Superbru 2015: week 10

Worst year ever. My success follows closely with the Sharks.

 

I am almost last in the pool that in 2014 I led from start to finish. My, how the mighty have collapsed.

Superbru 2015: Week 9

1/6 - absolute nightmare of a weekend for me.

2015 may as well be over for me now!

Stone rock heavily laden last on my money pool. Eish.

Superbru 2015 - week 8

Despite my getting 4/6, I dropped!

2015 is definitely not my year :(

Superbru 2015 - week 7

Pulling it back, slowly, but still embarrassingly low on the pools that matter ...

Superbru 2015 - week 6

WORST performance EVER!

I was also the WORST performer this week!

Superbru 2015 - week 5

Clawed it back a bit this last week...

Superbru 2015 - week 4

Patchy start for me on Superbru 2015 ... hopefully I'll pick it up. Let's monitor my comeback or my plummet...

Super Rugby 2015 Calendar for iOS, Google, Android, etc.

The Super Rugby 2015 calendar is here, available in various formats for your browsing and productivity pleasure:

• XML
• ICAL
• HTML

You should be able to add this to your BlackBerry, iOS, Google, or Android calendar with ease.

Here are the Google steps (since most people sync their Google with their device/s).

1. Load up calendar.google.com
2. At the bottom left, click the drop-down triangle under Other calendars and select Add by URL
   
3. Enter the ICAL address (also available above):
   https://www.google.com/calendar/ical/04alup93dv5tjbfnma2ndrkm11onkud0%40import.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics

And there you go!

International Rugby Calendar 2012 and onwards

Back in 2011 I posted about a Rugby World Cup calendar for you to import to your Outlook, iCal device (iPod, iPad, iPhone, BlackBerry, etc.), and so forth. I didn't realise that Mike Riversdale would continue this calendar past the World Cup and as it appears, it's still being updated for international rugby events through 2012. That's very exciting :)

So, if you own an Android tablet, iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, or such then you can add this calendar to your device to keep track of all the international rugby events for 2012 (and hopefully beyond).

To add the calendar pick one of these links:

• The XML format
• The iCal format for most mobile devices and Google Calendar
• An HTML version for bookmarking on your browser

Super 15 Rugby Fixtures Calendar 2012

If you want the latest Super Rugby fixtures list, for 2012, then pick one of these for your desired format:

• Click this link for the iCal format (BlackBerry, iPhone, Outlook, Google Calendar, etc.)
  * you can add iCal format calendars directly into your GOOGLE CALENDAR account by loading up calendar.google.com and then at the bottom under "Other calendars" clicking Add by URL.
• Click this link for the XML format
• Click this link for the HTML format
  * you can bookmark this on any device that has an HTML browser and you'll always have the calendar directly at your fingertips.

If you want to customise the calendar yourself, then you'll need a CSV format, which you can obtain here. This CSV file was courtesy of Arthur the Grandmaster from MyBroadband.co.za forums and is the root source for all of the modified formats above.

Alternative options:

• http://www.ougrote.com/2011/09/03/2012-super-15-fixtures-for-outlook-and-ical/
  this one offers a few options but it lists each event as an "all day event" for the day it's due rather than scheduled at the correct time in an iCal calendar.

Supersport.com is messed up

First, they totally screwed up online streaming for the Opening Ceremony of the Rugby World Cup 2011 and then also the first match. I mean, honestly, who in their right mind doesn't test the server capacity beforehand?

It's South Africa, everyone's at work, and we're rugby mad. Server overload? No excuse!!

Now, it seems, possibly, the site isn't quite right yet - I think the online live streaming isn't working properly either... you can view for free at the moment - I think...

http://www.supersport.com/video/play.aspx?id=104501 to test my theory :)

Superbru featured pools - free prizes!

[ UPDATE: added in a new pool, "Goodyz" - 24 Sep '11 ]

If you're a freeloader (like me) and a rugby fan then I strongly suggest you try your luck at the following Superbru pools to enter for some free prizes:

http://www.superbru.com/rwc/featured_pools.asp

Inside this page you will find links to all of the public pools which offer free entry and prizes (weekly, or overall).

