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RFU urged to ditch overseas player ban

28 July 2024 1 comment

Paul Gustard believes the RFU should look at scrapping the overseas player ban and allow Steve Borthwick to pick players based outside the Gallagher Premiership.

Antoine Dupont inspires France to Olympic gold in Paris

28 July 2024 0 comments

Nine months on from their heartbreaking quarter-final loss in the World Cup to South Africa, Antoine Dupont inspired France’s Sevens side to win Olympic gold at the Stade de France.

Wales coach Warren Gatland has ‘full support’ of WRU

28 July 2024 0 comments

WRU chairman Richard Collier-Keywood says Wales head coach Warren Gatland has the “full support” of the Union despite slipping to an alltime low of 11th in the world rankings.

Burke is tipped to take Prem by storm

28 July 2024 0 comments

By GARY FITZGERALD FERGUS Burke is the perfect replacement for Owen Farrell and can take the Premiership by storm. Former All Black Robbie Deans claims […]

Crompton excited to sign for Harlequins

28 July 2024 0 comments

By SAM JACKSON HARLEQUINS have signed Great Britain Sevens winger Grace Crompton from Bristol Bears. The 22-year-old — who was previously involved with Quins as […]

Dupont, the catalyst and the creator

28 July 2024 0 comments

BRENDAN GALLAGHER WE live in an age of superlative sports stars. Tadej Pogacar is very possibly the greatest cyclist we have ever seen, the triumvirate […]

POOL A WRAP

28 July 2024 0 comments

NEW Zealand finished top of Pool A with a clean sweep, while Ireland won two out of three to qualify for the last eight and […]

Gatland less sure-footed on his return

28 July 2024 0 comments

WARREN Gatland has made more mis-steps in his second stint as Wales’s head coach than he did in his first 12 years at the helm. […]

Sacrifices beyond the call

28 July 2024 0 comments

ANOTHER Matt Dawson, an Australian hockey player not to be confused with his namesake from Question of Sport, made a news item the other day. […]

Heart surgery for Youngs

28 July 2024 0 comments

FORMER England scrum-half Ben Youngs had heart surgery this year after collapsing during an open training session with Leicester Tigers. The 34-year-old, who is England’s […]

No protection for players from dangers of rugby turning professional – claim

24 July 2024 0 comments

A detailed claim on behalf of 480 former players has been served on World Rugby, the RFU and the WRU. Rugby authorities failed to protect […]

Collecting Rugby Memorabilia

23 July 2024 0 comments

The world is going sports memorabilia crazy with some incredible prices reserved for the rarest items. While many of these originate in America, with a […]

Scotland see off battling Chile for third win on tour

21 July 2024 0 comments

BY JOE SANTAMARIA Chile…………………………………………………11 Tries: Escobar 50 Penalties: Videla 11, Salas 27 Scotland……………………………………………52 Tries: Bayliss 22, Rowe 29, 65; Dobie 34, 45; Currie 58, Richardson 73, Steyn 79 Conversions: Healy 23, 30, 36; Hastings 59, […]

2027 World Cup is closer than you think, says Borthwick

21 July 2024 0 comments

By ADAM HATHAWAY Steve Borthwick admits he faces a race against time to get England up to speed as he turns his sights to the […]

Freeman: We left with NZ respect

21 July 2024 0 comments

By ADAM HATHAWAY Tommy Freeman flew out of New Zealand on Monday morning beaten but not bowed claiming England had won the respect of the […]

Packer out to defend WXV crown in Canada

21 July 2024 0 comments

By PAUL EDDISON Marlie Packer enjoyed one of the greatest nights of her rugby career in the first edition of WXV – little wonder she […]

England going in the right direction

21 July 2024 0 comments

JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE… EVERY WEEK If we measure England from the time Steve Borthwick took over as head coach to where we are […]

Mapimpi hat-trick sparks Springboks as Portugal go under

21 July 2024 0 comments

■By SAM JACKSON DISCIPLINE was an issue for a much changed South Africa but, despite their numerical disadvantage, the Springboks had more than enough to […]

World Cup 2031 will be a tough sell in USA

21 July 2024 0 comments

Nick Cain World Cup USA is six and a half years away. Yet, outside the fraught situation World Rugby (IRB) faced in scheduling the 1995 […]

England need to beat the big boys

21 July 2024 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK It is intriguing to see England being touted already as serious 2027 World Cup contenders on the […]

A drop of magic is just what we need

21 July 2024 0 comments

CHRIS HEWETT THINKING ALLOWED STRANGE as it may sound to generations of rugby lovers raised on a fizzy-drink, dopamine-heavy diet of high-scoring matches, there was […]

Don’t let our sport move to summer

21 July 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS NOT for the first time I offer a heartfelt warning against those who continue to argue for a switch to summer rugby in […]

Spanish youngsters show how to tackle low

21 July 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS I DON’T know if you caught any of Spain’s game against Italy at the Junior World Cup last Sunday but it was an […]

