News Extra

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

Munster job not for me yet says O’Connell

9 January 2022 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA By SAM JACKSON FORMER Ireland captain Paul O’Connell has ruled himself out of the running for the Munster head coach job after saying […]

Folau’s back with try double in Japan debut

9 January 2022 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA By BEN JAYCOCK ISRAEL Folau made an emphatic return to rugby union, scoring a double for his new club Shining Arcs Tokyo-Bay Urayasu […]

Falcons lads get that big game feeling

9 January 2022 1 comment

NEWS EXTRA By SAM JACKSON ACADEMY coach PJ Butler says his Newcastle Falcons U18s side will have benefited from playing in front of a Kingston […]

Cardiff best for me now says Liam

9 January 2022 1 comment

NEWS EXTRA By SAM JACKSON CARDIFF have confirmed the signing of Wales fullback Liam Williams from Scarlets for the 2022-23 season. The 30-year-old’s topflight career […]

Tigers roar on with late bonus point

9 January 2022 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA PREMIERSHIP leaders Leicester Tigers maintained their unstoppable start to the season with a 31-0 bonus-point win over Newcastle Falcons last Sunday. First-half tries […]

Dupont, Jones and Smith vie for award

9 January 2022 1 comment

NEWS EXTRA By BEN JAYCOCK THE shortlist for the Rugby Union Writers’ Club Personality of the Year has been released, with France star Antoine Dupont […]

Toulon boss raps Etzebeth as club handicap

9 January 2022 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA By SAM JACKSON TOULON president Bernard Lemaitre has referred to Springbok enforcer Eben Etzebeth as a “handicap” to the Top 14 club due […]

McBryde: We aim to make life hard for Ealing

2 January 2022 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA WITH Covid leading to the postponement of fixtures in the Championship, Doncaster sit top of the league, although the favourites, Ealing, have played […]

Jones urges tackle rethink

26 December 2021 2 comments

NEWS EXTRA EDDIE Jones has called for the tackle height to be lowered in youth rugby to further reduce the risk of brain injuries in […]

Boost for grassroots

26 December 2021 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA FORMER Championship sponsor Greene King IPA has pledged £100,000 in funding to grassroots sports in the UK. The new Greene King IPA ‘Proud […]

Flyer Muir banned for four weeks

19 December 2021 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA BATH wing Will Muir has been handed a four-week suspension for making contact with the eye area of Leinster’s Josh van der Flier. […]

Forthcoming fixtures

19 December 2021 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA It is advisable to check matches and kick-off times with the clubs SUNDAY, DEC 19 CUP COMPETITIONS European Champions Cup POOL B Leicester […]

Schmidt to be selector for All Blacks

19 December 2021 1 comment

NEWS EXTRA FORMER Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt, 56, is to join New Zealand as a selector. The 56-year-old, who led Ireland to two Test […]

England Sevens prepare for 2022 relaunch

19 December 2021 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA ENGLAND Sevens will return to the World Series in both the men’s and women’s competition in Malaga (January 21-23) after Great Britain Sevens […]

Former England ace Hull oversees referees

12 December 2021 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA THE RFU has appointed former England full-back Paul Hull as head of professional game match officials to replace Tony Sreadbury who has taken […]

Winless, injury-hit Bath bring in backline cover

12 December 2021 2 comments

NEWS EXTRA PREMIERSHIP basement boys Bath have signed former Scarlets wing Tom Prydie on a short-term deal and Edinburgh centre Jordan Venter on a contract […]

Louie steers Hartpury to the ACE title

12 December 2021 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA By BEN JAYCOCK WAYNE Thompson’s Hartpury College cruised to back-to-back titles as they lifted the ACE League on Wednesday after beating Wasps ACE […]

Prop Moody commits to All Blacks

12 December 2021 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA CRUSADERS and All Blacksw prop Joe Moody has re-signed with New Zealand Rugby through to 2024, following Ardie Savea and Sam Cane to […]

Christie keeping his Test options open

5 December 2021 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA By GARY FITZGERALD ANDY Christie is being tipped for a bright international future but the Saracens youngster is not yet prepared to nail […]

Foresters ‘jokers’ aiming to be trump cards

5 December 2021 1 comment

NEWS EXTRA By LUKE JARMYN NATIONAL One promotion contenders Cinderford are “happy to be the joker in the pack” as they keep Rosslyn Park honest […]

Optional changes to laws get 2022 go-ahead

5 December 2021 1 comment

NEWS EXTRA WORLD Rugby are to allow more flexible laws in the community game from January 2022 in a bid to improve accessibility and welfare. […]

URC will press on despite Omicron

5 December 2021 1 comment

NEWS EXTRA THE United Rugby Championship remains committed to the competition’s format and playing all postponed matches despite a turbulent week that saw four of […]

Moseley sign Lewis

5 December 2021 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA FLY-HALF Dan Lewis has joined Birmingham Moseley on a permanant deal. Lewis, 25, played 18 games for Coventry before Covid having come through […]

Plenty of student gems to be found says Kiss

5 December 2021 2 comments

NEWS EXTRA By ADAM HATHAWAY LES Kiss says clubs are missing a trick and flunking their homework if they don’t keep tabs on student rugby. […]

