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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 […]

500-day countdown to World Cup kick-off

14 April 2024 0 comments

By MARK STEVENS Excitement is building by the day as the countdown to Women’s Rugby World Cup England 2025 hit its latest milestone this week. […]

Smaller ball plan for women

14 April 2024 0 comments

World Rugby is considering the use of a smaller ball in the women’s game and is collecting data on the size 4.5 ball which is […]

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 […]

Red Roses: Gloucester-Hartpury prop Mackenzie Carson

14 April 2024 0 comments

By BEN JAYCOCK Birthplace: British Columbia, Canada Date of birth: 24/06/98 Community club: Abbotsford RFC Red Roses debut: vs Scotland March 2023 Caps: 13 Why […]

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 […]

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 […]

New heat guidelines

14 April 2024 0 comments

WORLD Rugby is looking to introduce extended half-times and more water breaks during matches played in hot and humid conditions. Players travelling to play in […]

What’s in The Rugby Paper: 14/04/24

12 April 2024 0 comments

The Women’s Six Nations returns as a record Scotland crowd host England and Ireland look to end their long losing streak in the tournament against […]

Man prosecuted for abusing World Cup official

9 April 2024 0 comments

A man in Australia has been prosecuted for abusing TMO Brian MacNiece on social media during Enlgand’s match against Samoa in last year’s Rugby World […]

Baxter: All these law changes are madness

7 April 2024 0 comments

By MARK STEVENS Rob Baxter believes World Rugby’s latest proposals to make further law changes will end up alienating supporters, rather than attracting them. The […]

Too much tinkering is causing confusion

7 April 2024 0 comments

NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK Rugby Union is in the grip of the “the law of unintended consequences”, which is the most […]

Modernise the scrum, don’t allow it to die

7 April 2024 0 comments

CHRIS HEWETT THINKING ALLOWED IF WE take the Book of Ecclesiastes as our guide – ancient though it may be, it makes far more sense […]

Scrums can provide the best attacking platform

7 April 2024 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME Why the scrum is having to fight to stay a part of the game seems to […]

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 […]

Hong Kong Sevens Comes Alive in 2024! All You Need to Know!

3 April 2024 0 comments

Rugby Sevens Action will return to the centre stage with the HSBC SVNS Series and the all-important Hong Kong Sevens. The upcoming edition of Hong […]

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 – […]

Mather inspired me on coaching career – McKenna

1 April 2024 0 comments

By PAUL EDDISON England international Sarah McKenna hailed Giselle Mather as her coaching inspiration, as the Red Roses star seeks to launch her own career […]

With debts up to £300m, the game has lost its way

1 April 2024 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME WITH the international window now over for the men’s game, the focus has returned to club […]

Red menace? Don’t get sent off in first place

31 March 2024 0 comments

A STRONG contender for the 2024 Quote of the Year award should be The Rugby Paper columnist Chris Hewett for his witty verdict on the […]

The scrum is fighting to stay in the game

31 March 2024 0 comments

Paul Rees wonders whether some of World Rugby’s law tweaks will mean the end of the scrum as we know it A BANE or a […]

World Rugby puts forward new changes

24 March 2024 0 comments

WORLD Rugby has announced a five-phase approach to growing the game and enhance rugby’s entertainment factor following the ‘Shape of the Game’ forum held last […]

Referees are too quick to take the easy option

24 March 2024 0 comments

I READ the match report for last week’s Hull Ionians v Tynedale game with interest. The report asked a very pertinent question, “why is a […]

Time to ban tactical subs

24 March 2024 0 comments

CHRIS Hewett’s article bemoaning the size of French players offered what I believe to be the correct solution to the future of professional rugby, namely, […]

Global 20-minute red card

17 March 2024 0 comments

SANZAAR want the 20-minute red card to be introduced worldwide with the motion set to be voted on in May. Chief executive Brendan Morris attended […]

We must not take road to Hulkism

17 March 2024 0 comments

CHRIS HEWETT THINKING ALLOWED Message from receptionist to doctor: “We have an invisible man in the waiting room.” Doctor to receptionist: “Tell him I can’t […]

