Alibaba’s sports arm invests $100m into rugby in China and sets ambitious targets for growth October 26, 2016 Alibaba will invest $100m (£82m) into Chinese rugby over the next 10 years as part of a joint initiative with World Rugby to grow the game in the world's most populous country. Alisports, the sporting arm of e-commerce giant Alibaba, says it wants to bring 1m new players into the " great Olympic team sport" within the next [...]
Saracens winger Chris Ashton agrees Toulon transfer that will rule him out of England selection October 25, 2016 Saracens winger Chris Ashton looks to have called time on his England career after agreeing to join Toulon next season. The 29-year-old international will join the French heavyweights following five successful seasons with Saracens, a move that will likely rule him out of future consideration for the Red Rose. Ashton, who has scored 19 tries in 44 [...]
A week in rugby: Anthony Foley super-charges Munster, Danny Cipriani suffers from lack of kicking duties, and Leicester Tigers rediscover their bite October 24, 2016 Thomond Tribute Glasgow had no chance of winning against Munster on Saturday; the men in red could never have allowed it. The electricity of Thomond Park flowed with a current even more vigorous than has come to be expected from one of the sport's most iconic venues in Munster’s 38-17 win, a week after the [...]
England’s injury woes deepen ahead of autumn internationals as Maro Itoje ruled out with fractured hand October 24, 2016 England head coach Eddie Jones was dealt a further blow to an already pounding injury headache after European player of the year Maro Itoje was ruled out of his side’s autumn internationals with a fractured right hand. Itoje will require surgery on the injury he suffered during Saracens’ European Champions Cup victory over Scarlets at [...]
Leicester director of rugby Richard Cockerill revels in “stardust’ quality of former England No10 Freddie Burns October 23, 2016 Leicester director of rugby Richard Cockerill hailed the “stardust” quality of Freddie Burns after the former England No10 stoked the Tigers’ 27-17 European Champions Cup victory over Racing 92. Burns, a second-half replacement for Owen Williams, racked up 16 points, including an interception try, as Leicester recovered from their opening round thrashing by Glasgow Warriors [...]
Keep cracking your whip as England won’t get to No1 if you don’t, full-back Mike Brown tells head coach Eddie Jones October 21, 2016 England vice-captain Mike Brown – tough, uncompromising and not afraid to speak his mind – was quick to jump to the defence of head coach Eddie Jones when the intensity of the Australian’s international training camp came under fire amid a succession of injuries. Jones, too, is famed for his no-nonsense, some might say authoritarian, [...]
Tributes pour in after Munster head coach Anthony Foley dies in hotel October 16, 2016 Tributes have poured in after it emerged that Munster head coach Anthony Foley had died suddenly at the club’s hotel in Paris as they prepared for a Champions Cup clash with Racing 92. Former Ireland back-row forward Foley, aged 42, passed away overnight and as a mark of respect Munster’s planned showdown in the French capital [...]
Flanker Mike Williams adds to head coach Eddie Jones’s injury headache as autumn series nears October 11, 2016 England head coach Eddie Jones’s injury problems deepened yesterday after Leicester flanker Mike Williams was ruled out of the autumn international series with a broken arm. Zimbabwe-born Williams was a contender to play as openside flanker when England begin their autumn programme against South Africa at Twickenham on 12 November but is now set for [...]
Saracens 30, Wasps 14: Mark McCall demands improvement despite Sarries’ demolition job on high-flyers October 9, 2016 Saracens boss Mark McCall has demanded greater ruthlessness despite seeing the defending champions hit the Premiership’s summit with a bonus-point 30-14 victory over in-form Wasps at Allianz Park. Hooker Jamie George climbed off the bench to score two late tries, adding to first-half touchdowns from prop Mako Vunipola and wing Mike Ellery, while Josh Bassett [...]
Anthony Watson set to miss England’s autumn internationals with broken jaw October 6, 2016 Wing Anthony Watson has become the latest addition to England’s list of casualties ahead of next month’s autumn internationals after he sustained a suspected broken jaw. Watson, a mainstay of Eddie Jones’s resurgent Red Rose side, is thought to have suffered the injury during England training on Tuesday and is not expected to recover in [...]