Rugby

Jan 30, 2024, 09:34 AM Open Extended Reactions Marcus Smith is in doubt for England’s Six Nations opener against Italy. Photo by David Ramos – RFU/The RFU Collection via Getty Images England fly-half Marcus Smith limped off during a training session on Monday and could be sidelined for this weekend’s Six Nations opener against Italy With

Jan 27, 2024, 11:35 AM Open Extended Reactions South Africa‘s director of rugby Rassie Erasmus has been admitted to hospital after a freak accident left him with chemical burns, but he is expected to be back at work next month, officials confirmed on Saturday. Erasmus, who has masterminded back-to-back Rugby World Cup wins for the

Jan 23, 2024, 10:14 AM Open Extended Reactions Twickenham was vandalised with red paint and “Free Gaza” spray-painted on the walls on Tuesday morning after a protest against a military vehicles event being held at the stadium. Protestors gathered outside the home of English rugby on Monday and shouted “RFU is covered in Palestinian blood”

AAP with ESPN staff Jan 23, 2024, 03:07 AM Open Extended Reactions The Wallabies are in good hands with new coach Joe Schmidt, All Blacks mentor Scott Robertson says, and he’s expecting Australia to bounce back for the annual Bledisloe Cup battle. Both nations have replaced their coach since the 2023 Rugby World Cup, with

Tom Hamilton, Senior WriterJan 22, 2024, 07:16 PM Close • Joined ESPN in 2011• Covered two Olympics, a pair of Rugby World Cups and two British & Irish Lions tours• Previously rugby editor, and became senior writer in 2018 Open Extended Reactions Top 14 giants Racing 92 have announced the signing of England and Saracens star Owen Farrell

Jan 19, 2024, 03:59 PM Open Extended Reactions USA Rugby, Major League Rugby (MLR) and World Rugby announced a partnership on Friday to launch a new expansion club to promote the development of the game in the U.S. as the country prepares to host the Rugby World Cup. The new club Anthem Rugby Carolina (RC),

Jan 19, 2024, 01:00 AM Open Extended Reactions Rugby Australia have confirmed former Ireland head coach and All Blacks assistant Joe Schmidt will take over as Wallabies boss for the next two seasons, taking him to at least the end of the 2025 British and Irish Lions tour. Close to three months after Eddie Jones

Jan 19, 2024, 02:18 AM Open Extended Reactions South Africa World Cup winner Elton Jantjies has been suspended for four years after being found guilty of using the banned substance Clenbuterol, the South African Institute for Drug Free Sport (SAIDS) announced on Thursday. Flyhalf Jantjies, now 33, was part of the Springbok squad that lifted

Tom Hamilton, Senior WriterJan 18, 2024, 12:26 PM Close • Joined ESPN in 2011• Covered two Olympics, a pair of Rugby World Cups and two British & Irish Lions tours• Previously rugby editor, and became senior writer in 2018 Open Extended Reactions Ex-Northampton Saints player Harry Mallinder has joined Louis Rees-Zammit in chasing the dream of playing in

Tom Hamilton, Senior WriterJan 17, 2024, 05:59 PM Close • Joined ESPN in 2011• Covered two Olympics, a pair of Rugby World Cups and two British & Irish Lions tours• Previously rugby editor, and became senior writer in 2018 Open Extended Reactions Before the last Rugby World Cup, England head coach Steve Borthwick set his team a test.

Jan 17, 2024, 02:56 PM Open Extended Reactions Ireland head coach Andy Farrell appointed Munster backrow Peter O’Mahony as the country’s new captain on Wednesday as the new British & Irish Lions boss began the post-Johnny Sexton era by naming a 34-man squad to defend their Six Nations title. O’Mahony has captained the side 10

Tom Hamilton, Senior WriterJan 17, 2024, 09:58 AM Close • Joined ESPN in 2011• Covered two Olympics, a pair of Rugby World Cups and two British & Irish Lions tours• Previously rugby editor, and became senior writer in 2018 Open Extended Reactions England have named Jamie George as captain for the Six Nations but there is no spot

Tom Hamilton, Senior WriterJan 16, 2024, 01:00 PM Close • Joined ESPN in 2011• Covered two Olympics, a pair of Rugby World Cups and two British & Irish Lions tours• Previously rugby editor, and became senior writer in 2018 Open Extended Reactions Louis Rees-Zammit has left Gloucester and Wales with immediate effect to pursue a career in the

Jan 16, 2024, 02:31 PM Open Extended Reactions France lock Bastien Chalureau has been cleared of racism by a court of appeal after the Montpellier player had been handed a prison sentence for violence based on ethnicity, French media reported on Tuesday. Chalureau was handed a six-month suspended prison sentence in 2020 after being found

Jan 12, 2024, 05:27 PM Open Extended Reactions Players in this year’s Six Nations will use instrumented mouthguards to help medics detect incidents that require off-field head injury assessments, Six Nations Rugby said on Friday. Players will be provided with custom-fitted mouthguards that deliver in-game alerts to the medical team to indicate whether a pitchside

Tom Hamilton, Senior WriterJan 12, 2024, 04:19 PM Close • Joined ESPN in 2011• Covered two Olympics, a pair of Rugby World Cups and two British & Irish Lions tours• Previously rugby editor, and became senior writer in 2018 Open Extended Reactions England prop Mako Vunipola has announced his retirement from international rugby. The 32-year-old’s decision calls time

Tom Hamilton, Senior WriterJan 12, 2024, 11:17 AM Close • Joined ESPN in 2011• Covered two Olympics, a pair of Rugby World Cups and two British & Irish Lions tours• Previously rugby editor, and became senior writer in 2018 Open Extended Reactions The announcement of Andy Farrell as British & Irish Lions coach on Thursday has already set

Tom Hamilton, Senior WriterJan 12, 2024, 10:01 AM Close • Joined ESPN in 2011• Covered two Olympics, a pair of Rugby World Cups and two British & Irish Lions tours• Previously rugby editor, and became senior writer in 2018 Open Extended Reactions British & Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell will be able to pick players based in