Featured

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

Not a question of if Bristol are promoted, it’s when, says Sean Holley

28 March 2014 0 comments

Head coach Sean Holley says he feels “no pressure” to get Bristol promoted to the Premiership this campaign.

Top ten hit Owen Farrell has climbed up to No.3

27 March 2014 2 comments

Owen Farrell can be bracketed among the world’s top three fly-halves alongside Dan Carter and Jonny Sexton, according to Wasps and former England star Andy Goode.

Exeter aim to be Euro champs in five years

26 March 2014 0 comments

Matt Jess insists there are “no limits” to what Exeter Chiefs can achieve.

New Euro Cup ‘will be worth £100m’

25 March 2014 0 comments

The new shape of European rugby will finally be confirmed this week with the potential to generate £100m-a-year and revolutionise the game.

Courtney Lawes and Joe Launchbury are ‘best in the world’

21 March 2014 0 comments

Former England lock Ben Kay has hailed the Courtney Lawes/Joe Launchbury double act as the perfect second row partnership.

Fight for Dan Cole’s place won’t change Henry Thomas

20 March 2014 0 comments

Henry Thomas is the first to admit that he cannot match Dan Cole’s all-court ability in an England shirt.

Bath want Gavin Henson to fight for his place

19 March 2014 2 comments

Bath head coach Mike Ford has revealed his desire to keep Gavin Henson as he looks to build one of Premiership rugby’s most exhilarating midfields.

Jim Mallinder staying to finish his Leicester hunt

14 March 2014 0 comments

Jim Mallinder has revealed how the desire to break Leicester Tigers’ hegemony and establish Northampton as domestic rugby’s leading force persuaded him to snub the chance of coaching England two years ago.

Jacques Burger: Rugby’s brutal so don’t play if you can’t take the pain

13 March 2014 0 comments

Jacques Burger, arguably Premiership Rugby’s toughest tackler, admits to being concerned over the long-term effects of professional rugby’s relentless brutality.

Jonny Bentley on board to steer Leeds through playoffs

13 March 2014 0 comments

As the sixth former Pirate to jump on board the good ship Leeds Carnegie, loan signing Jonny Bentley is already feeling the wind in his sails at Headingley.

RFU face legal action over league restructure

12 March 2014 0 comments

The Rugby Football Union faces court action by lower league clubs unless controversial plans to restructure the National Leagues are dropped.

Henry Thomas will be ready for World Cup, says Jason Leonard

7 March 2014 1 comment

He is not the heir to Dan Cole’s tighthead throne yet but Henry Thomas has all the attributes to overthrow England’s No.3 one day, says prop legend Jason Leonard.

Play-off deal ‘can fund Championship clubs’

7 March 2014 1 comment

Cornish Pirates chairman Dicky Evans believes trading away rights to automatic promotion and relegation between the Championship and Premiership would be the best way of generating revenue to keep second tier teams afloat.

Worcester Warriors are right for me says Sam Smith

6 March 2014 0 comments

Sam Smith has denied he was forced out of Harlequins to make room for Marland Yarde, revealing he turned down a new deal in favour of joining Worcester next season.

Master spy James O’Connor is impressed by England

5 March 2014 1 comment

James O’Connor believes England are “building towards something special” and admits Australia will have their work cut out to beat them at the 2015 World Cup.

Defeat at Twickenham carries £2m price tag

4 March 2014 0 comments

England and Wales will be playing for high stakes in next Sunday’s Six Nations eliminator at Twickenham.

Courtney Lawes left it too long to hit heights, says Simon Shaw

28 February 2014 0 comments

Courtney Lawes’ burgeoning reputation as a world-class lock has been a while in coming – indeed England legend Simon Shaw thinks it has taken too long.

Ross Rennie happy to put Bristol first for now

28 February 2014 1 comment

Ross Rennie insists a Scotland recall is the furthest thing from his mind as he continues to rebuild his career at Bristol.

Let’s copy the NFL to help black coaches up the ladder

27 February 2014 0 comments

Collin Osborne, as skills chief at Harlequins the only black coach operating at the top end of English rugby, believes more should be done to increase ethnic diversity within the game.

Axe cap or risk losing out on TV bonanza, says Nigel Wray

27 February 2014 1 comment

Saracens chairman Nigel Wray believes greater success in Europe is critical if Premiership clubs are to maximise future TV revenue.

Sam Burgess will shake up centre play, says Henry Paul

26 February 2014 1 comment

Henry Paul believes the signing of Rugby League star Sam Burgess will take centre play in England onto a new level – even if the cross-code convert fails to make the highest grade.

Stop us if you can, George North tells England

25 February 2014 1 comment

Wales descend on Twickenham next week with a challenging message to England: “Stop us, if you can.”

Stephen Jones helps Joe Simpson put family heartbreak behind him

21 February 2014 0 comments

Joe Simpson is ready to put personal tragedy behind him and fight for a place on England’s summer tour to New Zealand.

Who ate all the pies? Not new-look James Johnston!

19 February 2014 0 comments

James Johnston admits that adapting to life at Saracens has been anything but smooth.

New Euro Cup will be based in Switzerland

18 February 2014 1 comment

The peace plan aimed at ending Europe’s rugby war will revolve around a new organisation at a new base in a country famous for its neutrality – Switzerland.

