Rugby

10:03 AM GMT Rugby Football Union (RFU) chief executive Bill Sweeney was accused of being “asleep on the job” following the financial crises which forced Premiership clubs Worcester Warriors and Wasps into administration. The sports’ governing bodies appeared in front of the select committee for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on

2:40 PM GMT Wales centre Joe Hawkins will earn his first cap in their final autumn international against Australia at the Principality Stadium on Saturday, while Leigh Halfpenny gets a first start since July 2021 as he takes over at fullback. Hawkins comes into the side in place of Owen Watkin, who has a knee

11:43 AM GMT England’s Tommy Freeman will start as right wing against South Africa in their final November Test on Saturday while Alex Coles comes in as blindside flanker in the team named by coach Eddie Jones on Thursday. Freeman has been in the training squad throughout November and finally gets his chance to add

1:11 AM GMT ESPN staff Rugby World Cup-winning Springboks captain John Smit has weighed into the Rassie Erasmus saga, saying the director of rugby’s ongoing social media commentary had made the South Africa team “so easy to dislike.” Erasmus was last week handed a two-game matchday ban after he published multiple posts on Twitter, highlighting

4:18 AM GMT Ireland flanker Josh Van der Flier has been named World Rugby’s Player of the Year, after helping drive his nation to the top of the world rankings through a stellar 2022 season. Van der Flier beat out Ireland and Leinster team mate Johnny Sexton, France scrum-half and last year’s winner Antoine Dupont

8:19 PM GMT New Zealand halfback TJ Perenara faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after rupturing his Achilles in the closing stages of Saturday’s 25-25 draw with England and now faces a race against time to get fit in time for next September’s World Cup. The 30-year-old Perenara had to be helped from the

9:37 PM GMT AAP with ESPN staff The Wallabies insist their massive injury toll, with top prop Taniela Tupou now in possible danger of missing the Rugby World Cup, comes down to bad luck and the perils of a collision sport. Tupou was stretchered off in the second half of their 13-10 loss to Ireland

11:30 PM GMT The Wallabies’ 2022 season can be summed by the opening three minutes of their 13-10 loss to Ireland in Dublin. In a year that has been dominated by injuries, the sight of Hunter Paisami being twisted in a tackle and immediately clutching a knee came as no surprise. And nor did the

9:41 PM GMT There is something about England facing New Zealand that always seems to produce fireworks. Three years ago Eddie Jones’ team ousted the All Blacks in the Rugby World Cup semifinals after one of their all-time great performances. A year earlier New Zealand beat them by a single point at Twickenham, while a

Nov 14, 2022 Replacement flyhalf Luka Matkava, a 21-year-old playing his second international, became an instant national hero when he landed a 77th-minute penalty to earn Georgia a 13-12 victory over Wales on Saturday. Having beaten Italy earlier in the year for their first win over a Tier One country, it was a stunning result

9:17 PM GMT South Africa’s director of rugby Rassie Erasmus has been handed a two-game ban from all matchday activities by World Rugby after tweets he posted that were perceived to be critical of referees. Erasmus returned this month from a near year-long stadium suspension following his infamous 62-minute video critique of Australian referee Nic

12:07 AM GMT Wallabies coach Dave Rennie insists he is a glass-half-full person who is not being weighed down by speculation his job may be on the rocks, the Kiwi also standing by his decision to make wholesale changes against Italy which he hopes will pay dividends against Ireland on Sunday morning [AEDT]. Rennie has

12:40 PM GMT Manu Tuilagi is back in the England team to face New Zealand on Saturday, with Jack Nowell also restored to the starting team having withdrawn shortly before last week’s win over Japan with a stomach issue. Maro Itoje will move back to the second row as coach Eddie Jones has gone for

Nov 16, 2022 Liam Napier LONDON — The All Blacks need not search their Teddington base to seek motivation for their final, headline Test of the year. At every appearance this week the All Blacks last meeting with England has been shoved in their face, with probes and reminders of their crushing 2019 World Cup

1:49 AM GMT Following his Wallabies debut against Italy last week, Mark Nawaqanitawase has earned a surprise second start when Australia clash with Ireland on Sunday [AEDT]. With the team to be announced Friday morning [AEDT], Wallabies officials confirmed Nawaqanitawase had retained his place in the starting 15 with the Waratahs flyer set to start

3:26 AM GMT The Wallabies are pledging to perform against Ireland as they look to help extend the contract of their “phenomenal coach” Dave Rennie past next year’s Rugby World Cup. Ahead of their clash with the world No.1 side in Dublin on Saturday (Sunday 7am AEDT) veteran halfback Nic White said the Wallabies were

Nov 10, 2022 The Autumn Nations Series delivered yet again over the weekend, with social media lighting up following the events in Marseille while history was made in Italy. After the Wallabies shock loss to Italy, can they turn it around against Ireland? Meanwhile the All Blacks will look to keep their winning streak alive

9:46 PM GMT Fed-up former World Cup captain Stirling Mortlock says Rugby Australia must draw a line in the sand after the Wallabies’ “train wreck” loss to Italy and immediately address the national side’s “systemic” discipline issues once and for all. Adamant Australia has “no chance” of winning next year’s World Cup in France, Mortlock