All the pressure’s on us – Cockerill

17 March 2024 0 comments

By JON NEWCOMBE PREVIEW… Georgia vs Portugal Today. Kick-off 8pm, Stade Jean-Bouin, Paris Eddie Jones has coached three national teams, South Africa have won two […]

En garde, England

10 March 2024 0 comments

World rugby’s absurd international residency qualification of just three years should put the RFU on its guard that England will not be facing some of […]

Players or gladiators? Why the game is struggling to find the right balance

10 March 2024 0 comments

Paul Rees reports on World Rugby’s attempts to broaden the sport’s appeal but can see problems ahead It has become an annual event this decade […]

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 […]

It’s hurray for Henry on a very special occasion

10 March 2024 0 comments

■By TIMOTHY FORRESTER Richmond ……..22 Blackheath ….. 13 ON the historic 160th anniversary of the oldest club fixture in world rugby, Richmond claimed the honours, […]

A Journey Through the History of Rugby: From Ancient Origins to Global Phenomenon

4 March 2024 0 comments

Introduction: Rugby stands as one of the world’s oldest and most beloved sports, renowned for its physicality, camaraderie, and rich tradition. Originating from humble beginnings, […]

The team culture at Exeter blew me away

3 March 2024 0 comments

My Life in Rugby with Bryan Rennie – The former Scotland A, Border Reivers, London Irish, Exeter & Bristol centre, now general manager of the […]

Great start, England, but then it fell to pieces

3 March 2024 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME Triple top: Duhan van der Merwe beats Ben Earl to score his hat-trick try at Murrayfield […]

Wales to play Boks in double header at HQ

25 February 2024 0 comments

Four heavyweights of world rugby will grace the Twickenham turf in an historic double header on June 22 – with a clash between South Africa […]

Prepare for scrum time ad breaks…

18 February 2024 0 comments

CHRIS HEWETT OF all the unlikely questions to be asked in this corner of the paper, try this one for size: could it be that […]

Six Nations endures Wretched Saturday

18 February 2024 0 comments

PETER JACKSON GIVEN the Six Nations’ unfailing capacity to hype up its final round as Super Saturday, last weekend’s double-header at Murrayfield and Twickenham can […]

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 […]

Borthwick is still in search of right mix

18 February 2024 0 comments

Paul Rees predicts a close encounter in the Calcutta Cup but sees Ireland winning another Grand Slam THE second round of the Six Nations was […]

We need action, not words, England

18 February 2024 0 comments

JEFF PROBYN A FRONT ROW VIEW OF THE GAME WITH the second game and a second victory, it seems that all is well in the […]

What’s in The Rugby Paper: 18/02/24

16 February 2024 0 comments

As Scotland and England prepare for a crucial round three encounter at Murrayfield next weekend, don’t miss Paul Rees‘ preview of the Calcutta Cup in […]

Are England in transition? Not really, and they should be kicking on purposefully

11 February 2024 0 comments

BRENDAN GALLAGHER Two very average teams produced a pretty sub par Test match in front of an intermittently mute Twickenham crowd with the volume only […]

This Irish dynasty will keep on going

11 February 2024 0 comments

JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE… EVERY WEEK WAS the speed of the Irish recovery after the World Cup surprising? No, because I don’t call it […]

U19s back in action with double challenge

11 February 2024 0 comments

The England U19 men’s side will return this spring with fixtures against France and Italy. The team, led by the England U20 coaching staff, will […]

All Blacks in Dublin will be the acid test

11 February 2024 0 comments

CHRIS HEWETT THINKING ALLOWED EARLY February is not obviously the moment to select a highlight of the calendar year. Especially if that highlight is still […]

Calvet’s likely to step in at Agen

11 February 2024 0 comments

JAMES HARRINGTON FRENCH COLUMN France Under-20s coach Sebastien Calvet has emerged as favourite to replace Bernard Goutta on the conveyor-belt of managers at ProD2 side […]

Barnes backing World Rugby legal action

4 February 2024 0 comments

Legal action is being taken after match officials and players suffered online abuse during the Rugby World Cup. World Cup final referee Wayne Barnes retired […]

Ardao heads to Miami to face his next challenge

4 February 2024 0 comments

By JOE SANTAMARIA Uruguay sensation Manuel Ardao took the World Cup by storm with some sensational performances but is far from satisfied. Anyone who watched […]