Club Rugby
This is where you will find all of The Rugby Paper’s Club Rugby news, interviews, reports, opinion and other content.
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James Harrington
/ 3 years agoTeam of the season is packed with brilliance
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN The 2022/23 Top 14 season is done. Toulouse are champions for the 22nd time, after pipping ambitious...
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Latest News
/ 3 years agoGloucester and Exeter prepare for “Queensholm” showdown
A new winner will be crowned as the champions of the Women’s Premier 15s as Gloucester-Hartpury and Exeter meet at the...
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Champions Cup
/ 3 years agoSeries 2, Episode 24: European Cup format and reattempting an England XV
This week on the Rugby Paper Podcast, host Ollie Little is joined by columnists Brendan Gallagher, Nick Cain and Chris Hewett...
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Champions Cup
/ 3 years agoHeineken pull plug on Europe
By SAM JACKSON EXCLUSIVE Global brewing giants Heineken are to step down as title sponsors of rugby’s Champions Cup, leaving tournament...
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Premiership
/ 3 years agoPurdy out to make his name overseas
By BEN JAYCOCK As many professional rugby players are discovering, the financial problems in the Premiership are making it tough to...
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Premiership
/ 3 years agoBristol swoop to snap up Van Rensburg
By BEN JAYCOCK Bristol Bears have leapt upon London Irish’s misfortune by signing South African centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg. The...
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Premiership Women's Rugby
/ 3 years agoHunter and Cox named in Birthday Honours list
By NEIL HARVEY Former England women’s captain Sarah Hunter has been awarded and CBE and professional referee, Sara Cox an MBE...
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Latest News
/ 3 years agoWe’ll keep on fighting, says Newcastle owner
By PAUL REES Newcastle owner Semore Kurdi has rubbished claims that the club is willing to be relegated to the Championship...
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Premiership
/ 3 years agoMillard moves up at Quins
Harlequins have appointed Billy Millard as director of rugby, with Tabai Matson switching from head coach to become director of performance...
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English Championship
/ 3 years agoChamp clubs refuse to delay new deal
By JON NEWCOMBE Furious Championship clubs have voted against proposals to push back the new Professional Game Agreement (PGA) by another...
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Champions Cup
/ 3 years agoFrom European Cup honour to Eurotrash
NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK The European Cup is sinking thanks to the tinkering of EPCR and its...
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Latest News
/ 3 years agoKingsholm showdown to decide the title
By BEN JAYCOCK PREVIEW... Gloucester-Hartpury v Exeter Chiefs June 24. Kick-off 3.30pm, Kingsholm The Premier 15s top two sides Gloucester-Hartpury and...
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English Championship
/ 3 years agoWoollett keen to see repeat performance
By LUKE JARMYN Australian Ben Woollett got a reputation as the joker in Jersey Reds ranks, playing practical jokes and winding...
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Blindside - rugby transfers
/ 3 years agoSnow has his eye on new deal at Chiefs
Exeter Chiefs are set to return to pre-season this week and will see a familiar face trying to earn himself a...
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Blindside - rugby transfers
/ 3 years agoTeague keen to be heading home
ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Follow me on Twitter: @neilfissler Former England attack guru Rory Teague, below, is ready to...
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Blindside - rugby transfers
/ 3 years agoLoader signs two-year deal with Stormers
Ben Loader is moving to South Africa this summer and will play in the United Rugby Championship after signing for the...
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Blindside - rugby transfers
/ 3 years agoNeild back on market
Former Sale Sharks back-row Cameron Neild is looking for his third club in a year after his short-term deal with Glasgow...
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English Championship
/ 3 years agoSirker’s glad he’s moved Down Under
By BEN JAYCOCK Callum Sirker feels Championship players are a victim of Premiership clubs' financial mismanagement, so decided midway through last...
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English Championship
/ 3 years agoEaling confirm deal with Williams
Ealing Trailfinders have confirmed their signing of Wales scrumhalf Lloyd Williams from Cardiff. The 33-year-old ends a 13-year career at Cardiff...
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Latest News
/ 3 years agoOjo wishes Irish were given more time
London Irish‘s record try scorer Topsy Ojo says it’s regrettable that the club weren’t given more time to try and find...
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Latest News
/ 3 years agoSeries 2, Episode 23: Topsy Ojo on London Irish’s suspension from the Prem
London Irish have officially become the third club to be suspended from the Gallagher Premiership this season. The Exiles demise subsequently...
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United Rugby Championship
/ 3 years ago2018 Breakthrough Player of the Year Aphiwe Dyantyi to make Sharks return
The Sharks have signed 28-year-old former World Rugby Breakthrough Player of the Year Aphiwe Dyantyi for the upcoming URC season after...
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Latest News
/ 3 years agoRowe fires back at reports of financial difficulty at Chiefs
Exeter Chiefs Chairman Tony Rowe has labelled reports on social media that his club are in financial trouble as ‘wide of...
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Premiership
/ 3 years agoPrem hoping to avoid Six Nations clashes
By PAUL REES London Irish’s demise means the Premiership will be reduced to 10 teams next season and officials are looking...
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Premiership
/ 3 years agoBainbridge can’t wait for life as a Falcon
By JON NEWCOMBE Foraging flanker Josh Bainbridge is looking forward to starting his Newcastle Falcons career after a whirlwind pre-season. Now...
