Rugby Matters - The Rugby Paper

Tag: Rugby Matters

35 years on and Tim’s charity still full of hope

28 April 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER IF YOU believe rugby is the ultimate team sport – which I […]

S Africa is crying out for its own league

21 April 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS – A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER IF I remember my A level geography correctly, Africa is moving […]

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 […]

Here’s hoping we see another drop of magic

7 April 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER IT’S Northampton against Munster in Europe today and for me that can […]

Time we demanded more from players

1 April 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER THE other weekend – although it could probably be any weekend – […]

Ten Italian tyros who will hit the headlines

24 March 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS IT’S BECOME almost a mantra or article of faith recently that reinforcements, in the form of a squadron of hungry young guns, are […]

Lucky? No, that was pure skill

17 March 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER THE sainted Antoine Dupont might be on a sabbatical but France enjoyed […]

Sorry Cockers, but it’s Portugal for me

10 March 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER I wish the doughty warriors of Georgia no ill will – on […]

How one player really can make a team tick

3 March 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER WHY have France fallen off a cliff ?Can it really all be […]

When the B grade was full of A stars

25 February 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER AS England A crank back into action today against Portugal A after […]

Dutch and Germans proving their worth

18 February 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER Round Three of the Rugby Europe championship concludes in Amsterdam this afternoon […]

Benvenuto! Great to see Lynagh eventually opting for Italy

18 February 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS EVEN though I recently predicted in The Rugby Paper podcast that Louis Lynagh would be a starting wing for England at the […]

50 years ago, and it’s a different world

4 February 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS – BRENDAN GALLAGHER A weekly look at the game’s other talking points IT’S funny how some things 50 years ago feel so much […]

Farrell’s jumping from fire…into fire

28 January 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS I don’t know about you but it’s occasionally been a bit of a torture watching Owen Farrell struggle with himself ever since England’s […]

No hiding place in those final trials

14 January 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER For some reason, the good old days have been getting a shoeing […]

When the selectors made the right calls

7 January 2024 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER IT’S 2024 – a belated Happy New Year by the way – […]

When Merlene Ottey’s leotard grew nine sizes

31 December 2023 1 comment

RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER A weekly look at the game’s other talking points NEW Year’s Eve and rugby always brings to mind England’s slightly eccentric […]

Time of goodwill to all (well, nearly all)

24 December 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER hands out his Christmas goodies… HO HO HO. I’m normally more of a scrooge than a Santa at Christmas but, to […]

Red Roses: Morwenna Talling

24 December 2023 0 comments

RED ROSES ENGLAND NO.8 Birthplace: Northallerton, Yorkshire Date of birth: 05/08/02 Community club: Malton & Norton RUFC Club: Sale Sharks Red Roses cebut: vs Italy […]

Toulouse’s victory over Quins is top of my list

17 December 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS THE greatest single performance in the Heineken Cup? That’s a tricky one, there have been so many, but when pressed I normally opt […]

Millar knew how to keep ref onside

17 December 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS Dr Syd Millar was many things – Ballymena stalwart, redoubtable Ireland Test prop, successful Ireland coach and innovative rugby administrator at the dawn […]

Following in fathers’ footsteps

17 December 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS The tradition of “sons of” playing for France U20 is well and truly established now and seems to know no boundaries. Indeed, England […]

A team stuffed full of captains

10 December 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER I was having one final lingering look at that 2003 England reunion […]

A case of third time lucky for Neville

3 December 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS – A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER Sport is full of sliding doors moments, and one of the […]

Time to enforce law on quick tapped penalties

3 December 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS I can’t remember the last time I saw a quick tapped penalty taken correctly yet refs and assistant refs are absolutely draconian in […]

A game in desperate need of some answers

26 November 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER A weekly look at the game’s other talking points IF THERE is one thing I have learned over the last six […]

When relegation battle was the key

19 November 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER A weekly look at the game’s other talking points Twenty years on from England’s World Cup triumph – Wednesday is the […]

