We must work on attracting more people into the game

Thank you to Tracey Turner for the lengthy appraisal of the challenges facing English rugby and the suggested solutions. Thank you,...

Premiership Cup better with 20 teams

Whilst having some sympathy with both Cambridge and Chinnor, newly promoted to the RFU Championship I feel I must take issue...

Quite right, Brendan, don’t indulge All Blacks

I couldn't agree more with Brendan Gallagher’s suggestion that we must stop indulging the All Blacks and their haka. He missed...

The haka is indeed a dance of welcome, and not a challenge

Brendan Gallagher is correct in saying that the haka is not a challenge. If this were really the case, why would...

Time for Steve Borthwick to prove his worth

Rugby Matters - A weekly look at the game’s talking points By Brendan Gallagher Honeymoon periods are not set in stone...

Sunny Septembers seem nothing but a distant memory…

Have Septembers gone rogue although possibly not in the way anticipated by the doomsters proclaiming terminal global warming and the end...

New man at No.10 Fergus Burke gets Saracens running free

By Sam Jackson Saracens ..........40pts Tries: Dan 10, Willis 24, Onyeama-Christie 38, 70; Burke 43, Adejimi 65 Conversions: Burke 11, 25,...

Vilikesa Nairau leads the charge in Coventry’s power pack

By Tom Riley Coventry .......... 45pts Tries: Anstey 17, Ball 21, Nairau 28, Kvesic 34, Ma’asi 37, Opoku 76, Lane 80...

George Furbank at the double as England lads return

By Ben Jaycock Northampton................. 36pts Tries: Furbank 4, 14; Smith 26, Dingwall 34, Savala 44, Haffar 52 Conversions: Smith 4, 34,...

Exeter Chiefs pass test but still work to be done

By Mark Stevens Exeter .............. 31pts Tries: Vermeulen 5, Feyi-Waboso 43, Brown-Bampoe 64, Woodburn 71, Dunne 73 Conversions: Hodge 6, 44,...

Ealing Trailfinders show champion pedigree in second half

By James Orpin Ealing T .............62pts Tries: Bird-Tulloch 15, Hampson 32, 48; Terry 38, 41; Ehizode 50, Newman 54, Collins 64,...

Speedster Cleaves finishes the job in Italy

■ By JOHN WILKINS Benetton...........14pts Tries: Lynagh 52, Izekor 78 Conversions: Marin 53, 79 Harlequins .......19pts Tries: Els 7, Jibulu 35,...

Rusty Bath get in flow with three late tries

■ By ROGER PANTING Bath .................................... 26pts Tries: Muir 14, Hill 56, Annett 64, Pepper 71 Conversions: Russell 56, Harris 64,...

Classy Darcy wings in for Edinburgh on return from injury

■ By GARY STONE Edinburgh.........33pts Tries: Graham 6, Bradbury 31, Vellacott 38, Dodd 42, Cherry 53 Conversions: Thompson 31, 38, Healy...

Resurgent Irish hit Wallaroos for six

Ireland.....................36 Australia................. 10 IRELAND started their season with an impressive six-try win in Belfast with back row Aoife Wafer scoring a...

Four-try England make it 17 wins on the spin

By Ben Jaycock England ............................. 24pts Tries: Packer 18, Dow 30, Kildunne 36, Hunt 42 Conversions: Aitchison 36, 42 New Zealand...

Scotland surge to victory

Scotland .................59 Fiji ............................. 15 SCOTLAND put on a show by scoring nine tries in their warm-up for the defence of...

FANTASY RUGBY 2024/25

PRIZE MONEY WINNER £500 SECOND £250 THIRD £125 LAST £250 MANAGER OF THE MONTH £25 SECOND £10 THIRD £5 LAST £10...

Magic of the Lions will attract record crowd

By Peter Jackson - The man truly in the know At the Melbourne Cricket Ground on July 25 next year, the...

Why are Ospreys letting Booth go?

TOBY Booth achieved more, far more than any other coach in Wales last season. While all around followed the example set...

Bordeaux enjoy a 10-try feast

BORDEAUX-Begles finished last season at the end of June on the receiving end of the most one-sided of all French finals,...

Bath Season Preview – Looking to go one step beyond this time around

Bath Season Preview Coach: Johann van Graan Captain: Ben Spencer One small step is what it will take for Bath to...

Bristol Bears Preview: We have a new sense of energy – Fitz Harding

Team-by-team guide by Paul Rees Bristol Bears Coach: Pat Lam Captain: Fitz Harding After Bristol lost at Connacht in January to...

Exeter Chiefs Season Preview: Youngsters need to find place in Rob Baxter’s puzzle

Exeter Chiefs Season Preview Coach: Rob Baxter Captain: Jack Yeandle Exeter did not quite confound the belief that you win nothing...

Gloucester Season Preview – George Skivington: We’re going to roll dice and go for it

Gloucester Season Preview Coach: George Skivington Captain: Lewis Ludlow The Cherry and Whites are the enigmas of the Premiership. The club...

