Rugby

5:21 AM GMT AUCKLAND, New Zealand — “Aunty Cindy”, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, has dropped into Black Ferns camp days out from the women’s Rugby World Cup final to treat some of the players to a dinner date and a cheeky social media appearance. Unable to attend the match on Saturday due to

12:34 PM GMT AUCKLAND, New Zealand — After six weeks of exciting, high-octane, entertaining rugby, the Rugby World Cup 2021 Final is finally upon us, with tournament favourites England set to face off against hosts New Zealand in a match that will determine who is the world’s best women’s rugby team. It’s been dubbed the

Nov 10, 2022 Barbarians coaches Ronan O’Gara and Scott Robertson have both expressed their interest in the England job when Eddie Jones leaves his role as boss after the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Jones’ contract with England expires after the tournament in France, where his side will look to go one step further than the

12:15 PM GMT Eddie Jones has made five changes for England’s match against Japan on Saturday, with Leicester’s Guy Porter getting the nod at outside centre while Northampton lock David Ribbans will make his Test debut. England will be looking to bounce back from their one-point defeat to Argentina on Sunday with Jones starting Jack

1:30 AM GMT Fly-half Richie Mo’unga said New Zealand are prepared to face a “tough” Scotland side in Sunday’s Test at Murrayfield, where he could line up against his “favourite” number 10 Finn Russell. Russell had been axed from the Scotland squad by coach Gregor Townsend in the latest instalment of their frosty relationship, but

AUCKLAND, New Zealand — To play without fear and enjoy the moment, that’s all that England captain Sarah Hunter has asked from her team as they head into Saturday night’s World Cup final against the Black Ferns in a rematch of the 2017 decider. With 30 straight wins under their belt, including two record victories

11:59 AM GMT French financial prosecutors (PNF) have been searching the headquarters of the organisers of the 2023 Rugby World Cup as part of a preliminary investigation into the management of the tournament, the PNF said on Wednesday. “In early October 2022, the PNF opened a preliminary investigation into charges of favouritism, influence peddling, corruption

2:42 AM GMT AUCKLAND, New Zealand — England have brushed aside criticism of their allegedly one-dimensional approach, with some players burying themselves in TikTok videos as others stand defiant behind a game plan that has seen them rumble into the Rugby World Cup final against New Zealand on Saturday. Sitting alongside the Black Ferns at

12:01 AM GMT England have appointed Brett Hodgson as defence coach with the Australian set to start his new assignment following the ongoing Autumn Nations Series, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) announced on Tuesday. Hodgson will replace Anthony Seibold, who will join NRL side Manly Warringah Sea Eagles as their head coach. The former Hull

Wales vs. Argentina, Principality Stadium, Cardiff, 5.30pm GMT [4.30am AEDT] Wales: Argentina: Odds: [tab.com.au Aus only] Wales $1.80, -1.5 $1.95; Argentina $1.95, +1.5 $1.80 Preview: France vs. South Africa, Stade Velodrome, Marseille, 9pm [8pm GMT; 7am AEDT] France: South Africa: Willie le Roux, Cheslin Kolbe, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Damian Willemse, Faf

7:26 AM GMT Crowding into a hotel meeting room, the England Red Roses watched as the Black Ferns and France played out a brutal semifinal encounter at Eden Park, just hours after they’d played out their own epic win over Canada to seal their place in the Rugby World Cup grand final. Nursing several bumps

Nov 6, 2022 Rugby league and rugby union often sit at polar ends of the Australian sporting spectrum, despite being similar in so many ways. It is a big-brother, little-brother relationship, of sorts, with the NRL dominating domestically but the 15-player game leaving rugby league for dust internationally. So it is almost unfathomable that a

7:39 AM GMT Has there been a more gripping weekend of international rugby? Between the Rugby World Cup semifinals in New Zealand and the Autumn Nations Series, the action was as evenly-contested as you could have hoped for. Sure there were a couple of blowouts along the way, but from the two semis at Eden

4:13 AM GMT AUCKLAND, New Zealand — For perhaps the first time in Black Ferns history, the side will be entering the 2021 Rugby World Cup final as underdogs as they look to down tournament favourites England and end the side’s current 30-game win streak. With close to 40,000 fans expected to pack into Eden

6:53 PM GMT Eddie Jones said he does not feel there are fundamental problems in the England ranks after their shock 30-29 defeat to Argentina but instead said the loss was down to “individual” and “elemental” mistakes. Jones had labelled England’s four-Test autumn schedule a mini-World Cup, but their campaign got off to a poor

Nov 1, 2022 Winger Emiliano Boffelli scored 25 points as Argentina shocked a misfiring England 30-29 on Sunday to claim their first win at Twickenham since 2006 and end a 10-game losing streak against the team they face in their opening game at the World Cup. Boffelli scored a superb try and kicked six penalties

8:49 PM GMT AUCKLAND, New Zealand — Following two incredible semifinals on Saturday night, tickets for an explosive grand final have been snapped up with New Zealand Rugby looking to release every available seat to ensure a completely packed-out Eden Park next weekend. With over 8,000 tickets sold within minutes of the Black Ferns nail-biting

8:49 PM BST Auckland, NEW ZEALAND — Untested since their second pool match against France, England had had it much their own way throughout the tournament and expected to have it much the same in their semifinal, but their opponents Canada refused to make it easy, forcing them to work until the final minute in