Spurs get the cold shoulder from RFU

No go: Ian Ritchie TOTTENHAM have been knocked back by the RFU in an attempt to use Twickenham to host one...

Tigers on the prowl for players

BY NEILFISSLER Follow me on Twitter: @neilfissler LEICESTER TIGERS are hoping to make a couple of new signings before the Premiership...

ROOM 101

RIKKI STOUT THE ROTHERHAM PROP TAKES US THROUGH HIS PET HATES FROM THE RUGBY WORLD AND BEYOND 1. Odd socks There’s...

Lone wolf Danny needs some proper wing men

BRENDAN GALLAGHER A weekly look at the game’s other talking points RUGBY MATTERS Shot in the foot: Danny Cipriani outside court...

Curious Pulu case gets special treatment

TRYING to follow World Rugby’s tortured, self-serving logic on captured players can send you quietly insane. After the high profile expulsions...

Munster highlight areas for Kidney’s attention

Munster ……….32 L Irish …………..28 DECLAN Kidney said he and Les Kiss have a huge job on their hands to secure...

Headache time for Harvey

Jersey ……….35 Old Elthamians ..7 JERSEY claimed five tries with a comfortable win over National One opponents Old Elthamians built on...

Spittle scorches in as Titans capitulate

By ROB WILDMAN Power play: Nottingham No.8 Josh Poullet crashes over from short range PICTURE: Phil Hutchinson TEAMS NOTTINGHAM: Robinson; Spittle,...

Fast start from Tigers but Italian pack power swings it

By SAM JACKSON Benetton ……..26 Leicester ……..10 LEICESTER Tigers suffered a set-back to their pre-season campaign with a four tries to...

Glaws finish with a flurry as old boy Burns hobbles off

Ulster ………………..17 Gloucester ……….29 GLOUCESTER put the Danny Cipriani saga to one side to record a fine victory in Ulster. Two...

Lewis at double as Knights ring the changes

By TOM JAMESON Doncaster ……47 Sale FC …………21 THE Knights won their first home pre-season fixture in style. Four second half...

Double red adds punch to Sharks ‘friendly’ win

By JOHN EVERTON HISTORY repeated itself in Saint Affrique as Sale again beat Castres in a pre-season match, but this was...

Pirates batten down the hatches to keep Chiefs out

C Pirates ……29 Exeter …………21 AN Exeter Chiefs team with a dangerous back division came up short as Cornish Pirates thrilled...

Roberts barges over to mark his debut in style

By GARY HEATLY Try time: Jamie Roberts punches through the Edinburgh defence PICTURES: Patrick Khachfe JAMIERoberts bagged a try on his...

Lawes feeling fresh after five-month injury layoff

By ROGER PANTING COURTNEY Lawes returned as a half-time replacement to help batter Dragons into second half submission with hooker James...

Falcons up tempo to leave Euro kings for dead

By GEORGE LAWRENCE Leinster ……….17 Newcastle……42 NEWCASTLE continued to build for the start of the new season with a comprehensive defeat...

Henson aims to play until he’s 40!

By PETER JACKSON GAVIN Henson looks ‘a million dollars’ according to Dragons’ head coach Bernard Jackman as the 36-year-old prepares for...

Give Danny a chance like Stokes says Vickery

By GARY FITZGERALD PHIL Vickery has sent a heartfelt message to Eddie Jones “not to kick Danny Cipriani out of the...

Rugby Championship: All Blacks looking for fifth title in six years

New Zealand take on the Wallabies tomorrow morning in Sydney

Betting on rugby league and rugby union

Rugby game is an enormous, consisting of intense score lines and vital extremes. There is only one place to exploit this...

Guscott column: John Mitchell’s got the means to increase England’s intensity

Jeremy Guscott would not be surprised to see John Mitchell look further than being a defence coach while at the RFU

Mark Flanagan adds steel to Bedford Blues’ pack

It's been a summer of impressive recruitment by Mike Rayer at Goldington Road

Leo column: Unearth the root causes to end off-field violence

Dan Leo highlights the skirmish between Amanaki Mafi and Lopeti Timani as one instance of how Pacific Islander physicality can take...

