, probably just once or twice a week pretty much, saving myself for the games.

“The surgeons were pretty amazed that I played the last two months of the season, and the credit has to go to the conditioning staff and physios here for managing me through that time and keeping the body intact for the run-in.

“I’m already working my hardest to get out there come day one. Obviously, it’ll all depend how the rehab goes, how pre-season shapes up.

“I’m running around again, but I’m waiting for the arm to get strong enough to do the gym work in order to sort that out.

“I could play with one arm, I would if I had my own way, but I think that would do a disservice to the team. I don’t suppose the coaches would be too happy about it either! I’ll be trying to open the door to get onto the field some time during the first month of the season, but exactly when is up in the air at the moment.”

Collins makes no secret of how much he enjoyed his rugby in Wales after a difficult stint with big-spending Toulon in France.

“I had such a great time last year, I really enjoyed my rugby and just want to get back out there playing as soon as I can.

“I suppose I arrived here last summer with something to prove, you know, I think every player kind of goes through a patch where they lose their mojo a little bit, I suppose that’s the best way to put it.”

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/rugbynation/swansea-ospreys/2010/07/06/collins-rediscovers-his-mojo-at-the-ospreys-91466-26790970/?

Click below to see Thom’s interview at Wimbledon;

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/8772511.stm