Rugby

12:46 AM BST The stage is now set for both Super Rugby finals to be played this weekend, with the Brumbies emerging from their dogged contest with the Force to join the Reds in the Brisbane decider, while the Crusaders host the Chiefs earlier on Saturday, a game that was already confirmed ahead of Super

12:40 PM BST England scrum-half Ben Youngs has ruled himself out for the British & Irish Lions tour of South Africa this year to spend more family time this summer, with his wife pregnant with their third child. The 31-year-old was among more than 50 players under consideration for the tour, which will take place

12:18 PM BST England celebrated a bizarre 17-15 win over France in a women’s test match on Saturday after they were declared winners following a floodlight failure midway through the second half. The visitors were declared winners after a 20-minute delay, during which both sets of players wandered around the pitch, because more than 60

11:48 AM BST The Champions Cup and Challenge Cup finals will take place at London’s Twickenham Stadium in May in front of up to 10,000 fans, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) said on Friday. The matches were due to take place in Marseille on May 21 and May 22 respectively but were moved out of

1:57 PM BST England Rugby and Scottish Rugby said on Thursday they would join football and other sports’ social media blackout this weekend in a show of solidarity against online abuse. All social media channels run by the Rugby Football Union (RFU), including England Rugby, Premier 15s, Greene King IPA Championship and GB7s will switch

3:10 PM BST Six Nations champions Wales will begin their title defence against Ireland in the first round of the 2022 tournament while Scotland host England on the same day, organisers announced on Wednesday. The tournament begins on Feb. 5 while the final round will be played on ‘Super Saturday’ on March 19. 1 Related

11:40 AM BST Wales centre George North will miss the British & Irish Lions tour in South Africa due to a serious knee injury, it was announced on Monday. North, 29, ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) when he played for Ospreys against Cardiff Blues on Saturday. North’s injury came when he appeared to have

6:09 AM BST All Blacks superstar Beauden Barrett has reaffirmed his desire to return to the No. 10 jersey at Test level, declaring his time in Japan with Suntory Sungoliath has motivated him to become better than ever in the playmaking hotseat. Barrett, a two-time winner of World Rugby’s Player of the Year award at

12:58 PM BST Premiership Rugby announced on Tuesday that it has reached an agreement with the British & Irish Lions to release its players at the end of their domestic commitments and before their warm-up game against Japan. The match against Japan on June 26 is being held outside World Rugby’s Regulation 9 window for

1:58 PM BST Wales will look to end a 68-year winless run against New Zealand when they host the All Blacks as part of their autumn internationals this year, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) said on Monday. Wayne Pivac’s side will host four test matches at Principality Stadium, kicking off their campaign against New Zealand

4:16 PM BST England sealed a third consecutive Women’s Six Nations title after edging France 10-6 in an absorbing game at Twickenham Stoop on Saturday. Poppy Cleall charged over the try line in the final minute of the first half and Emily Scarratt added the extras to make amends for two earlier penalty misses. France

This article contains sensitive content involving infection and amputations. WHEN NICK SPRINGER was in a coma, doctors told his parents that he was going to live and that he would wake up soon. Gary and Nancy Springer rejoiced for a moment, then began to dread the conversation they were going to have with him: The

11:54 PM BST Melbourne Rebels chief executive Baden Stephenson has denied reports that Dave Wessels’ tenure as coach of the Super Rugby team could be over within days as their playoffs hopes hang on a knife-edge. The Sydney Morning Herald reported Wessels needed to win his next two matches to save his job, citing “agitation

12:28 PM BST Emily Scarratt will captain England in Saturday’s women’s Six Nations final against France at Twickenham Stoop, with regular skipper Sarah Hunter dropping to the bench. Hunter, 35, returned from a 13-month international absence for the 67-3 win over Italy and is yet to hit top form. Poppy Cleall will start at No.

11:34 AM BST The inaugural Rainbow Cup will no longer have cross-over matches between sides in the northern and southern hemisphere after UK officials failed to approve travel for South African teams due to COVID-19 restrictions. The competition will continue with dual events that will see teams from Wales, Scotland, Italy and Ireland play in

4:34 PM BST England head coach Eddie Jones has been backed by the Rugby Football Union after England’s poor Six Nations campaign. Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images The Rugby Football Union (RFU) gave its backing to England head coach Eddie Jones on Tuesday following the team’s fifth-placed finish in the Six Nations championship but made a

2:51 AM BST The stage is set for a thrilling conclusion to Super Rugby AU’s regular season with just two points separating the Force and Rebels in the race for the final playoff spot. Meanwhile in New Zealand, Super Rugby Aotearoa has suddenly sprung to life as the Crusaders suffered a second loss in three

12:37 PM BST France put on a blistering display as they thrashed Ireland 56-15 in Dublin to win Pool B of the Women’s Six Nations to set up a final clash with fierce rivals England next weekend. Ireland held their own in the opening period but the rampant French crossed for five tries in the