Rugby news

• Pulling on a Wasps shirt was a proud moment

  02-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  GEORGE SIMPSON THE FORMER CARDIFF MET, EALING TRAILFINDERS, WASPS, DONCASTER KNIGHTS, MANLY MARLINS AND HARTPURY UNIVERSITY FULL-BACK BEING released by Harlequins at 16 gave me the motivation to become a professional rugby player. At the time, it was difficult to take. I had been part of the academy, rugby was what I wanted to do […]
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• Henry Slade: England have a real chance in the 2027 Rugby World Cup

  02-08-2026 05:45 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  Henry Slade believes England have all the ingredients to challenge rugby’s biggest nations at next year’s Rugby World Cup – if they can finally solve the one issue holding them back.
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• Peter Winterbottom says England have made no progress under Steve Borthwick

  02-08-2026 05:30 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  Peter Winterbottom questions whether England have genuinely progressed under Steve Borthwick, with the former flanker also highlighting discipline issues and naming the player he believes could solve the midfield problem.
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• James Dun admits ‘clock is ticking’ on England dream after Harlequins move

  02-08-2026 05:01 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  James Dun admits time is against him in his push for England recognition but believes his move to Harlequins can give him the platform to reach the international stage.
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• Slade: We have real chance in World Cup

  02-08-2026 05:00 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  HENRY Slade insists England are just one step away from competing with the top teams at the World Cup next year. ■By ADAM HATHAWAY Steve Borthwick’s squad currently have their feet up on holiday after winning two from three in their Nations Championship summer, another campaign blighted by ill-discipline. That will be top of the […]
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• Chris Hewett: Jac Morgan is the lad to get the Shed singing at Gloucester

  02-08-2026 05:00 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  Chris Hewett believes Jac Morgan can become a defining figure for Gloucester as the Wales captain joins a recruitment drive that could finally turn the Cherry and Whites into Premiership contenders.
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• Yatte Minahare, says Lowe as he heads east

  02-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  ■By SAM JACKSON On the attack: James Lowe in action for Leinster PICTURE: Alamy TOKYO Suntory Sungoliath have confirmed the signing of former Ireland and Leinster wing James Lowe on a two-year deal. Lowe departed Irish rugby at the end of the 2025-26 season after failing to agree a contract extension with Leinster, for whom […]
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• Yatte Minahare! James Lowe excited for Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath move following Leinster exit

  02-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  James Lowe says he is excited to begin a “new chapter” in Japan after joining Tokyo Suntory Sungoliath.
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• WRU: It’s either Ospreys or Scarlets

  02-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  Scarlets insist they remain committed to being “at the heart of west Wales” after the WRU confirmed either they or Ospreys will lose their professional licence as part of a three-region model.
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• Winters: I see no signs of progress

  02-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  ■By BEN JAYCOCK FORMER England flanker Peter Winterbottom believes Steve Borthwick’s side have shown no clear signs of progression despite recording two wins from three in the Nations Championship. England beat Argentina and Fiji but lost to South Africa, and Winterbottom remains unconvinced the performances represented a meaningful step forward following a dismal Six Nations […]
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• Winterbottom: I can’t see progress

  02-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  >Continued from Front Africa I don’t think the performance was quite as poor as the scoreline suggested. England created chances, particularly in the first half, and if they had converted them, it could have been a very different game. But, overall, have they really moved forward? “You would have expected England to move on from […]
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• Whitby celebrate their first 75 years

  02-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  WHITBY Rugby Club are celebrating their 75th anniversary in the 2026-27 season which is shaping up to be one of their most exciting seasons in recent memory. The Maroons 1st XV have moved in the recent league restructure, transferring from the Durham & Northumberland leagues to the Yorkshire League structure, kicking off at home to […]
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• When Bill Oddie dreamt of winning a Blue

  02-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  RUGBY MATTERS A weekly look at the game’s other talking points BRENDAN GALLAGHER FOR some reason it amuses me that two of the comic geniuses of our times both went to Oxbridge to read English literature with the primary intention of winning a Rugby Blue… but got waylaid by the need to make people laugh. […]
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• Wales need James to make dents at 12

  02-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  THERE are certain things in life that can’t be anything but a 12. Show me the house to the far left of 10 Downing Street (as we usually see it on TV), and it is without doubt number 12 – it traditionally serves as the office for the Government Chief Whip. Show me Leonardo da […]
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• Tudor: People often describe fans as the 16th man but at Caldy it’s really true

  02-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  Q&A Caldy winger , below, speaks to Ben Jaycock about the demands of pre-season, the club’s Champ ambitions and the challenge part-time players face due to a growing number of Friday fixtures Q: Pre-season has been under way for around a month. Has it been a shock to the system? It has been tough, especially […]
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• Thrilling series that will grip the rugby world

  02-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  THE MAN TRULY IN THE KNOW PETER JACKSON THE last four-Test series ended at Eden Park on July 16, 1983 when the Lions disappeared without trace, exactly as Shergar had done rather more ominously a few months earlier. The next one kicks off this month; four Tests on successive Saturdays between the perennial superpowers of […]
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• SRU sacks Williamson

