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Speedster Ollie Sleightholme ends the year on a high

22 December 2024 0 comments

By Paul Rees Ollie Sleightholme will not be among those glad to see the back of 2024 – a year in which he made his […]

England’s outsiders deserve a chance

22 December 2024 0 comments

JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE… EVERY WEEK IT’S just six weeks before the start of the 2025 Six Nations, and since Steve Borthwick became England […]

No Franco Mostert? That’s got to be a mistake

22 December 2024 0 comments

By Chris Hewett – Thinking Allowed Here’s a funny thing: one of the more prominent rugby sites on the worldwide web super information highway thingy […]

Shane Lewis-Hughes puts his faith in the finger of fate…

22 December 2024 0 comments

For more than 60 years, Red Conway stood in a class all on his own: the only international player to undergo amputation by way of […]

Elite show struggling to fit in

22 December 2024 0 comments

AFTER A GRIM WEEKEND FOR SOUTH AFRICAN SIDES, PAUL REES ON WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO PROTECT THE CHAMPIONS CUP LEICESTER attracted the second […]

My Christmas day XV

22 December 2024 0 comments

Rugby Matters – A weekly look at the game’s other talking points by Brendan Gallagher Backs 15 Mark Mapletoft (England): Born December 25, 1971: Made […]

Osada gets the Knights off to flier

22 December 2024 0 comments

JAPAN RUGBY By BEN JAYCOCK SAITAMA Wild Knights kicked off their Japan Rugby League One season in convincing fashion by beating Tokyo Sungoliath 33-12 courtesy […]

Ellie Kildunne believes impact of home Rugby World Cup lies ‘beyond imagination’

20 December 2024 0 comments

England and Harlequins full-back Ellie Kildunne cannot even fathom how transformative next year’s home Rugby World Cup might be for her country. The 25-year-old was […]

Start with Tom Roebuck, Ben Curry tells Steve Borthwick

15 December 2024 0 comments

By Ross Heppenstall Steve Borthwick has been urged to make in-form Sale star Tom Roebuck a starting winger in the Six Nations. Roebuck enjoyed an […]

Handre Pollard: My future still up in the air

15 December 2024 0 comments

By Paul Rees Handre Pollard is out of contract at the end of the season and Leicester hope a strong showing for the rest of […]

New-boy Jordie Barrett quick to show his worth for Leinster

15 December 2024 0 comments

By Mark Stevens Leinster had a good inkling of what they were getting when they confirmed the signing of Jordie Barrett back in April. Now, […]

The global travellers who light up game

15 December 2024 0 comments

By Chris Hewett – Thinking Allowed There is nothing especially funny about short-term memory loss, but it may just have an upside when it comes […]

Chris Robshaw backs USA to boost 2031 Rugby World Cup

15 December 2024 0 comments

By Paul Rees Chris Robshaw is confident the United States will make a success of hosting the 2031 World Cup and expand the game’s commercial […]

Farrell looking for answers

15 December 2024 0 comments

ANALYSIS » AS WE PREPARE TO ENTER A LIONS YEAR, PAUL REES CONSIDERS THE OPTIONS WHICH MIGHT COME TOGETHER IN AUSTRALIA THERE were Bristol just […]

Hellfire Corner gives a warm welcome to all

15 December 2024 0 comments

Rugby Matters by Brendan Gallagher – A weekly look at the game’s other talking points Rugby was undergoing a massive boom 150 years ago so […]

Brave Lupus banking on Mo’unga class

15 December 2024 0 comments

By MATT McILRAITH THE fourth season of Japan Rugby League One kicks off this week, with the tournament opening with the clash between Mie Honda […]

Ebbw Vale take over at the top

15 December 2024 0 comments

Welsh Rugby Super Rygbi round-up By CARL FIELD EBBW Vale are the new leaders of Super Rygbi Cymru after they rallied from 17-0 down to […]

England XV to host France

15 December 2024 0 comments

An England XV will host a France XV in an uncapped match at Twickenham on Saturday June 21 as a warm-up for the three-Test summer […]

Japan League One 2024/25 Season Preview

13 December 2024 0 comments

The fourth edition of Japan Rugby League One kicks off next week, with the tournament opening with the clash between Mie Honda Heat and Ricoh […]

Ronan O’Gara would ‘bite hands off’ for top Test coach role – but not Wales job

10 December 2024 0 comments

Ronan O’Gara says there are international jobs he would “bite people’s hands off for” as he underlined a burning desire to coach at Test level. […]

England were not too far off – Henry Slade

8 December 2024 0 comments

By Mark Stevens Henry Slade believes England deserved more credit for their performances this autumn, insisting it was ‘small margins’ that prevented them from truly […]

Joe Heyes determined to prove himself at the top level

8 December 2024 0 comments

By Jon Newcombe Joe Heyes has used the hurt of missing out on a place in England’s Autumn Nations Series squad to drive him on […]

Tommy Freeman is happy to have a crack at centre

8 December 2024 0 comments

By Paul Rees Tommy Freeman has started all of England’s internationals this year on the wing but fancies having a crack in the centre. Freeman […]

Winners? It’s hard to look beyond Toulouse – Chris Robshaw

8 December 2024 0 comments

Paul Rees talks to Chris Robshaw about the Champions Cup – and why he rates England’s chances in the Six Nations Chris Robshaw felt lost […]

Time for Bristol Bears to step up to the plate

8 December 2024 0 comments

By Jeremy Guscott – Outspoken and unmissable every week… English clubs like Saracens, Leicester, Bath, Northampton and, to a lesser extent, Harlequins have got pedigree […]

My British & Irish Lions team are ready for take-off

8 December 2024 0 comments

By Nick Cain – Read his expert opinion every week… There is a view that picking a Lions Test team almost seven months before the […]

Oh, for a one-stop TV shop for the lot

8 December 2024 0 comments

CHRIS HEWETT THINKING ALLOWED Gogglebox: Bath taking on La Rochelle on Friday night PICTURE: Getty Images HERE’S a brain teaser: if you happen to be […]

Glad to hear the French say: Non!

