| Rugby News: |
| Wales's first sweep of its European rugby rivals for 27 years lifted it above world champion England into fifth in the latest world rankings released today.
Wales beat Ireland 32-20 two days ago to claim its first Six Nations title since 1994 and complete a so-called Grand Slam. The team climbed two places in the International Rugby Board rankings, while Ireland dropped two to seventh. |
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| Fiji's Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase on Monday announced a public holiday to allow the small Pacific nation to celebrate winning the Rugby Sevens World Cup in Hong Kong.
Celebrations started well before the final whistle in Sunday night's final with the mass noise of parties and fireworks filling the normally quiet night as Fiji beat New Zealand 29-19. Qarese said on Thursday would be a public holiday which will see the celebrations continue into Easter weekend. Proof of rugby's popularity in Fiji was evident when crowds left a live performance by Bollywood star Sonu Nigam in Suva to pack around a small television set outside the auditorium to watch the final. Although a recent US State Department report identified tension between indigenous Fijians and Indians as a major problem in Fiji, political commentators said on Monday the World Cup win would help unite the nation, with people putting aside their differences to celebrate together. In a display of running rugby, and led by Sevens legend Waisale Serevi, the win over New Zealand gave Fiji their first rugby title in two years and regained the world crown they last held eight years ago. |
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