Rugby Union

Clovers made it back-to-back victories in the Celtic Challenge as they picked up a bonus-point win against Gwalia Lightning at Kingspan Stadium. Denis Fogarty’s side started brightly in Belfast and went ahead on seven minutes as Emily Lane raced through to score the opening try, with Nicole Fowley converting. Anna …

Wales and Gloucester lock Freddie Thomas has signed a new deal to stay with Premiership club. The 23-year-old came through the Cherry and Whites’ academy and has played 50 games since his debut in 2020, with nine appearances so far this campaign. Thomas made his Wales debut in November against …

Saracens flanker Toby Knight has been given a three-match ban after being sent off during their defeat by Bath last Saturday. Knight, 22, was shown a red card in the 14th minute for a “reckless” high tackle on Bath’s Ollie Lawrence that saw shoulder contact to the head. His ban …

Saracens back Tom Parton has left the club to join Japanese side Panasonic Wild Knights. The 26-year-old, who can play at full-back or on the wing, joined Saracens from London Irish in the summer of 2023 and made 29 appearances for the club. He scored eight tries for Sarries, including …

Bristol Bears will be without winger Gabriel Ibitoye, the Premiership’s leading try scorer this season, for up to six weeks with a leg injury. The back went off after 31 minutes during their record home defeat by Sale last Friday. The 26-year-old has seven tries in nine games and has …

England will play two Tests against Argentina in July in their first tour of South America since 2017. Steve Borthwick’s side are scheduled to face Argentina in La Plata on 5 July and San Juan on 12 July. The fixtures clash with the British and Irish Lions’ tour of Australia …

La Rochelle back Teddy Thomas has been ruled out of his side’s Investec Champions Cup game against Leinster in France on 12 January after receiving a suspension for an incident in a Top 14 game. The 31-year-old France international was shown a yellow card for a challenge on Clermont Auvergne’s …

Ulster back row Nick Timoney has agreed a new two-year contract which will keep him with the Irish province until at least 2027. The 29-year-old has been a key figure for Ulster in recent seasons and captained the team to victory over Connacht in Galway at the weekend, delivering a …

Northampton Saints have announced that assistant coach Matt Ferguson will leave the club when his contract ends after the current campaign. Ferguson joined the club in 2018, with the bulk of his work focusing on Saints’ scrum, and played a key role in the club winning their first Premiership title …

Bristol Bears centre Kalaveti Ravouvou has signed a contract extension with the Premiership club. The Fiji international has scored seven tries for Pat Lam’s side since joining Bristol in the summer of 2023. He carried the ball 230 metres during last month’s 54-24 win at Leicester Tigers, the second highest …

Bristol Bears have signed Ireland fly-half Harry Byrne on loan from Leinster. Byrne has penned a three-month deal at the Premiership side and the Bears say he will act as cover for AJ MacGinty who is set to miss the next four months with a knee injury. The 25-year-old has …

Sabrina Fortune – who won gold at the 2024 Paris Paralympics in the women’s F20 shot put – said she was “over the moon” to become a Member of the British Empire (MBE). “I wanted to run around the kitchen and call every single person,” she said. Fortune, from Mold, …

Ugo, Ashy and Chris look ahead to a bumper 2025 and round-up a chaotic end to 2024. Source link

Scarlets hooker Ryan Elias was Lake’s deputy during the autumn internationals but has missed the last three weeks because of a neck injury, with his region hoping he might be fit for mid-January. Cardiff’s Evan Lloyd was also in the Wales squad in November, while Dragons hooker Elliot Dee made …

Saracens lock Hugh Tizard has been suspended for six games after accepting a charge of dangerous play following his red card against Newcastle Falcons last month. The 24-year-old was sent off in the last minute of Sarries’ 17-12 defeat on 29 November for coming in from the side on Newcastle’s …

Exeter: Hodge; Woodburn, Hammersley, Tua, Wyatt; Slade, Townsend; Sio, Frost, Street, Jenkins, Capstick, Roots, Fisilau, Vermuelen. Replacements: Innard, Goodrick-Clarke, Iosefa-Scott, Molina, Vintcent, Cairns, Haydon-Wood, Wimbush. Gloucester: Carreras; Wade, Llewellyn, Atkinson, Hathaway; Anscombe, T. Williams; Vivas, Blake, Gotovtsev, Thomas, Alemanno, Clement, Ludlow, Ackermann. Replacements: Singleton, Ford-Robinson, Knight, Jordan, Tuisue, Englefield, Harris, …

Head coach Richie Murphy believes Ulster’s 17-7 win over Connacht in Galway can be a “big moment” in the careers of some of his young squad. The northern province ended a five-game losing streak with the interpro victory and lifted themselves from 13th to eighth in the United Rugby Championship …

Connacht: O’Conor; Hansen, Forde, Aki, Cordero; Carty, Blade; Buckley, Tierney-Martin, Bealham; Murphy, N Murray; Prendergast (capt), Hurley-Langton, Boyle. Replacements: De Buitlear, Dooley, Aungier, Dowling, Jansen, Murphy, Jennings, Oliver. Ulster: Lowry; Kok, Carson, Postlethwaite, Telfer; Murphy, Doak; O’Sullivan, Andrew, Wilson; Treadwell, Izuchukwu; Matty Rea, Timoney (capt), McNabney. Replacements: McCormick, Warwick, Barrett, …

Harlequins: David; Isgro, Beard, Northmore, Murley; Smith, Care; Baxter, Walker, Lamositele, Herbst, Lamb, Chisholm, Kenningham, Dombrandt Replacements: Riley, Jones, Lewis, Launchbury, Cunningham-South, W Evans, Porter, J Evans Leicester: Steward; Brown, Kelly, Kata, Hassell-Collins; Pollard, Van Poortvliet; Smith, Montoya, Heyes, Henderson, Martin, Liebenberg, Reffell, Cracknell Replacements: Clare, Whitcombe, Cole, Holloway, Ilione, …

Northampton: Hendy; Freeman, Litchfield, Dingwall (c), Sleightholme; Smith, Mitchell; West, Walker, Davison, Munga, Coles, Kemeny, Pearson, Pollock. Replacements: Langdon, Haffar, Green, Mayanavanua, Scott-Young, Mapu, McParland, Hutchinson. Sin-bin: Smith (31). Newcastle: Brown; Radwan, Hearle, Doherty, Stevenson; Connon, Stuart; McCallum, Fletcher, Palframan, De Chaves, McDonald, Lockwood, Gordon, Chick (c). Replacements: Byrne, Rewcastle, …