The Newcastle production line appears to have hit the buffers in recent years but with the Falcons ready to unleash flyer Zach Kibirige on the […]
Latest Posts
Jeff Probyn: Axed Pollock pays price for Lions’ lack of Plan B
It may be over and finished but the Lions tour is still reverberating throughout the game – and not in a positive way. The criticism […]
Peter Jackson: World Cup is a fitting finale for Hair Bear
PeOnly one prop has lasted long enough to win four Grand Slams – Jason Leonard over a period spanning the last nine years of the […]
‘Nerd’ Dom Barrow has passion to learn with Newcastle Falcons
He might have been one of the most sought-after players in the Championship but Newcastle Falcons new boy Dom Barrow is already well aware of […]
Stuart Lancaster must dare to dream, says Brian Ashton
Brian Ashton hopes that England‘s new-found attacking style will be no passing ‘fad’. A young England team destroyed Argentina with some stunning running in the […]
Room 101: Will Skinner – former Harlequins flanker
1. Lazy trolley operators I really can’t stand people who can’t be bothered to put supermarket shopping trolleys away properly after they’ve unloaded all their […]
Nick Cain looks ahead to the 2015 World Cup showdown between England, Wales and Australia
We are six months closer to the 2015 World Cup Pool of Pain, and the Lions victory over Australia provides a natural watershed from which […]
Mike Catt input can steer me to top says Luther Burrell
Luther Burrell racked up a Premiership final appearance and an England debut in his first season with Northampton – but the centre insists working with […]
20 Questions: Chris Pennell – Worcester full-back
Been anywhere decent on holiday? My wife, Jo, and I went for a week in Crete, which was lovely. We stayed opposite Spinalonga, which we […]
Nick Cain: North star needs help to twinkle for Saints
When it comes to buying marquee players for the new season no one in the Premiership has done a better job than Northampton. The acquisition […]
Jeremy Guscott: Time for Lancaster to get ruthless with selection
Stuart Lancaster must know by now that the biggest job he has as England head coach is selection. England are two years away from the […]
Why Charlie Sharples may be on fast-track for recall
England discard Charlie Sharples has put the pain of rejection behind him and wants to prove the selectors wrong by starring for Gloucester next season. […]
My Life in Rugby: Dan Hipkiss – former England, Bath and Leicester centre
Scoring the winning try for Leicester in the 2010 Premiership final is something I will never forget – you just see that reaction of everyone […]
Tiger Niall Morris aiming to be an Irish Wolfhound
Niall Morris, having impressed with Emerging Ireland in Georgia this summer, hopes to get another crack at international rugby. Leicester winger Morris was called up […]
Dream Team: Nicky Little – Former Fiji, Sale and Bath fly-half
1. Bill Cavubati – Big Bill was absolutely enormous, weighing in at 160kg (25st 3lb). But he was one of the pure legends of the […]
Man behind the Match: Rob Howley and the 2004 Heineken Cup final
The final act of Rob Howley’s playing career was about as perfect as you can ask for. Any rugby fan worth his salt can replay […]
Room 101: Mike Aspinall – Harrogate player-coach
1. Essay writing I wouldn’t say that I’m the most academic person by any stretch of the imagination. But, as someone who’s nearing the end […]
Young Gun: Tom Dunn – Bath hooker
Tom Dunn rose so rapidly through the Bath ranks last season he had a parody Twitter account set up in his name – and now […]
20 Questions: Tomas O’Leary – London Irish scrum-half
Been anywhere nice on holiday? Cancun, Mexico, and then Miami with my girlfriend. Cool places to see…we lay on the beach, chilled out and ate […]
Peter Jackson: Wales can cap it all with World Cup victory
By the time they finish their next match, Wales will be in serious contention for another title – The Most Capped Team of all. Apart […]
Jeff Probyn: O’Driscoll deserved to end his career with dignity
Okay, okay I admit it, I said that I thought the Aussies would win that third Test and the series and I was wrong. Before […]
Sam Warburton out for four months
British & Irish Lions captain Sam Warburton will be out of action for up to four months with a hamstring tear. The Cardiff Blues flanker […]
Mike Ford puts his focus on reviving up Bath attack
He’s masterminded the defence for the Lions, England and Ireland, not to mention Premiership clubs. But now newly-promoted Bath coach Mike Ford is looking forward […]
My Life in Rugby: Leigh Hinton – former Dragons and Leeds full-back
My one season at Newport Gwent Dragons was tough but, looking back, it was the best thing that happened in my career. It made me […]
Nick Cain: Gatland defies the abuse to hit jackpot
What the 2013 Lions tour revealed is that for all the power inherent in the concept of the four Home Unions united, unity within the […]