Harlequins Season Preview: Joe Launchbury sets stall on being hard to beat

    Harlequins Season Preview Coach: Danny Wilson Captain: Alex Dombrandt Supporters at The Stoop probably spend less time in their...

Leicester Tigers Season Preview: Michael Cheika looking to make his own piece of history

Leicester Tigers Season Preview Coach: Michael Cheika Captain: Julián Montoya The Tigers started last season with four defeats in five matches...

Newcastle Falcons Season Preview: Steve Diamond puts his faith in team bonding sessions

Newcastle Falcons Season Preview Coach: Steve Diamond Captain: Callum Chick Steve Diamond opted for team bonding rather than a raft of...

Northampton Saints Season Preview: George Furbank in charge as Saints bid for repeat

Northampton Saints Season Preview Coach: Phil Dowson Captain: George Furbank Last season’s title winning success at Northampton was no fluke. It...

Sale Sharks Season Preview: Alex Sanderson is planning a broader approach

  Sale Sharks Season Preview Coach: Alex Sanderson Captain: Ben Curry Sale Sharks failed in their bid last season to go...

Saracens Season Preview: We want to create our own dynasty, says Ben Earl

Saracens Season Preview Coach: Mark McCall Captain: Maro Itoje Saracens will start life without Owen Farrell and the Vunipola brothers at...

The Premiership is going to be tighter than ever

By Kyran Bracken English rugby is going through what can only be described as a transition period, but overall I’m positive...

Welsh regions facing another long, hard season to climb the URC mountain

Ben Jaycock and James Orpin report on the big moves as Siya Kolisi and Jordie Barrett prepare for their new clubs...

URC SQUADS

Benetton Giosué Zilocchi, Ivan Nemer, Mirco Spagnolo, Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, Riccardo Genovese, Simone Ferrari, Thomas Gallo, Tiziano Pasquali, Bautista Bernasconi, Marco...

Fixtures

... Continue reading... Access all our premium content from as little as 14p per day! SUBSCRIBE Already a subscriber to our...

With promotion back Ealing Trailfinders will be gunning for Championship glory

Ben Jaycock looks at who could challenge Ben Ward’s west London side as the season prepares to kick off next weekend...

CHAMPIONSHIP SQUADS

Ampthill Sam Asotasi, Tomas Bacon, Josh Barton, Joe Bercis, Syd Blackmore, Charlie Bracken, Ben Chapman, Beck Cutting, Ollie Dawkins, Cai Devine,...

Fixtures

... Continue reading... Access all our premium content from as little as 14p per day! SUBSCRIBE Already a subscriber to our...

Clinical Moseley give Lions lesson in finishing

■By LUKE BROWN Leicester L ........ 7 B Moseley ....... 21 A WARM day at Westleigh Park offered the perfect conditions...

First-half blitz sets tone for Club joy

■By JOHN ALLANSON Bishop’s S............... 10 Blackheath ............39 STORTFORD were brought down to earth with a thud by a strong, Blackheath...

Titans live up to their billing in rout

■By NICK JONES Darlington MP.......28 Rotherham T .........45 ON a lovely day for open expansive rugby, which is usually the perfect...

Crusaders hold off Albion assault on home soil

■By BAZ JOHNSON Dings Crusaders ..46 Plymouth A ............29 PLYMOUTH brought physicality to the park, opening the scoring with the metronomic...

Hunt stars as go for a stroll the Dogs in Park

■By GARETH DANIELS Sale FC.............. 24pts Sedgley Park .. 18pts Tries: Walsh 14 Roberts 24, 53 Hunt 59 Conversions: Hunt 54,...

Rams raid Esher to end home run

■By SAOPE SOKO Esher.........................24 Rams.........................43 HAVING lost to the promoted Sedley Park last week, Esher looked to maintain an impressive 12-match...

Ice-cool Dennett seals rescue act

■By RHYS STRATTON Rosslyn Park.......... 19 Richmond................ 21 RICHMOND emerged victorious from a brutal derby defeating rivals Rosslyn Park in dramatic...

Rob Powell hoping Richmond can be on right end of fine margins

By Saope Soko Richmond head coach Rob Powell hopes his side can mount a title challenge this season if they turn...

Rampant Lymm in show of strength on road

■By DESMOND HICKIE Chester.............. 19 Lymm................. 51 LYMM were certainly not flattered by this one-sided result, outscoring the home side seven...

Dorrington leaves it late in triumph…

■By WILL JUDD Fylde.........................22 Preston G................. 20 FYLDE came from behind in the last minute, defeating their local foes. The home...

Gaudie tally helps to close the Gate

By TIM THORLEY Harrogate................29 Wharfedale............35 AN enterprising match saw Wharfedale run out winners on an excellent day for open rugby. Harrogate...

Tykes enjoy their run out in Otley to seal gritty win

■By NICK DOYLE Otley.......................... 20 Leeds Tykes...........24 LEEDS Tykes were made to work for their narrow win against neighbours in an...