Rugby news

• Ramos calls his own tune

  23-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  Senior service: Thomas Ramos playing for Toulouse PICTURES: Getty Images WHEN asked about his impending relocation from New Zealand to France at the end of the 2007 World Cup, Anton Oliver didn’t regurgitate the usual piffle about needing a new challenge or a change of scenery. Instead he came straight out with it: “I’m going […]
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• High Court says action over brain injury claims can go on

  23-08-2026 05:00 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  ■By BEN JAYCOCK THE High Court in London has ruled that more than 500 former professional and amateur players can proceed with legal action against the sport’s governing bodies over alleged career-ending brain injuries. The ruling allows former rugby union and rugby league players to pursue claims that World Rugby, the Rugby Football Union (RFU), […]
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• We must protect future players

  23-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  NEWS that the concussion lawsuits involving hundreds of former players will be allowed to continue should make everyone involved in rugby uncomfortable. Nobody wants to see the sport sanitised beyond recognition. Physicality, collisions and bravery are fundamental parts of rugby, but surely we have moved beyond dismissing long-term brain injuries as simply an occupational hazard. […]
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• Warriors sign up Cripps

  23-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  WORCESTER Warriors have signed former England U20 back rower Kofi Cripps from Bristol Bears ahead of their Champ Rugby title defence. The 23-year-old made his Premiership debut against Newcastle in April but struggled for regular opportunities at Ashton Gate. His move to Sixways reunites him with head coach Matt Everard, who previously worked with Cripps […]
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• Warriors can still compete, insists Forrest

  23-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  GLASGOW assistant coach Scott Forrest is confident Warriors can build on last season and challenge for silverware despite losing a trio of star names. Scotland internationals Huw Jones, Jack Dempsey and Adam Hastings have left the club but Forrest believes Glasgow can cope with the loss and go better than last season’s semi-final. After topping […]
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• Van Rhyn: Lawes is leading from front

  23-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  nBy GARY FITZGERALD THE “huge presence” of Courtney Lawes has already added extra bite and crunch to the Sale Sharks environment, according to South African lock Ernst van Rhyn. Lawes, 37, who won 105 caps during a 14-year England career and five Lions appearances, has been persuaded by head coach Alex Sanderson to try and […]
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• Swashbuckling Gus the star for Pirates

  23-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  By BEN JAYCOCK CORNISH Pirates recovered from a difficult start to claim an impressive 35-21 pre-season victory over Plymouth Albion at Brickfields and return to Cornwall with south west bragging rights over their Devonian rivals. The Champ side trailed 14-0 after 20 minutes and lost Harry Ascherl to the sin-bin amid a mounting penalty count, […]
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• Some simple drills for complex skills

  23-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  Dan Cottrell brings a wealth of experience to The Rugby Paper as he continues a new coaching series packed with practical advice for coaches of every level. A former Bath and Bristol player, Dan has spent more than 16 seasons as head coach and editor of Rugby Coach Weekly, helping thousands of coaches worldwide develop […]
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• Slade is a great role model for younger players. Few work as hard as he does

  23-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  Q&A Former Exeter, Bath and Worcester scrum-half speaks to Ben Jaycock about Exeter’s resurgence, Worcester’s return, the Champ play-offs and his ambitious National Two East side Oundle Q: How excited are you for the Premiership to return after such an entertaining season last year? Last season was awesome, I loved it. Having spent most of […]
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• Sinckler could be back for England

  23-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  IN long-term recruitment news that may well prick up the ears of England boss Steve Borthwick, Clermont’s international tighthead prop – and definitive proof of the concept of nominative determinism – Regis Montagne has become, following Toulouse full-back Thomas Ramos and Agen winger Lucas Martins, the third player to shift the dial in what already […]
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• Savea: It was like a boxing match

  23-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  >Continued from front his delight after winning in one of the toughest environments in Test rugby. “It meant everything,” he said. “Ellis Park, what an arena. It was a serious shift and the boys dug deep. They got a taste of what it is like and I’m proud of our group. It’s an awesome start […]
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• Rampant All Blacks stun Boks

  23-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  ARDIE Savea hailed New Zealand’s resilience after the All Blacks survived a ferocious South African onslaught to claim a statement victory at Ellis Park yesterday. ■By BEN JAYCOCK The New Zealand captain described the contest as a “boxing match” after his side came through a brutal battle against the Springboks, with the result ultimately decided […]
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• Putting on WXV in England is another huge opportunity for women’s game

  23-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  VICKY MCQUEEN MBE Champions: England captain Zoe Aldcroft with the World Cup PICTURES: Getty Images BRINGING WXV to England feels like another huge opportunity for the women’s game. The buzz around last year’s World Cup was incredible and you could see the effect it had, not just in terms of people watching the Red Roses […]
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• Pollock’s mission: To smash it like Lomu

  23-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  AUGUST is regarded as the silly season for news with everyone on holiday or working from Rome so when Eddie Hearn opened up about the future of his client Henry Pollock at Northampton, he was not just striking an early bargaining position but showing the pull of the England back rower. Pollock’s name was splashed […]
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• No demons here, insists Woodburn

  23-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  By GARY FITZGERALD OLLY Woodburn concedes it has been a slow mental process eliminating major Twickenham “heartbreak” from his thoughts but insists any remaining angst will be long gone by the time Exeter return to the Premiership saddle. Woodburn is adamant there will be no “demons” harbouring in the players’ minds to stop them having […]
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• Neumann sidelined

