Sports
The Rugby Paper
Kick-fests will make us all turn off the TV
INTERNATIONAL rugby is the peak of our sport, and World Rugby has to act on the questions that were raised by the 2021 Lions tour – or watch its showcase events lose their sparkle and have the audience reach for the off button.
5 min |
August 15, 2021
The Rugby Paper
Racing defeat left me crying at kitchen table
THE FORMER LEEDS, NEWCASTLE, LEICESTER, LA ROCHELLE AND NORTHAMPTON LOCK
6 min |
August 01, 2021
The Rugby Paper
Run the Boks tired and Lions can still triumph
IT’S a straight shootout next week and the Lions will always have hope in a two-horse race, but this was a complete role reversal from the First Test.
4 min |
August 01, 2021
The Rugby Paper
Rassie rant is just good fun says Marler
JOE Marler insists he has no problems with Rassie Erasmus’ hour-long video rant at the officiating in the Lions First Test.
2 min |
August 01, 2021
The Rugby Paper
Warrior Biggar must be protected say activists
THE Lions were taking a risk with Dan Biggar by naming him in the side for yesterday’s Second Test against South Africa, according to World Rugby’s guidelines on concussion which were updated at the end of January.
2 min |
August 01, 2021
The Rugby Paper
Gatland: Lions set for brutal showdown
WARREN Gatland prepared his Lions for a “brutal cup final” in Cape Town on Saturday after seeing the Springboks level the series.
4 min |
August 01, 2021
The Rugby Paper
Kiwis are worthy winners of best ever tournament
AFTER the Lord Mayor’s show...came the best Women’s Sevens tournament in history and a seminal moment in the development of Women’s Rugby. A joyous tournament that excited rugby followers around the world and absolutely cemented Sevens’ position as a core team sport at the modern-day Olympics.
3 min |
August 01, 2021
The Rugby Paper
Ditch the tech like Anna did to strike gold
Purity and simplicity are not among the nouns most commonly associated with Rugby Union in its current state of confusion: prop forwards were routinely described as “simple” back in the day, but that was a different thing altogether.
4 min |
August 01, 2021
The Rugby Paper
All Blacks bucked the trend of decline
What better time, a few days shy of the first Test against South Africa, to seek out a great thinker and turn to him for illumination?
3 min |
July 18, 2021
The Rugby Paper
First Test success vital for a winning series
There is always a special feel to the first Test of any Lions series in South Africa, a step into the unknown for the vast majority of those involved. All sorts of questions and hopes hang heavily in the air.
4 min |
July 18, 2021
The Rugby Paper
Gritty England grind way to Grand Slam
CAPTAIN Jack van Poortvliet lauded the ‘grit’ of his England teammates after holding off Italy to clinch the U20 Six Nations Grand Slam.
2 min |
July 18, 2021
The Rugby Paper
Now the Lions know just what they are up against
Almost on cue, the Lions lost their first real test last Wednesday when faced with a strong South African A team.
4 min |
July 18, 2021
The Rugby Paper
Pent-up demand could see fans back in droves
The Premiership fixtures for next season have been released, and the expectation level for club rugby fans has just gone up a notch.
3 min |
July 18, 2021
The Rugby Paper
Sam's on a high with Lions after Twickenham pain
SAM Simmonds says the Lions tour has allowed him to forget about the heartbreak of a third Premiership final defeat with Exeter Chiefs.
3 min |
July 18, 2021
The Rugby Paper
Hardest job was getting ‘Dommers' off cakes!
Whenever the pandemic permits, Alex Dombrandt will be asked to dine with a galaxy of Welsh veterans headed by Sir Gareth Edwards.
5 min |
July 18, 2021
The Rugby Paper
Swallow dive that said Pumas had taken off
Brendan Gallagher delves into some of rugby’s most enduring images, their story and why they are still so impactful
4 min |
July 18, 2021
The Rugby Paper
Too many errors, but future's bright
IT HAS been the longest Welsh rugby season I can remember and the second Test with Argentina proved a step too far for Wayne Pivac’s side. The Pumas thoroughly deserved to win and claim the series 1-0.
