Features

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

Rugby Rivalries that don’t stand the test of time

22 September 2024 0 comments

Rugby Matters by Brendan Gallagher – A weekly look at the game’s other talking points Eyes down all you pub quiz fiends, it’s quiz time […]

Despite bankruptcy, USA Sevens are in good shape

22 September 2024 0 comments

Ben Jaycock talks to Mike Friday about his ten years with USA Sevens – and watching son Lucas Mike Friday recently called time on his […]

Making the game pay is still the main challenge

22 September 2024 0 comments

>> PAUL REES CONSIDERS THE OPTIONS AS TEAMS FROM ACROSS EUROPE AND SOUTH AFRICA KICK OFF THE NEW SEASON The dawn of a new season […]

Playing rugby is about more than just winning – Dave Attwood

22 September 2024 0 comments

My Life in Rugby – Dave Attwood, the former England, Bristol, Bath, Gloucester and Toulon second row Being blunt about it, I was crap at […]

Young Guns – Fraser Rawlins

22 September 2024 0 comments

Young Guns Fraser Rawlins burst onto the scene during the England U18s tour to South Africa, scoring a brace of tries in the fightback victory […]

Series 4, Episode 3: Gallagher Premiership season preview with Luther Burrell

18 September 2024 0 comments

The Gallagher Premiership returns! Can Northampton defend their title? How will Saracens fare without Owen Farrell? Will Newcastle give a better account of themselves? Ex-England […]

Dream Team with Rich Vasey

15 September 2024 0 comments

Rich Vasey, the Caldy backs/attack coach and former fly-half chooses the best XV he has played with or against… Forwards 1. Mike MacDonald – Played […]

Time for Steve Borthwick to prove his worth

15 September 2024 0 comments

Rugby Matters – A weekly look at the game’s talking points By Brendan Gallagher Honeymoon periods are not set in stone and in my estimation […]

Just being paid to play was a dream

15 September 2024 0 comments

DAN BAUGH MY LIFEIN RUGBY THE FORMER CANADA AND CARDIFF FLANKER, WHO COACHED CARDIFF, WALES AND WASPS AND IS NOW GEORGIA’S HEAD OF S&C THERE’S […]

Young Guns – Harlequins’ Felix Champain

15 September 2024 0 comments

Young Guns Felix Champain felt his trip to South Africa last month with England U18s was a great indication in what it takes to go […]

Series 4, Episode 2: Juandré Kruger on unstoppable Springboks and woeful Wallabies

12 September 2024 0 comments

The Rugby Paper Podcast’s microscope moves south of the equator for today’s episode, as in the latest round of the Rugby Championship South Africa wrapped […]

For me, you have to go out to play good rugby and enjoy yourself

8 September 2024 0 comments

Q&A As he approaches his 20th season as director of rugby at Bedford Blues, Mike Rayer chats to Jon Newcombe about his tenure at Goldington […]

PGP analysis – Borthwick given strong hand

8 September 2024 0 comments

Analysis Paul Rees looks at the new men’s Professional Game Partnership Gand says it’s a deal which suits the RFU more If the devil is […]

I couldn’t let my old club go to the wall

8 September 2024 0 comments

MY LIFEIN RUGBY THE FORMER WEST HARTLEPOOL PLAYER, CAPTAIN AND COACH, WHO ALSO REPRESENTED DURHAM, THE NORTH AND BRITISH POLICE JOHN STABLER Regular guy: John […]

PATRICK HOGG

8 September 2024 0 comments

YOUNG GUNS NEWCASTLE & ENGLAND U18 FORWARD England U18s captain Patrick Hogg is using his time at Newcastle Falcons to pick the brains of club […]

Q&A: Leigh Steinberg on Louis Rees-Zammit’s NFL chances

2 September 2024 0 comments

Ben Jaycock caught up with American sports agent Leigh Steinberg to discuss Louis Rees-Zammit and his chances of making it in the NFL.

