Rugby Union

Bath: De Glanville; Cokanasiga, Ojomoh, Butt, Muir; Russell, Spencer (c); Obano, Dunn, Stuart, Roux, Ewels, Hill, Underhill, Reid. Replacements: Annett, Van Wyk, Du Toit, Molony, Pepper, Carr-Smith, Donoghue, Barbeary. Sin-bin: Underhill (28 mins), Muir (34 mins). Lyon: Niniashvili; Rattez, Maraku, Millet, Dumortier; Berdeu, Couilloud (c); Rey, Chat, Ainsley, William, Guillard, …

Bringing club captain George Furbank straight back into Northampton’s starting line-up for Saturday’s Champions Cup final against Bordeaux-Begles is a gamble admits director of rugby Phil Dowson. Full-back Furbank has missed much of the campaign after breaking his arm in the away win over the Bulls at the end of …

The Great Britain men and women’s full-time sevens programme will be scrapped at the end of July. There will be no more permanent contracts, with players instead coming together to train and play on the World SVNS Series. The unions say the decision has been driven by financial pressures and …

Australian back-row Rory Suttor will join Cornish Pirates for the 2025-26 season. The 26-year-old former Australia Under-20s flanker can play across all the loose forward positions. He has spent time with Sydney-based Super Rugby side Waratahs and has also played in Ireland for Muster’s A team, and for Italian club …

Ireland greats Peter O’Mahony and Conor Murray and former New Zealand captain Sam Cane have been named in the Barbarians squad for next month’s fixture against South Africa. Flanker O’Mahony and scrum-half Murray retired from international rugby following this year’s Six Nations after decorated careers in green, while Cane ended …

“He is doing his best to cope with it – five years ago he was the one asking for autographs,” says Joel. “What is frustrating for him sometimes is that it is not possible to please everyone. Sometimes he steps out the dressing room and there are 300 people waiting. …

That milestone game was in 2018 when Brown was 33. He remained with Harlequins until 2021, from which point he was determined to show that he still had more to offer as a player. He had a solitary season with Newcastle, then spent 10 months without a club before he …

Harlequins have signed Ireland forward Aoife Wafer for the 2025-26 Premiership Women’s Rugby season. Wafer, who was recently named the 2025 Women’s Six Nations Player of the Championship, will join the club from Leinster after this year’s World Cup, which will be held in England between 22 August and 27 …

Ulster have made a serious statement of intent by signing Australia prop Angus Bell on a short-term deal from Waratahs. The 24-year-old loose-head will join the Irish province on a sabbatical in December until the end of the 2025-26 campaign. Before that, Bell is expected to play a key role …

Bordeaux also have plenty of top quality players, with French internationals Maxime Lucu and Matthieu Jalibert directing operations at half-back and the flair and finishing power of Damien Penaud and Louis Bielle-Biarrey out wide. “They are really enjoyable to watch – Jalibert and Lucu are outrageously good in terms of …

Johann van Graan has urged his Bath players to “keep it simple” and “stick to the process” as they aim for European Challenge Cup glory when they face Lyon in the final on Friday. The Premiership leaders are in their first European cup final since head of rugby Van Graan …

Gloucester prop Jamal Ford-Robinson has agreed a new deal to stay with the Premiership club. Ford has made more than a century of appearances for the Cherry and Whites since signing for the club in 2019. The 31-year-old, who can play at both loose-head and tight-head, has played in 10 …

Scotland international Coreen Grant has joined Harlequins from London rivals Saracens. The 27-year-old wing scored 16 tries in 47 appearances across six seasons in north London. Grant made her international debut in the Women’s Six Nations against Italy in 2021. “I’m delighted to be signing for Quins this season,” she …

This year, the Saints Under-18s won the Premiership Academy title. They beat last year’s winners Bath 31-14 in the final at Kingsholm. A few weeks later, the senior coaching group at Saints met to discuss who they should sign and who should be released. “We are looking for character and …

Premiership player of the season Thomas du Toit (Bath) George Ford (Sale Sharks) Finn Russell (Bath) Tomos Williams (Gloucester) Tom Willis (Saracens) Breakthrough player of the season Afolabi Fasogbon (Gloucester) Asher Opoku-Fourjour (Sale Sharks) Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints) Joseph Woodward (Leicester Tigers) Director of rugby of the season Michael Cheika …

New Zealand-born fly-half Aidan Morgan will leave Ulster this summer “by mutual consent”. Morgan joined Ulster from Super Rugby side Hurricanes on a two-year-old last year following Billy Burns’ departure to Munster. The 23-year-old, who previously played for the New Zealand Under-20 team, is qualified to represent Ireland through a …

Ashy and Chris are at Franklin’s Gardens chatting to Fraser Dingwall and Alex Mitchell. BBC News

When Hollie Davidson realised she would never fulfil her dreams of reaching the biggest stage as a rugby player, she did not give up or drift away from the sport. Instead, she set off on a different path, one that would lead her to become one of the world’s top …

There is more harmony between the coaches with Sherratt saying he sought advice from the other regional Wales bosses when selecting the squad, even sounding out some to join his backroom team. “I thought it was important I spoke to the WRU about having some other regional coaches involved, but …

Sherratt was put in charge of Wales after just two matches of the 2025 Six Nations following Gatland’s departure but lost his three games at the helm against Ireland, Scotland and then England – a record 68-14 defeat in Cardiff. Jenkins will return to the Wales defence coach role he …