World Rugby Rugby World Cup

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

VIDEO: New Zealand beat Australia to win third World Cup

31 October 2015 0 comments

New Zealand have become the first country to win the World Cup three times after defeating Australia 34-17 in the final at Twickenham.

Get Warren Gatland in and sort RFU mess says Mike Friday

27 October 2015 0 comments

RFU chiefs must pay whatever it takes to buy Warren Gatland out of his Wales contract, according to former England 7s coach.

Basic errors by Stuart Lancaster cost us says Mike Friday

15 October 2015 0 comments

Critical pre-tournament errors in selection by head coach Stuart Lancaster and a failure to deploy X-factor players during losses to Wales and Australia cost England […]

Wales give moneybags England a £1.2m hand-off over Warren Gatland

14 October 2015 0 comments

Wales have issued a ‘hands-off’ warning to England over Warren Gatland. England have been urged to do everything they can to prize the Kiwi from […]

Picking Sam Burgess upset England morale blasts Gareth Chilcott

12 October 2015 0 comments

England’s obsession with Sam Burgess should cost Stuart Lancaster his job.

Scott Spedding aims to rule skies in epic battle with Rob Kearney

9 October 2015 0 comments

France full-back Scott Spedding is expecting an aerial dogfight with Ireland rival Rob Kearney. Les Bleus will battle it out with Joe Schmidt‘s side on Sunday […]

James Horwill: Wales play into Wallaby hands

8 October 2015 0 comments

Wales‘ preference for open, attacking rugby could play into Australian hands on Saturday when the sides meet in Cardiff, according to former Wallaby lock James […]

Nehe Milner-Sukker can fire the All Blacks charge

2 October 2015 0 comments

Nehe Milner-Skudder has few peers at this World Cup when it comes to tripping the light fantastic down a rugby field. If there is a […]

Steve Borthwick turns Japan into Land of Rising Scrum

1 October 2015 0 comments

Japan‘s pack, once the butt of jokes and considered little more than a speed-bump on the way to the try-line by rugby’s elite nations, has […]

All Blacks by far the best 31 says Sean Fitzpatrick

30 September 2015 0 comments

England have no world-class players according to All Black legend.

Laurie Fisher: Can Wallabies win five on the trot?

29 September 2015 0 comments

Gloucester coach questions Wallabies’ ability to turn up for consecutive big games ahead of two gruelling weeks in the Pool of Death.

Nick Farr-Jones: Wobbly pack is huge worry for Wallabies

21 September 2015 0 comments

Australia have a great track record of winning the World Cup in UK after victories in 1991 and 1999, but I just can’t see […]

Jamie Roberts: We’ve done the prep to ace finals

19 September 2015 0 comments

Jamie Roberts reckons Wales have done their revision to pass their toughest examination yet. Wales have unfinished business at the World Cup after their semi-final […]

Shane Byrne: Joe Schmidt will get Ireland into last four

18 September 2015 0 comments

Shane Byrne believes Joe Schmidt has found a formula which could lead Ireland to World Cup glory. The former Ireland international has backed Schmidt to […]

England will beat Fiji, but performance is key says Mike Tindall

18 September 2015 0 comments

World Cup winner challenged Lancaster’s troops to beat Fiji in style and send fear into their Pool A rivals.

Serge Betsen backs Chris Robshaw and England to make it to the final

17 September 2015 0 comments

England’s back-row is not in the same class as Australia and Wales but the legendary French flanker is still tipping Stuart Lancaster’s side to reach the final.

Legend Jason Robinson backs Anthony Watson to win it for England

16 September 2015 0 comments

World Cup winner reckons Bath flyer is England’s best winger.

Martin Johnson tells England: be clinical, seize the day

9 September 2015 0 comments

England will have to score at least three tries a game if they want to avoid an early exit from the World Cup according to […]

Wallabies can exploit Red Rose uncertainty says Matt Burke

4 September 2015 0 comments

Wallabies legend believes Australia can make it a hat-trick of World Cup wins on UK soil.

Workaholic Henry Slade was never going to be fazed

3 September 2015 0 comments

Exeter academy manager Robin Cowling has backed rookie Henry Slade to take his World Cup call-up in his stride. Slade’s superb debut in the 19-14 […]

Nemani Nadolo plans Pool of Death opener shock for England

1 September 2015 0 comments

Fijian juggernaut Nemani Nadolo has England in his sights and intends to blow the World Cup wide open with victory on the opening night. Nadolo […]

Openside duo key for Wallabies says George Smith

27 August 2015 0 comments

Breakdown master George Smith has backed Australia to cause England and Wales no end of trouble in the ‘Pool of Death’ if they continue picking […]

Mike Friday: England have no midfield X-factor without Kyle Eastmond

20 August 2015 0 comments

Kyle Eastmond’s World Cup omission betrays a startling lack of England ambition, according to former Sevens boss Mike Friday. Friday says he is struggling to […]

Pool of Death holds no fear for Nikola Matawalu’s classy Islanders

19 August 2015 0 comments

“Fiji mean business at this World Cup”

Outsiders Fiji will take a big scalp warns Bob Dwyer

18 August 2015 0 comments

1991 winning coach adamant Fiji will be England or Wales at World Cup.

