Serena Sheridan is hoping to destroy the opposition on the roads of Christchurch in the elite national championships this weekend before turning her attentions to nursing the city's citizens back to health.
The Breakers are expecting the Perth Wildcats to come out firing in front of their home crowd on Friday night and that will suit them just fine.
Shooting guard CJ Bruton is out for at least two weeks with a torn patella but the Breakers are confident they have the depth to cope with the setback.
The Chiefs remain confident that new assistant coach Wayne Smith will serve out his two-year contract with the franchise despite him revealing his intentions to work in England in the near future.
Former All Blacks assistant coach Wayne Smith has declared an interest in coaching the troubled England team.
Steve Hansen faces competition from at least two other applicants for the role of All Blacks coach.
After a year in which Richie McCaw has endured all the highs and lows that rugby can provide, one thing was a constant - the pain from his injured right foot.
The Crusaders are expecting a different Richie McCaw in 2012 following his foot surgery next week. For a start, he should be able to train and string more than two games together, which will be a relief for the player and the franchise.
England flanker James Haskell says playing for the Highlanders in next year's Super Rugby competition will be the toughest challenge of his career but he is looking forward to working under coach Jamie Joseph.
The Crusaders and Melbourne Rebels are in talks over a pre-season match in Singapore but the chances of it going ahead are only "50-50'' due to a clash over dates.
It's Guy Fawkes night on Saturday and emergency services around the country will be ecstatic if the traditionally explosive affair passes with the sort of whimper that today's announcement of the five New Zealand Super Rugby franchise squads represented.
After months of feverish speculation, the brief New Zealand Rugby Union release confirming Sonny Bill Williams' signing was almost an anti-climax but its final paragraph was especially revealing.
The All Blacks ended 24 years of hurt with this 8-7 World Cup victory over France, but it certainly wasn't a painless win.
Colin Slade has spent a week in hospital fighting an infection but is determined it won't delay his start to the Super Rugby season with the Highlanders.
Two months ago Kieran Read thought his dream of holding aloft the World Cup had been dashed. Now he is only days away from potential glory and he admitted today that cradling that silverware had crossed his mind.
There is relaxed, and then there is Ali Williams. The All Blacks lock created a stir in his team's press conference this afternoon when playing a joke in front of the international media along with his namesake Sonny Bill.
The twin emotions of pride and fear are driving Conrad Smith as the All Blacks get down to the business of preparing to play France in the World Cup final.
As Sunday's World Cup semifinal comes ever closer, attention will inevitably focus on the rivalry of the two coaches, New Zealanders Graham Henry and Robbie Deans, but there is someone else in the Australia camp who as an intimate knowledge of the game here and he spoke today of the mounting pressure on the home team.
Flanker Matt Todd is in Auckland training with the All Blacks as fears over Richie McCaw's fitness continue.
Aaron Cruden admitted to being overwhelmed when taking the field as Colin Slade's replacement in the quarter-final victory over Argentina last night but his assured performance will ease the selectors' fears after the curse of the groin injury struck again.
