Most marquee players just aren’t worth the money

THE marquee player debate highlights the dilemma that most Premiership owners face in terms of how to reconcile rampant self-interest with...

Missionary work is done Down Under

THE Lions were missionaries spreading Rugby Union to the southern hemisphere and they were so successful that only one northern hemisphere...

Boks brute Friks broke my father’s big toes

YOUR recent excellent article about the Stalag IV-B Springboks rugby squad reminded me of my father, Llewellyn’s account of having played...

Myners is right, raise players culbability

I AGREE with Lord Myners’ recommendation that players should also carry some accountability for breaches of the salary cap and we...

Sarries will be exhausted

WITH the Premiership season set to run and run, what happens to Saracens’ remaining fixtures? Will they be expected to play...

No shock Bristol want to keep marquee men

Star signing: Semi Radradra has a three-year mega bucks deal at Bristol PICTURE: Getty Images STEPHEN Lansdown’s recent announcement of supporting...

Stuart gets my vote

What about London Irish or Newcastle AFTER reading the Blindside story regarding Johan Ackermann’s departure, and the temporary promotion of Rory...

Hewett’s wit helping me in lockdown

I AGREE with your correspondent Brian Tregunna that TRP has become an even better read since the Covid-19 lockdown. I’m particularly...

Unlucky Otley, but glad it was not a void season

FOLLOWING the lament from the man from Otley rugby club about their relegation I suspect this has much to do with...

Rugby can learn financial fair play from America

From outside the Premiership circle it seems that if you have a group of clever people running these clubs, who, in...

DREAMTEAM

JEAN-BAPTISTE BRUZULIER, CORNISH PIRATES AND FORMER OLD ALBANIAN, WALES 7s, TOULON, WORCESTER, NEVERS & LEEDS No.9, CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE’S...

Premiership is for all – not just the richest, Steve

COLIN BOAG Ifear for the future of the Premiership and the open letter from Bristol Bears owner, Steve Lansdown, has done...

Ben pushing to have scrum doctor Cron’s eye for detail

By NEALE HARVEY Expert tuition: Mike Cron coaching Ben Franks FORMER detective Mike Cron will provide eagle-eyed inspiration to Ben Franks...

Sailli leaves for Biarritz

HARLEQUINS centre Francis Saili will leave at the end of the season to join French side Biarritz. Saili, 29, arrived from...

Boks new top man ‘may lack know-how’

By JON NEWCOMBE JACQUES Nienaber’s lack of top-level playing experience leaves a question mark against his appointment as the new coach...

Star prop Du Plessis gets back in the front line to help the NHS

By ROSS HEPPENSTALL Help: Petrus du Plessis, and, inset, in his NHS mask PETRUS du Plessis’ career has come full circle...

Boyd’s trust has seen Fraser grow

By JEREMY BLACKMORE Promise of more to come: Fraser Dingwall scores for Saints against Leicester PICTURE: Getty Images SAINTS centre Fraser...

French lessons will help Myles earn top marks with Wasps

By NEALE HARVEY Combative: Myles Edwards is ready to fight for his place SURPRISE Wasps signing Myles Edwards warns second row...

August restart in Ireland

THE PRO14 hopes to return to play on August 22 with a series of behind closed doors matches. The Irish Rugby...

Varndell stays in the game with coaching role at Bury

By NEALE HARVEY TOM Varndell is ready to add another chapter to his x-factor career after joining Bury St Edmunds as...

Takeovers, big moves, life goes on in ProD2

France’s Top 14 clubs are currently pretty quiet. There’s some news of player moves, and updates on planned preseason friendlies in...

Rejecting Eddie led to my Test career

MY LIFEIN RUGBY ANDREW MOWER THE FORMER SCOTLAND, LONDON IRISH & NEWCASTLE FLANKER Ball skills: Andrew Mower in action for Newcastle...

Rochford resolute despite coaching changes

NEWS EXTRA By JACK ZORAB AMBITIOUS Rochford Hundred are being forced to re-adjust their sights ahead of their debut season in...

Lockdown’s got Lawrence in the shape of his life

By NEALE HARVEY Lone wolf: Ollie Lawrence has thrived on training by himself PICTURES: Getty Images ENGLANDmidfield hopeful Ollie Lawrence is...

