Features

This is where you will find all of The Rugby Paper’s Features, interviews, reports, opinion and other content.

Dream Team – Lee Dickson

16 February 2025 0 comments

LEE DICKSON, THE FORMER ENGLAND, NORTHAMPTON & NEWCASTLE SCRUM-HALF, CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE HAS PLAYED WITH OR AGAINST… Forwards 1. Sione Tonga’uiha – An […]

Felipe Contepomi – It will be an honour for Argentina to take on the British & Irish Lions

16 February 2025 0 comments

Joe Santamaria talks to Argentina coach Felipe Contepomi about the challenges of a tour by England – and the Lions The European teams are in […]

Josh McNally – Too tall to be a pilot, I found lift-off in rugby

16 February 2025 0 comments

Jon Newcombe talks to Josh McNally who says that, without the RAF, he would not have achieved anything in the game High flier: Josh McNally, […]

Two X-Factor players, one goal

16 February 2025 0 comments

PAUL REES SAYS ENGLAND’S NO.10 JERSEY WILL BE FIN SMITH’S FOR SOME TIME BUT MARCUS STILL HAS KEY ROLE TO PLAY IT WAS hard not […]

I don’t think I could have asked for a better finale

16 February 2025 0 comments

MY LIFEIN RUGBY CHARLIE HODGSON THE FORMER BRITISH & IRISH LIONS, ENGLAND, SALE SHARKS & SARACENS FLY-HALF MY playing career wasn’t always rosy – I […]

NOAHCALUORI

16 February 2025 0 comments

YOUNG GUNS SARACENS & ENGLAND U20 WING Noah Caluori’s try for England U18s sent the teenage sensation viral last year and he hopes to continue […]

PODCAST (S4, E22): Warren Gatland goes and England sink France with Jamie Noon

11 February 2025 0 comments

A weekend full of statement wins and in the aftermath, a mid-tournament coaching departure. Join the guys to review how England got the job done […]

Dream Team – Joe Snow

9 February 2025 0 comments

JOE SNOW, THE FORMER EXETER, COVENTRY & TAUNTON SCRUM-HALF, CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE HAS PLAYED WITH OR AGAINST… Forwards 1. Alec Hepburn – His […]

England must keep believing

9 February 2025 0 comments

>> PAUL REES LOOKS AT WHY STEVE BORTHWICK’S MEN KEEP FAILING TO GRASP THE NETTLE – AND SAYS IT IS NOTHING NEW DAVID Campese is […]

Chris Lilley – I did fulfuil my dream of playing at Twickenham

9 February 2025 0 comments

My Life In Rugby – Chris Lilley, the former Bath & Somerset prop My biggest claim to fame is I got Bath through to their […]

Scotland vs Ireland – The rivalry which is a little one-sided

9 February 2025 0 comments

Rugby Matters – A weekly look at the game’s other talking points, by Brendan Gallagher The history books tell us that Ireland currently lead Scotland 71-66 […]

Young Guns – Bath Winger Charlie Griffin

9 February 2025 0 comments

By Conor McLarnon Up-and-coming Bath winger Charlie Griffin hopes to replicate the playing style of senior international Freddie Steward in a bid to establish himself […]

Six Nations: England need best players on in last 20

9 February 2025 0 comments

By Jeff Probyn – A front row view of the game An exciting time in rugby with the start of the Six Nations last week, […]

I’ve learnt from my mistakes -Skinner

9 February 2025 0 comments

■By MARK STEVENS Trio: Harvey Skinner and inset, Henry Slade, top, and Will Haydon-Wood EXETER fly-half Harvey Skinner aims to put a frustrating few months […]

Tweedy’s aiming high for Archers

9 February 2025 0 comments

■By CONOR MCLARNON UNDER the leadership of flanker Nathan Tweedy, Nottingham are hungry to achieve their best finish in the Championship since the 2012-13 season. […]

