Itoje and Kruis are my No1 No2s says Bayfield

By NEALE HARVEY INDOMITABLE Saracens duo Maro Itoje and George Kruis offer England their best route to second row domination, according...

Melville: Carnege’s fate is still in the balance

By JON NEWCOMBE RFU director of professional rugby Nigel Melville says the future of Yorkshire Carnegie as a Championship club is...

Cardiff Uni lose Davies to Bridgend

By ROB COLE CARDIFF University are looking for a new director of rugby following the departure of Alun Wyn Davies to...

Canada are already aiming at RWC 2023!

Steffan Thomas meets the Canadian coach Gruff Rees to discuss RWC 2019 IT HAS been eight years since Canada won a...

Howley’s now one of world’s best – Roberts

By STEFFAN THOMAS ROB Howley has been backed to land a big coaching role at either club or international level when...

Hewitt’s hungry for some action replays

Hit by injury: Ashton Hewitt PICTURES: Getty Images By ALEX BYWATER THE coming season promises to be something of a new...

YOUNG GUNS

RYAN CONBEER SCARLETS WINGER Ryan Conbeer began his sporting life as a footballer but remembers the day he knew he really...

Just watch me play, Venter tells his Ospreys critics

By STEFFAN THOMAS OSPREYS new boy Shaun Venter has vowed to brush off criticism of his arrival in Welsh rugby and...

Lozowski: I’ll use RWC snub as my motivation

By NEALE HARVEY ALEX Lozowski will use the burning resentment of his England World Cup omission to resist any challenge from...

splurge on Purdy

(Wasps) also boost the squad. Bell said: “Ealing’s a club on the up who like to throw the ball around and,...

Aspiring Coventry

JON NEWCOMBE reveals another big signing as Coventry aim to mount challenge Ampthill IN: Kwaku Asiedu (Coventry), Dave Ward (Harlequins), Darryl...

This Super series has been far from super

CATHERINE SPENCER FORMER ENGLAND WOMEN’S CAPTAIN With the last two games of the tournament taking place this evening, I ask whether...

All Black baptism led me to a Slam

WHEN I was first picked to play for England against the All Blacks in the Autumn of 1979, I could only...

This is why old-fashioned rugby was so much better!

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME There is an old saying, if you don’t learn from history you...

O’Connor is a Red

FORMER Australia utility back James O'Connor has signed a long-term deal with Super Rugby side Queensland Reds and will be included...

Calcutta kick ban Jeffrey in top job

FORMER Scotland international John Jeffrey, once banned for six months for kicking the Calcutta Cup along Princes Street, Edinburgh, with England’s...

Nathan couldn’t ask for a better start than playing Bath at home says delighted Lam

By NEALE HARVEY Buzzing: Nathan Hughes is eager to impress at Bristol HELPING to fire Bristol into the Premiership big time...

Lees quits Chiefs to join Brive

LOCK Mitch Lees has left Exeter Chiefs after five years at Sandy Park, agreeing a move to French Top 14 side...

Mapletoft switches to Quins academy

MARK Mapletoft will transition from his role as Harlequins head coach to take over the academy. Mapletoft will also assist with...

Boks snub will fire up Wallabies

THE Springboks are packing their first XV off to New Zealand this week to prepare for their date with the All...

Morgan is following in Irish footsteps

CONTRARY to popular opinion, Eoin Morgan will not be the first Dubliner to line up in a World Cup final for...

Nadolo puts family first – much to relief of Wales

When Wales roll into Otia for their penultimate World Cup Pool match in October, the largest wing in the game will...

Small was a giant when it came to showing courage

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW IN A RADIOinterview last summer, James Small confessed that he had attempted suicide...

Pienaar signs for Cheetahs

RUAN Pienaar will take on his former Ulster teammates next season after joining Pro14 side the Cheetahs. The 35-year-old has agreed...

DREAMTEAM

PHIL BOULTON, COVENTRY AND FORMER ROTHERHAM, LEICESTER AND BEDFORD PROP, CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE HAS PLAYED WITH OR AGAINST… 1....