3 min |
July 18, 2021
The Rugby Paper
Wallabies ride out early red to clinch series
THE next time anyone tries to tell you red cards ruin matches, direct them to a video of this enthralling third Test.
3 min |
July 18, 2021
The Rugby Paper
Who'd want to see this lot waiting for them?
Brendan Gallagher delves into some of rugby’s most enduring images, their story and why they are still so impactful
4 min |
August 08, 2021
The Rugby Paper
Warriors go green for brighter future
WORCESTER have launched their time for change campaign aimed at transforming how they operate off the field and establish themselves as a force in the Premiership after 14 seasons when they have wallowed in its nether reaches.
4 min |
August 08, 2021
The Rugby Paper
Scouser Maliq feels at home among Knights
MALIQ HOLDEN’s relatively short rugby career has almost been as diverse as his family background but the new Doncaster back-three player has no doubt where he feels most comfortable – in the north of England.
3 min |
August 08, 2021
The Rugby Paper
Wallaby fightback fails in poor opener
THE All Blacks continued their dominance of the Bledisloe Cup as they saw off a spirited Wallabies side at Eden Park in the opening game of the competition.
3 min |
August 08, 2021
The Rugby Paper
Our water breaks were called half-time!
Well just as I suggested two weeks ago, we have had a series worthy of the name with the last game deciding the winner.
3 min |
August 08, 2021
The Rugby Paper
I had to tell Cov players there was no cash left
WHEN I went down to take training at Worcester on Tuesday after we’d beaten Bristol to reach the 5th Round of the 1997/98 Tetley’s Bitter Cup, there were people queuing for tickets around the block. We’d been drawn against Newcastle, who with the backing of Sir John Hall, had a load of megastars and were pumping everyone in the Premiership.
6 min |
August 08, 2021
The Rugby Paper
Farrell's Lions snub means he misses a major milestone
Never at any stage since his professional debut at the age of 17 had Owen Farrell been deemed surplus to requirements, until yesterday.
3 min |
August 08, 2021
The Rugby Paper
Brookes in to power up Toulon set-piece
Four weeks out from the start of the Top 14 campaign, and pre-season is just about in full swing. Champions Toulouse will be the last to return to full training – most players are due back at Stade Ernest Wallon this week after a deserved six-week break following their double-winning exploits. Theirs will be a breakneck preparation – there’s time in the program for just one warm-up match before the trip to La Rochelle on opening weekend.
4 min |
August 08, 2021
The Rugby Paper
Boycott South Africa until SARU put house in order
For me the result of the Lions Test series was irrelevant, as the focus in the coming months has to be on the damage done to rugby by Rassie Erasmus and the SARU. A bit of niggle is good for the game, but this went far beyond that.
3 min |
August 08, 2021
The Rugby Paper
Boks are best one-trick pony in world rugby
I’M always going to be positive about the Lions at the end of a series, win or lose, because they are such a wonderful entity and I know how much work goes in before, during and in between tours.
4 min |
August 08, 2021
The Rugby Paper
Gatland the brave got his selections right again
JUST as Lukhanyo Am made a huge statement in the first minute with his bone-crunching hit on Elliot Daly, the Lions made their own mark with that unstoppable driving maul at the start of the second half which swung momentum.
4 min |
July 25, 2021
The Rugby Paper
Poisoned anchovies sabotaged my tour
I’M still convinced that the food poisoning myself and half-a-dozen others got on the flight to South Africa on the Lions tour in ’74 was intentional. Anyone who’d chosen the meal with an anchovy garnish fell ill. I’ve not eaten them to this day, I felt so rough. I never truly got back up to speed after that. Instead of running onto the training field, I was running to the toilet.
6 min |