Nick Cain says Lions’ selection errors would have proved costly in New Zealand
Sam Warburton says that he has no truck with the defeatist claptrap which says that the Lions cannot win in New Zealand four years from […]
Andy Goode: I’m here to help make Wasps great again
Fly-half Andy Goode is out to prove there is life in the old dog yet by marshalling Wasps young guns into the Heineken Cup. When […]
Leicester appeal Richard Cockerill ban
The RFU have confirmed Leicester are to appeal the ban against director of rugby Richard Cockerill. The Tigers boss was handed a nine-game suspension following […]
Dream Team: Paddy Johns – Former Ireland, Ulster and Saracens lock
1. Jason Leonard – The number of caps he got for England is incredible. He was just a really solid player – very consistent. He […]
Gavin Henson’s case ‘closed’
Bath confirmed today that the incident that invalid Gavin Henson and Carl Fears in a pub last Wednesday was now closed following a “thorough internal […]
Cardiff to host Heineken Cup final
The Heineken Cup will be returning to its spiritual home with the final staged in Cardiff next year. The European finals where meant to be […]
Jeremy Guscott: Lions success was even greater than ‘97
Big congratulations to everyone concerned with the Lions for a scintilating series and a well-deserved triumph. It should not be underestimated quite what an achievement […]
Nick Cain’s tour overview: Do not underestimate this wonderful triumph
The 2013 Lions roared in Sydney, mauling the Wallabies by a record score, but there are some embittered souls for whom the Lions stand in […]
LV=Cup pools and fixtures revealed
Defending champions Harlequins will take on Leicester Tigers as the pools and fixtures for the upcoming LV=Cup were announced today. Quins have been drawn in […]
“I feel a bit sorry for Gavin,” says Bath legend Duncan Bell
Bath legend Duncan Bell says he “feels sorry” for Gavin Henson following the storm surrounding his public bust up with team-mate Carl Fearns on a […]
Leigh Halfpenny is a £1m target for the French clubs
Leigh Halfpenny’s Welsh future is to be thrashed out in London this week as three French clubs prepare to make him offers worth £1m. The […]
Wasps’ Lee Thomas retires
London Wasps centre Lee Thomas has been forced to retire from the game having failed to recover from a ruptured Achilles suffered last season. Thomas […]
Rugby Challenge 2 Competition
To celebrate the first British & Irish Lions series win since 1997, The Rugby Paper will give away a copy of the latest Rugby Challenge 2, […]
Room 101: Alan Paver – Cornish Pirates prop
1. Bad Banter You get some dreadful banter in rugby but the worst culprits tend to be hookers. In terms of being ‘chopsy’, hookers are […]
Young Gun: Josh Sharp – Saracens England U18s fly-half
Josh Sharp capped a season of European U18 glory with a first full-time contract at Saracens – but the young fly-half knows the hard work […]
Another successful FRN Sevens tournament
Last week, Find Rugby Now held its annual rugby 7s tournament in London. The tournament was twice the size of the 2012 event and included […]
20 Questions: James Rodwell – England 7s
Been with England 7s a while now? It’s my fifth full season and although it’s been a rollercoaster at times, it’s been really good and […]
Henson knocked out by Bath teammate
Gavin Henson seems to have hit the headlines once again after allegedly being knocked out in the Pig and Fiddle pub in Bath by one of […]
Nick Cain reflects on the highs and lows of the Lions tour leading up to the pivotal Test
The last round of Wallaby jaw-jaw before the battle for the 2013 Test series came to a climax at the ANZ Stadium in Sydney yesterday […]
Jeff Probyn: High ticket prices will keep kids away from World Cup
Well that’s it for another four years (12 if you’re Australian), the end of another Lions tour with all the angst and controversy, heroes and […]
Matt Banahan sets his sights on main prize
Matt Banahan refuses to give up on his England dream but knows a successful season with Bath is non-negotiable if he is to force his […]
My Life in Rugby: Lee Mears – former Bath, England & Lions hooker
In 2009 waiting for the Lions announcement all I could think was I wish they’d name their teams like everyone else. The squad went from […]
Nick Cain: O’Driscoll was lucky even to be on tour
The notion held by some media pundits and fans – not all of them Irish – that Brian O’Driscoll is a rugby martyr because he […]
Nick Cain’s tour verdict: Gatland shows he has Midas touch
After the gunsmoke had cleared at the ANZ Stadium, the massed ranks of Lions fans waited to cheer on the 2013 Lions before they exited […]
Chris Robshaw may have to switch to six says Nick Evans
Luke Wallace’s all-action displays in the Quins No.7 shirt last season will force England captain Chris Robshaw to move to blindside in the near future. […]
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