Cheetahs will be competitive but Kings facing check mate

IT’S interesting that the Cheetahs and Southern Kings have joined an expanded PRO14 competition by default rather than design in as...

Eddie on World Cup fact finding mission in Miyazaki

EDDIE Jones has taken key members of his backroom team to Japan for a recce ahead of the 2019 Rugby World...

Contest for No.10 will help keep Chiefs at the top says Steenson

By NEALE HARVEY Top dogs: Jack Yeandle, left, and Gareth Steenson lift the Premiership trophy in May PICTURES: Getty Images EXETER...

Deacon confident that Loughborough links can create more Lions for Tigers

Confident: Brett Deacon LEICESTER development coach Brett Deacon believes closer ties with Loughborough University will reinvigorate the club’s academy pipeline and...

Summer tour turns up trumps for new cap Beard

Giant: Adam Beard ADAM Beard admits the start of his first summer tour with Wales got off to a terrible start....

Maturing Bassett is ready to battle for his place at Wasps

WASPS wing Josh Bassett believes his growing maturity is enabling him to fulfil the top-flight potential he first showed when making...

New Osprey Allen spreads wings for shot at Euro glory

By ALEX BYWATER Hungry for success: Cory Allen WALES centre Cory Allen is ready to conquer Europe with the Ospreys after...

Mouritz Botha retires due to concussion

Mouritz Botha, former England and Newcastle Falcons second rower, has been compelled to make the unfortunate decision to retire from professional...

Charles Piutau signs for Bristol

Bristol have made a major coup on the transfer market with the signing of  All Black Charles Piutau from the start...

Chris Robshaw commits to Harlequins

Chris Robshaw will remained at Harlequins until at least 2020 after putting pen to paper on a new deal. A former...

Gloucester sign new head coach’s son

Gloucester have confirmed the signing of Ruan Ackermann, the son of incoming head coach Johan, from the Lions. The back-rower, who...

Guinness PRO14 fixtures announced

Ulster will host the Cheeaths on the opening night of the new Guinness PRO14 season as the fixtures were announced today....

Sale name club captain ahead of new season

Sale Sharks have announced that centre Will Addison will captain the side during the upcoming season. The 24-year-old, who will take...

Concussion forces Newcastle star to retire

Concussions suffered last season have forced Newcastle Falcons lock Mouritz Botha to call time on his rugby career at the age...

England name side for World Cup opener

England head coach Simon Middleton has named his matchday 23 for England‘s opening pool game of the Women’s Rugby World Cup....

Ruaridh Jackson returns to Glasgow

Ruaridh Jackson has left Harlequins with immediate effect to return to Glasgow Warriors. The fly-half joined Harlequins in July 2016 after...

International Sio signs for Nottingham

Nottingham have announced the capture of Samoan international prop Aniseko Sio on a one-year deal. The 24-year old loosehead had been...

Leicester and Gloucester confirm May and Slater switch

Leicester Tigers have confirmed the signing of England international Jonny May from Gloucester for the start of the 2017/18 season. His...

Tuilagi and Solomona kicked out of England camp

Denny Solomona and Manu Tuilagi have been sent home today from England‘s training camp following breaches of the team culture. While...

Watch: INSANE Danny Care trick-shot during Harlequins training camp

Danny Care has been sharing trick shot from the Harlequins training camp for the past three days but he has taken...

Sarries fear explosion in wages could wreck team

By NEALE HARVEY SARACENS coach Alex Sanderson fears the club may struggle to retain their galaxy of England and Lions stars,...

Watkin about to realise his dreams after year absence

By ALEX BYWATER Fit again: Owen Watkin OWEN Watkin is ready to put more than a year of injury hell behind...

Money on O’Connor to recapture his best

SEND YOUR COMMENTS TO: The Rugby Paper, Tuition House, St Georges Road, Wimbledon SW19 4EU email: newsdesk@therugbypaper.co.uk I READ with interest...

Halfpenny takes cut of £200k to go home

By PETER JACKSON WALES have brought Leigh Halfpenny home for around £200,000 less than they offered him last season. The Rugby...

