Genge could face ban and dent England World Cup preparation April 17, 2023 England’s Rugby World Cup preparations had a spanner thrown into the works today as starting loosehead prop – and recent captain – Ellis Genge was cited for a dangerous tackle in Bristol Bears’ loss to Sale Sharks on Friday. The 41-cap forward was cited yesterday for his hit on fellow England star Tom Curry in [...]
Harlequins face crunch games in bid to make Premiership top four April 16, 2023 Harlequins are facing a pair of crunch games in the next three weeks if they are to make the Premiership top four and stay in the fight for a third top-flight title. After defending champions Leicester Tigers crushed Exeter Chiefs 62-19 yesterday in a match Chris Ashton that saw notch up his 99th, 100th and [...]
Leaving the Premiership XV: Talent drain from English rugby laid bare April 15, 2023 It’s not uncommon for the world’s various top flight leagues to see quality talent steadily flow in and out, but the Premiership – the top level of rugby in England – is about to see a mass exodus of players to rival leagues. Leaving the Premiership are a number of individuals who between them have [...]
Ollie Phillips: It’s time for RFU axe its short-sighted England selection policy April 15, 2023 I won’t hold my breath, but Jack Willis’s decision to stay at Toulouse ought to sound alarm bells at the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and cause them to reconsider their refusal to pick overseas-based players for the England team. That stance might be sustainable when your clubs can pay the same as those in France [...]
Rugby World Cup Barometer: Botia shows Fiji claims but Van Poortvliet left in shade April 13, 2023 | Sponsored In the lead up to the 2023 Rugby World Cup, City PM has put together a barometer in partnership with City Index to look at which players and other personnel are hot and not in the race to be part of the quadrennial event in France later this year. Player of the week Hybrid players who can operate in [...]
Ed Warner: British amateur sport must take a match to bonfire of bureaucracy April 13, 2023 Different patterns of belonging in this social media age are a stiff challenge to those of us attempting to build membership rosters for sporting bodies. What can we offer to persuade amateur athletes and casual fans to give a chunk of their identities – and a few quid from their virtual wallets – to organisations [...]
Billy Vunipola facing defeat in battle to force England World Cup recall April 12, 2023 England No8 Billy Vunipola is a major doubt for this year’s Rugby World Cup after being ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury. The bulldozing back row is set to undergo surgery on Thursday after suffering the problem in Saracens’ bruising Champions Cup defeat at La Rochelle on Sunday. Vunipola’s [...]
The future is orange for rugby referees as chiefs ponder new card for World Cup April 12, 2023 World Rugby is considering giving referees the option of “orange cards” at this year’s World Cup, according to the governing body’s head of match officials. A form of the yellow card review system is currently being trialled in Super Rugby Pacific and it could be fast-tracked into the global showpiece hosted by France this autumn. [...]
Exeter Chiefs’ Champions Cup run rewriting final act of their 13-year play April 10, 2023 It wasn’t supposed to be like this; the final lines in the script of the fall of Exeter Chiefs as their era of dominance comes to an end. But they’re the one remaining English team across the two European club rugby competitions, the Champions and Challenge Cups, and it’s a feat few expected. Of the [...]
South African sides in Champions Cup proves rugby can be radical when it wants to be April 9, 2023 And there we have it, eight have become four. The Champions Cup has always been better in the knockout stages and that’s only been personified further by the woeful system in place for the pool stages. Two pools of 12 was always a stupid idea – fans get lost in the complexities of it all [...]
