- Club Rugby RSS Feed

Worcester announce signing of Harlequins hooker Chris Brooker

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:37:52 +0100

Worcester have announced the signing of former England Saxons hooker Chris Brooker from Harlequins.

Dylan Hartley: Northampton have spent the season proving all our critics wrong

Wed, 22 May 2013 23:00:00 +0100

It is difficult to imagine Northampton suffering from a persecution complex – who in their right mind would pick on such hardened street fighters as Dylan Hartley, Courtney Lawes, Tom Wood and the fearsome Samu Manoa? – but they are certainly sick to the back teeth of being written off.

Graham Henry could face disciplinary action over referee comments

Wed, 22 May 2013 13:08:54 +0100

World Cup-winning coach Sir Graham Henry faces potential disciplinary action after making a blistering attack on the standard of refereeing in Super rugby.

Danny Cipriani takes new outlook on life following controversial year

Wed, 22 May 2013 09:57:13 +0100

Sale Sharks fly-half Danny Cipriani feels he must take responsibility and grow up to fulfil his potential after he incurred a difficult year that end with him lying in hospital after being hit by a bus.

Leicester show no sentiment by axing Geordan Murphy

Tue, 21 May 2013 22:41:49 +0100

The nearest Leicester come to sentimentality is allowing an old-stager to leave a Tuesday training session with each of his four limbs in full working order, so there was never much chance of the rugby director, Richard Cockerill, wiping a tear from his eye as he consigned Geordan Murphy to the past tense ahead of Saturday's Premiership final with Northampton.

Injury forces Glasgow Warriors centre Graeme Morrison to retire

Mon, 20 May 2013 21:33:12 +0100

Glasgow Warriors centre Graeme Morrison has announced his immediate retirement from professional rugby on medical grounds, the club has confirmed.

Jonny Wilkinson keeps a door open to late call-up to the British and Irish Lions

Mon, 20 May 2013 01:09:10 +0100

Warren Gatland, the Lions head coach, has never made it clear what role he had in mind for Jonny Wilkinson when he rang to check the fly-half's availability for this summer's tour just before the squad was announced last month.

Heineken Cup final: Jonny Wilkinson alive and still kicking for Toulon

Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 +0100

It came close to topping the drama of Sydney 10 years ago, and the margins were just as thin as Jonny Wilkinson held up his end of the bargain by winning a first Heineken Cup for both himself and Toulon.

Tom Youngs to stake claim for Lions start in showdown

Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Once upon a Lions tour two hookers, Barry Williams and Mark Regan, famously came to blows on the training field. No one died; frankly, it was a relief to every onlooker to know the two men were living up to one of the game's most combustible positions.

Heineken Cup final: Jonny Wilkinson entering a golden era

Sat, 18 May 2013 00:00:24 +0100

David Beckham never hit a nail more squarely on the head than when he and Jonny Wilkinson got together for a sportswear firm’s viral video in 2003. “How long do you practise every day?” Beckham asked the already well-fêted fly-half. “I can’t leave until I’m happy,” Wilkinson replied.

Amlin Challenge Cup final report: Leinster show off their winning habit against Stade Français

Sat, 18 May 2013 00:00:19 +0100

The Amlin Challenge Cup might not be the trophy that everyone wants to win but a year on from their Heineken Cup triumph, Leinster showed they still have a voracious appetite for silverware after comfortably seeing off Stade Français.

Heineken Cup Final: Rights battle threatens to speed up European demise

Sat, 18 May 2013 00:00:06 +0100

This evening Dublin will go Gallic for the final of the Heineken Cup. A French flavour is guaranteed for next year’s final too and it offers an appropriate full stop that the country will host what may prove the competition’s grand finale 18 years after Toulouse lifted the first trophy.

Clermont Auvergne v Toulon: Heineken Cup final preview

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:13:52 +0100

In a match-up worthy of the accolade ‘clash of the titans’, French giants Clermont Auvergne and Toulon will meet in the Heineken Cup final at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, with the Northern Hemisphere’s premier trophy on the line.

Stade Francais v Leinster: Amlin Challenge Cup final preview

Fri, 17 May 2013 15:11:41 +0100

After signing a one-year contract extension with Leinster and the Irish Rugby Football Union, Brian O’Driscoll was ruled out of the Amlin Challenge Cup final against Stade Francais with a back spasm that he picked up in the reigning Heineken Cup champions clash with Glasgow last week.

Brian O'Driscoll out of Amlin Cup final but signs up for one more year with Leinster

Thu, 16 May 2013 22:29:59 +0100

Brian O'Driscoll will miss tomorrow night's Amlin Cup final having failed to recover from a back injury but Ireland's talismanic centre is far from finished. O'Driscoll signed a new one-year deal to play on for Leinster and his country after this summer's fourth tour with the British and Irish Lions.

Brian O'Driscoll to miss Amlin Cup final - but delays retirement after agreeing new one-year deal with Leinster and Ireland

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:27:34 +0100

Brian O’Driscoll will miss the Amlin Cup final having failed to recover from a back injury but Ireland’s talismanic centre is far from finished. O’Driscoll has signed a new one-year deal to play on for Leinster and his country after this summer’s fourth tour with the British and Irish Lions.

