Club Rugby

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

Top 14 round 5: preview and predictions

14 September 2012 1 comment

Frederic Michalak makes his first start at fly-half tonight when Toulon travel to Montpellier as Jonny Wilkinson is handed a rest after injuring his neck […]

“I’ve got to oust Nick Easter to achieve my dream,” says Tom Guest

14 September 2012 1 comment

Harlequins No.8 Tom Guest admits his international aspirations will remain on hold unless he can elbow aside Nick Easter and nail down a starting spot. […]

Saracens Mako Vunipola is in shape to make up for lost time

13 September 2012 0 comments

On the face of it Mako Vunipola‘s life at Saracens could not have begun any better – two starts, two man-of-the-match awards – however, the […]

Premiership Round 2 review

10 September 2012 0 comments

Bath (beat Wasps 30-23) They arrived at the Rec on the back of an unconvincing win at Worcester facing the flying Wasps but they rolled […]

Inspirational Dylan Hartley lead Northampton to bonus-point win over Exeter

9 September 2012 0 comments

Dylan Hartley put down an early marker for a Lions selection with a superb performance to help Northampton claim a 24-21 bonus-point win over Exeter […]

London Wasps will have to meet fire with fire at Bath says Dai Young

7 September 2012 1 comment

London Wasps head coach Dai Young reckons his side will have to meet fire with fire if they want to comeback from the Rec with […]

Premiership Round 2: preview and predictions

7 September 2012 1 comment

Bath v London Wasps Lee Mears will make his 250th appearance tomorrow in a Bath side with two changes from the team that claimed their […]

Top 14 Round 4: preview and predictions

7 September 2012 0 comments

Mercurial fly-half Frederic Michalack will not make is starting debut for Toulon as Jonny Wilkinson retain his No.10 jersey for the reception of Bordeaux-Begles tomorrow. […]

James Hook finds it’s always time for tee in new tryless Top 14

7 September 2012 0 comments

Welsh fly-half James Hook believes that the emphasis placed on defence by French clubs has placed more responsibility on kickers. The 27-year has just started […]

Chance to have controlling interest lured Shane Geraghty back to Irish

7 September 2012 0 comments

Fly-half Shane Geraghty has relished the link-up with Brian Smith and says the opportunity to be the fulcrum in London Irish‘s new-look backline was enough […]

So far so good for London Irish’s new ‘offloading machine’ Seitaimata Sa

5 September 2012 2 comments

Plenty of Rugby League converts take months if not years to adapt to the intricacies of Union, but London Irish-bound Setaimata Sa says his Kiwi […]

Top clubs may fight salary cap in court

4 September 2012 0 comments

The legality of Premiership Rugby’s salary cap is set to be challenged under European Union competition law, according to a leading club insider. Emboldened by […]

Saint-Andre’s regime is to blame for Sale’s slump, says Pete Anglesea

3 September 2012 2 comments

Former director of rugby Philippe Saint-Andre must shoulder the blame for Sale‘s slump in fortunes, according to forwards coach Pete Anglesea. But Anglesea insists the […]

Premiership preview (1 day to go): Harlequins, Leicester, Saracens

31 August 2012 0 comments

With the Aviva Premiership starting tomorrow, we take a look at what lays ahead for the last three of the 12 teams. Today, Harlequins, Leicester […]

Aviva Premiership Round 1: Team News and Predictions

31 August 2012 0 comments

Exeter v Sale Tom Johnson returns to the Exeter team after making his England debut on their summer tour to South Africa while new signing […]

Top14 Round 3: Preview and Predictions

31 August 2012 1 comment

Bottom of the table Mont-de-Marsan face the daunting prospect of unbeaten big spending Toulon with Jonny Wilkinson in fine point scoring form. The World Cup […]

Conor O’Shea challenges Harlequins to become a great team

31 August 2012 2 comments

Good teams win titles, but great teams back it up time and again. That is the view of Harlequins‘ head honcho Conor O’Shea as his […]

RFU Championship Preview: team by team

31 August 2012 0 comments

Bedford Blues The shortening of the play-off format from a top eight to a top four will assist part-time outfit Bedford Blues’ quest for promotion […]

Maxime Mermoz joined with Jonny Wilkinson at Toulon to win titles

31 August 2012 0 comments

After four years at Perpignan, centre Maxime Mermoz says he switched to the other side of the Mediterranean coast to join Toulon with one thing […]

Premiership preview (2 days to go): Northampton, Exeter, Sale

30 August 2012 0 comments

With the start of the Aviva Premiership only two days away, we take a look at what lies ahead for the 12 teams. Today, Northampton, […]

Dylan Hartley says Northampton don’t need Chris Ashton

30 August 2012 1 comment

Northampton captain Dylan Hartley says winger Chris Ashton is gone and forgotten after turning his back on the club to join Saracens. Ashton, 25, racked […]

“We’ll have fun rising to challenge,” says Newcastle’s Dean Richards

30 August 2012 0 comments

Dean Richards will warn his Newcastle troops to expect the unexpected when they finally get their Championship campaign up and running at Bristol on September […]

