Downsizing the European Champions Cup has been proposed as a way to protect player welfare if the Premiership is ring-fenced with more than 12 teams. Twenty clubs – including up to seven from England – currently take part in Europe’s elite competition but streamlining is among the suggestions made by powerbrokers of the English game…
Wales open talks with Wayne Pivac about succeeding Warren Gatland
The Scarlets coach, Wayne Pivac, has confirmed he has held talks with the Welsh Rugby Union with a view to replacing Warren Gatland as Wales head coach after the 2019 World Cup. Pivac’s stock has risen after he guided the Scarlets to the semi-finals of the Champions Cup – a season after winning the Pro12…
‘I’m absolutely loving it’: Eddie Jones defiant over England’s losing Test run
England may be down and out in the Beverly Hills, the beachfront hotel where the squad have stayed for virtually their entire South Africa tour, but no one eavesdropping on Eddie Jones in the lobby on Monday would have guessed it. According to the England coach he has “never seen such an upbeat group” and…
Joe Marler admits to pain of missing out on England games
Five minutes before full time at Twickenham, it struck Joe Marler like a sledgehammer. Until that point Marler had avoided watching any of England’s nail-biting Six Nations win against Wales but with the side clinging on last Saturday the Harlequins prop, whose second suspension of the season expires next week, cracked. “I got home for…
Premiership Rugby set for revamp with US insurance giant as new title sponsor
Premiership Rugby is set to announce the US insurance giant Arthur J Gallagher & Co as its new title sponsor, succeeding Aviva in a move that could see English club rugby’s regular US fixture played in Chicago. Champions Cup pulled into firing line in Premiership ring-fencing wrangle That game is set to be played on…
Gloucester’s Ruan Ackermann targets European Challenge Cup glory
The European Challenge Cup has, in recent years, been Gloucester’s consolation ticket after Premiership campaigns that have flickered and died but they go into Friday night’s semi-final against Newcastle at Kingsholm for once fighting on two fronts at the tail-end of the season. Gloucester are sixth in the Premiership, three points behind Newcastle, who occupy…
Stuart Lancaster: ‘I would never not want England to do well’
For more than 12 centuries pilgrims have travelled to northern Spain in search of spiritual fulfilment and emotional comfort. Stuart Lancaster has only to alight from Leinster’s team bus at Bilbao’s San Mamés stadium rather than walk the trail to Santiago de Compostela but, after two-and-a-half years, his journey to professional redemption is finally complete….
Eddie Jones expects Maro Itoje to overcome ‘second season’ syndrome
England’s head coach, Eddie Jones, believes Maro Itoje is experiencing “second season” syndrome and is still feeling the after-effects of the British & Irish Lions tour to New Zealand last year. He predicts, however, the Saracens forward will emerge stronger from his current dip and prove a formidable presence at the Rugby World Cup next…
Dylan Hartley’s place on England tour of South Africa in jeopardy
Dylan Hartley’s place on the England tour of South Africa this summer is in question after Northampton admitted the national captain’s latest concussion lay-off is a cause for concern. Hartley has missed Northampton’s past two matches – including the 50-point thrashing by Saracens on Saturday – after showing symptoms of concussion following England’s Six Nations…
Conor O’Shea happy with Italy progress but desperate to beat Wales in Cardiff
Conor O’Shea is one of rugby’s glass half-full characters but even his ebullience in adversity is being tested by Italy’s dire run in the Six Nations. They face Wales in Cardiff on Sunday looking to end a 15-match losing streak in the championship, a sequence that stretches back to before the 2015 World Cup. Seven of…