United Rugby Championship

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

Glasgow sink Stormers for semi-final spot

9 June 2024 0 comments

By BRYN PALMER Glasgow…………………… 27pts Tries: Cancelliere 61, Venter 74, Thompson 80 Conversions: Horne 62, 75, 80 Penalties: Horne 20, 29 Stormers…………………… 10pts Tries: Loader […]

Ospreys can’t stop Munster marching on

9 June 2024 0 comments

By SIMON THOMAS Munster …………..23pts Tries: Zebo 2, Scannell 18 Conversions: Crowley 3, 19 Penalties: Crowley 27, 57, 61 Ospreys …………….. 7pts Tries: Giles 4 […]

Leinster get back on track and set up Pretoria trial

9 June 2024 0 comments

By JOHN FALLON Leinster………… 43pts Tries: Lowe 34, 46, Henshaw 21, Larmour 63, Van der Flier 68, Molony 76 Conversions: Byrne 22, 35, 64, 69, […]

Double from Arendse puts Bulls in the driving seat

9 June 2024 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN Bulls ………………30pts Tries: Arendse 1, 20, Kriel 61 Conversions: Goosen 2, 21, 62 Penalties: Goosen 35, 50, 73 Benetton……….23pts Tries: Ratave 32, […]

Flanagan: We want to keep Leon

2 June 2024 0 comments

Dragons hope Wales tighthead Leon Brown will sign a new contract. Injury-hit Brown, 27, last played in the Six Nations opening game against Scotland in […]

Scarlets swoop for Aussie lock

2 June 2024 0 comments

Scarlets have signed Australian lock Max Douglas from Japanese side Yokohama Canon Eagles. Douglas, 24, who is 6ft 7in and 112kg, played for the Waratahs […]

Holders Munster happy at home

2 June 2024 0 comments

By JOHN FALLON Munster ………29 Ulster ………….. 24 Champions Munster will have home advantage for the duration of the defence of their URC after coming […]

Misery for Edinburgh as they fail to make top 8

2 June 2024 0 comments

By BRYN PALMER Benetton ………. 31pts Tries: Mendy 7, Ratave 34, Albornoz 59, Izekor 62, 66 Conversions: Smyth 35, 60, 63 Edinburgh………. 6pts Penalties: Healy […]

Lewis gives the Scarlets derby win

2 June 2024 0 comments

By ROGER PANTING Scarlets …………32pts Tries: Mathias 29, Davis 38, Lewis 44, 54 Conversions: Costelow 30, 45, Lloyd 40 Penalties: Costelow 15, 73 Dragons…………. 15pts […]

Ospreys’ Nicky just too tricky for Cardiff

2 June 2024 0 comments

By ROGER PANTING Cardiff ……………..29pts Tries: Cabango 9, Grady 40, 85, Hamer-Webb 69 Conversions: de Beer 9, Thomas 70, 86 Penalties: Thomas 54 Ospreys ……………33pts […]

Leinster get back on right track

2 June 2024 0 comments

By JOHN FALLON Leinster ……….33 Connacht …….. 17 Leinster coach Leo Cullen praised his men for the manner in which they hammered Connacht as they […]

Glasgow made to work for victory

2 June 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Glasgow ………38 Zebre…………….26 Glasgow were pushed hard by basement side Zebre but picked up an all important bonus victory heading into the […]

Leinster stalwart Rhys Ruddock to retire at end of season

28 May 2024 0 comments

Leinster back rower Rhys Ruddock has confirmed he will retire from rugby at the end of the season after a decorated 15 seasons at the […]

I’ll pull no punches on Judgement Day, says Elias

26 May 2024 0 comments

By SIMON THOMAS Ryan Elias says there will be no punches pulled when he goes head to head with Wales rival Elliot Dee on Judgement […]

Zebo calls time

26 May 2024 0 comments

Munster flyer Simon Zebo will retire at the end of the season. The 34-year-old was capped 35 times by Ireland, helping his country win the […]

Composure is the name of the game for Umaga

19 May 2024 0 comments

By SIMON THOMAS Jacob Umaga showed plenty of composure with his match-winning heroics for Benetton in Durban last weekend – which is rather appropriate given […]