Young guns who fired the triumph of 2003

19 November 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS While we rightly ruminate on the 20th anniversary of England’s World Cup triumph we should also doff a 30th anniversary cap to a […]

The Beast of Bezier broke the mould

12 November 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER A weekly look at the game’s other talking points French rugby said goodbye this week to the toughest guy in the […]

This diminished Premiership is benefiting no-one

12 November 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS TIME waits for no man. As the World Cup recedes in the rear-view mirror and we concentrate on the Premiership it’s slightly alarming […]

Uni links are vital to make-up of clubs

12 November 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS CLOSE match-ups with local University sides are nothing particularly new. The great Coventry sides back in the day enjoyed a massive Loughborough University […]

Lagisquet’s effort cannot be ignored

29 October 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS World Rugby could desperately do with an injection of PR savvy not to mention a certain generosity of spirit. Take their awards ceremony […]

Time for Italy to play like big boys

24 September 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER AS keen observers of sport, we are all amateur psychologists and, with that in mind, it’s been fascinating watching Italy grapple […]

This rugby apartheid must stop

20 August 2023 0 comments

Rugby Matters I WAS going to write 1,500 words of incredulous, outraged fury over the Owen Farrell decision but frankly my health can’t take it […]

At last! Spain show us what they can do

6 August 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER IT’S BEEN a bittersweet roller coaster five or six years for Spanish […]

Modern-day Lions seem to be tone deaf

23 July 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER So the Lions itinerary is out for their 2025 Australia tour and, although there is much to commend it, yet again […]

When I needed a helping hand…

11 June 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER You could fill a noisy bar with the journalists past and present queuing to buy David Emery a thank you drink. […]

Let’s hope technology passes trial

28 May 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER Be careful for what you wish for! World Rugby are carrying out their promise to trial chip technology in the match […]

Carpenter loving life as a predatory Shark

12 March 2023 1 comment

By JON NEWCOMBE Strong running and as game as they come, 21-year-old Joe Carpenter looks certain to challenge Freddie Steward for the England full-back jersey […]

The golden voice… that glorious try…

22 January 2023 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS WE are fast approaching the 50th anniversary of what many consider the greatest try ever scored and frankly there is little more to […]

How baseball kept Bish on right track

18 December 2022 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER Ken Poole, the head of economic development for Cardiff City Council, has […]

So who is the real villain here?

11 December 2022 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS – Brendan Gallagher Newcastle’s Carl Fearns has been at the sharp end of professional rugby for nearly 14 years and has never taken […]

Only the pin-ups win top awards

4 December 2022 2 comments

RUGBY MATTERS What have the following got in common? Brian O’Driscoll, Eben Etzebeth, Malcolm Marx, Fourie Du Preez, Taulupe Faletau, Ma’a Nonu, George Smith, Michael […]

Omanyala enjoys golden finale after leaving Sevens

14 August 2022 1 comment

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER Triumph: Ferdinand Omanyala celebrates after winning the gold medal in the Commonwealth […]

Van Graan gets top gig

29 May 2022 1 comment

INCOMING Bath boss Johann van Graan will become the head of rugby and take complete responsibility for rugby matters. Stuart Hooper, DoR since 2019, becomes […]

Has rugby really got its head around this?

17 April 2022 1 comment

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking pointsBRENDAN GALLAGHER The subject of concussion and possible long term brain damage remains a burning […]

Watching over his teammates, a giant tribute to Kawa

16 January 2022 2 comments

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER AMPO Ordizia –a small Basque club riding high in fourth place in […]

My inspirational man of the year is Marcus

26 December 2021 1 comment

RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER EVERY December Time magazine nominates their Person of the Year and parades […]

Any rugby schools I have missed? Let me know now

26 December 2021 0 comments

RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER AND finally for this year…a last call to our brilliant rugby playing schools out there. I’m calling time very soon on […]