Premiership

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

Sam Skinner and Dave Ewers done for the season after bans

16 June 2021 1 comment

Exeter Chiefs back rows Sam Skinner and Dave Ewers will play no further part in the Premiership season after receiving four-week bans from a disciplinary […]

Gloucester back row Ruan Ackermann goes under the knife

16 June 2021 0 comments

Gloucester back row Ruan Ackermann will undergo a rehabilitation programme over the close season after he required surgery on a toe injury sustained against London […]

Tom Homer opts to retire instead of Montauban stint

15 June 2021 1 comment

London Irish full-back Tom Homer has retired with immediate effect following the conclusion of the Premiership season. The 31-year-old was due to leave the Exiles […]

EXCLUSIVE: Mike Ford out, Kevin Sinfield in at Leicester Tigers

14 June 2021 2 comments

LEICESTER Tigers are set to announce yet another coaching restructuring with Mike Ford leaving Welford Road to be replaced by Super League legend Kevin Sinfield. […]

Sean O’Brien urges Ireland to blood players in Premiership

13 June 2021 2 comments

SEAN O’Brien believes Ireland should relax their rule which all but bars players being selected for the national squad if they move outside the country […]

Tabai Matson emerges as the man for The Stoop

13 June 2021 0 comments

HARLEQUINS are looking to complete a deal for Kiwi Tabai Matson to move to the Twickenham Stoop this summer amid late interest from Bath. Former […]

Simon McIntyre’s on his way back to the Sharks

13 June 2021 1 comment

SALE Sharks have agreed a deal that will see Wasps prop Simon McIntyre, 30, return to the club he left a decade ago. […]

Newcastle Falcons swoop for Harlequins winger Nathan Earle

13 June 2021 22 comments

NATHAN Earle is poised to follow teammate Mike Brown out of Harlequins and up to Premiership rivals Newcastle Falcons. Quins last week announced that Earle […]

Leicester’s Zack Henry is off to Pau

13 June 2021 0 comments

ZACK Henry is set to make a quick return to France next season after being released from the final year of his Leicester contract. The […]

One more signing expected by Rob Baxter

13 June 2021 0 comments

EXETER Chiefs boss Rob Baxter is after one more player for next season. He has recently signed Highlanders prop Josh Iosefa-Scott and Connacht centre Sean […]

Tom Wood expects reaction after disappointing Saints season

13 June 2021 0 comments

VETERAN flanker Tom Wood says tough times at Northampton can get the Saints marching in again like they did in the title winning days. The […]

Chris Pennell deserved send-off | Peter Jackson

13 June 2021 1 comment

SET against the Covid cruelty suffered by untold millions on a global scale, Gloucester’s inability to fulfill their fixture at Worcester yesterday sounds too trivial […]

Eddie calls back as Josh Bassett hits 150 for Wasps

13 June 2021 0 comments

JOSH BASSETT is set to become the oldest England winger to make his Test debut for 70 years after getting a surprise call-up from Eddie […]

Richards: Players need fully pro Championship

13 June 2021 0 comments

DEAN Richards says he is “staggered” by the number of Premiership players who have not secured contracts for next season. And he believes it is […]

Whirlwind year for ex-Quin Harry Barlow, now starting anew with the Free Jacks

13 June 2021 2 comments

HARRY Barlow thought his rugby career was over last season following his release from Harlequins, with the country in lockdown. So former England U19 winger […]

Wasps 31-38 Leicester: Wasps pay for their spirit of adventure

13 June 2021 1 comment

LEICESTER outstayed Wasps in an all-action finale to clinch a European Champions Cup place next season and reward Steve Borthwick’s squad improvements. Second-half tries from […]

Harry Wells is the epitome of Borthwick’s new Tigers

13 June 2021 3 comments

HARRY Wells has enjoyed his breakthrough season at the age of 27, an almost ever-present in an improving Leicester side the second row has come […]

We learned a lot from Ricoh thrashing says Borthwick

13 June 2021 0 comments

BOSS Lee Blackett praised Wasps for how they had “scrapped and worked” to salvage their season. After reaching the Premiership final last season, this campaign has […]

Cuthbert: Winners’ medal would ease pain of last season

13 June 2021 0 comments

ALEX Cuthbert would love nothing more than to leave Exeter Chiefs this summer with a Premiership winner’s medal safely tucked into his pocket. The Wales […]

Bath 30-24 Northampton: Bath stars take final curtain in real style

13 June 2021 0 comments

RHYS Priestland delivered his parting gift to Bath by inspiring the victory which ensures European Champions Cup rugby at The Rec next season. […]

Exeter 20-19 Sale: 14-man Chiefs secure semi-final advantage

13 June 2021 1 comment

EXETER booked their sixth Premiership home play-off on the trot but the reigning champions had to dig deep against a Sale side who threw down […]

That was such a buzz says happy Tom de Glanville

13 June 2021 0 comments

FULL-BACK Tom de Glanville, delighted to give Bath’s departing contingent a winning farewell, said: “It was a big emotional feeling and we were buzzing. “It […]

Sanderson: We ‘had the game but blew it’

13 June 2021 0 comments

SALE director of rugby Alex Sanderson was accentuating the positives despite insisting his side blew the chance of winning at Sandy Park and possibly securing […]