Botham back to push Test case

19 May 2024 0 comments

Having seen his Six Nations campaign cut short at the first hurdle, James Botham will be looking to force his way back into the Wales […]

Lake’s at double to sink the Dragons

19 May 2024 0 comments

By SIMON THOMAS Ospreys …………… 26pts Tries: Lake 36, 43, Morgan-Williams 40, Williams 58 Conversions: Edwards 37, 40, 59 Dragons…………….13pts Tries: Reed 53 Conversion: Reed […]

Warriors ripped apart by 13 Lions

19 May 2024 0 comments

By BRYN PALMER Lions …………….44 Glasgow………. 21 Glasgow’s hopes of a top-two finish suffered a major blow in Johannesburg as the 14-man Lions kept their […]

High-five as Cardiff seal first league win of 2024

19 May 2024 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN Sharks ………….. 14pts Tries: Appollis 24, Bosch 76 Conversions: Cronje 25, 77 Cardiff …………..34pts Tries: Lawrence 14, Donnell 20, Halaholo 28, Botham […]

Deadly Davies does Italian job for the Scarlets

19 May 2024 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN Zebre……………… 18pts Tries: Licata 3, Hasa 51 Conversions: Montemauri 4 Penalties: Montemauri 23, 27 Scarlets ………… 22pts Tries: Elias 15, Davies 20, […]

Munster make it eight in a row

19 May 2024 0 comments

By BRYN PALMER Edinburgh ……. 26 Munster……….. 29 Munster head coach Graham Rowntree insists his side have the belief to repeat their remarkable URC triumph […]

Iceman Cooney lands late killer blow for Ulster

19 May 2024 0 comments

By JIM SHORT Ulster …………… 23 Leinster……….. 21 John Cooney was the hero when his last-minute penalty secured victory for Ulster in a cracking Irish […]

Bulls book home play-offs spot after Benetton battering

19 May 2024 0 comments

Bulls ……………..56 Benetton……… 35 The Bulls booked a home tie in the play-offs with a nine-try demolition job at Loftus Versfeld. Canan Moodie, David Kriel, […]

Libbok books spot in play-offs

19 May 2024 0 comments

By JOHN FALLON Connacht …….. 12 Stormers………. 16 Connacht coach Pete Wilkins lamented his side’s failure to fire a shot in a must-win clash against […]

Addison and Ewers among Ulster leavers

19 May 2024 0 comments

Will Addison will be among nine players to leave Ulster at the end of this season. The 31-year-old arrived from Sale in 2018 and has […]

Scarlets pay price for lack of discipline

12 May 2024 0 comments

By SIMON THOMAS Scarlets ………….. 20pts Tries: Tuipulotu 60, Lewis 67 Conversions: Costelow 61, 68 Penalties: Costelow 10, 26 Ulster ………………. 31pts Tries: McCloskey 42, […]

It’s been a crazy six months, says new Welsh star

12 May 2024 0 comments

By SIMON THOMAS Alex Mann is the first to admit his “crazy” journey over the past six months hasn’t really sunk in yet. Before this […]

Glasgow gunning for top two spot

12 May 2024 0 comments

By BRYN PALMER Bulls …………….40 Glasgow……… 34 GLASGOW salvaged two bonus points from a stirring last-quarter comeback to maintain their hopes of a top-two finish. […]

We blew our chances to win, admits Thomas

12 May 2024 0 comments

By SIMON THOMAS Lions…………….. 34pts Tries: Venter 7, Q Horn 18, Tshituka 73, 79 Conversion: Nohamba 8, 19, Lombard 74, 80 Penalties: Nohamba 30, 43 […]

Flanagan can’t believe it as Dragons fall away

12 May 2024 0 comments

By ROGER PANTING Dragons………….21pts Tries: Keddie 14, Wainwright 59 Conversions: O’Brien 59 Penalties: Reed 7, 26, 49 Stormers………. 44pts Tries: Davids 34, 66, Roos 73, […]

