Rugby Union

Wales and Bath prop Archie Griffin is set to be out for a “considerable” amount of time after suffering a shoulder injury earlier this month. The 23-year-old sustained the injury during the 24-20 Champions Cup defeat by La Rochelle on 10 December and has since undergone surgery. “He’ll be out …

Domestic rugby union in England is overshadowed by Premier League football in terms of attendances, interest and media coverage and Diamond understands that the round ball will always be king, but he would love to see rugby players emerge as household names. Jonny Wilkinson, a 2003 World Cup winner, cut …

Winger Ollie Hassell-Collins has become the latest Leicester Tigers player to sign a new contract with the Premiership high-flyers. The 25-year-old is the fourth in as many days to extend his stay, following fellow England international Ollie Chessum, Tonga centre Solomone Kata and Scotland prop Will Hurd. Hassell-Collins has scored …

Gloucester winger Ollie Thorley will miss the rest of the season due to a knee injury suffered during their game against Northampton last month. Number eight Zach Mercer is also set for an unknown spell on the sidelines due to a knee injury which requires surgery. Thorley, 28, went off …

Roots has featured in all of Exeter’s matches this season, but like his side his form has dipped. The Chiefs have lost all seven of their Premiership games and both of their European Champions Cup ties, leaving Roots to try and work out why he has gone off the boil: …

Leicester Tigers and England full-back Freddie Steward says he is no longer willing to “wait on the edge for the magic to happen” as he focuses on becoming more of an attacking weapon for club and country. The 6ft 5in 24-year-old is renowned for his aerial ability – with his …

World player of the year Ellie Kildunne has signed a new “multi-year” contract with Harlequins. The England full-back has won four Six Nations titles in a row and played in the 2022 World Cup final. The 25-year-old has scored 24 tries in 46 internationals and also represented Great Britain in …

Lowry says that Ulster’s first-half performance against Bordeaux was “the best 40 minutes” the side have played all season. Richie Murphy’s side led by five points at half-time but their French opponents, who are second in the Top 14 behind all-conquering Toulouse, roared back in the final quarter to seal …

Harlequins captain Alex Dombrandt has become the latest player to sign a new contract in a string of extensions at the Premiership club. The England number eight took over the Quins captaincy from South African Stephan Lewies in the summer. Vice-captain Cadan Murley and England colleagues Marcus Smith and Fin …

Rugby Football Union bosses Bill Sweeney and Tom Ilube could face a seismic vote of no confidence early next year, with a motion calling for their dismissal gathering support among grassroots clubs. If the motion reaches the threshold of 100 signatories from clubs throughout England, a special general meeting must …

Zander Fagerson says he wants to win more trophies with Glasgow Warriors after he signed a new contract to remain at Scotstoun until 2027. Fagerson, 28, has established himself as one of the top tightheads in the world and was instrumental in Warriors’ URC title win last season. Having been …

Exeter boss Rob Baxter says he needs England centre Henry Slade’s experience at fly-half. The 31-year-old has started at 10 in both of his matches for Chiefs since returning from international duty. Exeter are still searching for a first win of the season in either the Premiership or European Champions …

Litchfield has started seven of the eight games he has played so far this term, scoring a try in the win over Leicester in the first round of the Premiership Rugby Cup at the start of November. “I’m really happy to be remaining a Saint,” said Litchfield. “The group we …

Wales centre Ben Thomas has signed a new contract to stay at Cardiff. Thomas, who was due out of contract at the end of the 2024-25 season, made his Cardiff debut in 2019 and has played eight internationals. The 26-year-old can also play at full-back and fly-half where he has …

Kata, a versatile back who has established himself at centre with Tigers, has featured seven times so far under Michael Cheika this season, scoring three tries to take his overall club tally to seven. “Sol is a big talent and also a big character inside the squad,” Cheika said. “We …

Newcastle Falcons have signed centre Max Clark on a three-month deal. Previously of Bath and Welsh sides Dragons and Cardiff Blues, Clark had been training with Saracens. The 29-year-old played for them in the Premiership Rugby Cup last month and most recently for Ampthill in the Championship. Clark will be …

National League 1 clubs have united to join mounting calls for an overhaul of the way rugby union is run in England amid the ongoing crisis over record financial losses and executive bonuses. In an open letter, the twelve clubs criticise “major failures in governance and leadership” and a “lack …

Club captain Liam Belcher has extended his contract with Cardiff. The homegrown hooker had a year remaining on his existing deal but has committed his future for the longer term at the Arms Park. The 28-year-old has made 85 Cardiff appearances, either side of a one-year stint at Dragons, since …

Steward’s high-ball ability was preferred by Borthwick for November’s 29-20 defeat by South Africa and the Leicester man is the likeliest candidate to fill in for Furbank once more at Test level. Furbank’s absence will be keenly felt by Saints who hope that the win in Pretoria can kick-start their …

Booth is a former London Irish director of rugby, while he also spent seven years as Bath first-team coach and had an assistant role with Harlequins. He started at the Ospreys in the summer of 2020 when the Swansea-based team were in disarray and helped transform their fortunes. The 2023-24 …