8 December 2024 0 comments

FRANCE is a foreign country: they do things differently there. For one thing, they have a pyramid league system that works every bit as well […]

Lowe’s running out of time to win the big one

8 December 2024 0 comments

Cutting a dash: James Lowe in action for Leinster PICTURE: Alamy NOBODY in recent seasons has cut a deeper swathe through one of the game’s […]

All eyes now set on 2025

8 December 2024 0 comments

Paul Rees looks forward to what happens next in the international arena after a demanding Autumn Series Coming man: Sam Prendergast on the attack for […]

College looks to conquer the world

8 December 2024 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA By ROB COLE LLANDOVERY College have two more targets in mind after hanging onto their WSC U18 title with a 72-19 victory over […]

Harrogate’s ideal for Nuu as he looks to the future

8 December 2024 0 comments

By CHRIS COLLYER Convert: Harrogate centre Junior Nuu RUGBY league convert Junior Nuu is on a short-term contract with Harrogate and is eager to help […]

Sailing around the Med for a year is next for me – Tyler Ardron

8 December 2024 0 comments

My Life in Rugby TYLER ARDRON THE CANADA FORWARD, CURRENTLY AT CASTRES, WHO PREVIOUSLY PLAYED FOR OSPREYS AND THE CHIEFS In 18 months’ time, when […]

France won’t play All Blacks in USA

8 December 2024 0 comments

French Column – By James Harrington The FFR has rejected a proposal from New Zealand to relocate the third Test of next July’s tour to […]

Ghezal’s job is to drag Lyon out of a hole

8 December 2024 0 comments

GOOD news has been hard to come by at Top 14 strugglers Lyon in recent weeks. Last Saturday’s defeat at Pau, which saw them drop […]

Autumn Nations Series grades for each team

2 December 2024 0 comments

By Charlie Elliott No one could have expected some of the results that happened over the Autumn Nations Series, with Australia overperforming and Wales furthering […]

The best XV of the Autumn Nations Series

2 December 2024 0 comments

By Charlie Elliott After an Autumn filled with drama, where underperformances from home nations were compounded by Southern Hemisphere brilliance, here is the best XV […]

150th party nearly ends in tears for sloppy Irish

1 December 2024 0 comments

By Brendan Gallagher Ireland…………………………. 22pts Tries: van der Flier 23, Doris 49, G McCarthy 73 Conversions: Prendergast 50, Crowley 74 Penalty: Prendergast 43 Australia……………………….. 19pts […]

Springboks going to need a bigger trophy cabinet …

1 December 2024 0 comments

Peter Jackson looks back on a season where, once again, South Africa proved to be the best team on the planet Now that they have […]

We can’t compete with the big dogs, admits Steve Diamond

1 December 2024 0 comments

By Paul Rees Steve Diamond will be putting young players on long-term contracts to protect Newcastle from the greater spending power of every other club […]

Time for big guns to deliver in the Six Nations

1 December 2024 0 comments

PAUL REES ASSESSES THE FORM OF ENGLAND, SCOTLAND, FRANCE, WALES AND ITALY IN THE BUILDUP TO THE SIX NATIONS ENGLAND Result: Henry Slade celebrates a […]

Good to see the Eagles soaring again

1 December 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points – By Brendan Gallagher That’s a wrap for the autumn Tests and it would […]

GB face Spain in Dubai quarters

1 December 2024 0 comments

NEWS EXTRA GREAT Britain men will face Spain in the quarter-finals of the Dubai Sevens, the first leg of the 2024-25 World Series. GB opened […]

Rowland is gearing up for world cup challenge

1 December 2024 0 comments

■ By MARK STEVENS Triumph: England celebrate with the WXV1 trophy PICTURES: Getty Images HELENA Rowland believes England Women have been given advance warning that […]

I can’t wait to prove what I can do, says fit-again Tua

1 December 2024 0 comments

■ By MARK STEVENS TAMATI Tua is looking to make up for lost time after finally getting his chance to shine in Exeter Chiefs colours. […]

Ireland vs Australia – Autumn Nations Series Match Preview

29 November 2024 0 comments

By Peter Ryan – @PeterRyanSports As Ireland prepares to host Australia this Saturday, both teams are coming off contrasting results. Under Andy Farrell’s leadership, Ireland […]

Brackla RFC: A hidden gem in Bridgend‘s vast rugby landscape.

26 November 2024 0 comments

By Peter Ryan – @PeterRyanSports “The fact of being an underdog changes people in ways that we often fail to appreciate. It opens doors and […]

The most surprising results of the Autumn Nations Series

25 November 2024 0 comments

By Charlie Elliott A combination of strong teams underperforming and perceived ‘weaker’ teams overperforming has resulted in a lot of shocks over this Autumn Nations […]

Autumn Nations Series: Biggest Stock Risers and Fallers

25 November 2024 0 comments

By Charlie Elliott This Autumn Nations Series there have been plenty of moments and performances which are enough to define a career, and here are […]

Autumn Nations Series Team of the Week: England trio impress in final game of disappointing campaign

25 November 2024 0 comments

By Charlie Elliott England managed to salvage some dignity in their final game against Japan, while Australia failed to continue their form over the home nations. In the […]

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