Category: rugby

Sports + Geek = Results Microformat?

Blondie had an idea about posting rugby results that got me thinking about applying Microformats to sports results . She was talking about posting the results in a format like this:

  • Home Team (score)
  • Visiting Team (score)
  • Date
  • Location
  • Was this a league match or special event/tournament
  • If so, what league/territory/division
  • Notables
  • If there are photos, what’s the website
  • Other information

This kind of thing looks ideal for Microformats if you don’t want to go down the database route. I jumped on the Microformats IRC channel to find out if such a beast already exists, here’s what the guys had to say.

[23:02] * Now talking in #microformats
hi y’all
I am looking for a MF for describing sports results
do you have such a thing?
like a news update?
or is that like an event?
it’s an event I guess
that’s kind of like the results of an event
an event result
box scores?
e.g. sport=rugby homeTeam=x awayTeam=Y homeScore=45 awayScore=22 etc
well, you could start by making them hCalendar events
yeah, but that’s only the last bit of it, right?
hmmm…. what about ordered results (e.g. sprinting)? Use event mf within a result mf?
the most important thing is where and when it took place, correct?
I was thinking about that
and diving etc
that part is easy
ordered list
the most important thing… that’s debatable
sportcrazy, the important thing is to re-use what is already there and only extend when needed after looking at how other ppl have marked this sort of thing up
I suggest you start experimenting with the who what when where of a sporting event
sure
and then try adding on top of that with scores and stuff
perhaps with XOXO
with some small pieces to describe the game, resulting scores and other information
XOXO?
so so… my first thought was to use hCalander for when, hCard for where
sportcrazy, marking up lists
k, thanks for your help guys, I’ll go explore what’s available
hCard is good for marking up hCalendar locations: link

Sounds interesting – I’m going sign up to their mailing list and have a look into creating a suitable Microformat, I think it’s needed at this point. It’d have to be fairly flexible to support the many various results types. Anyone else out there working on similar ideas?

Another poor Leinster performance, another 40 point victory

Even the die-hard Munster fan must admit that the Leinster back-line is something special to behold.

Last Friday I was in Donnybrook for the Celtic Magners League game against the Ospreys . Leinster put in a poor performance, never getting out of second gear.

After conceding a really early try you might wonder about their resolution… then Kearney , try. O’Driscoll , try. Half-time respite for the Ospreys, then… Hickey , try. Kearney, try (magic). O’Driscoll, try. All within 9 minutes. Back off the gas, make a few substitutions.

Up in the stand we wave goodbye to the nice fellows from Swansea who were sitting in front of us. Subs caused lack of concentration, concede 2 tries – panic? Hell no, let’s score a few more. Only got the one more for Gleeson and beaten by the final whistle in the search for their seventh try. Final score: 45-22. Awesome , in the true “shock and awe” sense of the word.

Fast forward to today’s bitter cold and windswept Donnybrook and a Heineken Cup visit from Edinburgh . A guaranteed place in the next round at stake. A strong Edinburgh team visiting. A capacity 6,400 stadium (!).

4th minute: Kearney, try. Period of good Edinburgh pressure but not converted to points. 21st minute: Phillipe “Dr. Phil” Contepomi , try. Lovely play from the Edinburgh back-line to put Southwell in, try! Couple of penalties from ” The Doctor “.

After the break, an inattentive pass from Leinster disappointingly gives Cairns a score in the corner after some good pressure from the Cappuccino Cowboys. Not to worry – Horgan try. From their 10m line, Keogh , try. Horgan, try. Horgan, try (the hat-trick). Contepomi man of the match with a try, 5 conversions and 3 penalties (, but D’Arcy was up there with some scintillating breaks. Final score: 49-10

A poor Leinster performance , nothing convincing on display.

Rugby video roundup 2006

Here’s my summary of the rugby year in video, albeit with an ever so slightly Irish bias. Running total: 20 clips and counting.

Six Nations 2006

Brian O'Driscoll - from eoghanmcn on flickr France won the competition on points difference over Ireland , who again win the Triple Crown by beating Wales , Scotland and England . Ita-who?

  • Ireland 26 v 16 Italy
  • France 43 v 31 Ireland – almost the greatest comebacks in history, if only the game had been 15 minutes longer
  • France 31 v 6 England Youtube video highlights
  • Ireland 31 v 5 Wales
  • Ireland 15 v Scotland 9
  • England 24 v Ireland 28 YouTube video highlights (which also includes Wales – France)

Yes, unfortunately in 2006, there were only 6 games played.

