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Liebenberg leaves
BACK row Hanro Liebenberg will leave Leicester Tigers at the end of the season to rejoin South African side the Bulls. The 30-year-old, below, was a member of Leicester’s Premiership title-winning side in 2022 and has played 141 games for the club, scoring 31 tries. Head coach Geoff Parling said discussions had been ongoing for […] The post Liebenberg leaves appeared first on The Rugby Paper.
New role for Pivac
FORMER Wales and Scarlets head coach Wayne Pivac will take charge of Benetton next season. The 63-year-old New Zealander has signed a contract as first-team head coach with the Italian club until June 2028, with the option of a further two seasons. Pivac won the 2021 Six Nations during a three-year spell as Wales boss, […] The post New role for Pivac appeared first on The Rugby Paper.
Nick Easter: The weight Maro Itoje has to carry is quite extraordinary
What Maro Itoje has dealt with in the last nine months is extraordinary. He captained the Lions, he captains England, he captains Saracens, and in the middle of all that, he has suffered the death of his mother. The post Nick Easter: The weight Maro Itoje has to carry is quite extraordinary appeared first on The Rugby Paper.
Nick Easter: Tom Willis would have been in my team
I would have started Tom Willis in the back row for England yesterday, regardless of his decision to move to France next season, because, for me, you want your best players available. The post Nick Easter: Tom Willis would have been in my team appeared first on The Rugby Paper.
Our target now is a top six finish
AS head coach at Chinnor, if you had offered me our current position of eighth in The Championship at the start of the season, I would have snapped your hand off. We are operating with one of the lowest playing budgets in the league, so to be where we are is a huge credit to […] The post Our target now is a top six finish appeared first on The Rugby Paper.
For me, Quins need to show clarity
IT HAS been a frustrating season for my old club Harlequins and I think a lot of that comes down to instability. They have had a change of head coach, which was unsettling in itself, but there has also been too much chopping and changing around who is really driving the rugby side of things. […] The post For me, Quins need to show clarity appeared first on The Rugby Paper.
Game has been betrayed
SO, Bill Sweeney`s grand plan for franchise rugby, which sees the abolishment of promotion and relegation (but with applications to join with conditions), improved crowd attendances, better promotion of the English game nationwide and possibly worldwide and finally increased revenue. The question is will it ever work? The truthful answer is a big NO! Why […] The post Game has been betrayed appeared first on The Rugby Paper.
Saara is a queen of broadcasting
SAARA Elgan is setting the benchmark for TV presenters in rugby union, across both the men’s and women’s game. She is incredibly knowledgable, prepared, engaging, clear, concise and articulate. Saara brilliantly anchors the PWR coverage on TNT Sports alongside top pundits like Natasha ‘Mo’ Hunt, Sarah Hunter and Emily Scarratt who provide a perfect blend […] The post Saara is a queen of broadcasting appeared first on The Rugby Paper.
Support for the whole community
HAVING read the comments by RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney, I await to see how his comment “capable of supporting the whole rugby community from grassroots to the international stage” works out. My hope would be that any franchise contract awarded would contractually obligate a ‘realistic’ percentage of the monies paid to be ring fenced […] The post Support for the whole community appeared first on The Rugby Paper.
Put Welsh clubs in Prem
THE money men have had their way and meritocracy in rugby is dead. It is not a decision I agree with, however, it could have consequences that may save Welsh rugby if the WRU want to seek election for the two vacancies the Prem want to fill. I am sure the criteria of spending one […] The post Put Welsh clubs in Prem appeared first on The Rugby Paper.
France resist Scotland’s second-half fightback
By SAM JACKSON Scotland ...........26pts Tries: Roberts 47, McAughtrie 55, Waugh 65, Rennie 72 Conversions: Dalziel 56, 66, 73 France............... 45pts Tries: Leveque 13, Gilbert 24, Veschambre 28, Drault 34, 69; Ibsaiene 36, Frier 77 Conversions: Keletaona 25, 29, 37; Kretchmann 70, 78 SCOTLAND U20s produced a spirited second-half fightback but were ultimately beaten at […] The post France resist Scotland’s second-half fightback appeared first on The Rugby Paper.