Former England international Tom Voyce announces retirement

Thu, 16 May 2013 10:26:21 +0100

Former England wing Tom Voyce has announced his retirement from rugby.

Scotland international Joe Ansbro announces retirement following neck break

Wed, 15 May 2013 10:22:10 +0100

Scotland international Joe Ansbro has announced his retirement from rugby.

Saracens 13 Northampton 27: Saints shake off 'chokers' tag to shock Saracens at their fortress

Mon, 13 May 2013 01:00:41 +0100

Saracens have had the broadest backbone in domestic rugby for the best part of five years now, but there was only one team with a spine in the northern reaches of the capital yesterday. Northampton, so close so often to a showpiece appearance at Twickenham that the term “chronic under-achievers” had been superseded by the more hurtful one of “chokers”, finally showed the best of themselves when it really mattered and in so doing, they sent out the strongest signal that the English game’s pecking order might be about to change.

Leicester 33 Harlequins 16: Toby Flood reveals Leicester’s growing confidence

Mon, 13 May 2013 00:42:46 +0100

Leicester’s supporters took to their message boards to praise the sportsmanship of Harlequins’ injured captain Chris Robshaw as he watched this savage Premiership semi-final beating that deposed the reigning champions.

Leicester Tigers 33 Harlequins 16 match report: Goneva try lights up merciless Tigers

Sun, 12 May 2013 00:01:01 +0100

Harlequins did not just lose their Premiership title in this switchback semi-final; they had it ripped from their possession expertly and mercilessly by Leicester Tigers who in reaching their ninth successive play-off final have surely never hit the home straight in finer fettle than they are now.

'Silver spoon' Saracens take relaxed approach to Premiership play-offs

Sun, 12 May 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Saracens are the only top-flight club in Britain and Ireland to be unbeaten at home this season, but if they fail to extend that record in the Premiership play-offs against Northampton today it will leave England's biggest spenders without a trophy for the second year running. Does the thought of missing out perturb Owen Farrell, the 2011 champions' young England fly-half and forthcoming British Lion?

Aviva Premiership weekend preview: Chris Robshaw suffers again as injury rules him out of semi-final

Sat, 11 May 2013 00:00:19 +0100

It has not been the best of weeks for the England captain Chris Robshaw – or the best of months, or the best of springs. If the futility of his own heroic lone stand against the rampant Welsh on Grand Slam day in Cardiff did not alert him to the possibility of a sharp downturn in fortunes, a couple of wounding defeats with Harlequins must have set the alarm bells ringing. Then came the savage body blow of British and Irish Lions rejection, followed by omission from the red rose tour of Argentina and, yesterday, confirmation that he would miss his club’s biggest domestic game of the season.

Chris Hewett’s Aviva Premiership team of the season

Sat, 11 May 2013 00:00:13 +0100

Click HERE or 'VIEW GALLERY' to launch our guide...

Premiership semi-finals: Leicester Tigers v Harlequins match preview

Fri, 10 May 2013 12:48:07 +0100

Leicester Tigers will welcome reigning champions Harlequins in the first of this weekend’s Aviva Premiership semi-finals which will determine who will feature at Twickenham in the May 25 final.

Premiership semi-finals: Saracens v Northampton Saints match preview

Fri, 10 May 2013 12:43:48 +0100

Saracens will take on Northampton Saints at Allianz Park in the second of this weekend’s Aviva Premiership semi-finals with both sides harbouring hopes of running out in the final at Twickenham on May 25.

The Aviva Premiership Team of the Year

Fri, 10 May 2013 12:15:05 +0100

Leicester's Tom Youngs picked up the Player of the Season Award at last night's Aviva Premiership Awards and the club also heavily dominated the Team of the Year with eight players.

Leicester hooker Tom Youngs wins Aviva Premiership Player of the Year

Fri, 10 May 2013 10:18:38 +0100

Tom Youngs' remarkable season reached a new high last night when the Leicester hooker was named Aviva Premiership Player of the Year.

Leinster choose Matt O'Connor to replace coach Joe Schmidt

Tue, 07 May 2013 01:00:36 +0100

Life may soon be just a little quieter at Leicester – not because Richard Cockerill, the Premiership semi-finalists' unusually resonant boss, is due a bout of laryngitis, but because his principal colleague in the Welford Road fortissimo fraternity, Matt O'Connor, is heading across the Irish Sea. O'Connor has landed the plum coaching job at Leinster, the reigning European champions, and while the Australian leaves with Cockerill's blessing, he will be sorely missed in the East Midlands. A couple of insider names are already doing the rounds locally as Cockerill searches for a replacement, most notably that of Geordan Murphy, the long-serving Leicester full-back who is expected to call it a day at the end of the season.

