Alex Corbisiero suffers new injury set back

Alex Corbisiero’s chances to play at the World Cup are getting slimmer after the England prop suffered yet another injury setback....

Pool of Death holds no fear for Nikola Matawalu’s classy Islanders

“Fiji mean business at this World Cup”

VIDEO: Chris Robshaw returns to lead England against France

Chris Robshaw will captain England against France for the second of their World Cup warm-up games in Paris on Satruday. The...

Tonga name Nili Latu as World Cup captain

Tonga have announced its 30-man World Cup squad today, including nine players from English Premiership clubs. The team will be captained...

My Life in Rugby: Roger Shackleton – former Harrogate and England fly-half

Receiving a letter from then secretary Robin Prescott inviting me to play for England a few days after I’d broken my...

Grant Gilchrist to captain Scotland against Italy

Grant Gilchrist will captain Scotland in the World Cup warm-up game against Italy at the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday. The Edinburgh...

WIN tickets for Wales v Italy

The Rugby Paper has teamed up with T.M.Lewin, Official Formalwear Partner to The Welsh Rugby Union, to give away a pair...

Outsiders Fiji will take a big scalp warns Bob Dwyer

1991 winning coach adamant Fiji will be England or Wales at World Cup.

Dream Team: Joe Gray – Harlequins and former Northampton hooker

1. Tom Smith – He was awesome at the set piece but he was also able to step in at fly-half...

Champions Cup fixtures announced

Leicester will kick-off the Champions Cup season by hosting Stade Francais at Welford Road on November 13. The clash between the...

Order your Rugby World Cup guide

The World Cup is the greatest rugby show on earth and it’s being staged right here in the UK from September...

Young Gun: Gabriel Ibitoye – England U18s & Harlequins wing

Gabriel Ibitoye is blessed with lightning pace and electric feet and he hopes that will help him evade defenders in one...

England v France teams

Sam Burgess, Henry Slade and Calum Clark all starting to make Test debut with Luke Cowan-Dickie on the bench.

Peter Jackson’s column: TV drops Gareth Edwards… unlike Lions and Wales

Wales never went anywhere without him and neither did the Lions. Just as the unbeatable Joe Calzaghe never lost a world...

Jeff Probyn’s column: Schools should link up with grassroots clubs for legacy

Last Wednesday I attended the first of what I would assume are many planned fund raisers for the hoped for legacy...

Newcastle Falcons bring in Mouritz Botha

Newcastle Falcons have secured the signing of England international Mouritz Botha. The lock, 33, joins from Super Rugby side the Sharks...

Ambitious London Welsh demand clarity on promotion plan

London Welsh head coach Rowland Phillips has called for clarity over promotion arrangements before the new Championship campaign kicks-off on September...

Room 101: Paul Andrew – Cornish Pirates prop

1. Fitness testing As a founder member of the ‘Fat Club’ it probably comes as no surprise that I’m not a...

Ireland v Scotland teams

Ireland: Simon Zebo; Tommy Bowe, Jared Payne, Gordon D’Arcy, Luke Fitzgerald; Ian Madigan, Issac Boss; Dave Kilcoyne, Sean Cronin, Mike Ross; ...

Lions trio dumped by Wales

James Hook, Mike Phillips and Richard Hibbard will not play in the World Cup after being cut by Warren Gatland today....

Jeremy Guscott: Jonny May must keep improving to make himself invaluable

There is always a dilemma for international coaches such as Stuart Lancaster when it comes to cutting players, because it is...

Nick Cain talks to England’s world class lock Courtney Lawes about his vital role in RWC 2015

Courtney Lawes hits twice as hard in the tackle as most of his Red Rose team-mates, and it has earned him...

Rugby Championship ‘unofficial round’ teams

Argentina v South Africa Argentina: Joaquín Tuculet;  Santiago Cordero, Matías Moroni, Juan Martín Hernández, Juan Imhoff; Nicolás Sánchez, Martín Landajo; Marcos Ayerza, Agustín Creevy...

Marcus Watson eyes Newcastle Falcons’ No.13 shirt

While Anthony Watson contemplates helping England on the road to World Cup glory, older brother Marcus has his own challenges to...

Sam Hidalgo-Clyne Is the man for Scotland – Scott Hastings

Scott Hastings says it is time Scotland ditched skipper Greig Laidlaw to give Sam Hidalgo-Clyne his chance at scrum-half. Hidalgo-Clyne, 21,...

