Rugby Union

Birch had taken up the game as a schoolboy at Royal Belfast Academical Institution, going on to captain Queen’s University Belfast and represent Instonians in the club game. Marriage, family and an “old, untrustworthy car” had seemingly put paid to his senior rugby ambitions but, while turning out for Coleraine …

Morgan will make his first international start since leading Wales in the World Cup quarter-final defeat against Argentina in October 2023 in Marseille. The flanker missed the 2024 Six Nations because of a knee problem and the summer tour as a result of a hamstring injury. Morgan, 24, was named …

Senior coach Richard Wigglesworth says the pressure for England to get results is all part of the privilege of representing the national side. England have lost their past four games, including narrow defeats by New Zealand and Australia in their first two Autumn Nations Series matches. They face reigning double …

Bath centre Louie Hennessey has signed a new “long-term” contract with the Premiership club. The 20-year-old has made 10 appearances for Bath since joining them from Cardiff Rugby’s academy in 2022. He scored two tries during the win against neighbours Bristol in the Premiership Rugby Cup last weekend, one of …

Argentina, who reached the semi-finals at last year’s World Cup, also secured some big results in this season’s Rugby Championship, beating New Zealand in Wellington and world champions South Africa at home. They also scored 67 points in a home win over Australia. Ireland have won 13 of the 19 …

Crouch, bind, set. No nation personifies that process more than the world champions. Over the past five years, the golden generation of South Africa forwards have developed arguably the most formidable and feared scrum in rugby. The development of the now famous ‘Bomb Squad’ before the 2019 World Cup played …

The Premiership was cut from 13 clubs to 10 in the space of one season as Worcester Warriors, London Irish and Wasps all buckled under financial strain. Wasps were once a powerhouse of English rugby, winning seven trophies in a glorious six-season spell from 2002 to 2008 with players including …

Tuesday’s independent disciplinary committee decided the red card was justified for foul play but “determined that, whilst reckless, the low-range entry point of two weeks was appropriate with the full 50% mitigation applied”. Cummings benefited from “an exemplary disciplinary record, good conduct and having shown remorse”. Scotland were already going …

“I think we’ve taken a lot of learnings from that period, learnings from the Six Nations. We’ve grown the group, we’re evolving the whole time. We feel we are getting closer. “We have all the components. We just need to find a way of, once we’ve worked for 60 minutes, …

He added: “It is a huge part of their DNA from a young schoolboy which is what they cherish, and it also helps that they have 150kg human beings. “Everyone needs to roll their sleeves up and be absolutely invested, then we will have it out. “Credit where credit is …

World champions South Africa are aiming to have “the two best teams in the world”, says centre Andre Esterhuizen. Head coach Rassie Erasmus opted to rotate some key starting positions in the Springboks’ victory over Scotland on Sunday, benching captain Siya Kolisi and flanker Pieter-Steph du Toit, which has been …

Exeter chief executive Tony Rowe feels the club’s men’s side can still make the Premiership top four despite their poor start to the season. The Chiefs have lost a club-record six successive top-flight matches and sit second-from-bottom of the Premiership. But they have had two big wins over Championship sides …

Ugo, Danny and Chris reflect on a difficult weekend for the home nations. Source link

Ireland winger Mack Hansen says the squad will ignore “outside noise” in the build-up to their Test against Argentina in Dublin on Friday. Andy Farrell’s side saw their home winning streak ended at 19 by the All Blacks last week and subsequently lost their place at the top of the …

England have a “generational” crop of young talent that has more potential than the squad which reached the 2019 World Cup final under Eddie Jones, says Rugby Football Union director of performance Conor O’Shea. In July, England won World Rugby’s Under-20 Championship for the first time since 2016, to add …

Sleightholme, 24, came on as a replacement and scored twice in the second half to register his first two international tries. Marcus Smith’s touchline conversion from the Northampton wing’s second try put England into a 30-28 lead heading into the final 10 minutes. However, two Wallaby tries – either side …

Ulster prop Tom O’Toole will miss Ireland’s Test against Argentina at the Aviva Stadium on Friday night. The 26-year-old replaced Finlay Bealham after 58 minutes in the 23-13 loss to the All Blacks last week, but lasted only two minutes before a head injury forced him off. With Tadhg Furlong, …

Former Brive and French Top 14 president Simon Gillham has been appointed as chair of the new Tier 2 Board of English rugby. The body will be responsible for growing the professional second tier of the game in England. Gillham, who will stay on a vice-president of Brive, was the …

How do Toulouse adapt methods and practices of space training to the sports field Source link

Bath lock Ewan Richards is growing “everything” about his game, said assistant coach Andy Robinson after he skippered the side to a cup win on Saturday. The 22-year-old captained a young Bath side for their 12-try 78-19 Premiership Rugby Cup victory against neighbours Bristol Bears at the Recreation Ground. Richards, …