Rugby

Sam Bruce, Deputy Editor, espn.com.auMay 14, 2024, 03:48 AM Close Sam was brought up on long drives and the dusty fields of north-west New South Wales, where he developed his love of rugby from an early age. He joined ESPN after a five-year stint heading up Fox Sports Australia’s digital rugby coverage. Open Extended Reactions

May 13, 2024, 06:40 AM Open Extended Reactions Incumbent All Blacks captain Sam Cane announced on Monday that he would be returning to Japanese club rugby at the end of the season and retiring from the international game, also revealing he was standing down as New Zealand skipper with immediate effect. The 32-year-old flanker said

Reuters with ESPN staff May 10, 2024, 02:03 AM Open Extended Reactions World Rugby has announced three law changes in a bid to speed up the game and increase entertainment, it said on Thursday, along with a set of trials including 20-minute sanctions for red cards and a shot clock for scrums and lineouts. The

May 9, 2024, 03:35 PM Open Extended Reactions Billy Vunipola playing for Saracens against Bath the weekend of his arrest in Spain. Photo by Bob Bradford – CameraSport via Getty Images England’s RFU has warned Billy Vunipola over his conduct during an incident in Mallorca, Spain, which saw the back-row tasered, arrested by police and fined.

Liam Napier May 9, 2024, 05:12 AM Open Extended Reactions As the business end of Super Rugby Pacific fast approaches competition for places in Scott Robertson’s maiden All Blacks squad intensifies. Robertson is set to name his first 32-man All Blacks squad on June 24 – the day after the Super Rugby final – for

May 2, 2024, 10:41 AM Open Extended Reactions England will host world champions New Zealand on Sept. 14 ahead of this autumn’s WXV 1 tournament, the teams announced on Thursday. The Red Roses will also face France — who England beat in Bordeaux last weekend to secure their sixth consecutive Six Nations title — at

Apr 29, 2024, 12:07 PM Open Extended Reactions Billy Vunipola has denied reports he acted violently ahead of his arrest in Spain. Bob Bradford – CameraSport via Getty Images England back-row Billy Vunipola was arrested in Mallorca, Spain, on Sunday for resisting arrest and has been fined €240 ($257) for the incident. In a statement shared

Apr 29, 2024, 08:14 AM Stuart Hogg retired as Scotland’s record try scorer after last year’s Rugby World Cup. Ross Parker/SNS Group via Getty Images Former Scotland captain Stuart Hogg said spending time at a rehabilitation centre has helped him “reset” after he was arrested and charged following an incident in his hometown of Hawick last

Tom Chambers Apr 28, 2024, 12:57 PM Open Extended Reactions England’s star fullback Ellie Kildunne said on Saturday that she will join up with Team GB’s Sevens setup with the aim of making the team ahead of the Paris Olympics this summer. Kildunne, the Women’s Six Nations’ leading try scorer (nine), lifted the championship trophy

Apr 27, 2024, 06:40 PM Open Extended Reactions England ran in six tries to claim a sixth successive Women’s Six Nations title with a 42-21 victory over hosts France in their championship decider in Bordeaux on Saturday and claim the Grand Slam for the third year in a row. The Red Roses used their forward

Apr 26, 2024, 12:05 PM Open Extended Reactions England fly-half Owen Farrell will play for a World XV team against France on June 22 in Spain, it was announced on Friday. Farrell, who has not played for England since taking a step back from internationals “to prioritise his and his family’s mental well-being” in November,

Tom Chambers Apr 22, 2024, 05:04 PM Open Extended Reactions Finally, 11 months after John Mitchell’s appointment as head coach in May 2023, we are about to learn something about this new-look England team. Only France stand in the way of a sixth consecutive Six Nations title, but tantalisingly, Les Bleues are the only side

Tom Chambers Apr 20, 2024, 06:37 PM Open Extended Reactions LONDON — England head coach John Mitchell dismissed claims that their ongoing dominance in the Six Nations is a problem for women’s rugby, following his side’s 88-10 thrashing of Ireland on Saturday. The victory at Twickenham was England’s 28th in a row in a competition

Tom Chambers Apr 20, 2024, 04:30 PM Open Extended Reactions LONDON — England kept their quest for a sixth consecutive Six Nations title alive in ruthless fashion on Saturday as they scored 14 tries in an 88-10 bonus point win over Ireland in front of 48,778 fans at Twickenham. The victory, which also secured England’s

Open Extended Reactions Welcome to the Friday Five, where we bring you some of the rugby stories you may have missed through the last week. You can find our complete Super Rugby Pacific coverage on the links below, with Round 9 of the competition beginning Friday afternoon [AEST]. SUPER RUGBY PACIFIC ROUND 9 PREVIEW ESPN

Apr 17, 2024, 11:27 AM Open Extended Reactions Wales rugby great Ken Owens announced his retirement from the sport on Wednesday, ending an 18-year professional career. Owens, 37, played 91 times for his country, more than any other hooker in Wales’ history. He featured at three Rugby World Cups and played for the British and

Apr 17, 2024, 10:52 AM Open Extended Reactions Tendai ‘Beast’ Mtawarira, the World Cup-winning former South Africa prop, has backed the USA’s potential as a rugby nation, but said they will need a structural overhaul before they can match emerging superpower Japan. Mtawarira was part of the Springboks side that lost 34-32 to Japan in

Tom Hamilton, Senior WriterApr 16, 2024, 12:36 PM Close • Joined ESPN in 2011• Covered two Olympics, a pair of Rugby World Cups and two British & Irish Lions tours• Previously rugby editor, and became senior writer in 2018 Open Extended Reactions Scotland and Bath Rugby are sweating on the fitness of star fly-half Finn Russell after his