Umaga barred from Dublin pubs

[MotherBear]

[b:e000694c07]You're barred, Dublin pubs tell Umaga[/b:e000694c07]
Wednesday November 9, 05:54 PM

DUBLIN (Reuters) - New Zealand captain Tana Umaga could be hard pushed to get a pint in Dublin this weekend after a number of pubs put up posters telling him he's barred. Umaga, who dumped Ireland skipper Brian O'Driscoll out of the British and Ireland Lions tour of New Zealand this year with a controversial spear tackle, has incurred the wrath of Ireland fans, including Charlie Chawke, owner of at least six popular Dublin pubs.

"We have to make a protest about what he did to our own sporting hero," Chawke told Reuters. "We believe he tried to destroy the man and he could have deprived us all in Ireland of a great rugby legend."

Posters in the windows of Chawke's hostelries, including city centre sporting pubs The Bank and The Oval, show Umaga's face with "Barred" emblazoned above it. Chawke said that if Umaga, who will accompany the All Blacks for their match at Lansdowne Road on Saturday but has not been included in the match 22, entered any of his pubs he would be shown the door.

"He seems to be a bit of an animal so we also have to keep the safety of our customers in mind," Chawke said, adding it was "a bit of fun as well".

Critics have slammed the incident in the first minute of the Lions' opening test in which Umaga and team mate Keven Mealamu combined to lift O'Driscoll out of a ruck and throw him to the ground, dislocating his shoulder. O'Driscoll is still recovering from the injury and has been ruled out of Saturday's clash. Mealamu, who has received much less publicity for his part in the incident, has been named as the starting hooker in Saturday's match.

[Welshgirl]

Hmm, that's a bit overboard.... Still, can't say I'd like to mess with Tana Umaga :icon_eek:

[MotherBear]

[b:fa8079f4d3]Umaga to quit [/b:fa8079f4d3]

26.11.05
By Wynne Gray

All Black captain Tana Umaga will sign off from international rugby tomorrow - his mind and body unable to endure two more seasons until the next World Cup. The 32-year-old centre, the first Pacific Islander to skipper the All Blacks, has been weighing up his international sporting future since the series whitewash against the Lions.

Umaga has battled the conflicting forces of his passion for the All Blacks and instincts which told him he could not sustain the schedule until the 2007 World Cup in France. He wavered when coach Graham Henry and others canvassed solutions to prolong his time at the top - ideas such as cutting his test and travel demands, and even taking a gap year. Some ideas appealed, but Umaga felt it unwise for an All Black captain to get special concessions. And the deeper he went on this Grand Slam tour, the more he was convinced his instincts to finish an All Black career which started against Fiji in 1997 were right.

The lingering fallout from the tackle on Lions captain Brian O'Driscoll, relentless media criticism in Britain and death threats in Ireland, all strengthened Umaga's conviction. When he pondered a Super 14 season starting in early February and a 14-test schedule next year for the All Blacks, Umaga knew something had to give. The more he thought about the rigours of two more years in the international game, and the extended time away from his wife and three children, Umaga knew he had to put a fullstop on his career after 74 tests.

When he accepted Henry's offer to succeed Reuben Thorne as All Black captain, Umaga told the coach he would give him two years and then reassess things. The pair became strong colleagues during an association which will end tomorrow with 20 wins and three losses in tests. But neither that friendship, nor other close mates, could dissuade Umaga from quitting. He will see out the remaining two years of his contract with the Hurricanes and Wellington and, unless there is an extreme plight or doctors discover some anti-ageing potion, his All Black days are over.

In giving up the All Black role, Umaga will turn his back on a salary believed to be more than $500,000 a year - from the All Blacks, NPC and Super 12 combined - though he will still be well rewarded for his role with the Hurricanes and Wellington. It is unclear whether he will make any announcement but the Herald understands the All Blacks coaching staff have accepted that Murrayfield tomorrow will be Umaga's final appearance in the black jersey - his 21st test as All Black captain.

The following day, the seasoned midfield back will join teammates Daniel Carter, Richie McCaw and Isaia Toeava and coach Henry for a trip to the International Rugby Board awards ceremony in Paris. McCaw has deputised for Umaga as All Black captain in two tests and is probably seen as the natural successor. However, his role as openside flanker does bring him into regular conflict with referees and he has suffered several recent head injuries.

Another former captain, Anton Oliver, is still in the squad though his season has also been blighted by injury and he is in stiff competition for his hooking place with Keven Mealamu.