Tiatia to stay at Dragons

9 February 2025 0 comments

FILO Tiatia will continue as the Dragons’ head coach next season. Tiatia, a twice capped All Black, arrived at Rodney Parade on a three-year deal […]

Smith off to Nevers

9 February 2025 0 comments

SECOND row George Smith has left Northampton to join French ProD2 side Nevers. The 24-yearold joined Saints last summer, having been part of the NFL […]

PODCAST (S4, E21): Six Nations opening round reaction + blockbuster R2 preview with Brett Igoe

4 February 2025 0 comments

Three home wins marked the start of the 2025 Six Nations as France thrashed Wales, Scotland conquered Italy and Ireland saw off England. So much […]

Money or eyeballs? Once again, that’s the big question

2 February 2025 0 comments

Paul Rees looks at the pressures on the Six Nations to balance reach and revenue Is this the last year when the Six Nations is […]

Dream Team – Michael van Vuuren

2 February 2025 0 comments

Michael van Vurren, the former junior Springbok, Cheetahs, Stade Francais, Kings, Leicester, Bath, London Scottish, London Irish, Northampton, Bedford, Ampthill, Ealing, Wasps, Lions & Newcastle […]

Rugby was a passport to travel the world

2 February 2025 0 comments

MY LIFEIN RUGBY MY KENT BRAY THE FORMER HARLEQUINS, QUEENSLAND AND NSW FLY-HALF/FULL-BACK I GREW up in Queensland Country, in a small town called Rockhampton, […]

I’m surprised by £30m offer to community game

2 February 2025 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME England leaders: Maro Itoje and Jamie George and, inset, Bill Sweeney PICTURES: Getty Images THE unexpected […]

Young Guns – Ralph McEachran

2 February 2025 0 comments

By Dan Robertshaw Sale Sharks academy prop Ralph McEachran is hoping to follow in the footsteps of young loosehead Asher Opoku-Fordjour and establish himself as […]

Treadwell heading back to Quins

2 February 2025 0 comments

IRELAND lock Kieran Treadwell will rejoin Harlequins from Ulster for next season. The 29-year-old moved to Belfast in 2017 and has made 171 appearances for […]

Cheika to leave Tigers at end of the season

2 February 2025 0 comments

HEAD coach Michael Cheika will leave Leicester Tigers when his contract expires at the end of the season. The 57-year-old, below, took the job last […]

Six Nations Predictions League: Round One with Jeremy Guscott and The Rugby Analyst

31 January 2025 0 comments

Ahead of the 2025 Six Nations opener in Paris tonight the boys from the podcast, alongside this week’s guests, England legend Jeremy Guscott and YouTube’s […]

PODCAST: (S4, E20) – Six Nations Championship Preview with Jeremy Guscott and the Rugby Analyst

29 January 2025 0 comments

Here. We. Go. The Six Nations is just two sleeps away and we can’t wait! Join host Ollie Little and a special panel of Rugby […]

‘Wow,’ I thought, ‘This kid has got something’ – David Ross on Ellis Mee

26 January 2025 0 comments

By Simon Thomas Ellis Mee’s rise to international rugby has been a remarkably rapid one, but it’s come as no great surprise to a man […]

the wonderful people What stands out are

26 January 2025 0 comments

MY LIFEIN RUGBY THE FORMER SOUTH AFRICA ASSISTANT COACH WHO WAS IN CHARGE AT STORMERS, WESTERN PROVINCE, ULSTER, NORTHAMPTON, EASTERN PROVINCE KINGS, EDINBURGH AND WORCESTER […]

England need to focus on playing the full 80 during the Six Nations

26 January 2025 0 comments

By Jeff Probyn – A Front row view on the game So Steve Borthwick has decided that his England team need to start the games […]

CAMPBELL RIDL

26 January 2025 0 comments

YOUNG GUNS EXETER CENTRE/WING Campbell Ridl credits Exeter Chiefs for allowing players to balance university studies comfortably alongside their rugby. The centre-cum-wing, who spent his […]

