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Waratahs bid farewell to 4 players

Waratahs players stand dejected after their loss to the Crusaders

Playing their last game for the Waratahs on Saturday were Paddy Ryan and Taqele Naiyaravoro, while the team also farewelled squad members Andrew Kellaway and Irae Simone – report Rugby 365.

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Tighthead prop Ryan played his last game for the Waratahs in the finals series match against the Lions at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.

The 29-year-old Ryan played his 106th Super Rugby game and 109th match for NSW to end a stellar Super Rugby career that started in 2011 and include a Championship winning title in 2014.

Ryan has been a stalwart of NSW Rugby since making his debut coming off the bench against the Chiefs. Since then, he joined the special centurions club of players who have played 100 games or more for the State.

His performances were also recognised at national level and he ended up playing three international matches for the Wallabies.

Continue reading below…

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“In Paddy Ryan we have a player who has been part of our set up for over a century of games, and that speaks volumes for his endurance and commitment to the State,” said NSW Rugby and NSW Waratahs CEO Andrew Hore.

“Paddy is very passionate about the game but also how he can make a difference off the rugby pitch as well, and that’s why he has been an important mentor and ambassador for Batyr.”

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Also farewelled is Naiyaravoro, the left wing who has set Super Rugby alight this year with his record-breaking try-scoring feat. Naiyaravoro will join Northampton Saints.

The humble Fijian-born wrecking ball first put on the Waratahs jumper in 2014 when he replaced Adam Ashley-Cooper in the match against the Lions of South Africa. Since then he has played 52 matches for NSW Rugby and 50 Super Rugby games for the State team, including Saturday’s finals series encounter in Johannesburg.

“There’s not a helluva lot more I can say about Big T. He has rewritten his own rugby story of grit, determination and a drive to succeed, and we have seen that this year. His journey is well documented and I salute him for the hard yakka he has done to farewell New South Wales on a record-breaking note,” Hore said.

Also departing NSW are Andrew Kellaway and Irae Simone. Kellaway joined the Waratahs in 2016 and made his debut against the Rebels that year. He has gone on to represent the State in 22 games while Simone has been part of the Waratahs set up since 2017 and played 10 games.

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“You never want to farewell any player because they all have, in their own way, contributed to the performance of team. In spite of setbacks, either through injury or form, Andrew and Irae have always been team players, supporting their mates on the training paddock or delivering for their club sides in Shute Shield. We wish them the very best as they embark on the next chapter of their careers,” Hore said.

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Bull Shark 4 hours ago
Rassie Erasmus' Boks selection policy is becoming bizarre

To be fair, the only thing that drives engagement on this site is over the top critiques of Southern Hemisphere teams.


Or articles about people on podcasts criticizing southern hemisphere teams.


Articles regarding the Northern Hemisphere tend to be more positive than critical. I guess to also rile up kiwis and Saffers who seem to be the majority of followers in the comments section. There seems to be a whole department dedicated to Ireland’s world ranking news.


Despite being dialled into the Northern edition - I know sweet fokall about what’s going on in France.


And even less than fokall about what’s cutting in Japan - which has a fast growing, increasingly premium League competition emerging.


And let’s not talk about the pacific. Do they even play rugby Down there.


Oh and the Americas. I’ve read more articles about a young, stargazing Welshman’s foray into NFL than I have anything related to either the north and south continents of the Americas.


I will give credit that the women’s game is getting decent airtime. But for the rest and the above; it’s just pathetic coming from a World Rugby website.


Just consider the innovation emerging in Japan with the pedigree of coaches over there.


There’s so much good we could be reading.


Instead it’s unimaginative “critical for the sake of feigning controversial”. Which is lazy, because in order to pull that off all you need to be really good at is:


1. Being a doos;

2. Having an opinion.


No prior experience needed.


Which is not journalism. That’s like all or most of us in the comments section. People like Finn (who I believe is a RP contributor).


Anyway. Hopefully it will get better. The game is growing and the interest in the game is growing. Maybe it will attract more qualified journalists over time.

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