Vannes shows Top 14 and France are doing it right. England should learn December 17, 2024 Matt Hardy went to Vannes this December and saw exactly why French rugby and the Top 14 is exactly what every league should aim for. Rounding a grand piano in the courtyard of a music school to reach the turnstiles at the Stade de La Rabine is not something you’d expect – posh boy stereotypes [...]
Maher social media aide to be paid more by Bristol Bears than some players December 3, 2024 Bristol Bears Women is hiring a social media specialist solely to work with new star signing Ilona Maher on a higher salary than most of the club’s players. The West Country outfit this week signed one of the most recognisable faces in rugby, American sevens sensation Maher, and saw their follower numbers leap as a [...]
RFU boss Bill Sweeney paid £1.1m despite heavy losses November 25, 2024 England Rugby chief executive Bill Sweeney was paid £1.1m in the last financial year despite the game struggling to stay on its feet. It comes as the governing body for rugby in England announced record losses nearing £40m and confirmed there would be redundancies within the organisation. The Rugby Football Union insists that their year, [...]
Inside the Boks: Why South Africa send strongest message in sport November 11, 2024 For world champions South Africa rugby means more than just 80 minutes once per week. So why are the Boks pushed by culture and a desire to guide a nation? When Vinicius Jr’s off-the-ball antics in this season’s Clasico caught the attention of fans, some suggested it contributed to his failed attempt to win a [...]
Autumn Nations Series: How will England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales get on? November 1, 2024 The Autumn Nations Series can be a super tonic for the sport as titans clash from both hemispheres across Europe, writes Ollie Phillips. November internationals are always an odd time of year: you have neither the bitter rivalries the Six Nations and Rugby Championship generate over their own two hemispheres, nor is there the excitement [...]
Haka ‘ridiculous and needs binning’, England star taunts All Blacks October 30, 2024 England rugby star Joe Marler has inflamed tensions ahead of their clash with New Zealand on Saturday by branding the haka “ridiculous” and saying that the All Blacks’ traditional pre-match dance “needs binning”. Harlequins prop Marler, 34, made the comments on social media just days before the teams meet in Twickenham this weekend and deactivated [...]
Argentina can humiliate establishment with Rugby Championship win September 28, 2024 As the Rugby Championship reaches its climax, can Argentina upset the apple cart and topple the Springboks? What constitutes a world class rugby team? Is it World Cup wins alone or is in an era of dominance year in, year out? How about a team with fewer resources than the others going into the final [...]
‘Michael Cheika suits the Premiership, he just gets stuck in’ September 27, 2024 I remember when I was a player at Stade Francais in Paris, Michael Cheika wanting to get involved with training at an authentic level. He got absolutely smashed by former French lock Pascal Papé and Italian legend Sergio Parisse, leaving the Aussie at the bottom of a ruck. “F**k yeah, f**k yeah,” the former Wallabies [...]
Olympics: Rugby sevens needs Dupont and USA to be medal contenders July 26, 2024 As a former sevens player, the Olympics is always an exciting time. We see the very best of a bunch of athletes who otherwise go under the radar across the rest of the calendar. But in a rugby-mad country like France, where stars like Toulouse and international No9 Antoine Dupont will be on show, this [...]
Michael Cheika: Who is he and where has the Leicester Tigers boss coached? June 28, 2024 Leicester Tigers this week announced that Australian Michael Cheika will become the new head coach after parting ways with Dan McKellar. But who is he, where has he coached, and what has he said about his appointment? Who is he? Cheika, 57, is an Australian rugby coach who spent his career at Randwick in his [...]