Premiership

Letters

/ 3 years ago

A small, self-serving elite which bars all others from access

BEFORE the creation of club leagues in 1987, a group of around 24 self-appointed leading clubs played against each other (plus...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Letters

/ 3 years ago

Money problems hit England and Wales

WITNESSING the gulf in abilities between England and France had me thinking of the issues going on in the WRU and...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Sale Sharks director of rugby Steve Diamond

Blindside - rugby transfers

/ 3 years ago

Diamond could be man for Bath

Steve Diamond starts work at Edinburgh on Monday after being appointed a consultant on a contract until the end of the...

By The Rugby Paper Team

United Rugby Championship

/ 3 years ago

Cracknell fears for his old friends

By PAUL REES Olly Cracknell fears for the future of former team-mates at the Ospreys as the contract uncertainty in Wales,...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Welsh Premiership

/ 3 years ago

Drovers get back on track

Welsh Premiership Swansea................... 9 Llandovery.............35 The Drovers responded to Merthyr overtaking them in the table to move into second place by...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Welsh Premiership

/ 3 years ago

Fog can’t stop Merthyr

Welsh Premiership Ebbw Vale ................ 9 Merthyr....................24 Ebbw Vale’s play-off hopes took a hit as Merthyr came to Eugene Cross Park...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Welsh Premiership

/ 3 years ago

Bridgend on top in mud battle

Welsh Premiership By ROB COLE Bridgend ............8 Carmarthen Q ...7 The weather was almost the outright winner at the Brewery Field...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Jeff Probyn

/ 3 years ago

Did RFU give job to Borthwick too soon?

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME After watching a record defeat at home against a side that had...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 3 years ago

Innard: Chiefs can win the lot

By PAUL REES Jack Innard has fond memories of the Premiership Cup. He scored two tries in Exeter’s last appearance in...

By The Rugby Paper Team

/ 3 years ago

Van Zyl set for spicy clash with Harlequins

By GARY FITZGERALD Ivan van Zyl is bracing himself for another extra “spicy” confrontation with Harlequins in front of a large...

By Gary Fitzgerald

United Rugby Championship

/ 3 years ago

Polledri quitting Gloucester and heads for Zebre

Gloucester back row Jake Polledri will leave the club at the end of the season to join URC side Zebre. Polledri,...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Premiership

/ 3 years ago

Carpenter loving life as a predatory Shark

By JON NEWCOMBE Strong running and as game as they come, 21-year-old Joe Carpenter looks certain to challenge Freddie Steward for...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Blindside - rugby transfers

/ 3 years ago

Georgian beefcake on menu for Baxter

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Exeter Chiefs have signed Georgian international loosehead Nika Abuladze, above, on a two-year deal as...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Blindside - rugby transfers

/ 3 years ago

Saracen Peel set to sign for Borthwick

ON THE BLINDSIDE Steve Borthwick is closing in on securing Ian Peel’s services as England’s scrum coach when Richard Cockerill departs...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Blindside - rugby transfers

/ 3 years ago

Springbok prop Koch keen to head home

ON THE BLINDSIDE Former Saracens and Wasps tighthead Vincent Koch, below, is poised to return to South Africa at the end...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Blindside - rugby transfers

/ 3 years ago

Coetzee weighing up return to Premiership

ON THE BLINDSIDE Former Bath prop Aranos Coetzee is mulling over a move to the Premiership again this summer when his...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Nick Cain

/ 3 years ago

Too much fog to see where we are going

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK The English club game has a great opportunity right now for an urgent...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Premiership

/ 3 years ago

Care: Best defence will win the title

By GARY FITZGERALD Still going: Danny Care in action for Quins Harlequins may have rediscovered their attacking mojo but Danny Care...

By Gary Fitzgerald

English Championship

/ 3 years ago

Cov sink as Pirates triumph in the mud

By MIKE SINCLAIR Cornish Pirates ...............31pts Tries: Stevens 29, Crane 40, Nelson 60, Penalty 65 Conversions: Robson 29, 40, Bazalgette 60...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Welsh Premiership

/ 3 years ago

RGC turn it on in warm-up for cup

Premiership By ROB COLE RGC.............................42 Pontypridd................ 3 RGC gave Pontypridd six of the best as they got in the mood for...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Welsh Premiership

/ 3 years ago

Wizards conjure up crucial win

Premiership By HUW THOMAS Llandovery............. 16 Aberavon.................25 ABERAVON surprised everyone with a richly deserved win to keep alive their play-off bid....

By The Rugby Paper Team

Welsh Premiership

/ 3 years ago

Blue & Blacks keep ahead of pack

Premiership By ROB COLE Cardiff......................23 Bridgend.................. 18 CARDIFF hit back from their defeat at Llandovery to ensure they remain top of...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 3 years ago

Saints sign Lyon’s Fijian forward Mayanavanua

NEWS EXTRA NORTHAMPTON have signed Fiji lock Temo Mayanavanua from Lyon for the 2023-24 season. The 25-year-old has spent three seasons...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 3 years ago

Prop Hislop has red reduced to yellow

NEWS EXTRA THE RFU have rescinded a red card given to Saracens prop Robin Hislop last weekend. Hislop was sent off...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 3 years ago

Biljon’s Reds battling hard on both fronts

By BEN JAYCOCK Jersey Reds had a Saturday off last weekend with their game at Doncaster postponed, a welcome rest having...

