Singleton pumped up for his second chance at Saracens

By NEALE HARVEY HOOKER Jack Singleton says the lure of returning to Saracens and going head-tohead with England star Jamie George...

Folau has contract terminated

ISRAEL Folau’s sacking by by Rugby Australia was upheld at an appeal hearing after the player said ‘hell awaits’ gay people...

Launceston promotion is career high for Westren

By NEALE HARVEY On the up: Launceston celebrate beating Old Centralians PLAYER-COACH Ryan Westren predicts brighter times ahead for Launceston, a...

Blues get green light for Williams

CARDIFF Blues have won their appeal to retain No.8 Nick Williams for next season. Kiwi Williams, 35, was due to come...

Pat’s putting me back on track for Wales – Thomas

By STEFFAN THOMAS DAN Thomas hopes a stellar Premiership campaign with Bristol can throw him into contention for the Wales set-up...

YOUNG GUNS

SAM COSTELOW LEICESTER FLY-HALF It promises to be a memorable month for 18-year-old flyhalf Sam Costelow, who hopes to line up...

Prop star steps up for shot in top-flight

LONDON Irish have bolstered their front row options for next season by signing prop Will Goodrick-Clarke from Richmond. The 23-year-old, named...

Lion’s share for top three but try-hungry Tigers get two

The Rugby Paper’s reporters have submitted their votes to reveal our National 2 North Team of the Season NOMINATIONS have come...

Dorset & Wilts to meet Cumbria in final

DIVISION 3 ROUND-UP By TOM HAIMOVICI IT WAS Cumbria who took the spoils in a dramatic head-to-head shootout against Oxfordshire in...

First-half barrage spells broken Herts

By JOHN FOX GLOUCESTERSHIRE won on Hertfordshire soil for the first time since 2006 thanks to a powerful first half in...

Cant’s heroes to the fore for Kent

By TIM ALLEN Hampshire……26 Kent ………………35 ON a warm sunny afternoon at Hooks Lane, home of Havant RFC, Hampshire hosted Kent,...

Twickenham calling as Cornish run riot in second half

By SARA RAINE Devon …………20 Cornwall ……50 CORNWALL ran in eight tries against their big rivals Devon at Brixham yesterday to...

Yorks hold off to edge the late fightback Roses rivalry

By CHRISTIAN EVANS YORKSHIRE and Huddersfield winger Tom Hodson praised his team as the White Rose County edged arch rivals Lancashire...

Birkenhead boost for Cheshire final

By FEARGAL BRENNAN Cheshire……….52 Durham …………..7 CHESHIRE stormed into the final of the 2019 Bill Beaumont Cup with a dominant display...

Counties hold on as Bird lets it slip

By STEVE JACKSON East Counts….28 N’umberland ..27 EASTERN Counties finished their season with a bonus-point victory over Northumberland at the Haberden...

Attacks rule in Div 2 as try-fest ensues

DIVISION 2 ROUND-UP By DAVE MOORE LEICESTERSHIRE sealed a shot at Twickenham glory as they beat East Midlands 29-20 in what...

Ferguson has got Saints pack rolling again says Waller

By NEALE HARVEY NORTHAMPTON’S pack is becoming a force to be reckoned with again according to long-serving prop Alex Waller. Waller,...

South African invasion will give Sharks teeth

By JON NEWCOMBE Top tackler: Jono Ross Talisman: Faf de Klerk A TWEET from Sale showing Faf de Klerk in a...

European Cup takes a bow in Detroit

DETROIT, where Henry Ford invented the assembly-line and Diana Ross personified the sound of Motown, is big on sport, too. It...

Caballero’s walk-on part among Test bit players

THE raft of retirees leaving the stage within the next fortnight includes Castres back row forward Yannick Caballero, after 15 consecutive...

Iron-man Ryan back on parade

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW Two minutes’ fame: Lee Jarvis of Wales in action. Inset: Yannick Caballero PICTURES:...

Mako will be fine for World Cup – McCall

SARACENS loose-head Mako Vunipola will be sidelined for “a minimum of three months” with a torn hamstring. Vunipola sustained the injury...

Opportunity knocks for Ryan’s Dragons

By ROB COLE NEW Dragons boss Dean Ryan insists the talent pool in Wales is as big as England and plans...

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McCall for Test arena

I WAS delighted to see Liam Williams win the Champions Cup with Saracens – but their real unsung hero is Mark...

