Sports
The Rugby Paper
Fin's found a soulmate in Saints guru Vesty
FIN Smith and his Northampton teammates will sit down tomorrow as coaches Sam Vesty and Phil Dowson unveil their plan to conquer Europe next weekend.
2 min |
May 18, 2025
The Rugby Paper
Try-fests galore as fans flock to ProD2
THE curtain had barely come down on the regular ProD2 season on Friday night when the Ligue Nationale de Rugby - entirely justifiably - popped out a press release celebrating a new cumulative crowd record for the French second tier.
4 min |
May 18, 2025
The Rugby Paper
Saints fightback hits Sarries play-off hope
SARACENS - so good for 50 minutes, so poor for the final half hour - saw their play-off hopes take a serious dent when they snatched defeat from the jaws of victory at Franklin’s Gardens.
2 min |
May 18, 2025
The Rugby Paper
Rob just cares about his own team's display
ROB Baxter has told his Exeter players not to get caught up in the emotion that will be swirling around The Stoop today where Danny Care will be making his final appearance for Harlequins.
2 min |
May 18, 2025
The Rugby Paper
Devon cream their way past Gloucestershire
THE Gill Burns County Championship got underway with three matches across its three divisions, with ties taking places in the deepest south, to the most far-flung of northern locations.
1 min |
May 18, 2025
The Rugby Paper
Williams and Burns hunt for new clubs
WALES full-back Liam Williams will leave Saracens at the end of the season.
1 min |
May 18, 2025
The Rugby Paper
Bulls seal home run to semi-final
THE Dragons brought down the curtain on their worst ever season by conceding nine tries in Pretoria as they suffered a 17th successive URC defeat.
2 min |
May 18, 2025
The Rugby Paper
Irish faith helped me to fulfil my Wallaby dream
I WAS a rugby fan first and foremost before I joined the Western Force, aged 14. My happiness on a weekend would be based on whether they had won or not so I was more sad than not given the results of the team! I had the jerseys of people like Matt Giteau and David Pocock on my bedroom wall, so to get the chance to join their academy and then ultimately to go and train and then play for the team was unbelievable.
5 min |
May 18, 2025
The Rugby Paper
Green sets his sights on a big finish at Coventry
DAN Green has enjoyed his first season at Coventry after making the step up from Newport (Salop) and he is determined to help turn around his side’s mid-season slump.
2 min |
May 18, 2025
The Rugby Paper
'Rebrand' doesn't go far enough
THE 'rebrand' of the Championship hasn't gone far enough in my opinion.
1 min |
May 18, 2025
The Rugby Paper
Culley concerned for game's future
WITH the RFU County Championships kicking-off this weekend, a former head of Northumberland and Dorset & Wiltshire men’s teams is calling for it to be re-invigorated by being at the heart of wider reforms to the sport.
2 min |
May 18, 2025
The Rugby Paper
European Cup's given us some real pearlers
So NEXT week in Cardiff will be the 30th European Cup Final, a pearl anniversary of sorts. Where did the time go? It seems like yesterday that Emile Ntamack was lifting the trophy high at Cardiff Arms Park after Toulouse's extra-time win over Cardiff, which is still, come to think of it, the only occasion a Welsh club has reached the final.
4 min |
May 18, 2025
The Rugby Paper
Ace Adamson bags four as Cambridge get the Blues
BEDFORD Blues left Grantchester Road with the bragging rights in this local derby after a turbo-charged second half performance blew away the stubborn resistance of Cambridge, who were well in the game at the break.
1 min |
May 18, 2025
The Rugby Paper
The lame Bucks are so broken by Herts
WITH the professional season drawing to a conclusion, attention turned to the grassroots stage as the County Championship returned with a bang.
1 min |
May 18, 2025
The Rugby Paper
World Cup fast-track begins in Argentina
YOUR starter for 10: what might Jason Leonard, Richard Cockerill, Danny Grewcock and Martin Corry have in common, apart from a deep commitment to the England cause and a sinister mastery of rugby's darker arts? The correct answer: they made their international debuts on Argentine soil, the last three of them at moments when established first-teamers were doing something bigger and better with their time, like touring with the British and Irish Lions.
