London Welsh fail appeal

London Welsh have failed their appeal against the five-point deduction and £15,000 fine they received for fielding an eligible player. They...

Revealed: Major gulf in funding of top clubs

Premier Rugby Ltd is facing serious questions over the huge differences between the funding provided to its ‘founder’ clubs compared to...

Room 101: George Skivington – London Irish lock

1. Man of the Match nominations There’s a few times when I’ve played in games and thought I’d be in contention...

Nick Cain assesses the relative strengths and weaknesses of England and Italy

Italy have yet to beat England in the Six Nations, and, given that their only away win in the tournament since...

Young Gun: Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi – Northampton prop

Being picked to start for England U20s on home soil at Franklin’s Gardens against Italy – Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi admits he could...

Jeremy Guscott: Grand Slam won’t faze this England

Wales are a dangerous side if they bring their best game to Cardiff on Saturday against England because they have ability...

20 Questions: James Gaskell – Sale lock/flanker

Tough season to date? Very, both physically and mentally. But as a younger player you might as well learn the hard...

Nick Cain: Let Welsh go Scott-free and return their points

Tyson Keats is innocent. Mike Scott is not. That was the only verdict that was clear in the Friday night disciplinary...

London Welsh can only wait

London Welsh have been heard in their appeal in the Tyson Keats case last night in London but the RFU said...

Premiership round 18: teams

Gloucester v London Welsh Gloucester: Cook; Sharples, Tindall, Twelvetrees, May; Burns, Robson; Wood, Edmonds, Knight; Hamilton (Capt.), James; Buxton, Hazell, Kalamafoni....

Trigger-finger refs stamp out cynicism

Greater vigilance by referees at the breakdown and less tolerance of cynical play has led to a sharp rise in yellow...

My Life in Rugby: Mike Blair – Brive and former Scotland and Edinburgh scrum-half

I was a late call-up for the 2009 Lions in South Africa and never really felt I had the selectors’ backing....

Tom Arscott joins Sale

Tom Arscott will leave Premiership strugglers London Welsh at the end of the season to join their closest rivals in the...

Peter Jackson: Trust me, Cardiff jinx waits for Lancaster!

At a dinner in London some years ago, the English defined their rugby relationship with the Welsh as one based on...

Wasps must use Tommy Bell to ring in changes for future, says Kenny Logan

Wasps‘ challenge for a top four spot has defied expectations but club legend Kenny Logan insists the focus has to be...

Dream Team: Luke Arscott – Exeter full-back

1. Carl Rimmer – Came into the Chiefs team with very little experience and has done really well. His first showing...

Three-week ban for Brian O’Driscoll

Brian O’Driscoll has been given a three-week ban for his stamp on Simone Favaro last Saturday in Rome. The Ireland centre was initially given...

Bath confirm Jonathan Joseph signing

As revealed months ago by Neil Fissler in The Rugby Paper, Jonathan Joseph will move from London Irish to Bath next...

Jeff Probyn: These ‘hospitality’ packages are just fleecing the fans

It would seem that Nick Cain‘s expose of the Lion’s tour ticket price rigging is just the tip of the ‘rip-off...

Matt Stevens is back to his best now he’s 20 stones!

Matt Stevens says piling on the pounds and a change of positions has contributed to him enjoying one of his best...

New two-year deal for Andrew Trimble

Andrew Trimble has signed a new contract with the Irish Federation which will see him remain at Ulster until at least...

Wales v England: highlights

Wales retained their RBS Six Nations trophy on Saturday with a powerful display against England at the Millenium. All they needed...

Duo extend contracts with Bath

Bath duo Dave Attwood and David Wilson have extended their contracts with the Club. Lock Atwood has become an important member of...

Luke Cowan-Dickie hooked on new role

Even by England‘s precocious standards loosehead prop Luke Cowan-Dickie stood out as an early developer – now the Chiefs teenager has...

Gloucester capture James Hudson

Gloucester Rugby have bolstered their second row option with the signature of Newcastle lock James Hudson ahead of the 2013-14 season....

