Miscellaneous

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

Baron’s Coronavirus Cup proposal dismissed

31 May 2020 1 comment

FRANCIS Baron’s idea of a major international tournament to be held in England in 2021 to ease the financial impact of the coronavirus crisis has […]

Ring-fence now to help clubs rebuild say Bristol

25 May 2020 1 comment

By NEALE HARVEY EXCLUSIV SALARY cap rebels Bristol have called for Premiership ring-fencing plans to be implemented to enable cash-strapped rivals to put their finances […]

Six Nations WILL move for global season plan

25 May 2020 1 comment

By PETER JACKSON RUGBY’S global powerbrokers have confirmed that the Six Nations is in the process of being moved out of its winter habitat. As […]

England in 4 Nations plan for the autumn

17 May 2020 0 comments

EXCLUSIVE ■By PETER JACKSON Crisis: Brent Impey ENGLAND and Wales plan to finalise fixtures for an emergency Four Nations tournament this autumn in response to […]

Friday’s fear for Sevens at Olympics

17 May 2020 1 comment

■By NEALE HARVEY Slade sets his priorities Henry Slade has a dual ambition in the coming months…to be a great dad for his new baby […]

NEXT WEEK …Don’t miss

17 May 2020 0 comments

Brendan Gallagher’s Top 20: Drop-goals Lions contenders: Nick Cain picks his No.9 History of Rugby: The 60s – Jekyll and Hyde decade … Continue reading… […]

Irish joins Warriors

10 May 2020 0 comments

WORCESTER have appointed Bristol scrum coach Mark Irish to the same role at Sixways. The 38-year-old will follow forwards coach Jonathan Thomas from Ashton Gate. […]

RFU need grasroots rescue package

10 May 2020 0 comments

Life-line: The RFU get Sport England money based on participation levels in grassroots games So, as expected, Bill Beaumont has achieved his second term as […]

World Cup misery big motivator for Watson

10 May 2020 0 comments

By NEALE HARVEY ANTHONY Watson insists he will never get over England’s World Cup final defeat to South Africa as he lays out his driven […]

Wasps veteran Gopperth has offers from around the globe

10 May 2020 0 comments

By NEALE HARVEY EVERGREEN playmaker Jimmy Gopperth says re-signing for Wasps this summer is not a done deal as he ponders offers from around the […]

All Blacks’ autumn veto will cost £20m

10 May 2020 0 comments

EXCLUSIVE By PETER JACKSON THE All Blacks are set to abandon their three-match British tour this autumn, a decision which will cost England, Wales and […]

Clubs must grasp this big chance to reset their goals

10 May 2020 0 comments

THE Covid-19 pandemic has been unfortunate for so many people that when Rugby Union starts again it will not top the agenda. However, this enforced […]

Goode off to Japan

10 May 2020 1 comment

PICTURE: Getty Images Alex Goode will quit relegated Saracens for a year in Japan. The fullback is being signed by Top League side NEC. … […]

Bill’s right, Six Nations owe SANZAAR nothing

10 May 2020 0 comments

THE gnashing of teeth and wailing from the southern hemisphere unions that accompanied the failure of Agustin Pichot to unseat Bill Beaumont as World Rugby […]

Kennedy calls for a two-year season

10 May 2020 1 comment

By JON NEWCOMBE FORMER Sale Sharks owner Brian Kennedy believes that completing the current Premiership campaign would be “nigh on impossible” and advocates rolling this […]

New kicking law will increase excitement

10 May 2020 2 comments

New role: Taulupe Faletau should get more opportunity to carry the ball from deep PICTURE: Getty Images I was really looking forward to seeing the […]

Billy wears the crown, others wield the power

10 May 2020 1 comment

Midway through the BBC’s ancient but still mesmerising adaptation of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, there is a pivotal discussion between George Smiley, the hero of […]

So just what has gone wrong with the once-mighty Tigers?

10 May 2020 0 comments

Director of rugby: Geordan Murphy New head coach: Steve Borthwick Glory days: Lewis Moody salutes a packed Welford Road after Leicester won the 2010 Premiership […]

Talent-spotter Dusty is back to help his old club’s revival

10 May 2020 3 comments

World record kicker: Dusty Hare DUSTY Hare remains a Leicester legend despite having spent seven years bringing through a swathe of talented youngsters as academy […]

South Sea Bubble could provide tonic for rugby

10 May 2020 1 comment

Heroic: Andrew Alolupo scores for Western Samoa in their 35-12 win over Argentina at the 1991 Rugby World Cup PICTURE: Getty Images RUGBY has made […]

Piatau’s brother proves loyalty is possible

10 May 2020 1 comment

ANYBODY reading my ‘stuff ’ over the years will know there is no bigger supporter of the Pacific Island teams but there are occasions when […]

Global game? Germany are twenty years behind

10 May 2020 0 comments

Playing catch up: Germany’s Christopher Hilsenbeck kicks clear against Georgia PICTURE: Getty Images During the decidedly uncivil English war over control of the nascent professional […]

Thorpe takes the reins at Chinnor

10 May 2020 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA By JON NEWCOMBE CHINNOR have moved quickly to fill the vacancy left by Matt Williams by appointing former Premiership back rower Richard Thorpe […]

Tigers cull continues

10 May 2020 0 comments

WINGER Adam Thompstone will leave Leicester in the summer. Also departing are Jonny May, Jonah Holmes, Sam Harrison, Guy Thompson, EW Viljoen, Joe Thomas, Tatafu […]

Global plan sees club season run into July

3 May 2020 0 comments

EXCLUSIVE ■By PETER JACKSON Mako may quit Sarries England prop Mako Vunipola says he has yet to decide whether to remain with Saracens when they […]

