Incessant TMO calls become so annoying | Jeff Probyn

The tour should be ended without the third Test being played if the Lions win again next week, argues Jeff Probyn

ROG ends Ireland’s long wait for Slam

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

Wolfpack landlords Alistair Hargreaves and Chris Wyles say cheers to Saracens

Life after rugby for Alistair Hargreaves and Chris Wyles involves a few beers. Some two million of them after the former...

Young Guns: Gloucester lock Arthur Clark

The England U20 lock talks about his journey through the team's Grand Slam triumph and combining his rugby with farming life

USA stars re-sign at Exeter

EXETER have agreed new terms with American internationals Gabby Cantorna, Jennine Duncan, Rachel Johnson and Kate Zackary for next season. The...

Kerr earns long stay in Bristol

Impressed: Jake Kerr SCOTLAND hooker Jake Kerr has signed a permanent deal with Bristol. The 25-year-old signed a short-term contract at...

Blues power up the front row

BEDFORD Blues have bolstered their options at loosehead with the former Ireland U20s international Joey Conway. Conway, 23, was part of...

Vicky Fleetwood eyes route for every Premier 15s player to go full-time

The Saracens and England flanker says the women's game is at the precipice of a commercial boom

Women’s Game in Focus: Harlequins and England full-back Ellie Kildunne

A new recruit at Harlequins after leaving Wasps this summer, the England full-back explains her shift in mindset to focus on...

Kiwis are on a mission to turn silver into gold, says Heather Fisher

Looking at Team GB Women's chances of claiming a medal in the sevens competition at Tokyo

Simon Amor’s Tokyo Olympics verdict on the Men’s Sevens

The former Team GB Sevens coach previews the action in Japan

Fiji favourites but anything can happen

Jon Newcombe looks ahead to the men’s rugby Sevens competition at the Olympic Games which gets underway in Tokyo on Monday,...

Two more players join concussion lawsuit

FORMER England prop Jason Hobson and retired Exeter hooker Neil Clarke have joined the lawsuit against World Rugby, the RFU and...

All Blacks tell Wales: We’re still coming OK

A major boost for the WRU as the All Blacks reiterate their commitment to the autumn Test at the Principality

Chile pay for lack of global standard

The state of rugby in Chile after they shocked Uruguay in the World Cup qualifying phase

Rugby Matters: Wolves poised for World Cup return

Portugal appear to be on the brink of qualifying for their first Rugby World Cup since 2007

My Life in Rugby – Geoff Evans: Poisoned anchovies sabotaged my tour

Former British & Irish Lions centre Geoff Evans details a hellish night at the team hotel in 1974

The Lions can climb Everest again this time says their coaching legend

The legendary British & Irish Lions forwards coach discusses the 2021 tour and the odds of Gatland tasting success as he...

Lions have blind spot for English flankers in Test series openers | Peter Jackson

How the each of the four unions have contributed to first Test selection on Lions tours going back to 1971, and...

DREAM TEAM

WILL CHUDLEY, THE WORCESTER AND FORMER EXETER, BATH, NEWCASTLE AND BEDFORD NO.9, CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE HAS PLAYED WITH OR...

Koroibete farce exposes high tackle inconsistency

COLIN BOAG One of the key things that fans want is consistency in the way the game is refereed and administered....

Softer warm-ups limited injuries

IT’S a vastly different Lions tour for many reasons, especially with only very few ‘warm up’ games against weak teams leading...

I’ll believe it when I see Premiership helping Tier Two

MR ROWE’S comments in last week’s TRP regarding funding for the Championship almost indicated a slight change of heart from a...

Lions expose Boks’ Vermeulen loss

SEND YOUR COMMENTS TO: The Rugby Paper, Tuition House, St Georges Road, Wimbledon SW19 4EU email: newsdesk@therugbypaper.co.uk THERE can be no...

Leaking Lions may put a plug in it now | Chris Hewett

JIM TELFER was not best pleased. “For God’s sake cut it out,” he snarled at Mark Regan and Barrie Williams, two...

Farewell to Newlands, mecca of memories | Chris Hewett

Newlands was the beating heart of rugby in the Western Cape and for the Springboks for decades

Players all paid at Harlequins

FURTHER to my story last week about discussions at Harlequins about the ending of the players’ agreed paycuts, I am happy...

Ben Spencer’s tee-time at Celtic Manor

Did you know Gareth Bale is the brother-in-law of Taulupe Faletau, teammate of Ben Spencer at Bath?

Marcus Smith Lions cap ceremony had family attend via Zoom

Lions bosses didn't want Marcus Smith to miss out on his family not being there to see Jason Leonard hand him...

Eddie Jones gets some more tips from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

ENGLAND coach Eddie Jones was an interested spectator when Manchester United spent a week training at Pennyhill Park. Jones, a keen...

Twinkle-toes Ugo Monye can dazzle again

UGO Monye increased his workload last week after it was revealed he would appear on the forthcoming series of Strictly. The...

Ex-Leicester fly-half Tom Hardwick has chance in France

Hardwick had considered joining Leeds Tykes

Room 101: Cambridge back row Anthony Maka

The Cambridge back row takes us through his pet hates

John Mitchell departure gives RFU elbow room

Eddie Jones can remould his coaching staff how he would like in biggest overhaul of his tenure

Jonker’s call is bonkers and insult to the Lions | Nick Cain

The appointment of Marius Jonker as TMO for a series between the Springboks and Lions is farcical

Bomb squad blow out as Nienaber’s subs go pop

BRENDAN GALLAGHER VERDICT What a strange if memorable game down in Cape Town. Nothing quite panned out as we might have...

Gatland’s Lions get ready for Bok-lash

The thoughts of Warren Gatland, Alun Wyn Jones, Maro Itoje, Courtney Lawes and Siya Kolisi after the first Test

England defence coach John Mitchell makes shock switch to Wasps

Eddie Jones' longest-serving assistant coach quits role as defence coach with England

Rassie Erasmus can change the psyche of South African sport for good

For all of South Africa‘s physical prowess on the sports fields, there’s always been a feeling that the country suffers from...

Scarlets attack coach Richard Whiffin leaves club

More changes to the coaching staff at the Scarlets

EPCR draw the pools for the 2021-22 Champions Cup

A 24-team Champions Cup draw has been held, find out where Exeter, Harlequins, Sale, Bristol, Northampton, Leicester, Bath and Wasps will...

Jake Kerr inks permanent Bristol Bears contract

Bristol Bears also confirm the departure of a 2020 summer arrival from Ashton Gate

‘I got lucky’ – Springbok De Allende makes admission about firepit explosion

Damian de Allende was one of four Munster players who received medical attention for burns from a firepit accident in June

Luke Cowan-Dickie and Courtney Lawes start for Lions in first Test

Head coach Warren Gatland reveals the selection was the hardest of his time with the Lions

All three Lions Tests to be held at Cape Town Stadium

The second and third Tests were set to take place in Johannesburg, based in the province with the highest coronavirus infection...

Kolisi cleared to lead the Springboks, Pollard to reach milestone against Lions

South Africa captain Siya Kolisi has struggled for fitness after overcoming Covid-19

Zander Fagerson agrees extension at Glasgow Warriors

The British & Irish Lions prop has signed a long-term contract at the Scotstoun club

Pivac: Now we face big test in the autumn

The Wales head coach reacts to his side's 33-11 defeat to Argentina in Cardiff

Marcus Smith puts his name on Gatland’s list

The Premiership winner starred on debut for the Lions

New chair Ilube may need some financial back-up

WHEN Tom Ilube starts as the new RFU Board chairman at the end of this month he will discover that the...