Opinion: Nigel Wray deserves credit after building Saracens’ dynasty October 5, 2021 Empires fall and dynasties cease, but one thing remains when you’ve done something right or simply left your mark: legacy. Nigel Wray, the outgoing majority stakeholder of Saracens, has ensured that; and rugby, on balance, is better for it. Saracens announced at the weekend that, 26 years after he began backing the north London club, [...]
Tom Lawday on his journey to success with Harlequins October 5, 2021 The route to silverware is rarely straightforward and Tom Lawday’s journey to becoming a Premiership champion was anything but. Harlequins back-row forward Lawday spent two years playing in New Zealand as a teenager before sampling university rugby at Exeter, where he was player of the season. He then joined Exeter Chiefs, making 22 appearances, before [...]
World Rugby’s 15 minute contact limit: the solution to injury fears or too simplistic? October 4, 2021 Rugby’s physically demanding nature has seen the sport’s organisers implement advanced concussion policies and a science-based approach to medicine, but they are about to go further. World Rugby, the game’s international governing body, last month issued the recommendation that players be limited to 15 minutes of full-contact training per week, across a maximum of two [...]
Premiership: Five things we’ve learned as the east Midlands rise again October 4, 2021 The east Midlands are on the rugby rise again and more clubs than ever are competing for European places, here are five things we learned from this weekend’s Premiership action. The east Midlands heartlands are back The east Midlands duo of Leicester Tigers and Northampton Saints now occupy the top two Premiership spots. The pair [...]
Ollie Phillips: Steve Borthwick succeeding Eddie Jones is written in the stars September 30, 2021 Two of the most likely contenders to succeed Eddie Jones as England coach face off on Saturday when Steve Borthwick’s Leicester Tigers host Mark McCall’s Saracens. Speculation over who could get the job when Jones departs in 2023 resurfaced this week when England forwards coach Richard Cockerill ruled himself out of the running. Borthwick and [...]
Exeter Chiefs reveal new sponsor, West Exe Business Park, owned by Tony Rowe September 26, 2021 Exeter Chiefs revealed their new front of shirt sponsor at the weekend: another company owned by outspoken chief executive Tony Rowe. West Exe Business Park appeared on the Chiefs’ home shirt for their home defeat by Northampton Saints, after the club started their Premiership campaign without a main shirt sponsor. The business park has not [...]
Exeter’s chief problem: Why did they start Premiership Rugby season without a main sponsor? September 25, 2021 Last weekend, Exeter Chiefs’ Premiership campaign began with a 34-19 loss at Leicester Tigers. Remove the result, the return of the roaring terraces and professional rugby’s big kick-off, and you may have noticed a commercial anomaly in the away side’s kit: Exeter’s shirt was missing a main sponsor. Little more than a year ago, Chiefs [...]
Ollie Phillips: Eddie Jones’s England reboot is exciting and long overdue September 24, 2021 Two years out from a World Cup you expect Eddie Jones to make big calls and do some culling, and the result, announced this week, is an exciting England autumn training squad. Of the new faces, Newcastle Falcons youngster Adam Radwan is one of those I’m looking forward to watching get a chance. His footwork [...]
Rugby Europe Super Cup: New second-tier competition for clubs from Israel, Belgium and Russia kicks off effort to raise standard in emerging nations September 23, 2021 It largely slipped under the radar here but across the continent last weekend the Rugby Europe Super Cup kicked off its inaugural season. The competition for emerging rugby nations saw teams from the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, Spain and Russia clash in the opening round. But just what is the Rugby Europe Super Cup, and why [...]
Eddie Jones’ squad offers glimpse into England’s World Cup future September 21, 2021 Eddie Jones has given a glimpse of his plans for the Rugby World Cup in 2023 after England’s head coach excluded several senior players from his autumn training squad. The Vunipola brothers, Billy and Mako, plus George Ford, Jamie George and the injured Elliot Daly were omitted from the 45-man squad, who are set to [...]
