Miscellaneous

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

Harlequins v Gloucester-Hart

22 December 2024 0 comments

Preview Dec 28. 3pm HARLEQUINS captain Jade Konkel has issued a rallying cry towards fans going to watch Big Game 16 on December 28 to […]

Bristol Bears v Sale Sharks Today. 2pm

15 December 2024 0 comments

Preview LUCY Burgess will bring up a century of appearances for Bristol when they host strugglers Sale today. Scrum-half Burgess partners Holly Aitchison at half-back, […]

I can’t believe the RFU chiefs will walk away

15 December 2024 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME I CANNOT believe that anyone would expect that Bill Sweeney or Tom Ilube will willingly walk […]

My British & Irish Lions team are ready for take-off

8 December 2024 0 comments

By Nick Cain – Read his expert opinion every week… There is a view that picking a Lions Test team almost seven months before the […]

‘Enforcer’ Udwin oversteps the mark

8 December 2024 0 comments

THE quango-like blindness to accountability in the top echelon of this RFU administration, and their erosion and disregard the democratic conventions embedded in the RFU […]

Oh, for a one-stop TV shop for the lot

8 December 2024 0 comments

CHRIS HEWETT THINKING ALLOWED Gogglebox: Bath taking on La Rochelle on Friday night PICTURE: Getty Images HERE’S a brain teaser: if you happen to be […]

Glad to hear the French say: Non!

8 December 2024 0 comments

FRANCE is a foreign country: they do things differently there. For one thing, they have a pyramid league system that works every bit as well […]

Cheetahs v Perpignan

8 December 2024 0 comments

Preview Today. 1pm INVITATIONAL outfit the Cheetahs, led by DoR Frans Steyn, picked up two wins from four last season and qualified for the knockouts […]

Get rid of the regions and call for Cotter, says Ring

8 December 2024 0 comments

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW MARK Ring never thought Welsh rugby would come to this; their four regional teams failing en masse […]

Lowe’s running out of time to win the big one

8 December 2024 0 comments

Cutting a dash: James Lowe in action for Leinster PICTURE: Alamy NOBODY in recent seasons has cut a deeper swathe through one of the game’s […]

Kabaya lines up to take on champs

8 December 2024 0 comments

Preview Loughborough v Gloucester-Hartpury Today. 3pm By BEN JAYCOCK ENGLAND international Sadia Kabeya makes her first start of the season as her side take on […]

The Six Nations logo is an AI experiment that’s gone wrong

8 December 2024 0 comments

Rugby Matters by Brendan Gallagher – A weekly look at the game’s other talking points I see the new Six Nations logo has got a […]

If you’re out for a 15, call Toulouse

8 December 2024 0 comments

WHERE have all the full-backs gone? Well you could start looking for them at Toulouse. When Belgium’s Matias Remue made an accomplished debut for Toulouse […]

Without a doubt, we are living in the ‘shameless era’

8 December 2024 0 comments

IT was even worse than we first thought. To recap. The RFU were emerging from a ruinous Covid period, some of England’s big professional teams […]

Exeter back in game mode

24 November 2024 0 comments

Preview ■By BEN JAYCOCK Sale v Exeter Today. 12pm KATIE Buchanan returns for unbeaten leaders Exeter for their trip to winless bottom side Sale Sharks […]

Quins set for derby battle

24 November 2024 0 comments

Preview ■By BEN JAYCOCK Saracens v Quins Today. 3pm SARACENS inside centre Sarah McKenna is preparing herself for a huge battle against London rivals Harlequins […]

Konkel brings up half century

10 November 2024 0 comments

Preview ■By BEN JAYCOCK Harlequins v Sale Today. 2pm HARLEQUINS captain Jade Konkel makes her 50th appearance today as her team take on the league’s […]

Table toppers draft in Cramer

10 November 2024 0 comments

Preview ■By BEN JAYCOCK Chiefs v Lightning Today. 3pm AUSTRALIA full back Lori Cramer returns to action for unbeaten Exeter, who host a Loughborough Lightning […]

Host of stars back for Tigers

3 November 2024 0 comments

Preview Leicester v T’finders Today. 3pm LEICESTER welcome back several Test players as they search for their first win of the season. England hooker Amy […]

Hudson keen for home delight

20 October 2024 0 comments

Preview Leicester v Quins Today. 5.45pm SOMETHING has to give at Welford Road today as winless Leicester and Harlequins face off. Harlequins lost 8-7 at […]

Nancy returns after lay-off

13 October 2024 0 comments

Preview Exeter Chiefs v Leicester Tigers Today. Kick-off 3pm ENGLAND hopeful Nancy McGillivray returns to action today against Leicester following a 17-month spell on the […]

Fran has hit ground running

13 October 2024 0 comments

Preview Trailfinders v Loughborough Today. Kick-off 12.45pm LOUGHBOROUGH Lightning’s new signing Francesca Goldthorp makes her second club debut today. The England rugby league international has […]

Fantasy Rugby 2024/25

22 September 2024 0 comments

PRIZE MONEY WINNER £500 SECOND £250 THIRD £125 LAST £250 MANAGER OF THE MONTH £25 SECOND £10 THIRD £5 LAST £10 Do you fancy yourself […]

Maverick Shea the hardest of them all

22 September 2024 0 comments

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW NEWPORT heralded the season with a birthday bash on a lavish scale, filling a dining room the […]

Why is so much of the club game hidden behind a paywall?