Chris Hewett: Dave Rennie should leave Brodie Retallick where he is
Let the fun and games begin. Dave Rennie, freshly-appointed head coach of the All Blacks with a World Cup looming large in his highly educated mind’s eye, appears to be in the mood for a serious discussion on selection policy after identifying Brodie Retallick, one of the stand-out locks of his generation, as a recall target. The post Chris Hewett: Dave Rennie should leave Brodie Retallick where he is appeared first on The Rugby Paper.
Chris Hewett: Chris Boyd can transform Gloucester
An effigy of Francois Pienaar swinging from the roof of the Shed as the World Cup-winning Springbok captain made an early appearance for Saracens; a furious, if ultimately one-sided touchline argument between a cider-fuelled local and Lawrence Dallaglio’s mum; the first recorded chorus of “you don’t know what you’re doing” to be aimed at a hapless referee. There were a thousand good reasons why Kingsholm earned itself the nickname “Castle Grim”, but limited space restricts us to a hat-trick of s
Paul Rees: RFU taking the corporate route with English rugby was inevitable
Paul Rees looks at the thinking behind the RFU’s changes and says that doing nothing was not a real option. The post Paul Rees: RFU taking the corporate route with English rugby was inevitable appeared first on The Rugby Paper.
Bristol’s Rubiolo sidelined with ACL surgery
NEWS EXTRA BRISTOL Bears will be without Pedro Rubiolo for the rest of the season after the Argentina lock had surgery on an anterior cruciate ligament. Fellow second rower Joe Batley will be out until May after dislocating his thumb in the Prem Cup match against Sale last weekend. The Bears will also be without […] The post Bristol’s Rubiolo sidelined with ACL surgery appeared first on The Rugby Paper.
Muir’s double puts Glos back on top
■ By LUKE JARMYN Gloucester-H ...38pts Tries: Heard 3, Jones 16, Muir 22, 28; Venner 45, Lewis 51 Conversions: George 17, 23, 29, 46 Exeter Chiefs ..20pts Tries: Poulin 8, Van Der Velden 39, Sinclair 60, MacDonald 76 TIGHTHEAD prop Maud Muir scored two tries as Gloucester-Hartpury returned to the top of the table with […] The post Muir’s double puts Glos back on top appeared first on The Rugby Paper.
Saracens too strong for London rivals
■ By HARRY SCOTT-MUNRO Harlequins .......26pts Tries: Konkel 12, Wafer, 28, Tuima 69, Cromack 76 Conversions: Cromack 29, 70, 77 Saracens ......... 43pts Tries: Campbell 7, 48, 53; Bridger 19, Apps 31, Breach 39 Conversions: Harrison 8, 20, 32, 40, 53 Penalty: Harrison 80 SARACENS kept up their unbeaten form, with a bonus point victory […] The post Saracens too strong for London rivals appeared first on The Rugby Paper.
Bears pile further misery on Leicester
Bristol Bears ...68pts Tries: Short 1, 16; Lovibond 11, Woodman 23, Clarke 29, Herring 40+1, Burns 57, Hesketh 62, Gallagher 67, Bevan 75 Conversions: Smith 2, 12, 17, 24, 29, 58, 63, 67, 75 Leicester Tigers 0pts BRISTOL Bears produced a dominant display at Shaftesbury Park to overwhelm Leicester Tigers and move further clear of […] The post Bears pile further misery on Leicester appeared first on The Rugby Paper.
Sharks revival makes it three in a row
■ By LUKE JARMYN Sale Sharks .....31pts Tries: Lloyd 21, Jarrell-Searcy 44, Cokayne 49, Childs 60, Pyrs 72 Conversions: Duffy 45, 61, 73 Loughborough .29pts Tries: Kelter 2, Campion 15, Hibbert-Jones 52, Mataitoga 77 Conversions: Nelson 3, 16, 53 Penalty: Nelson 35 HEYWOOD Road witnessed another memorable afternoon as Sale produced a stirring second-half comeback […] The post Sharks revival makes it three in a row appeared first on The Rugby Paper.
Brendan Gallagher: Players love getting one over the referee
I’m intrigued, fascinated, perplexed, occasionally entertained, but mostly irritated by why sportsmen and women feel the need to subtly but deliberately flaunt minor laws in an insidious rather truculent fashion. The post Brendan Gallagher: Players love getting one over the referee appeared first on The Rugby Paper.
