Category: Rugby

Rugby News

Posted on

Steve Borthwick urged by club coaches to rest England’s Lions during autumn internationals

  • Players could be rested for matches on welfare grounds

  • Lions squad mandated 10 weeks off after summer tour

Steve Borthwick has been urged to consider resting British & Irish Lions players during England’s autumn internationals campaign on welfare grounds by Prem Rugby head coaches.

Players who appeared on the Lions tour in Australia over the summer were mandated 10 weeks off, ensuring they will miss the first two rounds of the new season and be available for three before England begin their November campaign against the Wallabies.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Ambitious investors want to power London Broncos to Super League

A group of Australian millionaires aim to transform the 22nd best team in the country into one of the elite

By No Helmets Required

If you heard that a group of Australian millionaires had attended the London Broncos v Bradford Bulls game at Plough Lane on Saturday with a view to buying one of rugby league’s sleeping giants, you might assume they were interested in the visitors, who won the match by 10 points to keep the pressure on York and Toulouse at the top of the Championship table.

But Brisbane Broncos and Australia legend Darren Lockyer, his long-term business partner Grant Wechsel of MWG Mining, and the former Brisbane Broncos CEO Paul White are about to become majority investors in London Broncos. The former South Sydney coach Jason Demetriou has agreed to become their new head coach, they have lined up a string of players from the NRL and aim to be in Super League by 2027, if not 2026.

Continue reading...
Posted on

New Zealand back to winning ways after holding off South Africa in Eden Park battle

  • All Blacks bounce back from shock defeat to Argentina with 24-17 win

  • New Zealand’s unbeaten run in Auckland extends to 51 matches

New Zealand stayed firm at their Eden Park fortress to claim an attritional 24-17 win over South Africa in a heavyweight clash between the world’s top two rugby sides.

Under pressure after conceding a first-ever defeat on Argentine soil against the Pumas two weeks ago, the All Blacks responded with a performance of grit and discipline to stretch their unbeaten run at their Auckland stronghold to 51 matches.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Angus Bell’s last-gasp try gives Wallabies dramatic Rugby Championship win over Argentina

  • Australia edge Pumas 28-24 after thrilling finale to game in Townsville

  • Hosts rewarded for pushing for victory when draw was on table

The Wallabies have turned down three opportunities to kick a match-tying penalty and instead scored an 86th-minute winner in their latest Houdini Test act.

Australia beat Argentina 28-24 in Townsville on Saturday afternoon, with Angus Bell’s barging try coming after the Wallabies trailed by three points with 90 seconds to go.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Roy Francis: the black rugby league coach who triumphed in a white world

The Welshman was a brilliant, original coach who had to fight against a culture that was prejudiced against him

By No Helmets Required

Hull FC began one of the greatest seasons in their history 70 years ago this week. Roy Francis guided them to their first title in 20 years with a desperately tight 10-9 win over Halifax at Maine Road. Not only was Francis an outstanding coach but he was black and this was the 1950s. In his majestic new book Rugby’s Forgotten Black Leader, Tony Collins calls Francis “quite probably the only black person to be a leader of white people in any walk of life in Britain”. He really was extraordinary.

No one had written in great depth about Francis and then two books came along almost at once. Peter Lush’s Ahead of his Time focuses on his tremendous playing and coaching career, whereas Collins widens the lens to take in Francis’s remarkable life.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Captain Harry Wilson returns as Wallabies make tweaks for crucial Argentina Test

  • Flyhalf Tom Lynagh also returns; Nic White keeps place

  • James O’Connor to come off bench in Townsville on Saturday

Nic White’s retirement tour will continue in Townsville when the halfback partners returning Wallabies flyhalf Tom Lynagh and captain Harry Wilson against Argentina.

Andrew Kellaway has won the battle to fill the injured Tom Wright’s boots at fullback at Queensland Country Bank Stadium on Saturday in the other change to the side that lost narrowly in Cape Town a fortnight ago.

Continue reading...
Posted on

The Breakdown | Women’s World Cup creates legacy in rugby league’s backyard

A festival atmosphere in Sunderland, Salford and York may succeed in inspiring the next generation of England stars

The streets of Eccles have given little away on the face of it over the past two Saturdays. Local residents are going about their business, the nearby canal path is full of walkers and runners, and there is a slumberous Saturday morning feel: until you turn into the Salford Community Stadium.

The Women’s Rugby World Cup has made a strong start with decent crowds and good viewing figures. But there was a concerted effort to go beyond familiar territory in this tournament and lay down some roots in the north of England, too. The early signs suggest that may well have been achieved.

Continue reading...
Posted on

A bigger Super League is not the only change coming rugby league’s way | Gavin Willacy

The Challenge Cup, Magic Weekend, international calendar and women’s game will look different next year

By No Helmets Required

Super League is going to look different next season. The big news is that the division is likely to expand to 14 teams, but that’s not the only change coming for fans. A review into the sport led by Nigel Wood has suggested various new ideas, with Magic Weekend, the Challenge Cup, international fixtures, the Championship, women’s and wheelchair games all affected. Now that the report has been digested, we have a fuller picture of how the sport will shape up in 2026.

Continue reading...