ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Gloucester have been linked with a move for highly-rated Cardiff coach T Rhys Thomas. The former Wales hooker, 41, […]
Latest Posts
Evans tops wanted list
ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Cardiff have made Ospreys full-back Cai Evans their number one summer target. The son of Wales and Lions legend […]
Blackheath sign Owlett
NEWLY promoted National 1 side Blackheath have signed former Premiership tighthead Jack Owlett. Owlett, 28, played for Scotland U20s before joining Exeter’s academy. He went […]
Diamond staying on
ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Rugby’s Red Adair Steve Diamond is staying at Edinburgh until the end of the World Cup in November. The […]
Free agent Odogwu ready for URC
ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Former Wasps flyer Paolo Odogwu could finally ply his trade in the United Rugby Championship next season after last […]
Borthwick’s plea for Irish boys to stay
ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER England boss Steve Borthwick hit the phones last week in a plea to stop London Irish players moving to […]
Racing trying to tempt Marcus
ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Racing 92 have made England and Harlequins fly-half Marcus Smith an offer of around €500,000 (£425,000) gross to move […]
Abendanon: French rugby is far more fun
By NICK POWELL Former England full-back Nick Abendanon says that the Premiership is not entertaining enough to compete with the French club game and worries […]
Winger Zheng on his way to Quins
Harlequins have signed Cardiff Met University winger Roma Zheng, who will join the club’s academy ahead of next season. Zheng, below, was a standout in […]
O’Driscoll: Defeat was emotional
By NICK POWELL Leinster and Ireland legend Brian O’Driscoll feels Leinster’s second-straight Champions Cup Final defeat to La Rochelle could “leave a mark”. O’Driscoll was […]
Tyro Warrior Tait signs for Knights
Doncaster have signed former Scotland U20s captain Rhys Tait, 20, from Glasgow Warriors, having featured on loan for the Knights at the tail end of […]
When the collective carries all before it
CHRIS HEWETT GUEST COLUMNIST Dings Crusaders? Crazy name, cracking club. One of the oldest and most successful of the dozens of local teams in Bristol, […]
Tongans have a plan for Ireland
CHRIS HEWETT Interesting rumblings from down Tonga way, where Toutai Kefu, the magnificent Wallaby No.8 who rumbled all the way to a World Cup winner’s […]
Too many promises, too little scrutiny
After London Irish became the third club casualty of a brutal season, Paul Rees considers what might happen next If thoughts are worth a penny, […]
Safety first as red cards rise to an all-time high
Peter Jackson finds that only Ireland kept on the right side of every referee as the game gets to grips with improved safety Red cards […]
Crusaders give Gats a blueprint to beat Fiji
SHANE WILLIAMS WALES AND LIONS LEGEND Thank you, Scott Robertson and your Crusaders players for showing Wales the way to beat Fiji in their opening […]
Wrong to sell the family silver
Francis Baron, former CEO of the RFU, is concerned with rugby’s deal with private equity firm CVC THE CVC ACQUISITION OF 14.3% OF THE SIX […]
Young Guns: Saracens & England U18 full-back Jack Bracken
Jack Bracken is hoping to replicate his father Kyran’s career but has switched positions from scrum-half to full-back. Bracken, 17, made his England U18s debut […]
Mapletoft excited to face SA challenges
By BEN JAYCOCK England have announced their 30-man squad for the World Rugby U20 Championship in South Africa that gets underway later this month. Leicester […]
Jones puts his faith in Woodman to lead
By BEN JAYCOCK Wales interim head coach Mark Jones has appointed Dragons forward Ryan Woodman as captain of the 30-player squad which consists of 17 […]
Top Cat happy to recall the glory days
PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW THE only man to captain Wales, coach Wales, select Wales, manage Wales, and the Lions, is sitting […]
There’s no stopping Ramos
PETER JACKSON Thomas Ramos is en route to finishing the season 100 or so points clear of his nearest challenger across Europe’s three major Leagues. […]
After this, Prince Harry could be calling AWJ
PETER JACKSON Alun Wyn Jones continues to treat ‘the media’ with such contempt that it may be but a matter of time before Prince Harry […]
When Kirk took the All Blacks right to the top of the world
Brendan Gallagher begins a series on the star man at each global gathering Being the first in anything often confers iconic status on those involved. […]
How a boat trip on the Seine swung the vote
The IRB took the momentous decision to stage a first World Cup in March 1985 in strange circumstances. Prior to their annual council meeting in […]
My Life in Rugby with Wayne Kilford: ‘Moore told me – The work starts now’