  02-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  SCOTTISH Rugby has sacked chief executive Alex Williamson following an independent investigation into his conduct. Williamson was placed on extended leave in May and John McGuigan, chairman of Scottish Rugby Limited, said: “The board of Scottish Rugby has dismissed Alex Williamson from his position as chief executive with immediate effect. “His dismissal follows the conclusion […]
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• Sorry, Steve, but we can’t avoid this…

  02-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  IN their eight matches to date this year, England have collected more cards than France, Scotland, Ireland and Italy combined over the same number of fixtures. They have accumulated an aggregate total of 12 cards, all yellow, compared to the Red Rose tally of 13 yellows and one red (Henry Arundell against Scotland). Among the […]
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• Schmidt signs up for new Ulster role

  02-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  ■By TOM RILEY FORMER Ireland and Australia head coach Joe Schmidt has been appointed to a newly created consultancy role with Ulster Rugby. The 60-year-old New Zealander will step into the position of coach development adviser, focusing on strengthening the province’s grassroots and pathway coaching structures rather than working with the senior squad. The high-profile […]
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• Racing will have to get used to life on the road

  02-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  FRENCH COLUMN JAMES HARRINGTON IT HAS been a relatively quiet summer at Racing 92’s Plessis-Robinson training campus, after their return to the top six last season. Highly regarded ex-Georgia defence coach Julian Salvi has replaced NRL-bound Freddie Michalak among the staff; they’ve built on their squad quietly yet impressively – Australian Seru Uru, returning veteran […]
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• Prem Rugby and RFU must work together

  02-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  IS IT time for the RFU and Prem Rugby to put their heads together to resolve the challenges facing English rugby? Internationally, we are producing very few players of genuine top class who can challenge the leading nations. Recent results have, at best, been underwhelming. The Prem has been reduced to 10 teams, with many […]
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• Prem 2026/27 fixtures: Newcastle Red Bulls first up for Northampton Saints in their title defence

  02-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  Northampton Saints will begin their Prem title defence at home to Newcastle Red Bulls, with the 2026/27 fixtures also featuring a repeat of last season’s final and a host of major derby clashes.
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• Player welfare ignored in rugby’s dash for cash

  02-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  THE July launch of rugby union’s Nations Championship proved an interesting playing success with some thrilling Test encounters obscuring a flawed concept. The reality is the new “dash for cash” tournament undermined next year’s real World Cup and ignored player welfare by extending the daunting existing fixtures treadmill. England prop Ellis Genge had offered a […]
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• Paul Williams: It’s time for Welsh rugby to look to the future and not live in the past

  02-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  Paul Williams argues Welsh rugby must stop dwelling on past mistakes and embrace the major changes ahead as the professional game moves towards a new three-region model.
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• Once again, France come to the rescue

  02-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  SOMETIMES you just have to step back and take note of what is really happening out there, especially as the new enlarged 24-team World Cup looms large, the reality is there is no conceivable way rugby can stage a global World Cup without the largesse, generosity and scope of professional rugby in France. French rugby […]
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• Nice’s players and staff plead for the chance to carry on

  02-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  IN THE days since Nice’s promotion to the ProD2 was blocked for financial and administrative reasons last Friday, following the resignations of the club’s president and the president of the association, not much seems to have happened. On top of the relegation to a “federal competition for the 2026-2027 season, at a level to be […]
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• Newcastle first up as Saints begin defence

  02-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  NORTHAMPTON Saints will begin the defence of their Prem Rugby title at home to Newcastle Red Bulls when the 2026/27 campaign gets under way on Friday, September 25. nBy BEN JAYCOCK The opening night features a double-header, with Harlequins hosting Bath at The Stoop alongside Saints’ first outing since lifting the trophy with a 26-17 […]
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• My big dream is to play in the Olympics

  02-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  Saope Soko talks to Natalia Pamieta who has decided to leave her army career to concentrate on playing for Poland NATALIA Pamięta’s rugby story is one built on sacrifice, resilience and ambition. From balancing military life with international rugby to helping drive the rise of women’s rugby in Poland, the 26-year-old has become one of […]
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• McArthur agrees deal with Exeter

  02-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  Prop: Archie McArthur EXETER Chiefs have signed loosehead prop Archie McArthur from Gloucester for the 2026-27 season. McArthur made 20 appearances for the Cherry and Whites during three campaigns while being dual-registered with Champ side Hartpury, who he also played 25 games for. The 23-year-old began his career in Wasps’ academy and has also represented […]
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• Machenaud is on Nonu’s tail

  02-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  AS Ma’a Nonu prepares for his 25th season by breaking new ground with the Sharks in Durban at the age of 44, one French veteran is warming up for a return to familiar territory. Maxine Machenaud, a mere upstart at 37, has rejoined Racing on a contract which will take the old Test scrum-half into […]
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