Rugby Comment: How I prepare for a Six Nations clash February 20, 2014 SINCE narrowly losing our Six Nations opener in France, our focus has been on emulating Wales, who recovered last year to win the title. We were clinical against Scotland in our next match and the whole England squad is excited to play our first game at Twickenham this year, against Ireland tomorrow. I’m not surprised [...]
Euro rugby row is a threat to England, says Wilkinson February 12, 2014 ENGLAND 2003 Rugby World Cup hero Jonny Wilkinson has warned that the national team stands to suffer if a last-minute peace deal to save the European club game cannot be found. Union and club chiefs from England, Wales, Ireland, France, Scotland and Italy met in Paris yesterday for talks about the Six Nations committee running [...]
Sport Comment: Rugby facing threat of a two-tier Six Nations February 9, 2014 I’M finding it hard to remember a more dispiriting post-match experience than being in Edinburgh on Saturday night, following England’s dismembering of an abject Scotland rugby team, who you suspect would still have 0 on the board if the game was going on now. Hapless. Hopeless. There is no pleasure in saying that the Tartan [...]
Rugby lad comes back to the City January 30, 2014 SEAN Bean wasn’t the only hard man in the City yesterday. Ex-England rugby international Will Greenwood was down at the Gherkin, banging the drum about the Rugby World Cup 2015 (hosted in the UK) and the vast hospitality opportunities it presents to the capital. Greenwood was at home in the Square Mile, having started his [...]
Rugby Comment: Talented France at most dangerous at home January 30, 2014 LAST year we did well in the Six Nations right up until the last game in Wales and we’re all focused on going one better this time. We want to get off to a good start against France in Paris tomorrow and after that we’ll see what happens. France finished with the wooden spoon last [...]
Welfare lesson for rugby pros January 13, 2014 ALL professional rugby union players in England must complete an online concussion education programme ahead of the 2014-15 season. Players and coaches at teams playing in the top two tiers of English rugby, plus those at regional academy teams, will complete the programme amid growing concerns over player welfare as a result of sustaining concussion [...]
Exclusive: Rugby’s Euro dispute sad, says Roberts December 2, 2013 WALES and Lions star Jamie Roberts has called the bitter row threatening the future of European club rugby “sad” and lamented the lack of opportunity for players to help solve the impasse. It is still unclear whether the Heineken Cup will go ahead next season and, if so, whether English teams will be part of [...]
French U-turn on new Euro rugby structure leaves English isolated November 28, 2013 ENGLISH rugby’s plans to form a breakaway European competition could be delayed after French top-flight teams yesterday vowed to continue playing in the Heineken Cup next term – provided their English counterparts did to. Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR) said presidents of Top 14 sides voted “unanimously” to take part in a tournament run by [...]
No support for English rugby’s breakaway cup November 21, 2013 ENGLAND’S Rugby Football Union are adamant they will not be forced into a U-turn on plans to form a breakaway European competition next season, despite unions in Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France and Italy indicating their clubs were set to continue playing in the Heineken Cup. Top French and Welsh clubs had previously indicated their intention [...]
Rugby Comment: All Blacks loss shows we need to be clinical November 21, 2013 NEW Zealand might have beaten us last weekend, but this group of England players has shown the potential to go forward to the 2015 World Cup and that we can match the world’s best on any day. We know we’re not the finished article and must learn from defeats, like we did after Wales in [...]