Free Aviva Premiership for BT customers

BT broadband customers will be able to watch the Aviva Premiership free of charge from next season. The telecommunications giant made...

Leicester Tigers and Tom Youngs headline Premiership awards

Tom Youngs was voted the Aviva Premiership Player of the Year last night. The Leicester hooker has been in superb form...

Nick Cain: Football could yet kick RWC 2015 into touch

There were cautionary notes amid the fanfare for England‘s 2015 World Cup when the schedule and venues were announced at Twickenham...

Jeremy Guscott: No more squabbles, let’s all just get behind our squad

I like the look of Warren Gatland‘s 2013 Lions squad, which has physicality as well as speed and skill. Like all...

Another season for player-coach Tindall

Mike Tindall has signed a new one-year deal with Gloucester as player-coach. Nigel Davies told The Rugby Paper a couple of...

Kurtley Beale suspended again

Kurtley Beale’s hopes of winning selection against the British and Irish Lions are in tatters after he was suspended again for...

Fetu’u Vainikolo joins Exeter Chiefs

As revealed by Neil Fissler if The Rugby Paper on Sunday, Exeter Chiefs have signed Fetu’u Vainikolo from Connacht on a...

Those Semesa Rokodoguni back-flips are helping our heroes

After undergoing a six-month tour of Helmand province, it is no surprise that Fijian flyer Semesa Rokoduguni is un- daunted by...

Dream Team: Robin Copeland – Blues and former Leinster, Plymouth and Rotherham No.8

1. Cian Healy – I wouldn’t be surprised if the front row I’ve picked starts the first Test for the Lions...

Find Rugby Now announce 2013 venue

This year’s edition of the Find Rugby Now tournament will take place at Blackheath Rugby Club on July 6. The tournament,...

Eleven new faces for England tour of Argentina

Christian Wade, Marlan Yarde and Jonny May are three of the 11 uncapped players named by Stuart Lancaster in his England squad for...

Nick Cain: These slabs of meat will be mighty mouthfuls

Slabs of red meat? More like slabs of gristle. The sort of tough, unpalatable stuff that the Aussies, who like the...

James Haskell: Power of music puts me in mood for a battle

Once on tour, the pressure and nervous excitement will start to creep up on the Lions players, building to a crescendo...

HQ to host World Club Sevens

A World Club Sevens tournament is to be hosted at Twickenham for the first time this summer. As the growth of...

“I’m used to being snubbed,” says James Hook

James Hook has made a frank admission about his international future after being excluded by the Lions and Wales on successive...

Alain Rolland to referee Heineken Cup final

Alain Rolland will be the man in the middle as Top14 giants Clermont and Toulon face off for the Heineken Cup...

Join our Lions prediction game

  Ahead of the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia, The Rugby Paper invites you to join our SuperBru Lions prediction league....

Final curtain for Geordan Murphy

Leicester Tigers legend Geordan Murphy has announced the next two games will be his last as he will retire at the...

Scotland name nine uncapped players

Scotland have included nine uncapped players in a squad of 31 for next month’s quadrangular international tournament in South Africa. The...

Baa-baas squad nearing completion

London Wasps flanker Sam Jones has been selected to play for the Barbarians against the British and Irish Lions and England...

Captain Sam Warburton has winning ways with the referees

Warren Gatland has revealed that a crucial component in his appointment of Sam Warburton as captain of the 2013 Lions was...

Leeds figure it out with two sevens like Wales

Just as two opensides helped Wales to Six Nations glory against England, Leeds’ own magnificent sevens – Jacob Rowan and Chris...

Room 101: Tom Voyce – London Welsh winger

1. Scrums This might surprise you but I know from first-hand experience how tough being part of a scrum is. On...

Young Gun: Sean Kennedy – Edinburgh scrum-half

Not many can lay claim to beating Ulster twice in successive matches this season – but then Edinburgh scrum-half Sean Kennedy...

Jeff Probyn: Blame Sarries fan base not ERC for no-show, Edward

As the majority of the Aviva Premiership took a well- earned break this weekend, the expectation was that the only major...