2006 Six Nations Championship on wikipedia and on BBC Sport.

Celtic League 2006 :

The league went down to the last round with Ulster and Leinster both in contention. With Leinster’s victory over Edinburgh and with Ulster losing against the Ospreys, it looked like the title would go to the Dubs but David Humphreys had other ideas. He kicked a last minute 40 metre drop goal to take the game and the title for Ulster.

This years competition, now with the title sponsorship from Magners, started with Ulster the team to beat. They’re still leading the table with only 3 losses, including losing to Leinster the famous “Last Stand” – the actual last game in the old Lansdowne Road. That victory put Leinster second. Here’s a moment of genius from Brian O’Driscoll in that game:

Heineken Cup 2006

HC Final - from alexcjones on flickrEven if you’re dead, you probably still know that Munster won the 2006 Heineken Cup, their 28th attempt in recent history.

They beat Biarritz (who went on to become French champions) 23 points to 19 in the fantastic Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, which seems to be turning out to be just as good a hunting ground for Irish teams as it’s predecessor was.

TriNations

Ireland tour New Zealand

Another “nearly” game – two stupid mistakes cost us dearly. We have still to record our first victory over them. Let it be October 20th 2007, may it please you, oh rugby Gods!

The AB’s didn’t make the mistake of underestimating us in the 2nd game.

Autumn International Series

I couldn’t leave out this fantastic television ad for the series! I wouldn’t have left out that fantastic television ad but for the fact that the buggers had it removed. What kind of idiot broadcaster demands removal of an advertisement for itself?

A master class of a first half from Ireland, utterly destroying the Australia ns while playing into the weather in the first half. Sweet, sweet victory to lord over the Masters of Gloat from Down Under.

Try of the Year?

And just to shift gears for a minute, I’ll have to agree with the South Africa commentators who suggest that this is probably the try of 2006. Well, it’s definitely the individual try of the year… a 20 phase try from you know who might also be in the running!

Bonus videos

I was so disappointed that the cool ad for the Autumns was pulled, maybe this will make up somewhat… comparison of rugby and soccer WC finals:

Ok, that’s it for the moment. Not a bad year for Irish rugby – here’s hoping 2007 is a step (or two) better, eh Tom?

Leave a comment with video links for other games you think I should add, or in the highly unlikely chance that I’ve made a mistake with match details.

I would love it if we beat them, love it

Munster go down again in the Magners League , losing 19-12 to some Welsh team or other. It means that they’re below the mid-point on the table, sitting only 3 places and 7 points above Connacht .

Come on Connacht, you can do it!

Magners League table as of 5th Jan

  1. Ulster 35
  2. Leinster 32
  3. Ospreys 29
  4. Edinburgh 29
  5. Cardiff Blues 28
  6. Llanelli Scarlets 28
  7. Munster 26
  8. Newport-Gwent D’gons 24
  9. Glasgow 23
  10. Connacht 19
  11. Borders 7

I think it would be a great thing for Irish rugby if we got our ugly duckling into the HC… well ok, at least it would shut up those funny sounding southerners for once.

Brazenfaced, shameless England bashing

For an Irish fella, I’ve been rather too nice about England ‘s diabolical sport ing run lately so this will help tilt things back the right direction:

WHO WILL BE THE FIRST TO CELEBRATE?

  1. English jockey to ride winner of Grand National – 9/4
  2. English winner of Snooker World Championship – 3/1
  3. England to win Six Nations – 9/2
  4. English club to win Champions League – 9/2
  5. English player to win Golf ‘Major’ – 10/1
  6. English jockey to ride winner of (Epsom) Derby – 10/1
  7. England to win Cricket World Cup – 14/1
  8. English driver to win F1 World Title – 20/1
  9. English boxer to win World Heavyweight Title (WBA, WBC, WBO, IBF) – 33/1
  10. England to win Ashes Series 2009 – 50/1
  11. England to win Rugby Union World Cup – 66/1
  12. England to win football World Cup 2010 – 66/1
  13. English athlete to win Olympic Gold Medal at 2008 Games – 100/1
  14. English player (male/female) to win Wimbledon Singles Title – 100/1
  15. None of these to have happened by end of World Cup 2010 – 250/1

“Admit it – We’re Useless”

Sunday Times headline.

Thanks to Planet Rugby.