MARK BRIGHT

ROOM 101 THE RICHMOND NO.8 TAKES US THROUGH HIS PET HATES FROM THE RUGBY WORLD AND BEYOND 1. Brussel sprouts Christmas...

Dupont puts Frenchmen back on top

PETER JACKSON ANTOINE Dupont is the fifth from the Top 14 in the last seven years to be elected European Player...

Silence of WRU over Amanda is baffling

PETER JACKSON FOR the third week in a row, the WRU offered nothing more than a stoney silence over Amanda Blanc’s...

Flats and Donncha liven up the commentaries

PETER JACKSON AT THE halfway stage of another weekend of wall-towall live rugby, complete with inter-round summaries from coaches with uneven...

Heineken can restore love of rugby lost by Lions

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW Ronan O’Gara usually stands out in any company, all the more so now...

Capturing the essence of our emerging sport

Brendan Gallagher delves into some of rugby’s most enduring images, their story and why they are still so impactful Iconic Rugby...

Marcus must put his stamp on Europe

PAUL REES TALKS TO BRIAN O’DRISCOLL ABOUT THE HEINEKEN CUP WEEKEND The group stage of the Heineken Champions Cup is sandwiched...

Crying out for candid cameras to shed light

RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER   IF nothing else, this week has shown the extraordinary effect of secret tapes and recordings or...

Ford can rival Everitt mark after Eddie axe

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER Pace setter: George Ford scores a try for...

Sickening Sarries start installed my work ethic

MY LIFE IN RUGBY THE FORMER SARACENS, BRISTOL, WORCESTER, HARLEQUINS AND DRAGONS SCRUM-HALF NOW AT ROSSLYN PARK LUKE BALDWIN I turned...

Harlequins call in their international cavalry

By SAM JACKSON PREVIEW... Saracens v Harlequins Today, Kick-off 3pm, live on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website and app CHAMPIONS...

Reed’s touchline kick puts Bears back on top

By STEWART McCULOUGH Worcester ......12 Bristol ..............14 A LATE Holly Phillips try broke the hearts of Worcester, who had to play...

Late Smith try ends Chiefs unbeaten home run

By HARRY SCOTT-MUNRO Exeter ................8 Glouc-Hartpury ...10 EXETER Chiefs’ unbeaten home run came to and end as Gloucester- Hartpury snatched a...

Boatman high five blows Sharks out the water

By MATT MERRITT Wasps ..............70 DMP Sharks ......0 ELLIE Boatman’s spectacular five try performance was the centrepiece of a dominant win...

Davies double helps Lightning strike twice

By JON BATHAM Loughborough ..27 Sale ........................0 LARK Davies’ secondhalf brace led Loughborough to a comfortable bonus-point win over Sale and...

Wasteful Dragons blow their chance in France

By ALEX BYWATER Perpignan ........20pts Tries: Penalty 54, Ecochard 60, Plana 66 Conversions: Ecochard 62 Penalties: Ecochard 65 Dragons..............16pts Tries: Roberts...

Quickfire Wright sets try record to get Falcons going

By LUKE JARMYN Newcastle ........31pts Tries: Wright 1, Brown 24, McGuigan 40, Lindsay-Hague 46 Conversions: Haydon-Wood 1, 25, 40+1, 47 Penalties:...

Cinderford boss calls for clarity on leagues

By LUKE JARMYN CINDERFORD director of rugby Paul Morris has called the current uncertainty around the Championship and its make-up next...

Biarritz send the Warriors a warning

By SUFIAN ALAM Zebre ................13 Biarritz ............26 BIARRITZ scored four tries as they dispatched Zebre in Palma in a match between...

Billy blow makes bad day worse for Sarries

By GARY FITZGERALD Saracens ..........18pts Tries: Goode 13, Christie 26 Conversions: M Vunipola 27 Penalties: M Vunipola 42, 57 Edinburgh..........21pts Tries:...

Valiant Gloucester kids fall just short

By GARY FITZGERALD Lyon ....................19pts Tries: Taufua 46 Conversions: Doussain 47 Penalties: Doussain 10, 24, 58; Pelissie 70 Gloucester ........13pts Tries:...

Creevy at the double as Exiles enjoy away day

By JOHN WILLIAMS Pau ......................17pts Tries: Levron 58, Joseph 77 Conversions: Levron 59, 78 Penalties: Levron 14 London Irish ....26pts Tries:...

Galvanised Ospreys can spring a surprise

SHANE WILLIAMS WALES AND LIONS LEGEND I WAS with James Hook at the start of last week when he mentioned Ifan...

We don’t fear anyone says Ospreys captain Webb

RHYS Webb’s style of captaincy is to lead by deed more than word, but the scrum-half ’s leadership skills have been...

Out-of-form Sale wary of deadeye Anscombe

By JON NEWCOMBE PREVIEW... Ospreys v Sale Today. Kick-off 1pm, Swansea.com Stadium SALE’s last visit to Wales in April ended with...

