In this issue

April 09, 2023

'Rising risk of players taking their own lives'

Fears of players taking own lives

2 mins

We'll be better by World Cup - Slade

ENGLAND may have endured another underwhelming Six Nations, losing more matches than they won for the third successive year, but Henry Slade believes they will be a different proposition in the World Cup this autumn.

3 mins

Stage set for a Tiger attack

THIS is the stage of the season when momentum counts.

6 mins

Lawrence and Tuilagi the next centres of attention?

WITH only World Cup warm-ups to come in the international game this summer before the 2023 tournament starts, it’s fair to say that there are three outstanding centre combinations in place – and that England’s is not one of them.

4 mins

Rampant Chiefs demolish Stormers

EXETER’S farewell party for their departing stars continues in full swing after they hit the Stormers with six tries to burst into the semi-finals of the Champions Cup.

3 mins

Irish galacticos on song as Leicester are sent packing

LEINSTER, supercharged by Garry Ringrose on his return from injury, strolled into the Champions Cup semi-final in a style which suggests they will be claiming a fifth title next month.

3 mins

Itoje sets sights on toppling champions

THREE-TIME Hein- eken Champions Cup winner Maro Itoje has encountered most things in rugby but a trip to La Rochelle is a step into the unknown and one the forward can’t wait to take.

3 mins

Cardiff pay price for poor discipline

BENETTON became the first Italian side to reach the semi-finals of the European Challenge Cup with former Wasps wing Marcus Watson scoring the crucial try.

2 mins

A rout which should force Sweeney and O'Shea to go

THOSE who want to turn rugby union in England into a protectionist franchise sport should reflect long and hard on the way Leicester were on the receiving end of a 55-24 quarter-final drubbing by Leinster in Dublin.

1 min

Countries now battling to find their place in a new world order

THE Heineken Champions Cup has become bigger. It has more teams taking part than before the pandemic and the presence of South Africa has added weight. But has it become better?

9 mins

Costelow grabs it for Scarlets

SAM Costelow held his nerve with a touchline conversion to win a thrilling game and send Scarlets through to a home semi-final.

2 mins

Toulon have too much power for Lyon

TOULON powered into the Challenge Cup semi-finals with an emphatic win over reigning champions Lyon at the Stade Félix Mayol

1 min

Cup rugby needs an injection of jeopardy

THE Heineken Cup, as we knew and loved it when Friday nights at Sardis Road and Saturday afternoons at Thomond Park were almost as exotic as a weekend in Paris or Toulouse, was the place where true rugby folk felt most alive. We must therefore ask ourselves how it became the tournament where boardroom mediocrity goes to die.

3 mins

Matthews keeps eye on the ball

EVER-PRESENT flyhalf Tommy Matthews has enjoyed a fine season off the tee for Hartpury University adopting a ‘less is more’ approach to his kicking in training.

2 mins

Dream start with six tries at Twickenham

NOT many players will be able to say they once scored six tries in a final at Twickenham but, for me, personal achievements and accolades were secondary to just going out and enjoying my rugby.

5 mins

So where have all the fly-halves gone?

SINCE the last World Cup, Wales have picked eight fly-halves. By the end of the next one, the majority will have disappeared in a clatter of hooves and clouds of dust.

3 mins

There's no place for jackals and crocodiles in rugby jungle

I DON’T watch enough David Attenborough – frankly his droning voice is my go-to remedy for insomnia – to know if jackals and crocodiles happily coexist in some far-flung ecosystem but I do know they are inextricably linked in the jungle that is a rugby breakdown.

3 mins

Knights fighting hard despite their half rations

AFTER doing a “Leicester City” in 2021/22, Doncaster have found it tough to back up last year’s second-place finish in the current Championship campaign.

2 mins

Non-stop season to challenge the best

NO ONE has ever denied – no one has ever been able to deny – that the French rugby season is an ultra-marathon rather than a sprint. But when the World Cup comes around it takes on ferocious ironman triathlon levels.

4 mins

Rayasi double puts Hurricanes on top

Super Rugby Pacific round-up

3 mins

Read all stories from The Rugby Paper

The Rugby Paper Magazine Description:

The Rugby Paper, the UK's number 1 selling rugby title, brings you exclusive stories, reports and features on your device, published in exceptional clarity. It contains renowned journalists such as Nick Cain and Peter Jackson, and famous former players as columnists including Jeremy Guscott and Jeff Probyn. Published every Sunday, The Rugby Paper covers Rugby Union from national teams and Premiership / Rabo Direct down to grass roots.