2017-18 pre-season fixtures

It is advisable to check matches and kick-off times with the clubs Friday August 4 Clermont v Exeter Saturday August 5...

Warriors record sale

GLASGOW Warriors have again sold a record number of season tickets for the upcoming campaign. The club have sold all their...

Namibian star for Scottish

NAMIBIANinternational Tjiuee Uanivi has signed for London Scottish from Glasgow Warriors. The 26-year-old can play either second-row or flanker, and has...

Cruden can help restore the thrills

DAVID BARNES FRENCH COLUMN Montpellier fans cannot wait to see All Black fly-half Aaron Cruden in their colours this season. They...

Little Belgium has a big rugby heart

Assistant coach Simon Leader gives the inside track on the rise of rugby in Belgium Our season finished with a big...

MY LIFEIN RUGBY

THE FORMER SELKIRK, SCOTLAND AND BRITISH & IRISH LIONS FLY-HALF JOHN RUTHERFORD When I made my Scotland debut in 1979 it...

For consistency, Murray is your man

By JON NEWCOMBE CONOR MURRAY is without peers in the pantheon of great Lions scrum-halves – even the great Gareth Edwards,...

Now let Williams off the leash for Wales says Byrne

By ALEX BYWATER Potency: Liam Williams makes a break against New Zealand PICTURES: Getty Images LIAM Williams must start at full-back...

Seniloli try treble sends Tonga into RWC

By SAM JACKSON Samoa 16 Fiji 38 TONGA qualified for the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan without having to play...

Sunwolves end season on a high as Keino binned

By ADAM ELLIS THE Sunwolves rounded off their second year in Super Rugby with a maiden win over New Zealand opposition,...

Key’s Rotherham will have fear factor

By GUY WILLIAMS THE challenge facing Andy Key, Rotherham Titans’ new head coach, is huge: How to revive the reputation and...

We’re gearing up for a fast start say Exiles

By NEALE HARVEY LONDON Irish face a race against time to be ready for their return to the Premiership but hooker...

YOUNG GUNS

CALLUM SIRKER ENGLAND SEVENS WING Callum Sirker ended the past two seasons at Twickenham but what a journey the last 14...

Did Poite let Lions off twice?

AMIDthe microscopic analysis of Romain Poite’s volte face on the penalty decision in the last Test, another question over the same...

Vintage crew quits Top 14

FOR the first time this century, a quartet of Test veterans will be missing when the Top 14 come under starter’s...

Blink and you’d have missed these eight Test debutants

THE Lions having been the only game in town since the end of the domestic season, it would have been nigh...

Who’d have thought it? Sam a radio role model

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW No matter what happens from now on, nothing will stop Sam Warburton taking...

Premiership imports who have been pure Gold …

Jon Newcombe discovers the overseas stars who have impressed Gary Gold most in the Premiership Jon Newcombe Being a World Cupwinning...

Wallaby win shows Scots way forward

Gregor Townsend turned down the opportunity to help coach the Lions to ensure he was available to start his career in...

Fiji reap the benefits of early RWC qualification

Brendan Gallagher rounds up the recent international action that has seen early qualifiers for RWC2019 Away from the excitement of the...

Will president Spencer fight to save the Lions?

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME Roaring with the Lions: Manager John Spencer celebrates at the end of...

Cometh the hour, cometh the man

PETER JACKSON analyses the numbers to reveal the major Lions contributors PETER JACKSON Clocking time: Taulupe Faletau in action against the...

20 QUESTIONS

MATT EVERARD NOTTINGHAM CAPTAIN How’s your summer been? Studious. We had one week off at the end of the season and...

How Lions rated on tour – man by man

Nick Cain spent seven weeks touring with the British and Irish Lions, watching every minute they played. Here he presents his...

Change would put ‘superb’ Premiership at risk

PREMIERSHIP Rugby commercial director Dominic Hayes insists English rugby will not fall into the Super Rugby trap of expanding beyond its...

Tigers freeze ticket prices to aid O’Connor revolution

By NEALE HARVEY LEICESTER Tigers have backed Matt O’Connor’s on-field revolution by freezing season ticket prices at Welford Road in a...

