Birmingham Post - Sports Columnists - Brian Dick

Rugby Notes: Scotland v England Calcutta Cup clash highlights deficiencies

Birmingham Post — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 08:41:00 GMT

Stuart Lancaster celebrated the only try of last weekend’s Calcutta Cup match with such reckless abandon he smacked his hand straight into the booth ceiling and suffered a cut finger that required a couple of stitches.

Solutions sought for Championship season

Birmingham Post — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The shape and future of the Championship was back on the agenda at last week’s meeting of tier two clubs.

Rugby Notes: RFU clubs have to learn to live within their means

Birmingham Post — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 05:43:00 GMT

While the darker side of human nature might lead some in the Championship to view Plymouth Albion’s financial troubles as offering a potential reprieve from a tortuous relegation battle, it would take a pretty twisted individual to wish ill on such a proud oval-ball institution.

Rugby Notes: Worcester Warriors desperate for some bite

Birmingham Post — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 00:58:00 GMT

A few weeks ago Worcester’s defence coach, Phil Larder, told me rugby coaches are employed not so much in professional sport as the ‘improvement industry’

Rugby Notes: Matt Long urges Birmingham & Solihull Bees to persevere

Birmingham Post — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Matt Long came over all Curtis Mayfield when he urged his bee-leaguered team-mates to keep on keeping on.

Rugby Notes: European competition won't be welcomed by part-timers

Birmingham Post — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Plans to take the British & Irish Cup to the continent are not so much in their infancy or embryonic, as lacking parents who have actually met.

Rugby Notes: Call off the Twitter ban

Birmingham Post — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Having been prodded out of their inertia by outspoken Gloucesterman – there’s an oxymoron for you – Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu, the Thought Police are on the march again and they’re heading right for a Twitter-feed near you.

Rugby Notes: Moseley victory brings huge confidence boost

Birmingham Post — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

To those who don’t watch Moseley on a regular basis Saturday’s victory over then Championship leaders Bristol might have come as a complete shock

Rugby Notes: Crowds love winners

Birmingham Post — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:00:00 GMT

There were a couple of extremely impressive matches that took place last Saturday, both in terms of events on the field and off it.

Rugby Notes: Warren Gatland is no World Cup villain

Birmingham Post — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 23:00:00 GMT

The International Rugby Board has already done enough to deprive the Rugby World Cup of its best team, it must not now punish the tournament’s best coach for revealing he rejected the temptation to cheat during the most important game of his career.

Rugby Notes: Oval ball game not immune to Tevez-type sulks

Birmingham Post — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 23:48:00 GMT

If you excuse the drunken boorishness and excessive nudity, the conduct of rugby union players has always tended to compare well with that of their association footballing cousins.

Rugby notes: England rugby stars now in same public territory as footballers

Birmingham Post — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 21:53:00 GMT

Now the Famous Flying Dwarfs of Queenstown have regained their equilibrium, England’s players have returned to more sober pastimes and their campaign is finally about to finish with the sport’s minor nations, the time is right to reflect on the infamous events of Altitude Bar.

Rugby Notes: Referees must stop rugby breaking down at the breakdown

Birmingham Post — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 23:01:00 GMT

For most rugby supporters last Saturday was a very good day. How often is it possible to watch five live games in little more than 12 hours?

Play-offs format must be looked again at by the RFU

Birmingham Post — Wed, 25 May 2011 23:00:00 GMT

Worcester’s triumph in the Championship relegation play-offs tells us both something about the victors and the structure they have had to negotiate to have their obvious supremacy rubber-stumped by the Rugby Football Union.

Rugby Notes: Time will be judge of Ian Smith's legacy at Moseley

Birmingham Post — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 06:25:00 GMT

For the second year running Moseley have successfully negotiated sport’s only true Group of Death, yet the extent of that achievement will probably not be known until this time next season.

Rugby Notes: Birmingham & Solihull Bees hit bad form at a bad time

Birmingham Post — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 15:29:00 GMT

The problem with being mercurial and possessing the quicksilver, fluid qualities that are so appealing and easy on the eye, is the volatility that goes with it.

Rugby Notes: Birmingham & Solihull relegation the right end by the wrong means

Birmingham Post — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 07:00:00 GMT

Not even the most one-eyed Silhillian could argue with the fact the right team have been relegated from the Championship.

Rugby Notes: Bees looking for big finale from Taulava

Birmingham Post — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 09:19:00 GMT

Russell Earnshaw has backed Semisi Taulava to sign off at Damson Park with a big performance against Moseley this weekend.

Rugby Notes: Worcester head coach Richard Hill right to cherry pick Championship talent

Birmingham Post — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 05:00:00 GMT

During his tenure at Bristol Richard Hill built his reputation on finding rough diamonds in the Championship and polishing them into gems worthy of the Premiership.

Rugby Notes: Time to sort out the scrum and breakdown

Birmingham Post — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 07:00:00 GMT

Having just watched a thrilling, if slightly Keystone Cops-like, Birmingham derby in which ten tries were scored and the lead changed hands six times, it might seem like an odd juncture to grumble about rugby union as a spectacle capable of attracting bums to seats.