Rugby

Scotland have included 17 uncapped players in a 37-man squad for Test matches against England A, Romania and Georgia this summer. Assistant Mike Blair takes interim charge with head coach Gregor Townsend part of the British and Irish Lions’ staff for the tour of South Africa. Eight Scotland players are also unavailable because of Lions

The first Lions tour of the pro era produced one of the great upsets as world champions South Africa were stunned on home turf. A new book relives those extraordinary events The 1997 Lions celebrate their incredible series win after the third Test at Ellis Park (Getty Images) Conquering Everest – the new book about

1:24 AM BST Australia is on the board! After 13 straight defeats, the Reds at last opened the Aussies account in Super Rugby Trans-Tasman, the Queenslanders defeating the Chiefs in an extraordinary game at Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville. But it was otherwise another dominant weekend for New Zealand as the Hurricanes, Crusaders, Blues

Saracens: (7) 17 Tries: M Packer 2, De Goede Cons: Harrison Harlequins: (19) 25 Tries: Cokayne 2; Pens: Tuima 5 Harlequins saw off a late Saracens charge with two players in the sin-bin to claim a first Premier 15s title. Quins, who had lost the last two Premier 15s finals to Sarries, took an early

Don’t miss any of the action from Kingsholm this afternoon Saracens fly-half Zoe Harrison and Harlequins No 10 Emily Scott (Getty Images) Allianz Premier 15s final live stream: How to watch Harlequins v Saracens There’s a familiar look to the 2020-21 Allianz Premier 15s final. As in the previous two finals, Harlequins and Saracens will

Northampton (17) 30 Tries: Matavesi, Pen try, Wood Cons: Biggar 2 Pens: Biggar 3 Wasps (17) 25 Tries: Robson, Shields, Willis Cons: Umaga, Atkinson Pens: Umaga 2 Northampton Saints ensured European Champions Cup rugby next season with a hard-earned victory over Wasps. After Harlequins’ win over Bath earlier on Saturday ended their slim play-off chances,

2:06 PM BST South Africa’s director of rugby Rassie Erasmus is expecting the British & Irish Lions to play a fast tempo game and not try to arm-wrestle the world champion Springboks when the teams meet in a three-test series starting in late July. Erasmus coached the Boks to the World Cup title in Japan

12:00 PM BST England will face Fiji on the opening day of the Rugby World Cup next year while defending champions and hosts New Zealand will face neighbours Australia at Auckland’s Eden Park, the sport’s global governing body said. The tournament, to be held in Auckland and Whangarei from Oct. 8-Nov. 12 in 2022, was

The Springboks would have travelled the world to take on the “special” British and Irish Lions says South Africa director of rugby Rassie Erasmus. The tour begins in South Africa in July after various alternative locations were explored as Covid contingencies. The Lions tour every four years, alternating between series in South Africa, Australia and

With Tests against the USA and Canada on the horizon, younger players will be looking to force their way into the reckoning Harlequins fly-half Marcus Smith has only played for England in a non-capped match against the Barbarians in 2019 (RFU/Getty Images) Who should Eddie Jones pick for England this summer?  This summer is the

Find out who is on the S&C, medical and analysis teams for the tour of South Africa Prabhat Mathema, Paul Stridgeon and Rhodri Bown are part of the Lions back-room team (Inpho) British & Irish Lions 2021 back-room team Warren Gatland has confirmed his back-room team for the British & Irish Lions 2021 tour to

The All Blacks will be without their captain for over half the Test season and yet, barring a few notable exceptions, Ian Foster remains largely spoilt for choice as he plots his second campaign in charge. Foster made his first public appearance of the year last week as the Rugby Championship draw confirmed the All

Former England full-back Mike Brown has played his last game for Harlequins after losing his appeal against a six-week ban for stamping. Brown, 35, was sent off against Wasps for stamping on the head of hooker Tommy Taylor on 9 May. He accepted the Rugby Football Union disciplinary panel’s charge but appealed against the length

Players got their jabs at administration day get-together in London Tadhg Furlong and Hamish Watson at the Lions’ administration day (Inpho) Lions squad receive Covid vaccinations  Players in the British & Irish Lions 2021 squad have received their first Covid-19 vaccinations ahead of this summer’s tour to South Africa. The Lions were given the green

3:42 AM BST Super Rugby could be set for yet another structural change and a return to Asia after it was revealed that discussions have taken place around a new tournament that would pit leading Japanese Top League clubs against those from New Zealand and Australia. As the lack of competition from Australia’s five franchises

Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) chief Steve Phillips hopes 10,000 fans can attend each of Wales’ summer internationals at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium. Wales host Canada on 3 July and have two Test matches against Argentina on 10 and 17 July. Phillips says the governing body hopes for confirmation on crowd numbers on 7 June. “My hope

A Sicilian team is helping to save children from the grips of organised crime. By Gaia Caramazza A try for Briganti (Credit: Rachele Tosto) What it’s like to use rugby to take on the mafia ROWS OF concrete multi-storey buildings emerge from the Sicilian countryside. Shop fronts are barricaded with metal shutters and garbage rests

11:21 PM BST Crusaders coach Scott Robertson laments the undeniable gulf while Michael Cheika says Australian rugby has been “welcomed to first grade” after New Zealand sides again dominated Super Rugby Trans-Tasman. The Queensland Reds’ record 63-28 loss to the Crusaders in Saturday’s battle of the respective Super Rugby champions made it two perfect rounds