Rugby news

• New group, same Roots

  13-09-2026 04:58 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  By GARY FITZGERALD ETHAN Roots and his Exeter teammates are delighted with the “new pads and luxury creams and lotions” being stocked at the club. But, while he believes the real on-field impact of Black Knight’s £45m takeover may not be felt for some time, he reckons this season’s title bid will be powered by […]
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• Red Roses keep calm and carry on winning ning

  13-09-2026 05:00 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  ■By BEN JAYCOCK JOHN Mitchell was proud of England’s ability to problem-solve under pressure after his Red Roses transformed a rare half-time deficit into a crushing victory over Australia – but warned standards must rise for Canada. England struggled for fluency during a static opening 40 minutes before exploding into life after the break, scoring […]
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• Youngs: Wrong time to extend Borthwick’s deal

  13-09-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  FORMER England scrum-half Ben Youngs says it is wrong for the RFU to extend Steve Borthwick’s contract based on results of the last 12 months. The RFU have backed Borthwick following a review into England’s worst-ever Six Nations by offering him a deal until after the 2028 Six Nations. England have won just three matches […]
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• Woodburn leads way with rapid hat-trick

  13-09-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  OLLY Woodburn rolled back the years with a first-half hat-trick as Exeter launched their Prem Cup campaign with a comfortable victory at Sandy Park. ■By MARK STEVENS The 34-year-old winger was the star of the show, scoring three times in the opening quarter to put Rob Baxter’s side firmly in control and underline that there […]
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• Wales flier Williams chasing the dream

  13-09-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  ■By BEN JAYCOCK SPEEDSTER Amy Williams says winning her first cap in the WXV Global Series would be a dream come true. Williams made a remarkable first impression in the uncapped match against the Barbarians at Twickenham last month. The 21-year-old scored twice in a rare Welsh victory, showing pace, footwork and power to announce […]
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• Trailfi nders beef up for

  13-09-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  Ben Jaycock looks ahead to next week’s Champ kick-off as Ealing Trailfinders try to make up for last season’s anguish Ealing Trailfinders will begin their bid to wrestle the Champ title back from Worcester Warriors with fresh competition throughout their squad and the painful knowledge that league dominance guarantees nothing when the knockout matches arrive. […]
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• Top class Canucks put Scots to sword

  13-09-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  ■By WILL STEWART tain Rachel Malcolm also made her comeback from a lengthy injury absence. Canada established control immediately. Lizzie Gibson powered over from a tap penalty before scrum-half Olivia Apps, SCOTLAND were given a brutal demonstration of the standard required at the top of the women’s game as World Cup finalists Canada ran in […]
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• Titterrell excited with his 50-man U20 squad

  13-09-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  ■By BEN JAYCOCK Experienced head: Gloucester centre Will Knight ENGLAND U20 head coach Andy Titterrell has named an expanded 50-man Elite Player Squad for the 2026-27 season as preparations begin for next year’s U20 Six Nations. The group, comprising 28 forwards and 22 backs, will form the basis of selection throughout the campaign, with 16 […]
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• Time for Borthwick to choose his style

  13-09-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  THE four-month contract extension announced for Steve Borthwick after the 2027 World Cup has got a few people close to losing the plot, but it didn’t really jump out at me. That’s mainly because if things go poorly for the England head coach either at the World Cup, or even before in this autumn’s Nations […]
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• Tigers left in traps by rampant Red Bulls

  13-09-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  WERNER Kok crossed for one of the tries as Red Bulls caused chaos at Welford Road, and dealt a painful blow to Tigers’ Cup defence. ■By GARY FITZGERALD The South Africa Sevens speedster showed just why the North East outfit made him one of their army of new recruits after last season, producing a display […]
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• Surreal first season with Sarries was my favourite

  13-09-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  MY LIFEIN RUGBY TOM WOOLSTENCROFT FORMER ENGLAND U20S, LONDON IRISH, SARACENS, WASPS, BISHOP’S STORTFORD AND EALING TRAILFINDERS HOOKER My first season at Saracens was probably the most surreal year of my career. I had just come from London Irish, where we had been relegated, and suddenly I was in a team winning virtually everything. We […]
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• Spain look to kick on after Japan win

  13-09-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  PREVIEW...Spain v Fiji Today. Kick-off 5.30am, Kai Tak Youth Sports Ground, Hong Kong SPAIN begin the WXV Global Series Challenger campaign – the second tier for emerging nations – against a Fiji side ranked 12th in the world and buoyed by a 15-12 warm-up win over Japan. The Fijiana have won the last two Oceania […]
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• Smith relishing link-up with Furbank at Quins

  13-09-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  MARCUS Smith insists Harlequins can rise from the ashes of last season and new signing George Fur-bank will be one of the catalysts to light up The Stoop. ■By ADAM HATHAWAY Fly-half Smith knows all about turning fortunes around at the club after helping mastermind Quins’ title triumph in 2021 when they won five out […]
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• Shift Prem Cup back

  13-09-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  I’M not a fan of having the Prem Cup preceding the proper Prem season. As last week showed, some teams treat it like an extension of pre-season, some give the kids a run and a few actually look like they want to win it. I preferred it when August was for pre-season matches and the […]
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• Scotland ace Lang returns ‘home’ to Quins

  13-09-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  HARLEQUINS have resigned Scotland centre James Lang for the new season following his release from Edinburgh. Lang, who came through the Quins academy, made 80 first team appearances scoring 214 points for the club between 2016 and 2021. The 31-year-old, below, who won six Scotland caps during his first spell at Quins, says it feels […]
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• Saracens buck trend of ever-increasing prices