22 September 2024 0 comments

AS more and more club football basks in the glare of the multi-million audiences on free-to-air television coverage, an increasing amount of club rugby chooses […]

Slipper spreads the love as he hits 140 caps

22 September 2024 0 comments

JAMES Slipper has become the most-capped player in Australian rugby history. Loosehead Slipper made his debut against England in Perth back in 2010 and has […]

Jonny was great but Jason made the real difference

22 September 2024 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME I MUST admit I get slightly irritated with seeing social media best players posts that seem […]

NEWS EXTRA

22 September 2024 0 comments

Double injury blow for Bristol BRISTOL full-back Noah Heward will be out until the New Year after injuring his hamstring during a training session. The […]

A Tribute to Bishop’s Stortford RFC’s Max Oliver

10 September 2024 0 comments

Max Oliver, a great Club member, who played rugby at Bishop’s Stortford RFC since Minis and, until recently did a great job, captaining our fourths, […]

The Football Tactic That Could Revolutionise Rugby

10 September 2024 0 comments

By Peter Ryan (@PeterRyanSports) Rugby union has evolved by leaps and bounds since its conception in the small English town where the sport’s name originated. Coaches […]

Jones facing Italy tester

21 July 2024 0 comments

Preview ■By BEN JAYCOCK Japan v Italy Today. 6.05am EDDIE Jones will be hoping his horror start in charge of Japan will come to an […]

Don’t let our sport move to summer

21 July 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS NOT for the first time I offer a heartfelt warning against those who continue to argue for a switch to summer rugby in […]

Spanish youngsters show how to tackle low

21 July 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS I DON’T know if you caught any of Spain’s game against Italy at the Junior World Cup last Sunday but it was an […]

Dowson’s right, let’s be more like French

2 June 2024 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME In agreement: Mark McCall and, right, Phil Dowson PICTURES: Getty Images IT WAS interesting to hear […]

Gopperth misses out on top flight

2 June 2024 0 comments

FRENCH COLUMN By JAMES HARRINGTON Jimmy Gopperth won’t be the oldest-ever player to feature in the Top 14 next season after all, after his Provence […]

Bears in hunt for a home play-off

19 May 2024 0 comments

Preview Bristol v Leicester Today. 3.30pm By BEN JAYCOCK ELLA Lovibond will lead Bristol Bears out on her 50th appearance, while Millie David makes her […]

Sarries looking to hit top gear

19 May 2024 0 comments

Preview Exeter v Saracens Today. 3pm By BEN JAYCOCK SARACENS full-back Sarah McKenna feels her side will be able to find another gear against Exeter. […]

Leaders happy to see stars

12 May 2024 0 comments

Preview L’borough v Glouc-H Today. 3pm REIGNING champions and unbeaten league leaders Gloucester-Hartpury have been bolstered by the return of their internationals from this year’s […]

Care to make his Baa-Baas debut against Fiji

1 April 2024 0 comments

DANNY Care will make his Barbarians debut against Fiji at Twickenham in June. The 37-year-old scrumhalf, who announced his international retirement last week after winning […]

Saints must play it again with Munster

28 January 2024 0 comments

NORTHAMPTON will face Munster again in the Champions Cup last 16 in one of five rematches from the pool stage. Saracens return to Bordeaux Begles […]

Autumn reunion for Jones

28 January 2024 0 comments

EDDIE Jones will return to Twickenham for the first time since being sacked by England in 2022 for Japan’s final match of this year’s Autumn […]

Ben for Baa-Baas

28 January 2024 0 comments

Former England scrumhalf Ben Youngs will return to Twickenham with the Barbarians this summer. The most-capped male player and Leicester Tigers back is lined up […]

Street hit by stroke

28 January 2024 0 comments

England women’s World Cup winning coach Gary Street is recovering from a stroke that followed a heart bypass operation in August. The 56-year-old led England […]

Phillips stands down as Merthyr coach

31 December 2023 0 comments

FORMER Wales women’s coach Rowland Phillips has left his position as Merthyr head coach with immediate effect. Phillips was due to leave the Welsh Premiership […]

Sharks excited for derby tear up

17 December 2023 0 comments

Preview Cheetahs vSharks Today. 1pm By BEN JAYCOCK THE Sharks and Cheetahs both go into today’s Challenge Cup derby in high spirits after opening round […]

Leitch has big plan for Japan

10 September 2023 0 comments

Preview Japan v Chile Today. Kick-off 12pm AHEAD of their opening World Cup encounter against Chile today, Japan back row Michael Leitch feels his side […]

Archers gear up for red hot Cov

23 December 2022 0 comments

Preview Nott’ham v Coventry Monday December 26. KO 3pm NOTTINGHAM coach Craig Hammond is relising Monday’s challenge at home to in-form Coventry. Coventry have been […]

Canada looking for a repeat

30 October 2022 0 comments

Preview Canada v USA Today. Kick-off 3.30am USA head coach Rob Cain has named an unchanged match-day 23 for their quarter-final against arch rivals Canada […]

I’m so proud: Hunter takes Rocky record

30 October 2022 0 comments

Preview By BEN JAYCOCK England v Australia Today. Kick-off 1.30am CAPTAIN Sarah Hunter will become England’s most capped player when she makes her 138th appearance […]