Neath stay optimistic

THE Welsh All Blacks are confident the financial troubles of owner Mike Cuddy won’t impact their hopes of improvement on the...

Flanagan back to bolster Blues pack after stint with Saracens

By NEALE HARVEY Boost: Alex Rae FORWARDS coach Alex Rae is banking on the return of influential lock Mark Flanagan to...

ROOM 101

MARK SORENSON THE FORMER NEWCASTLE, NORTHAMPTON AND BRISTOL LOCK TAKES US THROUGH HIS PET HATES FROM THE RUGBY WORLD AND BEYOND...

Give Piutau a reprieve after early capture by All Blacks

DAN LEO EXPERT ANALYST ON PACIFIC NATIONS The annual Pacific Rugby Players Welfare (PRPW) Board meeting took place in Bristol last...

I’ve no doubt we’d have won a World Cup under Johnno

JOHN WELLS Q&A ON THE RECORD Missed opportunity: Martin Johnson should have stayed on as England coach says John Wells Pictures:...

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Don’t knock us for promoting rugby says Exeter Uni boss

By NEALE HARVEY KEITHFleming, rugby director at Exeter University, has slammed traditionalists who claim college sides should have no place in...

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This dark side of Pontypool Park must be cleansed

THERE was a time, especially during the early Eighties, when ‘Pooler’ turned Ponty-pool Park into the most forbidding fortress in the...

But even Warburton has to bend the knee to John Dawes

THE timeless debate as to the identity of the greatest Lions captain has been given a thorough airing these last few...

You did it Sam, you’re a true Lions legend now

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW Ambition achieved: Sam Warburton with the Lions in NZ PICTURE: Getty Images ■...

Merger between Hull clubs hits the buffers

By JON NEWCOMBE NOT for the first time – and probably not the last – talks about a merger between Hull...

Thomson tipped to be big hit at Scarlets

KIERON Fonotia has no doubts Blade Thomson will take European rugby by storm when he joins him at the Scarlets. The...

Evans: Brown is a freak of nature

By STEFFAN THOMAS Big and fast: New prop sensation Leon Brown PICTURE: Getty Images IAN Evans is backing the Dragons’ young...

Marshall re-joins Hurricanes after stay with Irish

Return: James Marshall HURRICANES have lured James Marshall back to Wellington for the 2019 Super Rugby season. Marshall will rejoin the...

Rugby’s all-star athletics line up

100M – CARLIN ISLES: Warren Weir might have the quickest PB on paper but he hasn’t approached that 10.02 for a...

Weir has a way to go if he’s to be rated alongside rugby’s fast men

BRENDAN GALLAGHER SUGGESTS THAT THE CLOCK MAY MISLEAD WHEN LOOKING FOR SPORTING SPEEDSTERS ANALYSIS Remarkable pace: Carlin Isles makes a break...

Tigers’ pack must find more teeth

Big loss: Ellis Genge charges upfield against Bath WHERE Leicester have come up short in the last couple of years is...

I have one rule for my TV work – call it as you see it

ANDY GOODE GUEST COLUMN FROM THE FORMER ENGLAND FLY-HALF Anyone who says they don’t miss a thing about playing rugby once...

Rebel rousers fined

SUPER Rugby Melbourne Rebels have handed £8,500 fines to Amanaki Mafi and Lopeti Timani after a fracas in a Dunedin nightclub...

Horne fund-raiser

NORTHAMPTON will play their Premiership game against Leicester on October 6 at Twickenham to raise money for centre Rob Horne. The...

Genge out until 2019

LEICESTER loosehead prop Ellis Genge will be out until the New Year after surgery on a knee injury sustained on England’s...

Wounded Tigers want payback for playoff pain

By NEALE HARVEY Fit and firing again: Gareth Owen PICTURES: Getty Images Hungry for action: Manu Tuilagi GARETH Owen is desperate...

Sevens stint can improve me, says Williams

By STEFFAN THOMAS LLOYD Williams hopes his adventure with Wales Sevens can help him regain his place in Warren Gatland’s 15-a-side...

