Experienced Italian Carlo Festuccia has joined London Wasps from Pro12 side Zebre, it was announced today. Starting his career with L’Aquila alongside Wasp centre Andrea […]
Latest Posts
Room 101: Paul Arnold – Fylde player/coach
1. Relegation from the Premiership Controversial, I know, but as a massive fan of the type of expansive rugby you get in the Super 15. […]
Brendan Gallagher gets the inside track on how England’s academies are producing players to progress on the international pathway
Until this June, England – despite its vast player resources – had never won the IRB U20 World Championship or indeed its predecessor the IRB […]
Jeff Probyn: Proposed Heineken deal leaves Rabo with peanuts
I often wonder if Premiership Rugby chief executive Mark McCafferty is living in the real world or one that is dominated solely by what is […]
England have found their new Billy Whizz in Christian Wade says Andy Robinson
Former national head coach Andy Robinson believes England have finally unearthed Jason Robinson’s successor in Christian Wade. Andy Robinson’s ill-fated reign began England’s post-2003 slump […]
Young Gun: Josh Peters – Northampton lock
It’s a country renowned for tiki-taka rather than rucks and mauls but after honing his skills with the oval ball in Spain, lock Josh Peters […]
Peter Jackson: Groundhog Day, and Gav blinks back into the light
During the course of fox-trotting his way into five clubs over 20 months, Gavin Henson has danced to the same old tune. Every move, every […]
Nick Cain talks to Mike Ford about his vision for the revitalisation of Bath
Mike Ford is not promising miracles. Bath’s new head coach has been around too long to fall into that trap, notably as England’s defence coach […]
Ambitious Nick Kennedy has Stooped to conquer
Turning your back on the superstar lifestyle at galactico-laden Toulon might appear to be mad. But Nick Kennedy insists he is comfortable with his decision […]
20 Questions: Glen Townson – Bristol lock
Back into pre-season early, weren’t you? We started on May 23! It’s been good, though, because they gave us some time off during pre-season so it hasn’t […]
Mike Brown signs on with Quins
Mike Brown has re-signed with Harlequins until the end of the 2015-2016 season. The fullback, who is a Harlequins Academy graduate, made his first team […]
Jeremy Guscott: Time these All Blacks saw some yellow cards, ref!
It is early days for Ewen McKenzie, the newly appointed Wallaby head coach. I don’t believe he thought the job would be this difficult – […]
Nick Cain: Joubert shows refs can’t rule the scrum
Brett Gosper came up with some marketing waffle this week which illustrates how the International Rugby Board have earned a reputation for consistently stuffing-up the […]
Craig Mitchell: Shame of my ‘Lions’ punch-up
Craig Mitchell has spoken candidly about the horrific long-haul flight home from Australia in June when he feared his rugby career might be over. The […]
My Life in Rugby: Andy Nicol – Former Bath, Glasgow & Scotland scrum-half
I am very lucky that there are two games that define my career. There is no doubt the greatest achievement was winning the Heineken Cup, […]
Nigel Melville in talks over US-based Premiership games
England’s Premiership clubs are to hold imminent talks with American power-brokers aimed at ‘opening up’ the trans-Atlantic market. USA Rugby‘s top man, former England scrum-half […]
VIDEO: Tom Varndell – “It was amazing to have the Red Rose on my chest again”
In an exclusive production by The Rugby Paper, London Wasps winger Tom Varndell talks about the season ahead with Wasps as well as his experience […]
Dream Team: Olly Kohn – former Harlequins lock
1. Joe Marler – Has really developed his scrummaging over the years and to have a haircut like that you need to back it up […]
Sanderson and his Quins have a day to remember
This was a remarkable cup final victory on so many levels. For starters, Harlequins had endured a shocking Premiership campaign, winning just two of their […]
VIDEO: James Hudson – “The new scrum rules have an impact on the locks”
In an exclusive production by The Rugby Paper, Gloucester lock James Hudson talks about the impacts of the scrum laws changes in the second row. […]
Tom Savage named Gloucester captain
Gloucester Rugby have confirmed that Tom Savage will succeed Jim Hamilton as the club’s new captain for the upcoming season. Set to embark upon his […]
Brendan Gallagher: Pomposity overload? Cure it with my minnows
It might surprise you to learn that 131 of the scheduled 184 qualifying games for Rugby World Cup 2015 have already taken place since the […]
Jeff Probyn: Maybe the IRB have got the scrum right at last
Crouch, Touch, Set and off we go as the latest incarnation of the scrum engagement is rolled out across the game. From the original, simple […]
Josh Lewsey goes all-Cornish in Pirates’ masterplan
Galvanising support throughout the whole of Cornwall is key to the success of Cornish Pirates says CEO and performance director, Josh Lewsey. The former Wasps […]
Room 101: Steve Lawrie – Edinburgh hooker
1. Running into touch With the Murrayfield pitch being as wide as they come you’d think there would be no danger of players running into […]