Attacking full-back Lacaze was ahead of his time
RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER FRANCE’S reputation for producing vibrant attacking full-backs almost matches their ability to uncover and nurture commanding Napoleonic-like scrum-halves and that tradition at 15 probably dates back to the arrival Claude Lacaze, right, who died this week aged 85. Lacaze – who won 33 caps during the ’60s when playing for Lourdes, […] The post Attacking full-back Lacaze was ahead of his time appeared first on The Rugby Paper.
Portugal’s clash with Spain will be classy
RUGBY MATTERS BRENDAN GALLAGHER AWAY from the Six Nations, the Rugby Europe Championship is coming to the boil today with the two semi-final play-offs between Georgia and Romania in Tbilisi and a mouthwatering Iberian derby featuring Portugal and Spain in Lisbon. It’s the latter which really grabs the attention with both sides in good form […] The post Portugal’s clash with Spain will be classy appeared first on The Rugby Paper.
Priest settles thriller
National 1 B’ham Moseley..... 31 Rosslyn Park..........35 ■ By BEN MORRIS ROSSLYN Park edged a thrilling contest at Birmingham Moseley, running out away winners courtesy of Ethan Priest’s late try. The visitors struck first when Ed Volley crossed inside the opening two minutes, with Edward Morgan adding the conversion to give Park an early advantage. […] The post Priest settles thriller appeared first on The Rugby Paper.
Stortford see off Tykes
National 1 Leeds Tykes........... 19 Bishop’s S................ 31 ■ By HUW GRIFFIN BISHOP’S Stortford claimed an impressive bonus-point victory over Leeds Tykes in a lively mid-table clash in National League 1. Stortford ran in four tries inside the opening half hour to seize control of the match, with Tristan Smith crossing first before Austin Pope, […] The post Stortford see off Tykes appeared first on The Rugby Paper.
Rowntree’s aiming high with Otley
NEWS EXTRA ■ By BEN JAYCOCK AT 34, Otley scrum-half Joe Rowntree knows every season in National Two North must be earned the hard way, and this one has proved no different. With Otley coming into this weekend 10th in a fiercely competitive division, Rowntree admits it has been a tough campaign but one shaped […] The post Rowntree’s aiming high with Otley appeared first on The Rugby Paper.
Sheffield still on top
Nat 2 North Rossendale............26 Sheffield..................36 ■ By HARVEY ALLEN HAT-TRICK hero Christian Hooper helped his Sheffield side extend their invincible status over bottom-side Rossendale. Hooper opened the scoring after 15 minutes but John Leota replied instantly for the Lancashire side, landing Rossendale’s first blow of the day. But William Archer scored for Sheffield, with Felix […] The post Sheffield still on top appeared first on The Rugby Paper.
Tigers down Scunthorpe
Nat 2 North Sheffield Tigers....25 Scunthorpe............. 21 ■ By ANDREW SMITH SHEFFIELD Tigers survived a spirited second-half fight back from relegation threatened Scunthorpe to clinch their sixth home win on the bounce. The home side looked in control with a 20-point advantage early in the second period before Greens flanker Marcus Payne stepped up with […] The post Tigers down Scunthorpe appeared first on The Rugby Paper.
Hinckley hold the aces over beaten Taunton
Nat 2 West Hinckley.......... 47 Taunton T.........33 ■ By RORY MORROW HINCKLEY overcame Taunton Titans at Leicester Road to claim a bonus-point victory. Titans skipper Ratu Vakalutukali crossed inside five minutes, with fly-half Thomas Putt converting for a full house. Locating their mojo, Hinckley sparkled: over went prop George Patten, preceding a second home try […] The post Hinckley hold the aces over beaten Taunton appeared first on The Rugby Paper.
Peter Jackson: Key figure Alex Mann puts Wales in contention
And so, let it be said sotto voce, the end is nigh. After losing 15 in a row, Wales have given thumping notice of their readiness to win a Six Nations match without further ado, in Cardiff next weekend. The post Peter Jackson: Key figure Alex Mann puts Wales in contention appeared first on The Rugby Paper.
Peter Jackson: When Ray Glastonbury warmed up during The Big Freeze
Long before his surname became synonymous with a music festival, Ray Glastonbury’s scorch marks could be found all over the north of England, never more so than during his first season in Rugby League. The post Peter Jackson: When Ray Glastonbury warmed up during The Big Freeze appeared first on The Rugby Paper.