Premiership

Arundell may be first to get hybrid contract

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER England star Henry Arundell could be one of the first players offered a new hybrid...

Quins could face fight to keep Millard

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Harlequins face a battle to keep hold of their director of rugby, Billy Millard, who...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Dream Team with Matt Kvesic

Matt Kvesic, The Coventry and former England, Worcester, Gloucester, Exeter and Zebre flanker, chooses the best XV he has played with...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Fearing players going abroad is a false storm

JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE... EVERY WEEK WORLD Cups provide rugby union with an opportunity to reset, and the actions taken...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Gloucester founder on Leicester rocks

By PAUL REES Gloucester ........................20pts Tries: McGuigan 49, Ford-Robinson 65 Conversions: Barton 50, 66 Penalties: Barton 16, 2 Leicester .......................... 38pts...

By The Rugby Paper Team

20 years on and little to give us any real hope

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK THIS week saw the 20th anniversary celebrations of the 2003 England squad winning...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Ford keeps his cool to seal it for Sharks

By BEN JAYCOCK Sale ..................................... 11pts Tries: Hill 25 Penalties: Ford 49, 74 Bath ....................................... 9pts Penalties: Russell 5, 22, 39...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Stay patient and results will come – McDonald

By PAUL REES PREVIEW... Newcastle v Exeter Today. Kick-off 3pm, Kingston Park IT has been an eventful four months for Kiran...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Baxter urges his young charges to win on the road

By PAUL REES Going well: Joe Hawkins ROB Baxter has called on his young Exeter side to lay down a marker...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Red Roses: Jess Breach

ENGLAND AND SARACENS WINGER Birthplace: Chichester Date of Birth: 04/11/1997 Community Club: Chichester & Pulborough Club: Saracens Red Roses Debut: 2017...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Saracens hit fast lane to power past Trailfinders

By WILLIAM THURTLE Trailfinders ..... 18pts Tries: Dow 50, 63 Conversions Green 64 Saracens ..........52pts Penalties: Green 8, 13 Tries: Wyrwas...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Coventry show right style to pull in crowds

By BEN JAYCOCK Rugby attendances are mostly on the decline in the top two divisions in England, but Coventry’s scintillating style...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Abbie on England road

Abbie Ward hopes her try-scoring return to action for Bristol Bears Women last week can act as the launchpad for her...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Set-pieces which make the difference

Paul Rees canvasses expert opinion on how scrums and lineouts can separate the two codes of rugby Last month, World Rugby...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Another maximum for flying Drovers

Premiership round-up By CARL FIELD CHAMPIONS Llandovery made it five successive bonus point victories and nine wins out of 10 after...

By The Rugby Paper Team

What’s in The Rugby Paper: 26/11/23

Following a consequential round of derby action in the Premiership, the league continues with four more reports and a preview in The...

By Nick Powell

Premiership Round Seven Preview

In the aftermath of an exhilarating round of derbies, where Bath narrowly triumphed over Bristol, Leicester Tigers revived their season by...

By Nick Powell

“We’re going to be an exciting team” – new winger McGhie on Tigers women

Leicester Tigers marked their Premiership Women’s Rugby debut at Welford Road last Sunday against last year’s finalists Exeter Chiefs with a...

By Nick Powell

“It opened my eyes” – Sean Long looks back on time in rugby union

Cross-code coaches are nothing new in rugby union. The likes of Kevin Sinfield, Shaun Edwards, Mike Ford and more recently Lee...

By Nick Powell

Stooke heading back to Bath

Elliot Stooke’s return to Bath has been confirmed by the club a month after it was foreseen by The Rugby Paper’s...

By Nick Powell

Police investigating racial abuse of Monye

Police are investigating Ugo Monye’s accusation of racist abuse by a supporter following an appearance he made as a pundit at...

By Nick Powell

Slade penalty gives Exeter thrilling late derby win

Exeter............................................25 Tries: Tuima 9, Jenkins 33, Townsend 76 Conversions: Slade 10, 77 Penalties: Slade 61, 80+1 Gloucester...................................24 Tries: Clement 29, Thorley...

By Nick Powell

Guest Blogs

/ 2 years ago

Jasper Wiese: Commitment to Leicester Tigers Amid Speculation on Future

Leicester Tigers‘ World Cup-winning forward, Jasper Wiese, is resolute in his dedication to the club, even as rumors swirl about his...

By Sam Emery

English Championship

/ 2 years ago

Sweeney’s PGP plan facing big obstacles

By NICK CAIN The Championship’s unanimous rejection of the RFU’s plans to turn it into a ‘Premiership 2’ franchise league is...

By The Rugby Paper Team

/ 2 years ago

McKellar praise for humble Pollard

Leicester Tigers boss Dan McKellar hailed Handre Pollard after the coach’s first taste of a passionate East Midlands derby. The Australian...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 2 years ago

Baxter: Focus on all the good stuff

By PAUL REES Rob Baxter believes that the 15 per cent drop in Premiership attendances from last season, revealed by The...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 2 years ago

Dorking offering ‘crucial help’

By LUKE JARMYM Dorking chief Armand Roux says that while the Surrey club is fighting for an unprecedented promotion to National...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 2 years ago

Underhill faces a fight for his place

By PAUL REES Back row is not one of England head coach Steve Borthwick’s problem positions in terms of competition for...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Premiership

/ 2 years ago

Vakatawa grateful to Lam for giving him a chance at Bears

By PAUL REES Virimi Vakatawa says he feels blessed to be playing rugby again after being told last year that a...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Premiership

/ 2 years ago

Sale captain Curry enjoying return to the ‘hamster wheel’

By JON NEWCOMBE Now he is fit again and back on the “hamster wheel” of training, playing and recovering, everything in...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 2 years ago

Launchbury happy to be back where it all started

By PAUL REES Joe Launchbury has returned to the club where his career started, and nearly ended, 14 years ago. He...

By The Rugby Paper Team

British and Irish Lions

/ 2 years ago

2025 Lions will be available for the whole tour

All players selected for the 2025 British and Irish Lions to Australia will be available for the whole tour thanks to...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Premiership

/ 2 years ago

Carreras on way to Bayonne

Argentina wing Mateo Carreras will leave Newcastle Falcons at the end of the season to join Top 14 side Bayonne. Carreras...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Letters

/ 2 years ago

Time to have the same laws across the game

MANY thanks to Paul Rees for turning the spotlight onto the issue of tackle heights in the professional game, containing many...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Letters

/ 2 years ago

We keep pressing self-destruct button

It is high time English rugby with its huge resources, in both player and financial terms, ceased pressing the wretched self-destruct...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Jeremy Guscott

/ 2 years ago

Russell has the mastery to push Bath to the top

JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE... EVERY WEEK Finn Russell is, with out a doubt, an ultra talented fly-half and the Scot...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Premiership

/ 2 years ago

World Cup winner puts Tigers on top

By ROB WILDMAN Leicester .......................... 26pts Tries: van Wyk 56, Liebenberg 72 Conversions: Pollard 56, 72 Penalties: Pollard 2, 23, 25,...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 2 years ago

Ruthless Saracens demolish Harlequins

By BRENDAN GALLAGHER Harlequins ........................ 10pts Try: Esterhuizen 74 Conversion: Smith 74 Penalty: Smith 18 Saracens .......................... 38pts Tries: Gonzalez 19,...

By The Rugby Paper Team