United Rugby Championship

United Rugby Championship
/ 2 years ago

Livewire Devine the star of show

By JOHN FALLON @therugbypaper Connacht ...... 54 Zebre ..............16 CONNACHT skipper Dave Heffernan said they need to build on this easy...

By The Rugby Paper Team
Peter Jackson
/ 2 years ago

Barrett, the man for every occasion

As a centre-three-quarter par excellence, there is nothing Jordie Barrett cannot do. Nobody in his position can truck it up the...

By The Rugby Paper Team
Peter Jackson
/ 2 years ago

The Sheriff will be sorely missed

PETER JACKSON The gods played a dirty trick in denying Ken Owens a farewell appearance for his beloved Wales and...

By The Rugby Paper Team
Latest News
/ 2 years ago

Wales legend Owens retires at 37

Former Wales captain Ken Owens has retired from professional rugby aged 37. The ‘Sheriff’ was the oldest ever-player to hold the...

By Nick Powell
United Rugby Championship
/ 2 years ago

Leinster sign Barrett for 2024/25 season

Leinster have confirmed the signing of experienced All Black utility back Jordie Barrett on a short-term deal from December to the...

By Nick Powell
Blindside - rugby transfers
/ 2 years ago

Another year for O’Mahony

Ireland skipper Peter O’Mahony has signed a new one-year contract at Munster after speculation he was set to retire. The 34-year-old...

By The Rugby Paper Team
United Rugby Championship
/ 2 years ago

Leicester ace adds power to Ospreys midfield

By SAM JACKSON Ospreys have signed Phil Cokanasiga from Leicester Tigers for the 2024-25 season. Cokanasiga, the younger brother of England...

By The Rugby Paper Team
United Rugby Championship
/ 2 years ago

Loader still has England in sight

Ben Loader still dreams of playing for England and is hoping his performances in Cape Town for the Stormers will one...

By The Rugby Paper Team
Blindside - rugby transfers
/ 2 years ago

Montpellier lead chase for Munster ace Frisch

Montpellier are leading the chase for Munster centre Antoine Frisch, who has declared his allegiance to France over Ireland. Born in...

By The Rugby Paper Team
Blindside - rugby transfers
/ 2 years ago

Kitshoff set for return to Stormers

After weeks of speculation South Africa’s two-time World Cup winning prop Steven Kitshoff has decided to leave Ulster at the end...

By The Rugby Paper Team
Premiership
/ 2 years ago

Hill looking forward to Edinburgh challenge

England prop Paul Hill will leave Northampton in the summer to join Edinburgh. The tighthead has made 187 appearances for Saints,...

By The Rugby Paper Team
United Rugby Championship
/ 2 years ago

Scarlets prop star Thomas set for Ospreys

PROP Steffan Thomas will leave Scarlets at the end of the season to join Ospreys. Thomas, 26, will join his cousin...

By The Rugby Paper Team
Premiership
/ 2 years ago

I’ve loved my time at Bath – Gallagher

By PAUL REES Matt Gallagher admits it will be a wrench to leave Bath at the end of the season and...

By The Rugby Paper Team
Six Nations
/ 2 years ago

This is a dream come true, says Winnett

By SIMON THOMAS Cam Winnett admits he is still pinching himself after his “unbelievable” Six Nations experience with Wales. The young...

By The Rugby Paper Team
United Rugby Championship
/ 2 years ago

Craig enjoying new lease of life at Scarlets

By SIMON THOMAS Alex Craig is an “old school” rugby player enjoying a new lease of life. The second row’s move...

By The Rugby Paper Team
United Rugby Championship
/ 2 years ago

Cardiff fall just short as Crowley hits winner

■By JOHN FALLON Munster ............ 20pts Tries: Beirne 48, Crowley 64 Conversions: Crowley 49, 65 Penalties: Crowley 38, 75 Cardiff ..................

By The Rugby Paper Team
United Rugby Championship
/ 2 years ago

Morris finds his form to help Ospreys see off Lions

■By SIMON THOMAS Ospreys ............36pts Tries: Botha 5, Parry 17, Morris 49, Lloyd 58, K Williams 80 Conversions: O Williams 18,...

By The Rugby Paper Team
United Rugby Championship
/ 2 years ago

Rowe’s the destroyer as Glasgow take charge

■By ROGER PANTING Scarlets ...............................3pts Penalties: Lloyd 16 Glasgow............................. 45pts Tries: Rowe 6, 69, 80; Hiddleston 25, Cummings 41, Penalty 54,...

