Newcastle, who are favourites to get promoted from the Championship, have announced the signing of Saracens flanker Andy Saull for next season. The 24-year-old made […]
Latest Posts
Streather, Rouse and Parr to make the step up
Three Nottingham players will have a crack at the Aviva Premiership next season after it was announced Tim Streather is joining Saracens while Matt Parr […]
Jeremy Guscott looks at the contenders for the Lions captaincy and selects his man
For the first in a long time whoever Warren Gatland selects as his Lions captain will not be a majority pick by most supporters. In […]
Jonny Wilkinson ‘can have six more years at top – like Ryan Giggs’
Jonny Wilkinson can emulate Ryan Giggs’ longevity and play top-level sport until he is 39, according to the fly-half’s long-term mentor Steve Black. Last month […]
Dream Team: Clive Stuart-Smith – former Gloucester, Scarlets, Exeter and Saxons scrum-half
1. Rodrigo Roncero – An immense scrummager, dynamic in the loose. He didn’t speak much and when he did, I never understood a word. 2. […]
Jeff Probyn: Where do English clubs go if they quit Heineken Cup?
This week saw the traditional end to the rugby season at club level with the vast majority of England‘s clubs playing the last league games […]
Richard Hill out, Dean Ryan in
Following speculations yesterday, Worcester Warriors confirmed that Richard Hill will be leaving his post as head coach with immediate effect. Hill will be replaced next […]
James Haskell: Magic of the Lions transcends everything
As the end of this season approaches, the elephant is in the room. The topic being touched upon with baited breath in all the sports […]
Cardiff will get eight World Cup matches
England are planning to turn the Millennium Stadium into a World Cup gold mine worth more than £50m. Up to eight matches are being earmarked […]
End of season for Josh Matavesi
Josh Matavesi has finished his Premiership season after the Worcester‘s centre picked up a four-week ban for a dangerous tackle on Saracens Neil de Kock. Matavesi […]
England open 2014 RBS Six Nations with trip to France
England will start their 2014 Six Nations campaign with a trip to the Stade de France to face France on Saturday, February 1. On the […]
Eifion Lewis-Roberts not guilty of doping
Sale prop Eifion Lewis Roberts has been found not guilty of doping following an ongoing case which was open after the French Top 14 final […]
Jonny Wilkinson pens new deal
It was announced two weeks ago but Jonny Wilkinson as officially put pen to paper and signed a one-year contract extension with French powerhouse Toulon. […]
Money man Kelvin Bryon pulls plug on London Welsh hopes
London Welsh are facing fresh turmoil after the club’s majority shareholder, Kelvin Bryon, revealed he is pulling out at the end of the season. Bryon, […]
Jeremy Guscott: Come on Leicester, prove that Toulon are just mercenaries
Two fantastic European fixtures will be taking place today, Toulon v Tigers and Harlequins v Munster. In both cases it’s old multi-winners against newbie wannabe […]
Peter Jackson: Give me just a little more time, begs Olly
Olly Kohn has no intention of ending up as cannon-fodder for any bright sparks on Brain of Britain or University Challenge even if he can […]
Room 101: James Pritchard – Bedford full-back
1. Parking space Pirates People without any kids in town really get to me when they park in designated family parking bays at supermarkets. When […]
Young Gun: Mark Bennet – Glasgow centre
Mark Bennett was so highly-rated coming through the ranks at Glasgow that French giants Clermont Auvergne brought him to the Stade Marcel Michelin at the […]
20 Questions: Dean Mumm – Exeter lock
Enjoying our fine English winter? It keeps lasting, doesn’t it! First time I’ve ever experienced a winter like this but there’s novelty value and I’ve […]
Nick Cain: Baxter can improve England’s set-piece
Stuart Lancaster has made a smart move in asking Rob Baxter to join the England set-up as forwards coach for the tour to Argentina this […]
Premiership round 20: teams
Exeter v London Irish Exeter: Arscott; Nowell, Dollman, Shoemark, Jess; Steenson, Thomas; Sturgess, Yeandle, Tui; Mumm, Welch; White, Scaysbrook, Baxter (Capt.). Replacements: Whitehead, Rimmer, Mitchell, […]
RaboDirect Pro12 round 20: teams
Cardiff Blues v Zebre Cardiff Blues: Halfpenny; Williams, Evans (Capt.), Roberts, Robinson; Patchell, Jones; Filise, Breeze, Andrews; Reed, Paulo; Paterson, Copeland, Warburton. Replacements: Dacey, T. […]
Folau in, Beale and Cooper out for Wallabies
Israel Folau has been included the Wallabies‘ logistics camp ahead of the British & Irish Lions tour this summer. The Waratahs full-back, who has only […]
Just get rid of the hit-squad to solve this scrum farce
Scrum guru Phil Keith-Roach claims the chaos and controversy surrounding the set-piece would be gone within a month if the IRB removed one sentence from […]
England launch new Canterbury kit for London Sevens
Canterbury and the RFU have unveiled the new England Sevens home and alternate shirts at Twickenham Stadium with the two shirts expected to spark debate […]
