England survive French hostility

■By BEN JAYCOCK ENGLAND U18s head coach Jonathan Pendlebury revelled in leading his side through an unbeaten Six Nations Festival in...

Charlie Elliott: Ben Youngs’ Best Career Moments

By Charlie Elliott Ben Youngs announced his retirement from rugby earlier this week, with the scrum-half set to hang up his boots at the end...

Premiership Round 15: Handre Pollard vs Marcus Smith headlines best matchups of weekend

By Charlie Elliott For exclusive stories and all the detailed rugby news you need, subscribe to The Rugby Paper website, digital edition, or...

Premiership Round 15 Talking Points: Bath have the chance to secure top spot

By Charlie Elliott Only four games are left in the Premiership, and things are really heating up.  Five teams are battling for the...

Zander Fagerson among Scots battling to be fit ahead of British and Irish Lions squad announcement

Zander Fagerson is among a string of senior Scotland internationals in a battle to prove their fitness ahead of the British...

Let’s Talk Spin: The Real Buzz Around Slot Games at Slot 7

Ever get that feeling when you hit a spin and everything just lines up perfectly? That electric little “whoosh” followed by...

Charlie Elliott: The best offloads in rugby history

By Charlie Elliott Offloads are often some of the most dangerous things that a team can use. Being able to play...

Ex-England star Ben Youngs to retire at end of season from all rugby

England‘s most capped men’s player Ben Youngs is to retire at the end of the season. The 35-year-old scrum-half, who racked...

How much does a rugby player earn?

Sports earnings are always one of the most discussed topics, and rugby is no exception. Although not so long ago there...

Was the Saracens v Gloucester away end experiment a success?

By Charlie Elliott For exclusive stories and all the detailed rugby news you need, subscribe to The Rugby Paper website, digital edition, or...

Social Media Moments of the Week: Kalaveti Ravouvou and Hoskins Sotutu provide outrageous assists

By Charlie Elliott Rugby never fails to deliver, with this weekend proving no different.  With so much rugby being played and...

Premiership Team of the Week: Sale Sharks pack dominant in crucial win

By Charlie Elliott The Premiership has finally returned, and Easter weekend has signalled the start of the proper run-in.  With only four games left and...

Sale Sharks turn on power in race for Premiership play-offs

By Sam Jackson Tom Curry scored two tries as Sale smashed Harlequins at The Stoop to move into the play-off positions...

Too many teams in Champions Cup, says Mark McCall

By Jon Newcombe Mark McCall believes cutting the number of teams will help the Investec Champions Cup regain its elite status....

Coventry plan to increase stadium capacity up to 8,000

By Ben Jaycock Coventry chairman Jon Sharp operates with a cautious business model but hopes he can guide the Midlanders into...

URC: Welsh Regions stall on deal with WRU

Scarlets, Ospreys and Dragons have yet to agree to sign a new long-term deal with the WRU, with a set deadline...

Tom Cairns confident it will all come good at Exeter Chiefs

By Paul Rees Tom Cairns enjoyed a breakthrough year with Exeter last season but has had to be patient this campaign...

Park walk puts Arron Reed in right mood

By Luke Jarmyn Alex Sanderson has opened up on how an honest conversation while having a coffee and a walk around...

Phil Dowson: We need to be flexible over 30-match limit

By Paul Rees Phil Dowson has called for give-and-take in the management of England players who are near the 30-game limit...

Freddie Steward puts his heart into Leicester Tigers

By Paul Rees Freddie Steward is forgetting about England as he sets his mind on helping Leicester reach the Premiership playoffs....

Gloucester will keep on the attack whatever happens – Jake Morris

By Gary Fitzgerald Jake Morris insists the Cherry and Whites will not be applying the brakes and “playing it safe” in...

Johnny Sexton joins Andy Farrell’s British and Irish Lions coaching team for Australia

Johnny Sexton will join Andy Farrell’s British and Irish Lions coaching team for this summer’s tour of Australia. He joins Richard...

Time to show the right spirit, Henry Pollock

By Simon Walters No one can dispute the brilliance of England rugby’s new star, Henry Pollock of Northampton Saints. He scored...

Dream Team – Simon Linsell

SIMON LINSELL, THE BARNES AND FORMER GLOUCESTER & EALING TRAILFINDERS PROP, CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE’S PLAYED WITH OR AGAINST... 1....

Jeremy Guscott: Johnny Sexton divisive for the British and Irish Lions? Not in my book

By Jeremy Guscott - Outspoken and unmissable every week Whatever conflicting views there are over the appointment of Johnny Sexton to...

Premiership: Saracens coming to the boil at right time after win over Gloucester

By Brendan Gallagher Saracens .......................... 36pts Tries: Segun 10, Tompkins 25, Dann 44, 51; Gonzales 69, George 74 Conversions: Burke 26,...

Elliot Daly: Saracens are ready for the final push

Elliot Daly feels Saracens have built throughout the season and are ready to push for Twickenham. He said: “This is a...

