Australia is upping the ante as the biggest threat to New Zealand's rising rugby talent.

Last season was not a great one for NZ teams, leaving five pertinent questions to be answered over the off-season.

Carlos Spencer has joined the Lions for Super 14 in what is reportedly one of the biggest ever contracts in South African rugby.

It's been a funny old year for sport. Paul Lewis looks at some of the oddest, most bizarre and brightest moments of the year across all sports.

Gregor Paul outlined his rugby awards for the year last week - here he takes a lighter look at some of the stranger happenings during the year in rugby.

Bay of Plenty have signalled their top-level Air NZ Cup intentions by signing one-test All Black Lelia Masaga for the next two seasons.

Provinces with All Blacks will now get $35,000 instead of having to pay them and hardly ever see them play.

Richie McCaw became the first person to be named the Kelvin R Tremain Memorial player of the year for a third time at New Zealand's premier rugby awards tonight.

Mike Delany's mindset has been the biggest beneficiary of his first All Black tour.

The New Zealand Rugby Union is "out of touch" with provincial unions, says an official from Counties Manukau.

New Zealand Rugby Union management have come under heavy fire from Counties Manukau chairman Matthew Newman.

The NZRU board will vote on whether to cut four teams from the Air New Zealand Cup today. What do you think they should do?

The Bay of Plenty Rugby Union wants a decision on the future of the Air New Zealand Cup when the provinces meet in Wellington on Friday.