France claim their first Slam despite tinkering selectors

Unbeatable combination: France’s Camberabero brothers, Lilian and Guy THE conventional wisdom is that, having identified your chosen playing group, consistency of...

Swinging 60s rugby showed its very good, bad and ugly sides

Brendan Gallagher continues his expert and authorative look at the history of Rugby Union FOR rugby the 60s mirrored the pop...

Premiership unlikely to follow Myners’ guidance

As the Premiership digests Lord Myners review I don’t doubt that there will be many people who will take a similar...

French need a lesson from law-abiding Chiefs

Peter Jackson reveals Europe’s saints and sinners since 2015 France can claim to have been dealt the most expensive red cards...

World is watching as rugby returns for NZ clubs

NEWS EXTRA By GARY HEATLY THE players involved in the new-look Super Rugby Aotearoa tournament that is due to get underway...

YOUNGGUNS

EDSCRAGG DRAGONS SECOND ROW If Ed Scragg hasn’t got the best name for a second row forward with designs on becoming...

Titans lead charge with Redruth afterepic four-way title shoot-out

The Rugby Paper’s National 2 South correspondents pick a Team of the Season Nose for the line: Isaac ‘Sniffer’ Dalton scores...

RUGBY SHORTS

Stars cycle for charity A WHO’S Who of rugby stars will be taking part in a 24-hour cycle challenge from 8am...

Black day for Tyler, hero of Rosario

ROSARIO has never been short on claims to fame. The birthplace of rugby’s most revolutionary player (Che Guevara) and the nearest...

Apartheid so sickened Tony, he did not go back

Tony Ward has never forgotten his first impression of apartheid South Africa. The images are as clear and every bit as...

Miracle workers keep World Cup dream alive

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

Rugby must recalibrate by remembering less is more

Q&A MARK MAPLETOFT ON THE RECORD After a decade at Harlequins in various roles, former head coach and academy guru Mark...

More time needed to plan safe return to training

PREMIERSHIP clubs will not return to training for another two weeks at least, delaying the season’s restart until August at the...

Freelance deals could be way forward says Fearns

By NEALE HARVEY FORMER England No.8 Carl Fearns predicts a new breed of ‘freelance’ rugby player will emerge as the world’s...

PRO14 agrees investment deal with CVC

THE PRO14 has agreed a deal to sell a 28 per cent stake in the league to private equity firm CVC...

Financial equality would stifle progress

LORD Myners’ report has been discussed elsewhere in these pages recently so I will keep this brief! His thorough forensic report...

Unsung hero Pullin deserves a statue at Twickenham

I WAS reading an article on line the other day about the illustrious British and Irish players with the best records...

Expected disaster story turned into a fairytale

Triumph: South Africa win 1995 World Cup. Inset, a news vendor in Pretoria highlights the pre-tournament tension PICTURE: Getty Images It’s...

Welsh trio can put pressure on Conor

2021 LIONS A YEAR TO GO NICK CAIN LOOKS AT THE CONTENDERS FOR EACH POSITION THIS WEEK… SCRUM-HALVES IF the 2021...

Sam’s a man for hard graft on and off the pitch

NICK CAIN TALKS TO SAM UNDERHILL ABOUT IMP ROVING HIS DRIVEWAY…AND HIS GAME SAM Underhill is getting stuck in. There’s nothing...

Sun shines on the Goode

ALEX GOODE, the connoisseur’s choice of full-back, is on his way to Japan, as is Freddie Burns, a seat-of-the-pants No.10 who...

Kolbe’s call on Lions is sign of true rugby man

THERE are plenty of things to like about Cheslin Kolbe, the tap-dancing wing from the Cape Town suburbs whose late try...

Reduce the bench? It just can’t happen

When the Bristol tight-head prop Paul Guttridge was sent off during a league match with Leicester in front of a big...

Overnight success took Chiefs 13 years!

On Tuesday, Exeter Chiefs celebrate the tenth anniversary of winning promotion to the Premiership. NEALE HARVEY marks that momentous day by...

Jonny gets the drop on Joel for his courage and composure

Brendan Gallagher continues his enthralling series by looking at the most important dropped goals TOP 20 …DROP GOALS NEXT WEEK Rugby-playing...

Transfer fees could bring problems

I SEEmy old Ospreys coach Scott Johnson has put the cat among the pigeons once again by raising the question of...