Rugby Championship: Australia seek to shore up scrum while blooding in new caps

Continuing our team profiles ahead of the 2018 Rugby Championship, we look at the Wallabies

‘I’ll really try to do something special for this town’ – read our recent interview with Danny Cipriani

The new Gloucester arrival reveals how many other Premiership clubs were interested in his services, but he was most eager to...

Read and Retallick back for the All Blacks, as Australia turn to Hodge to fill midfield problem

Sam Whitelock will earn his 100th Test cap for New Zealand in the Bledisloe Cup clash

Justin Tipuric named as Ospreys captain, as Alun Wyn Jones heads into World Cup year with Wales

Alun Wyn Jones' record of 115 appearances as captain is more than double of any other Ospreys player

Danny Cipriani attends Jersey court and is fined following arrest outside nightclub

Gloucester signing Cipriani pleads guilty to two charges

Bath confirm Guy Mercer will leave before the start of the season

Francois Louw is back fit, but it's another fans' favourite leaving the Rec

Rugby Championship: A look at the Springboks

Is it still a matter of rebuilding under Rassie Erasmus for South Africa?

Harlequins can reap the rewards of England resting Danny Care this summer, says coach Alex Codling

The Quins forwards coach also talks making the pack a force to be reckoned with

Venter column: Bold move going for John Mitchell but Eddie’s got to go for broke

The former London Irish technical director and Springboks coach shares his views on what Eddie Jones needs to do to get...

Tyler Morgan has his mojo back after battle with injury and diabetes

The Dragons centre unloads on missing large parts of last season after being a part of Warren Gatland's plans

Shaun Edwards to work with Ospreys

"Shaun is a world class coach" - Allen Clarke

Rugby Championship: Argentina team profile

Who else is on the Ledesma hype train?

Twickenham under attack: Button for the nuclear option may be pressed

The RFU have a sizeable debt stacking up

John Mitchell waits in the wings for RFU and Bulls to agree compensation fee

The former All Blacks coach is wanted by Eddie Jones to be England's defence coach

Peter Jackson column: RFU miss the boat again for Shaun Edwards

England miss another chance to join forces with a coach who has won everything there is to win in Union bar...

Gambling sponsorship and Rugby: is the link too strong in the UK?

Even though the situation in Rugby is not like in Football where almost every team has a gambling-related sponsorship, it is...

Spectator safety at rugby matches

Going to a stadium to watch a professional rugby match is a great event. The atmosphere tends to be sociable with...

Dream start for Christian

NEWS EXTRA FORMER Worcester Warriors forward Christian Scotland-Williamson made his first appearance for Pittsburgh Steelers in a pre-season victory over the...

One-way traffic in midlands derby

By TOM BRANSTON Coventry ………62 Moseley ……….14 COVENTRY cruised to a 62-14 victory over fierce Midlands rivals Moseley to win the...

Pack power proves the difference

Richmond ….21 Blackheath …14 RICHMOND took the bragging rights as the oldest club rugby game in history went the way of...

Tigers’ tyro speedster Olowofela off to a flyer

By ROGER PANTING Eyes on the line: Jason Harries on his way to the opening try for Blues PICTURES: Huw Evans...

High-flying Falcons pick up where they left off

By DAVID RICHARDS JOHNNY Williams impressed on debut as Newcastle ran out comfortable winners over their Championship counterparts. Dean Richards’ side...

Venter eyes lead role to boost bid for Boks

By NEALE HARVEY NEWS EXTRA WORCESTER midfield general Francois Venter believes last season’s PRO 14 experience with the Cheetahs can help...

Mitchell’s got the means to increase England’s intensity

JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE…EVERY WEEK Loud and clear: John Mitchell gets his point across in England training 1998 PICTURE: Getty...

DREAMTEAM

RICHARD LIST, DONCASTER AND FORMER NARBONNE PROP, CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE HAS PLAYED WITH OR AGAINST… 1. Simon Bunting –...

All Blacks must lose Rugby Championship

COLIN BOAG Kings again: All Blacks are crowned last year The Southern Hemisphere’s Rugby Championship starts next weekend, and unlikely though...

Lack of pool stage spoilt World Sevens

MOST people seem to agree the recent Sevens World Cup was a great success, but there was one element that caused...