Quins to investigate their “supporters”
Harlequins are to investigate how Munster supporters managed to have “a presence in the stadium that exceeded the number of tickets officially allocated to them” […]
Jamie Roberts to kick-off tribute to Dr jack Matthews
Jamie Roberts will get a chance to ease his pre-British & Irish Lions squad selection nerves when he kicks-off a special tribute match to one […]
My Life in Rugby: Rob Henderson – former Ireland and Lions centre
My highest and lowest moments in rugby both started with a phonecall from Donal Lenihan. In 1999 he gave me the call to say I […]
14-week ban for Jerome Fillol
Jerome Fillol has been handed a 14-week ban for spitting at Bath scrum-half Peter Stringer in last Saturday’s Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final. Stringer complained to Nigel […]
Jeremy Guscott: Ref scrums as laws say and all will be fine again
The scrum statistics from the Six Nations makes grim reading and tell us a great deal about the state of the game in the Northern […]
Peter Jackson: Drumrolls, but the big act has yet to appear
The Welsh Rugby Union considered their announcement important enough to carry a ‘strict embargo’ until one minute past midnight on the first Wednesday of December. […]
Jeff Probyn: Surely it’s best for Wales that North’s in England not France
Why is it that when clubs or regions have a disagreement with their Unions they always appear to threaten a new cross- border competition? Whether […]
Another Championship player joins London Irish
London Irish have signed hooker Mike Mayhew on a three-year contract from Newcastle Falcons. Mayhew joined the Sunbury-based side as injury cover earlier in the […]
When Halani ‘Aulika stopped being a waisted talent
London Irish prop sensation Halani Aulika would have been lost to the game had it not been for a chance meeting on an Auckland petrol […]
Dream Team: Gordon Ross – London Welsh and former Edinburgh and Scotland fly-half
1. Tom Smith – He wasn’t the biggest in the world but he was hugely talented. He was a terrific ball-player and could more than […]
Michael Claassens leaves Bath
As expected and reported by Neil Fissler in The Rugby Paper weeks ago, Michael Claassens has today confirmed that he will be leaving Bath at the […]
Jeff Probyn: RFU must step in and end this financial ring-fencing
As the disappointments of the Six Nations fades into memory, club rugby comes back into focus as we approach the business end of the season […]
London Irish sign Rotherham duo
London Irish added depth to their back-line option with the signings of Eamonn Sheridan and Fergus Mulchrone from Championship side Rotherham on two-year deals, it […]
James Haskell: Wasps fall in classic episode of Euro thrills
The Premiership is fantastically competitive week-in- week-out. It’s hard, it’s physical and many of the weekly match-ups could easily be described as being big games. […]
London Wasps saved as £500k tax bill is paid
New Wasps owner Derek Richardson had to settle an outstanding tax bill of £500,000 before completing the long-awaited takeover of the London club on Friday.
Peter Stringer commits to Bath
Irish scrum-half Peter Stringer has signed a contract extension and will remain with Bath next season. The 35-year-old, who has been capped by Ireland 98 […]
George North joins Northampton
The Scarlets announced today they have agreed to release the 20-year-old winger on his request so he could sign a three-year deal with the East Midlands side.
James Haskell: Let’s play in summer and watch skills grow
You wake-up. It’s Saturday morning. Your bedroom’s freezing, but at least it is only 10.00am, so you can ease back for a lie-in under the […]
Nigel Wray backs move for Welsh to join Aviva Premiership
England’s Premiership clubs plan to strike a deal with the four Welsh regions which could change the landscape of European competition.
Jerome Fillol cited for spitting incident
Jerome Fillol has been cited for allegedly spitting at Peter Stringer during their Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final on Saturday. Stringer complained to referee Nigel Owens […]
Sam Jones signs up for more
Sam Jones has become the latest young English talent to commit his future to London Wasps, signing a new contract with the Club this week. […]
James Haskell: The pain of defeat will drive England on
I was asked in the build up to the game with Wales: “Have the players who had been involved with the loss against Ireland two […]
Room 101: Ian Nimmo – Dragons lock
1. Paid-for Condiments My particular beef (or should that be chicken?) is aimed at the popular restaurant chain Nando’s. The boys love going down to […]
Nick Cain picks his 2013 Lions tour party with some surprising ins and outs
No Brian O’Driscoll. No Chris Robshaw. Neither men make my 2013 Lions tour party for the straightforward reason that others are better equipped to help […]
Young Gun: Will Graulich – Gloucester lock
As the latest Gloucester lock to serve his apprenticeship at Hartpury, Will Graulich is certainly in good company – and the fledgling second row is […]
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