Money man Kelvin Bryon pulls plug on London Welsh hopes

London Welsh are facing fresh turmoil after the club’s majority shareholder, Kelvin Bryon, revealed he is pulling out at the end...

Jeremy Guscott: Come on Leicester, prove that Toulon are just mercenaries

Two fantastic European fixtures will be taking place today, Toulon v Tigers and Harlequins v Munster. In both cases it’s old...

Peter Jackson: Give me just a little more time, begs Olly

Olly Kohn has no intention of ending up as cannon-fodder for any bright sparks on Brain of Britain or University Challenge...

Room 101: James Pritchard – Bedford full-back

1. Parking space Pirates People without any kids in town really get to me when they park in designated family parking...

Young Gun: Mark Bennet – Glasgow centre

Mark Bennett was so highly-rated coming through the ranks at Glasgow that French giants Clermont Auvergne brought him to the Stade...

20 Questions: Dean Mumm – Exeter lock

Enjoying our fine English winter? It keeps lasting, doesn’t it! First time I’ve ever experienced a winter like this but there’s...

Nick Cain: Baxter can improve England’s set-piece

Stuart Lancaster has made a smart move in asking Rob Baxter to join the England set-up as forwards coach for the...

Premiership round 20: teams

Exeter v London Irish Exeter: Arscott; Nowell, Dollman, Shoemark, Jess; Steenson, Thomas; Sturgess, Yeandle, Tui; Mumm, Welch; White, Scaysbrook, Baxter (Capt.)....

RaboDirect Pro12 round 20: teams

Cardiff Blues v Zebre Cardiff Blues: Halfpenny; Williams, Evans (Capt.), Roberts, Robinson; Patchell, Jones; Filise, Breeze, Andrews; Reed, Paulo; Paterson, Copeland,...

Folau in, Beale and Cooper out for Wallabies

Israel Folau has been included the Wallabies‘ logistics camp ahead of the British & Irish Lions tour this summer. The Waratahs...

Just get rid of the hit-squad to solve this scrum farce

Scrum guru Phil Keith-Roach claims the chaos and controversy surrounding the set-piece would be gone within a month if the IRB...

England launch new Canterbury kit for London Sevens

Canterbury and the RFU have unveiled the new England Sevens home and alternate shirts at Twickenham Stadium with the two shirts...

Quins to investigate their “supporters”

Harlequins are to investigate how Munster supporters managed to have “a presence in the stadium that exceeded the number of tickets...

Jamie Roberts to kick-off tribute to Dr jack Matthews

Jamie Roberts will get a chance to ease his pre-British & Irish Lions squad selection nerves when he kicks-off a special...

My Life in Rugby: Rob Henderson – former Ireland and Lions centre

My highest and lowest moments in rugby both started with a phonecall from Donal Lenihan. In 1999 he gave me the...

14-week ban for Jerome Fillol

Jerome Fillol has been handed a 14-week ban for spitting at Bath scrum-half Peter Stringer in last Saturday’s Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final....

Jeremy Guscott: Ref scrums as laws say and all will be fine again

The scrum statistics from the Six Nations makes grim reading and tell us a great deal about the state of the...

Peter Jackson: Drumrolls, but the big act has yet to appear

The Welsh Rugby Union considered their announcement important enough to carry a ‘strict embargo’ until one minute past midnight on the...

Jeff Probyn: Surely it’s best for Wales that North’s in England not France

Why is it that when clubs or regions have a disagreement with their Unions they always appear to threaten a new...

Another Championship player joins London Irish

London Irish have signed hooker Mike Mayhew on a three-year contract from Newcastle Falcons. Mayhew joined the Sunbury-based side as injury...

When Halani ‘Aulika stopped being a waisted talent

London Irish prop sensation Halani Aulika would have been lost to the game had it not been for a chance meeting...

Dream Team: Gordon Ross – London Welsh and former Edinburgh and Scotland fly-half

1. Tom Smith – He wasn’t the biggest in the world but he was hugely talented. He was a terrific ball-player...

Michael Claassens leaves Bath

As expected and reported by Neil Fissler in The Rugby Paper weeks ago, Michael Claassens has today confirmed that he will be...

Jeff Probyn: RFU must step in and end this financial ring-fencing

As the disappointments of the Six Nations fades into memory, club rugby comes back into focus as we approach the business...

London Irish sign Rotherham duo

London Irish added depth to their back-line option with the signings of Eamonn Sheridan and Fergus Mulchrone from Championship side Rotherham...

