Rugby

12:12 PM GMT Maro Itoje has been moved to blindside flank as England coach Eddie Jones made a number of changes to his side to face Italy in the Six Nations Championship at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Sunday. England lost their competition opener 20-17 in Scotland last weekend, but will be expected to

11:34 AM GMT Ireland will be without captain Johnny Sexton when they face France in Paris on Saturday after the fly-half sustained an hamstring strain in training on Wednesday. Coach Andy Farrell named his team to take on France on Thursday after his side’s opening win against Wales. Joey Carbery will start at fly-half and

1:06 PM GMT Wales captain Dan Biggar will make his 100th test appearance when they face Scotland in the Six Nations clash at Cardiff on Saturday, while centre Jonathan Davies is also in line to get his 100th cap from the bench. Coach Wayne Pivac named his team to take on Scotland on Thursday, which

12:00 AM GMT Wallabies coach Dave Rennie is not a fan of uncontested scrums in professional rugby – and he’s not the only one. With the coronavirus already causing havoc before a ball has even been kicked in competition proper, that very prospect of uncontested scrums during the inaugural Super Rugby Pacific has been floated.

10:06 AM GMT South Africa will host Wales for the first time since 2014 when the teams clash in three Tests, before two home fixtures against New Zealand in the Rugby Championship pending COVID-19 travel restrictions. South Africa Rugby released the 2022 schedule of home matches on Tuesday, which includes Tests against Wales in Pretoria,

5:13 PM GMT France began their bid for a first Six Nations title since 2010 with a 37-10 bonus-point win over Italy at a rain-soaked Stade de France on Sunday, as winger Gabin Villiere ran in a hat-trick. Italy, looking for a first Championship win since 2015 and their first ever victory in Paris, took

6:52 PM GMT Finn Russell slotted a penalty eight minutes from time to earn Scotland a narrow 20-17 win over England on Saturday as they took advantage of a penalty try and a yellow card for the visitors to edge a nerve-shredding Six Nations clash. Scotland, 10-6 up at halftime, were 10-17 down when they

4:24 PM GMT Ireland eased past reigning champions Wales 29-7 in the opening game of the Six Nations championship in Dublin on Saturday, picking up where they left off in November with a comfortable victory. Ireland looked every inch one of the tournament favourites when they roared out of the blocks but only had a

10:51 AM GMT France have made two changes to the side that defeated New Zealand last November as they prepare to open their 2022 Six Nations campaign against Italy in Paris on Sunday without coach Fabien Galthie. Loose forward Dylan Cretin and hooker Julien Marchand have been brought into the starting XV, while there is

11:48 AM GMT Tom Curry has been named as England captain for their opening Six Nations match against Scotland at Murrayfield on Saturday. Curry takes over from the injured Courtney Lawes, while Joe Marchant has returned to the side on the left wing after completing COVID-19 isolation protocols. 2 Related Curry, 23, is the youngest

12:29 PM GMT Injury-hit defending champions Wales have handed wing Josh Adams his first international start at outside centre, while Ireland’s Mack Hansen will make his international debut in the Six Nations opener in Dublin on Saturday. Wales are missing a total of 680 caps through injury and look particularly thin among the centres, prompting

7:48 AM GMT England have added wingers Louis Lynagh and Adam Radwan to the squad as cover for their opening match against Scotland in the Six Nations championship, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) announced on Sunday. England, who finished fifth in last year’s edition, are due to travel to Edinburgh to face Scotland on Feb.

5:11 PM GMT Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall will take “a short break due to medical reasons,” the Premiership Rugby side said on Friday. McCall, who took on the role during the 2010-11 season, has led Saracens to five Premiership titles and three European Champions Cups during his tenure. “People will always come first

5:09 PM GMT English Premiership club Exeter Chiefs will drop their Native American-themed branding in the summer after criticism from fans, the club announced on Thursday. The club said its new branding would feature the Celtic Iron Age Dumnonii Tribe which once inhabited Devon and Cornwall. “Times are changing and so are we — now

9:46 PM GMT Flying winger Louis Lynagh, son of Wallabies great Michael Lynagh, has now been approached by Italy about the prospect of playing Test rugby for the Azzurri. But Italy’s head coach Kieran Crowley accepts that he may not win the battle for the services of the brilliant 21-year-old, with Lynagh also able to

Jan 25, 2022 Trailblazing referee Amy Perrett has announced she is hanging up the whistle and stepping away from the professional game following a career that has spanned more than 10 years. The first-ever female Super Rugby match official, Perrett has been leading the way for female referees in Australia and ends her career on

5:58 PM GMT Wales captain Dan Biggar has said the upcoming Six Nations campaign feels like his first as he prepares to lead a squad missing 680 caps to injury, including regular skipper Alun Wyn Jones. Biggar will make his bow as captain in Wales’ opener against Ireland in Dublin on Feb. 5 as they

10:00 AM GMT England captain Owen Farrell has been ruled out of the entire Six Nations championship after suffering a second serious ankle injury in the latest blow to head coach Eddie Jones’s preparations for the competition that begins next week. Farrell had surgery in November on an ankle he injured playing against Australia then