Overseas stars join top teams

21 July 2024 0 comments

Ben Jaycock reports on the increasing popularity of the Women’s Prem as 30 imports sign for the top sides in England Premiership Women’s Rugby is […]

Cromack: We can follow path set by footballers

21 July 2024 0 comments

Women’s U20 Summer Series By PAUL EDDISON Women’s rugby can follow the example set by the growth of women’s football according to rising star Ella […]

Patchell becomes a rocket in Japan

21 July 2024 0 comments

On the move: Rhys Patchell scoring a try for the Highlanders last season PICTURES: Alamy WALES fly-half Rhys Patchell has joined NEC Green Rockets Tokatsu […]

England crowned Junior World Cup champions

19 July 2024 0 comments

Under a full moon at the DHL stadium, the Under 20’s World Championship came to an enthralling end as England emerged victorious for the first […]

England u20s take on France for World Championship glory

18 July 2024 0 comments

By James Orpin This Friday will see England’s next generation look to end France’s reign on the u20 championship, it will be a battle for […]

The Evolution of Rugby: From Amateur to Professional Leagues

18 July 2024 0 comments

Rugby union football – or just rugby as you probably know it – has come a long, long way. From Irishmen using inflated bladders as […]

Don’t judge us on this one game – Mapletoft

17 July 2024 0 comments

Mark Mapletoft has taken the pressure off his World Championship hunting England side by saying this week’s final is not the be-all and end-all for […]

Borthwick approach tempted Strawbridge

14 July 2024 0 comments

By ADAM HATHAWAY Assistant coach Andrew Strawbridge reckons England are a team on the up and that persuaded him to throw in his lot with […]

Underhill so impressed by England’s improvement

14 July 2024 0 comments

By ADAM HATHAWAY Sam Underhill is a decent barometer of England’s progress in the last 12 months having watched them from in and outside the […]

A thunderous match that had no losers

14 July 2024 0 comments

PAUL REES The first thing that needs to be said is that this was an absorbing Test match between two teams which on their current […]

High-risk blitz puts England in charge

14 July 2024 0 comments

JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE… EVERY WEEK There’s nothing not to like about England’s blitz defence. It’s bold, gutsy, and good to see because it […]

Wales show defiance but the wait goes on

14 July 2024 0 comments

PETER JACKSON All week long the Red Dragon legions had planned their regimental mobilisation with just enough military precision to let them catch the action […]

Ireland’s ecstasy as cool Frawley steals it

14 July 2024 0 comments

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER South Africa………………… 24pts Penalties: Pollard 19, 35, 45, 48, 53, 57, 61, 65 Ireland…………………………. 25pts Tries: Murray 14 Conversions: Crowley 15 Penalties: […]

European elite keen to exclude outsiders

14 July 2024 0 comments

CHRIS HEWETT THINKING ALLOWED Whichever way you care to define the i-word, it was an interesting few hours for Canadian sport. On July 6 in […]

Slipper deserves place at top table

14 July 2024 0 comments

Wallaby props? How we used to snigger at them over here in England as Jason Leonard, Phil Vickery and Andrew Sheridan chucked their weight around […]

Entertaining the crowds is not the only thing

14 July 2024 0 comments

Paul Rees says that, while attracting a new audience is important, the game must not ignore its core support Scott Robertson made his name with […]

Peter Jackson: Warrior Peter O’Mahony learns a brutal lesson

14 July 2024 0 comments

A Grand Slam winner last year, Peter O’Mahony backed it up by captaining Ireland to a second successive Six Nations title.

Try happy Scotland face USA in fight for promotion

14 July 2024 0 comments

U20s TROPHY By JAMES ORPIN SCOTLAND will be looking to book their return to the U20s World Championship on Wednesday when they contest the Trophy […]

I can’t wait to take on Ireland in semi

14 July 2024 0 comments

OLAMIDE SODEKE ENGLAND U2O SECOND ROW Winners: England celebrate their hard-fought victory against South Africa PICTURE: World Rugby THE team is looking strong coming off […]

Expect the Chiefs Mk2 to be real contenders

14 July 2024 0 comments

PAUL REES LOOKS AT WHY EXETER’S DOR HAS PUT PLAYER RETENTION AHEAD OF RECRUITMENT AT SANDY PARK The most eye-catching result of the Premiership season […]

Why is captain replaced so early?

14 July 2024 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME So the All Blacks keep their home record of wins at Dunedin by just one point […]

The key talking points ahead of the second Test between Australia and Wales

12 July 2024 0 comments

Wales have not won a Test match since the 2023 World Cup. Wales will have another chance to try and end their long losing run […]

Andy Farrell impressed by captain Peter O’Mahony’s response to being dropped

11 July 2024 0 comments

Caelan Doris will skipper the Six Nations champions against South Africa on Saturday. Ireland boss Andy Farrell feels captain Peter O’Mahony has shown “proper leadership” […]