EXCLUSIVE: London Irish need greater finance to compete warns Crossan 

London Irish owner Mick Crossan has launched a plea for new backers to step forward after admitting he can no longer...

Dream Team: Demetri Catrakilis – future Harlequins fly-half

1. Steven Kitshoff – His all-round skills give him the nod at loosehead. Whether scrummaging, carrying, tackling he can do it...

NICK CAIN’S PLAYER WATCH…

WASPS 1. MATT MULLAN Hard day at the scrum but kept battling, and returned in extra-time to shore it up Rating:...

Exeter live the dream and rugby’s the winner

Wasps 20pts Tries: Gopperth 41, Daly 44 Conversions: Gopperth 41, 45 Penalties: Gopperth 18, 54 Exeter 23pts - After Extra Time...

Set Faletau loose and he can cause havoc for Lions

Taulupe Faletau has a different skill set from the injured Billy Vunipola PICTURE: Getty Images TAULUPE Faletau is in the spotlight...

DREAMTEAM

TOMMY BELL, THE LONDON IRISH AND FORMER LEICESTER & WASPS FLY-HALF, CHOOSES THE BEST XV HE HAS PLAYED WITH OR AGAINST…...

Lions treadmill will leave Aviva fans short-changed

COLIN BOAG This time next week it will have started – the British and Irish Lions play their first game on...

Owners must think of their members

WE are told that Newcastle season ticket holders will be compensated for taking a match to the USA and fans can...

Inadequate recovery time spells serious trouble for the Lions

SATURDAY June 3 is the first game in NZ for the Lions, just one week after the Premiership final. This is...

Cain’s right about Brown’s omission

SEND YOUR COMMENTS TO: The Rugby Paper, Tuition House, St Georges Road, Wimbledon SW19 4EU email: newsdesk@therugbypaper.co.uk I CONGRATULATE Nick Cain...

Slade has new spring in his step thanks to mentor Wilkinson

HENRY Slade has revealed how confidence gained from working with boyhood hero Jonny Wilkinson helped him deliver the kick that killed...

Cowan-Dickie eyes Test spot

By NEALE HARVEY EXETER hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie has vowed to turn up the heat on England skipper Dylan Hartley during next...

Paver: Jamal reminds me of the young Dan Cole

By NEALE HARVEY ONE-TIMELeicester reject Jamal Ford-Robinson could have the last laugh by challenging Tigers star Dan Cole for his England...

Eddie’s in need of a big rethink says Lamb

By NEALE HARVEY FRANCE-BOUND fly-half Ryan Lamb says Eddie Jones’ decision to exclude Freddie Burns, Danny Cipriani and Christian Wade from...

England must try to ease pain of massacre

EDDIE Jones has told his England team to do their best to lift the mood of the country after the Manchester...

Sevens set to combine

THE Sevens teams of England, Scotland and Wales are set to combine as Great Britain to allow three opportunities for Team...

Scotland triumph in London’s grand finale

ENGLAND head coach Simon Amor says they will be a better side for the disappointment of losing to Scotland in the...

Cockerill faces his old rivals in the final

FRENCH COLUMN DAVID BARNES Richard Cockerill, Nick Abendanon and David Strettle, rivals for so long in different colours in their homeland,...

DIVISION 3 PREVIEW…

Sussex v Oxfordshire Today. Kick-off 10am By NICK VERDIER HARLEQUINS star Ross Chisholm hopes he can gives something back to Sussex...

DIVISION 2 PREVIEW…

Leicestershire v Hampshire Today. Kick-off 5.15pm By SAM JACKSON LEICESTERSHIRE will play at Twickenham for the fifth time in seven years...

Trelawney’s army march for Twickenham treble

DIVISION 1 PREVIEW… By LUKE JARMYN Cornwall v Lancashire Today. Kick-off 3.30pm CORNWALL president Peter James says the Duchy “will be...

Greenwood: Owen is key man, not Sexton

Opinion: Will Greenwood PERMUTATIONS for the Lions back line are pretty extensive but Owen Farrell must be given a jersey regardless...

