The Western Force and the Melbourne Rebels will be doing everything they can to ignore the emotional debate occurring in Welsh rugby at present. Oakwell Sports Advisory – the London-based consultants who worked on the deal between CVC and the English Premiership – recently submitted a report to the Welsh Rugby Union that included a […]

Bath have been spared a nerve-jangling end to the season by the Premiership’s ringfencing of no relegation… the ‘basket case’ club have endured a horror campaign after shipping 40 points or more on THIRTEEN occasions – they deserve to go down Bath should be entering one of their most important season finales in 157 years  […]

‘It reeks of sorting out a balance sheet rather than improving the game’: Alun Wyn Jones slams Welsh Rugby’s proposal to cut the country’s number of professional clubs from four to three, insisting it would not benefit the teams which remain Welsh Rugby Union’s Professional Board are weighing up possible improvements One proposal is to […]

As far as viral tries go, Henry Arundell’s 100m effort for London Irish against Toulon two weeks ago was from the furthest corner of the top shelf. Raw pace, teenage audacity, strewn defenders, two in-and-away swerves with no deceleration and a very excited Frenchman in commentary. But the incroyable five-pointer had real-world consequence for Arundell, […]

Wayne Pivac accepts that he has a job “where everybody is watching your every move” as he looks for his Wales players to bounce back from a demoralising home defeat against Italy. The Wales head coach’s next assignment could hardly be tougher – a three-Test series away from home against world champions South Africa in […]

Uncapped Leicester flanker Tommy Reffell has been named in the Wales squad for this summer’s South Africa tour. Bridgend-born Reffell, a former Wales Under-20s captain, is rewarded for a succession of outstanding displays during Tigers’ Gallagher Premiership title push this term. He is joined by uncapped Cardiff number eight James Ratti in a 33-man group […]

Eddie Jones will make dispelling England’s Six Nations hangover one of his priorities when his training squad gather to begin preparations for the summer. London Irish’s 19-year-old sensation Henry Arundell is among 10 uncapped players chosen in a 36-man squad who will meet in the capital for a three-day camp beginning on Sunday. Owen Farrell […]

Will Joseph and Henry Arundell are set to receive England call-ups just hours before they line up for London Irish in the Premiership Cup final… with the teenage backs expected to earn a place in Eddie Jones’ latest training squad London Irish stars Will Joseph and Henry Arundell are set for England call-ups  The pair […]

The man behind the successful 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia believes Sydney should not only reprise its role as host for the 2027 Rugby World Cup final, but for both semi-finals as well. And John O’Neill, the former ARU chief executive, says the current Rugby Australia administration should lock away its financial windfall from […]

Sonny Bill Williams is pleased to see a resurgence of Australian Super Rugby teams, including a happier Waratahs side who “shocked” him two weeks ago, but believes Kiwi sides are still the top dogs before a blockbuster round of trans-Tasman matches. With three rounds of Super Rugby Pacific remaining, three Australian teams – the Brumbies […]