‘A British League will happen in two years’ – the story that has the country talking

CVC takeover of Premiership and soon-to-be finalised PRO14 deal heralds new opportunity for British League

Scrum guru Keith-Roach lands an historic hat-trick

PHIL Keith-Roach has an extraordinary record of having been present at each of England’s World Cup final victories in over a...

Battling Pumas in warning to Eddie

■By SAM JACKSON On target: Emiliano Boffelli kicks a penalty THE World Champions escaped a major shock in Buenos Aires by...

Kibirige out to prove himself at Wasps

■By NEALE HARVEY FORMER Newcastle flyer Zach Kibirige aims to finally prove he can cut it in the Premiership after accepting...

Eddie needs Hughes match fit in case the worst happens

Destructive ball carrier: Billy Vunipola can break tackles PICTURE: Getty Images BILLY Vunipola is as good a player as I have...

No Jeff, rugby was not better in 1991

COLIN BOAG Made good in New Zealand: Northampton’s Piers Francis was let go by the Saracens Academy PICTURE: Getty Images During...

Women’s game needs support

I COMPLETELY agree with Catherine Spencer. From what we could glean from the limited access, awkward timings and poor publicity, the...

Falcons work in the community deserves praise

MY instinctive reaction to Colin Boag’s repetition of his proposal that the Premiership clubs be given charge of the national team...

Are England strong enough mentally?

REGARDING Neale Harvey’s interview and Colin Boag’s comments on Exeter’s chief exec Tony Rowe and his personal view that England are...

No room for rugby in summer

THOSE advocating summer rugby should contemplate the veritable smorgasbord of sporting events on offer last weekend. Besides the small matter of...

Deano’s ring-fence paradox

In TRP July 14, Jon Newcombe describes Coventry’s ambitions, while Neale Harvey writes about those of Cornish Pirates. This follows similar...

World Cup snub will fire up Chiefs’ back row rejects

■By NEALE HARVEY ENGLAND’S failure to embrace Exeter’s array of “world-class” back rowers should spark fear throughout the Premiership, according to...

Quins trio join Eddie’s Bristol training squad

ENGLAND’S second World Cup training squad assembled in Bristol last week included Harlequins players Mike Brown, Alex Dombrandt and Marcus Smith...

Maco’s getting stronger every day says Sarries scrum guru Peel

■By NEALE HARVEY SARACENS coach Ian Peel is convinced England prop idol Mako Vunipola will recover from his hamstring trouble in...

England could axe Baa-Baas for another Wales Test

■By PETER JACKSON ENGLANDare considering squeezing yet another match against Wales into their schedule for what could be a fifth ‘Test’...

BRETT HERRON

HARLEQUINS’ NEW FLY-HALF TAKES US THROUGH HIS PET HATES FROM THE RUGBY WORLD AND BEYOND. 1. People that are chronically late...

Weight of a nation won’t faze Fonotia

STEFFAN THOMAS meets centre Kieron Fonotia as he prepares for battle with Samoa SAMOA are very much the underdogs in a...

Red Roses undone by Wickliffe magic

By SAM JACKSON Winner’s smile: Kendra Cocksedge parades the Super Series trophy ENGLAND may be the dominant force in Europe but...

YOUNG GUNS

SAM WOLSTENHOLME WASPS SCRUM-HALF Twenty-year-old Sam Wolstenholme has packed a lot of life experience into his tender years. As an outstanding...

WELSH COACHES WORKING ABROAD

LYN JONES Russia head coach After a successful reign at the Ospreys, Jones has had spells with the Dragons, London Welsh...

Cricket ace Bevan is USA secret weapon

■By STEFFAN THOMAS American danger man: No.8 Samu Manoa PICTURE: Getty Images HE PLAYED A crucial role in helping England’s cricketers...

Polynesian muscle men are moving in

The new season brings improved budgets for some National One clubs, discovers Adam Ellis Hard edge: Ofisa Treviranus is bound for...

Income protection insurance is a must

At a time when there is little happening in the world of rugby as we wait for the excitement of the...

Highs and lows on

Lions tour in ‘74 RIGHT up until my early 20s, when I was playing professionally for Middlesbrough, I seemed to be...

Dowson plans to blood kids in Cup again

Champions: Alex Waller lifts the Premiership Cup for Northampton By NEALE HARVEY HARLEQUINS will welcome Bristol Bears to the Twickenham Stoop...