By The Rugby Paper Team
United Rugby Championship
/ 2 years ago

Dragons come good in basement battle

By ROGER PANTING Scarlets on his 100th apchief beneficiary Dragons............. 20pts Tries: Owen 17, Rosser 23, Dee 42 Conversions: Evans 42...

By The Rugby Paper Team
United Rugby Championship
/ 2 years ago

Stormers …… 13 Ulster ………….. 7

A LATE Evan Roos try helped Stormers seal a hard-fought win over Ulster. Nick Timoney’s converted score gave Ulster a 7-0...

By The Rugby Paper Team
United Rugby Championship
/ 2 years ago

Sharks ……….23 Edinbrugh …. 13

EDINBURGH suffered back-to-back defeats in South Africa as the Sharks – who had begun the day bottom of the table with...

By The Rugby Paper Team
United Rugby Championship
/ 2 years ago

Big guns fire for Leinster

Leinster .......... 47 Bulls ................. 14 By JOHN FALLON LEINSTER brought most of their big guns back for this one and...

By The Rugby Paper Team
United Rugby Championship
/ 2 years ago

Benetton snatch it in final play of game

Benetton ......... 18 Connacht ........14 By KEVIN FALLON BENETTON captain Eli Snyman said this is a huge win for the Treviso...

By The Rugby Paper Team
Peter Jackson
/ 2 years ago

Wales can’t afford four

The Scarlets’ proud proclamation welcoming fans to ‘Heart and Soul Rugby Country’ looks even more threadbare this weekend. A loss of...

By The Rugby Paper Team
Peter Jackson
/ 2 years ago

Ulster have little to offer

Shortly after Dan McFarland’s abrupt exit as Ulster’s head coach, chief executive Jonny Petrie dismissed any questions over his future at...

By The Rugby Paper Team
United Rugby Championship
/ 2 years ago

Swart’s on message to grab it for Scarlets

By SIMON THOMAS Scarlets .............................16pts Tries: Swart 80+4 Conversion: Costelow 80+5 Penalties: Costelow 3, 51, 55 Benetton Treviso............13pts Tries: Ratave 12...

By The Rugby Paper Team
Blindside - rugby transfers
/ 2 years ago

Cardiff hope to win Grady tug-of-war

ON THE BLINDSIDE By SIMON THOMAS The future location of Mason Grady is one of the biggest talking points in Welsh...

By The Rugby Paper Team
United Rugby Championship
/ 2 years ago

Munster too hot in the red zone for Ospreys

By ROGER PANTING Ospreys ............. 17pts Tries: Giles 33, Parry 54, Cuthbert 74 Conversions: O Williams 54 Munster ............27pts Tries: Daly...

By The Rugby Paper Team
United Rugby Championship
/ 2 years ago

Dempsey in control to lead Glasgow fightback

■By SIMON THOMAS Glasgow........... 17pts Tries: Williamson 43, Sordoni 51 Conversion: Weir 44, 52 Penalty: Weir 67 Cardiff .............. 13pts Try:...

By The Rugby Paper Team
United Rugby Championship
/ 2 years ago

Dragons show some style but fade away

■By ROGER PANTING Dragons............. 10pts Tries: Baldwin 79 Conversions: Red 79 Penalties: Evans 20 Bulls ................... 31pts Tries: Arendse 27, Gumede...

By The Rugby Paper Team
United Rugby Championship
/ 2 years ago

Sharks ……….22 Ulster ………… 12

THE Sharks recorded their first league win since November to climb off the URC basement as Ulster’s play-off bid took a...

By The Rugby Paper Team
United Rugby Championship
/ 2 years ago

Zebre …………… 7 Leinster …….. 31

LEADERS Leinster secured a bonus-point victory at Lanfranchi Stadium. First-half tries by Rob Russell and debutant Andrew Osborne, and further scores...

By The Rugby Paper Team
United Rugby Championship
/ 2 years ago

Stormers overwhelm makeshift Edinburgh

By BRYN PALMER Stormers ........ 43 Edinburgh ....... 21 EDINBURGH’S URC play-off hopes suffered a major dent as Stor mers leapfrogged...

By The Rugby Paper Team
United Rugby Championship
/ 2 years ago

Connacht left at the gate by proud Lions

By JOHN FALLON Connacht ........14 Lions ................38 MAN of the match JC Pretorious said a first ever win in Ireland could...