S4, E19: England & Scotland hit by injuries, French clubs fire and South Africans slump

22 January 2025 0 comments

What to make of that Champions Cup weekend? On one hand we saw a classic in Northampton’s victory over Munster, however the issues with the […]

Curtis Langdon’s Dream Team

19 January 2025 0 comments

CURTIS LANGDON, THE ENGLAND, NORTHAMPTON AND FORMER SALE, DONCASTER, WORCESTER, & MONTPELLIER HOOKER, CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE HAS PLAYED WITH OR AGAINST… Forwards 1. […]

Steve Borthwick needs to be brutal – and bold – this Six Nations

19 January 2025 0 comments

Paul Rees looks at the tough decisions the England coach has to make ahead of this season’s Six Nations It is the middle of winter […]

Scotland’s class of 1925 fired by legends

19 January 2025 0 comments

Rugby Matters – A weekly look at the game’s other talking points, by Brendan Gallagher Scotland only have three Grand Slams to lovingly remember but […]

I was astonished when Leicester got in touch

19 January 2025 0 comments

MY LIFEIN RUGBY MICHAEL VAN VUUREN THE FORMER JUNIOR SPRINGBOK, CHEETAHS, STADE FRANCAIS, KINGS, LEICESTER, BATH, LONDON SCOTTISH, LONDON IRISH, NORTHAMPTON, BEDFORD, AMPTHILL, EALING, WASPS, […]

REGGIEHAMMICK

19 January 2025 0 comments

YOUNG GUNS SARACENS FLANKER A brasive back row Reggie Hammick has joined Mark Mapletoft’s England U20s set-up aiming to make his mark on the side […]

S4, E18: Maro Itoje England captaincy reaction and Niko Matawalu madness

15 January 2025 0 comments

Join Ollie Little, Brendan Gallagher and Chris Hewett for this week’s Rugby Paper Podcast edition, recorded just half an hour after it was announced that […]

Dream Team – Matt Corker

12 January 2025 0 comments

MATT CORKER, THE CANTERBURY HEAD COACH AND FORMER WASPS, LONDON WELSH & RICHMOND PLAYER, CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE HAS PLAYED WITH OR AGAINST… Forwards […]

Injuries are tough but I’m a fighter – Johnny Williams

12 January 2025 0 comments

Simon Thomas talks to Johnny Williams about beating cancer, life as a Scarlet and his Wales ambitions For Johnny Williams, the ups and downs of […]

A spirit of adventure comes at high price

12 January 2025 0 comments

Crowd pleaser: Cadan Murley scores for Quins against Leicester in front of nearly 80,000 at Twickenham PICTURES: Getty Images NO matter what the Premiership serves […]

Heroes deserve highest accolade

12 January 2025 0 comments

Rugby Matters by Brendan Gallagher – A weekly look at the game’s other talking points The second series of BBC’s SAS Rogue Heroesis well underway […]

Tom Shanklin – 2005 Grand Slam was pinnacle of my career

12 January 2025 0 comments

My Life In Rugby The former British & Irish Lions, Wales, Cardiff & Saracens centre, who now commentates for Premier Sports on URC, Champions Cup […]

We can learn a lot from French

12 January 2025 0 comments

By Jeff Probyn – A front row view on the game There is so much that is wrong with the game in England, could it […]

Young Guns – Micky Rewcastle

12 January 2025 0 comments

By Ben Jaycock Local lad Micky Rewcastle is enjoying a breakthrough season at Newcastle, determined to help keep his side in the top flight. The […]

The Rugby Paper Podcast – S4, E17: Discussing the incredible year of Taqele Naiyaravoro

8 January 2025 0 comments

Happy new year one and all and welcome back to the Rugby Paper Podcast! We hope you had a restful holiday season and are as […]

Tom Parton off to Japan

5 January 2025 0 comments

Saracens full-back Tom Parton has left the club to join Japanese side Panasonic Wild Knights. The 26-year-old, who also plays wing, joined Sarries from London […]