Rugby

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Week 2023, this May, ESPN highlights the stories of athletes, coaches and other sports figures who have experienced personal battles with mental health, and who want to use their platforms to openly discuss what happened next, and what helped them. These stories reflect a broad range of subjects and

A 10-year, 21-game drought finally over and in memorable fashion with the Reds finally ending their New Zealand hoodoo and ending the Chiefs’ 10-game unbeaten run while they were at it. Elsewhere, the Crusaders held the Blues off in an almighty arm-wrestle, while the Brumbies put on the after burners to down the Highlanders. Read

Tom Hamilton, Senior WriterMay 9, 2023, 11:07 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 Scotland men’s head coach Gregor Townsend has signed a contract extension until April 2026, Scottish Rugby announced on Tuesday.

May 6, 2023, 10:34 AM A bull broke free during a Super League match in Perpignan, France on Friday, causing the players of Catalans Dragons and St Helens to run for cover at the Stade Gilbert Brutus. In videos posted on social media, the bull could be seen dragging a man for several metres before

Tom Hamilton, Senior WriterMay 4, 2023, 12:18 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 John Mitchell has been appointed as England Women’s head coach, taking over from Simon Middleton, the Rugby Football Union

4:00 PM BST One of the biggest names in women’s rugby Black Ferns’ Ruby Tui has signed with Premier Rugby Sevens, the highest professional sevens competition in the United States. Re-signing with New Zealand Rugby last week, Tui made the announcement she would be taking a sabbatical immediately before returning to both the sevens and

9:33 PM BST Eddie Jones has checked in with his Japan-based Wallabies and says Quade Cooper is on target for the Rugby World Cup, with the veteran playmaker back in action as soon as this weekend. Recovering from a ruptured achilles tendon, Cooper last month ticked a box to qualify for the upcoming Japan Rugby

3:07 PM BST England beat a spirited France 38-33 to win their fifth straight women’s Six Nations title with a Grand Slam in front of a record-breaking crowd at Twickenham on Sunday to give coach Simon Middleton a fitting farewell. With 58,498 fans in attendance, top-ranked side England struggled with nerves at first before pulling

1:56 PM BST Ospreys scrum-half Harri Morgan is taking a break from the sport as he revealed his struggles with mental health. Morgan, 23, posted on social media about how he has “suffered in silence,” and spoke about how he tried to take his own life earlier this year. In his Instagram post titled “My

12:43 AM BST World Rugby will trial a Television Match Official (TMO) Bunker concept aimed at reducing lengthy stoppages and making correct decisions on foul play, with the system expected to be used at the men’s World Cup later this year if the trial is successful. The concept, which is essentially a card review system,

11:30 AM BST Lachie Swinton’s World Cup hopes, and Waratahs’ Super Rugby chances, have been hit after the backrower copped a seven-week ban. It is the longest ban imposed on an Australian since Brumbies wing Chance Peni was hit with one of the same length five years ago. Waratahs will need to make the finals

11:32 AM BST South Africa head coach Jacques Nienaber is to quit his role after the Rugby World Cup in France this year to join Irish side Leinster, where he will replace senior coach Stuart Lancaster. Nienaber was assistant coach with the Springboks when they won the 2019 World Cup in Japan and was elevated

7:31 AM BST Michael Hooper is flirting with a career change, move abroad, an Olympic rugby sevens stint and even joking of a code switch as the Wallabies star weighs up his next move. The most-capped Australian skipper is off contract beyond this year’s Rugby World Cup and is adamant he has no idea what

1:51 AM BST Another weekend, another Round of Super Rugby Pacific in the books. The first bye round, we had just four games to keep us entertained in Round 7 with plenty of table reshuffling and a couple of score blowouts across the weekend. Read on as we review some of the Super — and

11:57 PM BST Australia’s rugby sevens men have fought back from a deflating quarter-final exit at the Singapore world series event to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the Olympics. Nick Malouf’s team were hammered in the last-eight on Sunday by Argentina, who ran in five tries against them in a 29-12 trouncing. But

9:50 PM BST Liam Napier It used to be an area with an embarrassment of riches for New Zealand, with powerful, dashing wings, dominant throughout Super Rugby. But with less than six months until Rugby World Cup and with the news of Sevu Reece’s year ending injury, Ian Foster’s cupboard is looking, if not exactly

7:45 AM BST A report published on Tuesday found that racism exists at every level of elite rugby, including the England team. The report was commissioned by the Rugby Football Union (RFU) after former England centre Luther Burrell reported racist abuse he received during his career. “The qualitative research found that in every area of

2:51 PM BST A group of more than 150 former football, rugby league and rugby union players suffering from neurological impairments are due to join a class-action lawsuit against their respective governing bodies, lawyers representing the players said on Tuesday. London sports law firm Rylands Garth said it would issue proceedings in court on Tuesday