Premiership: Imposing Sale Sharks put Harlequins on the deck

By Gary Fitzgerald Harlequins ....................... 29pts Tries: Kenningham 6, Murley 23, Anderson 60, Jibulu 76 Conversions: Smith 7, 60, 76 Penalty:...

Sale Sharks still have four massive games to go, warns George Ford

George Ford is gearing himself up for a final huge play-off push as he helped guide Sharks to a bonus-point win...

Premiership: Leaders Bath pushed hard by resolute Exeter Chiefs

Exeter ................................ 24pts Tries: Yeandle 19, Brown-Bampoe 48, 58 Conversions: Slade 20, 49, 59 Penalty: Slade 5 Bath .................................... 26pts Tries:...

Rob Hunter: Exeter Chiefs gutted to fall short

Exeter head coach Rob Hunter admitted he and his team were left ‘gutted’ after a spirited second-half fightback saw them fall...

Nick Cain: Blueprint for the future lacks rational thinking with franchise idea

By Nick Cain - Read his expert opinion every week We are coming to the franchise crunch. Finally, after five years...

Nick Cain: Payments may not be swift for Worcester Warriors

The spin over substance element in the administration of the game in England has been highlighted by fears that Worcester’s undertaking...

Leinster are good … but they would not beat France

By Nick Cain The hype was in full flood after Leinster’s two-match 142-0 European Cup haul against Harlequins and Glasgow, when...

Newcastle Falcons 34-35 Northampton Saints: Fin Smith pulls strings to deny Newcastle

By Luke Jarmyn Newcastle Falcons ....... 34pts Tries: Blamire 5, Doherty 42, Hearle 60, Stevenson 67, Pepper 75 Conversions: Connon 6,...

Alan Dickens annoyed by sloppy Newcastle Falcons mistakes

Newcastle coach Alan Dickens admitted that conceding three tries in nine sloppy minutes before half-time cost Newcastle dear. Dickens said: “The...

Bristol Bears vs Leicester Tigers Preview: Rich Lane ready to go again after two-week gap

By Jon Newcombe PREVIEW... Bristol v Leicester Today. Kick-off 3pm, Ashton Gate Rich Lane believes a two-week break from fixtures has...

Micheal Cheika determined to leave Leicester Tigers on a high

By Paul Rees Michael Cheika will be moving on at the end of the season, but he is determined to leave...

Danny Wilson is backing Marcus Smith for a place in Andy Farrell’s British and Irish Lions squad

By Gary Fitzgerald Marcus Smith should remain a main course on the Lions' selection menu this summer, even if his latest...

Northampton Saints’ Emmanuel Iyogun is quick to thank Alex Waller

By Paul Rees Emmanuel Iyogun has become a regular starter in Northampton’s front row this season and credits his predecessor, Alex...

Chris Hewett: Geoff Parling is thriving as the quiet ‘Australian’

By Chris Hewett - Thinking Allowed Whatever lights might be hidden under rugby’s bushel, precious few of them belong to Australian...

Money or medals? A tough decision

DECISIONS, decisions. When it comes to playing rugby off-piste, so to speak, there are three popular destinations for front-line All Blacks:...

Italy make France fight all the way

■By SAM JACKSON Italy ....................21pts Tries: Vecchini 18, Muzzo 26, Turani 39 Conversions: Sillari 19, 26, 41 France............... 34pts Tries: Grisez...

That’s given me major selection problems, says coach Mitchell

■By BEN JAYCOCK England ........................... 59pts Tries: Clifford 6, M Packer 17, Aldcroft 21, MacDonald 27, 50; Ward 34, Atkin-Davies 41,...

Ireland will be missing King as they face up to Wales

■By BEN JAYCOCK PREVIEW... Wales v Ireland Today. Kick-off 3pm, Rodney Parade IRELAND head to Wales today without star flanker Erin...

Munster 13-16 Bulls: Scrum controversy frustrates Munster

By John Fallon Munster .........13 Bulls ................16 The Bulls became the first South African side to win at Thomond Park and...

Leinster 41-17 Ulster: Dan Sheehan shows his worth

By Kevin Fallon Leinster ..........41 Ulster ...............17 Ireland hooker Dan Sheehan came off the bench to score a second-half hat-trick as...

Ospreys 19-36 Cardiff: Matt Sherratt’s side on the up as they down Ospreys

By Roger Panting Ospreys ...............19pts Tries: K Williams 10, Spencer 59, Hardy 76 Conversions: Edwards 10, 76 Tries: Mann 15, 34;...

Resolute Dragons can’t hold onto Scarlets

■By ROGER PANTING Dragons .............23pts Tries: J Rosser 24, 45, Hewitt 41 Conversions: O’Brien 41 Penalties: O’Brien 38, 57 Scarlets ............31pts Tries:...

Slack Glasgow do bare minimum

■By SAM JACKSON Zebre................... 6 Glasgow...........14 GLASGOW made it 25 wins from 25 against Zebre in the URC but it was...