Fijian Josh Matavesi can lead the Worcester Warriors great offensive

30 August 2012 0 comments

Worcester boss Richard Hill reckons Josh Matavesi could provide the X-Factor to spark the Warriors’ backline into life. Hill’s men struggled to cross the whitewash […]

Premiership preview (3 days to go): London Irish, Bath, Gloucester

29 August 2012 0 comments

With the start of the Aviva Premiership only three days away, we take a look at what lays ahead for the 12 teams. Today, London Irish, […]

Loyal Matt Smith content to be an unsung hero at Leicester Tigers

29 August 2012 0 comments

No player better embodies the qualities of the archetypal Leicester player than Matt Smith – Tigers through and through, massively appreciated inside the confines of […]

SSE National Leagues preview

29 August 2012 1 comment

With the National Leagues competitions starting on Saturday, we take a look at how Fylde, Ealing, Caldy and Redruth are preparing. SSE National League One […]

Championship winners must go up says chairman Geoff Irvine

29 August 2012 0 comments

Championship clubs’ chairman Geoff Irvine, right, says their Premiership counterparts need worry about only one thing – to avoid finishing bottom of the table – […]

Alex Gray hopes fast start can earn green light at London Irish

29 August 2012 1 comment

London Irish No.8 Alex Gray is hoping for ‘second season syndrome’ in reverse as he looks to put a disappointing first year at the Exiles […]

Premiership preview (4 days to go): Worcester, London Wasps, London Welsh

28 August 2012 0 comments

With the start of the Aviva Premiership only four days away, we take a look at what lays ahead for the 12 teams. Today, Worcester, […]

“I’m more than just a fast mover,” says Wasps winger Christian Wade

28 August 2012 1 comment

Wasps winger Christian Wade is sick of being labelled simply a speed merchant and is determined to prove he has more than one trick up […]

Saracens Andy Saull working to build same power as Jacques Burger

24 August 2012 3 comments

English rugby has been crying out for a classic openside who can link play in the loose, turn over the ball in the tight and […]

Falcons have strength in depth to make a quick return says Glen Delaney

24 August 2012 1 comment

With the honourable exception of Bedford’s Mike Rayer, there is no coach with more experience of English rugby’s second tier than Glenn Delaney who left […]

New Exeter signing Ian Whitten is out to prove he’s not just a stop-gap

24 August 2012 1 comment

Ian Whitten spent last season stepping in whenever needed at Ulster – now at Exeter he intends to make himself part of the furniture. There […]

ERC “dismayed” over Anglo-French threats.

23 August 2012 3 comments

As exclusively revealed by Peter Jackson in The Rugby Paper on May 6th, English and French clubs have given an ultimatum to the ERC to […]

Age is no worry for new Esher coach Ollie Smith

23 August 2012 1 comment

Having made his Leicester debut a few months after leaving school and toured with the Lions, aged 22, Ollie Smith’s appointment as Esher head coach […]

Prop stars give Worcester’s Matt Mullan best of both worlds

22 August 2012 1 comment

Mentored by Phil Vickery at Worcester and Graham Rowntree with England – Matt Mullan doesn’t have to look too far for scrummaging advice. It’s been […]

New funding deal for Championship clubs revealed

22 August 2012 0 comments

As revealed in our The Rugby Paper on August 5th, the RFU has unveiled today a new four-year funding deal for Championship clubs. Each club […]

“I’ve come South to toughen myself up,” says Scotland giant Richie Gray

22 August 2012 2 comments

Richie Gray wants to emulate boyhood hero Martin Johnson and become a master of the dark arts of forward play following his move to the […]

‘Battered’ Sale Shark flanker Hendre Fourie in battle to play again

20 August 2012 0 comments

England flanker Hendre Fourie has suffered another setback in his comeback from a debilitating shoulder injury. The 32-year-old admits that the no-holds-barred approach which has […]

Henry Thomas relishing Andrew Sheridan Heineken Cup rematch

17 August 2012 0 comments

Henry Thomas is eager for the chance to turn the tables on former tutor Andrew Sheridan this season after Sale’s graduation to the Heineken Cup. […]

Cipriani and Gray to make Sale debuts

17 August 2012 0 comments

Danny Cipriani and Richie Gray are set to make their Sale debuts after being selected among the replacements for tomorrow’s friendly game against Glasgow Warriors. […]

Waldouck handed first Saints start against Leinster

17 August 2012 0 comments

New Northampton Saints signing Dominic Waldouck has been selected to make his home debut for his new club in tomorrow’s pre-season friendly against Heineken Cup […]

Gary Gold and Bath look at tie-up with Super Rugby side

15 August 2012 2 comments

Bath are considering forming an alliance with a Super Rugby side in a groundbreaking move which could involve trans-hemisphere player swaps. Former Springbok assistant coach […]

Reformed Shark Andy Powell is the new ‘Sebastien Chabal’

15 August 2012 1 comment

Sale Sharks are to extend Andy Powell’s contract in recognition of the Welshman’s emergence as ‘the new Sebastian Chabal.’ The Premiership‘s sole surviving northern club […]

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 […]

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