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 keen for Hastings return

24 December 2023 1 comment

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Scotland international Adam Hastings has been speaking to Glasgow Warriors about a return north of the border when his […]

Derby day double act for regions

24 December 2023 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Fixtures: Tuesday December 26: Cardiff v Dragons, Kick-off 3pm Scarlets v Ospreys, Kick-off 5.15pm Boxing Day action sees back-to-back Welsh derbies as […]

Glasgow claim the bragging rights

24 December 2023 0 comments

By BRYN PALMER Glasgow…………22pts Tries: Rowe 17, Matthews 66, Miller 73 Conversions: Horne 67, 74 Penalty: Thompson 6 Edinburgh……… 10pts Try: Nel 33 Conversion: Healy […]

Cooney leads the revenge party

24 December 2023 0 comments

By JOHN FALLON Ulster ……………..20pts Tries: Warwick 2, Timoney 19 Conversions: Cooney 3, 20 Penalties: Cooney 51, 66 Connacht ……….19pts Josh McKay -Glasgow Tries: Aki […]

Stormers ……..26 Bulls …………….20

24 December 2023 0 comments

THE Stormers recorded a seventh successive victory over the Bulls in front of 42,000 at the DHL Stadium. The Bulls scored two tries in four […]

Zebre ………….. 24 Benetton ……..31

24 December 2023 0 comments

FORMER Wasps wing Paolo Odogwu was the star of the show as Benetton secured their sixth victory of the season and moved into the top […]

Dreadful night for Scarlets

24 December 2023 0 comments

When they drank Llanelli dry the day the Scarlets beat New Zealand 51 years ago, the public houses to run out of beer included The […]

Snyman move to Leinster confirmed

19 December 2023 0 comments

RG Snyman’s move from Munster to rivals Leinster has today been confirmed, ending Bath‘s hopes of bringing the two-time World Cup winner to the Recreation […]

Another player to call time on URC

17 December 2023 0 comments

By NEIL FISSLER Dragons flanker Aaron Wainwright could be the latest Wales international to leave the URC when his contract runs out at the end […]

Surprise U-turn by Snyman

17 December 2023 0 comments

Bath appear to have missed out on signing Springbok World Cup winner RG Snyman, who it seems has changed his mind about a move to […]

Skinner staying at Edinburgh

17 December 2023 0 comments

Scotland lock Sam Skinner has agreed to sign on at Edinburgh for another two years, opting for loyalty rather than a lucrative move to the […]

Mann happy he made the switch from football

10 December 2023 0 comments

By SIMON THOMAS Football’s loss is proving to be rugby’s gain in the case of URC top tackler Alex Mann. He spent three years on […]

URC star Matthews scoring for fun at all levels

10 December 2023 0 comments

By SIMON THOMAS URC top try-scorer Johnny Matthews is proof there’s more than one path to rugby stardom. The hooker was 26 before he signed […]

Lloyd stars as Scarlets show their character

3 December 2023 0 comments

By SIMON THOMAS Cardiff …………………………. 23pts Tries: Williams 4, Winnett 10 Conversions: De Beer 5, 11 Penalties: De Beer 42, 59, 76 Scarlets……………………….. 29pts Tries: […]

Bulls have Sharks lock in their sights

3 December 2023 0 comments

Sale Sharks lock Cobus Wiese has been targeted by the Bulls, who are offering him around £300,000 a year to return home at the end […]

Heartbreak for Ospreys as Benetton snatch it

3 December 2023 0 comments

By ROB COLE Benetton ……….. 18pts Tries: Bernasconi 16, Da Re 76 Conversions: Umaga 17 Penalties: Umaga 65, 69 Ospreys …………. 13pts Tries: Nagy 42, […]

Six-try Bulls gear up for Saracens

3 December 2023 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Bulls …………… 44 Sharks ………… 10 THE Bulls showed their quality with a six-try thrashing of the Sharks at Loftus Versfeld before […]

