Wales to keep status quo after Cardiff crisis talks

By ALEX BYWATER Decision time: Gareth Anscombe THE Welsh Rugby Union and Wales’ four regions are poised to end months of...

SOS from Richmond

RICHMOND are holding a 50th Anniversary reunion of their tour to the USA at the Athletic ground on March 30, 2019....

Two for Vokes as Bridge move up

By CARL FIELD Welsh round-up NEW BRIDGE hauled themselves out of the WRU National Championship drop zone after recording a terrific...

Hooper laments narrow escape

By ADAM ELLIS Narrow escape: Israel Folau scored for the Waratahs PICTURE: Getty Images WARATAHS and Australia captain Michael Hooper accused...

Farewell to Cawkwell

SCOTLAND’S oldest internationalist George Cawkwell passed away last Monday at the age of 99. Cawkwell was born in Auckland, New Zealand...

Blues retain key players

BEDFORD have begun building for next season by re-signing four of their first team players. Props Alex Penny and Sean McCarthy...

Cheetah Lee snot happy

CHEETAHS centre Nico Lee has been banned for 13 weeks for “clearing the contents of his nose” on the face of...

Wasps sign up Vailanu

WASPS have signed Saracens 19-stone Tongan powerhouse back row forward Sione Vailanu to cover the loss of Nathan Hughes heading to...

Huge blow to Warriors

IN a seperate incident, Gerrit-Jan van Velze fractured his arm against Quins and is out for an undisclosed term. Van Velze,...

Max out till mid-March

RUGBY SHORTS HARLEQUINS hooker Max Crumpton has been given a three-week suspension for striking Worcester No.8 Gerrit-Jan Van Velze during Quins’...

Promoted Old Boys take it to the max

NEWS EXTRA WEmay only be coming to the end of February but English rugby already has its first club to earn...

ROOM 101

CHARLIE BECKETT THE JERSEY REDS LOCK TAKES US THROUGH HIS PET HATES FROM THE RUGBY WORLD AND BEYOND 1. People clapping...

Hot Curry turns cold on one-trick England

From NICK CAIN at the Principality Stadium, Cardiff False dawn: Tom Curry scores England’s first half try PICTURE: Getty Images Crocked:...

At last, an RFU chief executive who has played some rugby

JEFF PROBYN Fresh dawn: Bill Sweeney will take over as the RFU’s new chief executive PICTURE: Getty Images With the third...

Barden in as England look to build on Sydney

SIMON Amor has named his 12-man squad for the Las Vegas Sevens taking place on March 1-3. Amor has made one...

Politics could keep Cobus from Japan

By NEALE HARVEY Form of his life: Cobus Reinach scores for Saints against Sale PICTURES: Getty Images NORTHAMPTONboss Chris Boyd believes...

Durham do the double to delay Exeter’s march for title

By JOE BYRNES BUCS ROUND-UP EXETER’S apparent cake walk to the league title was rudely interrupted by an inspired Durhamcompleting the...

Chance to make up ground in the chase

Preview Henley v Taunton Today, Kick-off 2.30pm SOMETHING has got to give today when two inform teams with play-off ambitions meet...

Cozens dashes Bees’ dreams

By NICK PULLEN B’ham & Soli… 28 Clifton… 28 BRAVE Bees suffered a belated blow to their survival hopes when Clifton...

Albanian enjoy winning feeling

By BRIAN QUINN Old Albanian… 22 Dings… 12 IT’S been a while since Albanian tasted victory so this would have been...

Field’s 14 broken by Wellock’s late dash to the line

By ANDREW SMITH Huddersfield… 13 Wharfedale… 24 AN 80th minute try by wingman Ralph Wellock brought Huddersfield’s eight game unbeaten run...

Mighty Minikin toasts a try treble in big points haul

By MALCOLM KNOWLES Hull Ionians 59 S Leicester… 10 HULL Ionians won this re-arranged fixture at a canter, scoring nine tries...

Headache for Chester as Dacey dashes in for four

By STEVE SMITH Hinckley… 35pts Chester… 7pts Hat-trick try: Callum Dacey scores the third of his four tries for Hinckley PICTURES:...

Nervous times as Tigers face drop

By STEFFAN JAMES Sheffield T… 3 Sedgley Park 49 SEDGLEY Park gave Tigers a lesson in finishing with seven converted tries...

CarelessTynedale still have enough

By BRIAN TILLEY Tynedale… 31 Peterboro L… 5 DESPITE producing one of their sloppiest performances, Tynedale still had too much firepower...

Depleted Macc no match for the Hoppers

By MATT COLERIDGE Macclesfield 14 Preston G… 50 MACCLESFIELD were without a glut of regulars and Preston came ready to take...

