Saints sign Springbok flier Skosan

RUGBY SHORTS NORTHAMPTON have made their fourth summer signing by bringing in South Africa wing Courtnall Skosan. The 30-year-old, who has...

Italy show strength of their youth set-ups

THERE is a common misconception that Italy rugby consists only of Benetton and Zebre, understandable given they are the only fully...

Superpowers take showdown to tropics

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER THIS cursed Pandemic has taken us down some...

Munster coach Stephen Larkham is wanted back by Brumbies

Larkham is under contract at Thomond Park until the end of the coming season

Sharks move closer to AJ Bell deal

ON THE BLIND SIDE BY NEIL FISSLER SALE Sharks are just ironing out the last few details of the £17m deal...

Saracens prop Mako Vunipola in new contract talks as Top 14 watch

Saracens are set to ask England prop Mako Vunipola to take a salary cut, TRP understands

Kolbe’s tax bill set to rocket at Toulon

ON THE BLIND SIDE BY NEIL FISSLER CHESLIN Kolbe, below, could find himself worse off following his recordbreaking move to Toulon...

Premiership clubs like look of Ospreys lock Rhys Davies

'Several' Premiership clubs are interested in young Ospreys lock Rhys Davies

Room 101: Harrogate head coach Sam Cox

Harrogate head coach Sam Cox takes us through his pet hates from the rugby world and beyond

Morgan opts for Warriors coaching gig

LONG-SERVING Cornish Pirates player and coach Chris Morgan is leaving the Championship club to take a coaching role at Worcester’s academy....

Teenage flyer Cusick cruises in for first-touch try

By TOM INNES Jersey ..................7pts Leicester ..........17pts A TRY from 18-year-old wing Jacob Cusick with his first touch in senior rugby...

Ealing Trailfinders 34-29 Gloucester: Uzokwe at the double to down Gloucester

First blood to Ealing ahead of their reverse fixture with Gloucester next week at Kingsholm

Amps turn set-piece power into points to clinch win

By KEVIN MILLER Ampthill ..........40 Bedford ............38 AMPTHILL recovered from a first quarter bashing to clinch this keenly contested derby between...

Pre-season friendlies

Coventry ................60 Nottingham............10 By CHRIS WEARMOUTH COVENTRY put Nottingham to the sword in perfect conditions at Butts Park Arena. Cov’s intent...

Exclusive: Premiership players urged to take the Covid vaccine

PREMIERSHIP Rugby have asked clubs to take a hard-line approach with players who refuse a Covid-19 vaccine ahead of the new...

Surgeon warns: Act on head peril NOW

■By PETER JACKSON Risk: Prof Fairclough AN eminent surgeon has sent World Rugby a grim warning over the brain-bashing controversy: “Act...

URC fixtures 2021-22: Leinster face Bulls first up

CHAMPIONS Leinster welcome the Bulls in Round 1 of the new United Rugby Champiosnhip which kicks off on September 24. Dates...

3 Brand Merchandising Lessons to Learn from Rugby World Cup Tournaments

Organised sports and competitions are an integral part of human civilisation. From the time of the earliest Olympics, men, women, and...

Super Hooper deserves to stand with greats

THIRTY years ago, Bishop Wordsworth’s of Salisbury lost a national schools cup final to King Edward VI of Stratfordupon-Avon by the...

Joke isn’t on fun figure Cockerill any more | Chris Hewett

Richard Cockerill in as England's forwards coach? Chris Hewett on a bullish Midlander transitioning into coaching

Dave Rennie blazing over NZ snub

AUSTRALIA coach Dave Rennie says he is “bloody angry” about New Zealand cancelling the teams’ Bledisloe Cup match without telling the...

Argentina 10-29 South Africa: Handre Pollard puts boot into the misfiring Pumas telling

A penalty-ridden affair sees the Springboks beat the Pumas for the second-straight week

Cipriani magic can get Bath back in the title mix | Jeremy Guscott

Can Danny Cipriani marshal Bath's backline to its potential and a top-four finish in the Premiership?

Dream Team: Doncaster Knights centre Mark Best

MARK BEST, THE DONCASTER, ULSTER &, JERSEY CENTRE CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE HAS PLAYED WITH OR AGAINST... 1. Logovi’i Mulipola...

Let stars go abroad AND play for their countries

COLIN BOAG It seems to be part of rugby’s culture that the Unions like to flaunt their muscle and tell players...

