Val Rapava Ruskin, the Gloucester prop, has suffered a “devastating blow” in his bid to break into the England squad with knee surgery ruling him out of contention for the Six Nations championship. George Skivington, the Gloucester director of rugby, does not expect to have his powerhouse prop back in action until the “back end Read More …
Was it really the greatest weekend in Rugby World Cup history? Quite simply, yes. Having covered all 10 tournaments, I have never seen two back to back matches of such high quality and gripping drama as we witnessed in Paris. There have been one-off matches that have lifted the spirts and taken the sport to Read More …
Rory Underwood, the former England wing, believes the current yellow and red card controversies afflicting the Rugby World Cup are due to changes to the game’s laws aimed at helping disciplinary hearings not international matches. With England’s Tom Curry receiving a three game ban ( two if he attends tackle school) after his head on Read More …
George Ford revealed he practises drop goals at every training session which gave him the skill to land three as he accumulated a match winning 27 points to give 14 man England victory to launch their Rugby World Cup campaign against Argentina in Marseille. Jonny Wilkinson’s Cup winning drop goal in 2003 has a special Read More …
Fiji rugby chiefs have revealed they have ring fenced a budget of £3.8m (Fiji$11m) to help the Flying Fijians make an impact at the Rugby World Cup in France despite the union facing worrying debts. An investigation into the Union’s financial troubles has seen debts of £1.2 million (Fiji $ 3.5m) uncovered, however, FRU board Read More …
Exclusive interview; Relocating his family for a new rugby life in Japan is hampering former All Black Lima Sopoaga’s attempt to launch his international career with Samoa and is set to keep him out of the Pacific Nations Cup clash with Fiji in Apia on Saturday. Sopoaga, who has been playing for Lyon in the Read More …
Holger Rune, the sixth seed, produced a staggeringly impressive performance, saving two match points and dragging himself back from a seemingly hopeless final set tie break position to defeat Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, the No31 seed, and reach the Wimbledon fourth round for the first time 6-3,4-6,3-6,6-4,7-6 (10/8) in 3hrs 59mins Rune faced an underarm serve Read More …
Matteo Berrettini finally erased the painful memories of his Covid-19 enforced withdrawal from Wimbledon last year with a thumping 6-3,7-6,7-6 win against Alexander Zverev in 2hrs 27mins on Court No1 to set up a blockbuster fourth round clash with Carlos Alcaraz, the top seed. Berrettini has only played, due to injury, 17 matches this year Read More …
Springboks coach Jacques Nienaber is ready to take the key injured pair of captain Siya Kolisi and outside half Handre Pollard to the Rugby World Cup in France even if they are unable to play any part in the warm up matches. Nienaber told local media the importance of his captain and the tactical control Read More …
Zach Mercer has a confession to make and it is bad news for the England pack who are preparing to face a French forward onslaught at Twickenham on Saturday. At the heart of the French pack will be a fired up Paul Willemse, the giant South African born Montpellier lock, who has rediscovered his destructive Read More …