Sam Hidalgo-Clyne Is the man for Scotland – Scott Hastings

12 August 2015 1 comment

Scott Hastings says it is time Scotland ditched skipper Greig Laidlaw to give Sam Hidalgo-Clyne his chance at scrum-half. Hidalgo-Clyne, 21, enjoyed a breakthrough campaign […]

Wing king Anthony Watson has hero Quade Cooper in his sights

12 August 2015 2 comments

Anthony Watson could face one of his boyhood heroes when England clash with Australia in their crunch World Cup qualifier at Twickenham this October. Watson […]

Jamie George is England’s form hooker, says Alistair Hargreaves

7 August 2015 0 comments

Alistair Hargreaves has backed Jamie George’s World Cup bid, claiming boss Stuart Lancaster would “make a huge mistake” if he omits the uncapped Saracens hooker. […]

England in need of big Semesa Rokoduguni’s physicality says Matt Banahan

7 August 2015 0 comments

Semesa Rokoduguni deserves a shot at World Cup glory according to Matt Banahan, who insists his Bath colleague would offer England “something different”. Red Rose […]

Dean Mumm opens up about World Cup dream

5 August 2015 0 comments

Dean Mumm is nothing if not determined. Having packed away his boots after leading Exeter Chiefs to a resounding victory over Sale Sharks in mid-May, […]

Mike Brown fit and firing says Andy Farrell

31 July 2015 2 comments

Mike Brown is winning his fitness battle ahead of England’s opening World Cup warm-up game after emerging unscathed from his first full week of contact […]

Richard Haughton targeting World Cup… as a referee!

30 July 2015 0 comments

Former Saracens and Wasps winger Richard Haughton is aiming to follow the Glen Jackson route to refereeing stardom after taking up the whistle in France. […]

England and Wales stars being ‘shot to bits’

28 July 2015 2 comments

England and Wales have been warned that their players will be ‘shot to pieces’ before their three-Test series in Australasia at the end of the […]

Fight to the death will bring best out of Billy Twelvetrees

18 July 2015 1 comment

Billy Twelvetrees insists he is excited rather than daunted by the battle raging around England’s coveted No.12 jersey as the clock ticks down on Stuart […]

Versatile Henry Slade is ready to mash the monsters

17 July 2015 28 comments

Henry Slade insists taking on world rugby‘s midfield monsters would not faze him, with the versatile England back saying he would relish the opportunity of […]

Calum Clark takes Richie McCaw as his World Cup inspiration

16 July 2015 0 comments

Northampton flanker insists his days of worrying are over and he will let his performances do the talking

Ben Morgan’s reaping rewards of lay-off

10 July 2015 0 comments

Ben Morgan admits he feared for his rugby future before making a Lazarus-like recovery to be included in England‘s World Cup training squad. Six months […]

Matt Kvesic desperate for trip to Denver to show he is the breakdown king

9 July 2015 0 comments

Matt Kvesic accepts he faces a huge battle to break into England’s World Cup squad ahead of experienced campaigners like Chris Robshaw and James Haskell. […]

‘One more blow and George North has to quit’

7 July 2015 1 comment

One of world rugby‘s leading medical figures is advising George North to retire should he suffer another head injury. The Welsh Lion is due to […]

Tom Youngs backed to become the best hooker in world

3 July 2015 2 comments

England man now rivals Bismarck du Plessis as the world’s best hooker according to Lee Mears.

Why Danny Care is gearing up for the father of all battles in pursuit of his World Cup dream

2 July 2015 0 comments

Quins star is on a mission to re-establish himself as England’s first-choice scrum-half for the World Cup.

George Ford is key to England success – Martin Johnson

30 June 2015 0 comments

Martin Johnson believes Stuart Lancaster should build a successful World Cup winning side around George Ford. Johnson, who lifted the Webb Ellis Trophy in Sydney […]

Sam Burgess is pure gold to have in the camp says Dave Attwood

24 June 2015 0 comments

Cross-code star is a “live contender” to make England’s final World Cup squad according to Bath teammate.

Stuart Lancaster’s got a mess in midfield warns Dean Ryan

18 June 2015 1 comment

England midfield remains the most urgent concern according to Worcester boss.

If Manu Tuilagi needs a bodyguard on a night out he just has to ask, says Billy Vunipola

13 June 2015 0 comments

Manu Tuilagi deserves to be cut some slack, according to his England pal Billy Vunipola, who is backing the errant Leicester centre to overcome his […]