Premiership

This is where you will find all of The Rugby Paper’s Premiership news, interviews, reports, opinion and other content.

Mike Brown looks at a new career as an agent

10 October 2021 2 comments

MIKE Brown has started to prepare for life after rugby by joining a player management division for the private platform Premier Sports Network. The former […]

JP du Preez could quit Sale Sharks for Glasgow Warriors

10 October 2021 0 comments

SALE Sharks have four players called Du Preez on their books but could have one fewer from the start of next season with lock JP […]

London Irish aim to break into Eddie’s England clique

3 October 2021 0 comments

LONDON Irish were the only one of the Premiership 13 who were not called on by England for last week’s training camp. All the other […]

Tom Cruse is writing his name large at Wasps

3 October 2021 1 comment

ONE hundred games into his Wasps career and the novelty of having his own name on the back of his jersey has worn off for […]

Dominant Drovers hit big six to sink Llanelli

3 October 2021 0 comments

Premiership Cup By HUW S. THOMAS Llandovery ….39 Llanelli …………12 HIGH flying Llandovery recorded their third consecutive win in the West Conference of the Premiership […]

Off-colour Steelmen beaten Black and Blue

3 October 2021 2 comments

Premiership Cup By ALEX BYWATER Ebbw Vale …………..3 Cardiff ………………27 CARDIFF inflicted a first defeat of the Premiership Cup season on Ebbw Vale to throw […]

Stars look to France as fee row rumbles on

3 October 2021 0 comments

BRISTOL Bears could be facing a fight to hang onto back row Nathan Hughes who has been offered to French clubs with his contract up […]

Unbeaten Aberavon keep flying high

3 October 2021 1 comment

Premiership Cup By STEFFAN THOMAS Bridgend …………..15 Aberavon …………..24 ABERAVON continued their unbeaten start to the season with a bonus point win at Bridgend. Jason […]

Saracens in £32m takeover, Nigel Wray to hand over control

3 October 2021 1 comment

SARACENS have agreed a £32m takeover deal with a consortium of investors that includes South African World Cup-winning captain Francois Pienaar. The group will acquire […]

Leicester 13-12 Saracens: Injury-time penalty try sinks Saracens

3 October 2021 2 comments

TIGERS somehow grabbed victory from the jaws of defeat to continue their unbeaten start to the season, but even they will admit they possibly deserved […]

Northampton 23-21 London Irish: Returning Biggar is late hero for Saints

3 October 2021 0 comments

DAN Biggar picked himself up to kick a match-winning penalty to keep unbeaten Northampton on track in a tense finish at Franklin’s Gardens. The Wales […]

McCall: Players went off script

3 October 2021 0 comments

SARRIES boss Mark McCall said defeat was a big lesson for his side. “Had we won the game, we would still have felt the same […]

Newcastle 18-14 Wasps: Eye gouge rumpus as Falcons lay a hoodoo

3 October 2021 0 comments

FALCONS Callum Chick scored from a spectacular late burst as Newcastle ended Wasps long home over them at a rowdy Kingston Park. It was Falcons’ […]

Worcester 23-31 Gloucester: Skivington delight as Hastings runs show

3 October 2021 0 comments

GEORGE Skivington was full of praise for Adam Hastings after the fly-half produced a calm, clinical display in Gloucester’s confidence-lifting victory at Sixways. Hastings showed […]

Deano: Gopperth made a meal of it

3 October 2021 0 comments

NEWCASTLE boss Dean Richards insisted Tom Penny was the innocent party in the eye-gouging incident. “Tom is distraught as he didn’t think anything was deliberate,” […]

Bristol 25-20 Bath: Radradra blow can’t halt Bears revival

3 October 2021 0 comments

BRISTOL cushioned the hammer blow of losing their Fijian superstar, Semi Radradra, for a lengthy period by sneaking a victory over their local rivals. Following […]

Stuart Hooper heartened by young Bath talent

3 October 2021 2 comments

BATH director of rugby Stuart Hooper was bemused by some decisions: “At some of the scrums, arms are being pulled before engagement and I’m confused […]

Hogg’s back and so is the Exeter ‘edge’

3 October 2021 0 comments

Paul Rees talks to Henry Slade and Rob Baxter about Exeter’s stumbling start to the new season PREVIEW… Sale v Exeter Today, Kick-off 3pm, AJ […]

The fly-half’s name is Wilkinson and his talent is blossoming!