Underdogs Ampthill are ready for fight of their lives

After coaching stints at Sale, Bedford, Harlequins, Dragons and Wasps, former Wales, Newbridge, Newport and Sale flyhalf Paul Turner tells NEALE...

Saints will bulk up to take on Sarries and Chiefs

NORTHAMPTON full-back George Furbank has revealed how Saints’ stars are bulking up to try and break the stranglehold of Saracens and...

Ulster prop Gareth out for nine months

PROP Gareth Milasinovich will miss much of his debut season with Ulster after suffering a knee ligament injury. The Irish-qualified forward,...

Wallace has unfinished business in top flight

By NEALE HARVEY LUKEWallace is confident Coventry will provide the vehicle for a fast return to the Premiership after salary cap...

Celtic Cup dates are announced

POOLS and fixtures were also revealed for the Celtic Cup, which features development squads from the Welsh regions and Irish provinces....

Derby days are back for the regions

By ADAM ELLIS BOXING DAY derbies will return for all four Welsh regions this season after the PRO14 released the full...

Stars searching for a place to shine

Former Leicester hooker Ross McMillan, who counts Northampton and Gloucester among his other clubs, is lending his support to fellow jobseekers...

My arm is taking strain OK so far says Faletau

■From JAMES CANDY in Fiesch Boxing clever: Bradley Davies warms up in Wales pre-World Cup training camp in Switzerland Report: Pages...

Portrush golfers take a love of rugby onto the fairways

Sharp shooter: Ryan Fox THREE golfers from three continents with connections to international rugby converged on Royal Portrush for the Open...

Farewell to Tigers’ life and soul’

THEY came from near and far to a 12th century church in the heart of England last week to pay tribute...

New chance for Welsh clubs to join a British Lge

Of all the lamentable decisions taken since professionalism, the one lamented in Wales more than any other revolves around the abolition...

Warriors call time on Duncan

WORCESTER head coach Rory Duncan is no longer part of the club’s plans. South African PRO 14 side Southern Kings are...

DREAMTEAM

DAN TEMM, THE BEDFORD AND FORMER ENGLAND 7s, TYNEDALE, NEWCASTLE, EALING TRAILFINDERS AND YORKSHIRE CARNEGIE FLANKER, CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE...

Strauss off to join the Blue Bulls

SALE Sharks back row Josh Strauss has left the club with a season remaining on his three-year contract to join Super...

Phil’s aiming to defy rugby gods for once

Rob Cole talks to Namibia coach Phil Davies about their prospects in Japan As he prepares for his fourth World Cup...

JONNY MAY ON…

…If his reign as England’s speed king is in jeopardy from his back three mates They are all quick. I know...

Rocket man has booked a trip to stardom with Red Rose mates

JONNY May is England’s very own Rocket-Man, the most prolific elite Test finisher on the planet going into the 2019 World...

Roll the dice but risky to gamble with specialists

WHEN IT COMES to a Rugby World Cup squad the key to success is getting the right balance between versatility and...

Wales are getting fit in a fairyland torture chamber

James Candy watches Wales put through their World Cup paces in Fiesch, Switzerland Picturesque: Gareth Davies practises his passing in the...

New scrum rules could spoil great World Cup

WHEN it comes to timing, World Rugby is like a faulty alarm clock. At the midnight hour, barely two months out...

Britain are off to Tokyo as men and women win

■By SAM JACKSON Delight: Simon Amor, head of England Sevens, celebrates with Mike Ellery PICTURES: Getty Images Final hattrick: Dan Norton...

England fall short in Europe Grand Prix

■By ANDRE THOMAS ENGLAND men’s and women’s teams loaded their squads with new caps for the Rugby Europe Sevens Grand Prix...

Herschel is scrum-half of the future for Boks

■By ADAM ELLIS Praise: Boks’ backs coach Mzwandile Stick HERSCHEL JANTJIES has been marked as one to watch by two senior...

Jantjies double act to handle for wobbly too much Wallabies

■By GARY FITZGERALD HERSCHEL Jantjies produced a dazzling two-try debut to throw his cap firmly into the World Cup ring at...

Uren out to catch Eddie’s eye with Bristol

■By NEALE HARVEY ANDY UREN is determined to prove why teammate Harry Randall is not the only Bristol scrumhalf worthy of...