Nick Cain: This Anglo-Welsh decoy shouldn’t be discounted

Is the golden handshake across the Severn, binding the four Welsh regions to the English clubs, the solution it is being...

Brendan Gallagher: RFU Championship clubs face a vital strategy meeting

Later this month the chairmen and owners of the 12 RFU Championship clubs will lock themselves away in a Birmingham Hotel...

Dave Ward wins Gatorade Game Changer award

Dave Ward has been voted December’s Gatorade Game Changer following his man-of-the-match display against Exeter in Big Game 6 at Twickenham...

Championship clubs’ rage over Anglo-Welsh proposals

Championship chair- man Geoff Irvine believes it is highly unlikely the Rugby Football Union will sanction a 16-team Anglo-Welsh league, describing...

My Life in Rugby: Don Caskie – former London Scottish & Gloucester centre and Moseley & Georgia head coach

After my playing career I coached Georgia for the World Cup in New Zealand – an outstanding experience all-round. It is...

IRB scrap “yes nine” scrum call

As revealed by Jon Newcombe in The Rugby Paper on December 29, referees will now use non-verbal communication to indicate to...

Bristol sign Dwayne Peel and Anthony Perenise

Bristol have made two major coups in their quest for promotion from the Championship with the arrival of Sale scrum-half Dwayne...

Agent Tom Beattie recovers from “freak condition”

The end of the year is a busy period for agents as clubs look to build their squad for the following...

WRU ‘will move their top stars to England’

The Welsh Rugby Union is proposing to sign six players and loan them to English clubs as a consequence of the...

Dream Team: Junior Paramore – former Bedford, Gloucester and Samoa No.8

1. Rodrigo Roncero – Roddy is such a committed player, you know you can rely on him. Quiet, but once he’s...

Andy Goode drops Wasps to victory

Andy Goode slotted a monstrous last-gasp drop goal to see London Wasps claim a 19-16 win over Exeter at Adams Park...

Jamie Gibson salvage draw for Leicester

Jamie Gibson scored a try on the last play of the game as Leicester salvaged a 27-27 draw against Bath at...

Young Gun: Sam Olver – Northampton fly-half

Labelled a ‘softie in the backs’ by his dad, a former England hooker, Northampton Saints fly-half Sam Olver is already plotting...

Worcester sign Andries Pretorius

Worcester Warriors have signed Wales international Andries Pretorius ahead of next season. The Cardiff Blues No.8, who has two caps, joins...

Aviva Premiership round 12 teams

Gloucester v Saracens Gloucester: Rob Cook; Charlie Sharples, Mike Tindall, Billy Twelvetrees (Capt.), Jonny May; Freddie Burns, Jimmy Cowan; Nick Wood, Huia...

Peter Jackson: Cliff was out of this world, but Barry was untouchable!

New Year gongs will be all the rage all too soon, a good enough excuse to enter the festive spirit and...

Jeff Probyn: Why didn’t BT deal with the other leagues as well?

As the European row still rumbles along with a myriad of possible outcomes, it’s time to reflect on what started it....

RaboDirect Pro12 round 12 teams

Connacht v Leinster Connacht: Darragh Leader; Fionn Carr, Robbie Henshaw, Eoin Griffin, Matt Healy; Jack Carty, Kieran Marmion; Brett Wilkinson, Jason Harris-Wright,...

Greene King IPA Championship round 12 teams

Greene King IPA Championship round 13 Jersey v London Welsh Jersey: Jack Burroughs; Grant Pointer, Drew Locke, David Bishop, Mark Foster; Niall...

Sorry, but I’m happy on the wing says George North

George North is not planning on making his switch to the centres permanent any time soon – even if life on...

Room 101: Brian Smith – London Irish Director of Rugby

1. Rugby Administration Why does a professional game have amateur match officials with no system of reward or a level of...

Brendan Gallagher takes a personal look at the Rugby World in 2013

BEST NEWCOMERS BTSport for their lively match day coverage and excellent Sunday lunchtime round-up show which is the must-watch rugby programme...

Nick Cain: Danny Cipriani is a risk, but he could unlock golden door

Who holds the keys to No.10 for England? There is no shortage of contenders to pilot them through the 2015 World...

Sporting all-rounder Hayden Smith back ‘home’ at Saracens

He grew up playing basketball in Australia and discovered rugby in the USA. And now Hayden Smith has returned from a...