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Premiership
/ 3 years agoWe need to return to amateur ways, says Thompson
By GARY FITZGERALD Steve Thompson has voiced his “fears” for the future of rugby following London Irish becoming the third club...
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Latest News
/ 3 years agoVarndell fears for future generation
By BEN JAYCOCK Tom Varndell says that allowing three Premiership teams to go under this season is ‘completely unforgivable’ and urges...
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Latest News
/ 3 years agoHaskell calls for radical overhaul
By BEN JAYCOCK James Haskell believes the Premiership should be ring fenced and rebuilt using a franchise style NFL model, including...
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Premiership Women's Rugby
/ 3 years agoBears swept aside as Gloucester power on
By BEN JAYCOCK Gloucester-Hartpury.....21pts Tries: Beckett 4, Jones 30, Lund 67 Conversions: Sing 5, 31, 68 Bristol Bears ....................12pts Tries: Davies...
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Club Rugby
/ 3 years agoAmateurs set for talks over their future at Hazelwood
By PAUL REES London Irish Amateur RFC’s chairman Kevin Flynn is this week meeting administrators appointed after the collapse of the...
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Blindside - rugby transfers
/ 3 years agoCardiff in fight for Thomas
ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Gloucester have been linked with a move for highly-rated Cardiff coach T Rhys Thomas. The...
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Blindside - rugby transfers
/ 3 years agoEvans tops wanted list
ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Cardiff have made Ospreys full-back Cai Evans their number one summer target. The son of...
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Blindside - rugby transfers
/ 3 years agoDiamond staying on
ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Rugby's Red Adair Steve Diamond is staying at Edinburgh until the end of the World...
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Blindside - rugby transfers
/ 3 years agoFree agent Odogwu ready for URC
ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Former Wasps flyer Paolo Odogwu could finally ply his trade in the United Rugby Championship...
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Blindside - rugby transfers
/ 3 years agoBorthwick’s plea for Irish boys to stay
ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER England boss Steve Borthwick hit the phones last week in a plea to stop London...
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Blindside - rugby transfers
/ 3 years agoRacing trying to tempt Marcus
ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Racing 92 have made England and Harlequins fly-half Marcus Smith an offer of around €500,000...
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Top 14
/ 3 years agoAbendanon: French rugby is far more fun
By NICK POWELL Former England full-back Nick Abendanon says that the Premiership is not entertaining enough to compete with the French...
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BUCS Super Rugby
/ 3 years agoWinger Zheng on his way to Quins
Harlequins have signed Cardiff Met University winger Roma Zheng, who will join the club’s academy ahead of next season. Zheng, below,...
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Champions Cup
/ 3 years agoO’Driscoll: Defeat was emotional
By NICK POWELL Leinster and Ireland legend Brian O’Driscoll feels Leinster’s second-straight Champions Cup Final defeat to La Rochelle could “leave...
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English Championship
/ 3 years agoTyro Warrior Tait signs for Knights
Doncaster have signed former Scotland U20s captain Rhys Tait, 20, from Glasgow Warriors, having featured on loan for the Knights at...
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Chris Hewett
/ 3 years agoWhen the collective carries all before it
CHRIS HEWETT GUEST COLUMNIST Dings Crusaders? Crazy name, cracking club. One of the oldest and most successful of the dozens of...
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Peter Jackson
/ 3 years agoThere’s no stopping Ramos
PETER JACKSON Thomas Ramos is en route to finishing the season 100 or so points clear of his nearest challenger across...
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Club Rugby
/ 3 years agoBrady’s Bream bunch capture stunning haul
By BEN JAYCOCK Bream RFC have made a miraculous rise through the leagues in recent years with their youthful squad and...
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James Harrington
/ 3 years agoTop two get set to put on the glitz
JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN It's the final the Top 14 wanted and needed. Toulouse and La Rochelle – the two best...
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Latest News
/ 3 years agoSeries 2, Episode 22: Nick Abendanon on his career and French vs English domestic rugby, tributes to David Emery
In April earlier this year Bath and Clermont legend Nick Abendanon called time on a stellar 17-year career. Nick joins host...
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Latest News
/ 3 years agoPremiership in freefall as Irish suspended
London Irish became the third club in eight months to be removed from the Premiership for financial reasons as the RFU...
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Schools / Universities
/ 3 years agoAnniversary celebrations set for Rugby School
Rugby School and the children’s charity Wooden Spoon will jointly celebrate two significant milestones on Saturday, June 24th. The event will...
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Blindside - rugby transfers
/ 3 years agoEaling look to pick up Caulfield
ON THE BLINDSIDE - NEIL FISSLER Ealing Trailfinders are still looking to strengthen their squad for next season despite finding their...
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Latest News
/ 3 years agoOspreys to demand a transfer fee for Francis
By PETER JACKSON Ospreys are demanding a transfer fee for Wales prop Tomas Francis, France-bound after completing business at the World...
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Premiership
/ 3 years agoTax bill pushes Irish to the brink
By SAM JACKSON London Irish’s hopes of Premiership survival are hanging by a thread after the club was hit with winding-up...














