Premiership

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

Diamond savours his rare triumph at Exeter

26 January 2020 0 comments

By MIKE SINCLAIR STEVE Diamond believes his Sharks are in good shape to mount a serious attack on a Premiership play-off final after securing a […]

Sharks go third, ‘doing it right way’

26 January 2020 1 comment

VICTORY took Sale into third place in the Premiership table and rugby director Steve Diamond said: “Our investment – like Exeter’s – is correct and […]

Young tells England to keep an eye on Willis

26 January 2020 0 comments

By GARY FITZGERALD Comeback: Ollie Lawrence goes over for Worcester DAI Young claimed Eddie Jones should have picked Jack Willis after the young flanker shone […]

We’re kicking ourselves for losing that says disappointed Duncan

26 January 2020 2 comments

Frustrated: Duncan Weir DUNCAN Weir hopes for better luck with Scotland next weekend after failing to sign off from club duty with a win. The […]

Salary cap fallout pours more fuel on feisty rivalry

26 January 2020 0 comments

By NEALE HARVEY Loyal: Will Collier Eager: Richard Barrington HARLEQUINS prop Will Collier insists his side need no extra motivation as a fierce local rivalry […]

Porecki’s the hero as Saints implode

26 January 2020 0 comments

By ROGER PANTING Shock and roar: Dave Porecki dives over in the last minute to seal victory for Irish PICTURE: Getty Images Kennedy: We rode […]

PRL lynch mob make Sarries climb scaffold

26 January 2020 2 comments

HOW can a Premiership Rugby organisation which preaches the moral virtues of a level playing field in salary cap funding – with brutal punishment for […]

Stuttering Bears finally remember their lines

26 January 2020 2 comments

By NICK CAIN In at the corner: Henry Purdy scores the opening try for Bristol PICTURES: Getty Images BRISTOL have had a lean time of […]

Hughes ‘needs to be 80 minutes’

26 January 2020 1 comment

BRISTOL boss Pat Lam said he had mixed emotions after his team recorded their biggest Premiership tally over Gloucester, mainly because they missed out on […]

Struggling Tigers put down by Homer’s try-double

26 January 2020 3 comments

By ALEX BYWATER TOM HOMER’S moment of brilliance lit up a turgid clash to give Bath a vital win as Taulupe Faletau proved himself ready […]

George Ford still has his best years ahead of him, says Eastmond

24 January 2020 0 comments

Kyle Eastmond has watched Ford grow from his time at Bath and Leicester

Nigel Wray issues apology to Saracens as Premiership releases report into salary cap breach

23 January 2020 0 comments

Nigel Wray speaks out to clarify co-investments with players revealed in finer detail by the Dyson report

Andre Esterhuizen has signed for Harlequins

Harlequins sign Andre Esterhuizen after meeting lofty wage demands

22 January 2020 0 comments

Quins win race for Springbok centre’s signature after facing competition from rival Premiership club

Premiership Rugby finally break cover over Saracens farrago

22 January 2020 0 comments

Chief executive Darren Childs says Premiership Rugby acted to protect the integrity of the league

Lyon offer an escape route to trio of Saracens superstars

21 January 2020 0 comments

What will this mean for their England careers?

Northampton Saints strengthen front row with Nick Auterac signing

21 January 2020 0 comments

The Harlequins prop will leave The Stoop after two seasons in London

Steve Lansdown owns Premiership club Bristol Bears

Saracens have ‘tainted’ their success and should ‘repent’, says Bristol owner Lansdown

21 January 2020 0 comments

Bristol Bears owner Steve Lansdown lifts the lid on his displeasure at Saracens flouting salary cap rule

Leicester confirm coaching restructure which will see Steve Borthwick join Tigers

21 January 2020 0 comments

What will Borthwick’s arrival mean for Geordan Murphy?

Saracens call crisis meeting with whole squad to outlay relegation threat for breaching salary cap

17 January 2020 0 comments

Saracens faced with serious threat of relegation to the Championship after failing to comply with salary cap again

Influx of South Africans puts the squeeze of Europe’s Pacific Islanders, warns union chief

16 January 2020 0 comments

Dan Leo points out the shift in recruitment by European clubs from Pacific Islanders in the 80s, 90s and 2000s, to the South Africans

England hopeful Alex Dombrandt extends Harlequins deal

16 January 2020 0 comments

Harlequins head of rugby Paul Gustard describes the back row as ‘exceptional’

Bristol boss Pat Lam demands crackdown on slow play by scrum-halves

15 January 2020 0 comments

It’s not the players’ fault for the slow play, but change needs to happen to speed play up

Munster come calling for Saracens back Matt Gallagher

15 January 2020 0 comments

Neil Fissler reveals further details on players who could be on their way out of the Premiership club

Leicester Tigers hunt Super Rugby star Ben Lam

14 January 2020 0 comments

No one has scored more combined tries over the past two Super Rugby seasons than the Hurricanes wing

Out-of-contract Alex Lozowski vows not to leave Saracens early

14 January 2020 0 comments

The Saracens centre has his contract up at the end of the season and believes the club are about to show how prestigious their academy is

Cobus Reinach to leave Northampton Saints at the end of the season

14 January 2020 0 comments

Will Chris Boyd be bringing in a new signing to replace the departing Reinach?