Borthwick faces starting again

1 September 2024 0 comments

ANALYSIS PAUL REES LOOKS AT THE DEPARTURES OF FELIX JONES AND ALED WALTERS AND WONDERS WHAT IT MEANS FOR ENGLAND ONE of the most remarkable […]

Barker determined to hit the heights at Bristol

1 September 2024 0 comments

Paul Rees talks to Steele Barker, a young player who was once told he was too small to make it in the second row Rising […]

Energetic thinking urgently required

1 September 2024 0 comments

CHRIS HEWETT THINKING ALLOWED CRITICAL supporters of Bristol in the late amateur era believed their team was being straitjacketed by a rigidly traditional committee structure […]

Am I planning to hang up my boots? Hell, no!

1 September 2024 0 comments

MY LIFE IN RUGBY ALUN WALKER THE CHINNOR HOOKER, FORMERLY OF EALING, NEWCASTLE, NOTTINGHAM, EDINBURGH & SCOTLAND U20s IHAD a bad injury at the start […]

Good to see Adams back and raring to go

1 September 2024 0 comments

JOSH Adams’ pain last season extended beyond a run of one try in nine matches for Wales. Despite torn shoulder ligaments, recurring knee problems and […]

Price glad he played under old regime

1 September 2024 0 comments

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW AT Pontypool Park on September 24, 1986, with the sweet chestnut trees in full autumnal regalia, the […]

ELLIOTWILLIAMS HARLEQUINS & ENGLAND U20 LOCK

1 September 2024 0 comments

YOUNG GUNS England U18s enforcer Elliot Williams is hoping to reach the heights of beefy senior lock George Martin after playing his part on the […]

Dream Team – JJ Hanrahan

25 August 2024 0 comments

JJ Hanrahan, the Munster, Northampton, Clermont, Dragons, and Connacht fly-half, chooses the best XV he has played with or against… 1. David Kilcoyne – I […]

I want that winner’s medal this time around

25 August 2024 0 comments

Jon Newcombe talks to Bath back rower Miles Reid as he prepares for the new Prem season Miles Reid is saving space on his mantlepiece […]

Daley-McLean keen to build game in north-east

25 August 2024 0 comments

By Paul Martin Katy Daley-McLean hopes hosting next summer’s World Cup will provide a much-needed boost for women’s rugby in her native north-east. The South […]

Robertson needs to redress the balance

Ben Jaycock talks to England head coach Jonathan Pendlebury ahead of the U18s tour to South Africa ENGLAND U18 SQUAD FORWARDS Diamond Ayiehfor (Leicester, Warwick […]

SHORTEST INTERNATIONAL CAREERS

11 August 2024 0 comments

90 seconds: Alexandre Albouy (France v Italy, Paris 2002) 2 minutes: Chris Pennell (England v New Zealand, Auckland, 2011); Ollie Griffiths (Wales v Tonga, Auckland, […]

Berry’s briefest of brief encounters…

11 August 2024 0 comments

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW TEN summer Olympiads have come and all but gone since Marty Berry went off on a sprint […]

There’s little for Ulster to cheer

11 August 2024 0 comments

ULSTER can lay justifiable claim to supplying the Lions with a trio of all-time greats: Mike Gibson, Syd Millar and Willie-John McBride. Their native province […]

Sorry end to Bradley’s voyage

11 August 2024 0 comments

BRADLEY Roberts surfacing at the Principality Stadium three years ago renewed his family’s ancestral link to Wales thanks to his maternal grandmother’s birth in Llandysul. […]

Sustainability the name of the game

11 August 2024 0 comments

Paul Rees reports that all Premiership clubs have released more players than they have recruited SEVEN of last year’s England World Cup squad have moved […]

Premiership ins & outs 2024-25

11 August 2024 0 comments

Pepper Bath Ins: Ross Molony (Leinster), Francois van Wyk (Leicester Tigers), Guy Pepper (Newcastle Falcons), Austin Emens (Great Britain Sevens) Outs: Matt Gallagher (Benetton), Steffan […]