Club Rugby

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

Elliot Daly’s rise means Dai Young won’t miss Dominic Waldouck

15 August 2012 1 comment

The emergence of Elliot Daly as a star for Wasps this year made director of rugby Dai Young’s decision to let Dominic Waldouck go a […]

Step aside you Brownlees rugby has the Claassens

15 August 2012 1 comment

The Brownlee brothers have provided no shortage of excitement with their Olympic triathlon exploits but rugby will be able to enjoy its own sibling rivalry […]

London Welsh: “We’ll stick to our principles”

15 August 2012 0 comments

Ed Jackson believes the culture at London Welsh this season will not change despite the arrival of a host of foreign imports. As revealed in […]

Let me wing it like Alesana says new Tiger Adam Thompstone

15 August 2012 0 comments

Alesana Tuilagi racked up more than a half-century of tries for Leicester at an average of better than one every three games so when Adam […]

Lock of ages? French turn back clock for Brits

15 August 2012 1 comment

The burgeoning British colony in France hurls itself into Top 14 action next weekend, an assault force headed by surely the oldest pair of locks […]

London Welsh capture hard men Kirill Kulemin and Paulica Ion

7 August 2012 0 comments

London Welsh have plunged into the European transfer market and signed a pair of international forwards born behind the then Iron Curtain. The Exiles have […]

Serge Blanco lets me know if I’m kicking too much says Iain Balshaw

7 August 2012 2 comments

World Cup winner Iain Balshaw knows all about instinctive rugby and would love England to show more of it. We meet in Biarritz on France’s […]

Final offer from RFU would see Championship clubs receive £4.3m backing

7 August 2012 0 comments

Championship clubs are close to agreeing a funding deal for the next four seasons after receiving what has been described by one insider as a […]

Ben Ryan asks: Can Ashton adapt to Sevens in time?

7 August 2012 0 comments

Chris Ashton and Alex Goode’s interest in being included in Great Britain’s Sevens squad for the 2016 Olympics Sevens has been welcomed by Ben Ryan. […]

Saracens talisman Schalk Brits is hooked on helping talented young guns

7 August 2012 0 comments

Saracens hooker Schalk Brits says he expects to take an occasional backseat at the club this season to accommodate the development of young English protégés […]

Long wait is over for new Gloucester prop Huia Edmonds

7 August 2012 1 comment

Hedging his bets in trying to reach the Premiership and play for Australia in the World Cup almost scuppered Gloucester hooker Huia Edmonds’ chances of […]

Moment in Time: Northampton Saints and the 2000 Heineken Cup final

6 August 2012 0 comments

Few people had rated Northampton‘s chances of lifting the Heineken Cup. Still fewer gave them a prayer after they had lost their second Pool match […]

Rugby League ace Martin Gleeson ready to switch to Rugby Union

31 July 2012 0 comments

Great Britain Rugby League centre Martin Gleeson is ready to switch codes and follow the Union trail blazed by Jason Robinson 12 years ago. After […]

George Ford has the attitude to be a truly great No10 says Dave Alred

31 July 2012 0 comments

In just under 18 months Dave Alred had transformed golfer Luke Donald from world No 32 in the rankings to world No 1 and, if […]

Bath call in Jason Robinson to mentor Kyle Eastmond

31 July 2012 1 comment

Cross-code legend Jason Robinson is mentoring Kyle Eastmond in a bid to help the former St Helens and England RL man become a star in […]

Saracens pair will push for role in Rio 2016 Olympics

31 July 2012 0 comments

England duo Chris Ashton and Alex Goode are prepared to put their Premiership careers on hold when Sevens makes its inaugural appearance at the 2016 […]

I was fed up facing the same teams all the time says Jersey new boy Richard Haughton

31 July 2012 1 comment

Richard Haughton has revealed how he turned down offers to remain in the Premiership in favour of a move to Championship newcomers Jersey. The 31-year-old […]

New captain Declan Danaher reveals six players will run the London Irish ship

31 July 2012 0 comments

Declan Danaher, after 13 years at Irish, was the obvious choice to captain the Exiles next term but the flanker has revealed that it will […]

New Leeds boss Ian McGeechan keen to embrace Leeds Rhinos

31 July 2012 2 comments

John Bentley has hailed the appointment of Sir Ian McGeechan as being massive for the profile of Leeds Carnegie. Bentley, selected by McGeechan for the […]

Kick-chase will destroy the game warns London Irish new boss Brian Smith

24 July 2012 0 comments

Brian Smith has blasted South African-style ‘kick-chase’ rugby, insisting it is killing the game and that English teams should instead look to New Zealand for […]

Northampton captain Dylan Hartley urges Saints to shake off that losers’ tag

24 July 2012 0 comments

Saints captain Dylan Hartley has demanded his side shake off their tag as the nearly men of English rugby. While Northampton have won plenty of […]

Exeter winger Matt Jess: “Team ethic is only concern for Chiefs”

24 July 2012 0 comments

When Bath chairman Bruce Craig told the club’s end-of-season dinner that there wasn’t a single player in his side whom he would swap for an […]

It’s time for Nathan Catt to sparkle says Bath new boss Gary Gold

24 July 2012 1 comment

This is the season that loosehead Nathan Catt will stop being talked of as a potential talent and start becoming a senior player at Bath, […]

Leicester Jordan Crane looking for Leicester Tigers and England place

24 July 2012 0 comments

Jordan Crane is itching to put a season-long absence behind him and challenge Thomas Waldrom for his place in the Leicester side. Crane, 26, has […]

