Rugby Union

With England’s first-choice loose-head Ellis Genge recovering from a calf problem, the versatile Asher Opoku-Fordjour, more usually a tighthead option, has switched sides of the scrum to cover. George Martin, who has made an impressive return to action for Leicester in recent weeks after 14 months out with injury, starts …

The story of how Messi v Ronaldo became the rivalry that transformed the sport BBC News

Pollock will likely draw plenty of attention during the match and not just due to his international pedigree and talent. Often perceived as a ‘wind-up merchant’, the former England Under-18 captain knows how to ruffle feathers on the pitch to ensure he becomes a target for the opposition. It’s a …

Knox, who is Ireland-qualified through residency joins Ulster after a spell with French Pro D2 side USON Nevers. The 27-year-old South African has also played for CS Bourgoin-Jallieu and Munster. He racked up 33 appearances during his six-year stint with Munster, featuring eight times in the United Rugby Championship winning …

Cornish Pirates have signed prop Jamie Clark for the 2026-27 season following his departure from Newcastle Red Bulls. The 23-year-old joined the Prem side on a short-term deal for the rest of the campaign in April and played in four league games. Clark was born in Australia and represented the …

Vernier has represented France at several Six Nations and played in every one of their games during the 2021 and 2025 World Cups. She was ruled out of the Six Nations this spring midway through the tournament with a shoulder injury. Vernier began her career with Racing Club Nanterre and …

Gloucester-Hartpury were missing Stratford, who is pregnant with her first child, as well as scrum-half Natasha Hunt, number eight Alex Matthews, wing Jade Shekells, back-row Kate Williams and full-back Emma Sing all through injury for Sunday’s match. But they still went into the game as overwhelming favourites against Trailfinders, a …

Ireland will travel to South Africa for two Test matches in October as part of the new WXV Global Series. Scott Bemand’s side will face the Springbok Women at Athlone Stadium in Cape Town on 24 and 31 October. The only previous meeting between the sides was a 2006 Women’s …

Reflecting on the reasons why he chose to come to Bath in the first place, Du Toit points to the arrival of fellow South African, Head coach Johann van Graan the prevous season in 2022-2023. “The way he spoke about the club, and what he wanted to achieve made us …

World Cup-winning England lock Rosie Galligan will leave Saracens at the end of the season. The 28-year-old is currently away from rugby as she is due to give birth in October. Her partner, fellow England forward Marlie Packer, has already announced a move from Saracens to Harlequins. Galligan won two …

Available for over a year Have Exeter shown enough to convince us they can beat Northampton in Saturday’s Prem final? Ugo, Chris and Ashy look back at both semi-finals and assess whether the Chiefs have the game to upset the favourites. Or are Northampton simply operating on another level? Plus, …

It’s important to remember that Finn Russell doesn’t like dropping goals either. Bath’s first-choice fly-half famously prefers keeping ball in hand, having landed only one in open play in his entire playing career. That one though came at the exact place that Santi Carreras, standing in for the injured Russell, …

Hooper joined a side that had ended a club-worst season with just four wins and a second-from-bottom of the table finish. He was one of six full internationals to move to Exeter in the summer alongside compatriot Len Ikitau, Italians Andrea Zambonin and Stephen Varney, South Africa’s Joseph Dweba and …

Trailfinders held off Gloucester-Hartpury as they beat the reigning champions 29-26 to reach their first Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) final. Hosts Gloucester-Hartpury had won the title for the past three seasons and took the lead at Kingsholm – rebadged as Queensholm for the PWR play-offs – through a Tatyana Heard …

Bath will certainly spend days and weeks ruing what could have been against the Chiefs. They went in at half-time in total control, having scored four tries to Exeter’s one to lead 26-10. Under Van Graan, Bath have become accustomed to stepping up to the occasion of knockout rugby matches …

The Prem play-off semi-final Northampton Saints (26) 45 Tries: Litchfield 3, Freeman, Furbank 2, McParland Cons: Smith 5 Leicester Tigers (19) 31 Tries: Liebenberg, Steward, Hassell-Collins 2, Bailey Cons: Searle 3 Captain George Furbank scored two tries in his final home game for Northampton Saints as they overcame Leicester Tigers …

Powell’s re-signing follows the shock exit of England full-back and 2024 World Player of the Year Ellie Kildunne earlier this month. “I’m pleased to be re-signing with Harlequins,” said Powell. “I feel that as an individual and as a club we have so much more to achieve. Our core values …

As well as advice, Woodburn, along with hooker Jack Yeandle, has handed Ridl a nickname; ‘the Ostrich’. “It’s because I’m taller, a bit lanky, pretty quick, long strides,” says 6ft 5in Ridl. “I think that is what they were going for.” There is another aspect that makes it apt. Ridl …

Exeter’s England winger Claudia Moloney-MacDonald says she is confident they can reach the final of Premiership Women’s Rugby. The Chiefs, who finished third in the table, travel to second-placed Saracens on Sunday, who ended the season 15 points ahead of them. Exeter were humbled 39-5 when they last travelled to …

For Exeter the game represents a return to the play-offs for the first time since 2021. But the fixture at the Rec will be the first-ever away Prem play-off game for the club, as they finished either first or second in the table in each season from 2016 to 2021 …