Rugby news

• Saracens vs Exeter Chiefs: Marlie Packer wants to leave on a high

  14-06-2026 04:59
  
  Marlie Packer could be playing her final Saracens game today as they host Exeter Chiefs in the last four at the StoneX.
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• One that got away - Van Graan rues Bath exit

  14-06-2026 13:17 via bbc.com
  
  Bath boss Johann van Graan calls their Prem semi-final defeat by Exeter "one that got away" as they miss out on a return to Twickenham.
  
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• Slade made Exeter believe in final return - Baxter

  14-06-2026 12:49 via bbc.com
  
  Exeter boss Rob Baxter says Henry Slade's leadership has been key to his side reaching the Prem final.
  
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• Bath are stunned as Exeter Chiefs head to the Prem final

  14-06-2026 05:45
  
  Exeter Chiefs stunned defending champions Bath 27-26 with a brilliant second-half fightback yesterday to reach their first Prem final since 2021.
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• Northampton Saints 45-31 Leicester Tigers: George Furbank says his farewell with a final flourish

  14-06-2026 05:00
  
  Northampton Saints booked their place in Saturday’s Twickenham showdown with an exhilarating performance against rivals Leicester Tigers to lift the spirits of English rugby let alone the Saints faithful.
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• Leicester Tigers prop Nicky Smith makes Sale Sharks move ‘for family’

  14-06-2026 05:00
  
  Nicky Smith is bidding a reluctant farewell to Leicester Tigers at the end of the month having agreed a move to Sale Sharks for the benefit of his family.
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• Bath are stunned as Exeter head to final

  14-06-2026 05:00
  
  By BEN JAYCOCK EXETER stunned defending champions Bath 27-26 with a brilliant second-half fightback yesterday to reach their first Prem final since 2021. The Chiefs, 26-10 down at the break, scored 17 unanswered points in the second half and will go to Twickenham on Saturday to take on Northampton Saints, victors over Leicester on Friday […]
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• Bath 26-27 Exeter Chiefs: Rob Baxter’s heroes knock out the reigning champions

  14-06-2026 05:00
  
  Exeter Chiefs produced one of the great Prem comebacks courtesy of a herculean defensive set against Bath, surviving 40 phases with the clock in the red to reach a first final since 2021.
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• Willis is crowned Prem player of the year

  14-06-2026 04:59
  
  SARACENS No.8 Tom Willis leaves England for France as the Prem player of the year, edging out Leicester fly-half Billy Searle, Bath scrum-half Ben Spencer and Northampton wing Tommy Freeman to the prize. Willis, 27, is returning to double Champions Cup winners Bordeaux this summer where he will come up against his brother, Jack, at […]
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• Why I’m right behind this new Nations battle

  14-06-2026 04:59
  
  JEREMY GUSCOTT OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE... EVERY WEEK THE Nations Championship, which will be contested by the world’s top tier international teams for the first timet this year, is a welcome idea. It puts some order into the international calendar by bringing European and southern hemisphere competitions into one entity. The inaugural tournament starts in July […]
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• What the Warriors have achieved this season has been incredibly special

  14-06-2026 04:59
  
  Worcester Warriors captain Matt Kvesic admits he never imagined he would be lifting silverware with the club again after its collapse in 2022, but says helping lead his reborn side to Champ glory ranks among the most special achievements of his career. By Ben Jaycock Q: Matt, you were one of the first major signings […]
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• Vesty: Speed of ball made the difference

  14-06-2026 04:59
  
  DELIGHTED Northampton head coach Sam Vesty said breakdown dominance and speed of delivery was key to victory. “Our attack was fast, and because our ball was fast – Archie [McParland] had it off the floor so quickly – that the defence could never get set,” Vesty said. “I thought our breakdown and the fact our […]
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• Treacey’s backing tackle-height trial

  14-06-2026 04:59
  
  ■By BEN JAYCOCK ENGLAND U20s captain Connor Treacey is backing World Rugby’s tackle-height trial in the forthcoming World Championship, having suffered a ‘fair few concussions’ already at the age of 20. Tackles in the show-piece age-grade tournament in Georgia must be made below the base of the sternum after community tackle height trials yielded positive […]
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• Trailfinders look to upset champions

  14-06-2026 04:59
  
  ■By BEN JAYCOCK PREVIEW... Gloucester-Hartpury v Trailfinders Today. Kick-off 2pm, Kingsholm TABLE toppers Gloucester-Hartpury will look to put recent setbacks behind them when they host Trailfinders today in their PWR semi-final at ‘Queensholm’. For the first time in 18 months, Gloucester-Hartpury head into a knockout fixture with questions over momentum after successive defeats. Trailfinders ended […]
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• Townsend calls up two uncapped hookers

  14-06-2026 04:59
  
  ■By SAM JACKSON GREGOR Townsend has called up two uncapped hookers in Scotland’s 36-man squad for the Nations Championship with George Turner and Dave Chery injured. Glasgow Warriors pair Gregor Hiddleston and Seb Stephen have been named for matches against Argentina, South Africa and Fiji alongside experienced Edinburgh hooker Ewan Ashman. Hiddleston, 24, and Stephen, […]
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• Super Saints at their swashbuckling best