  23-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  WALES wing Lisa Neumann remains without a club after leaving Harlequins following two seasons in west London. The 32-year-old made just one PWR appearance last term, spending more time with Brython Thunder before a hamstring injury ended her Six Nations. She has considered offers but says quality of life is as important as finances. A […]
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• Muddled Aussies have no answer

  23-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  New Zealand ..66 Australia ..........19 ■By BEN JAYCOCK NEW Zealand women maintained their perfect Test record against Australia with a thumping 10-try victory in Auckland to extend their winning run against their trans-Tasman rivals to 31 matches. It was Australia’s 100th Test and they handed debuts to sevens star Maddison Levi, who played the final […]
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• Mitchell call-ups

  23-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  ENGLAND head coach John Mitchell has called Daisy Hibbert-Jones and Sophie McQueen into the Red Roses’ training camp ahead of the WXV Global Series. Loughborough captain Hibbert-Jones, 23, won her sole England cap during the victorious 2023 WXV 1 campaign, while Gloucester-Hartpury’s McQueen, 21, captained England U21 earlier this year. England face Canada three times […]
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• Minister voices concerns

  23-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  nBy BEN JAYCOCK THE WRU has come under renewed pressure over plans to cut the number of professional teams after Wales’ sports minister raised concerns about a growing “disconnect” between the governing body and supporters. Heledd Fychan, the Welsh Government’s cabinet minister for culture and sport, met WRU chief executive Abi Tierney last week amid […]
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• McInally flying high

  23-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  FORMER Scotland captain Stuart McInally has launched a new career as a commercial pilot with Jet2, three years after retiring from professional rugby. The 34-year-old former Edinburgh hooker began building flight hours while still playing and started studying for his airline transport pilot licence immediately after his final season. McInally will now fly Boeing 737s […]
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• Let’s see the best

  23-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  WHEN someone with a grasp of rugby history comes to write an account of the great tours of recent memory, England’s tragi-comic slog around the southern hemisphere in 1998 is unlikely to feature. Those of us who were there knew we were in for something unforgettably forgettable from the get-go, when poor Tony Diprose, lumbered […]
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• Knowles: We’re gunning for Prem

  23-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  TV presenter Nick Knowles wants to take the Cornish Pirates to the Prem. The DIY SOS star became a shareholder in the Champ club this month as part of a new era in Penzance following fresh investment from the United States. Investor: Nick Knowles Knowles has brought in a film crew to produce a documentary […]
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• Kildunne and Tui moves as clubs get head the big-name ready for blast-off

  23-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  Ben Jaycock looks ahead to the Premiership Women’s Rugby season with a major All Black star looking to give Trailfinders a boost RUBY Tui and Ellie Kildunne headline a blockbuster summer of movement in the PWR as clubs across the division attempt to reshape the pecking order ahead of the new campaign. World Cup-winning New […]
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• Jordan’s double hit puts Boks on the floor

  23-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  ■By BEN JAYCOCK DISBELIEF spread across the whole of South Africa as New Zealand outscored the back-to-back world champions five tries to one in a statement opening to ‘Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry’. South Africa were in cruise control, dominating every facet apart from the scoreline with the hosts just four points ahead but obliterating a helpless […]
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• Johnson is banking on Heath to dig deep

  23-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  By BEN JAYCOCK Roar of delight: Heath celebrate promotion to National Two North CHRIS Johnson is ready to keep lacing up his boots at 39 but has warned his Heath side they must learn how to bounce back from defeats as they embark on their first-ever campaign in National Two North. The Halifax side have […]
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• Johnson-Holmes has England in his sights

  23-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  ■By GARY FITZGERALD Ambition: Harry Johnson-Holmes in action for the Waratahs PICTURES: Getty images HARRY Johnson-Holmes hopes moving his rugby life from one side of the globe to the other may also offer up the chance for him to add to his single Test cap. And if Steve Borthwick needs a versatile prop to add […]
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• James to stay at Scarlets

  23-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  WALES centre Eddie James has signed a contract extension with Scarlets. The 24-year-old still had a year to run on his existing contract but has committed early to his home region. James, who has become a Wales regular under head coach Steve Tandy and now has 11 caps, said: “Growing up in the region and […]
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• Jacko clocks up 4,000kms for charity … so far!

  23-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  By SAM JACKSON FORMER Nottingham full-back David “Jacko” Jackson has broken the world record for the most consecutive ultramarathons run by a man. Battling through one of the hottest summers on record, Jacko has completed at least 50km of running every single day for the past 81 days. That’s a combined total distance of more […]
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• I was so proud to be captain of my country

  23-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  MY LIFEIN RUGBY KATE ZACKARYFORMER EXETER CHIEFS, TRAILFINDERS AND USA BACK ROWER CAPTAINING the USA is something I still sometimes have to remind myself actually happened. I grew up in a military family. My grandfather, father and brother all served, and when I was young I assumed that would be how I represented my country […]
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• Hansberry completes IRFU team

  23-08-2026 04:59 via therugbypaper.co.uk
  
  THE IRFU has completed its provincial coach line-up within the women’s national talent squad programme, appointing Craig Hansberry at Connacht, Matt Brown at Munster and Griffin Phillipson at Ulster. They join Leinster’s Matt Gill, with the quartet tasked with identifying and developing players for provincial and international rugby. Hansberry is Ireland U18 Women head coach, […]
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