MY LIFEIN RUGBY DAVID McILWAINE THE FORMER ULSTER, BRISTOL, DONCASTER & LEEDS FULL-BACK On the run: David McIlwaine playing for Bristol against Rotherham PICTURE: Media […]
James Harrington French column Last season, Stade Francais finished second in the Top 14 to qualify directly for the semi-finals – where an after-the-hooter conversion […]
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN There are no ‘good’ responses to Melvyn Jaminet’s violently racist outburst on social media, or the serious sexual assault allegations levelled […]
RUGBY MATTERS GO west young man. The phrase, attributed to American newspaper editor Horace Greeley, became a byword for the expansion of the United States […]
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Stuart Hogg’s reported surprise reverse-ferret back into the professional game after his retirement last year – and repeated suggestions that he […]
By JAMES HARRINGTON The ProD2 supplied a final glorious regular-season round for the ages in a perfectly timed reminder to broadcasters interested in bidding for […]
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN A matter of weeks after ProD2 strugglers Biarritz were sold for €1, Toulon owner Bernard Lemaitre suggested he might be willing […]
BIARRITZ’S new owners this week provided French rugby’s financial watchdog with suitable guarantees of their finances, and revealed an eight-year plan to rebuild the club […]
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Ten days ago, under-new-management ProD2 strugglers Biarritz gave themselves what looked a lot like a crucial safety net with a 26-30 […]
Super Rugby Pacific round-up By BEN JAYCOCK Hurricanes overcame a poor second half in which they conceded three yellow cards to beat Fijian Drua 38-15 […]
SERGE Blanco, the finest full-back ever to grace the union game, spent his entire club career at Biarritz. So did the celebrated loose forward Michel […]
RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER A weekly look at the game’s other talking points Andre Boniface, who died earlier this week aged 89, and his younger […]
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN To the relief of fans, white smoke was finally seen over the stand tops of Biarritz’s Parc des Sports d’Aguilera recently, […]
Leicester’s latest fine for salary cap irregularities – their second in as many years – throws up an interesting question or two about the structure […]
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN France Under-20s coach Sebastien Calvet has emerged as favourite to replace Bernard Goutta on the conveyor-belt of managers at ProD2 side […]
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN The afternoon after the Friday-night chastening Six Nations defeat in Marseille before, a subdued French rugby audience tuned in to the […]
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN FRANCE could… Scotland need… Australia on the brink of… Fiji might … South Africa will… Wales already have… If Italy… There […]
By Ben Jaycock Former Wales international Rhys Webb has tested positive for a growth hormone following an unexpected check by the French Anti-Doping Agency carried […]
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN By the time you read this, ProD2 side Biarritz were supposed to be under new management after a deal finally brought […]
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN HEADING into the three-week international break, two Top 14 teams in particular will be pretty happy with their opening 10-game block. […]
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Clermont star Wesley Fofana this week became the latest Top 14 player to join the annual line of those permanently signing […]
By STEFFAN THOMAS French interest: Cardiff flanker Will Boyde PICTURE: Getty Images WILL BOYDE could be heading for Bayonne after securing an early release from […]
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN TOULON’S end-ofseason run-in – and their points total for next season – may be complicated by JIFF rules. Under current rules, […]
CHRIS HEWETT HATS off to the straight-talking Steve Diamond, “lead rugby consultant” – aka “new boss” – at Worcester. In this paper last weekend, Diamond […]
Brendan Gallagher delves into some of rugby’s most enduring images, their story and why they are still so impactful Iconic Rugby Pictures: PART 93 Welcome […]
All postponed matches from round two of the Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup have now been cancelled, while uncertainty hovers over the remainder of […]
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN The Top 14 returned after a three-week international break for two rounds ahead of the start of the European competitions, with […]
Brendan Gallagher delves into some of rugby‘s most enduring images, their story and why they are still so impactful Iconic Rugby Pictures: PART 80 PART […]