Championship - The Rugby Paper

Tag: Championship

Hartpury hold off Loughborough fightback to seal hat-trick of titles

18 April 2024 0 comments

By TOM JEFFREYS Hartpury……………………………………………..34 Tries: Dale 9, 40+2; Constable 17, Aspinall 22, Grizzle-Johnson 34, Veerkamp 80 Conversions: Manns 10, 80+1 Loughborough……………………………………22 Tries: Williams 25, Waudby […]

Loughborough stun Exeter to end long wait for title

17 April 2024 0 comments

By TOM JEFFREYS Exeter……………………………………………….31 Tries: J Gulley 29, Joseland 43, 68, 76 Conversions: McCaig 31, 44, 69, 77 Penalties: McCaig 12 Loughborough…………………………………35 Tries: Preen 20, […]

Wales legend Owens retires at 37

17 April 2024 0 comments

Former Wales captain Ken Owens has retired from professional rugby aged 37. The ‘Sheriff’ was the oldest ever-player to hold the role, as he played […]

Women’s Lions sponsors will provide funding to avoid imbalance

16 April 2024 0 comments

A £3 million grant funded by Royal London will attempt to provide more balance among the Home Nations, ensuring the women’s British and Irish Lions […]

Minnows in line for a World Cup boost

14 April 2024 0 comments

By JON NEWCOMBE World Rugby aims to streamline the Rugby World Cup qualification process to give non-high performance nations even more time to prepare for […]

Baxter backs world club champs

14 April 2024 0 comments

By SAM JACKSON Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter welcomes plans for a new club world championship providing it is financially viable. Slated to start […]

Coming to grief on the road to Morocco

14 April 2024 0 comments

Mark Stevens talks to Exeter chairman Tony Rowe about his love of classic rallying across all corners of the world WIDELY regarded as one of […]

Sparkling Leinster get it right this time

14 April 2024 0 comments

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Leinster……………………….. 40pts Tries: Lowe 16, 60; Gibson-Park 37, Baird 42, Sheehan 56 Conversions: Byrne 18, 38, 43 Penalties: Byrne 7, 27, 31 […]

Exeter confirm swoop for Ealing’s Roots

14 April 2024 0 comments

Exeter Chiefs have confirmed the signing of Ealing Trailfinders prop Jimmy Roots, as revealed in The Rugby Paper last month. The 24-year-old tighthead is the […]

RFU needs a sense of proportion

14 April 2024 0 comments

The RFU has always maintained that promotion-relegation is sacrosanct, even though the RFU Council agreed in February 2021 to a so-called “moratorium” to suspend it […]

Another barmy idea from the men in suits

14 April 2024 0 comments

The Ministry of Silly Walks was a Monty Python sketch which lampooned bureaucratic inefficiency. Rugby Union requires something similar to shame the unaccountable administrators turning […]

France predict fierce battle

14 April 2024 0 comments

Preview France v Italy Today. 12.30pm LES Bleues have recorded wins over Ireland and Scotland to leave them second behind England in the table as […]

Time for props to take their share of the glory

14 April 2024 0 comments

CHRIS HEWETT THINKING ALLOWED OVERMATCHED teams usually find themselves facing the music without having to listen to any. It was different for Lyon, who schlepped […]

Ampthill hold on to deny Bedford

14 April 2024 0 comments

By SHAWN TAYLOR Bedford Blues……………24pts Tries: Worley 15, French 28, Adamson 41, 70 Conversions: Maisey 16, 42 Ampthill…………………….. 29pts Tries: Jackson 10, Stonham 22, Adejimi […]

Doncaster looking for revenge after Caldy’s December win

14 April 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK PREVIEW… Doncaster v Caldy Today. Kick-off 2.30pm, Castle Park DONCASTER Knights are out for revenge after the Merseysiders secured an upset victory […]

More local derbies in the north would help

14 April 2024 0 comments

Former Richmond boss Steve Hill talks to Ben Woods, below, the head coach at Tynedale in National Two North Why did you get into coaching […]

Rugby schedule has little to do with player welfare

14 April 2024 0 comments

PETER JACKSON THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW A roll of drums and a fanfare of trumpets late last summer heralded a new title sponsor […]

André, high priest of French running rugby

14 April 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER A weekly look at the game’s other talking points Andre Boniface, who died earlier this week aged 89, and his younger […]

Champions! Chinnor celebrate in fine style

14 April 2024 0 comments

By JON MEADOWS B Moseley ………. 0pts Chinnor…………..52pts Tries: Walker 17, Curry 20, Hughes 22, 36, Passman 27, Warboys 38, 50, Feeney 53 Conversions: Warboys […]

Kieran pleased to watch his youthful side powering on

14 April 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK With a late change in the club’s coaching staff and a youthful squad, the wheels could have come off at Rosslyn Park […]

Dawson: George is England’s catalyst

14 April 2024 0 comments

By NICK POWELL FORMER England captain and scrumhalf Matt Dawson says skipper Jamie George has been the “catalyst” for the country’s recent turnaround. World Cup […]

Hurricanes make it a magnificent seven

14 April 2024 0 comments

Super Rugby Pacific round-up By BEN JAYCOCK Clark Laidlaw’s unbeaten Hurricanes continued to solidify themselves at the top of Super Rugby Pacific with an impressive […]

We need a fairer deal for all levels

14 April 2024 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME I cannot believe that there is any way an agreement between the Championship, Premiership and the […]

MacDonald: Mitchell’s approach ‘really cool’

14 April 2024 0 comments

By MARK STEVENS Claudia MacDonald has praised the ‘new perspective’ John Mitchell has brought to the England Women’s team since taking charge. The 60-year-old was […]

