Toulon - News, interviews, reports, analysis and opinion

Leigh Halfpenny starred for the Lions on their tour to Australia in 2013

Columnists

/ 3 days ago

Peter Jackson: Leigh Halfpenny bravery wins royal approval

Peter Jackson pays tribute to Leigh Halfpenny’s courage, humility and unforgettable career, from his iconic Twickenham tackle to Lions glory and...

By Peter Jackson

Latest News

/ 3 days ago

Cullen should know that the press aren’t cheerleaders

AS head coach of Leinster, Leo Cullen runs a squad crammed with more capped players than any other club, province or...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Temo Matiu scoring for Bordeaux against Bath

Features

/ 3 days ago

Paul Rees: ‘Europe’ is a formidable mountain to conquer

Paul Rees looks at the challenges teams face on the road in the Champions Cup and the Challenge Cup plus more...

By Paul Rees

Top 14

/ 3 days ago

Bordeaux need to seal deal for Louis

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN TO describe Louis Bielle-Biarrey as hot rugby property is an understatement so criminal it would go straight...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Champions Cup

/ 6 days ago

Champions Cup analysis: Leinster return to Bilbao as fifth star quest continues

After seeing off a resilient Toulon side at the weekend – becoming the first Leinster team ever to beat the southern...

By Chris Collyer

Bath centre Ollie Lawrence is back and available to Steve Borthwick

Champions Cup

/ 1 week ago

Ollie Lawrence: Bath have got the tools to be kings of Europe

Ollie Lawrence reckons it is time for Bath to take things to new heights in today’s Champions Cup semi-final against Bordeaux-Begles.

By Adam Hathaway

Leinster’s Jack Conan powers over for the opening try

Champions Cup

/ 1 week ago

Leinster 29-25 Toulon: Leo Cullen’s side hold on to keep the French side at bay

Leinster’s bid for a fifth star to end their eight-year Champions Cup title drought rolls on after securing a place in...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Challenge Cup

/ 1 week ago

Ulster 29-12 Exeter Chiefs: Nathan Doak leads the charge as Rob Baxter’s side are taken apart

Nathan Doak inspired Ulster to reach their first Challenge Cup final as they produced a commanding display to dismantle Exeter Chiefs...

By Ben Jaycock

Bordeaux ace Louis Bielle-Biarrey on the attack against Toulouse

Champions Cup

/ 1 week ago

Bath and Bordeaux head shortlist for star player

Bath and Bordeaux each contribute two players to the shortlist of five nominees for the 2026 Investec Player of the Year.

By The Rugby Paper Team

Columnists

/ 1 week ago

Peter Jackson: Pair of Wasps on a collision course

When Wasps went bust with debts of £95m and all 167 employees lost their jobs, a redundant pair of England internationals...

By Peter Jackson

Champions Cup

/ 1 week ago

Doris: We were cool under pressure

CAPTAIN Caelan Doris praised his side’s ability to handle pressure after Leinster just about found a way to get over the...

By The Rugby Paper Team

In this week’s episode of The Rugby Paper Roundup, Assistant Editor Ben Jaycock is joined by Sale Sharks co-captain and USA international Georgie Perris-Redding – a World Cup Eagle and one of the game’s most resilient leaders – to break down a huge week across women’s and men’s rugby.

Latest News

/ 2 weeks ago

New Rugby Paper Roundup: England dominate… the rest chase! Six Nations chat + George North retirement ft Georgie Perris Redding

In this week’s episode of The Rugby Paper Roundup, Assistant Editor Ben Jaycock is joined by Sale Sharks co-captain and USA...

By The Rugby Paper Team

United Rugby Championship

/ 2 weeks ago

Leinster fall to Jacob Umaga strike in fight for Champions Cup semi-final spot

Leinster: 26 Benetton: 29 By Peter Clarke Leinster went down to a late Jacob Umaga penalty but will be pleased their...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 2 weeks ago

Dominant Vannes still have a lot to do

On target: Louis Carbonel seals victory for Stade Francais with his last-gasp penalty PICTURE: Getty Images Montauban, astonishingly, live – mathematically...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Top 14

/ 2 weeks ago

Carbonel shows he is still a class act

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN AN 83rd-minute Louis Carbonel penalty handed Stade Francais a 34-32 home win over second-placed Pau at Stade...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 2 weeks ago

Deegan to miss semi

MAX Deegan will miss Leinster’s Champions Cup semi-final against Toulon on Saturday after receiving a two-match ban for his red card...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Ireland have dropped fly-half Sam Prendergast, with Jack Crowley selected to face England

Club Rugby

/ 3 weeks ago

Sam Prendergast makes his Leinster fly-half case harder to ignore after MOTM display against Ulster

In Irish rugby, no role comes with more pressure and criticism than the role of the fly-half.