Room 101: Mike Friday – Kenya Sevens head coach

1. Cunning Cats I’m a big lover of cats from the big ones found roaming around in the jungle to those...

Nick Cain looks at the England build-up to Italy – and beyond to the Lions

When teams which have battled to get within reach of big prizes start to batten down the hatches and ban words...

Young Gun: Owen Williams – Scalets fly-half

Man of the match on your senior league debut is what every youngster dreams of but after following it up with...

Jeremy Guscott: Launchbury has been the find of the season

Joe Launchbury has been the find of the international season. The England lock has a great range of skills for a...

Dan Braid has the appetite to satisfy Sale hunger

Sale flanker Dan Braid was so confident that 2013 would turn out to be a good year he saw it in...

LV=Cup final: teams

Harlequins: Ross Chisholm; Tom Williams, George Lowe, Tom Casson, Sam Smith; Ben Botica, Karl Dickson; Mark Lambert, Rob Buchanan, Will Collier;...

Exiles sign Andy Fenby

Andy Fenby will leave the Scarlets at the end of this season after four years with the Welsh region to join...

Nick Cain: Welsh are embroiled in new fight for justice

There are times, as we all know, when the law is an ass. Usually this coincides with legal technicalities getting in...

Wales v England: teams

Owen Farrell will lead the attack in England’s Grand Slam decider against Wales at the Millennium on Saturday. The Saracens playmaker...

My Life in Rugby: David Barnes – former Bath and England Saxons prop

When I joined Bath in 2000 I don’t think they had ever lost a cup final – by the time I...

20 Questions: Ally Hogg – Newcastle No.8

Enjoy Scotland‘s win over Ireland? They hung in there, that’s the best way to put it! When the opportunity presented itself...

France v Scotland: teams

South Africa born flanker Antoine Claassen will make his first start for France as Philippe Saint-Andre makes three changes to face...

Italy v Ireland: teams

Jonny Sexton has been ruled out of Ireland‘s last game of the Six Nations with a foot injury. The Leinster playmaker,...

Blair Cowan joins London Irish

London Irish have bolstered their back row options for next season with the signing of Blair Cowan from Worcester Warriors on...

Soane Tonga’uiha confirms Racing Metro move

Soane Tonga’uiha has ended speculations about his future by confirming he will be linking up with Top 14 side Racing Metro...

Peter Jackson: It’s whisky galore if Telfer tribe triumph

When Scotland last won three matches on the bounce in the same Championship, they showed their gratitude to Wales by sending...

Jack Nowell wins 2013 LV=Breakthrough Player award

Exeter Chiefs Jack Nowell has been named the LV=Breakthrough Player this season following his eye catching displays in the Anglo-Welsh competition....

Michael Owen backs Tom Wood for Lions No.8 spot

This time last year Tom Wood feared he would never properly recover from his toe injury – 12 months on and...

O2 Inside Line: Episode 5

In this week’s episode, James Haskell and Toby Flood explain how England plan to attack Wales at the breakdown. Joe Marler...

Dream Team: Victor Ubogu – Former England, Bath and Moseley prop

1. Jason Leonard – The ‘fun bus’ was an uncompromising scrummager and a top bloke to boot. He was world class...

Jeff Probyn: President Jason can use his powers to help grassroots

The action of the RFU Council in overturning their nominations panel’s choice of president for the 2015 World Cup is probably...

Little and large are big-time with Bath

Matt Banahan has hailed his ‘little and large’ midfield partnership with Kyle Eastmond, likening their relationship to the 1988 comedy classic...

Ryan Jones blow for Wales

Ryan Jones will miss Saturday’s Six Nations decider against England after it was revealed the Welsh captain suffered a broken bone...

Six-week ban for Darren Dawidiuk

Darren Dawidiuk has been hit by a six-week ban for a tip-tackle on Bath lock Dave Attwood. The Gloucester hooker, who...

Ben Skirving joins the Bristol revolution

Ben Skirving is the latest Premiership player to join the Bristol revolution after the Bath No.8 agreed to join the Championship...