3 min |
May 18, 2025
The Rugby Paper
Sharks ready for battle at Chiefs
ALEX Sanderson is bracing himself for a potentially fraught final-day trip to Exeter as Sale bid to book a play-off spot.
1 min |
May 18, 2025
The Rugby Paper
I was thrilled to finally receive my Lions cap
IT’S funny how at a time when the game is looking forward to something special for a few players, I feel a little sad for all those that have missed out. I am, of course, talking about the Lions selection which has always been a puzzle to me and probably anyone and everyone outside the cartel that has the job of player selection.
4 min |
May 18, 2025
The Rugby Paper
Lions late show makes it sad finale for Ospreys
LUBABELO Dobela scored a last-gasp winner for the Lions as the Ospreys' underwhelming campaign concluded in disappointing fashion.
1 min |
May 18, 2025
The Rugby Paper
Removingjeopardy is not right direction
IN WELCOMING the prospect of the Premiership becoming a franchise operation, Sale director of rugby Steve Diamond, below, states in the most recent edition of The Rugby Paper: “The wealthy owners model does not stand up at the moment — why invest in something that has a one in ten chance of relegation?”
1 min |
May 18, 2025
The Rugby Paper
Rugby milestone for ref Davidson
SCOTLAND'S Hollie Davidson will become the first woman to take charge of a European final when she referees the Challenge Cup clash between Bath and Lyon on Friday night.
1 min |
May 18, 2025
The Rugby Paper
‘I never thought I'd achieve what I did’
IT SEEMED as if Danny Care would go on forever, but 20 years after he made his Premiership debut for Leeds the scrum-half has reluctantly called time on a career which has involved more than 500 matches for clubs and country.
7 min |
May 18, 2025
The Rugby Paper
Crowley leads the way for Munster
JACK Crowley delivered afine display to march Munster into the play-offs.
1 min |
May 18, 2025
The Rugby Paper
Twelvetrees backs Lions for series win
BILLY Twelvetrees is backing the British and Irish Lions to roar to success in Australia this summer, fired up by the exciting squad Andy Farrell has assembled for the trip Down Under.
2 min |
May 18, 2025
The Rugby Paper
Steelers hit back to book semi-final spot against the champs
KOBE Steelers overcame an early deficit to book their place in the semi-final agaonst Toshiba Brave Lupus, with a 35-20 win against Shizuoka Blue Revs.
1 min |
May 18, 2025
The Rugby Paper
Ealing enjoy feeling all over again
CLAPPING their travelling fans and enjoying jugs of beer in the sun were the order of the day for Ealing after they wrapped up their third Championship title in four years.
2 min |
May 18, 2025
The Rugby Paper
Tonbridge's six of the best lead way but Dorking and Bames aces also nab spot
TONBRIDGE Juddians proved the league’s pacesetters, securing promotion back to National One, and their formidable campaign saw the Kent side dominate this year’s Dream Team with six selections.
5 min |
May 18, 2025
The Rugby Paper
Murley intends to prove he's no one-cap wonder
CADAN MURLEY is hoping to build on his superb performance against Gloucester and play himself back into the England squad touring Argentina and USA this summer.
3 min |
May 18, 2025
The Rugby Paper
Chessum chasing his dream at Tigers
Ben Jaycock talks to Leicester lock Lewis Chessum who has a big goal for when he returns from sabbatical in Japan
3 min |
May 18, 2025
The Rugby Paper
Curry opts to defer surgery
ENGLAND flanker Tom Curry will delay surgery to fix a wrist ligament injury until after the Lions tour of Australia.
2 min |
May 18, 2025
The Rugby Paper
Gloucester bring in reinforcements
GLOUCESTER have signed scrum-half Mike Austin on a permanent deal after an impressive spell on loan from Championship side Hartpury.
1 min |