Saracens salary cap judge says: PRL should lift cloak of privacy

14 January 2020 0 comments

“PRL will probably disagree strongly with my remarks” – Lord Dyson lifts the lid on his thoughts about the Saracens salary cap breach

Classy Jacob Umaga has the genes to succeed, says Wasps teammate Fekitoa

9 January 2020 0 comments

Wasps centre Malakai Fekitoa sees a bright future for starlet fly-half Jacob Umaga

Saracens appoint new chairman with legal expertise

9 January 2020 0 comments

Premiership club appoint experienced lawyer as successor to Nigel Wray

Wasps fly-half Billy Searle to switch to Worcester Warriors

8 January 2020 0 comments

“I’ll continue to give my all to the jersey till the end of the season” – Billy Searle

England World Cup star George Kruis set to exit Saracens

8 January 2020 0 comments

A big name departure could be on the cards for Saracens and the England lock department

Happier times for Northampton’s Haywood after ACL, MCL and PCL injury nightmare

8 January 2020 0 comments

Saints hooker Mikey Haywood talks to Neale Harvey about his comeback from a severe knee injury

The four players set to leave Saracens early as club seeks to balance up the books – reports

8 January 2020 0 comments

After the retirement of Nigel Wray, the reality of Saracens’ £5.36m fine for breaching the salary cap appears to be taking at toll

Michael Fatialofa undergoes surgery to alleviate pressure on spinal cord

7 January 2020 0 comments

The Worcester Warriors lock remains in intensive care in London

England boast host of starters for ten

5 January 2020 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS Stellar: Exeter’s Joe Simmonds is one of several prospects at fly-half PICTURES: Getty Images Jacob Umaga James Grayson Max Malins GEORGE Ford might […]

Wray vision leaves the league in a better place

5 January 2020 0 comments

TWITTER was in full spate this week when Nigel Wray stepped down as chairman of Saracens, with the more excitable tweeters insisting he and Saracens […]

Carr eager to motor on after Bristol winner

5 January 2020 1 comment

By NEALE HARVEY Impressing: Jack Willis WASPS back row star Nizaam Carr has ordered his side to follow last week’s morale-boosting victory over Bristol with […]

Irish aim to muzzle Chiefs marksmen

5 January 2020 0 comments

Fighting for higher honours: Exeter’s Sam Hill LONDON Irish head coach Les Kiss knows his side’s discipline must improve if they are to live with […]

Top signing butWebb must earn Wales place

5 January 2020 0 comments

SHANE WILLIAMS Prodigal son: Rhys Webb is returning to Ospreys PICTURE: Getty Images RHYS Webb is a fantastic player and it is brilliant news he […]

Don’t rush it, Rees-Zammit will be better off in U20s

5 January 2020 0 comments

LOUIS Rees-Zammit has been handed the keys to the city of Gloucester by Johan Ackermann, but I have to urge caution over the next young […]

Exeter Chiefs complete move for Scotland star Jonny Gray

3 January 2020 0 comments

Scotland teammates Stuart Hogg and Sam Skinner lure the tackling demon to Sandy Park

TEAMS: Bath get dream back row together at last for Gloucester clash

3 January 2020 0 comments

Francois Louw skippers Bath against rivals Gloucester with Sam Underhill and Taulupe Faletau in tow

Hepher and Pellow see Champions Cup within touching distance for Exeter Chiefs

2 January 2020 0 comments

Past winners as players, head coach Ali Hepher and skills coach Ricky Pellow see Champions Cup glory as the next step for Exeter

Saracens chairman Nigel Wray retires citing need for ‘fresh start’

2 January 2020 0 comments

Nigel Wray has retired with immediate effect two months after Saracens were plunged into a salary cap scandal

Diamond anger over ref’s late penalty call

29 December 2019 1 comment

By NEALE HARVEY NOT for the first time this season, Sale supremo Steve Diamond was left fuming at officialdom after a controversial late penalty decision […]

Faletau lasts the entire 80 minutes

29 December 2019 0 comments

WHILE Sale felt aggrieved, Bath’s dogged forwards matched a powerful visiting pack, winning four lineout steals and forcing crucial scrum penalties. Star man Josh McNally […]

Weir leads Warriors to win before toothache

29 December 2019 1 comment

By ROSS HEPPENSTALL HEAVEN knows it was not pretty, but Worcester can at least satisfy themselves with the fact they have four Premiership wins on […]