Scotland show faith in Vern Cotter

Vern Cotter has re-affirmed his position as Scotland head-coach and extended his contract for another year until 2017. The Kiwi, who...

20 Questions: Jamie Elliott – Northampton wing

How’s pre-season? We’ve been back in for four weeks now and it’s been pretty full on. Luckily the coaches have mixed...

Shane Williams’ Wales verdict: Poor scrum performance remains my big concern

Message to all Welsh rugby fans – don’t panic! As far as World Cup warm-up games go what happened against Ireland...

Nick Cain’s column: Axeman Stuart Lancaster must sharpen his plans in midfield

One of the enduring issues during Stuart Lancaster’s tenure as England head coach has been a revolving door selection policy at...

Wing king Anthony Watson has hero Quade Cooper in his sights

Anthony Watson could face one of his boyhood heroes when England clash with Australia in their crunch World Cup qualifier at...

My Life in Rugby: Tony Bond – former Broughton Park, Sale, Neath and England centre

They say a week is a long time in politics and the same is true of rugby, in my experience anyway....

‘Phenomenon’ Samu Manoa can be even bigger in France

USA Eagle is already proving a big hit with fans in Toulon.

Dream Team: Darren Barry – Worcester and former Cornish Pirates & Bristol lock

1. Mako Vunipola – A big, strong and physical prop who has the skills of a back. He’s very humble and...

Tommy O’Donnell ruled out of World Cup

Tommy O’Donnell will miss the World Cup after suffering a dislocated hip in Ireland‘s win over Wales in Cardiff on Saturday....

England cut seven from World Cup training squad

Stuart Lancaster has trimmed his England training squad to 39 players ahead of the Rugby World Cup. Those selected will return...

Young Gun: Ed Coulson – Newcastle full-back

Deciding to leave Bath was not an easy decision for Ed Coulson but he realised it was best for him and...

Bath deny signing of Victor Matfield

Bath head coach Mike Ford has denied the club has signed Victor Matfield ahead of next season. Reports in France yesterday...

Peter Jackson’s column: Winning is same in any language for Michael Cheika

Michael Cheika speaks French, Italian and Arabic. He is also known to be fluent in coarse Anglo-Saxon and looks forward to...

Jeff Probyn: Too much expectation riding on the shoulders of England

I’m sure you have all seen the TV adverts featuring the England players being carried on the shoulders of supporters as...

Jamie George is England’s form hooker, says Alistair Hargreaves

Alistair Hargreaves has backed Jamie George’s World Cup bid, claiming boss Stuart Lancaster would “make a huge mistake” if he omits...

England in need of big Semesa Rokoduguni’s physicality says Matt Banahan

Semesa Rokoduguni deserves a shot at World Cup glory according to Matt Banahan, who insists his Bath colleague would offer England...

Room 101: Chris Whitehead – former Exeter hooker

1. Londoners I need to be careful here as I have lots of friends that are living in London and some...

Brendan Gallagher’s Rugby World Cup bolters

Danny Barrett (USA):    One of the great hopes surrounding the US Eagles Sevens programme is that some of the talent identified...

Brendan Gallagher’s column: Scandalous delay that haunts the World Cup

One of the biggest drawbacks of Rugby Union’s obsession with amateurism was that the Rugby World Cup was belatedly dragged kicking...

Wales v Ireland teams

Wales: Hallam Amos (Newport Gwent Dragons); Alex Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues), Tyler Morgan (Dragons), Scott Williams (Scarlets, Capt.), Eli Walker (Ospreys); James Hook...

WIN two tickets for Wales v Ireland

The Rugby Paper has teamed up with T.M.Lewin, the Official Formalwear Partner to The Welsh Rugby Union, to give away a...

Rugby Championship round 3 teams

Australia v New Zealand Australia: Israel Folau; Adam Ashley-Cooper, Tevita Kuridrani, Matt Giteau, Drew Mitchell; Bernard Foley, Nick Phipps; Scott Sio;...

‘Reject’ Tomas Francis ready to step on to world stage

Tomas Francis is ready to make the leap from regional reject to World Cup star. Warren Gatland will hand his hopefuls...

20 Questions: Tom Catterick – Newcaslte fly-half

How’s pre-season going? There hasn’t been much running in the first couple of weeks as we’ve focused on gym and speed...

Brendan Gallagher previews the Bledisloe Cup

This year’s quick-fire Rugby Championship seems to be hurtling to a conclusion almost before it began but the organisers couldn’t have...