Jeff Probyn

This is where you will find all of The Rugby Paper’s Jeff Probyn news, views, opinion and other content.

The Judge was one of the best in the game

12 March 2023 0 comments

TRP columnist Jeff Probyn recalls good times with his great friend Paul Rendall Paul built a reputation as a fierce loosehead prop at Slough RFC […]

Honoured that France recognised my efforts!

12 March 2023 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME I MUST admit, every time England face France, it brings back memories of the games I […]

Insult to see Borthwick give away England caps

5 March 2023 2 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME What a weekend of rugby we had last week with two fascinating games that could have […]

The game is going back, not forward

26 February 2023 1 comment

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME How things change when money is the main target for doing something. Over the years, all […]

Borthwick must build up England’s armoury

19 February 2023 3 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME I have to say last weekend’s Six Nations games disappointed me as it seemed the referee […]

Returning to normal seems a long way off

19 February 2023 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN IT seems that the Wasps and Worcester saga continues. Wasps reached the demands the RFU have asked for to allow a start in […]

Starting choices up front a surprise

12 February 2023 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME HOPE and expectation, two words that have the same goal which implies that people think or […]

Give Bill a break – he’s the best man for the job

5 February 2023 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME I really cannot understand why so many people within our game seem to be ‘gunning’ for […]

Pro game can learn from amateur ranks

29 January 2023 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME Player welfare is something that I think everybody in any sport agrees should be at the […]

The French connection that will aid Borthwick

22 January 2023 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME So I was wrong, I admit it. Joe Marler didn’t have his sentence reduced so he […]

Reducing Marler’s ban sends wrong message

8 January 2023 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME ONCE again Joe Marler seems to have pushed the barriers of what is deemed acceptable in […]

Borthwick facing a tough start to the year

31 December 2022 1 comment

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME Happy New Year and let’s hope it’s a good one. What a year in rugby we […]

Christmas time and things are in a mess

23 December 2022 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME As the song goes, it’s Christmas time, a time when everyone is having fun. If only […]

Winning a World Cup gives you real fame

18 December 2022 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME With Eddie gone it is now time to expect the old ideas and calls for change […]

Why did RFU hold an autumn review?

11 December 2022 1 comment

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME On his way: Eddie Jones was sacked by the RFU and, below, forwards coach Matt Proudfoot […]

It’s a miracle Sweeney has kept the RFU afloat

4 December 2022 1 comment

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME AS great as the game of rugby is, it seems that there is always a need […]

England got draw they didn’t deserve

27 November 2022 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME How has the world of rugby become so predictable that you can almost guess that somewhere […]

Painful defeat but a lesson Red Roses can learn from

20 November 2022 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME What a weekend of rugby we had last week with the women’s World Cup final, the […]

The piano players weren’t in harmony

13 November 2022 1 comment

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME Under pressure: Kyle Sinckler is being found out by the opposition and the referee when it […]

One more step in getting the team right for France

6 November 2022 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME AT last we can put the woes of the rugby world behind us and look forward […]

Sweeney is left carrying the can

30 October 2022 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME They always say that hindsight is 20/20 vision, making it easy to see mistakes that were […]

Why central contracts are unlikely to be the answer

23 October 2022 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME WELL I suppose it was just a matter of time before another club would follow Worcester […]

All past presidents deserve respect

16 October 2022 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME Top man: Holding the World Cup, Jason Leonard signs autographs at Downing Street in 2003 PICTURE: […]

Red Roses can give us all something to smile about

9 October 2022 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME With the start of the Women’s Rugby World Cup and full TV coverage for the first […]

Simmonds heading to France is no surprise

2 October 2022 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME AM Ithe only one that thinks Rob Baxter is being more than just a little naive […]

Top clubs spending too much on wages

25 September 2022 1 comment

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME Big name signing: Duhan van der Merwe joined Worcester from Edinburgh in 2021 PICTURE: Getty Images […]

England’s big names may miss out on Lions

18 September 2022 1 comment

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME It’S the beginning of a new season and the same idea that it’s the score that […]

I’m sorry, Chris, but the clubs made a bad call

18 September 2022 1 comment

JEFF PROBYN I am sorry to say that I disagree with Chris Hewett who seems to have made the assumption that the Premiership is producing […]

Money is at the root of rugby’s problems

11 September 2022 1 comment

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME It was interesting to read David Campese’s take on why today’s game is so different and […]

This could be the most defining season – ever

4 September 2022 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME Here we are at the start of September anticipating what could be the most defining season […]

The game paying too much for its players

28 August 2022 1 comment

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME Top gun: Semi Radradra is a marquee player for Bristol PICTURE: Getty Images After this week’s […]

Argentina show they can take on the best

21 August 2022 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME It’s hard to believe that Argentina were at the top of the Rugby Championship on points […]

Private schools vital to the survival of the game

14 August 2022 1 comment

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME EDDIE Jones drew a sharp rebuke from the RFU following his comments that private schools could […]

A lesson in how to build your audience

7 August 2022 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME Well, if ever there was a lesson for rugby to learn from football, the women’s European […]

Why does injury tally only affect elite men?

31 July 2022 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME The ugly spectre of head injuries raises it head again with former Welsh captain Ryan Jones […]

Eddie has to decide what style he wants

24 July 2022 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME Now the tours are over, there is a time to rest and time to reflect on […]

How TMO helps and hinders referees

17 July 2022 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME Okay, I admit it. I got it wrong, I predicted another lesson for our northern hemisphere […]

England undone by childish behaviour

10 July 2022 1 comment

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME Despite the fact that they were the first games of the tours, all the hopes and […]

Putting £222m into women’s game is a high-risk strategy

3 July 2022 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME Champions: Saracens celebrate after their victory in the Allianz Premier XVs final PICTURE: Getty Images The […]

We’ll see if Jones has made any progress for World Cup

3 July 2022 0 comments

With player welfare supposedly at the forefront of everyone’s minds, who would believe the way international rugby tours are structured nowadays? Why would you expect […]

A rugby tale: From the sublime to the ridiculous

26 June 2022 1 comment

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME Well, what an end to the season with two games of stark contrast, starting with the […]

The Rugby Paper Podcast: Episode Twenty-One with Jeff Probyn

22 June 2022 1 comment

The Rugby Paper Podcast returns this week as former England World Cup Finalist and English title winning prop Jeff Probyn joins host Ollie Little, as […]