  14-06-2026 04:59
  
  NICK CAIN READ HIS EXPERT OPINION EVERY WEEK JUSTICE was done at a packed Franklin’s Gardens on Friday night when Northampton, the best team in the league over the 18-match regular season, produced a fizzing attacking display to become the first club to secure a Prem final berth by outscoring East Midlands arch-rivals Leicester 45-31. […]
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• Standout stars of a trying season

  14-06-2026 04:59
  
  PAUL REES SELECTS FIVE FROM EICESTER AND THREE FROM SARACENS IN HIS BEST XV FROM 2025-26 IT HAS been a trying season in the Prem. The 18-round regular season, which concluded last weekend, produced 774 tries, an average of 8.6 a match, and 104 try bonus points were accumulated in the 90 games. Table-topping Northampton […]
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• Smith quits over Alphonsi post

  14-06-2026 04:59
  
  RFU council member Matthew Smith has resigned following his discriminatory online post about England World Cup winner Maggie Alphonsi. Smith, who represents Warwickshire on the 62-strong body, asked “can someone please explain to me WTF does Maggie Alphonsi know about men’s rugby?” in a Facebook post during France’s 48-46 win over England in March. This […]
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• Smith makes Sale move ‘for family’

  14-06-2026 04:59
  
  NICKY Smith is bidding a reluctant farewell to Leicester at the end of the month having agreed a move to Sale for the benefit of his family. By PAUL REES On the move: Nicky Smith in action for Leicester Tigers PICTURES: Getty Images The 32-year old prop joined the Tigers two years ago having spent […]
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• Size does matter

  14-06-2026 04:59
  
  CONSIDERING Steve Borthwick was around when power, weight and size mattered in the scrum and pack, has he lost the plot? I totally agree with Nick Cain’s article (May 31) around the size of props required in the modern game. Take a look at France and South Africa to see how there current dominance in […]
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• Simmonds puts illness behind him to lift Siam Cup

  14-06-2026 04:59
  
  By CHRIS COLLYER Live wire: Charlie Simmonds on the run CHARLIE Simmonds has enjoyed plenty of memorable moments in a Guernsey Raiders shirt, but few can match helping the island reclaim the Siam Cup from Jersey last month. The fly-half’s accurate boot played a key role as Guernsey edged their Channel Islands rivals 35-28 in […]
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• Scrum that said Fiji were real thing

  14-06-2026 04:59
  
  THE scrum against Australia at the 2015 Rugby World Cup is probably the moment people remember most from my career. It lasted almost a minute and went viral around the rugby world. Fiji had never really been known as a scrummaging nation. People talked about our flair, our offloads and our natural attacking ability, but […]
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• Scotland boss Gregor Townsend calls up two uncapped hookers for the Nations Championship

  14-06-2026 04:59
  
  Gregor Townsend has called up two uncapped hookers in Scotland’s 36-man squad for the Nations Championship with George Turner and Dave Chery injured.
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• Savage agrees move to Worcester

  14-06-2026 04:59
  
  “As a player, Tom brings a huge amount of experience and leadership. Having made nearly 200 appearances for Gloucester and playing the last two seasons in Super Rugby, we are very excited to see Tom pull on a Worcester shirt.” FORMER Gloucester lock Tom Savage has signed for Champ winners Worcester Warriors from Super Rugby […]
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• Saracens’ Tom Willis is crowned Prem player of the year ahead of France move

  14-06-2026 04:59
  
  Saracens No.8 Tom Willis leaves England for France as the Prem player of the year.
  The post Saracens’ Tom Willis is crowned Prem player of the year ahead of France move appeared first on The Rugby Paper.
  
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• Sacha takes in a team that pride of place is full of class

  14-06-2026 04:59
  
  THE BEST XV FROM 2025-26 AS VOTED FOR BY OUR CORRESPONDENTS Ben Jaycock canvassed the views of the The Rugby Paper’s United Rugby Championship reporters to select the 2025-26 Team of the Season SACHA Feinberg-Mngomezulu was a class above in this season’s URC, finishing as the top points scorer but you would have got long […]
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• Rugby World Cup 2027: James Ramm sets his sights on making the Australia squad

  14-06-2026 04:59
  
  James Ramm is returning to Australia at the end of the season after four years with Northampton Saints to put himself in contention for next year’s Rugby World Cup.
  The post Rugby World Cup 2027: James Ramm sets his sights on making the Australia squad appeared first on The Rugby Paper.
  
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• Rising Toulouse star injured again

  14-06-2026 04:59
  
  LESS than a month ago, France full-back Pauline Barrat was named breakthrough player of the 2026 Women’s Six Nations. Last weekend, in the final regular-season round of the domestic AXA Elite 1, the 22-year-old suffered her third serious knee injury. The rising Toulouse star suffered a ruptured posterior cruciate ligament in Sunday’s comeback 27-27 draw […]
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• Ramm has his sights on World Cup spot

  14-06-2026 04:59
  
  ■By PAUL REES JAMES Ramm is returning to Australia at the end of the season after four years with Northampton to put himself in contention for next year’s World Cup. The 28-year old back three player was part of the title winning squad two seasons ago and started the Champions Cup final against Bordeaux-Begles last […]
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• ‘Project Shaun Edwards’ must be activated

  14-06-2026 04:59
  
  THE paranoia surrounding coaches leaving one international camp and moving to another with a swagbag of “intellectual property”, including top-secret moves and tactics, is for the most part delusional balderdash. Cracking the codes for lineouts or strike moves is much more likely to be achieved by the rows of analysts in rugby union bunkers around […]
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