My Life in Rugby: Tom Shanklin – former London Welsh, Saracens, Cardiff and Wales centre

When I was 20 Clive Woodward tried to poach me for England and it actually led to my first Wales call-up....

Injured Ollie Phillips turns tide on a round the world quest

Sevens star Ollie Phillips starts his road to Rio today by sailing the Seven Seas – it’s far to say his...

Dream Team: Dan Hipkiss – former Leicester, Bath and England centre

1. Graham Rowntree – Growing up in the Leicester Academy he was the most professional of all. Has a dry sense...

2013-2014 England U20s squad named

Nick Walshe and Ian Peel have named their England Under 20s squad for the new season The 32-man group, which include...

Moment in Time: Sharks show class to rip chunks out of the Tigers

Leicester and Wasps had dominated English rugby for seven years. The Tigers, under Dean Richards, had claimed four consecutive league titles...

London Wasps sign Carlo Festuccia

Experienced Italian Carlo Festuccia has joined London Wasps from Pro12 side Zebre, it was announced today. Starting his career with L’Aquila...

Room 101: Paul Arnold – Fylde player/coach

1. Relegation from the Premiership Controversial, I know, but as a massive fan of the type of expansive rugby you get...

Brendan Gallagher gets the inside track on how England’s academies are producing players to progress on the international pathway

Until this June, England – despite its vast player resources – had never won the IRB U20 World Championship or indeed...

Jeff Probyn: Proposed Heineken deal leaves Rabo with peanuts

I often wonder if Premiership Rugby chief executive Mark McCafferty is living in the real world or one that is dominated...

England have found their new Billy Whizz in Christian Wade says Andy Robinson

Former national head coach Andy Robinson believes England have finally unearthed Jason Robinson’s successor in Christian Wade. Andy Robinson’s ill-fated reign...

Young Gun: Josh Peters – Northampton lock

It’s a country renowned for tiki-taka rather than rucks and mauls but after honing his skills with the oval ball in...

Peter Jackson: Groundhog Day, and Gav blinks back into the light

During the course of fox-trotting his way into five clubs over 20 months, Gavin Henson has danced to the same old...

Nick Cain talks to Mike Ford about his vision for the revitalisation of Bath

Mike Ford is not promising miracles. Bath’s new head coach has been around too long to fall into that trap, notably...

Ambitious Nick Kennedy has Stooped to conquer

Turning your back on the superstar lifestyle at galactico-laden Toulon might appear to be mad. But Nick Kennedy insists he is...

20 Questions: Glen Townson – Bristol lock

Back into pre-season early, weren’t you? We started on May 23! It’s been good, though, because they gave us some time off during...

Mike Brown signs on with Quins

Mike Brown has re-signed with Harlequins until the end of the 2015-2016 season. The fullback, who is a Harlequins Academy graduate,...

Jeremy Guscott: Time these All Blacks saw some yellow cards, ref!

It is early days for Ewen McKenzie, the newly appointed Wallaby head coach. I don’t believe he thought the job would...

Nick Cain: Joubert shows refs can’t rule the scrum

Brett Gosper came up with some marketing waffle this week which illustrates how the International Rugby Board have earned a reputation...

Craig Mitchell: Shame of my ‘Lions’ punch-up

Craig Mitchell has spoken candidly about the horrific long-haul flight home from Australia in June when he feared his rugby career...

My Life in Rugby: Andy Nicol – Former Bath, Glasgow & Scotland scrum-half

I am very lucky that there are two games that define my career. There is no doubt the greatest achievement was...

Nigel Melville in talks over US-based Premiership games

England‘s Premiership clubs are to hold imminent talks with American power-brokers aimed at ‘opening up’ the trans-Atlantic market. USA Rugby‘s top...

VIDEO: Tom Varndell – “It was amazing to have the Red Rose on my chest again”

In an exclusive production by The Rugby Paper, London Wasps winger Tom Varndell talks about the season ahead with Wasps as...

Dream Team: Olly Kohn – former Harlequins lock

1. Joe Marler – Has really developed his scrummaging over the years and to have a haircut like that you need...

Sanderson and his Quins have a day to remember

This was a remarkable cup final victory on so many levels. For starters, Harlequins had endured a shocking Premiership campaign, winning...