Set-piece dominance will be key says Friend

Preview Connacht v Stade Francais Today, Kick-off 1pm CONNACHT are relishing the challenge of hosting Stade Francais as they look to...

Lawday starts as only change from Tigers loss

TOM Lawday comes in at flanker in Harlequins’ only change to their starting XV from their defeat to Leicester Tigers for...

Quins call for ref Nika to stand tall

By GARY FITZGERALD PREVIEW... Castres v Harlequins Today. Kick-off 5.30pm, Stade Pierre Fabre Skills: Quins hooker Jack Walker JERRY Flannery has...

Injury-hit Wasps aren’t ‘fooled’ by Munster’s Omicron woes

By PAUL REES WASPS announced their arrival in Europe 17 years ago when they defeated Munster in the semifinal at Lansdowne...

Barbeary returns to the back row

PREVIEW... Wasps v Munster Today. Kick-off 3.15pm, Coventry Building Society Arena The boy’s back: Alfie Barbeary returns to the Wasps starting...

Warriors bring in their rested big guns

Preview La Rochelle v Glasgow Today, Kick-off 3.15pm GLASGOW Warriors will be hoping to recreate their 2019/20 success as they travel...

Why doesn’t Curry cut mustard for best XV?

CHRIS HEWETT THIS column does not make a habit of agreeing with World Rugby, but this being the season of goodwill,...

Oh, for those refreshing Heineken Cup years!

CHRIS HEWETT GUEST COLUMNIST Heineken Cup rugby was once so vibrant and exhilarating – so spellbindingly good, year after year –...

Hooper: Our lads are on a journey

STUART Hooper said it was always going to be a tough outing for his understrength side at Aviva Stadium, so he...

Much more to come from us warns Tadh

By JOHN FALLON Leinster ............45pts Tries: Gibson-Park 4, 28, Furlong 11, Lowe 17, Keenan 24, Kelleher 47, Van der Flier 57...

Dupont ends resistance of plucky Cardiff all-sorts

By ROGER PANTING Touchdown: Pita Ahki dives in for Toulouse’s second try despite being held by James Botham PICTURE: Getty Images...

Cooney kicks 19 points as Ulster record famous win at Clermont fortress

By STEFFAN THOMAS Clermont...... ......21pts Tries: Penaud 35, 57 Conversions: Hanrahan 58 Penalties: Hanrahan 40, 50, 80 Ulster ............... ...26pts Tries:...

Gray hat-trick gets Chiefs off to a stormer

By MIKE SINCLAIR Exeter ................42pts Tries: Hogg 23, Gray 41, 52, 60; S Simmonds 70, Armand 80 Conversions: J Simmonds 23,...

Two more teams in for Rugby Europe

EXCLUSIVE By JON NEWCOMBE Delight: Leicester Tigers hail their 19-16 victory over Bordeaux Begles yesterday THE Rugby Europe Championship will be...

Tigers and Chiefs put Europe on a warning

By SAM JACKSON LEICESTER Tigers and Exeter Chiefs kept the Premiership flag flying in the Heineken Cup yesterday. Leicester landed a...

Looking Ahead to Six Nations 2022

The Six Nations may not be the biggest rugby competition in the world, but it’s certainly one of the most loved....

2022 Rugby Paper calendars on sale now

GET READY FOR 2022! As you continue to rip open the 24 tiny windows and guzzle down the chocolate hiding behind,...

Harvey Skinner hungry for success at Exeter Chiefs

The Exeter Chiefs fly half sits down with The Rugby Paper’s Benjamin Redwood. Harvey Skinner is the next on a long...

Champions Cup opening weekend preview

The Heineken Champions Cup returns this weekend amidst coronavirus cancellation controversy. The 2021/22 edition of the 24 team tournament begins at...

English Championship Preview

It’s another huge Saturday of English Championship rugby. Here, The Rugby Paper looks ahead to some thrilling ties in the second...

Rugby fitness at home

By Regan Phillips. Personal Trainer, Online Coach, and Fitness Coach for the Hungarian Rugby Union Team Last week, Regan talked us...

2022 Women’s Six Nations: Venues and ticket information confirmed

The Red Roses’ 2022 Women’s Six Nations home fixtures will be played at Kingsholm and Welford Road with tickets now on...

Leicester Tigers sign Handré Pollard

Leicester Tigers have announced the signing of World Cup-winning fly-half Handré Pollard to the club ahead of the 2022/23 season.  Pollard...

Scarlets concede Champions Cup opener with Bristol Bears

Scarlets have been forced to concede their opening Heineken Champions Cup Pool game vs Bristol Bears on Saturday. The decision was...

Leicester Tigers narrowly beat Harlequins

Leicester Tigers……16 Try: Potter Con: Ford Pens: Ford 3 Harlequins…………..14 Try: Lynagh Pens: Smith 3 Leicester won their ninth game in a row as they edged to a two...