Anscombe the latest to head for Japan

By SAM JACKSON Fly-half Gareth Anscombe is the latest Wales player to head to Japan by signing for Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath...

Fed-up Falcons angry over limited telly time

By JON NEWCOMBE Newcastle Falcons are said to be seething after what they perceive to be another snub in the 2023/24...

Sale Sharks part company with chief exec Sutton

Sale Sharks CEO Sid Sutton has left the club after almost three years in the role. Sutton, who joined the club...

Hill keen for a new adventure Stateside

By JON NEWCOMBE Bored with the Premiership rugby landscape, former Exeter and Sale Sharks centre Sam Hill is hoping for a...

Smith has unfinished business at Quins

By BEN JAYCOCK Marcus Smith wants to repeat Harlequins 2021 Premiership triumph next season insisting he has unfinished business at the...

Kolisi in line to face Wales

By SAM JACKSON South Africa captain Siya Kolisi is set to feature in the World Cup warm-up match against Wales on...

Farrell’s favourite to lead the Lions

By PAUL REES There has been little cheer for rugby in Australia in recent years, but the prospect of a Lions...

O’Brien: Sexton ban won’t affect World Cup prep

By SAM JACKSON Ireland captain Johnny Sexton has been given a three-match ban that will see him miss his country’s three...

Dynamic No.9 is a must for England

I HAVEN’T been able to find out why Ben Spencer was sent home from the England camp a couple of weeks...

Byrne the go-to man

WITH Johnny Sexton’s absence I can think of nobody better to fill the Ireland number 10 shirt than Ross Byrne. A...

Governance to blame

I HAVE read numerous articles, listened to many podcasts, TV pundits and debated with friends, and one thing that is a...

Hansen’s hungry for another ‘first’

Mack Hansen has loved linking up with his Irish team-mates for this year’s World Cup preparations, and is eager to play...

Edinburgh appoint ex-Sharks supremo Everitt

Edinburgh have appointed experienced South African Sean Everitt as their senior coach for the 2023-24 season. The former Sharks head coach...

Dream Team with Mark Nelson

The Fylde chairman and former Lancashire winger & coach chooses the best XV he has played with or against... 1. Sammy...

Libbok deserves a chance at No.10

NEIL DE KOCK FORMER SARACENS AND SPRINGBOKS SCRUM-HALF HAVING beaten the Springboks in Auckland, the All Blacks certainly have one hand...

Season’s starter for 10! Champions travel to Exeter for the big kick off

By BEN JAYCOCK Premiership Rugby is hoping that less will turn out to be more next season. A year ago, the...

Underhill and Rodd cut by Borthwick

England head coach Steve Borthwick has cut two more from his training squad. Bath openside Sam Underhill and Sale Sharks prop...

Fiji too strong for Tonga

FIJI scored five tries to three to beat Tonga 36-20 yesterday. Tonga, who beat Australia A last week, were missing some...

Bears keeping an eye on Gonzalez

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Bristol are believed to be showing an interest in former London Irish back Juan Martin...

Postlethwaite waits

ON THE BLINDSIDE Exeter Chiefs are set to offer former Sale Sharks lock Matt Postlethwaite a contract for next season after...

Tigers in line to keep Watson

ON THE BLINDSIDE Leicester Tigers have emerged as the favourites to re-sign Anthony Watson following the World Cup later this year...

Ex-Saracens prop on way to Waratahs

ON THE BLINDSIDE Former Saracens loosehead Hayden Thompson-Stringer is joining the ever-growing list of former Premiership players who will be plying...

Slade testing the (housing) market

ON THE BLINDSIDE Henry Slade, out of contract at the end of the forthcoming season, has just put his five-bedroom house...

Steward in name mix-up

ON THE BLINDSIDE RFU media bosses were left with egg on their faces after an embarrassing blunder when they announced England’s...

Under-20s proved the future is bright

CHRIS HEWETT GUEST COLUMNIST DID you hear the one about the trainee fortune teller who gave up because he couldn’t see...

