Rugby

1:17 PM GMT Ireland captain Johnny Sexton has been named on the bench for their Six Nation’s clash against Italy at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday, while fullback Michael Lowry is set to earn his first international cap. Coach Andy Farrell has made six changes from the side’s 30-24 defeat against tournament favourites France on

8:21 AM GMT Former New Zealand winger Joeli Vidiri, who also represented Fiji, has died aged 48, the All Blacks announced on Friday. Vidiri’s death comes a day after fellow New Zealand winger Va’aiga Tuigamala died at the age of 52. “An incredibly sad day continues,” the All Blacks tweeted. “Another one of our brothers

12:04 PM GMT Courtney Lawes and Manu Tuilagi return to the England team to face Wales in the Six Nations at Twickenham on Saturday, while Harry Randall gets another chance to impress at scrum-half in the squad named by coach Eddie Jones on Thursday. Lawes missed the opening two games with concussion but comes back

8:17 AM GMT England centre Manu Tuilagi has been ruled out of Saturday’s Six Nations clash at home to Wales after picking up a hamstring injury in training, the RFU said on Thursday. Tuilagi had been included in coach Eddie Jones’s line-up for the match, with the 30-year-old returning after the latest of his long

12:12 PM GMT Jonathan Danty returns from injury to take his place in the French backline in the only change announced by coach Fabien Galtier to take on Scotland in the Six Nations at Murrayfield on Saturday. Danty missed France’s home win over Ireland a fortnight ago, which marked a second victory for them in

12:31 PM GMT Former New Zealand winger Va’aiga Tuigamala, who also represented Samoa in rugby league, has died at the age of 52, his former club Wigan Warriors announced on Thursday. Nicknamed “Inga the Winger,” Tuigamala made his All Blacks debut in 1989 and was capped 19 times by the national team, before switching to

8:00 PM GMT Liam Napier The challenge facing Roger Tuivasa-Sheck is not insignificant. For all the hype surrounding his Super Rugby Pacific debut this week, it may be best to temper initial expectations. From one of the world’s premier league players to starting again as a 28-year-old rookie, Tuivasa-Sheck’s immediate transition will not be easy.

6:49 PM GMT Ireland have received a boost ahead of Sunday’s Six Nations match at home to Italy with captain Johnny Sexton set to return after recovering from a hamstring injury. Sexton missed Ireland’s 30-24 defeat in France on Feb. 12 after picking up the injury in training during the build-up to the game. The

11:30 AM GMT Former England lock George Kruis will retire from rugby at the end of the season to focus on business commitments, the 32-year-old announced on Tuesday. Kruis played 45 times for England and was part of their squads for the 2015 and 2019 Rugby World Cups, as well as two Six Nations triumphs,

2:25 PM GMT Scotland coach Gregor Townsend has added six players to his Six Nations squad ahead of Saturday’s match at home to France after some players were forced to withdraw due to injuries, it was announced on Monday. James Lang, Ollie Smith, Oli Kebble, Simon Berghan, Kiran McDonald and Marshall Sykes have joined the

9:25 PM GMT It’s official: Kurtley Beale is returning home to Sydney and will be available for the Wallabies’ blockbuster three-Test series with England in June-July. Rugby Australia confirmed the code’s worst-kept secret on Sunday night that Beale would finish up with Racing 92 at the end of the French Top 14 season and rejoin

12:51 PM GMT There are no plans to change the participants of Rugby’s Six Nations, the organising body said in a statement on Friday, amid media reports that South Africa are set to replace Italy in the tournament. British newspaper the Daily Mail reported this week that South Africa were keen to re-align with northern

2:51 AM GMT So South Africa want to join the Six Nations. The concept is hardly a new idea, having done the rounds in media circles for the best part of a decade, but a Daily Mail report this week suggested a move north for the Springboks was a fait accompli. And didn’t social media

12:45 PM GMT A consortium of investors including a South African World Cup-winning captain, Francois Pienaar, has completed a £32 million ($43.47m) takeover of Saracens, the English Premiership club announced. Saracens, five-time Premiership champions, were relegated at the end of the 2019-20 season as punishment for multiple salary cap breaches. But they won promotion back

8:09 PM GMT Veteran centre Manu Tuilagi has been included in a 25-player England squad for a five-day training camp in London announced by head coach Eddie Jones on Tuesday, ahead of their Six Nations game against Wales. Jones had said on Monday he was optimistic of welcoming back Tuilagi for the upcoming tie at

5:15 PM GMT England got their Six Nations campaign back on track with a 33-0 bonus-point win in Italy on Sunday, as Jamie George scored two tries and Ben Youngs equalled his country’s test cap record. An opening loss to Scotland was a bad start for Eddie Jones’s World Cup runners-up, but they made short

4:25 PM GMT Dan Biggar’s late drop goal proved the difference as Wales edged Scotland 20-17 in their Six Nations clash at the Principality Stadium on Saturday to register their first win of this year’s competition. Captain Biggar marked his 100th test cap with four penalties and the 70th minute drop goal in a contest

6:53 PM GMT France underlined their status as Six Nations favourites but had to hold on for a 30-24 win over Ireland at the Stade de France on Saturday having scored their first try after 70 seconds. It was a second home win in a row for France, who beat Italy last Sunday, and are