Pirates sign Harris on loan

14 April 2024 0 comments

By SAM JACKSON Cornish Pirates have signed Exeter Chiefs hooker Iestyn Harris on loan to cover injuries. The 25-year-old former Wales age-grade international moves to […]

Squeezed-out Robson ready to take on his next challenge

14 April 2024 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN CARDIFF’S Arwel Robson fervently believes he’s in the best shape he’s ever been in and, after following his boyhood dream to play […]

Bargoed on course for double

14 April 2024 0 comments

Championship round-up BARGOED remain on course for a league and cup double after they won 36-8 at Bedwas to cement their top five place in […]

George has inspired England improvement – Dawson

11 April 2024 0 comments

Former England captain and scrum-half Matt Dawson has praised skipper Jamie George as the “catalyst” for the country’s recent turnaround, and backed his former club […]

Strawbridge appointed to England on permanent basis

9 April 2024 0 comments

Andrew Strawbridge will join Steve Borthwick’s England coaching staff on a permanent basis as an assistant coach and coaching advisor. Strawbridge, 59, supported England in […]

Dowson impressed by ‘freak athlete’ Hendy

7 April 2024 0 comments

Northampton Saints head coach heaped praise on George Hendy after his two second half tries sealed a 24-14 win over Munster in the Investec Champions […]

James relishing the Munster challenge

7 April 2024 0 comments

■By JON NEWCOMBE PREVIEW… Northampton Saints v Munster Today. Kick-off 12.30pm, Franklin’s Gardens IT is games like this after noon’s Champions Cup Round of 16 […]

Time to encourage ambitious clubs

7 April 2024 0 comments

IN a recent issue of The Rugby Paper, Jon Newcombe wrote that the RFU has emphasised its wish to make the Championship ‘more commercially viable’. […]

Ingall stars as Scottish hold firm for brave victory

7 April 2024 0 comments

■By MO SHER L Scottish ………29pts Tries: Brown 13, Ingall 35, Wallis 38, Ferdinand 43 Conversions: Sheppard 14, 36, 39 Penalty: Sheppard 55 Hartpury…………26pts Tries: […]

Killer wing Adamson hunts down club record

7 April 2024 0 comments

■By ROB WILDMAN @therugbypape Nottingham….. 24pts Tries: van der Flier 19, Ferreira 19, R Olowofela 44, Ramage 80 Conversions: Stronge 35, 45 Bedford Blues 34pts […]

JVP ready to prove he’s back to his best

7 April 2024 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN England and Leicester dynamo Jack van Poortvliet has highlighted in both his actions and words that he’s back to his very best […]

It’s still all to play for in race to the finishing line

7 April 2024 0 comments

Paul Rees predicts a nerve-racking end to the Premiership season where bonus points will prove crucial THE two-month Premiership break has made the jostling for […]

Bring back rucking and kill the jackal

7 April 2024 0 comments

Coach to coach Former Richmond director of rugby Steve Hill puts the questions to Paul Turner, below, coach of Championship club Ampthill RFC Why did […]

25 years of hurt and counting for Scotland

7 April 2024 0 comments

Scotland fans should look away now but this week – April 10 to be precise – will be the 25th anniversary of their last Championship […]

London Irish was just so full of real, good people

7 April 2024 0 comments

David Paice, the former England and London Irish hooker, looks back on his career in the game IT feels like a lifetime ago now that […]

Young Guns: Rams and England U20s fly-half George Makepeace-Cubitt

7 April 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK George Makepeace-Cubitt was the only player in England U20s’ victorious Six Nations squad not connected to a Premiership club but the talented […]

Otters get back to winning ways

7 April 2024 0 comments

Championship round-up NARBERTH took the frustration of backto-back defeats out on Newcastle Emlyn as they returned to winning ways by running in 10 tries in […]

Loughborough chasing epic cup double on finals day

7 April 2024 0 comments

BUCS By TOM JEFFREYS The finalists of the BUCS Super Rugby Championship at the StoneX on April 17 were decided last week, with Loughborough boasting […]

Middleton impressed by Mitchell approach

7 April 2024 0 comments

By NICK POWELL FORMER England Women’s head coach Simon Middleton has praised successor John Mitchell for his approach of winning the “hearts and minds” of […]

Italy’s new gladiator is voted best in Six Nations

7 April 2024 0 comments

ITALY centre Tommaso Menoncello, below, has been named the 2024 Six Nations player of the championship, becoming the first player from his country since Andrea […]

What’s in The Rugby Paper: 07/04/24

5 April 2024 0 comments

It’s the weekend of the last 16 of the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup, and you can find reports from 11 games across the two […]

Mitchell winning Red Roses’ “hearts and minds” – Middleton

4 April 2024 0 comments

Former England Women’s coach Simon Middleton has praised successor John Mitchell for his approach of winning the “hearts and minds” of his new players while […]

Halliday: New deal is within our reach

1 April 2024 0 comments

By JON NEWCOMBE Calls for a further relaxation of Premiership ground capacity rules appear to be gathering momentum as the protracted discussions over the new […]

Bazalgette dreaming of shot at big time

1 April 2024 0 comments

By LUKE JARMYN Hartpury playmaker Harry Bazalgette believes he’s put himself in the shop window for Premiership outfits as he aims to follow in his […]

Bath surprise Durham to take spot in semi-finals

1 April 2024 0 comments

By TOM JEFFREYS THE semi-finalists for the BUCS Championship have been decided, with Exeter, Loughborough, Hartpury, and most surprisingly Bath, all booking spots for next […]

Young Guns: Northampton & England U20 wing Toby Cousins

1 April 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Former Northampton season ticket holder Toby Cousins aims to follow in the footsteps of the club’s youthful backline and break into the […]

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