What a waste of Beauden

BEAUDEN Barrett being picked at full-back for the Blues, rather than fly-half is one of the riddles of Super Rugby Aotearoa....

Biased Booy must step down

THE administrative shortcomings at the professional end of the game in England have been highlighted by the failure of the Professional...

Clubs hold aces in global power game

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK “What is wrong about having two international windows rather than a two-month block?”...

Rugby fans have been left in dark

ENGLISH football has returned along with other sports such as horse racing and snooker. Sadly, I am still unable to see...

Should it really be a ‘Wild West’ shootout?

THEREis no doubt that the Covid-19 pandemic has changed much in our lives as well as the sports arena. Rugby has...

Expand the Prem to 16 clubs and PRO14 to 20

Expansion: Let the Jaguares join a new PRO20 PICTURE: Getty Images ■ HAVING a global season is all well and good....

Robshaw shows rugby’s heavy toll

Letters CHRIS Robshaw, who is leaving English rugby to join San Diego Legion, predicts more senior players could follow him to...

Tyro No.10 McBryde ready for battle with the Knights

NEWS EXTRA BILLY McBryde is using Josh Adams as his inspiration as he keeps on working his way north to try...

Lam has the ability to turn his Bears into champions

JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE... EVERY WEEK Spectacular: Semi Radradra playing for Bordeaux PICTURE: Getty Images Iwouldn’t underestimate anything about Pat...

DREAMTEAM

MACAULEY COOK, JERSEY AND FORMER CARDIFF BLUES AND WALES U20S LOCK/BACK ROW, CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE’S PLAYED WITH OR AGAINST...

Salary cap cuts? Sadly they’re just an illusion

COLIN BOAG Mr Loyalty: Mark Lambert was a one-club man at Quins Remember the temporary cut in the salary cap that...

Kerrod’s in from the cold and feeling good at Quins

By ADAM ELLIS Learning curve: Simon Kerrod SIMON Kerrod finally feels settled on his career path after a year under the...

‘Heartland’ competition will renew old rivalries

By NEALE HARVEY Realist: Jon Sharpe Proposal: Ed Griffiths COVENTRY chairman Jon Sharp says a new ‘Heartland’ competition could provide salvation...

Regrets? Robshaw bows out with a few to mention

By JON NEWCOMBE Champions: Quins lift the title in 2012 PICTURES: Getty Images CHRIS Robshaw says Harlequins’ failure to build a...

Kirwan will add his ferocty to Nottingham cause

By JON NEWCOMBE Excited: Carl Kirwan CARL Kirwan is delighted to be back in the Championship after signing a part-time deal...

Furbank: I don’t plan to be 2-cap wonder

By NEALE HARVEY England rivals: Elliot Daly and Anthony Watson Ambitious: George Furbank attempts a break for Northampton PICTURE: Getty Images...

Wales star Davies nearing return for Scarlets

By ALEX BYWATER JONATHAN Davies has handed Scarlets a positive injury update with the men from Llanelli also receiving good news...

Saints partner up with Blues

BEDFORD Blues say they have been ‘given a lifeline’ by Northampton. The new partnership will see the clubs cooperate on a...

Will sets sights on Goode’s roving role at Saracens

Jeff Probyn: Carling era was really the Geoff Cooke era TRP By JON NEWCOMBE WILL HOOLEY sees himself serving Saracens in...

Takeover soap opera rumbles on at Beziers

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN Rivals: Christophe Dominici and, inset, former Toulouse president Rene Bouscatel Alot can happen in a month. A...

World Cup run put Samoa on the map

MY LIFEIN RUGBY APOLLO PERELINI THE FORMER SAMOA AND SALE SHARKS BACK ROWER AND ST HELENS RL PROP Double handed: Apollo...

Resurgent Vikings forge an outpost fortress

NEWS EXTRA By JEREMY BLACKMORE NORTH Walsham boss James Knight says the club’s remote location has helped forge a strong bond...

Hook takes on kicking duties for new-look Ospreys

JAMES Hook is set to extend his Ospreys career after agreeing to become kicking and skills coach at the Liberty Stadium....

Exeter triple-swoop on young England aces

By NEALE HARVEY Rising star: Aaron Hinkley scores for England U20s against Scotland in 2019 PICTURES: Getty Images THREE of the...

Wages soar as John Hall enters Premiership fray

NOBODY can accuse rugby’s transition from amateurism to professionalism of being smooth and trouble free. Indeed nearly 25 years on many...