Chris Robshaw commits to Quins
Chris Robshaw has today signed an extension to his contract which will keep him with the club until the end of the 2015-2016 season. The […]
Brendan Gallagher on the new England speedster who is giving his club top priority
Marland Yarde just missed the world renowned St Lucia Jazz festival this year – he was otherwise engaged making music for England in Argentina – […]
Join TRP’s prediction leagues on SuperBru
The Rugby Paper running prediction leagues in the Aviva Premiership, RaboDirect Pro12 and RFU Championship this season, and we’d love you join and take us […]
Shane Geraghty: London Irish can confound runaways and bid for Top6
Shane Geraghty admits to understanding why a string of top players opted to quit London Irish. But the bullish Exiles playmaker is convinced the club […]
Young Gun: Tom Fowlie – London Irish centre
England‘s new elite squad may have a glaring dearth of outside centres, but thanks to London Irish’s Tom Fowlie, the future outlook may not be […]
VIDEO: “We want to win the Heineken Cup” – Ben Youngs
In an exclusive production (the first ever) by The Rugby Paper, Leicester, England & Lions scrum-half Ben Youngs reveals the reigning Premiership champions will be […]
Welsh international prop joins Exiles
Welsh International loosehead prop John Yapp has joined London Irish ahead of the upcoming season on loan from Edinburgh. At 19 stone and 6′ 2”, […]
Peter Jackson: No favours for Fiji as All Blacks pick Japan
The All Blacks could have played England or Wales in November and charged their going rate for an out-of-window Test of £1m. In refusing both, […]
Jeremy Guscott: All Blacks show they are team to beat once again
The All Blacks showed with their convincing 47-29 victory over the Wallabies in Sydney last night that they will still be the team to beat […]
Alex King hopes to turn his new Northampton Saints into kings
George North‘s unveiling at Northampton was close to rock star status – but the man who could prove to be Saints’ most significant signing of […]
20 Questions: Gavin Cattle – Cornish Pirates scrum-half
Been anywhere nice on holiday? I had a few days on the Scilly Isles and the rest of the time has been spent renovating a […]
No U-turn on Europe promises Premiership boss Mark McCafferty
England‘s Premiership clubs are adamant there will be no u-turn on their crusade for a new European Cup, promising it will increase annual revenue by […]
My Life in Rugby: Will Skinner – former Harlequins flanker
Even though the club has won the Premiership, LV= Cup and the Amlin Cup in its recent past, the games in Harlequins history everyone wants […]
Man Behind the Match: Grayson knew O’Gara could miss crucial kick
Ronan O’Gara is the Heineken Cup‘s golden boy. He’s the record points scorer, the record appearance holder and in any pub in Cork or Limerick […]
Dream Team: Lee Adamson – former Wasps and Saracens lock
1. Paul Rendall – Great team player and one of the unsung heroes. There wasn’t anything extraordinary in what he did but he was the […]
Moment in Time: Walder flies in under the radar to lift Falcons
Little did supporters of Newcastle Falcons realise it at the time, but this supremely riotous Twickenham cup final would represent the high water mark of […]
Peter Jackson: How Toby almost fell into grasp of England
It won’t do them any good now but England will be kicking themselves for allowing Wales to take Toby Faletau from under their noses. In […]
Room 101: Rob Rowlinson – former Leeds hooker
1. The new scrummaging laws I’m not a fan of the “crouch, bind, set” scrum engagement sequence that is currently being trialled across the globe. […]
Jeff Probyn: Now we must research the true risk of dementia
With all the excitement of the announcement of the new elite player squad some rather bad news almost slipped under the radar last week. Brain […]
Brendan Gallagher: The Puma underdogs must show teeth again
And now the hard work and the pain really begins. Making their debut in the Rugby Championship last season was an exhilarating but daunting experience for […]
Mike Blair keen to make his mark in Premiership
Mike Blair is counting down the days until he samples Premiership rugby at first hand for the first time with Newcastle. Unlike his brother David, […]
Young Gun: Scott Steele – Leicester scrum-half
It’s never easy to make your breakthrough at Leicester Tigers – just ask Billy Twelvetrees – but in Ben Youngs, scrum-half Scott Steele believes he […]
Brendan Gallagher meets the modest architect of Wasps greatness
Rob Smith never sought the limelight as a player, coach or indeed guru to some of England‘s most promising youngsters, so it was typical that […]
Paul Sackey joins Harlequins
Harlequins announced today that Paul Sackey has joined the club as injury dispensation cover for Ross Chisholm who tore his anterior cruciate ligament in the pool […]
No frills as Dave Attwood batters his way back
Stuart Lancaster is regarded as a coach of considerable subtlety, but his advice to the recalled Dave Attwood has no frills: “Bash holes in people.” […]
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