Premiership Cup fixtures

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Van Zyl looks set for Ealing

ON THE BLIND SIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Ealing Trailfinders have moved for former London Irish assistant coach Corniel Van Zyl, below,...

Following in father’s footsteps

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Lewis Noon, the Newcastle-born son of former England centre Jamie, was part of the France...

Now Racing get ready to tempt Ford

BY NEIL FISSLER Follow me on Twitter: @neilfissler George Ford is the latest England star to interest Top 14 giants Racing...

Kiss agrees terms with Reds

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Former London Irish head coach Les Kiss will be working in Super Rugby next season...

Leicester offer was too short for Burns

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Freddie Burns has revealed that he turned down the chance of another year with Leicester...

Dream Team with Chris Pilgrim

Chris Pilgrim, The Caldy and former Nottingham, Leeds and Newcastle scrum-half, chooses the best XV he has played with or against...

Borthwick knows what he wants at 9

NEIL DE KOCK FORMER SARACENS AND SPRINGBOKS SCRUM-HALF STEVE Borthwick, who took over from Eddie Jones as England head coach in...

Mo’unga in control as All Blacks look in the mood for World Cup

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER New Zealand................... 35pts Tries: Smith 4, Frizzell 15, Jordan 68, Mounga 76 Conversions: Mo’unga 4, 16, 69 Penalties:...

‘Any win over SA is special’

NEW Zealand coach Ian Foster said it was another step forward as his side held off the second-half fightback to seal...

Another title for the Black Ferns

Undefeated New Zealand were crowned World Rugby Pacific Four Series 2023 champions yesterday. The Black Ferns, who beat England last autumn...

Misery for Jones as Argentina snatch it

By PAUL REES Australia............................31pts Tries: Ikitau 4, White 52, Kerevi 71, Nawaqaniawase 75 Conversions: Cooper 5, 53, 72, 76 Penalties: Cooper...

Eddie: There’s going to be pain

EDDIE Jones insists his winless Australia can get themselves back on track against unbeaten New Zealand in Melbourne at the end...

Here’s my plan for RFU to save money

IF the RFU and the Premiership clubs want to save money, may I offer a simple solution? Bring their teams into...

We need to shout about how good our game really is

SINCE the season ended, there has been very little news in the national papers about what is happening at the Premiership...

Time to reward the flair players

WHY are Rugby League coaches so revered in Union? Bashing the ball up like League is not what Union should be...

Tongans send out a warning

Tonga sent out a message to their Pool B rivals at the World Cup with victory over Australia A. With Israel...

Ringland: Time to cut back on subs

By NICK POWELL Former Ireland and British and Irish Lions player Trevor Ringland has called for rugby to “de-physicalise” by reducing...

Barrett J has keys to the kingdom

CHRIS HEWETT GUEST COLUMNIST Rugby is a game of infinite possibility, especially when it comes to dreaming up collective nouns. A...

Let’s not abandon Fiji for the sake of US

CHRIS HEWETT Not for the first time, the ever-knowledgeable Paul Rees has treated us to a thorough account of the thinking...

Ounsley: We want to bring home gold next time

By BEN JAYCOCK Having been forced to watch her Exeter side come up just short in the Premier 15s final, Jodie...

Warriors setting ambitious targets

By NICK POWELL New Worcester Warriors women managing director Jon Graham has high hopes for his new club going forward, with...

The NextGen needs to be close at hand

SHANE WILLIAMS WALES AND LIONS LEGEND IT WAS great to see the World Rugby U20 Championship back in full swing and...

Paying a high price for alcohol

Paul Rees reports on why fears of crowd trouble at the World Cup in France are beginning to increase SOUTH Africa’s...

Ealing swoop for Red Rose flier Wilson Hardy

NEWS EXTRA EALING have signed England flier Amy Wilson Hardy. The 31-year-old centre or winger was part of the squad which...

Wales squad player Evans joins Dragons

NEWS EXTRA DRAGONS have signed Wales squad member Cai Evans from Ospreys. Evans has played at full-back in recent times having...

