All Black Kieran Read has been paid a double compliment by his fellow professionals – winning IRPA’s first Ultimate Rugby players’ Player of the Year award, as well as a place in the players’ World XV of the Year.

Only days after being named the IRB’s outstanding player of the year and NZ Rugby’s Player of the Year, Read becomes the first recipient of the player’s Player of the Year title, having shrugged off challenges from fellow shortlisted candidates, Leigh Halfpenny (Wales) and All Black team-mate Ben Smith.

Australian Rugby Union has today become one of the first national sporting organisations in the world to be presented with a gay sporting trophy, after members of the reigning Bingham Cup Champions, the Sydney Convicts handed over the Bingham Cup.

The Bingham Cup - also known as the Gay Rugby World Cup - will be proudly displayed in the trophy cabinet at Australian Rugby Union headquarters until Bingham Cup 2014 in Sydney next year.

Bingham Cup 2014 official ambassador, Qantas Wallaby David Pocock joined Australian Rugby Union (ARU) CEO Bill Pulver to accept the Bingham Cup trophy at the official handover ceremony in Sydney today.

The Springbok Sevens have called up Steven Hunt, Kwagga Smith and Rosco Speckman as injury cover for Stephan Dippenaar, Jamba Ulengo and Frankie Horne. The South Africans will be in action over the weekend in the Cell C Nelson Mandela Bay Sevens in Port Elizabeth.

Dippenaar was ruled out of action with a hamstring injury, while Ulengo is doubtful because of a foot injury and Horne suffered a blow to the leg this past weekend in Dubai where the Springbok Sevens finished as runners-up to Fiji in Round 2 of the HSBC Sevens World Series.

The Qantas Wallabies finished the year on a high notching up a hard fought 30-26 victory over Wales in a pulsating Test in Cardiff early Sunday morning (AEDT).

The win meant the Wallabies finish their Spring Tour campaign with four wins out five Tests, defeating Italy, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, with only the narrow loss to England in their first match blotting their record.