Gray quits rugby for American adventure

ALEX Gray has decided to turn his back on Rugby Union to pursue a career in American Football after joining the...

Haskell on track for a Hollywood ending!

By NICK VERDIER LIONS tours usually include a fairytale story along the way and Welsh legend Scott Quinnell reckons the 2017...

TRANSFER WRAP

SCOTLAND wing Sean Maitland has signed a contract extension with Saracens until at least 2020. Sarries will have to do without...

High-flying Caldy earn the bragging rights after taking league by storm

Threat: Sale flier Jack Moorhouse CALDY were beaten just twice all season as they earned promotion to National League One with...

MY LIFEIN RUGBY

THE FORMER ENGLAND, SARACENS AND LONDON WELSH CENTRE STEVE RAVENSCROFT LOOKING back on my playing days I feel incredibly fortunate to...

My Lions dream knocked out by a real McCoy from Jimmy

A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME JEFF PROBYN Twenty-eight years ago I was playing in a Five Nations tournament that...

Value of try currency on the rise in Europe

PETER JACKSON reveals how two clubs have pushed try-scoring rates to new heights PETER JACKSON There was a time not that...

Counties expect tough test in Spain

ENGLAND Counties have named a 26-man squad for the tour of Spain that kicks-off on Wednesday. Ten players return to the...

England women go for experience in their tour of New Zealand

SIMON Middleton has banked on experience as England women begin their final preparation for the World Cup with a three- Test...

20 QUESTIONS

HARRY RANDALL ENGLAND U20s No.9 How’s preparation going for the Junior World Cup in Georgia? Very well. We had a tough...

Playmaking options will bring new dimension to our attack

THEO BROPHY-CLEWS England fly-half Our attack is based on using the whole width of the pitch and making sure we attack...

Pool C

BRUISES will be on the menu in this pool with big-hitters South Africa, Argentina, France and hosts Georgia battling it out....

Vass: Loss of Premiership stars no obstacle

By NEALE HARVEY MONTPELLIER-bound England U20s attack coach Ian Vass is convinced his side can overcome the loss of five key...

Earl puts injury time to good use with life as gym monkey

By NICK VERDIER IT MIGHT not have felt like it at the time but Ben Earl reckons the knee injury that...

Pool B

INJURIES have robbed Ireland of a number of players but Peter Malone is still hoping his side can rise to the...

Botham can’t wait for crack at Aussies

SIR Ian Botham produced some of his most famous cricketing displays against Australia. Now, the former all-rounder’s grandson Jim is hoping...

YOUNG GUNS

JOSH BAYLISS BATH FLANKER Making his first team debut seemed an unachievable goal for fresh-out-of-school Josh Bayliss at the start of...

Tigers battle to keep hold of Betham

LEICESTER Tigers’ former Wallaby international Peter Betham appears to be at the centre of a tug of war between Exeter and...

Jones calls for football style coaches’ union

BY NEIL FISSLER ENGLAND boss Eddie Jones believes that rugby coaches need a trade union to look after their interests after...

Irish in for Armitage brothers?

LONDON IRISH were still celebrating their return to the Premiership when rumours of the Armitage brothers returning to the club reached...

Sopoaga in box seat as Highlanders extend run

By NICK VERDIER THE HIGHLANDERS recorded their ninth consecutive victory of the season to keep momentum building in the pursuit of...

ROOM 101

BILLY JOHNSON THE OLD ALBANIANS LOCK TAKES US THROUGH HIS PET HATES FROM THE RUGBY WORLD AND BEYOND 1. The maul...

King John by a whisker!

On departure day for New Zealand, Brendan Gallagher looks back through the years to pick his best Lions XV including the...

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Follow the Lions next week…

It’s sizing up to be one of the greatest tours ever and we have assembled a line-up guaranteed to give you...

Exiles need greater finance to compete warns Crossan

EXCLUSIVE By NEALE HARVEY LONDON Irish owner Mick Crossan has launched a plea for new backers to step forward after admitting...

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Tom puts his heart and Sole into it to make grade at Northants

ONE event took place last week which seems to have escaped general notice, the reappearance of a famous Scottish name albeit...