Former Bristol forward Koster dies, aged 34

NEWS EXTRA FORMER Bristol and Bath back row Nick Koster has died at the age of 34. The South African joined...

Ospreys agree deals with five players

NEWS EXTRA OSPREYS have agreed new contracts with five players for next season. Former Wales U20s fly-half Luke Scully has signed...

Moseley add some beef to their backline

NEWS EXTRA MOSELEY have bolstered their backline options for next season’s challenge in National 1. Former University of Birmingham flyhalf Tighe...

Ex-Wales hooker Dacey joins Brecon

NEWS EXTRA FORMER Wales hooker Kristian Dacey has come out of retirement to join newly promoted Welsh Championship side Brecon RFC....

URC fixtures

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It’s Sharks first for champions Munster

Champions: Munster shocked Stormers to lift the title in May URC champions Munster will begin their title defence on Saturday October...

Hogg was one of the best in the business

RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER A weekly look at the game’s other talking points So farewell then Stuart Hogg. Try scorer extraordinaire...

Wales leave it too late as Wallabies cruise home

By SAM JACKSON Wales.................33pts Tries: Lloyd 24, Morgan 47, 66; Woodman 70, H Williams 79 Conversions: Edwards 47, 66, 71; Wilde...

Fantastic France demolish Ireland

By NICK POWELL Ireland........................... 14pts Tries: Gunne 4, Devine 31 Conversions: Prendergast 4, 33 France............................ 50pts Tries: Ferté 14, 69; Julien...

We made too many mistakes, admits Chessum

By NICK POWELL South Africa ....22pts Tries: Sieberhagen 11, Beets 18, Else 39 Conversions: Smith 12, 19 Penalties: Smith 21 England...

Baby Blacks end with victory

Georgia .............26 New Zealand ..50 New Zealand ended their difficult campaign with victory against Georgia, whose eighth place finish was still...

Pumitas end with winning record

Argentina ...... 43 Fiji .....................22 Argentina finished the tournament with more wins than defeats as they comfortably beat Fiji to secure...

Azzurrini survive at Japan’s expense

Italy ................. 45 Japan ...............27 Italy condemned Japan to relegation from the World Rugby U20 Championship as Dewi Passarella scored a...

Ireland take charge to find their way to final

By NICK POWELL Ireland............... 31pts Tries: Nicholson 37, 59; Gleeson 49, Berman 68 Conversions: Prendergast 38, 50, 61, 66 Penalties: Prendergast...

French firepower subdues England

By NICK POWELL France............................ 52pts Tries: Ferté 16, Costes 24, Penalty 46, Nouchi 53, Gazzotti 56, Jegou 64, Reus 73 Conversions:...

Ups and downs for Wales and New Zealand

WALES U20s continued to show much-improved form as they secured a place in the fifth-place final, while New Zealand were condemned...

70 years on, it’s now tears of joy for Boston

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW AT HOME in Angelina Street one Friday evening during the early spring of...

Eddie still happy to dole out the advice

PETER JACKSON Far from being cowed at the sight of his team being stopped a long way inside the distance by...

How Habana put the Rainbow Nation back on right course

World Cup Icons: 2007 - Brendan Gallagher looks back at the players who shone on the biggest stage South African Rugby...

England don’t panic but fall at the final hurdle

Rugby World Cup 2007 was a big-time tournament with a big-time feel with massive storylines to match. France were superb hosts...

Young Guns: England U20s and Leicester second row Finn Carnduff

Despite being 6ft 5in and almost 17 stone (107kg), Finn Carnduff is looking to take steps forward in his physicality as...

Scotland cruise past Zimbabwe

By SAM JACKSON Scotland ran in 10 tries to beat Zimbabwe 64-33 in their opening Pool A game of the World...

I’m no fan of World League agenda

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME Am I the only one that thinks that the idea of the...

Kids bring joy to Geordie land

MOMENT IN TIME NEWCASTLE FALCONS, 2001 TETLEY BITTER CUP WINNERS BY NEIL FISSLER IT was once suggested that you don’t win...