Greg Bird, a player for the Australian rugby league international, was cleared of charges for assaulting his girlfriend last Wednesday and can now continue playing for the team. The last time Bird played was last season. He was fired by Australian National Rugby League club Cronulla in January this year.

According to reports, Bird’s American girlfriend Katie Milligan incurred broken eye socket and eye cuts after an alleged fight that took place in August 2008. Bird was sentenced to eight months in jail with a maximum term of 16 months.

However, evidence surfaced that Milligan’s drug use caused the fight. Milligan allegedly attempted to attack Bird with a water glass and the rugby player was just attempting to defend himself.

The glass reportedly broke but it remained unclear why it did and why it ended up bruising Milligan.

Former All Blacks rugby player Chris Jack is reportedly slated to make a grand return to the Canterbury Crusaders by 2010 after his two-year stint with Saracens, a London-based club.

This development came out after five New Zealand Super 14 rugby franchises announced their players for the next season earlier in the day. Jack caught everyone’s attention when he was chosen to become part of Crusaders, a team he was playing for prior to his transfer to Saracens in 2007. He played 84 matches for Crusaders.

Also making a return to the Crusaders team is All Blacks flyhalf Daniel Carter who took a year-long leave to play for Perignan, a French-based club. He was forced to rest for more than seven months after incurring injury on his Achilles tendon.

All Blacks winger Zac Guilford will be playing for Canterbury.

Peacock’s wife Faye, son Lewis and mother-in-law Pat were in the Thai capital and was scheduled to be back in England last week but political unrest at the Bangkok’s International Airport halted the operations and caused the delay of all flights.

Anti-government protesters barged in the airport thereby leading to the mass delay of all flights.

Despite the ordeal, the Peacock family remained optimistic and positive that everything will come to an end.

The rugby player expressed his happiness upon seeing his family back in his arms. Faye Peacock is currently seven months pregnant.

According to reports, the Peacock family secured a flight from a Bangkok military airport to Stockholm, Sweden. They got another flight from the Swedish capital and Manchester thereafter.

Faye Peacock stated in an interview that she felt happy being back but still couldn’t help but felt strange about the ordeal. In fact, she shared that they were forced to look after themselves while in the Bangkok airport.

She added that they had a hard time getting a taxi and communicating with the driver. However, they are still thankful that they made it through.

1. Andrew Johns

He is known as the undisputed king of the rugby league.

2. Darren Lockyer

3. Wally Lewis

He was hailed as the only man capable of playing rugby stood still. He is a legend.

4. Jonathan Thurston

Known as the bomb of Cowboys, Thurston is considered as the best in all his games.

5. Andrew Ettingshausen

Ettingshausen is known as the greatest cronulla player ever.

6. Stacey Jones

Jones is known as the Kiwi Legend.

7. Peter Sterling

Sterling is considered as the 2nd best halfback in the world.

8. Brad Filter

9. Clive Churchill

10. Dally Messenger

There you go – the top 10 rugby players in the world. Is your favorite player included in the list? If not, then pick one from the list and check out if he really deserves to be included in the list.

The story starts in Benjamin’s place at Fontainebleau, Randburg last January 31. There he was found with Golden Lions Fly Half Earl Rose and two other friends. They were arrested for possession of illegal substances. Benjamin and Rose together with the others were scheduled to appear in court last May. But, the court date was cancelled because Forensics did not have enough evidence against the rugby players and their friends. The four of them were later on informed that the charges for Rose and the others have been dropped.

Benjamin on the other hand is still facing charges because the Forensic team was able to identify Ketamine as one of the drugs in the player’s possession. He was scheduled to appear in court again on September 8. He did so, but was not asked to plead. Benjamin’s attorney requested for the case to be postponed a few more weeks. His lawyer also revealed that his client will argue that the drugs were ‘planted’ on him.

There are 13 players on a rugby field and they are divided as forwards and backs. Shirt numbers are assigned to each player and numbers 1 to 13 are normally given to players who start the game. The numbers 14 to 17 are given to players who start on the bench and are substitutes. Each team which follows Rugby league rules is allowed to make 10 substitutions per game. In Rugby the backs are the creative engines of the side. They engineer all the creative passes and are usually found to be the kick takers and the penalty takers in a side. A Rugby team can employ wingers or wing players who play on the sides of the field and are generally players who can run fast. The forwards are the musclemen of the team and their main function is to protect the backs and the wing men and also to support attacking moves.