Category: Rugby

Rugby News

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England’s Feyi-Waboso in dilemma over surgery for sake of Lions ambitions

  • Recovery delayed by new England deal, says Rob Baxter
  • Operation would rule him out of Six Nations

England’s Immanuel Feyi-Waboso is still in two minds about whether to undergo a shoulder operation that could affect his chances of representing the British & Irish Lions this summer. The Exeter wing is scheduled to have surgery next week, which would rule him out of the Six Nations and complicate his dream of touring Australia with the Lions.

Rob Baxter, Exeter’s director of rugby, says the 22-year-old has not yet ruled out postponing the operation and can avoid recurring shoulder issues for the remainder of this season. A decision will need to be taken imminently, however, with Baxter suggesting extensive discussions between club and country are already delaying the process.

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Ollie Lawrence should be applauded for streetwise play – rugby must ditch holier-than-thou image | Gerard Meagher

Bath centre should not have apologised for stopping match against Northampton after going down from clash of heads

A round of applause for Ollie Lawrence. Not for his apology after Bath’s last-gasp defeat by Northampton, which was entirely unnecessary, but for having the wherewithal to put his side into a winning position by demonstrating a streetwise streak all too seldom shown in elite rugby union.

To recap, Lawrence was pilloried by Northampton supporters for going down in instalments after a fairly innocuous clash of heads with Alex Mitchell in the last few minutes of Saints’ thrilling 35-34 win over Bath on Sunday. He took himself down to his knees, clutched his face and in doing so, made sure that the match was stopped, the incident reviewed.

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‘Bring it on’ says Wales U20 coach Whiffin to Academies U23 side

Richard Whiffin has a simple message to the Welsh Academies XV that will take on his Wales U20 side over the next two Friday’s – ‘let’s get it on’. The Wales U20 head coach wants to put his team under pressure ahead of their U20 Six Nations campaign that kicks-off with two tough away trips […]

The post ‘Bring it on’ says Wales U20 coach Whiffin to Academies U23 side appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.

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Leon Brown announces retirement

Dragons RFC and Wales international prop Leon Brown has today announced his retirement from professional rugby with immediate effect. The homegrown front row made a total of 74 appearances for Dragons RFC, scoring five tries, after his debut against Leicester Tigers in November 2016. Brown has been a formidable figure in the Dragons pack and […]

The post Leon Brown announces retirement appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.

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Ex-Cardiff captain and Wales centre Meirion Roberts passes

Meirion Roberts, the former Cardiff captain who played eight times for Wales, has died at the age of 90. Roberts played in his first Welsh trial while he was playing for Cardiff High School Old Boys in December 1957 ahead of moving to Cardiff the following season. In the 1957-58 season with CHSOB he scored […]

The post Ex-Cardiff captain and Wales centre Meirion Roberts passes appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.

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Feyi-Waboso injury leaves Borthwick’s England short of options for Six Nations

  • Shoulder problem could rule wing out of tournament
  • Furbank also likely to miss opening match in Ireland

Steve Borthwick has mounting headaches over his back-three contingent before the Six Nations with Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, George Furbank and Ollie Sleightholme all sidelined with injuries

Feyi-Waboso has a dislocated shoulder and with surgery beckoning, he is facing a spell on the sidelines that would rule him out of the Six Nations, dealing Borthwick what would be a major setback before a crucial campaign that begins away to Ireland on 1 February.

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Wales U20s set for testing time against Regional Academies XV

Richard Whiffin’s Wales U20 side will continue their build-up to the U20 Six Nations Championship with two games against a Regional Academies XV over the next two weeks. Having used more than 50 players in two developmental fixtures against Scotland – they won the first at home 31-7 and went down 45-43 in Edinburgh – […]

The post Wales U20s set for testing time against Regional Academies XV appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.

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McBryde holds nerves to kick RGC to big SRC win over leaders

Billy McBryde held his nerve to land a last kick of the match conversion to snatch a stunning 41-39 win for RGC over Super Rygbi Cymru leaders Ebbw Vale at Parc Eirias. Having trailed 34-20, tries from lock Dylan Bartlett, wing Ryan Gardner and centre Cameron Davies – two converted by outside half Evan Lloyd […]

The post McBryde holds nerves to kick RGC to big SRC win over leaders appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.

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Brython Thunder still search for opening win

Brython Thunder are still looking for their first win of the new Celtic Challenge campaign after a Round 3 22-15 defeat at a freezing Hive stadium in Edinburgh this afternoon. Edinburgh, who were second in the league before this clash, were pushed all the way by a Thunder performance full of character. This was another […]

The post Brython Thunder still search for opening win appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.

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Clover snap Gwalia Lightning’s winning run

Gwalia Lightning’s unbeaten run came to an end in Round 3 of the Celtic Challenge against a formidable Clover side at a cold Kingspan Stadium in Belfast this afternoon. The Irish side’s pack and impressive defence proved too much for the Welsh side as they went down to their first defeat of the this season’s […]

The post Clover snap Gwalia Lightning’s winning run appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.

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Newport hoping to hit back in SRC at Church Bank

Newport head back to the ground where they were beaten in last season’s Indigo Premiership final hoping not to suffer a similar fate in the Super Rygbi Cymru. Llandovery ended up as cup and Premiership winners last season and have added a shiny new all-weather playing surface to their Church Bank home since the Black […]

The post Newport hoping to hit back in SRC at Church Bank appeared first on Welsh Rugby Union | Wales & Regions.

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Premiership rugby is now for the masses not the purists – enjoy it while it lasts | Michael Aylwin

A rerun of last season’s final is a strong start to the year but the domestic game will soon be on hold for the Six Nations

There was a time when the first weekend of the new year meant immersion in what we kindly describe as rugby for the purists. The dark days between Christmas and spring are not easy for anyone, but they are largely responsible for giving rugby a bad name in this part of the world. Ten-man rugby, like asceticism, was pretty much invented for January.

And yet it is a concept that these days feels totally alien to the Premiership. An icy blast this weekend may yet precipitate a sudden tightening of coats, but such sobriety would represent quite the about-turn of current trends.

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