20 Questions: Ashley Johnson – London Wasps flanker

Enjoyed the move to Wasps? I really have. The culture is a bit different from South Africa but I’ve been fortunate...

Peter Jackson: Black time for Blues underlines Euro row

Cardiff Blues have played 30 matches in all competitions this season and lost 20 of them – two defeats in every...

One more signing at Wasps

London Wasps announced the signing of hooker Neil Cochrane for next season from Bedford. The former Scotland Under-21 international has previously...

Wigan have winner in Andy Powell, says Scott Quinnell

Scott Quinnell has tipped Andy Powell to be a big hit in Rugby League following his decision to cross codes and...

Carlos Nieto to retire

Carlos Nieto has announced that he will retire at the end of the season. In a career where he was capped...

Exiles reveal pre-season fixtures

London Irish will play three pre-season fixtures this August ahead of their 2013/2014 campaign. The Exiles will face Nottingham at Meadow...

My Life in Rugby: Lee Beach – London Welsh and former Ospreys and Wales Sevens captain

We were in Dubai getting ready for the World Cup Sevens quarter-final in 2009 and Aled Thomas asked me how many...

Richard Baxter to hang up the boots

Richard Baxter has decided to hang up his boots at the end of the season. The long-serving No.8, 34, who has...

2015 World Cup schedule revealed

England will play at Manchester City Stadium for the first time with their three other Rugby World Cup 2015 pool matches...

Nick Cain: Give Danny loving care the same as Quade

Danny Cipriani must be cursing his luck that he wasn’t born an Aussie. Cipriani is a less divisive and outspoken character...

Mike Tindall ‘better than four years ago’ says Nigel Davies

Mike Tindall is close to putting pen to paper on a deal to remain player-coach at Gloucester, according to Cherry &...

Wales name squad for Japan tour

Interim Wales coach Robin McBryde has named his squad to face Japan in a two-game series next month. There was a...

Warriors scrum-half Perry forced to retire

Worcester Warriors scrum-half Shaun Perry has been forced to retire with immediate effect due to injury. The 34-year-old has been sidelined...

Dream Team: Chris Jones – Worcester and former Sale lock

1. Eifion Lewis-Roberts – A guy with a huge work-rate who would get around the park for 80 minutes. I remember...

Tigers players’ reaction after Lions call

Leicester Tigers are the most represented English club in the British and Irish Lions squad with six of their players on...

Jeff Probyn: Make cuts now, Exiles, or you may face ruin later

Like the scene from Titanic after the ship hit the iceberg, the relegation of London Welsh has seen many of those associated with...

James Haskell: It’s Wade or Care as my man of the season

Coming to the business-end of the season means finals, tours and awards. The shortlist of names for this year’s Premiership Player...

Elliot Daly benefits from 15-love at first sight

It has not always been the smoothest of transitions for Elliot Daly at full-back this season but according to Wasps backs...

England U20 bring Purdy in for injured Jennings

England U20 have been forced into making a change to their IRB Junior World Championship squad after Sale Sharks centre Mark Jennings...

Bath Ford, Young and Roberts signing

It was one of the first transfers announced by Neil Fissler in The Rugby Paper months ago but Bath Rugby have...

Stuart Lancaster congratulates English Lions

Stuart Lancaster was quick to congratulate the ten England players selected in this summer’s British & Irish Lions touring party. Backs...

Peter Jackson: All Blacks rest cure will cost WRU £4m

The All Blacks have torn a gaping hole in Wales‘ autumn schedule, one damaging enough to run into seven figures. Instead...

Warren Gatland names British and Irish Lions squad

Warren Gatland has announced his British and Irish Lions squad to tour Australia this summer. Welshman Sam Warburton will captain the...

Mike Cudmore vows to stick with Ealing Trailfinders attacking philosophy

Ealing Trailfinders have become one of the best attacking sides in the land scoring over a thousand points in the past...

Nick Cain: Be brave and blood more kids against Pumas

Should England go to Argentina with purely a development side, or should they go with enough experience and firepower to ensure...