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Queensland Reds announce first European tour in 25 years
By Josh Raisey
The Queensland Reds will take on the Bristol Bears in January next year as part of a European tour before the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season.
The Reds will play the Gallagher Premiership outfit at Ashton Gate on January 31 as part of a two-match preseason tour, with the second match yet to be announced.
It will be the first time that the Australian side will tour Europe since 1990 and their first fixture against Bristol since 1980.
Bristol faced the Crusaders earlier this year in a similar fixture at the beginning of the English clubs' break during the Guinness Six Nations.
“When I mentioned this opportunity to our leadership group, they described it as 'epic'," said Reds head coach Les Kiss, who will be returning to England having previously coached London Irish.
“It’s a chance to play a leading English club in their environment in a British and Irish Lions year, it’s a pre-season match that creates excellent preparation for our 2025 Super Rugby Pacific season and we play at a great stadium.
“I’ve coached against Pat Lam-coached teams before and there have been some classic matches amongst them. I expect this to be no different.”
Reds co-captain Tate McDermott said: “This is huge for us as a club and for our supporter base."
“When the leadership group first heard of the plans, we couldn’t believe it.
“We saw the Crusaders go over early this year to test themselves in pre-season games (against Bristol and Munster). We now get the chance at a terrific pre-season to bond and play quality opposition. It’s something to be really excited for.
“New Zealanders play a certain way. Fijians do too. To come up against a different style altogether, with a lot of set piece-based footy and some really talented Bristol backs, is another really great test for the squad.”
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Something fishy is going on here. Earlier this year Dame Patsy Reddy was threatening to step down if the review recommendations didn’t go through now it’s the professional players association going nuclear. It looks like a theft attempt by the executive and the association. Is there a big backer in the shadows? The clubs and by extension the unions own the game in NZ yet they are being told to shut up and have no say in the running of the game they have created and own. Ok let them go and do what they want but they can’t call themselves the ABs or the super or npc sides. At the end of everything this is a sport not a path to enrichment.
Go to commentsI would say NB that the 7 who has the skills to play as an extra half is Billy Harmon of the Highlanders. He does everything expected of an openside with ruck, tackle and run but he has a good pass. Robertson might of opted for Christie at the Crusaders moving Harmon on but that allowed him to break out of the Crusaders system and show his full range of skills.
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