Rugby

5:09 PM GMT English Premiership club Exeter Chiefs will drop their Native American-themed branding in the summer after criticism from fans, the club announced on Thursday. The club said its new branding would feature the Celtic Iron Age Dumnonii Tribe which once inhabited Devon and Cornwall. “Times are changing and so are we — now

9:46 PM GMT Flying winger Louis Lynagh, son of Wallabies great Michael Lynagh, has now been approached by Italy about the prospect of playing Test rugby for the Azzurri. But Italy’s head coach Kieran Crowley accepts that he may not win the battle for the services of the brilliant 21-year-old, with Lynagh also able to

Jan 25, 2022 Trailblazing referee Amy Perrett has announced she is hanging up the whistle and stepping away from the professional game following a career that has spanned more than 10 years. The first-ever female Super Rugby match official, Perrett has been leading the way for female referees in Australia and ends her career on

5:58 PM GMT Wales captain Dan Biggar has said the upcoming Six Nations campaign feels like his first as he prepares to lead a squad missing 680 caps to injury, including regular skipper Alun Wyn Jones. Biggar will make his bow as captain in Wales’ opener against Ireland in Dublin on Feb. 5 as they

1:26 PM GMT Coach Gregor Townsend says Scotland must build on the potential they have shown in recent Six Nations championships as they seek a first title success since 1999, but face one of their biggest challenges first up in the form of old rival England. Scotland will host the fixture at Murrayfield on Feb.

10:00 AM GMT England captain Owen Farrell has been ruled out of the entire Six Nations championship after suffering a second serious ankle injury in the latest blow to head coach Eddie Jones’s preparations for the competition that begins next week. Farrell had surgery in November on an ankle he injured playing against Australia then

7:43 AM GMT George Ford and Elliot Daly have been called up to the England squad as a replacement for the injured pair of Owen Farrell and Jonny May, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) confirmed on Monday. In-form Leicester Tigers flyhalf Ford, 28, has started all 12 of Tigers’ Premiership games and is the league’s

1:08 PM GMT France scrum-half Antoine Dupont on Monday was named the British Rugby Union Writers’ Club’s personality of the year for 2021. Dupont, the World Rugby Player of the Year, succeeds Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter as winner of the Pat Marshall Memorial Award following an outstanding 12 months for the national team

9:45 PM GMT Australia’s rugby sevens women have finally been toppled after 15 successive match wins and two tournament triumphs in the World Series. The team, who’d been so dominant with back-to-back triumphs in Dubai at the end of last year, had their unbeaten run sensationally ended in Sunday’s semifinal of the Spain Sevens in

12:12 PM GMT England captain Owen Farrell suffered an injury in training earlier this week, his club Saracens said on Friday, making him a doubt for England’s Six Nations opener against Scotland on Feb. 5. The fly-half was named captain of the England squad by head coach Eddie Jones on Tuesday, despite not having played

2:31 PM GMT Scotland coach Gregor Townsend has named five uncapped players in Scotland’s 39-man squad for the 2022 Six Nations, as well as including centre Cameron Redpath just days after his first appearance in seven months. Redpath had a memorable debut in Scotland’s win at Twickenham last season and is in line for a

10:45 AM GMT Owen Farrell has retained his England captaincy for the 2022 Six Nations while George Ford, Elliot Day, Sam Underhill and Mako and Billy Vunipola miss out on the squad. Manu Tuilagi was also not named in the 36-man squad announced by coach Eddie Jones on Tuesday but he is expected to join

12:57 PM GMT Fly-half Dan Biggar will captain a Wales squad at the 2022 Six Nations that includes three uncapped players and has a host of experienced names missing through injury as coach Wayne Pivac’s side look to retain the title they won last year. Hooker Dewi Lake has been called up for the first

10:19 AM GMT Sale Sharks have confirmed they have suspended one of their players after they were arrested on suspicion of rape. The player has since been released on bail. The player, who has played for England, was arrested on Sunday morning. “Sale Sharks have been made aware of an allegation against one of its

5:05 PM GMT The 2025 Rugby League World Cup will take place in France, the French Rugby League federation confirmed on Friday. French prime minister Jean Castex will hold a full launch of the event on Jan. 11 in Paris. The tournament will be the 17th edition, and returns to France, where the first World

2:55 PM GMT England trio Owen Farrell, Jamie George and Manu Tuilagi are expected to be fit for selection for the Six Nations which starts on Feb. 5. Both Farrell and George were injured in England’s 32-15 win over Australia on Nov. 13, with the fly-half requiring surgery on his ankle. Tuilagi was forced off

3:34 PM GMT Premiership Rugby leaders Leicester Tigers have confirmed an investigation by the league into allegations of historical breaches of salary cap rules. The Times reported on Tuesday that the league’s salary cap director Andrew Rodgers is investigating a third-party company called Worldwide Image Management over payments made to Leicester players from the company.

1:56 PM GMT All Round 2 matches between U.K. and French sides have been postponed hours after Ospreys vs. Racing 92 was called off due to a number of positive COVID-19 cases in the Welsh squad. European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) awarded Racing 92 a 28-0 victory and five match points, in accordance with competition