Features

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

How one player really can make a team tick

3 March 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER WHY have France fallen off a cliff ?Can it really all be […]

It doesn’t feel right to see Italy at the bottom

3 March 2024 0 comments

Various non rugby specialists have contacted me this week asking why Italy are currently bottom of the Six Nations table. Patiently I have described the […]

The team culture at Exeter blew me away

3 March 2024 0 comments

My Life in Rugby with Bryan Rennie – The former Scotland A, Border Reivers, London Irish, Exeter & Bristol centre, now general manager of the […]

Red Roses: Saracens prop Kelsey Clifford

3 March 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Birthplace: Barnet, Date of birth: 11/12/01 Community club: Finchley RFC, Red Roses debut: vs Scotland March 2023, Caps: 3 Why I play […]

Six-try Bears capitalise on Trailfinders’ ill-discipline

3 March 2024 0 comments

Women’s Premiership By EDDIE McATEER Trailfinders ….. 10pts Tries: Blanco 10, Laflin 39 Bristol …………….38pts Tries: Pyrs 18, 40; Atkin-Davies 27, 45; Skeldon 74, 78 […]

Hartpury made to work hard by battling Chiefs

3 March 2024 0 comments

By JOSH THOMAS Gloucester-Hartpury…….31pts Tries: Sing 6, Hendy 12, Brock 35, 65; Hunt 50 Conversions: Sing 38, 53, 66 Exeter Chiefs………………… 24pts Tries: Tuttossi 20, […]

Campbell determined to counter Leicester’s box of tricks

3 March 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK PREVIEW… Saracens v Leicester Tigers Today. Kick-off 1pm, StoneX Stadium MAY Campbell is looking forward to getting back to competitive action against […]

Scarratt ready to get in swing

3 March 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK @therugby Preview LoughboroughvSale Today. 3pm LOUGHBOROUGH star Emily Scarratt is looking forward to playing her part in showcasing the women’s game during […]

Every time my name is called out, I get excited

3 March 2024 0 comments

Jon Newcombe catches up with Northampton’s Sam Graham as the Saints look to keep hold of top spot in the Premiership FOR industrious back row […]

National Leagues should go back to old tackle laws

3 March 2024 0 comments

Former Richmond director of rugby Steve Hill puts the questions to Jack Heald, below, the director of rugby at Barnes RFC Why did you get […]

Young Guns: Gloucester full-back Ioan Jones

3 March 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK England U20s will feel grateful to have Ioan Jones in their ranks as the full-back could easily have opted for Wales, or […]

Series 3, Episode 26: Weekend round-up and Tomas Appleton on Portugal’s future

26 February 2024 0 comments

Refereeing controversy was once again at the heart of the third round of the 2024 Six Nations, as Paolo Garbisi’s contentious missed kick denied Italy […]

Dream Team with Warren Seals

25 February 2024 0 comments

The Sedgley Park and former Boland Cavalier, Darlington Mowden Park and Yorkshire Carnegie fly-half chooses the best XV he has played with or against… 1. […]

Rugby’s stuck in the ice age. It needs to open up

25 February 2024 0 comments

Ben Jaycock talks to Freddie Burns about life in Japan and what he thinks the sport must do to attract the youngsters FREDDIE Burns is […]

Lawes can bring some order

25 February 2024 0 comments

Paul Rees says the former England captain who has signed for Brive will have much to offer when he retires Brive will be delighted that […]

Red Roses: Gloucester-Hartpury prop Maud Muir

25 February 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Birthplace: Oxford Date of Birth: 12/07/01 Community Club: Oxford Harlequins Red Roses Debut: vs New Zealand November 2021 Caps: 25 Why I […]

I just love playing and had an amazing career

25 February 2024 0 comments

My Life in Rugby with Mark Best – The former Ulster, Jersey Reds and Doncaster Knights centre discusses his career in the game PLAYING in the […]

When the B grade was full of A stars

25 February 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER AS England A crank back into action today against Portugal A after […]

Don’t let refs help the time wasters

25 February 2024 0 comments

THE sheer perversity of referees helping time wasting goal kickers looking to run the clock down by helpfully counting down the seconds has warranted mention […]

Lisbon? Let’s go…

25 February 2024 0 comments

There are no Six Nations fixtures next weekend but the all singing, all dancing Os Lobos are playing Spain in their REC semi-final in Lisbon. […]

This is probably the safest the sport has been

25 February 2024 0 comments

Former Richmond director of rugby Steve Hill puts the questions to Jacob Ford, below, the director of rugby at Ipswich School and Bury St Edmunds […]

Young Guns: Harlequins fly-half Josh Bellamy

25 February 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Josh Bellamy is fortunate to be able to pick the brains of England star Marcus Smith at Harlequins and is eager to […]

Series 3 Episode 25: Calcutta Cup preview with Bryan Redpath

21 February 2024 0 comments

Round 3 of the 2024 Six Nations is coming thick and fast and the headline fixture – as it often is – is Saturday’s Calcutta […]

Red Roses: Helena Rowland

18 February 2024 0 comments

Loughborough Lightning fly-half Birthplace: Doncaster Date of birth: 19/09/99 Community club: Aylesbury RFC Red Roses debut: vs Italy November 2020 Caps: 28 Why I play […]

Young Guns: England U20s and Sale prop Asher Opoku-Fordjour

18 February 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK With an ageing front row, England are crying out for youthful props who can go toe to toe with the world’s best […]