Coventry Nathan Jones: “Some Championship players earn no more than minimum-wage”

24 July 2012 0 comments

Coventry‘s new signing Nathan Jones has hit out at Championship clubs’ pay structures, revealing some of his former Nottingham teammates earn no more than minimum […]

Why those gentlemen of league are on the defensive

24 July 2012 0 comments

While rugby league’s national standing has waned as union’s has risen since the introduction of professionalism, its influence on the XV man code remains as […]

Cornish Pirates Aaron Penberthy ready to unleash full range of skills

24 July 2012 1 comment

Cornish Pirates supporters might have thought they had seen Aaron Penberthy’s full range last season, but the 20-year-old fly-half has said they have not seen […]

We’re doing things even better than the Natal Sharks says Bristol head coach Liam Middleton

24 July 2012 0 comments

Bristol head coach Liam Middleton hopes a recent fact-finding mission to South Africa will make the difference as his side targets Championship glory. Middleton spent […]

New Nottingham boss Marting Haag can make the step up says Ian McGeechan

24 July 2012 1 comment

Sir Ian McGeechan has backed Martin Haag to be a big hit in his first head coach role after Nottingham appointed the former England lock […]

England Ben Morgan’s advance no shock to Brad Harrington

24 July 2012 0 comments

Brad Harrington has not been surprised by the impact Ben Morgan has had in an England shirt. Gloucester‘s new No.8 has established himself as a […]

Newcastle Falcons revival will be key for Jon Golding’s England call

24 July 2012 2 comments

A Newcastle pack getting the better of their Wasps counterparts at Adams Park sounds a familiar tale but this scene took place two years ago […]

Moment in Time: London Wasps and 2004 Heineken Cup Semi Final

24 July 2012 0 comments

Stunning game. Truly stunning result. Quite simply, this Anglo-Irish showdown in Dublin was one of the greatest, if not THE greatest, Heineken matches of all […]

I’m now tougher and smarter, says returning golden boy Danny Cipriani

20 July 2012 1 comment

Danny Cipriani says the defensive frailties which have blighted his career have been sorted out and that his critics will see a tougher, more mature […]

Newcastle Falcons wanted to swoop on Gavin Henson

20 July 2012 0 comments

Newcastle made a bid to sign Gavin Henson before the RFU reversed their decision barring London Welsh from promotion to the English Premiership. Their offer […]

Ryan Walkinshaw: “I aim to make Gloucester a flagship club in Europe”

20 July 2012 0 comments

Ryan Walkinshaw is a remarkable young man. Thrust into the cut-throat world of global business at the age of 23 following the untimely death of […]

Promising London Wasps back row Sam Jones happy to learn from Haskell

20 July 2012 1 comment

Sam Jones was just a schoolboy apprentice the last time James Haskell was playing in a Wasps shirt – now the England international returns to […]

Diccon Edwards ‘got it wrong’ with Leeds’ youth policy says departing Lee Blackett

20 July 2012 0 comments

Lee Blackett has revealed his anger at the way senior players were jettisoned at Leeds by Diccon Edwards’ youth-based policy. The versatile Blackett has crossed […]

New Bristol signing James Grindal gears up for big time again

20 July 2012 1 comment

James Grindal ended a 13-year consecutive run in the top flight when he swapped Leicester for Bristol this summer, but such is the first impression […]

Bath winger Tom Biggs has still got that blond ambition

20 July 2012 0 comments

Winger Tom Biggs believes his England ambitions will remain on the backburner while Bath are languishing in the lower reaches of the Premiership table. The […]

Dominic Waldouck: I need a new challenge

10 July 2012 0 comments

Wasps centre Dom Waldouck is leaving to join Northampton Saints. Waldouck, who had a year to run on his contract at Wasps, handed in a […]

Charlie Sharples : “Ducking out on England was my best career move”

10 July 2012 0 comments

Charlie Sharples insists it was a simple decision to miss England’s summer tour, even if he concedes he admits he has fallen further down the […]

It’s our fairytale and we aim to slay those giants says London Welsh

10 July 2012 0 comments

London Welsh face the toughest possible start to life in the Premiership with opening games against Leicester and champions Harlequins. But Kelvin Bryon, the club’s […]

Josh Matavesi magic means attack, attack for Worcester Warriors

10 July 2012 0 comments

After playing alongside Frans Steyn and Juan Martin Hernandez in the Racing Metro midfield, Worcester new boy Josh Matavesi is keen to sprinkle some of […]

Sarecens out to take the JP Morgan’s trophy back says Jackson Wray

10 July 2012 0 comments

One of the many consequences of London Welsh’s elevation into the top flight is that there will be a new champion in the J.P. Morgan […]

Rugby League legend Keith Senior returns to rugby Union 20 years later

10 July 2012 1 comment

Talk to anyone in either code about legendary Rugby League centre Keith Senior and the soundbites are always the same. “Great player for Leeds Rhinos […]

Dean Richards’s tough love will revive Newcastle Falcons says Simon Keogh

10 July 2012 2 comments

Newcastle players had better get ready to roll up their sleeves on the field – and in training – under Dean Richards, according to members […]

Promoted London Welsh will take look at Gavin Henson

3 July 2012 0 comments

London Welsh boss Lyn Jones has been armed with a war-chest to sign eight “headline players” who will underpin the club’s first ever Aviva Premiership […]