Bears set to have Randall back for Europe

28 November 2021 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA By PAUL REES BRISTOL hope Harry Randall will be fit for the start of their Champions Cup campaign, far earlier than expected when […]

‘Amazing’ Sinfield raises over £1m for MND

28 November 2021 1 comment

NEWS EXTRA LEICESTER coach Kevin Sinfield completed his epic run of 101 miles in 24 hours in aid of motor neurone disease research and raised […]

Cabango hungry to join big bro Ben in Wales red

28 November 2021 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA By ROB COLE THERE was a bit of a tossup in the Cabango household last weekend over whether to watch eldest son Ben […]

Army ace Wheeldon signs for Knights

21 November 2021 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA DONCASTER Knights have signed scrum-half Lloyd Wheeldon until the end of the season. The 25-year-old halfback, who is a serving soldier in the […]

King’s on mend at Pirates

21 November 2021 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA CORNISH Pirates prop Hayden King is making good progress in his recovery after breaking a bone in his neck. The 25-year-old was carried […]

Cardiff to host 2023 wheelchair champs

21 November 2021 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA THE 2023 World Wheelchair Rugby European Championship Division A tournament will be played at Cardiff ’s Principality Stadium. The eight-team event will take […]

Dropped Davies will fight for World Cup spot

21 November 2021 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA By SAM JACKSON WALES head coach Wayne Pivac believes Jonathan Davies still has to plenty to offer despite leaving him out against Australia […]

Bolton’s late try secures crown for Army lads

21 November 2021 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA By SAM JACKSON THE Army U23 team won the 2021 Inter-Services Championship last week, coming back from doubledigit deficits three times against the […]

Lobbe confident Pumas can make history

21 November 2021 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA By ALEX BYWATER ARGENTINA legend and current Jaguares head coach Carlos Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe believes the Pumas can cause a big shock in […]

Butcher keeps Welsh chair for next year

14 November 2021 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA WRU chair Rob Butcher has been re-elected for a further year. The former schoolteacher and longserving Bargoed official took over from Gareth Davies […]

American Indians call on Chiefs to change

14 November 2021 1 comment

NEWS EXTRA THE National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) has called on Exeter Chiefs to drop their Native American branding. Last month Wasps discouraged Exeter […]

Education key in bid to diversify coaching says Khan

7 November 2021 2 comments

NEWS EXTRA By TOM SANSOM LONDON Scottish backs coach Ricky Khan has called for better education, and creating young leaders in schools, in order to […]

Hayman diagnosed with early onset dementia

7 November 2021 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA FORMER New Zealand prop Carl Hayman has been diagnosed with earlyonset dementia at the age of 41. Hayman, who played the last of […]

Barrow thriving on extra duties at Sedgley

7 November 2021 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA By LUKE JARMYN SCOTT Barrow believes balancing his coaching duties at Wasps and Sedgley Park is accelerating his development while helping Park’s unbeaten […]

Leeming hitting top form after beating cancer

7 November 2021 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA By LUKE JARMYN JERSEY Reds fly-half Sam Leeming is making up for lost time after his 20- month break due to cancer. The […]

Benjamin hones his hooking skills at Pirates

7 November 2021 1 comment

NEWS EXTRA By MIKE SINCLAIR JAMES Benjamin is the latest back row convert to enrol at the Cornish Pirates finishing school for hookers. The Wales […]

Date set for vote on switching back Test allegiance

7 November 2021 1 comment

NEWS EXTRA INTERNATIONAL players will be able to switch nationality if changes to eligibility rules are voted through by World Rugby later this month. Under […]

Jeffries glad to be back after four-year absence

31 October 2021 2 comments

NEWS EXTRA By LUKE JARMYN BRISTOL back row Sam Jeffries is hoping to take a leaf out of Boks great Juan Smith’s book, after making […]

Wallabies to review selection policy post-Tour

31 October 2021 2 comments

NEWS EXTRA AUSTRALIA coach Dave Rennie says the Wallabies will review their selection criteria after fly-half Quade Cooper became the third player to pull out […]

World 12s organisers confident event will go ahead

31 October 2021 1 comment

NEWS EXTRA WORLD Rugby has refused to sanction the proposed World 12s tournament after opposition from unions and domestic competitions. Launched in September, organisers pledged […]

Boks are not invited

31 October 2021 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA THERE are no plans to add South Africa to the Six Nations, according to the tournament’s chief executive Ben Morel.THERE are no plans […]

Pirates consider short term stadium solution

31 October 2021 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA CORNISH Pirates chairman Paul Durkin says there are alternative plans to build a smaller Stadium for Cornwall should the arena fail to get […]

Keswick’s volunteer army rally to battle flooding

31 October 2021 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA By LUKE JARMYN A NUMBER of clubs in Cumbria had their plans thrown up in the air this week with one suffering heavy […]

Sam will prove why he’s best – Armand

31 October 2021 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA DON Armand believes Exeter teammate Sam Simmonds will show why he’s the best No.8 in England this autumn. Simmonds broke the Premiership try-scoring […]

Biggar’s kindness is fillip for young Fin

31 October 2021 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA WHEN Fin Smith was wondering what to do with himself after Worcester’s 66-10 defeat to Northampton in the last round of the Premiership, […]