By The Rugby Paper Team

English Championship

/ 3 years ago

Hill calls for big cut in dual registrations

By PAUL REES Steve Hill has called for a reduction in the number of dual registration and loan players at Championship...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Letters

/ 3 years ago

Allowing Wasps move reflects badly on RFU

SEVERAL years ago, Wasps relocated to Coventry, thereby sabotaging any hopes which Coventry rugby club may have had about reaching the...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Premiership

/ 3 years ago

We’re preparing to feel Sharks at full force, says Dan

By GARY FITZGERALD Theo Dan and his Saracens team-mates are bracing themselves to feel the full force of a revenge-fuelled Sharks...

By Gary Fitzgerald

Premiership

/ 3 years ago

We can’t afford any slip ups in final matches, says Simmons

By GARY FITZGERALD On the attack: Rob Simmons going forward for Irish LONDON Irish face a crunch month in their desire...

By Gary Fitzgerald

Blindside - rugby transfers

/ 3 years ago

Ealing close in on Ospreys merger

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Ealing Trailfinders are close to completing the paperwork for a merger with the Ospreys, which...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Blindside - rugby transfers

/ 3 years ago

Flyer Nowell is set to join La Rochelle

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER England and Lions winger Jack Nowell has spoken to European champions La Rochelle about a...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Blindside - rugby transfers

/ 3 years ago

Bears move for Willis may help England

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Bristol Bears could throw Jack Willis, below, an England lifeline with Premiership clubs ready to...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Blindside - rugby transfers

/ 3 years ago

Vunipola has his eye on Japan

ON THE BLINDSIDE BY NEIL FISSLER Options: Vunipola Saracens No 8. Billy Vunipola has been looking to see what options are...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Premiership

/ 3 years ago

Rees-Zammit won’t have to opt for club or country

By PAUL REES George Skivington does not believe Wales reducing the cap threshold from 60 to 25 for players leaving the...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Premiership

/ 3 years ago

Gopperth has plenty more gas in the tank

By PAUL REES Jimmy Gopperth will be 40 in June but intends to carry on playing next season, crediting his interests...

By The Rugby Paper Team

English Championship

/ 3 years ago

Venner glad to be back after 51-week layoff

By LUKE JARMYN The “practiced hands” of Jersey’s backroom team is what Toby Venner believes rescued his career after a 51-week...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Young Gun

/ 3 years ago

Young Guns: Sale & England U20s flanker Tristan Woodman

England U20s flanker Tristan Woodman has envisioned his side lifting the Six Nations title after winning three from three so far...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 3 years ago

Peterson to miss two Premiership matches

NEWS EXTRA NEWCASTLE lock Greg Peterson has been banned for three games, reduceable to two, after his red card for a...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 3 years ago

Newcastle confirm capture of Cardall

NEWS EXTRA FORMER Wasps second row Tim Cardall’s move to Newcastle for next season has been confirmed, as revealed on Blindside...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Welsh Premiership

/ 3 years ago

Hughes helps Drovers pile on pressure

By HUW S THOMAS Llandovery......37 Cardiff...............20 Lllandovery produced their best performance of the season to close the gap at the top...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Latest News

/ 3 years ago

England returnees in as Quins face Exeter in delayed Big Game

Marcus Smith, Cadan Murley and Joe Marchant have all been named to start for Harlequins as they host Exeter Chiefs in...

By Nick Powell

Letters

/ 3 years ago

Sweeney more of a liability than an asset

SADLY it needs to be realised that the RFU has abandoned its frequently misused historic role as guardian of the game’s...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Premiership

/ 3 years ago

Barbeary close to full recovery

By TOM BRADSHAW Alfie Barbeary is poised to make a battering-ram return to Premiership action after going “full hog” in training...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Nick Cain

/ 3 years ago

Borthwick right to ask for eligibility changes

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK Steve Borthwick has had the guts, and the gumption, to state that the...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Young Gun

/ 3 years ago

Young Guns: Leicester & England U20s centre Joseph Woodward

YOUNG GUNS LEICESTER & ENGLAND U20s CENTRE Joseph Woodward hopes to turn himself into an all-round rugby player by learning off...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Premiership

/ 3 years ago

Ramm in control as Saints hit top gear

By ROB WILDMAN Northampton ....................41pts Tries: A Waller 22, Braley 43, Moon 51, Graham 55, Freeman 59, Dingwall 68 Conversions: Grayson...

By The Rugby Paper Team

Premiership

/ 3 years ago

Tigers on the up as Pollard floors Irish

By GARY FITZGERALD London Irish .................... 22pts Tries: Pearson 5, Powell 9, Cunningham-South 63 Conversions: Jackson 6, 9 Penalties: Jackson 25...

By Gary Fitzgerald