Stormers start to show some form

3 December 2023 0 comments

By SAM JACKSON Stormers ……..31 Zebre ……………..7 THEY are not looking like the URC champions they once were but the Stormers’ straightforward win over Zebre […]

14-man Lions too good for Dragons

3 December 2023 0 comments

By HAMISH Lions……………… 49pts Tries: van Wyck 11, Horn 28, 70; van der Merwe 43, 77; van der Berg 57 Conversions: Nohamba 29, 44, 53, […]

Frawley runs home late winner

3 December 2023 0 comments

By KEVIN FALLON Connacht ……..22 Leinster ………. 24 CIARAN Frawley was the hero for Leinster as he struck for a match-winning try in the 81st […]

Ritchie earns Everitt praise

3 December 2023 0 comments

By JOHN FALLON Ulster ………….. 24 Edinburgh …….27 EDINBURGH coach Sean Everitt said they were good value for their first win in Belfast in five […]

Rowntree: We need to get better

3 December 2023 0 comments

By JOHN FALLON Munster ……….40 Glasgow ……….29 GLASGOW coach Franco Smith said they could have few complaints about the outcome at Musgrave Park against the […]

After only seven games, hooker Elias is happy to be back in the running

26 November 2023 0 comments

By SIMON THOMAS Ryan Elias has played just seven games of rugby in 2023 – yet among those have been some of the biggest highs […]

Redpath lining up move to Scotland

26 November 2023 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Bath and Scotland centre Cam Redpath, below, could be heading across the border next summer after emerging as a […]

Wales captain Morgan has some familiar faces in sight

26 November 2023 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK PREVIEW… Ospreys v Scarlets Today. Kick-off 3pm, Liberty Stadium WALES captain Jac Morgan returns to his former club today as the flanker […]

Litterick’s late show steals it for Cardiff

26 November 2023 0 comments

By ROGER PANTING Cardiff …………….. 31pts Tries: Hamer-Webb 24, Belcher 33, Grady 54, Litterick 80 Conversions: de Beer 24, 33, 54, 80 Penalties: de Beer […]

World Cup winners control it for Sharks

26 November 2023 0 comments

By SIMON THOMAS Sharks ……………69pts Tries: Fassi 12, Mapimpi 21, Kok 40, Etzebeth 47, Williams 54, Buthelezi 61, Labuschagne 64, Williams 71, Fassi 75, Am […]

Bulls ……………..53 Connacht ……..27

26 November 2023 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK AN error-strewn performance from Connacht put the Irish province out of contention at Loftus Versfeld as the Bulls ran riot. The Bulls […]

Leinster ……….. 21 Munster ………. 16

26 November 2023 0 comments

By KEVIN FALLON JACK Conan said Leinster have huge room for improvement despite seeing off arch rivals Munster in a cracking contest at the Aviva […]

Edinburgh……..22 Benetton …….. 24

26 November 2023 0 comments

By SAM JACKSON DESPITE scoring two tries, Blair Kinghorn was denied the perfect farewell as Benetton snatched the points to dent Edinburgh’s play-off hopes. Benetton […]

Glasgow………..33 Ulster…………….20

26 November 2023 0 comments

By JIM SHORT JOHNNY Matthews completed the job with a couple of tries off the bench as Glasgow recovered from a nightmare start to carve […]

Lively Lions on the prowl

26 November 2023 0 comments

By SAM JACKSON Lions ……………. 61 Zebre…………….. 19 HENCO van Wyk and Edwill van der Merwe claimed two tries apiece as the Lions recorded their […]

Lawrence delight as he goes back to Cardiff

19 November 2023 0 comments

Back row Alun Lawrence has rejoined Cardiff Rugby on a short-term contract. The 25-year-old came through the ranks at the Arms Park before joining Jersey […]

North to decide on Provence move

19 November 2023 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE Wales and Lions ace George North could this week tell ambitious ProD2 outfit Aix-en-Provence if he will join their bid for promotion […]

Floodgates open as Leinster go to top

19 November 2023 0 comments

By ROB COLE Leinster…………. 54pts Tries: Prendergast 3, O’Brien 8, Deegan 15, 79; Ringrose 50, Osborne 61, 74; Doyle 67 Conversions: Prendergast 9, 16, 51; […]