Stuart Lancaster’s youth policy is a gamble says Mark Cueto

14 February 2014 0 comments

Mark Cueto fears England have turned to youth on a wing and prayer – claiming it would be wrong to leave Saracens’ two speedsters on the scrapheap for good.

One of world’s best No.8s? I’m not even top in Wales, says humble Taulupe Faletau

13 February 2014 0 comments

Trying to make Taulupe Faletau sing his own praises, and watching him refuse to brand himself as one of the best No.8s in the world, is as painful as it is refreshing.

Electric Kyle Eastmond can put the frighteners on

12 February 2014 0 comments

Former England Sevens captain Rob Vickerman believes Kyle Eastmond can follow in the footsteps of Jason Robinson and “revolutionise” back play in Rugby Union.

New hope of Euro peace as WRU bid to contract Adam Jones

11 February 2014 0 comments

The Welsh Rugby Union have offered Adam Jones £50,000-a-year more than the Ospreys to sign a central contract – but it may not be enough to prevent him leaving.

Tomasso Allan refuses to be eclipsed by Diego Dominguez shadow

7 February 2014 0 comments

Tomasso Allan is a gifted 20-year-old of natural sunny disposition – as befits a young tyro who spends most of his time living the dream in Perpignan, Cape Town and Rome – but the mention of Diego Dominguez produces something akin to a frown.

New-look Danny Care can tick all the boxes now

7 February 2014 1 comment

Attacking flair has always been Danny Care’s calling card, that airborne reverse flick pass against Clermont just the tip of an iceberg of inventive highlights.

Alex Waller was spurred on by England omissions

6 February 2014 0 comments

Snubbed by England through the age-groups, Alex Waller’s chance to pull on the Red Rose jersey was a long time coming.

Veteran Jon Clarke enjoying life with cavalier Leeds

6 February 2014 0 comments

Just one month into his Leeds Carnegie career former England Saxon centre Jon Clarke already feels like a Headingley veteran.

You must stick with Luther Burrell now says Alex King

5 February 2014 0 comments

Northampton backs coach Alex King insists his protégé deserves long-term backing in the international set-up

Billy Twelvetrees and Joe Marler head the Haywards Heath talent factory

4 February 2014 0 comments

Haywards Heath may be languishing in the sixth tier of English rugby but it hasn’t stopped the London 1 South side from producing home-grown rugby talent destined for the very top.

Dai Young fears that weary Welsh Lions will suffer in Six Nations

31 January 2014 1 comment

Dai Young feels the after-effects of a gruelling Lions tour could hinder Wales’s chances of becoming the first side to claim three Six Nations titles in a row.

Sale Sharks still expect bite from lock of ages Nathan Hines

30 January 2014 1 comment

Nathan Hines will be 39 by the time his newly-signed Sale contract finishes, but retirement is still far from the mind of the evergreen lock.

Marlan Yarde would be top signing says Tom Williams

29 January 2014 1 comment

Tom Williams says speculation linking Marland Yarde with a move to Harlequins is a positive sign of ambition and would welcome his arrival.

Chris Ashton dropped by England

28 January 2014 0 comments

As expected, Chris Ashton has been dropped by England ahead of their Six Nations opener against France on Saturday.

Deadline looms for Anglo-Welsh league plan

28 January 2014 0 comments

England’s elite clubs and the four Welsh regions have signed contracts for a 16-team Aviva Premiership from next season and will announce their intentions on Friday.

Richard Parks proves he is Poles apart from rest

24 January 2014 0 comments

For the first time in a long while former Wales flanker Richard Parks will be sitting back next month and necking a few beers as he takes in as much Six Nations action as possible.

England Sevens must keep in touch warns Tom Mitchell

23 January 2014 0 comments

Tom Mitchell, the newly-appointed captain of England Sevens, believes they have to lift a trophy in either Las Vegas or Wellington if they don’t want to fall off the frantic pace set by New Zealand, South Africa and Fiji.

Luther Burrell gets defensive about his big chance

21 January 2014 0 comments

Manu Tuilagi may be the irresistible force but Luther Burrell believes he can be the immovable object if Stuart Lancaster hands him England’s No.13 shirt.

Saracens bait Adam ‘Hair Bear’Jones with £300k

21 January 2014 0 comments

Saracens have entered the bidding war for Wales and Lions star Adam Jones offering him £300,000 a season

Owen Williams ready to fight for Toby Flood’s No.10 shirt

17 January 2014 0 comments

Freddie Burns’ expected arrival at Welford Road has Tigers fans purring but he should not expect to walk into the No.10 shirt – at least not if Owen Williams has anything to do with it.

Boy George Ford will man-up for England says Peter Stringer

16 January 2014 0 comments

Stuart Lancaster has challenged George Ford to show he can handle the international stage – but the Bath prodigy has already proved he’s tailor-made for the England shirt, according to the man with the best seat in the house.

Now David Moffett flies back ‘to end war’ in Wales

15 January 2014 2 comments

David Moffett launches his one-man crusade to save Welsh rugby this week with a mighty declaration of intent: “I will end the war.”

No excuses for failure at Warriors blasts Richard Hill

14 January 2014 2 comments

Worcester should be achieving far better results than they have managed under Dean Ryan, says former Sixways boss Richard Hill.

Delon Armitage: Toulon will release us for England

10 January 2014 1 comment

Delon Armitage has described England’s refusal to pick France-based players as a “big opportunity missed”, insisting he and brother Steffon are available for all international training camps.