Category: Rugby

Rugby News

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Owen Farrell’s late penalty gives Saracens hard-fought win at Bath

  • Bath 12-15 Saracens
  • Fly-half seals points after home side rally

There are plenty of would-be contenders to win this year’s Premiership but they still have to prise Saracens’s stubborn fingers off the trophy. When push comes to shove the defending champions tend to raise their game and a resolute defensive display was rewarded when Owen Farrell kicked the winning penalty goal three minutes from time to edge a tense contest.

So much for the increasing trend towards wide open, free-flowing Premiership try-fests. This was a frequently rugged, old school game, ultimately shaped by defensive commitment, and when the dust finally settled it was Sarries who emerged best placed to secure a potential home semi-final when the playoffs commence next month.

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Obituary: Former Cardiff, Wales and Lions prop John O’Shea passes

John O’Shea, one of the most combative and ferocious Welsh props of the Sixties, has died in Australia at the age of 83 after a lengthy battle against cancer. A jovial and well-liked player off the field, he was a handful on it in more than 200+ games for Cardiff, five caps for Wales, seven […]

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Bristol’s Harry Randall: ‘We’re going after teams and having a real crack’

Scrum-half guides playoff-chasing Bears around at a whirring tempo and he also has his eye on an England Test recall

Trying to catch lightning in a cider bottle would be only slightly harder right now than containing Bristol’s dazzling attacking game. The Bears have been averaging 50 points per match in winning five successive league fixtures and, before Saturday’s crucial visit to Leicester, are playing with a freedom and momentum few of their playoff-chasing rivals can match.

Setting the pace has been their pocket dynamo Harry Randall, who guides his team around the field at such a whirring tempo they are blowing opponents away. Last week they put 85 points on a hapless Newcastle and when Randall last played at Welford Road a couple of months ago he starred in England A’s 91-5 win over Portugal, underlining his credentials as a classy catalyst who could add a further spark to the senior England team.

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Faletau ruled out until next season with fractured shoulder

Taulupe Faletau’s fractured shoulder has brought his season to a premature end and is likely to rule him out of Wales’ summer fixtures against South Africa at Twickenham in June and the Wallabies in two Tests down under the following month. Having finally worked his way back to full fitness after six months on the […]

The post Faletau ruled out until next season with fractured shoulder appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.

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Jonny Lomax’s late drop goal completes St Helens comeback over Huddersfield

  • St Helens 13-12 Huddersfield
  • Saints recover from 12-0 deficit to go top of Super League table

Jonny Lomax’s last-minute drop goal secured a dramatic victory for St Helens against in-form Huddersfield Giants, moving Paul Wellens’ side joint-top of the Super League table in the process.

The Saints did not lead all evening until the very final minute of a dramatic contest. Trailing 12-0 midway through the first half, it was Huddersfield, who came into this game on a run of five successive victories, who looked favourites to go on and win. However, the Saints rallied with tries from Tommy Makinson and Daryl Clark to level the scores at 12-12.

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Wales to break attendance record at Principality Stadium

Wales will soar through their all-time attendance record for a stand-alone home Test match, when they face Italy in the Women’s Guinness Six Nations on Saturday at Principality Stadium. The 8,500 record home gate, set last year against England next door at Cardiff Arms Park, has already been beaten with nearly 10,000 tickets now sold […]

The post Wales to break attendance record at Principality Stadium appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.

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Bluck gets first W6N start in historic Italian Test

Wales Head coach Ioan Cunningham has named the side to face Italy in Round 5 of the Women’s Guinness Six Nations at the Principality Stadium, Cardiff, on Saturday, April 25th, (KO: 12:15pm). There are four changes to the team that played France last weekend for the historic, stand-alone Test match at the Principality Stadium. Centre […]

The post Bluck gets first W6N start in historic Italian Test appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.

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English clubs urge RFU to speed up enhanced hybrid contract plans

  • Steve Borthwick can allocate 25 contracts worth £150,000 a year
  • Saracens chief says stalemate may impact club’s recruitment

Leading English clubs are urging the Rugby Football Union (RFU) to accelerate their plans to introduce hybrid central contracts for a limited number of key men’s international players. Saracens are one of several sides keen to know exactly how many of their squad will be offered deals and precisely how the new system will operate.

Sarries’ director of rugby, Mark McCall, who works closely with a number of England players including the national captain Jamie George and the lock Maro Itoje, is hoping the situation will be clarified sooner rather than later. “It’s pretty important that it gets sorted as quickly as possible,” said McCall, suggesting his star players had still not seen their final contracts.

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Davies appointed WRU National Elite Performance Match Official Manager

Ian Davies

Ian Davies have been confirmed as the WRU National Elite Performance Match Official Manager. With over 100 first class appearances behind him in the United Rugby Championship and in Europe, Davies brings with him a wealth of experience at the highest level. “We are delighted to announce the appointment of Ian Davies as the WRU National […]

The post Davies appointed WRU National Elite Performance Match Official Manager appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.

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Jenkins calls time on playing career

Ellis Jenkins

Ellis Jenkins will hang up his boots at the end of the season following an illustrious 13 year career Cardiff Arms Park. The flanker, who progressed right through the Cardiff pathway, has made the decision to prioritise life after rugby after battling back from a near career ending knee injury, which still requires continued management. […]

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Six Nations announce 2024 Autumn Nations Series

Autumn Series

The 2024 Autumn Nations Series sees Wales take on Fiji, Australia and South Africa in matches across three consecutive weekends at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium this November. Across the full Autumn Nations Series, the best of northern hemisphere rugby will host 21 fixtures against the best teams from around the world, with supporters in the UK […]

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Welsh rugby ambassador Bronwen Lewis to perform at Cardiff Arms Park as Wales Women host France

Bronwen Lewis with Wales Women team

We’re delighted to announce that singer, songwriter Bronwen Lewis will perform her track, ‘POWER’ at Wales’ Guinness Women’s Six Nations fifth round match against France this Sunday. The original song written by Bronwen specially for the Wales squad ahead of their 2024 Guinness Six Nations campaign has become an anthem for the team and this […]

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Welsh rugby ambassador and music artist Bronwen Lewis to perform at Cardiff Arms Park on Sunday as Wales Women host France

Bronwen Lewis with Wales Women team

We’re delighted to announce that singer, songwriter Bronwen Lewis will perform her track, ‘POWER’ at Wales’ Guinness Women’s Six Nations fifth round match against France this Sunday. The original song written by Bronwen specially for the Wales squad ahead of their 2024 Guinness Six Nations campaign has become an anthem for the team and this […]

The post Welsh rugby ambassador and music artist Bronwen Lewis to perform at Cardiff Arms Park on Sunday as Wales Women host France appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.

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Sam Vesty: the unfashionable former Tiger leading Saints’ resurgence

One of Premiership’s most vaunted coaches is earning rave reviews for swashbuckling style – to rivals’ dismay

Look back through the archives and it becomes clear what kind of a player Sam Vesty was. “Probably not the most fashionable,” according to his former Leicester head coach Richard Cockerill, but as the Australian Matt O’Connor, who would later occupy the top job at Welford Road, adds: “He understands the game so well that he makes guys around him play ­better rugby.”

Vesty, for his part, saw himself as an attacking fly-half and someone “who likes to put some width on the game” but just as important was a resilience in defence, an unrelenting work ethic: “That is Leicester. If you’re not 100%, you’re nowhere. That is bred in every Leicester player.”

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