Montpellier vs Dragons: Filo Tiatia’s side will need to be at their best to take down French giants

Dragons are daring to dream of a first European final in over a decade as they head to France to face...

Bath and Bordeaux head shortlist for star player

Bath and Bordeaux each contribute two players to the shortlist of five nominees for the 2026 Investec Player of the Year.

Bordeaux Begles vs Bath: We have the belief to do the job – Beno Obano

Beno Obano believes Bath can upset the odds today and knock the champions out of Europe.

Jeremy Guscott: Dynamic duos facing battle for supremacy

The battle for supremacy between the 9-10 partnerships for Bath and Bordeaux-Begles will be the hinge on which the outcome of...

Gabriel Ibitoye is enjoying a licence to entertain with Bristol Bears

Bristol Bears wing Gabriel Ibitoye is one of the Premiership’s most swashbuckling players, but his daring and adventure, as well as...

Dafydd Jenkins: Tough times at Exeter Chiefs made us better

Dafydd Jenkins believes the tough times he endured last season with Exeter Chiefs and Wales were worth it.

Williams is ruled out of Six Nations

WALES captain Kate Williams, below, will miss the remainder of the Six Nations with the leg injury that forced her to...

Prem future is bright – Pinchen

LEICESTER Tigers chief executive Andrea Pinchen believes the “future is bright” for the Prem with the league set to move to...

Domachowski off to Scarlets

WALES prop Corey Domachowksi will join Scarlets at the end of the season from Cardiff to help fill the void left...

Coaching duo join Tigers

LEICESTER Tigers have brought in Craig Childs and Rod Seib into their senior coaching set-up for next season. The pair will...

Sheedy agrees long-term deal

WALES fly-half Callum Sheedy has committed his future to Cardiff. The 30-year-old Wales international joined his home club from Bristol for...

Red Bulls tempt West to join from Saints

NEWCASTLE Red Bulls have signed former England U20s prop Tom West from Northampton on a one-year deal. The 30-year-old loose-head will...

DREAMTEAM

RACHAEL BURFORD, THE FORMER ENGLAND, HARLEQUINS AND RICHMOND CENTRE, SELECTS THE BEST XV SHE HAS PLAYED WITH OR AGAINST... 1. Vickii...

Wales legend George North decides it is the ‘right time’ to call it a day

Wales and British & Irish Lions great George North will retire at the end of the season after an injury-hit spell...

We need the excitement of promotion

JOHN Allanson (letters April 26) is not the first to write of the widening gap between Premiership and Championship as if...

Time to provide a better defence

WHEN Super Rugby began in the southern hemisphere in the 1990s, its high scores were castigated for seeming to treat defence...

Doris: We were cool under pressure

CAPTAIN Caelan Doris praised his side’s ability to handle pressure after Leinster just about found a way to get over the...

Baxter: We have to take the positives and move on

EXETER director of rugby Rob Baxter felt it was always going to be difficult for his thin squad to compete on...

Bazalgette’s in charge as Hartpury go on rampage

■By STEVE JACKSON Cambridge ......14pts Tries: Pasco 38, Eckersley 58 Conversions: Dawson 39, 59 Hartpury ...........70pts Tries: Corbett 3, 46; Crane...

Relentless Knights when Josh Bassett went within four points. of immortality. put on clinical show

■By CÓILÍN DUFFY Caldy ..................17pts Tries: Owen 42, Gallagher 54, Gallagher 75 Conversion: Wilkinson 43 Doncaster .........37pts Tries: Viliamu 17, Edwards...

Blues hold on to take honours in a nail-biter

■By JOHN RILEY Bedford .............30pts Tries: Tuilagi 11, 41; Adamson 14, Maisey 61 Conversions: Maisey 12, 42 Penalties: Maisey 34, 69...

Parks keeps nerve to land killer blow for Archers

By CÓILÍN DUFFY Nottingham .....27pt s Tries: Dickinson 13, Cherry 27, 80; Thomas 50 Conversions: Parks 51, 80 Penalty: Parks 80...

Rice hands Pirates the perfect leaving gift

By MIKE SINCLAIR C Pirates ...........29pts Tries: Cannon 4, Nelson 29, Yates 35, Rice 75 Conversions: Robson 5, 35, 76 Penalty:...

Du Toit can make difference for Bath

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK TODAY will be a reckoning for a Bath pack touted as the most...

Wates needs to take charge

IN the wake of the RFU Board’s resounding SGM defeat 10 days ago, following its attempt to shunt the democratic rights...