The former Nottingham, Leicester, Coventry and Midlands full-back talks about his life in the game My first captain in senior rugby was Brian Moore, at […]
We must find a way to stop vicious spiral
RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER Heaven knows The Rugby Paper has been warning of a Domesday scenario […]
When I needed a helping hand…
RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER You could fill a noisy bar with the journalists past and present queuing to buy David Emery a thank you drink. […]
Brady’s Bream bunch capture stunning haul
By BEN JAYCOCK Bream RFC have made a miraculous rise through the leagues in recent years with their youthful squad and were crowned champions of […]
Folau call was TV turn-off for Gareth
By NICK POWELL Gareth Thomas “refused” to watch the Barbarians vs World XV match last month due to the “contradiction” of having symbols to celebrate […]
Game is spending above its means
JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME Just as we all thought it couldn’t get any worse now the season is over and […]
Top two get set to put on the glitz
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN It’s the final the Top 14 wanted and needed. Toulouse and La Rochelle – the two best sides in the French […]
Heroic Brumbies fly the flag for Australia
By CAMERON STEPHENS Super Rugby Pacific round-up The Brumbies produced a heroic goal line stand to book their place in this week’s semi-finals as Luke […]
Cheetahs ruin it for Steyn to bag first position
By CAMERON STEPHENS Currie Cup round-up The Cheetahs spoiled Morne Steyn’s Loftus swansong as they mounted a 19-point comeback to win 31-27 and secure first […]
Series 2, Episode 22: Nick Abendanon on his career and French vs English domestic rugby, tributes to David Emery
In April earlier this year Bath and Clermont legend Nick Abendanon called time on a stellar 17-year career. Nick joins host Ollie Little as well […]
I would have always aimed for a career in rugby – O’Driscoll
Brian O’Driscoll has said he would’ve got involved in rugby in some capacity regardless of whether he was a player or not, and wants youngsters […]
Premiership in freefall as Irish suspended
London Irish became the third club in eight months to be removed from the Premiership for financial reasons as the RFU suspended them from all […]
Stigma, not disease, that is now HIV’s killer – Thomas
Welsh rugby legend Gareth Thomas says it is the stigma around HIV, rather than the illness itself, that poses the greatest risk to lives in […]
Anniversary celebrations set for Rugby School
Rugby School and the children’s charity Wooden Spoon will jointly celebrate two significant milestones on Saturday, June 24th. The event will honor the 200th anniversary […]
Ealing look to pick up Caulfield
ON THE BLINDSIDE – NEIL FISSLER Ealing Trailfinders are still looking to strengthen their squad for next season despite finding their path to the Premiership […]
Following famous footsteps
PETER JACKSON When he lived in one of London’s swishest hotels at the height of his trans-Atlantic stardom, Richard Harris made a confession over a […]
‘England are dark horses for big prize’
By GARY FITZGERALD England can be World Cup dark horses who “sneak up” on the rail and gallop off with rugby’s biggest prize. Mike Tindall […]
Ospreys to demand a transfer fee for Francis
By PETER JACKSON Ospreys are demanding a transfer fee for Wales prop Tomas Francis, France-bound after completing business at the World Cup. “Tomas has one […]
Tax bill pushes Irish to the brink
By SAM JACKSON London Irish’s hopes of Premiership survival are hanging by a thread after the club was hit with winding-up petitions by HM Revenue […]
Call to hold all county finals at Twickenham
By LUKE JARMYN All men’s and women’s County Championship finals should take place at Twickenham as part of a weekend festival of rugby, according to […]
Dickens raring to get going at Tigers
By BEN JAYCOCK Leicester Tigers new attack and backs coach Alan Dickens is excited about reuniting with the multitude of players he coached while in […]
Jones can fire up Aussies, says Cooper
By GARY FITZGERALD Quade Cooper is bubbling about Australia’s World Cup chances, now they have Eddie Jones back holding the reins. The 35-year-old also believes […]
We will have to front up, says Laidlaw
By BRYN PALMER Scotland’s players need to swiftly “front up” to the reality of their World Cup pool if they are to avoid a second […]
Sanderson: We want to improve and not just be one-off wonders
By PAUL REES Sale took their pain to Spain. The day after the Premiership final defeat to Saracens at Twickenham, the players and management flew […]
Enforce laws and game will be safer
WORLD Rugby should abandon their ‘player welfare’ platitudes and make the game safer by merely enforcing its own laws. A fortnight ago in The Rugby […]
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