3 October 2021 0 comments

By JON NEWCOMBE Play-maker: Kieran Wilkinson KIERAN Wilkinson is set to make his third Premiership appearance of the season for Sale today, on his 22nd […]

Northampton Saints emergency call for prop

3 October 2021 0 comments

NORTHAMPTON Saints last week sent out an SOS looking to bring another tighthead prop into Franklin’s Gardens as injury cover until the end of the […]

Lam’s chat with Ojomoh triggers transfer talk

3 October 2021 0 comments

PAT Lam was seen in a deep touchline conversation with Bath’s highly-rated inside centre Max Ojomoh after Friday’s West Country derby at Ashton Gate. England […]

O’Shea hunts Eddie’s successor

3 October 2021 0 comments

THE RFU have already started their search for Eddie Jones’ successor as England coach. The Australian has said he will stand down from the Red […]

Merthyr make amends for first day wobble

26 September 2021 0 comments

Premiership Cup By TIM LEWIS Merthyr …………….37 RGC ……………………29 MERTHYR bounced back from their shock defeat to Ebbw Vale with a hardfought bonus point win. […]

Captain Hughes leads the charge

26 September 2021 1 comment

Premiership Cup Championship Cup round-up By STEFFAN THOMAS YSTRAD Rhondda maintained their 100 per cent winning record as they thrashed Cardiff Met 34-7 in the […]

Harlequins 35-29 Worcester: Lynagh shows Eddie just what he can do

26 September 2021 0 comments

LOUIS Lynagh would be ready to light up the international stage if Eddie Jones chooses to pick him for the Twickenham Tests this autumn. Lynagh […]

Wasps 44-8 Bristol: Wasps turn on turbos to thunder into season

26 September 2021 1 comment

WASPS made up for lost time after sitting out last weekend’s opening round with a startling performance, based on an uber aggressive defence and complemented […]

Exeter 24-26 Northampton: Nerveless George Furbank gets Saints over line

26 September 2021 0 comments

STAND-IN goalkicker George Furbank landed the two late penalties which gave Northampton their second victory of the season – and plunged Exeter to their second […]

Bath 13-20 Newcastle: Flying Falcons wings give Bath runaround

26 September 2021 0 comments

NEWCASTLE Falcons’ flying wing Adam Radwan left the Bath defence in his dust to lead his men to a stunning victory at the Rec. The […]

Gloucester 26-33 Leicester: Ford boot makes the difference for Tigers

26 September 2021 3 comments

FOUR tries apiece constituted excellent entertainment but 13 points from George Ford proved the difference. In the week, Ford was left out of England’s first […]

Irish fired up after Worcester setback

26 September 2021 1 comment

By GARY FITZGERALD PREVIEW… London Irish v Sale Today. Kick-off 3pm, Brentford Stadium ROB SIMMONS expects Sale to be a “dangerous” beast with plenty of […]

Leicester Tigers on the hunt for George Kruis return

26 September 2021 2 comments

BY NEIL FISSLER LEICESTER Tigers are hoping to bring former England and Lions second row George Kruis back to the Premiership next season. Kruis, 31, […]

DAZN in talks to buy out BT Sport

26 September 2021 1 comment

BT are in advanced talks with global sports subscription video streaming service DAZN about selling their sports broadcasting arm BT Sport. DAZN are keen to […]

Franchi try helps mighty Steelmen march on

26 September 2021 0 comments

Premiership Cup By IOAN DYER Ebbw Vale ……16 Pontypridd……..6 EBBW Vale continued their impressive start to the season with a hard-fought victory over Pontypridd at […]