Pontypool relocation a blow for our game’s heritage

I ONLY played at Pontypool Park on one occasion and it’s not a happy memory. In my Neath days we went...

Why Luke’s switch is no gamble for canny Ospreys

Prolific: Luke Morgan LUKE Morgan’s move to the Ospreys is a win-win situation for everyone involved. I’ll be fascinated to see...

Warburton exit must be wakeup call on welfare

SHANE WILLIAMS Retired: Sam Warburton’s story must be heeded PICTURE: Getty Images Sam Warburton’s shock retirement last week hit me for...

Scarratt anguish as her women fall at the first

By SAM JACKSON Take that: England’s Alex Matthews gets stuck into China. Right, Emily Scarratt runs in a try ENGLAND women...

Maunder’s body now battle ready after injury layoff

By ROB COLE Fit again: Jack Maunder JACK Maunder was picked out by Eddie Jones as one for the future when...

USA stand in the way of bid for gold by England

By ADAM ELLIS In at the corner: Mike Ellery scores for England against Samoa Flier: Fiji’s Sevuloni Mocenacagi scores against Japan...

Shingler: I’ll take my time after Sam shock

By PETER JACKSON On their way: England are through to the quarter-finals of the Sevens World Cup after victory over Samoa...

Kent plan to break into rugby big time

By NEALE HARVEY KENT, the second biggest rugby playing county behind Yorkshire, currently have no top-notch Championship or Premiership club. But...

Ospreys wing Keelan Giles still believing in World Cup dream

The 20-year-old accepts he is behind Steff Evans and Josh Adams in the pecking order... for now

My Life in Rugby: Bruce Reihana – former All Blacks, Chiefs and Northampton back

Now skills coach at Bristol Bears

Tom Mitchell column: Dallaglio’s victory in 1993 gives this tournament so much history

The England Sevens captain looks ahead to the World Cup this weekend in San Francisco

Gareth Baber must deliver success for Fiji after Ryan’s golden glory

After missing out on the Sevens World Series, how much pressure is there on Welshman Baber?

We believe England can win it, says talismanic forward James Rodwell

James Rodwell is not short of confidence aheading to the Sevens Rugby World Cup in San Francisco

Guscott column: Wayne Pivac will look to emulate All Blacks’ all-court game

Jeremy Guscott looks at some storylines that are set to develop once Wayne Pivac transitions into the Wales head coach role

BLK Hurricanes seek to go beyond limits known in Super Sevens Series

After five successful years on the UK 7s circuit, The Rugby Agents teamed up with BLK/RU Active Limited and created the...

Premiership clubs set for big TV cash boost

Online retail giants set to influence bidding process for rights

Wayne Pivac will get to pick his own panel of coaches

Shaun Edwards or Byron Hayward as Wales defence coach?

Kieran Brookes is on his way back to lean and mean best

The Wasps summer arrival has shed just shy of a stone in weight and his back to his optimal size for...

Dan Leo column: World Rugby must act to redress this failing system

Dan Leo looks at how mistakes are allowed to re-occur and impact Tier 2 & 3 nations

Wales & Lions captain Sam Warburton retires from rugby with immediate effect

Legendary flanker calls time on his career before reaching the age of 30

Hartpury sign five Gloucester players on dual registration

'He's got a big future in the game' says Hartpury head coach Mark Cornwall of one of the quintet

Matt O’Connor confirms Ellis Genge will miss the start of the season for Leicester Tigers

The front row forward was injured on tour with England last month

Melbourne Rebels come down hard on pair who were involved in nightclub altercation

Forward Amanaki Mafi appeared in court on Monday and his club have taken action

All Blacks stars commit to the Hurricanes and NZRU

The Hurricanes play the Chiefs in their Super Rugby quarter-final

Extension by stealth

THERE is never any shortage of lipservice paid to player welfare, which is why it is hard to explain the clandestine...

Boot is on the other foot now after Kane’s display

HARRY Kane’s pitchside interview after the England football team’s 2-1 loss to Croatia in the World Cup semi-final showed why his...