Hanrahan nudges Connacht home

19 November 2023 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Sharks …………. 12 Connacht …….. 13 FLY-HALF JJ Hanrahan’s second-half penalty edged Connacht to victory in Durban to make it four wins […]

Dogged Ulster grind out victory

19 November 2023 0 comments

By SAM JACKSON Ulster ………….. 24 Lions ……………. 17 ULSTER came from behind to beat the Lions at a windswept Kingspan Stadium scoring three tries […]

Flanagan: We threw off all the shackles

19 November 2023 0 comments

By SIMON THOMAS Dragons……………. 20pts Conversion: Evans 39, 66 Penalty: Evans 24, 30 Ospreys………………5pts Tries: Roberts 38, Dyer 65 DRAGONS claimed their first URC win […]

Krumov’s try denies Cardiff at the death

19 November 2023 0 comments

By SIMON THOMAS Zebre……………….22pts Tries: Smith 34, Morisi 38, Krumov 86 Conversion: Prisciantelli 35, 87 Penalty: Prisciantelli 59 Cardiff…………….22pts Tries: Thomas 10, Timani 53, Grady […]

Crowley makes sure for Munster

19 November 2023 0 comments

By KEVIN FALLON Munster ………. 10 Stormers ……….. 3 JACK Crowley led from the front to steer Munster to victory over the Stormers in a […]

Clinical Warriors march on

19 November 2023 0 comments

By BRYN PALMER Glasgow ……….26 Benetton ……… 12 GLASGOW moved into the top two of the URC with a clinical bonuspoint win at Scotstoun. First-half […]

Coetzee red lets Edinburgh in

19 November 2023 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Edinburgh ……. 31 Bulls ……………..23 EDINBURGH claimed a fourth win out of five as Bulls found it hard going following Marcell Coetzee’s […]

Hanekom chews over Wales option

19 November 2023 0 comments

By ROB COLE His elder brother was the first to dip his toe into Welsh rugby and now the Bulls No.8 Cameron Hanekom is mulling […]

Heartbreak for Scarlets as Van Wyk try steals it

12 November 2023 0 comments

By SIMON THOMAS Scarlets …………23pts Tries: Rogers 17, Elias 68 Conversions: Lloyd 18, 69 Penalties: Lloyd 3, 48, 54 Lions……………… 24pts Tries: Louw 21, Botha […]

Zebre claim first win in 29 games

12 November 2023 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Zebre …………… 12 Sharks ………… 10 Zebre secured their first win since April 2022 as they narrowly saw off the Sharks thanks […]

Umaga kick kills off the Stormers

12 November 2023 0 comments

■By SAM JACKSON Benetton ……..20 Stormers …….. 17 THE travel woes of South African teams continued as the Stormers stumbled to a defeat against Benetton. […]

Ospreys fall just short as Dell gets late winner

12 November 2023 0 comments

■By ROGER PANTING Ospreys ……………………….. 23pts Tries: Williams 5, Morgan-Williams 67 Conversions: Walsh 5, 57 Penalties: Walsh 25, 55, 73 Glasgow…………………………31pts Tries: Matthews 37, 44, […]

Cardiff left to count cost of their errors

12 November 2023 0 comments

■By SIMON THOMAS Cardiff …………… 12pts Tries: Grady 23, Lee Lo 53 Conversions: De Beer 53 Bulls ………………. 18pts Tries: Papier 11, De Klerk 14 […]

Healy puts boot into Connacht

12 November 2023 0 comments

■By JOHN FALLON Edinburgh …….25 Connacht ……..22 BEN Healy broke Connacht’s hearts with a drop goal in the final play of the night to end […]

Ulster end Munster’s run

12 November 2023 0 comments

■By JOHN FALLON Ulster …………… 21 Munster ……….14 CAPTAIN Tom Stewart paid tribute to recordbreaker Rob Herring on his 230th appearance and debutant prop Scott […]

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