By Chris Collyer

Top 14

/ 3 weeks ago

Azema’s on his way back to Toulon

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN TOULON’S search for a head coach to take some of the day-to-day strain off sporting director Pierre...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Champions Cup

/ 1 month ago

Leinster edging closer to fifth star after Champions Cup quarter final victory

Leinster moved a step closer to pinning a fifth star on their jersey after dismantling Sale Sharks 43-13 at Dublin’s Aviva...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Nacho Brex breaks through to score the winning try for Toulon

Champions Cup

/ 1 month ago

Glasgow Warriors 19-22 Toulon: The Scottish side are stunned by the brilliant Nacho Brex

Toulon will head to Dublin’s Aviva Stadium to face Leinster in the European Champions Cup semi-finals after inflicting a first home...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Champions Cup

/ 1 month ago

Leinster 43-13 Sale Sharks: Alex Sanderson’s side buried by a second-half try landslide

Alex Sanderson wore a resigned look as his Sale Sharks’ Champions Cup hopes were buried by a landslide of second-half Leinster...

By Gary Fitzgerald

Features

/ 1 month ago

Paul Rees: Duelling French aristocrats! Toulouse and Bordeaux-Begles clash in the Champions Cup

Rugby in France has never been more popular. The television audience for the final Six Nations match against England peaked at...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Rieko Ioane dives over to score for Leinster

Champions Cup

/ 1 month ago

Leinster face Sale Sharks test after Edinburgh scare in Champions Cup

For the casual viewer, last Saturday’s Round of 16 match between Leinster and Edinburgh seemed like it was business as usual...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 1 month ago

DREAMTEAM

BEN FODEN, THE FORMER ENGLAND, SALE, NORTHAMPTON & RUGBY UNITED NEW YORK FULL-BACK, SELECTS THE BEST XV HE PLAYED WITH OR...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Miscellaneous

/ 1 month ago

Toulon next for Glasgow after they neuter Bulls

■By GEORGE LAWRENCE Glasgow ............25pts @therugbypape Tries: Williamson 17, Dempsey 33, Schickerling 56, MacDowall 71 Conversion: Lancaster 18 Penalty: Hastings 80...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Champions Cup

/ 1 month ago

White keeps Toulon on top

■By SAMANTHA EMMA Toulon ............28 Stormers .........27 TOULON edged a dramatic victory over the Stormers to secure a place in the...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 1 month ago

Nonu just keeps on rolling along

ONE man has survived for so long on the higher grounds of the global game that he makes grand old footballing...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 1 month ago

Les Bleues enjoy new energy burst

FRANCE Under fresh leadership, France have their sights fixed on finally bridging the gap to England. Captain Manae Feleu, the 26-year-old...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 1 month ago

Fukofuka keen to build on World Cup

SCOTLAND Scotland head coach Sione Fukofuka begins his reign, but the Australian has been hampered by injuries to key players. Back...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 1 month ago

Azzurre want to be quick off the mark

ITALY Silvia Turani’s Italy outfit are determined to shed their underdog tag with the women’s team taking inspiration from the men’s...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Alfie Barbeary on the charge for Bath against Saracens last weekend

Features

/ 1 month ago

Paul Rees: Rugby union has been rocked by a points explosion

Paul Rees looks at the challenges facing defence coaches as they try to counter the rise in try scoring...

By Paul Rees

Latest News

/ 1 month ago

Toulouse win top-two battle

Double joy: Paul Graou scored two for Toulouse against Montpellier PICTURE: Alamy IN the Top 14, for the final time before...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Columnists

/ 2 months ago

After three rounds, it all looked so easy…

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN WELL, that was a remarkable end to what turned out to be an utterly astonishing Six Nations,...

By The Rugby Paper Team

International Rugby

/ 2 months ago

Joe El-Abd: I’m still committed to England despite Six Nations slump

Assistant coach Joe El-Abd has nailed his colours to England’s sinking mast despite recent speculation linking him with a move back...

By Adam Hathaway

Brendan Gallagher

/ 2 months ago

Brendan Gallagher: Explore… Dream… Discover. That’s Italy

It was a curious, slightly unsettling experience in the final quarter at Rome last week watching Italy – who, frankly, hadn’t...

By Brendan Gallagher

Top 14

/ 2 months ago

Non-stop season likely to take toll

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN TIME and the ever-evolving rugby seasons wait for no one. The final round of the 2026 Six...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 2 months ago

Healy set to join in O’Gara’s rebuild

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN New man: Ben Healy is heading to La Rochelle from Edinburgh with Antoine Hastoy, Departing PICTURES: Alamy...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 3 months ago

Pau give youth a chance to shine

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN PAU’S return to this season’s Champions Cup competition for the first time since 2001 was far from...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 3 months ago

Wilson happy with law tweaks ahead of the big kick-off

Super Rugby Pacific Preview ■By BEN JAYCOCK Champs: Crusaders celebrate last year’s success PICTURE: Getty Images WALLABIES skipper Harry Wilson has...

By The Rugby Paper Team