Three for Holland as Titans suffer

By KEN VAUGHAN Chinnor… 48 Rotherham… 35 CHINNOR and Rotherham Titans were determined to give the paying public their money’s worth...

First-half barrage sinks nervy Mose

Moseley… 27 Rosslyn Park 45 A CLINICAL five-try first half saw Rosslyn Park take advantage of their game in hand on...

Blackmore hat-trick inspires win

By PAT SHERRY Ampthill… 59 Caldy… 7 CALDY arrived at Dillingham Park for this re-arranged match on the type of day...

Calle Rivas magic seals bonus point

By LUKE JARMYN On the line: Ryan Parkinson goes into score for Sale PICTURES: Gareth Lyons Sale… 32pts Tries: Parkinson 20,...

Open season as rivals swoop on troubled Carnegie

RIVAL Championship clubs are poised to raid Yorkshire Carnegie’s squad while budgets at Headingley for the 2019/20 season remain unknown. In...

Burrell ‘buzzing’ to go back to League roots

By JON NEWCOMBE In the blood: Luther Burrell is ready to tackle a new challenge in Warrington PICTURES: Getty Images Coach:...

MY LIFEIN RUGBY

THE FORMER HARLEQUINS, BRISTOL, MOSELEY, NEWBURY, LONDON SCOTTISH, EALING AND ROSSLYN PARK CENTRE ANDY REAY I think of myself as a...

May’s braced for Pirates backlash

By NEALE HARVEY Aiming high: Ealing fly-half Laurence May FLY-HALF Laurence May says Ealing have the scent of silverware as they...

Steele eyes big finish to stop-start season

By NEALE HARVEY Making strides: Irish No.9 Scott Steele SCRUM-HALF Scott Steele aims to lay down a marker ahead of the...

DREAM TEAM

ALEX LEWINGTON, SARACENS, ENGLAND SAXONS AND FORMER LEICESTER, NOTTINGHAM AND LONDON IRISH WING, CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE HAS PLAYED WITH...

Dennis enticed by European carrot

Ready to commit: Exeter Chiefs back row bruiser Dave Dennis PICTURE: Getty Images EXETER enforcer Dave Dennis is ready to turn...

‘World class’ Minozzi can plug Le Roux gap says Masi

By NEALE HARVEY X-factor: Italy full-back Matteo Minozzi MATTEO Minozzi is an “incredible talent” whose dancing feet and pace will ensure...

Dunn honing his attack in late charge for World Cup

By NEALE HARVEY More than nuts and bolts: Bath’s Tom Dunn COMBATIVE Bath hooker Tom Dunn is banking on an extra...

Daly will thrive at full-back, I’ve thought for a while it’s his best position

New role: Daly scores against Australia ELLIOT DALY will only get better and better as England’s full-back, insists Chris Pennell, as...

I’d be crazy to leave Warriors now my vision is taking shape

JON NEWCOMBE talks to Worcester’s loyal servant Chris Pennell ahead of a huge game with Newcstle JON NEWCOMBE Warrior through and...

Manu cash may be too much for us – Murphy

LEICESTER supremo Geordan Murphy is banking on loyalty to trump cash after admitting his club cannot compete with the big money...

Follow The Rugby Paper online…

Follow us at: @TheRugby Paper Like us at: www.facebook.com/ the rugbypaper Keep in touch with The Rugby Paper wherever you are...

Still all to play for insists Cassiem

Preview Scarlets v Cheetahs Today, Kick-off 1pm LEIGH Halfpenny will play his first game since November against the Cheetahs with his...

Edinburgh stunned by Harries double

By STEFFAN THOMAS Edinburgh… 17 Cardiff Blues… 19 JASON Harries came back to haunt Edinburgh with a brace of tries as...

Herring completes half-hour hat-trick

By STUART MCANDREW Ulster… 54 Zebre… 7 ROB Herring blitzed hapless Zebre with a hat-trick in half an hour as Ulster...

Nairn’s late double secures the spoils for pacy Warriors

By LUKE JARMYN GLASGOW headed the words of coach Dave Rennie by coming out and delivering a high pace performance that...

Frustrated Ospreys fall foul of ref’ Berry

By ALEX BYWATER On the charge: Munster’s Arno Botha makes a break PICTURE: Inpho OSPREYS head coach Allen Clarke hit out...

Humiliation as Dragons sink to new low in Italy

By STEFFAN THOMAS DRAGONS were crushed In Italy conceding nine tries in what is the biggest ever Italian victory in the...

Easy win but leaky defence concern for Leo

By RONAN O’NEILL Leinster …59 Kings… 19 LEO Cullen has told his Leinster players to shore up their defence or get...