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Continue reading...Corey Toole given debut as Wallabies try for back-to-back wins against Springboks
Winger starts as Australia bid for historic win in Cape Town
Rob Valetini and Tom Robertson also come in
Corey Toole will make his Test debut in one of three changes to the Wallabies starting side as they attempt to go back-to-back against the Springboks in South Africa for the first time since 1963.
The 25-year-old Paris Olympics sevens star will replace injured winger Dylan Pietsch for their Rugby Championship clash in Cape Town on Saturday night local time (Sunday 1.10am AEST).
Continue reading...Wallabies name 91st captain as fastest man in Aussie rugby to be unleashed on Springboks
Queensland Reds flanker Fraser McReight will become the Wallabies’ 91st captain this weekend, leading an Australian side in Cape Town that will include debutant winger Corey Toole.
‘People will be hurting’: WRU recognises anger at plans for two men’s regional sides
Welsh union’s plan could see two teams cease to exist
Abi Tierney: ‘Change is hard and this is hard for fans’
The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has recognised the “hurt and anger” caused by its proposal to reduce the number of professional men’s sides in Wales from four to two, but insisted maintaining the status quo would be a mistake.
Welsh rugby’s governing body has produced a radical plan to turn around the game at club and international level, outlining its ambitions in a 90-page consultation document entitled The Future of Elite Rugby in Wales. There will be a six-week consultation period before the WRU makes a final decision on the plans, and its chief executive, Abi Tierney, has urged people to “improve on the proposals” and provide “something fit for purpose for Welsh rugby”.
Continue reading...‘Must rectify that’: Springboks coach announces overhaul after Wallabies epic win
South Africa have made 10 changes to their starting team for their second Rugby Championship match against Australia at the Cape Town Stadium on Saturday.
‘Not gonna lie’: O’Connor’s raw interview as ex-prodigy opens up over doubts, Wallabies miracle
Wallabies flyhalf James O’Connor has described Saturday’s comeback victory over South Africa in Johannesburg as one of the most satisfying wins of his 17-year international career.
Wallabies break South Africa’s aura of invincibility in win that asks: is Australian rugby back?
Joe Schmidt’s side turned a 22-point deficit into a first win at Ellis Park since 1963. If this is a redrafting of the story, then the sport will be better off
For 18 minutes, everything was going according to script. The double world champions were running riot at Ellis Park, stomping over the gain line with every carry, shrugging off tacklers and hammering anyone unlucky enough to be wearing a gold jersey.
Australia had touched the ball twice before Kurt-Lee Arendse scored the opening try; once when James O’Connor kicked off, then again when Tom Wright spilled a contestable kick. Twelve minutes later André Esterhuizen sliced through the right before Siya Kolisi bulldozed over under the posts. Manie Libbok kicked seven extra points to nudge the score to 22-0 in South Africa’s favour. We’d not yet reached the quarter mark of this one-sided contest.
Continue reading...‘We were really dogs***’: Springboks coach laments ‘really awful’ Wallabies loss
Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus has slammed South Africa’s “really awful” performance in the Rugby Championship opener against Australia, blaming poor game management after a brilliant opening quarter.
Wallabies produce epic 38-point turnaround to stun world champions in 62-year first
Captain and No 8 Harry Wilson scored two tries as Australia staged a remarkable comeback to stun South Africa 38-22 in the 2025 Rugby Championship opener in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Wilson double sparks remarkable Australia comeback win to stun South Africa
South Africa 22-38 Australia
Wallabies recover from 22-0 down to sink Springboks
Australia rallied from 22-0 down as Harry Wilson, their captain, scored two tries in a stunning 38-22 bonus-point victory over South Africa in their Rugby Championship opener on Saturday, the Wallabies’ first victory at Ellis Park in Johannesburg since 1963.
South Africa raced into a seemingly commanding lead through tries by the wing Kurt-Lee Arendse, the centre André Esterhuizen and the No 8 Siya Kolisi, but their achilles heel has been the breakdown and it was there that Australia began to take control.
Continue reading...South Africa 22-38 Australia: Rugby Championship Test – as it happened
A Harry Wilson double inspires an Australian comeback with 38 unanswered points from 0-22 down to win in Johannesburg for the first time since 1963 .
What a start for the Springboks! It started with Wright fumbling a Williams box kick and then it was all momentum. Just about every player was involved. Du Toit, Kolisi and more had strong carries until the cracks opened. Fassie joined from fullback to play the final pass to his left where Arendse had a simple run in. That move went several phases and 70 metres.
Libbok nails the conversion from the left.
Continue reading...Salford crisis deepens with Wakefield match cancelled over welfare concerns
Red Devils have only two senior players available
COO Claire Bradbury accused ownership of misogyny
The crisis at Salford Red Devils has deepened on and off the field in the past 24 hours. On Thursday, their chief operating officer claimed she had resigned after the club’s ownership suggested she “sleep with someone at the RFL” to alleviate their financial issues and on Friday the club’s Super League game against Wakefield on Sunday was cancelled.
The Red Devils have been embroiled in controversy for most of 2025, following a takeover by a consortium led by Dario Berta. Players and staff have repeatedly been paid late, most of their first-team squad have left and the club is in court next month over an unpaid tax bill of almost £700,000.
Continue reading...Sports quiz of the week: winners, world records, history and lots of love
Have you been following the big stories in football, rugby union, tennis, boxing, surfing, athletics and baseball?
Continue reading...Great blasts ‘clueless’ Wallabies coach as forgotten man handed recall for Springboks opener
Veteran fly-half James O’Connor has been recalled by Australia for a 2025 Rugby Championship opener against title-holders South Africa in Johannesburg on Saturday.
Louis Rees-Zammit signs for Bristol to complete return to rugby from NFL
Winger left sport to go to US in January 2024
Player says Bristol was ‘the obvious choice’
Louis Rees-Zammit has sealed his return to rugby from American football after signing for Bristol. The 24-year-old, who has been capped 32 times by Wales, announced in January 2024 that he was quitting rugby to join the NFL’s international player pathway program. He signed for the Kansas City Chiefs and then the Jacksonville Jaguars, but failed to make a breakthrough and has opted to return to his roots.
Rees-Zammit said on the club website: “Bristol Bears was the obvious choice for me. I want to get fans out of their seats, create exciting moments and help people fall in love with the game. I’m excited to return to rugby at a club that demands those values.”
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