Munster make it seven in a row

12 May 2024 0 comments

Munster ……… 47 Connacht……… 12 By JOHN WILKINS MUNSTER made it seven wins on the spin with a seven-try victory over Connacht with seven different […]

Leinster get in the mood for a double triumph

12 May 2024 0 comments

Leinster ……….. 61 Ospreys…………14 By SAM JACKSON JORDAN Larmour scored a hat-trick as Leinster showcased their credentials of a possible Champions Cup and URC double […]

Everitt set for Irish crunch

12 May 2024 0 comments

Edinburgh …….40 Zebre……………..14 By BRYN PALMER EDINBURGH head coach Sean Everitt believes another five points will seal a URC play-off place as his side warmed […]

Davies, 36, open to offers

12 May 2024 0 comments

Wales centre Jonathan Davies is leaving Scarlets at the end of the season and hopes for one final opportunity with another club before retirement. Davies, […]

Davies the leading light in Welsh quartet

12 May 2024 0 comments

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW Four international fly-halves took flight from Wales last year, understandably so given the alternative of staying put […]

Am: Chance to win silverware shows we’re on right track

5 May 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK The Sharks have endured an emotional rollercoaster this season but, after booking their place in the Challenge Cup final with yesterday’s sensational […]

Scarlets move in to sign Hepburn

28 April 2024 0 comments

Scarlets have signed Scotland prop Alec Hepburn from Exeter for next season. The Australian-born 31-year-old helped the Chiefs win the Champions Cup in 2020 and […]

Leinster all-stars set for blockbuster battle

28 April 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Having finally toppled their Champions Cup bogey team La Rochelle, next up for Leinster is Premiership pacesetters Northampton Saints and flanker Will […]

Connacht work hard for valuable five points

28 April 2024 0 comments

By ROGER PANTING Dragons………….27pts Tries: Hughes 5, R Williams 40, Dyer 54 Conversions: Evans 5, 40, 54 Penalties: Evans 49, 62 Connacht ……… 34pts Tries: […]

Leinster manage to stem the flow

28 April 2024 0 comments

By BRIAN FINN Stormers ……. 42 Leinster………..12 LEINSTER suffered another chastening experience in South Africa as their understrenth side were hammered by five tries to […]

Cardiff left in a mess by lively Edinburgh

28 April 2024 0 comments

By ROGER PANTING Cardiff ………………. 7pts Edinburgh………. 24pts Tries: Carre 43 Conversions: de Beer 43 Tries: Schoeman 26, Ashman 62, Venter 76 Conversions: Healy 26, […]

Kok hat-trick swings nail-biter Sharks’ way

28 April 2024 0 comments

By SIMON THOMAS Scarlets …………27pts Tries: Elias 18, Mathias 51, Nicholas 76 Conversions: Costelow 19, 52, 77 Penalties: Costelow 3, 9 Sharks ……………32pts Tries: Kok […]

New low for Ospreys as Bulls go on rampage

28 April 2024 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN Bulls ……………….61pts Tries: Grobbelaar 7, Kriel 21, Arendse 29, 54, Moodie 38, 42, Papier 44, Penalty 61, Le Roux 76 Conversions: C […]

Lions …………….13 Munster ………33

28 April 2024 0 comments

By KEVIN FALLON GRAHAM Rowntree was extremely proud of his men as the champions wrapped up a second bonus point in succession in South Africa. […]

Ulster …………..38 Benetton ……. 34

28 April 2024 0 comments

By JOHN FALLON ULSTER interim coach Richie Murphy is hopeful they have turned a corner and are poised to secure a knockout place in the […]

Glasgow finally get act together

28 April 2024 0 comments

By BRYN PALMER @therugbypaper Zebre …………….. 9 Glasgow……….40 GLASGOW overcame a stodgy first half in Parma to maintain their pursuit of a top-two finish with […]

Wales on a mission to survive or decline

28 April 2024 0 comments

Paul Rees asks whether the country which has won 12 Grand Slams can still afford to run four regional sides A chastening season for Welsh […]

Awayday struggles

28 April 2024 0 comments

Having endured more than their share of hard times in following a club which once described itself in all immodesty as ‘The Greatest’, Cardiff supporters […]