Eddie’s a head honcho in a hurry

CHRIS HEWETT Eddie Jones is not a man to let the grass grow under his feet, even if his most trenchant...

New faces can turn Quins into contenders

Q&A Ben Jaycock talks to 54-time England No.8 Nick Easter about his optimism for former side Harlequins following their coaching changes...

Pooley’s paddlers rise to the challenge

By SAM JACKSON Crowborough rugby veteran Nigel Pooley has completed an extraordinary journey of paddling 68 miles along Scotland’s Great Glen...

Cambridge confident they can match Caldy

By BEN JAYCOCK Championship newcomers Cambridge are using Caldy’s performance last season as inspiration ahead of their debut campaign in tier...

Pre-season fixtures

It is advisable to check matches and kick-off times with the clubs To add your club’s fixtures please email newsdesk@therugbypaper.co.uk THURSDAY,...

Attention! Get ready for the phoney war

SHANE WILLIAMS WALES AND LIONS LEGEND THE phoney war is about to start next weekend when the northern hemisphere sides get...

South Africa know right recipe

Paul Rees makes his case for why Springboks will be a very different animal come the World Cup In this instant...

Ikitau may miss World Cup with shoulder injury

NEWS EXTRA AUSTRALIA centre Len Ikitau faces a race to be fit for the World Cup after fracturing a shoulder blade...

Joseph bows out of Bath after a decade

NEWS EXTRA FORMER England centre Jonathan Joseph’s departure from Bath has been confirmed. After ten years at The Rec, Joseph has...

Italy prop Turani makes switch to Harlequins

NEWS EXTRA HARLEQUINS have swooped to snap up Italy prop Silvia Turani from fellow Premiership Women’s Rugby club Exeter Chiefs. The...

Hogg exit opens door for McConnochie

NEWS EXTRA RUARIDH McConnochie has been called up to Scotland’s latest World Cup warmup camp following the retirement of star full-back...

Proud skipper Fryday calls time on Ireland

NEWS EXTRA IRELAND captain Nichola Fryday has retired from international rugby at the age of 28. Fryday took over as Ireland...

Lewis gets the nod for England U20s

NEWS EXTRA FORMER Wasps Women director of rugby Laura-Jane Lewis has been appointed head coach of the England Women’s U20s. Lewis...

Exeter’s Benjy eyes more super success

By BEN JAYCOCK Exeter University winger Benjy Joseland is hoping his side can go back-to-back and secure another BUCS Super Rugby...

Trailfinders make Gwala statement

Premiership Women’s Rugby newcomers Ealing Trailfinders have signed South Africa international Lindelwa Gwala. The 25-year-old hooker has scored five tries in...

Arendse can light up the World Cup

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER NO sooner had it started than the abbreviated...

Modern-day Lions seem to be tone deaf

RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER So the Lions itinerary is out for their 2025 Australia tour and, although there is much to...

All that glitters isn’t necessarily gold…

Paul Rees looks at the big name players who have been on the move in the Premiership during this close season...

Lewis has his sights set on higher honours

Ben Jaycock talks to England’s second row starlet Lewis Chessum on his return from the Junior World Cup in South Africa...

French starting to believe in miracles

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW Those fearful that France have cornered the market in the supernatural will not...

New shirts which fair take your breath away

PETER JACKSON THE RFU and WRU reacted to the cost-of-living crisis by joining forces in a display seen by many fans...

Through thick, thin…and now thinner

PETER JACKSON The Gallagher Premiership could hardly have chosen a more challenging week for the release of next season’s fixtures than...

Still silent over Dai

PETER JACKSON CARDIFF suspended Dai Young without a word of explanation just before their last match of the season on April...

McCaw breaks pain barrier to deliver gold for All Blacks

Brendan Gallagher looks back at the players who shone on the biggest stage IT WAS close to midnight on a filthy...

Nervy night as unfancied France fight till the death

After staging the inaugural World Cup in 1987, there was a feeling of now or never for New Zealand in 2011....