Rugby

The South African side won 17-15 in Cape Town – but did their last kick go over? Damian Willemse and the Stormers celebrate during their win (Getty Images) Watch: Stormers’ controversial conversion against Ulster There was plenty of drama in the United Rugby Championship semi-final between Stormers and Ulster in Cape Town. Ulster were leading

Leinster (14) 26 Tries: Sheehan, Henshaw, O’Loughlin, Healy Cons: Byrne (2), Sexton Bulls (17) 27 Tries: Grobbelaar, Coetzee, penalty Cons: Smith (2) Pen: Smith, Steyn The Bulls held off a Leinster fightback to reach the United Rugby Championship final with a 27-26 victory at the RDS. The South Africans led by three points at half-time

2:51 AM BST Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has weighed into Len Ikitau’s three-game suspension that has scratched the centre from the Brumbies’ semifinal with the Blues, while also imploring officials to look for the initial motion of the tackled player’s head in ruling on such incidents. Ikitau had his red-card for a high tackle on

Gregor Townsend has picked 40 players for the tour to South America Hamish Watson is set to win his 50th Scotland cap in Argentina (Inpho) Scotland Summer Tour Squad 2022 Gregor Townsend has named a 40-player squad for Scotland’s tour to Chile and Argentina. Stuart Hogg and Finn Russell are not part of the touring

Saracens’ Ben Earl has been named Premiership player of the season after playing a key role in their title bid. The flanker, 24, returned to the club last summer, having joined Bristol on a one-year loan deal following Sarries’ relegation to the Championship. He won the most recent of his 13 England caps in March

4:47 PM BST England coach Eddie Jones has called up another five uncapped players as part of a training camp squad in preparation for next weekend’s non-cap match against the Barbarians and July’s tour of Australia. Prop Kyle Sinckler, however, will miss the trip to Australia after being ruled out with a back injury. The

The women’s top flight had record crowds, unprecedented coverage and ferocious competition – but there is still room to improve Marlie Packer dives over the line to score a try in the final (Getty Images) What’s next for the Premier 15s? The curtain closed on the most competitive Premier 15s season yet on Friday afternoon

Northampton (36) 65 Tries: Matavesi 2, Coles, Mitchell, Freeman 3, Hutchinson, Skosan, Ludlam Cons: Biggar 6 Pens: Biggar Newcastle (7) 26 Tries: Chick, Penalty, Blamire, Radwan Cons: Hodgson 2 Northampton ran in 10 tries to beat Newcastle and seal a Premiership play-off spot for the first time since 2019. Sam Matavesi, Alex Coles, Alex Mitchell

4:13 PM BST England centre Manu Tuilagi has been ruled out of next month’s tour to Australia after undergoing a procedure on his knee, his club Sale Sharks said on Thursday. England play the Wallabies in a three Test series in their first tour of the country in six years, which gets underway in Perth

All you need to know about the Sixways showpiece, including how to watch Saracens’ Marlie Packer and Kate Zackary of Exeter (Getty Images) Saracens v Exeter Premier 15s Final Preview As festivities to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee take place across the country, there will be another party at Sixways on Friday afternoon – but

Exeter boss Rob Baxter says his decisions in the early part of the season played a role in his side missing the Premiership play-offs. The Chiefs – who have finished in the top two every season since 2016 – can finish no higher than fifth. Exeter have won 12 of their 23 games so far

7:01 AM BST Israel Folau will be a prized addition to Tongan rugby but will have restrictions on what he posts on social media, along with all his teammates, coach Toutai Kefu said. Folau, an evangelical Christian, will soon make his return to international rugby, three years on from the termination of his Wallabies contract

The Oyonnax tighthead gives us a worldy of a show-and-go [embedded content] Is there anything in nature as beautiful as a prop dummy and then a bolt for the try-line? As majestic as it is terrifying, we all love to see it. And at the weekend, during the ProD2 semi-finals, in a match-up between Bayonne

7:22 PM BST A last-minute try by Arthur Retiere after a monumental goal-line assault gave La Rochelle a stunning 24-21 victory over favourites Leinster in a superb European Champions Cup final in Marseille on Saturday. Leinster had looked on course for a record-equalling fifth triumph as they heroically defended their line and a four-point lead

Leinster (12) 21 Pens: Sexton 6, R Byrne La Rochelle (7) 24 Tries: Rhule, Bourgarit, Retiere Cons: West 3 Pens: West La Rochelle won the Champions Cup for the first time in hugely dramatic fashion as Arthur Retiere’s 79th-minute try saw them edge Leinster 24-21. Leinster had to defend heroically in the latter stages in

Watch the climax of the English rugby season at Twickenham Who will lift the Premiership Rugby trophy in 2022? (Getty Images) How to buy Gallagher Premiership final tickets The Gallagher Premiership season reaches its conclusion at Twickenham on Saturday 18 June. The past three seasons have seen three different winners of the trophy – Harlequins,

Harlequins’ Andre Esterhuizen has been voted the Rugby Players’ Association’s players’ player of the year. The South Africa international has scored eight tries for Harlequins this season, as they aim to retain their Premiership title in June’s play-offs. The 28-year-old won the most votes in a poll conducted by fellow players. Centre Esterhuizen joined Quins

5:43 AM BST Liam Napier Rugby appears caught in a paradoxical universe of wanting to place paramount importance on player safety – and being seemingly incapable of adopting common sense when ruling on accidental collisions. Everyone involved in the game — from administrators to players, referees, fans — recognises the need to protect and police