James Haskell: Wasps fall in classic episode of Euro thrills

The Premiership is fantastically competitive week-in- week-out. It’s hard, it’s physical and many of the weekly match-ups could easily be described...

London Wasps saved as £500k tax bill is paid

New Wasps owner Derek Richardson had to settle an outstanding tax bill of £500,000 before completing the long-awaited takeover of the...

Peter Stringer commits to Bath

Irish scrum-half Peter Stringer has signed a contract extension and will remain with Bath next season. The 35-year-old, who has been...

George North joins Northampton

The Scarlets announced today they have agreed to release the 20-year-old winger on his request so he could sign a three-year...

James Haskell: Let’s play in summer and watch skills grow

You wake-up. It’s Saturday morning. Your bedroom’s freezing, but at least it is only 10.00am, so you can ease back for...

Nigel Wray backs move for Welsh to join Aviva Premiership

England’s Premiership clubs plan to strike a deal with the four Welsh regions which could change the landscape of European competition.

Jerome Fillol cited for spitting incident

Jerome Fillol has been cited for allegedly spitting at Peter Stringer during their Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final on Saturday. Stringer complained...

Sam Jones signs up for more

Sam Jones has become the latest young English talent to commit his future to London Wasps, signing a new contract with...

James Haskell: The pain of defeat will drive England on

I was asked in the build up to the game with Wales: “Have the players who had been involved with the...

Room 101: Ian Nimmo – Dragons lock

1. Paid-for Condiments My particular beef (or should that be chicken?) is aimed at the popular restaurant chain Nando’s. The boys...

Nick Cain picks his 2013 Lions tour party with some surprising ins and outs

No Brian O’Driscoll. No Chris Robshaw. Neither men make my 2013 Lions tour party for the straightforward reason that others are...

Young Gun: Will Graulich – Gloucester lock

As the latest Gloucester lock to serve his apprenticeship at Hartpury, Will Graulich is certainly in good company – and the...

Jeremy Guscott: Lancaster must take risks to find a true cutting edge

It must be incredibly disappointing for this England side to get that close to a Grand Slam and lose in the...

20 Questions: George Skivington – London Irish lock

Describe London Irish‘s season to date? A big learning curve before Christmas when I underestimated how hard it would be to...

Nick Cain: Change now or else!

There’s been a marked reluctance in English rugby ranks to accept that the 2015 Rugby World Cup draw is by far...

Heineken Cup quarter-finals: teams

Clermont v Montpellier Clermont: Byrne; Sivivatu, Rougerie (Capt.), Fofana, Nalaga ; Radosavljevic, Parra; Domingo, Kayser, Zirakashvili; Cudmore, Hines; Vosloo, Bardy, Bonnaire. Replacements:...

Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-finals: teams

Wasps v Leinster London Wasps: Daly; Wade, Masi, Bell, Varndell; Robinson, Simpson; Taulafo,Thomas, Swainston; Palmer, Wentzel (Capt.); Launchbury, Sa. Jones, Johnson....

James Stephenson to join Warriors

Worcester Warriors have boosted their backline ahead of next season with the signing of exciting Bedford Blues winger James Stephenson. Stephenson,...

Gloucester swept aside by Biarritz

Gloucester’s European campaign came to an abrupt end last night with a 41-31 defeat to Biarritz in the Amlin Challenge Cup...

Andrew Sheridan is backed for Lions call-up by rival Dan Cole

Leicester prop Dan Cole prepared for his first competitive tussle with Andrew Sheridan next week by insisting the Lions cannot afford...

My Life in Rugby: Dan Scarbrough – former England, Leeds, Saracens and Racing Metro full-back

I got my first cap in a World Cup warm-up game against Wales in 2003 knowing that I had one shot...

Peter Jackson: Hold it all! England have won the title…

When the Six Nations discuss the ‘on-going’ issue of bonus points, they would be well advised to examine the distorted impact...

Wasps snap up Bedford flyer

London Wasps have signed highly rated young winger Josh Bassett from Bedford Blues. Bassett topped the RFU Championship try-scoring charts last...

Mike Tindall captains Gloucester against Biarritz

Mike Tindall returns to the Gloucester starting line up and will captain the Cherry and Whites as they welcome Biarritz to...

Nick Cain assesses the potential outcomes of the Heineken Cup quarter-finals

Can England’s leading club sides come up trumps when it is all on the line, or will they follow in the...