Lomu-tamer Small dies at age of 50

SOUTH Africa World Cup winner James Small has died aged 50. The former Springbok winger was taken to hospital on Tuesday...

Japan is such a happy hunting ground for Josh

Alex Bywater talks to Josh Navidi about his roundabout route to international stardom JAPAN has played a crucial role in Josh...

Bates quits as U20 coach after three World Cups

ENGLAND U20s are looking for a new head coach after Steve Bates decided to quit the RFU. Having joined in 2017,...

Top-flight survival takes precedence for Exiles

By NEALE HARVEY NEWLY-promoted London Irish risk missing out on RFU funding worth £750,000 next season unless they significantly increase their...

Champions Jesters fall to Samurai in thriller

EALING Trailfinders’ ground was the venue for the final round of the 2019 Super Sevens Series on the hottest day of...

Championship is world class now says Pirates boss Stirling

NEALE HARVEY talks to a New Zealand coaching guru who believes the value of the Championship is vastly underrated Cornish Pirates...

Armitage joins the talent drain to the USA

By SAM JACKSON FORMER European Player of the Year Steffon Armitage has signed with the San Diego Legion for next season,...

Boot camp regime gets Jamie fit for active service

NICK CAIN TALKS TO JAMIE GEORGE ABOUT HIS IN SATIABLE DRIVE FOR PHYSICAL IMPROVEMENT JAMIE George knew what was coming and...

England face Irish after shock

ENGLAND Women’s Sevens team will face Ireland in the Cup quarter-finals despite a late hiccup in the pool stages. After defeating...

England hold the key to Olympic dream

By ANDRE THOMAS ENGLAND may have taken the long route round to qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, but they...

CVC’s cash is good for the future of rugby

THE INVESTMENT of CVC into rugby is something I’m right behind and I was fascinated this week to hear of their...

Alun Wyn is favourite now to lead the Lions

SHANE WILLIAMS WALES AND LIONS LEGEND ALUN Wyn Jones staying in Wales is the best pre-World Cup news we could have...

Irvine, champ of Tier Two, calls it a day

EXCLUSIVE By JON NEWCOMBE Stepping down: Geoff Irvine LONG-STANDING Championship boss Geoff Irvine will stand down from his role at the...

‘Special’ Scarratt completes comeback

By SAM JACKSON Late winner: Emily Scarratt hit vital penalty EMILY Scarratt’s late penalty saw England beat France to maintain their...

We let it slip away moans De Goede

By ADAM ELLIS CANADA No.8 Sophie de Goede admitted her team let victory evade their grasp as the USA recorded their...

Coach Cain rings the changes for USA

By ADAM ELLIS Stays: Joanna Kitlinski USA coach Rob Cain remains committed to rotating his squad as he looks to build...

Middleton ready for the final showdown

By GEORGE LAWRENCE SIMON Middleton has made three changes to his England side to play New Zealand for today’s decider. The...

Black Ferns given a French shock

WORLD CHAMPIONS New Zealand suffered the biggest shock of the tournament so far as they were beaten by France. The French...

Captain marvel saves the day

Leader: Sarah Hunter powered over for the win CAPTAIN Sarah Hunter scored a late try to secure England a narrow win...

Fiji fire out World Cup warning to Wales

FIJI made a statement of intent with a resounding win over their Kiwi rivals in Suva in the first match of...

CVC are taking ever bigger voice in rugby

THE insatiable desire of the private equity firm CVC to invest in Rugby Union has resulted in them closing in on...

Bates had the odds against him

THE churn at England U20 level goes on with coach Steve Bates apparently stepping down to ‘explore other rugbyrelated opportunities’. Bates...

Paranoid? Fears about spying go with the job!

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK IT’S World Cup time, and that means it’s spy time. Stories of rugby...

Vellacott: Wasps will be a better fit for me

By NEALE HARVEY LIVEWIRE scrum-half Ben Vellacott aims to become a smash-hit at Wasps after revealing how Dan Robson’s success at...

ROOM 101

TOMMY NOTMAN THE REDRUTH AND CORNWALL WINGER TAKES US THROUGH HIS PET HATES FROM THE RUGBY WORLD AND BEYOND 1. Slow...