Pro12 Round 1: Team news and Predictions

Connacht v Cardiff Blues Scrum-half Kieran Marmion makes his first appearance for the province but summer signing Scottish international Dan Parks...

Top14 Round 3: Preview and Predictions

Bottom of the table Mont-de-Marsan face the daunting prospect of unbeaten big spending Toulon with Jonny Wilkinson in fine point scoring...

Conor O’Shea challenges Harlequins to become a great team

Good teams win titles, but great teams back it up time and again. That is the view of Harlequins‘ head honcho...

RFU Championship Preview: team by team

Bedford Blues The shortening of the play-off format from a top eight to a top four will assist part-time outfit Bedford...

Bath’s Rob Webber out until 2013

England hooker Rob Webber could be sidelined until the New Year after undergoing a second shoulder operation. The new Bath signing...

Maxime Mermoz joined with Jonny Wilkinson at Toulon to win titles

After four years at Perpignan, centre Maxime Mermoz says he switched to the other side of the Mediterranean coast to join...

Premiership preview (2 days to go): Northampton, Exeter, Sale

With the start of the Aviva Premiership only two days away, we take a look at what lies ahead for the...

Dylan Hartley says Northampton don’t need Chris Ashton

Northampton captain Dylan Hartley says winger Chris Ashton is gone and forgotten after turning his back on the club to join...

“We’ll have fun rising to challenge,” says Newcastle’s Dean Richards

Dean Richards will warn his Newcastle troops to expect the unexpected when they finally get their Championship campaign up and running...

Young Gun: James Currie – Worcester prop

With a childhood spent exploring the Amazon rainforests, not much will faze Worcester prop James Currie as he navigates the Premiership...

Fijian Josh Matavesi can lead the Worcester Warriors great offensive

Worcester boss Richard Hill reckons Josh Matavesi could provide the X-Factor to spark the Warriors’ backline into life. Hill’s men struggled...

RabodirectPro12 preview: players to watch

As the RaboDirectPro12 season starts tomorrow, we take a look at the key players and the ones to watch in each...

Brian Smith hopeful Ansbro will play again

London Irish head coach Brian Smith is optimistic Joe Ansbro will be able to play again in spite of his broken...

Henson should be back within a month

London Welsh head coach Lyn Jones has revealed Gavin Henson will be back in action in four weeks for the Exiles....

London Irish allrounder Alex Corbisiero leads new prop crop

Loose-head props of yesteryear conjure up an image of gnarled old campaigners with bleeding ears and a job description which could...

Now Wales put on their own club double header

Wales are to promote their first double-header at the Millennium Stadium during the new season, an East-West duel involving all four...

Maori All Blacks to tour England

The Maori All Blacks will to take on Leicester Tigers, Canada and a RFU Championship select XV during their Northern Hemisphere...

Premiership preview (3 days to go): London Irish, Bath, Gloucester

With the start of the Aviva Premiership only three days away, we take a look at what lays ahead for the...

Loyal Matt Smith content to be an unsung hero at Leicester Tigers

No player better embodies the qualities of the archetypal Leicester player than Matt Smith – Tigers through and through, massively appreciated...

20 Questions: Freddie Burns – Gloucester fly-half

Big year for Gloucester? Massive! The way last year ended was a big disappointment but there are a lot of fresh...

George North bids to join up with cyclist girlfriend in Rio Olympics

George North has revealed his ambition to join his cycling girlfriend at the 2016 Olympics. The Wales star is dating track...

London Wasps’ takeover “imminent”

London Wasps chairman Mark Rigby is hopeful the sale of the club will be completed “imminently”. An agreement had been reached...

RaboDirectPro 12 preview

DANIEL SCHOFIELD discovers how the PRO12 teams are adapting to the new season’s demands. As Leinster‘s fortunes have risen in recent...

Gollings named as Sri Lanka Sevens coach

Ben Gollings has been appointed Sri Lanka Sevens’ head coach for the next two months in their bid to reach next...

Zebre announce inaugural team to face Dragons

Newly formed Zebre Rugby has announced their team for their first ever RaboDirectPro12 game against Newport Gwent Dragons at Rodney Parade...