VIDEO: James Hudson – “The new scrum rules have an impact on the locks”

In an exclusive production by The Rugby Paper, Gloucester lock James Hudson talks about the impacts of the scrum laws changes...

Tom Savage named Gloucester captain

Gloucester Rugby have confirmed that Tom Savage will succeed Jim Hamilton as the club’s new captain for the upcoming season. Set...

Brendan Gallagher: Pomposity overload? Cure it with my minnows

It might surprise you to learn that 131 of the scheduled 184 qualifying games for Rugby World Cup 2015 have already...

Jeff Probyn: Maybe the IRB have got the scrum right at last

Crouch, Touch, Set and off we go as the latest incarnation of the scrum engagement is rolled out across the game....

Josh Lewsey goes all-Cornish in Pirates’ masterplan

Galvanising support throughout the whole of Cornwall is key to the success of Cornish Pirates says CEO and performance director, Josh...

Room 101: Steve Lawrie – Edinburgh hooker

1. Running into touch With the Murrayfield pitch being as wide as they come you’d think there would be no danger...

Chris Robshaw commits to Quins

Chris Robshaw has today signed an extension to his contract which will keep him with the club until the end of...

Brendan Gallagher on the new England speedster who is giving his club top priority

Marland Yarde just missed the world renowned St Lucia Jazz festival this year – he was otherwise engaged making music for...

Join TRP’s prediction leagues on SuperBru

The Rugby Paper running prediction leagues in the Aviva Premiership, RaboDirect Pro12 and RFU Championship this season, and we’d love you...

Shane Geraghty: London Irish can confound runaways and bid for Top6

Shane Geraghty admits to understanding why a string of top players opted to quit London Irish. But the bullish Exiles playmaker...

Young Gun: Tom Fowlie – London Irish centre

England‘s new elite squad may have a glaring dearth of outside centres, but thanks to London Irish‘s Tom Fowlie, the future...

VIDEO: “We want to win the Heineken Cup” – Ben Youngs

In an exclusive production (the first ever) by The Rugby Paper, Leicester, England & Lions scrum-half Ben Youngs reveals the reigning...

Welsh international prop joins Exiles

Welsh International loosehead prop John Yapp has joined London Irish ahead of the upcoming season on loan from Edinburgh. At 19...

Peter Jackson: No favours for Fiji as All Blacks pick Japan

The All Blacks could have played England or Wales in November and charged their going rate for an out-of-window Test of...

Jeremy Guscott: All Blacks show they are team to beat once again

The All Blacks showed with their convincing 47-29 victory over the Wallabies in Sydney last night that they will still be...

Alex King hopes to turn his new Northampton Saints into kings

George North’s unveiling at Northampton was close to rock star status – but the man who could prove to be Saints’...

20 Questions: Gavin Cattle – Cornish Pirates scrum-half

Been anywhere nice on holiday? I had a few days on the Scilly Isles and the rest of the time has...

No U-turn on Europe promises Premiership boss Mark McCafferty

England‘s Premiership clubs are adamant there will be no u-turn on their crusade for a new European Cup, promising it will...

My Life in Rugby: Will Skinner – former Harlequins flanker

Even though the club has won the Premiership, LV= Cup and the Amlin Cup in its recent past, the games in...

Man Behind the Match: Grayson knew O’Gara could miss crucial kick

Ronan O’Gara is the Heineken Cup‘s golden boy. He’s the record points scorer, the record appearance holder and in any pub...

Dream Team: Lee Adamson – former Wasps and Saracens lock

1. Paul Rendall – Great team player and one of the unsung heroes. There wasn’t anything extraordinary in what he did...

Moment in Time: Walder flies in under the radar to lift Falcons

Little did supporters of Newcastle Falcons realise it at the time, but this supremely riotous Twickenham cup final would represent the...

Peter Jackson: How Toby almost fell into grasp of England

It won’t do them any good now but England will be kicking themselves for allowing Wales to take Toby Faletau from...

Room 101: Rob Rowlinson – former Leeds hooker

1. The new scrummaging laws I’m not a fan of the “crouch, bind, set” scrum engagement sequence that is currently being...

Jeff Probyn: Now we must research the true risk of dementia

With all the excitement of the announcement of the new elite player squad some rather bad news almost slipped under the...

Brendan Gallagher: The Puma underdogs must show teeth again

And now the hard work and the pain really begins. Making their debut in the Rugby Championship last season was an...