As of now these are the pools available to join - you can only be in five so choose wisely:

• Shield RWC2011 - T-shirts for for everyone that uploads a photo (see page for details), and "R48,000 CASH up for grabs". This pool offers an absolutely free prize to anyone that uploads a photo. You could be scaley and sign up, win your T-Shirt, and quit the pool if you are over-subscribed.
• Sport24.co.za - Top player wins 12-month membership to Virgin Active. Yellow cap winners win 3-month memberships.
• Nando's - Yellow cap winners win a signed and framed South African Rugby Supporter Shirt signed by Victor Matfield and Bakkies Botha (whoopee!). I have a feeling Nando's will offer other goodies along the way too.
• BruGolfers - Win 2 x fourball entries to the Sardine Run 3-day golf tournament on the South Coast including entry to golf, goodies, dinner, breakfast and accommodation for all 3 days. Package worth R60,000!
• Mr. Delivery - Best player wins R5,000.00 voucher from Mr. Delivery; yellow caps win R200 vouchers.
• Bonus pool: if you're a South Africa fan you should also be in the South Africa Fans pool which also opens you up to other prizes (best player on the Springbok fans leaderboard will win 2 nights for 2 at 5 star game lodge Lukimbi Safari Lodge).

South African Prizes also include a grand prize (4-day tour package on the Blue Train for 2 persons courtesy of JB Train Tours) and best each round prize (40 inch Hyundai Full HD LCD TV from Teljoy). For the full list of prizes (including pool vs. pool prizes) check out this link: http://www.superbru.com/rwc/prizes.asp

As a final observation, http://hectic.superbru.com/ is up and running for those people struggling to get onto the main site, and you need to make your predictions.

Enjoy! And may the best 'bru win :)

EDIT:  
Goodyz - Best player wins a BlackBerry Torch 9800 smartphone. There are only 121 players at time of writing so the odds are almost 1% per player, barring any consideration for rugby prediction talent!

Rugby World Cup 2011 Google Calendar Fixtures List

If you want to get all the Rugby World Cup 2011 fixtures or match line-ups on your phone (or Outlook calendar, etc.) then add this calendar to your phone, desktop, or bookmark the website link below:

• Any product that supports iCal format (usually MS Outlook, Google Calendar, Android phones, iOS devices, BlackBerry): https://www.google.com/calendar/ical/ct240d39oc9kq21cq3bn70jii8%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics
  
• Website address to bookmark (and view from anywhere with a browser):
  https://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=ct240d39oc9kq21cq3bn70jii8%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=Africa/Johannesburg
  
  
  Or abbreviated to 
  http://tinyurl.com/RWC2011SA

If you need help then post a request below in the comments and I'll try to help you out ;)

I cannot take credit for this calendar - the thanks must go Mike Riversdale of New Zealand for saving me a few hours of work!

Alternative calendar options are here:

• SuperSport: http://www.supersport.com/rugby/rugby-world-cup/fixtures
• http://www.upandunder.co.za/gear/rugby-world-cup-fixtures-calendar-download/

Enjoy!

Free Online Rugby Magazine

If you're an avid fan of rugby and also happen to be a nasty cheapskate, then check out the online RUGBY Mentor magazine. You'll need to register first but then expect your mailbox to be spammed every once in a while with an e-magazine about rugby!

SUPER 15 RUGBY FIXTURES CALENDAR 2011

[ UPDATE: 13 Feb 2012 ]


If you want the 2012 fixtures calendar check out this post: http://brattex.blogspot.com/2012/02/super-15-rugby-fixtures-calendar-2012.html


[ UPDATE: 28 Feb 2011 12:40pm]

There was a glitch with the fixtures for 11 March landing up on 1 March instead. Have fixed that so please update your calendars if it isn't set to synch.

[ UPDATE: 17 Feb 2011 11:40pm]

The downloadable calendar somehow has a region timezone error and adds a double +2 for South African calendars, so everything was starting 2 hours later than it should have. 


I've now created a whole new calendar that works properly when importing into GOOGLE CALENDAR, and as an extra bonus I've included the play-offs at the end and the proper durations  (i.e. start and stop times) for each match. I'll admit I also considered renaming "Durban" to "Kings Park!!" but decided in the end to try to remain professional in case someone else used my stuff. 


Click here to download the CSV file for importing into your favourite calendar application

[ END OF UPDATE: 17 Feb 2011 11:40pm ]

If you want to add the Super Rugby Calendar for 2011 to your (insert technology here) then follow these links to grab the GOOGLE CALENDAR. I've shared it so you should be able to grab it directly and link to it.

Note: This has been verified to work with GOOGLE CALENDAR and BLACKBERRY OS5.* and upwards.

ICAL:

http://www.google.com/calendar/ical/migbst3pjflpdpb441l8f89i6g%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic.ics

* you can add iCal format calendars directly into your GOOGLE CALENDAR account by loading up calendar.google.com and then at the bottom under "Other calendars" clicking Add by URL.