Irish tough guys here to stay now – Kennedy

By NEALE HARVEY BRENDAN Venter’s inspiring leadership will ensure London Irish’s band of callow coaches rise to the task of achieving...

Old front row club agree, give us back our straight put-ins

A LOT of fans – and especially old frontrowers – are getting increasingly turned off by the time-wasting of scrums. But...

Schoolboys set for physical exam against Boks

Honour: Marcus Street ENGLANDU18s have had to call for back-up ahead of their tour of South Africa following fly-half Marcus Smith’s...

Extra little gem to celebrate Mobbs

I HAVE just read and enjoyed Brendan Gallagher’s article on Edgar Mobbs. Brendan did not mention the long-held belief that Edgar...

World Rugby may fast-track Pacific franchise says Ryan

By NEALE HARVEY WORLD rugby could be revolutionised by the introduction of a Super Rugby franchise in the Pacific islands as...

Rupert will bring harder edge to Hartpury – Evans

DAN MURPHYreckons the recruitment of former Gloucester prop colleague Rupert Harden will give Hartpury a vital forward edge in this season’s...

Pitman out to prove how good he can be

By NICK VERDIER RORY Pitman is loving his new life in Jersey but the big Welsh No.8 has revealed he needed...

Melville: Premier league will support growth at elite level

THE new Women’s Premiership competition is taking shape with the announcement of the fixtures list as well as the title sponsor...

Women’s Premiership fixtures

Round 1 - September 16/17 Loughborough Lightning v Worcester Valkyries Firwood Waterloo Ladies v Saracens Women Wasps Ladies v Harlequins Ladies...

I’m puzzled why women’s game needs a World Cup

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME With the women’s World Cup starting this week, hope is the excitement...

Lozowski fine-tuning basics for England bid

By NEALE HARVEY ALEX Lozowksi has declared himself ready to rise to the challenge of retaining his hard-won England place after...

Flood backed to reclaim his England jersey

NEWCASTLEcoach Micky Ward reckons fly-half Toby Flood can stamp his class on this season’s Premiership and fire his way back into...

Academy players granted greater freedom

PREMIERSHIP clubs will have more opportunity to give their youngsters game time next season with the RFU changing the registration rules...

Robson on track to go distance with Wasps

By NEALE HARVEY WASPS scrum-half Dan Robson says he will push the boundaries of endurance in an effort to overcome last...

Williams working hard to put heat on No.9 rivals

TOMOS Williams says he is ready to add more strings to his scrum-half bow as he hopes to make a big...

England call has given me a new perspective – Buchanan

HARLEQUINS hooker Rob Buchanan reckons his career is ready to peak in the wake of last season’s shock England call-up. Buchanan,...

Tuilagi returns to England squad

Manu Tuilagi has been named in the England training squad for their camp at the Lensbury Hotel later this week. The...

Women’s Premiership ready for Crisp new season

The RFU has today announced Tyrrells as title partner for the new women’s domestic competition, with the official name of the...

8 reasons why it’s worth betting on rugby

The year 2017 places rugby second only to football regarding global popularity. The game with a rich and occasionally controversial history...

EXPLAINED: How the new Pro14 will work

REACTIONS to the Pro12 expansion

Martin Anayi, CEO of the Guinness PRO14, said: “The arrival of the Toyota Cheetahs and the Southern Kings marks a bold...

CONFIRMED: South African teams to join Pro12 this season

Celtic Rugby and the South African Rugby Union have today confirmed that the Toyota Cheetahs and the Southern Kings will join...

Ball targeting leadership role for club and country

By ALEX BYWATER Calling the shots: Jake Ball JAKE Ball says the pain of missing out on the Scarlets’ PRO12 title...

Kalamafoni confident he’ll crack it at Tigers

By NICK VERDIER Physical specimen: Sione Kalamafoni PICTURES: Getty Images New boss: Matt O’Connor POWERHOUSE back row Sione Kalamafoni will not...

Navidi charged for positive season after Test recall

JOSH Navidi insists he’ll play anywhere for Cardiff Blues if it helps him add to his three Wales caps. Back rower...

New recruits could get Bristol home by Xmas

Nick Verdier assesses the Championship squads after another summer of high activity Exiled: Ben Mosses left Bristol for London Scottish this...