20 Questions: Will Welch – Newcastle captain

Sum up your season so far? It’s been exciting back in the Premiership. We’re happy with where we are but we’ve...

Jeremy Guscott: My fab four could make any team in the world

The Northern Hemisphere possesses some brilliantly talented players who would be comfortable playing in any team because they are that good....

Nick Cain picks his highs and lows from 2013

Team of the Year – The 2013 Lions. Whereas the All Blacks are virtually a club side which plays and trains...

Dead-eye Stephen Myler has England in his sights

Northampton’s marksman Stephen Myler has revealed his burning to desire to represent England during the forthcoming RBS Six Nations.

My Life in Rugby: Hugh William-Jones –former Wales & Llanelli prop

I was the first ever temporary blood replacement for Wales – against Italy in 1994 in a World Cup qualifier in...

Leigh Halfpenny on his way to Toulon

Reports in France suggest Wales full-back Leigh Halfpenny has signed for Toulon ahead of next season. Peter Jackson EXCLUSIVELY revealed the British and Lions...

Gloucester confirm Akapusi Qera’s departure

Gloucester confirmed today that flanker Akapusi Qera will leave Kingsholm at the end of the year to take up a short-term...

Katy Mclean receives MBE in New Year’s Honours List

England’s Katy Mclean has received an MBE in the New Year’s Honours list for services to rugby. The 28-year-old fly-half from...

Quotes of the Year

“I was the Englishman who gate crashed the Welsh party. Phil Bennett got the ball and ran up his own back...

Freddie Burns will replace Toby Flood at Leicester Tigers next season

Freddie Burns will be playing for Leicester next season as the Tigers’ goal-kicking successor to Toby Flood.

Dream Team: David Rees – former Bristol, Leeds, Sale & England wing

1. Jason Leonard – He played in one of my first Premiership games and in one moment he sat on top...

James Short joins Lodon Wasps on loan

London Wasps have signed winger James Short from Saracens on a loan deal for the remainder of the season. Short, who...

Welsh will be safe from Aviva Premiership relegation

The Welsh regions have struck a deal guaranteeing three of their four teams immunity from relegation as a condition of joining...

Young Gun: Jack Walker – Leeds & England U20 hooker

For the last few years it’s been his older brother Chris making the headlines at Leeds Carnegie, but fresh from beating...

Peter Jackson: All Blacks chase the dollar in Big Apple

The All Blacks have announced their intention to cash in on the American market with a match in New York next...

‘Ryan Giggs’ tribute for record man David Jackson

David Jackson has been hailed as the “the Ryan Giggs of Nottingham Rugby” by club CEO Simon Beatham after the record-breaking...

Room 101: Kearnan Myall – London Wasps lock

1. Pre-season Army camps Any rugby player that has been on one of these will surely agree with me that pre-season...

Brendan Gallagher reminisces about some unique times with a hell-raising rugby fanatic

The security guard’s radio crackled around a deserted Twickenham: “Lawrence Of Arabia and a Man Called Horse are leaving the stadium....

Gamble on Leicester Tigers exit has paid off says George Ford

It is hard to avoid drawing comparisons between George Ford and Owen Farrell – two of the brightest young things in...

20 Questions: Matt Evans – Cornish Pirates wing

Thoughts on Pirates’ season to date? Couple of glitches but we’re close to where we want to be. We’re a new...

Jeremy Guscott: Danny Cipriani’s back as he decides to return to Planet Earth

Danny Cipriani is back on the England radar, there’s little doubt about that, he’s far from the wilderness he found himself...

‘Class act’ James O’Connor can inspire Irish return to top

Mick Crossan, leader of the consortium who own London Irish, wants Australian star James O’Connor to be the talisman for a...

My Life in Rugby: Peter Buxton – former Moseley, Newport, Gloucester & Bristol flanker

After I left school I went to Australia for eight months and played for a club called Brothers, in Brisbane –...

Breakaway or die, Welsh regions are warned

The man who created the Welsh regions is urging them to break away and join the English Premiership or face destruction.

Dream Team: Bryn Evans – London Irish and former Blues, Hurricanes and All Blacks lock

1. Alex Corbisiero – A great scrummager and hugely mobile prop. Mentioning anything WWE related will definitely get this big guy...

Young Gun: George de Cothi – Worcester scrum-half

When a team are struggling at the bottom of the table they may look to their youngsters to provide the inspiration...