By The Rugby Paper Team
Friendlies
/ 2 years ago

Five-star Bath run URC leaders ragged

Bath ....................35pts Tries: Cokanasiga 9, du Toit 34, Spencer 50, Muir 66, 75 Conversions: Bailey 10, 35, 51, 67; Worboys 76...

By The Rugby Paper Team
Blindside - rugby transfers
/ 2 years ago

Carre back at Saracens

Saracens have re-signed Wales loosehead Rhys Carre from Cardiff. The 26-year-old previously played for Saracens in 2019-20, moving back to Cardiff...

By The Rugby Paper Team
Friendlies
/ 2 years ago

Party time as Stormers win 12-try thriller

By BEN JAYCOCK Northampton...29pts Tries: Glister 3, 29, Odendaal 40, Garside 63, Graham 77 Conversions: Salava 4, 40 Stormers.......... 45pts Tries:...

By The Rugby Paper Team
English Championship
/ 2 years ago

Wasps better off with URC – Sharp

By JON NEWCOMBE Coventry chairman Jon Sharp is convinced that Wasps’ future, if it has one, lies in the United Rugby...

By The Rugby Paper Team
Six Nations
/ 2 years ago

‘Big Mac’ has his eye on the prize

By ROB COLE The extent of the impact Wales newbie Mackenzie Martin is making this season can be judged in many...

By The Rugby Paper Team
Blindside - rugby transfers
/ 2 years ago

McNicholl on his way

ON THE BLINDSIDE Wales wing Johnny McNicholl has left the Scarlets with immediate effect to take up a playing opportunity in...

By The Rugby Paper Team
United Rugby Championship
/ 2 years ago

Forde finds his feet as Connacht romp home

By JOHN FALLON Connacht ..........26pts Tries: Jansen 23, 58; Blade 6, de Buitlear 10 Conversions: Hanrahan 6, 24, 59 Scarlets ...............

By The Rugby Paper Team
United Rugby Championship
/ 2 years ago

Classy Ulster make the most of their good start

By KEVIN FALLON Ulster ................ 49pts Tries: Addison 4, Lowry 18, 33, Sheridan 29, McCann 57, 75, Timoney 72 Conversions: Cooney...

By The Rugby Paper Team
United Rugby Championship
/ 2 years ago

Carre leads fightback but Cardiff lack power

By ROGER PANTING Cardiff ............................... 20pts Tries: Carre 35, 38; Summerhill 75 Conversions: de Beer 35 Penalties: de Beer 11 Leinster.................................

By The Rugby Paper Team
United Rugby Championship
/ 2 years ago

Edinburgh are too good for Ospreys

By SIMON THOMAS Edinburgh......... 19pts Try: Watson 17 Conversion: Healy 18 Penalties: Healy 22, 25, 35, 73 Ospreys ............. 15pts Tries:...

By The Rugby Paper Team
United Rugby Championship
/ 2 years ago

Haley quickly back to business

By JOHN FALLON Munster ......... 45 Zebre ................29 MUNSTER full-back Mike Haley crowned his first match back from injury in eight...

By The Rugby Paper Team
United Rugby Championship
/ 2 years ago

Smith finishes a proud man

By SAM JACKSON Benetton ........... 9 Glasgow .......... 19 GLASGOW head coach Franco Smith was proud of how his side stuck...

By The Rugby Paper Team
United Rugby Championship
/ 2 years ago

Bulls ……………..40 Stormers ………22

By JAMES RILEY THE Bulls kept themselves in URC title contention by defeating their fierce South African rivals at a sold-out...

By The Rugby Paper Team
United Rugby Championship
/ 2 years ago

Lions …………….40 Sharks ………….10

By TOM JEFFREYS THE Lions condemned the Sharks to their 10th loss of the season, defying torrential weather conditions to score...

By The Rugby Paper Team
United Rugby Championship
/ 2 years ago

De Beer happy to welcome Sheedy

By SIMON THOMAS Cardiff's Tinus de Beer says he will welcome the arrival of fellow fly-half Callum Sheedy at the Arms...

By The Rugby Paper Team
United Rugby Championship
/ 2 years ago

McFarland quits Ulster

ULSTER head coach Dan McFarland has stepped down from his position after nearly six years in charge. Current Ireland U20 head...

By The Rugby Paper Team