Now ten teams talk about break from PRL

3 May 2020 2 comments

■By NICK CAIN THE plans for a breakaway from PRL by Premiership clubs is gathering momentum, with ten clubs now actively in discussions about the […]

NEXT WEEK …Don’t miss

3 May 2020 0 comments

Leading contenders to be 2021 Lions openside National League One Team of the Season History of Rugby: Post-war glory for Ireland and Wales … Continue […]

Our Golden Goose is an endangered species

26 April 2020 2 comments

RUGBY Union’s golden goose is beginning to look a lot thinner, and as the financial uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic grows, the whole rugby universe […]

Clubs plan breakaway the same as football

26 April 2020 1 comment

By NICK CAIN A GROUP of six English Premiership clubs are planning to breakaway from PRL, the administrative arm which represents the 13 Premiership clubs. […]

Toomua may take Bath to dodge cuts

26 April 2020 0 comments

PICTURE: Getty Images FORMER Leicester playmaker Matt Toomua could make a return to the Premiership following pay-cuts to all professional players in Australia. Toomua, now […]

Billy gets backing of Six Nations

26 April 2020 0 comments

By PETER JACKSON THE SIX Nations claim they stand united in their support for Sir Bill Beaumont’s re-election as chairman of World Rugby. The reaffirmation […]

Easy does it when we finally get green light

26 April 2020 0 comments

I can almost hear the twang of hamstrings as we contemplate the return to action of our professional players. Everyone is missing rugby – players, […]

Good news for Boris, the right is might again

26 April 2020 0 comments

Best wing in the world? Cheslin Kolbe PICTURE: Getty Images The Prime Minister rather enjoys his rugger: indeed, he attended last month’s England-Wales fixture, the […]

The best England team in the world

26 April 2020 1 comment

Jonny Wilkinson Phil Vickery Steve Thompson Jason Leonard Martin Johnson Maro Itoje Mike Teague Peter Winterbottom ENGLAND have had four teams in World Cup finals […]

Don’t mess up this crucial changeover

26 April 2020 0 comments

Different eras: Bill Beaumont, and Agustin Pichot in their playing days PICTURE: Gettty Images As everybody in sport, and in particular athletics, knows exchanging the […]

WRU hard ball killed Shingler’s big dream

26 April 2020 1 comment

Eligibility row: Steven Shingler playing for Cardiff Blues PICTURE: Getty Images Sir Bill Beaumont’s proposal that a host of South Pacific warriors be repatriated ‘for […]

Brave new world after lockdown? I doubt it

26 April 2020 0 comments

Old style: Rob Andrew playing for Yorkshire in 1987 County Championship Another week of lockdown and, with no rugby to write about, everybody has been […]

Presidents scrap over playoffs principle

26 April 2020 1 comment

Breaking ranks: Toulouse president Didier Lacroix If a week is currently a long time in everyday pandemic-era politics, it’s an aeon in its French professional […]

Australia chief exec resigns

26 April 2020 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA RUGBY Australia chief executive Raelene Castle has resigned after tenformer Wallabies captains signed a letter demanding a change in leadership. She steps down […]

Bennett fears shorter tour will lead to Lions slaughter

26 April 2020 1 comment

By STEFFAN THOMAS THE BRITISH & Irish Lions have been told eight games will not be enough to topple world champions South Africa next summer. […]

Step up for James at Saints

26 April 2020 1 comment

NORTHAMPTON Saints have signed Doncaster scrum-half Tom James for next season. The 26-year-old was the Knights’ top scorer in 2018- 19 and scored eight tries […]

Empty grounds? You’d be surprised by the chatter

26 April 2020 0 comments

Would it be right? Charles Piutau could play for Tonga if World Rugby change the rules PICTURE: Getty Images MY first thought about playing two […]

Wales face ace Tomas staying at the Chiefs

22 March 2020 0 comments

Dilemma: Tomas Francis on the rampage for Exeter PICTURE: Gettty Images WALES prop Tom Francis fears coronavirus will force him into choosing between club and […]

Paywall looms for Six Nations TV

22 March 2020 1 comment

THE Government has rejected calls for the Six Nations to be given Category A listing, thereby increasing the likelihood of the tournament disappearing behind a […]

Trailfinders: We may sue if Falcons are champs

22 March 2020 1 comment

■ By NEALE HARVEY Defiant: Ben Ward CHAMPIONSHIP challengers Ealing are preparing to take legal action in the event of Newcastle being declared title winners […]

Pools panel may decide final league positions

15 March 2020 1 comment

By NEALE HARVEY Huge cost: Alistair Bow SOCCER-STYLE ‘pools panels’ could be convened to determine National League promotion and relegation issues in the increasingly likely […]

BBC/ITV bid to keep Six Nations off paywall

15 March 2020 0 comments

By PETER JACKSON Flying Falcons: George McGuigan goes for the line to score one of his two tries as Newcastle thrash Bedford THESix Nations have […]

All systems go still at The Rugby Paper

15 March 2020 0 comments

Rugby Union may be in quarantine along with most other national sports in the UK, but here at The Rugby Paper it will be very […]

It’s no joke! Alun Wyn wants Joe on carpet

8 March 2020 0 comments

By GARY FITZGERALD Joe Marler gives Alun Wyn Jones a tweak Vinnie Jones’ ‘crotch grab’ on Paul Gascoigne ALUN Wyn Jones demanded disciplinary action against […]

Moffett: Six Nations TV storm is ridiculous

8 March 2020 0 comments

By PETER JACKSON THE Six Nations Council came under renewed fire yesterday over their decision to prohibit joint bids for live television rights, effectively clearing […]

Miscellaneous

Recent Posts

Search