Army Women 78-0 Navy Women: Dominant Army deliver 12-try bombardment

Winger Jaye Ash and No.8 Mauqalo Komaitai both scored a hat-trick of tries as the Army women produced an impressively dominant...

Army Men 36-41 Navy Men: Jake Hanley’s in right place to guide Navy home

A playmaking masterclass by flyhalf Jake Hanley and a brutally effective driving maul proved pivotal as the Royal Navy made history...

Over a pie and a pint, the Five Nations was saved

LONG after his improbable conversion from ball-boy at Hampden Park for Queen’s Park FC to international rugby referee, Allan Hosie played...

Super Sheffield finish on a high

By ANDREW SMITH Sheffield.................. 80 Scunthorpe................0 SHEFFIELD head coach Anthony Posa demanded that his side’s record breaking season should end on...

Blackheath to take on Plymouth Albion in National One promotion play-off decider

Blackheath hosts Plymouth Albion on Saturday for a shot at the Champ through the relegation/promotion play-offs.

Canterbury show Quins no mercy

By HARVEY ALLEN Canterbury..............94 Oxford H......................0 CANTERBURY sent Oxford Harlequins back to the regional leagues with a final-day thrashing. Garry Jones...

Bury St Edmunds celebrate their charge to the top

Bury St Edmunds centre Samir Kharbouch admits it still ‘hasn’t sunk in’ that his side have sealed a first-ever promotion to...

National One Dream Team: Rotherham Titans and Plymouth Albion leading the way

Ben Jaycock canvassed the views of The Rugby Paper’s National One correspondents to select the 2025/26 Team of the Season

My Life in Rugby: Will Genia – 100 Aussie caps is my career highlight

Will Genia, the former Australia, Queensland Reds, Melbourne Rebels, Stade Francais & Kintetsu Liners scrum-half, reflects on his life in rugby.

Ealing keep on building

EALING Trailfinders have strengthened their squad with a raft of new signings, including prop PJ Sheck, back rower Harry Taylor, winger...

Bacon’s new deal

COVENTRY have secured the future of full-back Tom Bacon after he re-signed for the 2026/27 season. Bacon, 26, enjoyed an impressive...

Warriors sign pair of props

EXTRA NEWS WORCESTER Warriors have signed props Joe Jones and Jack Dickinson to negate the loss of Lyon-bound Tim Hoyt. Jones...

Could you hold my Woodbine now, Allan?

ALLAN Hosie, one of Scotland’s best-ever referees and then a formidable administrator after hanging up the whistle, has died aged 80....

YOUNG GUNS

KEEVYFITZPATRICK LOUGHBOROUGH LIGHTNING LOCK Keevy Fitzpatrick admits her rise through the ranks has come quicker than she ever imagined after breaking...

England have no answer as Buttimer puts Ireland on top

WOMEN’S U21 SIX NATIONS By PAUL EDDISON TWO tries from Beth Buttimer helped Ireland to an historic 41-40 win over England...

Results

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Regional results

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Grayson heads to Edinburgh

EXTRA NEWS EDINBURGH have signed former England U20 fly-half James Grayson on a one-year deal from Mitsubishi Sagamihara DynaBoars. The 27-year-old...

New deal for Botha

OSPREYS have secured the future of tighthead Tom Botha after the 35-year-old signed a new contract. Botha, who has made 161...

Skivington: We must back up our Exeter win

GLOUCESTER head coach George Skivington has challenged his side to back up Sunday’s win against Exeter and give the fans more...

Painter joins Pirates on short-term loan

CORNISH Pirates have signed Exeter prop Ehren Painter on a short-term loan. The 28-year-old tighthead, right, is looking to regain match...

Yorkshire grit helps Old Otliensians move on up

By BEN JAYCOCK OLD Otliensians director of rugby Pete Tempest admits promotion was ‘bittersweet’ after sealing their return to level 7...

Joe Carpenter: New signings will beef Sale Sharks up

Joe Carpenter believes the signings Sale Sharks have made for next season will help them climb the Premiership table.

Northampton Saints move to sign Josh Taylor from Ealing Trailfinders

Prem leaders Northampton Saints have signed back row Josh Taylor from Championship front-runners Ealing Trailfinders for next season.

Royston celebrate back-to-back promotions

By BEN JAYCOCK ROYSTON head coach Jamie Green has hailed his side’s remarkable rise after back-to-back promotions, three county cups and...