JOHN BENTLEY, THE BOLTER WHO MADE GOOD

Bentos-time: John Bentley celebrates Lions’ victory in the second Test against South Africa HEROES comes in many shapes and sizes and...

Mum’s verdict wins captaincy of Lions for ‘honest’ son Martin

Brendan Gallagher continues his expert and authoritative look at the history of Rugby Union Champions: Rob Andrew and Tony Underwood of...

The Carling era? No, it was truly the Geoff Cooke era

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME Adoration: Will Carling chaired off after England’s Grand Slam of 1991; inset...

Sevens switch has Celia dreaming big

By ADAM ELLIS CELIA Quansah is determined to realise her lifelong Olympics dream next summer after her lightning strike to the...

Max aims to follow Blaze’s coach trail

By NEALE HARVEY Crossroads: Max Crumpton PICTURES: Getty Images Example: Richard Blaze FORMER Harlequins hooker Max Crumpton aims to forge a...

YOUNG GUNS

JACKFORSYTHE WORCESTER BACK ROW Worcester are all about youth right now and as one of eight new recruits into the senior...

WAVELL WAKEFIELD

Leader: Sedbergh 1916, with captain Wavell Wakefield WAVELL Wakefield was known for his cutting edge training methods during his time with...

Sedbergh had full set of England captains

Brendan Gallagher continues his series looking at rugby’s great schools Champions: Ed Smith and his Sedbergh side won the Open title...

Sotutu inspires Blues as Crusaders kick off in style

By SAM JACKSON BEAUDEN Barrett again played a key role for the Blues as they claimed a 24-12 win away at...

Evergreen Wig eyes European success

By NEALE HARVEY Passionate: Ben Ward Feeling fresh: Richard Wigglesworth PICTURE: Getty Images RICHARD Wigglesworth is targeting a remarkable Champions Cup...

Jones relishing chance to learn off ‘Pep’

By ROB COLE MARK Jones played for Wales under Sir Graham Henry, Steve Hansen and Warren Gatland and is now learning...

Days when Goze really threw his weight around

THERE is rather a lot of Paul Goze, appropriately so given his status as one of the larger movers-and-shakers of the...

Can Robbo be crowd pleaser San Diego and USA need?

IT might not have been uppermost in his decision but social-distancing is unlikely to be an issue when Chris Robshaw joins...

Aled still hoping to brew up business

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW Athletic: Aled Brew takes a high ball for Bath PICTURE: Getty Images “I...

Cotton and co wallow in not-so-glorious mud

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

Winning the World Cup made it right time to go

Q&A FRANCOIS LOUW ON THE RECORD Elation: Francois Louw with Prince Harry after winning the 2019 World Cup PICTURES: Getty Images...

Welsh players set for long-term pay cuts

By ALEX BYWATER Crisis talks: Martyn Phillips and Gareth Davies, right WALES’ leading players have been told long-term pay cuts will...

France set to launch their third pro league

WHILE all the talk in England is of contraction and putting the financial squeeze on the Championship, the French Federation have...

Islanders snub reeks of a new apartheid

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER Shameful: Segregated crowds in South Africa The Lions...

Lions beware, thes Boks are strong

NICK CAIN PICKS HIS COMPOSITE TEAM FROM THESPRINGBOKS AND POTENTIAL LIONS Loose-head: Steven Kitshoff (SA) Hooker: Bongi Mbonambi (SA) Tight-head: Tadhg...

Kiwis prove derbies pull the crowds

CROWDS for the domestic Super Rugby Aotearoa tournament in New Zealand are more than 100 per cent up on those for...

Bradley gets out of Twitter cesspit

MOST of the rugby news on Twitter, the goto social media “platform” for anyone who enjoys flushing the English language down...

Forget protein, players need shrinking pills!

CHRIS HEWETT GUEST COLUMNIST Human Bowling Ball: England’s Manu Tuilagi PICTURE: Getty Images When it comes to progress, rugby stands on...

Hogg can finally show his Lions credentials

2021 LIONS A YEAR TO GO NICK CAIN LOOKS AT THE CONTENDERS FOR EACH POSITION THIS WEEK... FULL-BACKS Waiting his chance:...

Johnno played through pain to get Lions over the line

Brendan Gallagher continues his enthralling series by looking at the best rugby captains Inspiring: Martin Johnson led from the front during...