BE PART OF THE WORLD’S LARGEST RUGBY AWARDS

Determined: Hartpury No 9 Jake Polledri on the march towards the Rosslyn Park try line in National 1 THE AWARDS This...

Now we have hope about RWC 2019

NICK CAIN SPELLS OUT WHAT EACH OF THE HOME UNIONS CAN LEARN FROM THE LIONS TOUR IN the stock-take of one...

England lads get ready for tour of S Africa

By SAM JACKSON ENGLANDUnder 18s have named a 26-man squad for their three-match tour of South Africa in August. England face...

Restyled PRO14 would ‘gain £10m TV deal’

By NEALE HARVEY EUROPEAN rugby supremo Simon Halliday claims his organisation have yet to be consulted over plans to induct two...

Topsy warns Irish rivals: Joltin’ Joe is coming for you!

LONDON Irish hitman Joe Cokanasiga is ready to take the Premiership by storm, according to veteran Exiles winger Topsy Ojo. Cokanasiga,...

Wales must start planning for life after Gatland now

SHANE WILLIAMS WALES AND LIONS LEGEND The Lions tour told us many things about Northern Hemisphere rugby. It showed our sides...

Kiwis are world class at whining, but Poite was right

NEW Zealand are not just double world champions, they are world champion whiners when refereeing decisions go against them. The furore...

Let’s draw a line under this extra time debate

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK WHAT’S wrong with a draw? Especially one that is as honourable as that...

Warriors need deputy for Hougaard

WORCESTER Warriors are trying to find a short term cover for Francois Hougaard who is expected to be miss the first...

Itoje set to become Prem’s first £1m man

Expensive! Maro Itoje MARO ITOJE will become the Premiership’s first million pound a season player after returning from the Lions tour...

McKenzie close to joining Tigers

LEICESTER TIGERS are believed to in advanced talks with All Blacks fullback Damian McKenzie about a move to Welford Road. Blindside...

ON THE BLIND SIDE

BY NEILFISSLER Follow me on Twitter: @neilfissler ■MMA star Conor McGregor, pictured, was on a worldwide publicity tour with Flood Mayweather...

ROOM 101

JAKE POLLEDRI THE GLOUCESTER FLANKER TAKES US THROUGH HIS PET HATES FROM THE RUGBY WORLD AND BEYOND 1. Girly backs Turning...

Time for Gatland to change his style

By PETER JACKSON It’s him again: Jordie Barrett breaks away to score for the Hurricanes against the Crusaders PICTURE: Getty Images...

Scots can’t moan over Lions says Maitland

By NEALE HARVEY Realist: Sean Maitland SCOTLANDwing Sean Maitland reckons his countrymen can have no complaints over a lack of Lions...

Young Gun: George Stokes – Glasgow flanker

Growing up in Spain, George Stokes always faced an uphill battle to make it as a rugby player without the professional...

Room 101: Gavin Lach – Old Elthamians director of rugby

1. Wrong club attire I’m quite old-school in that I believe a team should look as one and wear the same...

Q&A: Ex-Wallaby James Horwill goes on the record as the new Harlequins captain

New Harlequins captain James Horwill outlines his expectations for the Twickenham Stoop outfit and explains to NEALE HARVEY why the British...

Judgement: The Fox was simply outstanding in all three Tests

Player of the Tour: Wales‘ Jonathan Davies, below, played every minute of the Tests and was in world class form throughout....

Saracens chairman proposes a balancing act to solve Lions/Premiership Rugby dispute

Saracens chairman Nigel Wray reckons staging Lions ‘tours’ within the British Isles would offer a radical solution to the rancorous issue...

Lionhearted Saracens won’t buckle after going for so long without a break, says Wyles

LONG-SERVING Saracens wing Chris Wyles is confident that the club’s large Lions contingent will not suffer from a post-tour hangover and...

What to know about Rugby Betting

There’s more to just knowing about the teams playing if you want to win at rugby betting - here’s what you...

Sports-Themed Slots Games

Pokies are hands-down the most popular games at any casino, whether it is land-based or online. Originally included in casinos simply...

20 Questions: Jeff Williams – bath wing

Enjoying pre-season? As much as you can enjoy pre-season I guess! I’ve started earlier than most of the squad along with...