Rugby

3:30 AM BST ESPN staff South African rugby will not be left without high-level provincial and international competition because of coronavirus-related concerns, national union chief executive Jurie Roux says. Roux was asked on a media call if New Zealand Rugby’s plans for an eight- or 10-team Super Rugby 2021 competition without Argentina’s Jaguares and the

3:41 PM BST World Champions South Africa will either play in the Rugby Championship in New Zealand later this year or embark on a tour to Europe, but will not have space on the calendar for both, officials confirmed on Tuesday. The Springboks have not been in action since lifting the World Cup in Japan

4:43 AM BST Former Wallabies star Will Genia wants new coach Dave Rennie to back the youth in Australian rugby by throwing a new halves pairing into the Test arena at his first opportunity. It remains to be seen whether the Wallabies will get the chance to face the All Blacks – and possibly the

1:12 AM BST Australian sides would be a welcome addition to a trans-Tasman Super Rugby competition if only to give New Zealand teams a rest from beating each other up every week, Hurricanes assistant coach and former All Blacks winger Cory Jane has said. New Zealand Rugby (NZR) is looking to set up a new

12:46 AM BST Melbourne Rebels Chief Executive Baden Stephenson is “extremely confident” they will feature in whatever competition emerges from the remains of Super Rugby amid criticism that their sub-par performances and crowd numbers do not merit inclusion. The broader Super Rugby season, which also featured teams from New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina and Japan,

1:42 AM BST Super Rugby Aotearoa produced two further thrilling encounters over the weekend as the Hurricanes and Highlanders took down the Blues and Chiefs, respectively. Both matches were decided in the shadows of fulltime, albeit after contrasting storylines. The Hurricanes and Blues had engaged in an intriguing battle for 70 minutes before the thrilling

1:24 PM BST England coach Eddie Jones has called on rugby union’s lawmakers to implement measures to speed up the game and increase fatigue, including reducing the number of permitted replacements in matches from eight to six. Jones said lengthy television reviews and debates with referees have provided players with extended breaks and prevented them

4:38 AM BST A neck injury to Otere Black is expected to see Beauden Barrett return to his preferred fly-half position next week, which should give him a chance to recoup lost ground to Richie Mo’unga in the battle for the All Blacks No. 10 jersey. Barrett has been playing fullback for the Blues in

4:44 AM BST ESPN staff New Zealand Rugby hopes to set up a new competition involving “eight to ten” teams after it unveiled the major findings of its Aratipu review on Friday, with the establishment of a Pacific Island outfit a key objective. NZ Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson said the board had ratified a

10:22 AM BST Maro Itoje has become the latest England international to commit his future to Saracens despite the team’s relegation to the Championship, the club announced on Friday. Saracens drop into the second tier at the end of the campaign after being relegated for breaching salary cap rules. Despite being relegated, several England internationals

1:39 AM BST It’s the debate generating passionate responses on both sides of the Tasman. But as to what shape Super Rugby could take next season, neither New Zealand or Australian stakeholders are united in their views. What is almost universally agreed is that the planned 2021 14-team round robin competition, comprising five teams from

Jul 16, 2020 ESPN staff A group of South African rugby coaches and former players have expressed their support for international cricketer Lungi Ngidi and the Black Lives Matter movement. The 49-member group — which includes former Springboks coach Peter de Villiers and players Ashwin Willemse, Hilton Lobberts and Adrian Jacobs — offered public backing

2:11 PM BST England coach Eddie Jones says he did not hesitate to agree to having his temporary 25% pay cut made permanent as the Rugby Football Union (RFU) battles to deal with a financial crisis brought about by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Jones is the highest-paid international coach in the sport and

9:30 AM BST England captain Owen Farrell has signed a new deal with reigning Gallagher Premiership champions Saracens, the club announced on Thursday. Farrell is the latest player to commit his long-term future to the club despite the fact Saracens were relegated to the second tier for salary cap breaches. England internationals Jamie George, Mako

2:45 PM BST England and British and Irish Lions back Elliot Daly has lauded Saracens professionalism while committing to a new three-year contract with Saracens, the club announced on Wednesday. Daly is the latest international to commit his future despite the fact Saracens were relegated to the second tier for salary cap breaches. 1 Related

1:36 PM BST Kathleen McNamee Exeter Chiefs are to review their name and logo at the club’s next board meeting at the end of July, sources have confirmed to ESPN. The decision to review the name and logo came after two petitions were set up — one to maintain the name and logo and one

11:00 AM BST The British and Irish Lions will tour South Africa in 2021 despite scheduling clashes with the Olympics, the Lions and South Africa Rugby confirmed on Wednesday. The postponed Olympics will begin on July 23 while the Lions tour will start on July 31 and continue until Aug. 7. 1 Related The Lions

9:26 AM BST Stricter interpretations around the tackle in Super Rugby Aotearoa are allowing sides to ignore contesting the breakdown and fan out across the field making defences more like rugby league, Chiefs assistant coach Roger Randle has said. Referees in the New Zealand-only competition were told to police the tackle more strictly in an