Dutch and Germans proving their worth

18 February 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER Round Three of the Rugby Europe championship concludes in Amsterdam this afternoon […]

Benvenuto! Great to see Lynagh eventually opting for Italy

18 February 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS EVEN though I recently predicted in The Rugby Paper podcast that Louis Lynagh would be a starting wing for England at the […]

No time to go soft on neck roll

18 February 2024 0 comments

Why isn’t the neck roll an automatic yellow card anymore? In fact, why isn’t the neck roll refereed much anymore full stop? I sat up […]

Borthwick is still in search of right mix

18 February 2024 0 comments

Paul Rees predicts a close encounter in the Calcutta Cup but sees Ireland winning another Grand Slam THE second round of the Six Nations was […]

To have played 41 times for Wales is a blessing

18 February 2024 0 comments

My Life in Rugby with Emyr Lewis – The former Wales, Llanelli & Cardiff No. 8 looks back on his career in the game FOR […]

University rugby should be part of RFU pathway

18 February 2024 0 comments

Coach to Coach Former Richmond director of rugby Steve Hill puts the questions to John Barnes, below, director of rugby at Hartpury RFC Why did […]

Saracens hooker forced to quit game

18 February 2024 0 comments

SARACENS hooker Tom Woolstencroft has been forced to retire from rugby on medical advice at the age of 29. Woolstencroft has played 85 times for […]

Neild on way back to Sale

18 February 2024 0 comments

SALE Sharks have resigned former back rower Cameron Neild on a short-term deal until the end of the season. The 29-year-old made over 100 appearances […]

Series 3, Episode 24: Round Two controversy with Peter Winterbottom

13 February 2024 0 comments

The second round of the 2024 Six Nations was marred by refereeing controversy, most notably TMO Brian MacNeice and referee Nic Berry not awarding a […]

Lynagh leaves Quins for Benetton

12 February 2024 0 comments

ON THE BLINDSIDE – updated from Sunday’s (11/02/24) TRP Harlequins have confirmed wing Louis Lynagh will join URC side Benetton next season. The 23-year-old son […]

Ludlam has his sights set on Toulon

11 February 2024 0 comments

ENGLAND flanker Lewis Ludlam will leave Northampton at the end of the season, with Toulon understood to be his destination. The 28-year-old Saints captain, who […]

Bath keen to attract Grady

11 February 2024 0 comments

Bath have emerged as the leading contenders to sign Wales wing Mason Grady, below, when his Cardiff contract expires this summer. Saracens, Sale and Exeter […]

Exeter prop on way to Glasgow

11 February 2024 0 comments

Exeter tighthead Patrick Schickerling, 25, is set to join Glasgow Warriors on a multi-year contract. Schickerling’s commitment comes on the heels of contract extensions for […]

Dream Team with Saul Nelson

11 February 2024 0 comments

The former Bristol, Exeter and London Welsh hooker, now academy pathway head coach of RGC & Wales U18s forwards coach, chooses the best XV he […]

Superstar who paved the way for many more

11 February 2024 0 comments

BRENDAN GALLAGHER IT’S hard to quantify genius let alone compare one genius with another – although that never stops us trying – but for what […]

Red Roses: Lucy Packer

11 February 2024 0 comments

HARLEQUINS SCRUM-HALF Birthplace: Swansea Date of birth: 02/02/2000 Community club: Amman United Red Roses debut: vs USA November 2021 Caps: 16 Why I play rugby: […]

Gallagher leads the Leicester comeback

11 February 2024 0 comments

By SAM BYTHEWAY L’ghborough …17pts Tries: Treder 2, 17, 37 Conversions: Rowland 3 Leicester ………22pts Tries: Gallagher 7, 70, Tutt 40 Conversions: M Jones 40, […]

Hat-trick for Hunt puts Saracens over the line

11 February 2024 0 comments

By HARRY SCOTT-MUNRO Saracens ………………………. 29pts Tries: Penalty 36, Hunt 39, 41, 56 Conversions: Blacklock 42, Harrison 57 Penalty: Harrison 80 Harlequins …………………….24pts Tries: Brown […]

Champions will have to be at their best against Bristol

11 February 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK PREVIEW… Gloucester v Bristol Today. Kick-off 2pm PREMIERSHIP champions Gloucester-Hartpury will be looking to continue their unbeaten start to the season but […]

Exeter looking for a double

11 February 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Preview Exeter v Sale Today. 1pm PLAY-OFF chasing Exeter host the league’s bottom side Sale, who are looking for their first victory […]

Young Guns: Bristol wing Louis Nancekivell

11 February 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Louis Nancekivell didn’t go down the traditional route entering rugby and has only played for one club so far in his career […]

My first foreign mission was in deepest Siberia

11 February 2024 0 comments

My Life in Rugby with Rob Debney – The former international and Premiership referee talks about his journey in the game RUGBY refereeing took me […]

Tykes are on track but job’s far from done

11 February 2024 0 comments

COACH TO COACH Former Richmond DoR Steve Hill talks to Mike Aspinall, below, head coach at Leeds Tykes, who are currently top of National Two […]

Wales get set for Aussie challenge

11 February 2024 0 comments

WALES’ two-Test tour of Australia in July will see matches take place in Sydney and Melbourne. Warren Gatland will take his side to face the […]

Leicester, Sale hit by points cut

11 February 2024 0 comments

FIVE-POINT league deductions have been placed on Premiership Women’s Rugby clubs, Leicester Tigers and Sale Sharks for failing to achieve a minimum average of 13 […]

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