  13-09-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  There’s no pleasing some people. The generous souls in charge of business at Edgbaston had barely finished unveiling their Great Ashes Giveaway – for a mere £165 a day, they proudly announced, devotees would have the honour of watching next summer’s England-Australia contest from the zoo-like Hollies Stand – when the entire cricketing world, together […]
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• RFU extend Borthwick’s deal to 2028

  13-09-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  By SAM JACKSON HEAD coach Steve Borthwick will have his England contract extended beyond the 2028 Six Nations to avoid uncertainty around his future before and during next year’s World Cup. We are all behind him and his coaching team going into the Nations Championship and the series of matches leading into Rugby World Cup […]
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• Rees-Zammit: I’ll show my best on Bears wing

  13-09-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  ■By ADAM HATHAWAY LOUIS Rees-Zammit has got his rugby legs back after his stint in the NFL and is ready to go on the offensive for Bristol and Wales. The 25-year-old joined Bears last summer after two years trying to crack it in gridiron with Kansas City Chiefs and Jacksonville Jaguars before returning to union. […]
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• Quirke has his sights on England

  13-09-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  SCRUM-HALF Raffi Quirke hopes his move to Newcastle will help him force his way back into the England reckoning. Quirke says leaving Sale was one of the hardest decisions he has ever had to make, but is thriving in the new environment. “Speaking to the coaches here and people higher up, they really wanted me […]
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• Premature to offer new deal to Borthwick

  13-09-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  IT’S hard not to see a large crack in England’s runway to the 2027 World Cup with the RFU’s decision to give head coach Steve Bothwick a contract extension until after the 2028 Six Nations. It is reminiscent of the tangle that RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney, and his Teflon-coated performance director, Conor O’Shea, got […]
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• Pollock must evade tall poppy syndrome

  13-09-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  THE scornful social media dismissal of Henry Pollock’s £1m a year earning power as mooted by his agent, Eddie Hearn, has been a bit premature. The naysayers may have to recalibrate following Northampton’s decision to renew his club contract until 2029 by boosting it from £140,000 to £450,000 annually. There have been suggestions that this […]
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• Pivac’s Benetton build momentum

  13-09-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  Black Lion .......14 Benetton ..........36 BENETTON saw off Black Lion in Tbilisi in their final tune-up before they kick off their URC campaign later this month. Benetton maintained control for the majority of the match. Key second-half tries from Ivan Nemer and Louis Werchon – both converted by Rhyno Smith – extended their dominance over […]
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• Penfold inspires historic Bury win

  13-09-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  ■By STEVE JACKSON BURY St Edmunds came away from Grantchester Road with their first-ever win in National One – and the local bragging rights to boot – as they turned a 26-17 half-time deficit into a hard-fought win. Matt Hema’s break on his return to Cambridge saw Dylan Coetzee over for the opening try. Ben […]
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• Munga’s on mission to land leading role at Northampton

  13-09-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  ■By GARY FITZGERALD CHUNYA Munga is anxious for “more minutes” on the field at Saints and is prepared to fight and scrap for the right to play a leading role at Franklin’s Gardens. The powerhouse lock, right, admits it was “challenging” having mainly to sit and watch from the side as his Saints teammates put […]
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• Mitchell: Standard will have to rise for Canada

  13-09-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  > Continued from front Jones felt England’s failure to convert opportunities rather than a lack of control was responsible for their difficult opening half. “We knew Australia were going to come out fast,” she added. “I think we problem solved really well. Really proud of the girls. We didn’t convert very well in the 22 […]
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• Lumsden Jnr is even faster than his father

  13-09-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  A NEW fast bowler introduced himself at Trent Bridge on Thursday by zipping through Nottinghamshire’s second innings. Manny Lumsden’s 5-36 on debut for Hampshire may not have been enough to save his native county but the mere mention of his name ought to evoke memories of Bath’s glory days at The Rec. Audley Lumsden spent […]
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• Loan player regs threaten to distort Nat One outcome

  13-09-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  I WAS disappointed not to find any reference to RFU regulation 14 in Ben Jay-cock’s otherwise detailed analysis in The Rugby Paper of prospects for the outcome of the 2026/27 National One competition. It may well surprise many readers that, under this regulation, up to nine of a National One team’s 20-player matchday squad can […]
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• Lloyds Bank logo on England shirts

  13-09-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  THE back of England shirts will carry a sponsor’s name for the first time after Lloyds Bank struck a lucrative new partnership with the RFU. The multi-million pound per year deal will see the bank’s famous black horse logo and name emblazoned above the player names on the kits of England’s men and women. The […]
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• Lawes calls for change to selection policy

  13-09-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  ENGLAND centurion Courtney Lawes broke ranks this week arguing that national selection should no longer be restricted to players based at Prem clubs. The 37-year-old, below, is back in contention to add to his 105 England caps having signed for Sale after two seasons at Brive in the French ProD2. Some top names including Toulouse […]
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• Late Lloyd try leaves sides locked after top tussle

  13-09-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  ■By LILEE O’CALLAGHAN Dings Crusaders ..24 Rams ........................24 DINGS and the Rams played out a competitive draw, with both teams displaying plenty of attacking intent throughout. Rams opened the scoring in the sixth minute after a series of pick and go phases close to the line, with Pete Austin finishing. Ross McKay failed with the […]
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