Time for the Top 14 sides to make their mark in the Champions Cup January 12, 2024 If you’d have told me that the Investec Champions Cup holders La Rochelle would be without a win after two of their pool games I’d have probably laughed at you. Leinster and Stormers are difficult opponents but they’re the calibre of side Ronan O’Gara’s French men have toppled on many occasions over the last two [...]
Farrell named British and Irish Lions coach for 2025 tour to Australia January 11, 2024 Andy Farrell has been named the head coach of the British and Irish Lions for their tour to Australia next year. The Ireland head coach becomes the first Englishman to lead the iconic touring side since since Sir Clive Woodward in 2005. Wales coach Warren Gatland has held the top role in each of the [...]
Black Lion Challenge Cup inclusion opens door to Champions Cup dreams January 11, 2024 Stepping out of the concourse and into the bowl of the Mikheil Meskhi Stadium in Tbilisi, Georgia felt like a big moment. The fatigue from travelling more than 2,000 miles for 80 minutes of rugby, equating to over seven hours on two overnight flights, instantly vanished. There, on the pitch, were historic English club Gloucester [...]
Andy Farrell set to be named as coach of British and Irish Lions January 10, 2024 Ireland rugby head coach Andy Farrell is set to be named as the boss of the British and Irish Lions at an event in Canada tomorrow. The 48-year-old Englishman has long been favourite for the position with the touring side heading to Australia in the summer of 2025. The Lions, a side [...]
Struggling Gloucester boss Skivington handed surprise England coach role January 10, 2024 England A are set to play Portugal at the end of February.
Six Nations teams to have names on backs of shirts January 9, 2024 All teams in this year’s Six Nations will put player names on shirts in a bid to grow the profiles of key players throughout the tournament. The move has been trialled in the past and will be adopted next month by all competing teams. Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney said in 2022: “We [...]
Sport loses icons with deaths of Franz Beckenbauer and JPR Williams January 8, 2024 The world of sport lost two icons on Monday with the deaths of Franz Beckenbauer, aged 78, and JPR Williams, aged 74. German footballing legend Beckenbauer won the World Cup twice – once as captain in 1974 and once as manager in 1990 – and played 582 games for club side Bayern Munich. Williams changed [...]
Jamie George: England players split with RPA for independence January 8, 2024 England hooker Jamie George insists that the internationals team’s split from the Rugby Players Association (RPA) in favour of negotiating their own contracts with Twickenham chiefs was simply about independence. Saracens No2 George is one of five player-directors of Team England Rugby Ltd, alongside fellow internationals Ellis Genge, Maro Itoje, Joe Marler and Anthony Watson, [...]
Feyi-Waboso to snub Wales for England in Six Nations January 7, 2024 Exciting winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso is expected to choose England over Wales ahead of this year’s Six Nations. Should the 21-year-old from Cardiff pick Steve Borthwick and the Red Rose it would mark a major victory for the England boss given the loss of fellow back-three player Henry Arundell to Racing 92 this season. The winger [...]
‘Premiership top six battle makes up for stragglers at foot of table’ January 5, 2024 At last there’s some good news in English rugby with record attendances and millions watching from home across two Premiership rounds over the holidays. Of course it must be taken with a pinch of salt, the figures always tend to be skewed slightly at Christmas, but it is at least a sign of retained interest [...]