Olympian Ollie back in XVs at Falcons

■By SAM JACKSON NEWCASTLE Falcons have signed another former Harlequins back with Olympic Sevens player Ollie Lindsay- Hague joining on a...

Maitland is chasing a flyer for Scotland

■By GARY FITZGERALD SEAN Maitland will leave it up to Gregor Townsend to decide when the curtain should fall on his...

Lang relishing life at Edinburgh after early agitation following Cockerill’s exit

Goals: James Lang NEW Edinburgh centre James Lang may describe his decision to quit Premiership champions Harlequins and move north to...

Lewies wants more of Quins factor 500

■By ADAM HATHAWAY Driven: Stephan Lewies is hungry for more success with Quins PICTURES: Getty Images HARLEQUINS captain Stephan Lewies has...

Kefu ‘doing well’ after knife attack

TONGA coach and Australia rugby great Toutai Kefu says he is out of hospital and “doing well” after a violent attack...

Quins aiming to conquer Europe next says Murley

By GARY FITZGERALD CADAN Murley sees no reason why Harlequins cannot be a major force in Europe this season as well...

Threat to pro rugby in Biarritz is very real | James Harrington

On paper, there was little out of the ordinary about Friday’s preseason friendly between impending Top 14 rivals Biarritz and Bordeaux....

When we lost in France the butcher blanked me

MY LIFEIN RUGBY THE FORMER ROTHERHAM, SALE, BOURGOIN, LONDON WELSH AND LEICESTER HOOKER NEIL BRIGGS When you think about the carefully...

Wales consider hosting Sanzaar tournament

THE Welsh Rugby Union are exploring hosting Rugby Championship games at Principality Stadium. A mid-tournament switch is being considered because of...

Lamb’s looking to add spice to Albion attack

■By JON NEWCOMBE RYAN LAMB has swapped coaching in the Championship for National One but is delighted to be at a...

The Baxter family have Exeter blood flowing in their veins

How the Baxters have impacted Exeter Chiefs since the 1960s

Heineken Cup? It was Devon Senior Cup that Exeter were after in the Eighties!

MOMENTINTIME EXETER, DEVON SENIOR CUP WINNERS 1979-80 NEIL FISSLER TALKS TO JOHN LOCKYER TIM WOODROW’S programme notes for the visit of...

Danny’s belief set Cooke on road to Harlequins and England fame

Hard core: David Cooke DAVID Cooke might have looked a little like Jean Pierre Rives and, like the legendary French flanker,...

Haileybury go from VCs to courage of Danny Hearn

Brendan Gallagher continues his series looking at rugby’s great schools Although also an enthusiastic football school, Haileybury College, just a few...

Young Guns: Wasps centre Will Simonds

Will Simonds appears well set to excel at Wasps this season with John Mitchell now joining a coaching group that puts...

I sat on the bench for four years unused! | Jeff Probyn

Substitutes, replacements, tactical subs, impact players or finishers... whatever you like to call them they are the bone of contention for...

Welsh Championship Cup round-up: Wanderers beaten by driving lineout

YSTRAD Rhondda came out on top in a thrilling and engaging contest against Glamorgan Wanderers at the Memorial Ground in Ely....

North Wales launch invasion of England

By ROB COLE ROBIN Williams has joined the ever growing band of north Wales bred players moving into the Championship and...

WOMEN’S GAME IN FOCUS

Sarah Rendell takes a weekly look at some important women players LYDIA THOMPSON THIS WEEK... WORCESTER WINGER Winger Lydia Thompson has...

The Scarlets rebuild under Dwayne Peel and Sean Fitzpatrick

By STEFFAN THOMAS SEAN Fitzpatrick is confident the Scarlets can turn their fortunes around under new head coach Dwayne Peel, but...

Name-change for Cardiff is a home-coming for legend Peter

Q&A ON THE RECORD PETER THOMAS Benefactor: Peter Thomas is Cardiff’s geatest backer Peter Thomas played for Cardiff in the 1960s...

60 cap rule brings big names home

ALEX BYWATER talks to Dragons new signing Will Rowlands and rounds up the other big transfers Benetton Ins: Rhyno Smith (Cheetahs),...

I’ve changed my mind now says Warburton

FORMER Lions captain Sam Warburton says he has changed his view over a concern expressed in his autobiography that a player...

I can’t wait for Gareth Anscombe to return, but go slowly! | Shane Williams

The Wales fly-half is back in full training at the Ospreys ahead of the autumn

The magnificent men of England’s swinging 20s

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