Siale Piutau hopes Bears’ love will conquer all in Premiership

13 June 2021 1 comment

“LOVE” is the answer to Bristol’s prayers to be crowned English champions for the first time. And departing centre Siale Piutau hopes it will be […]

Harlequins 54-26 Newcastle: Eight-try Quins tune up for their Bear hunt

13 June 2021 1 comment

NICK Evans is confident Quins can cause a major upset when they enter the Bears’ backyard next weekend after seeing them give Falcons an eighttry […]

Influencer Craig White’s got Sale in rhythm

13 June 2021 1 comment

SALE SHARKS are enjoying a ‘drum roll’ end to the season, with a first Premiership title in 16 years in their sights, thanks in part […]

Dombrandt: Bristol victories ‘count for nothing’

13 June 2021 0 comments

ALEX Dombrandt denies Bristol will have either a psychological or physical advantage over Quins when the teams do playoff battle on Saturday. Bears have beaten […]

Worcester legend Chris Pennell to depart after 14 seasons

10 June 2021 1 comment

The 34-year-old will be ‘exploring other opportunities’ once his contract expires at the end of the month at Sixways

James Stokes driven by imposter syndrome at London Irish

10 June 2021 0 comments

The ex-Nottingham and Coventry back didn’t feel worthy of being in the Premiership when he first joined the Exiles, but that soon changed

Pat Lam ‘welcomes’ inquiry into fiery Leicester-Bristol climax

9 June 2021 0 comments

The RFU have not yet confirmed details of an inquiry but Lam has said he is ‘over the moon’ there will be one after receiving an email

Harlequins list players who will be leaving this summer

9 June 2021 0 comments

Nathan Earle, Ben Tapuai and Tex Cavubati among the names who will leave the Stoop at the end of June

Matt Banahan posts farewell to rugby after Gloucester’s final game is cancelled

9 June 2021 0 comments

The Gloucester and ex-Bath wing announced back in November that this season would be his last in rugby as a player

Saints wing Ollie Sleightholme leads charge for Vesty’s young guns

9 June 2021 1 comment

OLLIE Sleightholme has the mental strength as well as the blistering speed to thrive on the top international stage. Northampton may have missed out on […]

Season finale between Gloucester and Worcester cancelled due to Covid-19

8 June 2021 0 comments

This weekend’s match at Sixways has been called off

Ex-Saints flanker Ben Nutley announces retirement at Coventry

8 June 2021 1 comment

The Coventry back row explains his feelings around making his retirement call at the age of 29

Steve Diamond in range of Gloucester and Bath

6 June 2021 0 comments

The former Sale director of rugby is planning a move down south

EXCLUSIVE: Lions duo Dan Biggar and Courtney Lawes wanted by Toulouse

6 June 2021 2 comments

EUROPEAN champions Toulouse are looking to make a double swoop on Northampton Saints to take Lions pair Dan Biggar and Courtney Lawes to the Top […]

Rugby league ace Kevin Sinfield may join Leicester Tigers

6 June 2021 3 comments

Could the Leeds Rhinos director of rugby join Steve Borthwick’s staff at Welford Road?

RFU will get backing for 14-club Premiership

6 June 2021 2 comments

The Premiership looks set to have a three-year moratorium on relegation to the Championship

Preview: Sam Matavesi lies in wait for his Lion pal Luke

6 June 2021 0 comments

Sam Matavesi will go head-to-head with Luke Cowan-Dickie at Franklin’s Gardens on Sunday

Richards: Now you know why I played a weak team at Exeter

6 June 2021 0 comments

NEWCASTLE boss Dean Richards said: “That first 35 minutes was probably the best rugby we’ve played all season,” as he justified his decision to send […]

Sale 45-12 Harlequins: Depleted Quins torn to shreds by Sharks

6 June 2021 1 comment

Reaching Twickenham final won’t be enough in of itself, says confident Sanderson

London Irish 36-39 Wasps: Willis’ hat-trick seals vital win at the death

6 June 2021 1 comment

Wasps overturn 33-10 half-time deficit to produce miracles in Brentford

Manu Tuilagi will be back for Sale’s run-in

6 June 2021 0 comments

MANU TUILAGI will return in Sale’s final-day trip to champions Exeter after being forced to self-isolate during Friday’s demolition of Quins. The England centre was […]

Willis: Fightback sets up ‘Cup final’ at Tigers

6 June 2021 0 comments

HAVING snatched one ‘Cup final’ game at the death yesterday MOM Tom Willis insists Wasps will be approaching their key match with Leicester on Saturday […]

Facundo Cordero honoured to continue Santi’s Chiefs legacy

6 June 2021 0 comments

Facundo Cordero reveals his desire to play alongside brother Santi, whether that be at Exeter Chiefs or not

Ospreys keen to help Elvis Taione rock on in Wales

6 June 2021 1 comment

The Exeter Chiefs hooker could be on his way to the Liberty Stadium this summer

My only regret is not hitting the 200 club, says Ross Batty

6 June 2021 0 comments

PAUL REES talks to Bath’s Ross Batty who announced his retirement this week Ross Batty will on Saturday bid an emotional farewell to Bath supporters […]