Davies to lead Wales in Japan

As revealed by Matt Lloyd in The Rugby Paper on Sunday, Bradley Davies will captain a young Wales side that ncluded...

French act to head off revolt over Heineken Cup

France called a crisis meeting over Europe yesterday aimed at averting the planned Anglo-French breakaway to launch an alternative tournament. The...

RFU Championship Dream Team 2012-13

The four Championship semi-finalists dominate this year’s Dream XV with Nottingham and Newcastle, the top two sides from the regular season, boasting...

England call on Luther Burrell and Stephen Myler for Argentina tour

Luther Burrell and Stephen Myler have been added to the England squad ahead of their tour of Argentina tour. The Northampton...

Wasps switch for Corporal Reeves

Lance Corporal Ricky Reeves will join London Wasps next season from Bedford Blues. On the back of an impressive season in...

Room 101: Ben Pons – Moseley flanker

1. The soft drift defence A soft drift defence is all too soft for my liking. The soft drift is when...

Wilkinson named ERC Player of the Year

After leading Toulon to their first Heineken Cup, Jonny Wilkinson has been presented with the ERC Player of the Year award....

Israel Folau in, Quade Cooper out for Wallabies to face Lions

Cross-code convert Israel Foau is set to become a dual-code international after being named in Robbie Deans’ initial Wallabies squad to...

Young Gun: Tom Smallbone – London Irish prop

London Irish prop Tom Smallbone has been doing more than his fair share of homework this season and hopes it will...

Leinster beat Stade Francais to claim Amlin Challenge Cup

Leinster lifted the Amlin Challenge Cup trophy after beating Stade Francais 34-13 in Dublin tonight. In front of their home fans...

20 Questions: Nick Evans – Harlequins fly-half

Quins set for a big finish? We are. It’s the money month now and all about momentum. We had a sticky...

Wayne Barnes to referee Premiership final

Wayne Barnes will take charge of next Saturday’s Aviva Premiership final at Twickenham between Northampton Saints and Leicester Tigers. It will...

Quins announce pre-season fixtures

Harlequins have confirmed their pre-season fixtures as they prepare for the start of the 2013-14 season. The current LV= Cup holders...

Wilkinson shortlisted for ERC Player of the Year

Jonny Wilkinson has been named in a five-man shortlist for the ERC Player of the Year award. The World Cup winning...

Jeff Probyn: Late kick-offs can harm the legacy of RWC 2015

With news about the Lions selection dominating the sports pages, someone at RWC 2015 must have thought no-one would notice. The...

Peter Jackson: Forgotten Byrne can join select Welsh club

A new name ought to be added to Europe’s painfully small Welsh roll of honour next weekend, a player long declared...

Andy Robinson: My three Lions to scatter the Wallabies

Former England and Scotland head coach Andy Robinson has earmarked Justin Tipuric, Tom Youngs and Leigh Halfpenny as his Lions players...

TRP link up with Poolpit

The Rugby Paper we have joined forces with Poolpit, a new and exciting bookmakers who hit the scene recently. For those...

My Life in Rugby: Alex Brown – former Bristol, Gloucester and England lock

I won the Amlin Cup, the LV= Cup and finished top of the table at Gloucester but never getting a Premiership...

One more year for BOD but no Amlin final

Brian O’Driscoll has signed a new one-year contract with the IRFU which will see him available for Leinster and Ireland until...

Jeremy Guscott: Forget the chess game let’s go for check mate

The squad Stuart Lancaster has selected to tour Argentina next month is spot on, and I like the inclusion of 11...

Nick Cain says the tour party to Argentina represents a sea-change for England

The grass-roots setting of Barnes RFC is an unlikely location for game-changing decisions at the apex of the English elite game....

Gloucester confirm Tavis Knoyle arrival

Neil Fissler revealed the move in the Fissler Files over a month ago but Gloucester confirmed today that Tavis Koyle will...

Power will be on from first scrum – Richard Hibbard

Hooker Richard Hibbard says the Lions need to take referees out of the equation by dominating from the first scrum to...

