Geordan Murphy is hoping Manu Tuilagi’s passion for Leicester will keep the England centre at Welford Road next season. The 27-year-old, who made his Leicester debut in 2010, is out of contract in the summer and the club’s interim director of rugby admitted that, if it came down solely to money, the Tigers would lose…
Category: Rugby
Wasps’ Dai Young speaks out as pressure builds on Premiership coaches
At last month’s Premiership launch the Saracens director of rugby, Mark McCall, remarked on the number of new faces among his contemporaries. “You keep worrying that when the 12 of you line up for the photograph, how many of you are still going to be there at the end? I’ve got a funny feeling that…
Danny Cipriani determined to stay focused on keeping England place
Danny Cipriani is hoping a summer surfing trip to Malibu will help him to retain his place in the England side through to the Rugby World Cup in Japan next year, after spending the best part of a decade trying to win it back. Cipriani is the man in possession of the England No 10…
Chris Ashton to play full-back at Sale despite England wanting him as wing
Chris Ashton has revealed he is set to play at full-back for Sale following his move back to the Premiership, less than a week after Eddie Jones handed him an England recall and claimed that being on the wing was his best position. Ashton does not believe swapping between the two positions will be a…
Rugby union’s obsession with bulk over speed and skill must be reversed
Pat Lambie retired from rugby this week at the age of 28, the latest player done too soon after suffering repeated concussions. The South Africa fly-half stood out for his relative lack of weight, little more than 13st, and was a target for bulky ball-carriers. It was a collision with the Ireland No 8 CJ…
Sam Burgess: ‘Egos and selfish players’ behind England’s 2015 World Cup exit
The controversy over Sam Burgess’s selection in England’s World Cup squad is still raging three years on. The former Bath player, who returned to rugby league a few weeks after the host country were knocked out of the tournament at the group stage, sparked a Twitter tirade when he claimed “egos and selfish” teammates caused…
Christian Wade retires from rugby union and Danny Cipriani gets three-week ban
Wasps have released their England wing Christian Wade from his contract so he can attempt to break into American football. Wade, whose solitary cap came in 2013 against Argentina before he was summoned to join the British & Irish Lions in Australia, has scored 82 Premiership tries, a total bettered only by two players. The…
World Rugby’s Agustín Pichot warns international game is facing ‘ruin’
One of rugby’s most senior officials has warned that the entire future of the international game is under threat unless the sport takes urgent action within the next 12 months. Agustín Pichot, World Rugby’s vice-chairman, has called for unions and clubs to hammer out a fresh collective 10-year blueprint before next year’s World Cup in…
Billy Vunipola: ‘A lot of people still have injuries and try to hide it’
Billy Vunipola has a reputation as one of the most disarmingly honest players around, but even by his standards his latest admission is startling. The Saracens and England No 8 has revealed he has played for club or country “easily 10 times” while harbouring serious doubts over his fitness and believes that rugby union is…
CVC’s Premiership bid may have been rejected but it could signal change
The response of one Premiership club official to the takeover bid for the league by the private equity company CVC was succinct: the devil will be in the detail. An immediate cash injection for each side of £17m was the lure but a halving of income from central funds made the longer-term prospect look risky….