Glasgow announces team for season opener

Sean Lamont will start on the wing for Glasgow in their opening RaboDirectPro12 game against Ulster at Ravenhill on Friday night....

SSE National Leagues preview

With the National Leagues competitions starting on Saturday, we take a look at how Fylde, Ealing, Caldy and Redruth are preparing....

Quins secure Wallace’s services for two more years

Highly rated Harlequins opensie flanker Luke Wallace has signed a two-year contract extension that will keep him with the Premiership champions...

Championship winners must go up says chairman Geoff Irvine

Championship clubs’ chairman Geoff Irvine, right, says their Premiership counterparts need worry about only one thing – to avoid finishing bottom...

Bath’s Francois Louw gets South Africa call

Bath flanker Francois Louw will miss at least the first three rounds of the Premiership season after he was called up...

Nick Cain: Packer-style circus is real threat to rugby

There has been a recurrent message doing the rounds since the 2011 World Cup which the existing rugby establishment, based on...

Nick Cain talks to bath boss Gary Gold about reviving a once-champion club

Gary Gold is cagey when he considers the question of the quality he has found at Bath in terms of squad,...

Alex Gray hopes fast start can earn green light at London Irish

London Irish No.8 Alex Gray is hoping for ‘second season syndrome’ in reverse as he looks to put a disappointing first...

Haughton moves across The Channel

As revealed in The Rugby Paper, full-back Richard Haughton joined Perpignan on a six-month deal as a medical joker for Sofiane...

Premiership preview (4 days to go): Worcester, London Wasps, London Welsh

With the start of the Aviva Premiership only four days away, we take a look at what lays ahead for the...

Twickenham’s debenture holders in World Cup row

Twickenham debenture holders are furious that they will not be guaranteed seats at the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Chief executive Ian...

My Life in Rugby: Thom Evans – Former Scotland, Glasgow and Wasps wing

Everything was going so well in my rugby career but all that ended when I broke my neck against Wales in...

Oakley joins Northampton Saints

Northampton Saints have signed former Wales international back row Rhys Oakley. The 31-year-old has impressed Jim Mallender while on trial with...

French duo strengthen London Welsh front row

As revealed in The Rugby Paper on Sunday, London Welsh have strengthened their front row with the signings of Bourgoin duo...

“I’m more than just a fast mover,” says Wasps winger Christian Wade

Wasps winger Christian Wade is sick of being labelled simply a speed merchant and is determined to prove he has more...

Peter Jackson: Forgotten Dwayne finds new ally in Cips

At a suburban training centre where Manchester City’s multi-millionaires cruise around in their limousines, two international misfits are preparing to take...

British and Irish Lions eye Leinster’s Joe Schmidt as Gatland back-up

The Lions are to consider a second New Zealand contender for next year’s three-Test series in Australia – Leinster head coach...

Major set back for Drew Mitchell

Australia’s Drew Mitchell faces a new lengthy spell on the sidelines after the Waratahs winger ruptured a tendon in his right...

Dream Team: Hugo Ellis – Rosslyn Park and former Dragons No.8

1. Alex Corbisiero – Has an incredible appetite for hard work and is a great scrummager. He thoroughly deserves the rise...

Rugby Championship review: Who will stop the All Blacks?

As the first two rounds of the Rugby Championship drew to an end on Saturday night, we take a look at...

Irish sign John Ryan on loan

London Irish have signed Munster prop John Ryan on a short term loan as cover for the front row. The 23-year-old...

Moment in Time: Saracens and the 1998 Tetley Bitter Cup final

Emotion is an oft-used word in rugby, but this is a day that sticks in the minds of Saracens people on...

Jeff Probyn: Ritchie review could finally grasp that contract nettle

The end of a spectacular Olympics where our athletes won 65 medals including 29 gold (and we’ve still got the Paralympics...

Six weeks for Gavin Henson

Gavin Henson will be sidelined for 6 weeks after suffering a minor fracture to his cheekbone. The injury happened in last...

Argentina draw in historic match against South Africa

Argentina had to concede an unlucky 16-16 draw against South Africa for their first ever home game of the Rugby Championship...