Blood, sweat and tiers: Rugby needs Tier Two teams, they cannot be banished into shadows October 1, 2023 We have seen England topple debutants Chile 71-0 and New Zealand beat Rugby World Cup stalwarts Italy 96-17 but the biggest issue this tournament has seen is established Tier Two sides such as Romania fall victim to long-term neglect. Because when you look at their last 10 fixtures Romania have scored just 152 points, averaging [...]
Wales momentum could take them to Rugby World Cup final September 29, 2023 If you’d have asked me two months ago whether Wales would get out of their Rugby World Cup pool, I’d have been sceptical. But having watched them in Lyon on Sunday as they dismantled Australia by a record score, I genuinely think there’s a possibility of them making the final this year. Their quarter-final will [...]
Uruguay deny Namibia first ever Rugby World Cup win September 27, 2023 Namibia’s hopes of a first ever Rugby World Cup win were dashed by Uruguay last night as the South American side picked up their first victory of the tournament. Namibia looked on for an upset, and their first win in seven World Cup tournaments, when they went into the break leading 20-12. But Uruguay bounced [...]
Rugby World Cup matches could soon be locked behind paywall September 26, 2023 Rugby World Cup matches could be locked behind a paywall, with the next tournament in 2027 set for dramatic changes in how it is broadcast and staged. Whereas the Fifa World Cup in its entirety must be on free-to-air television due to being on the UK government’s protected list of “crown jewels”, only the Rugby [...]
Australia cannot sack Jones after Rugby World Cup humiliation, the sport would be poorer for it September 25, 2023 Little good can be said about the Wallabies’ 40-6 loss to Wales on Sunday at the Rugby World Cup. It was abysmal and embarrassing for a nation like Australia with such a revered rugby union history. But it shouldn’t spell the end for Eddie Jones. Headlines Down Under on Monday called for the former England [...]
Australia captain defends ‘fantastic coach’ Eddie Jones following Wales thrashing September 25, 2023 Australia captain Will Skelton has defended under-fire coach Eddie Jones following their Rugby World Cup humiliation by Wales.
Rugby World Cup: England building but quarters are different level September 25, 2023 England made a statement on Saturday at the Rugby World Cup with their 71-0 demolition of debutants Chile, but what did Steve Borthwick and his team learn ahead of their two-week break in the pool stages? Henry V In his World Cup debut, Henry Arundell crossed the whitewash five times, scoring 35 per cent of [...]
Dazn hits back at MP plans to close free-to-air sport loophole September 25, 2023 Calls from politicians to stop streaming platforms from bidding to show major sporting events have been slammed as “very narrow-minded and anti-competitive”. Sports streaming giant Dazn, best known for showing high-profile boxing matches, has hit out at recent recommendations by a group of MPs to stop streaming platforms from bidding for “crown jewel” sporting events. Crown jewel [...]
Rugby World Cup: Ireland v South Africa atmosphere unforgettable September 24, 2023 As The Cranberries’ classic Zombie caused metaphorical tremors across Paris following Ireland’s 13-8 Rugby World Cup victory over South Africa, it was hard to just stand there, take it in and not wish you had one of those teams as truly your own. What unfolded at the Stade de France on Saturday wasn’t the “joue [...]
Wales can leave Australia on brink at Rugby World Cup September 22, 2023 So many pairs of eyes are on the battle between South Africa and Ireland at the Rugby World Cup this weekend given it is world No1 versus world No2, and a match many are predicting to be a warm-up for the final. But I am fascinated by Sunday’s meeting between Wales and Australia. The Wallabies [...]