Deadeye Jones swings it Ravens way

26 September 2021 0 comments

Premiership Cup By STEFFAN THOMAS Llanelli ………………18 Bridgend …………..21 FORMER Wales playmaker Matthew Jones helped Bridgend to a significant victory at Parc y Scarlets. With […]

Drovers turn on style for Garland try

26 September 2021 1 comment

Premiership Cup By HUW S THOMAS Carmarthen Q ……10 Llandovery ……….21 LLANDOVERY took the west Wales bragging rights after a comfortable away victory over arch-rivals […]

Swansea unable to handle Wizards power

26 September 2021 0 comments

Premiership Cup By PAUL HOPKINS Aberavon …………..27 Swansea …………..16 ABERAVON secured a bonus point win over local rivals Swansea in a fine display of open […]

Reed strikes late to kill off Cardiff

26 September 2021 2 comments

Premiership Cup By ALEX BYWATER Newport …………….23 Cardiff ………………20 A LATE Will Reed penalty helped Newport seal a 23-20 win over fierce-rivals Cardiff at Rodney […]

Top four for Bath and England for me, says Tom Dunn

19 September 2021 0 comments

TOM Dunn hopes a top four finish for Bath this season can help him in his quest to become the best hooker in England. The […]

Wizards put on style in second half blitz

19 September 2021 1 comment

Premiership By ALEX BYWATER Aberavon ……..43 Llanelli …………17 ABERAVON released a video with Hollywood actor Michael Sheen ahead of their first game of the Welsh […]

Preview: Harlequins must beware ‘animal’ Brown warns Marchant

19 September 2021 0 comments

HARLEQUINS are bracing themselves for a Mike Brown backlash at Kingston Park today when the former England fullback greets his old side. And centre Joe […]

Leicester 34-19 Exeter: Tigers come roaring into the new season

19 September 2021 0 comments

LEICESTER powered to a first win over Exeter in eight games to leave the Premiership runners up looking well beaten at the end. Exeter made […]

Northampton 34-20 Gloucester: Patched-up Gloucester get mauling by Grayson

19 September 2021 0 comments

JAMES GRAYSON scored 17 points as Saints got their Premiership campaign off to a winning start in a thriller at Franklin’s Gardens. In a game […]

Sale 20-19 Bath: Orlando’s agony as late kick just fails

19 September 2021 0 comments

A STORMING second half Bath rally fell agonisingly short when young fly-half Orlando Bailey missed a fiendishly difficult long-range penalty in the final minute. Considering […]

Worcester 36-24 London Irish: Heinz is the maestro as Warriors start well

19 September 2021 0 comments

WILLI Heinz made an inspirational debut for Warriors as the team which finished bottom of the Premiership last season started this campaign in much happier […]

Bristol 9-26 Saracens: Lozowski back with Sarries master class

19 September 2021 1 comment

A SUPERB performance from Alex Lozowski ensured that Saracens returned to the Premiership with a bang by stunning last season’s table-toppers. After a season away […]

Earle: Brownie recruited me for the Falcons

19 September 2021 1 comment

■By JON NEWCOMBE PREVIEW… Newcastle v Harlequins Sunday September 19, Kick-off 3pm, Kingston Park A CHANGE of life style and environ ment is suiting New- […]

I love to play ‘the Quins way’ says stand-in Tommy Allan

19 September 2021 2 comments

TOMMY Allan has been tasked with filling the boots of Marcus Smith for the opening two games of the season while the young England and […]

Dai is ready to bring son Thomas Young home to Wales

19 September 2021 1 comment

WASPS are bracing themselves for a raid by former boss Dai Young who is eying up a family reunion with son Thomas at Cardiff Rugby […]

Quiet man Hanro Liebenberg happy to back up Genge

19 September 2021 0 comments

LEICESTER vice-captain Hanro Liebenberg has revealed he is the quiet one in Tigers new nerve centre. The back-rower was made deputy skipper to Ellis Genge […]