XML:
http://www.google.com/calendar/feeds/migbst3pjflpdpb441l8f89i6g%40group.calendar.google.com/public/basic

HTML:
http://www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=migbst3pjflpdpb441l8f89i6g%40group.calendar.google.com&ctz=Africa/Johannesburg
* you can bookmark this on any device that has an HTML browser and you'll always have the calendar directly at your fingertips.
** I've set up a tinyurl to point to the calendar, and it's located at: 

tinyurl.com/Super152011

I can't take all the credit for this, I found the rugbyoracle wordpress and took the calendar from there, but it didn't import (the steps are included there if you want to go straight to the source and try for yourself) so I had to do some tweaking to get it working. Thanks also to The Robert Group Financial Advisor blogspot that also helped point me to the source.

Stefan Terblanche is AWESOME

Stefan Terblanche knows he can fly

Stefan Terblanche is still so fit

[ UPDATED with more entries at the bottom ]


Following on from the mad craze that hit the world a year ago, and in honour of the Sharks impending victory over Western Province tomorrow in the final of the ABSA Currie Cup, comes the next iteration in Stefan Terblanche idioms (* The whole collection is now available from http://tinyurl.com/STisfit):


A friend's offering

• Stefan Terblanche is so fit ...Stefan Terblanche went for a run with Chuck Norris and made him sweat for the first time.
• This subsequently lead to Chuck Norris shedding his first tear.
• Which lead to excessive flooding in America
• Which lead to the start of global cooling

My version of his offering:

• Stefan Terblanche is so fit ...
  He goes for a relaxing stroll alongside Chuck Norris on Chuck's daily run.
• This is the only time Chuck Norris has ever sweat.
• This is also the first time Chuck Norris has ever cried.
• Chuck's tears led to excessive flooding across the world
• Which resulted in the beginning of global cooling.
• So
  Stefan Terblanche is so fit ... That he cools the earth down.

---

Other offerings:

Stefan Terblanche is so fit ...

• Stefan Terblanche is so fit ... he can pop a wheelie on a unicycle.
• Stefan Terblanche is so fit ... if you call them, Stefan will come.
• Stefan Terblanche is so fit ... if you pass it, Stefan will score.
• Stefan Terblanche is so fit ... every street in the WORLD has been named after him ("St.").
• Stefan Terblanche is so fit ... light wishes it could go at the speed of Terblanche.
• Stefan Terblanche is so fit ... he already knows what the result will be (for tomorrow's final), but he's not telling
• Stefan Terblanche is so fit ... he's hot, so HE is the reason the global temperature raised in the first place
  ... but realising that no-one else can live at his level of hotness, Stefan fixed the problem just by being amazing.
  "Wasn't Stefan the reason the global temperature was raised in the first place? So ... He caused the problem, and fixed the problem just by being amazing? Amazing..."
• Stefan Terblanche is so fit ... Stefan Terblanche IS the Force!
• Stefan Terblanche is so fit ... his future is bright. So bright in fact that he doesn't need sunglasses - the sun needs STEFANglasses.

FIFA WORLD CUP 2010 Calendar

To save you the trouble of reading all the rest, the GOOGLE CALENDAR link for FIFA 2010 is here.

Most people should know me as being a bit of a BLACKBERRY / GOOGLE fanatic, so whenever I get a chance to promote Google Calendar, or my Blackberry, or in rare occasions BOTH (such as now), I revel in it.
Obviously for anyone wanting to share in the celebration of a "local is lekker" World Cup, you'll need to keep track of when all the games are - and better yet, thanks to it being local - WHERE all the games are.

Below is my pick of the best calendars to use for this feature, with some even being importable into your GOOGLE CALENDAR (so you can get SMS reminders), your iPhone, Windows Vista Calendar, Outlook, and even printable PDF.

1. Probably the most helpful from a diversity and functionality perspective, check out http://www.markthisdate.com/calendar/World_Cup_Football_Complete_Match_Schedule_2010_South_Africa_10041/add-to-calendar.html to get a host of options to import to a host of applications, or even just a printable PDF calendar.
   
   
2. Probably the most colourful and impressively comprehensive calendar, which allows you to filter by national team, cities & stadiums, groups & stages, and a bit more, check out http://www.marca.com/deporte/futbol/mundial/sudafrica-2010/calendario-english.html but don't expect anything you can take off the site, because it seems quite web-reliant. (thanks to http://www.greenitweb.co.za/calendar.php for bringing this to my attention)
   
   
3. Finally, some football fanatics have generated their own calendars:
   http://modernamericansoccer.com/fifa-2010-world-cup-calendar
   http://blog.artesea.co.uk/2009/12/world-cup-2010-google-calendar.html

Face painting for FWC.

There are no more words. This is a sterling effort. Good job Lauren!!!