Dream Team: Andy Nicol – former Bath, Scotland and Lions scrum-half

1. David Sole – My first international captain so he holds a special place for me. A phenomenal player who gave...

Baa-Baas squad finalised

Fresh from a monster performance that propelled Northampton to their first Aviva Premiership final, Samu Manoa will become a Barbarian. The...

Nick Cain: Put star players outside salary cap

What has happened to the once proud record of English clubs in Europe? When Saracens slipped out of the Heineken Cup...

James Haskell: I can’t wait to see new back row in action

Being injured sucks! Not just because you miss out on all the tours. No it sucks because you end-up working harder...

Joe Ansbro forced to retire

Joe Ansbro has been forced to retire from rugby with immediate effect after suffering a neck injury in August 2012. The...

Some regrets? Yes, but they’re few to mention for Delon Armitage now!

Delon Armitage has opened his heart on why he never wanted to leave England but felt there was no choice if...

Bath confirm pre-season fixtures

Bath Rugby have confirmed today their per-season fixtures ahead of the 2013-14 Aviva Premiership campaign. The first “friendly” game will take...

Scott Williams out of Japan tour

Scott Williams has been force to withdraw from Wales‘ tour to Japan due to a recurrent shoulder injury. The 22-year-old sustained...

All Blacks name squad for France series

The All Blacks have called up ten uncapped players for their three-Test series against France this summer. Coach Steven Hansen announced...

Doug Howlett forced to retire

All Black record try scorer Doug Howlett has been forced to retire from professional rugby due to a shoulder injury. The...

Greene King to be title sponsors of RFU Championship

Brewing giant Greene King are set to become the first title sponsor of the RFU Championship in a three-year deal believed...

Warren Gatland on playing against the Lions

British & Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland goes back to memory lane and remembers what it is like to play...

Lewis Moody and Chris Cracknell discuss Sevens

Following a record attendance over the weekend at Twickenham, former England captain Lewis Moody joined England Sevens star Chris Cracknell at...

Wales call in Patchell for the injured Priestland

Cardiff Blues fly-half Rhys Patchell has been called upon by Wales to replace Rhys Priestland for their two-Test tour of Japan....

Sharks move for Joe Ford

Sale Sharks have made another signing for next season by swooping to capture Leeds Carnegie playmaker Joe Ford. Ford, brother of...

Northampton Saints to meet Leicester in Premiership final

Their will be a taste of the East Midlands at Twickenham in two weeks as Northampton Saints will face Leicester Tigers...

Room 101: Mark Woodrow – Dings full-back

1. Traffic As you are probably aware a recent study has placed Bristol as the second worst city in England for...

Newcastle beat Leeds to reach Championship final

Newcastle will play Bedford in the Championship final after a 34-30 aggregate win over Leeds Carnegie at Kingston Park today. Jimmy...

Young Gun: James Chisholm – Harlequins back row

A week after Alex Gray told The Rugby Paper that he could make the move from No.8 into the centres, another...

Peter Jackson: Wales have been down and laid out Down Under

The Welsh usually run into trouble in Australia, big trouble. As a sport, trying to tie the Wallaby down in his...

20 Questions: Richard Wigglesworth – Saracens scrum-half

Three memorable seasons at Saracens? It couldn’t have gone better. You’re treated unbelievably well and are part of a pretty successful...

Sean Fitzpatrick: No controversy means right Lions squad

Sean Fitzpatrick reckons the lack of controversy following the announcement of the British & Irish Lions squad means Warren Gatland got...

Jeff Probyn: Sorry, but I just can’t see any Englishman starting first Test

With the horse trading over at last we can now focus on a squad that we all hope will bring home...

RAF Spitfires complete gruelling 500-mile charity cycle

The RAF Spitfires Rugby 7s team will tomorrow cycle through the iconic Lion Gate of Twickenham’s West Stand to mark the...

Andy Saull: Newcastle Falcons won’t stifle me like Saracens

Flanker Andy Saull admits he signed for  Newcastle to stop his career stagnating in Saracens‘ regimented environment. Long seen as the...

My Life in Rugby: Ben Jonhston – former Saracens, Brive and England centre

I’d have loved to get more than two England caps but I was involved in a rare win over the All...