For Wales’ sake, end the verbals

I WAS interested to read Shaun Edwards’ tit-fortat with Wayne Pivac last week. Both are passionate rugby men, but this talking...

Taskmaster Ryan won’t let the rot continue

SHANE WILLIAMS WALES AND LIONS LEGEND Non-nonsense: Dean Ryan coaches his Gloucester players PICTURE: Getty Images DEAN Ryan is a no-nonsense,...

Rampant Warriors canter into the final

By GARY HEATLY Glasgow ………50 Ulster………20 GLASGOW played some of their best rugby of the season to ease past Ulster into...

European shootout goes Ospreys way

By STEFFAN THOMAS No stopping: Olly Cracknell scores Ospreys’ second try PICTURE: Huw Evans TEAMS OSPREYS: Evans 7; North 7, Allen...

Leinster get back in the groove after Euro misery

By JOHN FALLON LEINSTER put the disappointment of last week’s Champions Cup final defeat behind them to oust arch rivals Munster....

Sarries would thrash best of the rest in England

NICK CAIN RATES THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS AGAINST THE REMAINDER OF THE PREMIERSHIP’S RED ROSE CONTINGENT SARACENS’ third European Cup final triumph...

Lam’s on lookout for front row cavalry

In market: Pat Lam BRISTOL BEARS boss Pat Lam is still targeting a couple of signings to bolster his squad for...

Falcons stars opt out to prolong life in top-flight

Joining Sale: Newcastle full-back Simon Hammersley NEWCASTLE Falcons are set for a double body blow following relegation to the Championship with...

McGuigan making his mind up

Choices: McGuigan GEORGE McGUIGAN is at the centre of a three way tug-of-war between Premiership rivals Leicester Tigers and Gloucester, and...

Begles sniffing around Brock

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEILFISSLER Follow me on Twitter: @neilfissler HARLEQUINS could suffer a setback in their move for Bordeaux Begles’...

ROOM 101

JAMES TYSON THE WHARFEDALE OPENSIDE TAKES US THROUGH HIS PET HATES FROM THE RUGBY WORLD AND BEYOND 1. Hopeless hair lines...

Lam vow: Top six for us next season

PAT LAM called the win a “perfect send-off ” for several departing players and staff, including retiring 38-year-old former Wallaby George...

Bears have come out of the woods to stay

By LUKE JARMYN Man of the match: Charles Piutau goes over for the Bears’ opening try PICTURES: Getty Images Collision: Falcons’...

Refreshing that Baxter and Cohen stand by principles

ROB Baxter’s trenchant statement in favour of promotion and relegation this week shows that not all Premiership clubs are convinced that...

Release the Tier 2 brake or game will go in reverse

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK Dream killers: Lucas Rumball scores for Canada as they beat Germany in the...

McCall: Tough for us to lose like that

SARACENS’ director of rugby Mark McCall was disappointed to lose in the last minute. He said: “It was a very valuable...

Nerveless Weir lands a photo-finish victory

By ROGER PANTING Last hurrah: Wing Josh Adams scores in the corner in his final game for Worcester PICTURES: Getty Images...

Ewels: We did it for boss Todd

CHARLIE Ewels admitted the Bath players were desperate to ensure Todd Blackadder left on a positive note. Bath captain Ewels, who...

Blackadder goes forth with a proud farewell

By GARY FITZGERALD Making it his: Bath try scorer Joe Cokanasiga catches a high ball Over: Brendan O’Connor scores for Tigers...

Denny’s one of a kind for Diamond

STEVE Diamond made another push for England to recall Denny Solomona after the wing scored Sale’s winning try. “The selectors (England)...

Bath’s late win leaves Sharks lying in wait

By ROB WILDMAN Impact from the bench: Dom Coetzer scores for Gloucester SALE summoned their best at the death in a...

Welfare worries hit 13-club proposal

By NEALE HARVEY PREMIERSHIP Rugby proposals for a 13-team league from season 2020/21 may be scuppered because of concerns over player...

Saracens ask: What more can Goode do?

By NEALE HARVEY Out in front: Henry Slade runs in a try for Exeter in their big win over Northampton SARACENS...

Williams column: British & Irish Lions call will prove Gatland as one of the best

Shane Williams says there's no better man for the job of leading the Lions to South Africa in 2021

Rob ‘The Butcher’ Buchanan reveals how close he came to calling it quits

The Harlequins hooker damaged nerves in his neck but has made an astonishing comeback