Wallabies can wait – it's all Tigers now for Youngs

Mon, 06 May 2013 00:40:18 +0100

Talk of summer tours is unwelcome bunkum to those who see club matters as paramount for the next few weeks, and that includes Leicester's newly-named British and Irish Lions squad member Tom Youngs. "Harlequins will be a fantastic game, we'll up our levels and we owe them from a couple of games where they've got the better of us," the hooker said of this weekend's play-off semi-final at Welford Road. "I want to win something with my club and that's the same for everyone. Whenever the season's done, the Lions will sink in. I've got a lot to concentrate on here and a lot to still improve on."

Mallinder fancies his chances of taking on Quins one final time

Mon, 06 May 2013 00:40:18 +0100

Jim Mallinder reflected for a moment on the possibility of meeting Harlequins one more time this season, in the Aviva Premiership final at Twickenham on May 25. For that to happen, both the away teams in next weekend's play-offs have to win but Mallinder, Northampton's director of rugby, quite likes the notion.

Dextrous Vunipola may transform the way others play the forward role

Mon, 06 May 2013 00:40:18 +0100

Mark McCall is quite possibly the last person on earth to look at his chosen sport through the prism of celebrity – raised in the workaholics' paradise of Ulster rugby, he is deeply suspicious of the cult of the individual – so it was no great surprise when he responded to yet another question about Owen Farrell with a rolling of the eyes and a raising of the brows. Yet the Saracens coach knows better than anyone that he has a star on his hands. And no, we're not talking about the England outside-half.

Harlequins 22 Northampton Saints 19 match report: Luke Wallace handiwork too slick for Saints

Sun, 05 May 2013 00:00:00 +0100

April was a wicked month for Harlequins – dismissal from Europe and not a Lion in sight – but the Aviva Premiership champions are where they want to be. Well, not precisely where they want to be: they are in the play-offs and able to defend their title, but they must start to do so away to Leicester at Welford Road next Saturday.

Aviva Premiership round-up: Exeter win seals place in top six

Sun, 05 May 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Gareth Steenson struck a penalty in the 79th minute to clinch a remarkable 40-39 victory for Exeter against Gloucester in front of a full house at Sandy Park.

Leicester Tigers 32 London Irish 20 match report: Tigers look ahead to Quins

Sun, 05 May 2013 00:00:00 +0100

The form line pointing towards a ninth successive Premiership final appearance for Leicester Tigers later this month has just one obvious blip in it: their semi-final opponents at Welford Road next Saturday afternoon, Harlequins, have been winners here in the league both last season and this, not to mention the Twickenham trophy decider also won by Quins in between. "If we'd been drawn against Northampton we might have been complacent, given our good record against them," Richard Cockerill, the Leicester director of rugby, said. "It's Quins and we'll have to be dead, dead right."

Weekend preview: Sarries' spirit faces test after Heineken exit

Sat, 04 May 2013 00:00:55 +0100

Saracens (1st) v Bath (7th)

Aviva Premiership weekend preview: Saracens and Leicester Tigers battle for top spot

Fri, 03 May 2013 16:08:36 +0100

Eight months of hard work, commitment and passion sees the Aviva Premiership reach its final round on Saturday, as all 12 teams kick-off their final regular season game in unison. For some there is still much to be decided, and for others, attentions may have already turned to where they will be spending their summer – Australia or otherwise.

London Welsh ready for 'emotional day' as they bow out of the Aviva Premiership

Fri, 03 May 2013 10:21:51 +0100

London Welsh will bow out of the Aviva Premiership tomorrow, with fly-half Gordon Ross acknowledging: “It will be an emotional day.”

Worcester's Shaun Perry forced to quit by injury

Wed, 01 May 2013 22:55:45 +0100

Worcester's former England scrum-half Shaun Perry has been forced to retire because of a persistent knee injury.

Sale Sharks confirm exit of Richie Gray

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 10:19:27 +0100

Sale Sharks today confirmed their Scotland international lock Richie Gray is to join French club Castres.

Saracens 12 Toulon 24 match report: Sarries find no answer to wizardly Wilkinson

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 00:00:44 +0100

Same as it ever was. Jonny Wilkinson's approach to the outside-half's art may not be as captivating as Barry John's or as complete as Daniel Carter's – he is, in some senses, a small piece of a No 10 unnaturally developed – but the parts of his game that work best are on the supreme side of brilliant. The most celebrated player of his generation guided Toulon to their first Heineken Cup final yesterday with a 24-point haul, three of which came from a drop goal that may just have been better than the one he landed on World Cup-winning night a decade ago.

McCall cries foul but his team pay penalty for gifting chances

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 23:36:24 +0100

The only realistic way of winning a major knock-out tie against opponents armed with the finest marksman in the history of the union game is to keep a very strict limit on penalty offences. Saracens tried to do it the other way yesterday – whistled 14 times by the Irish referee Alain Rolland, they presented Jonny Wilkinson with seven shots at goal in the process – and sure enough, they paid through the nose for their folly. For the sixth successive season, there will be no English name on the Heineken Cup.

Saracens find no answer to wizardly Jonny Wilkinson

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 23:36:24 +0100

Leinster to face stade francais in Amlin final

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 23:33:32 +0100

Leinster head coach Joe Schmidt felt his side delivered one of their best displays of the year as they booked their place in the Amlin Challenge Cup final with a 44-16 romp over defending champions Biarritz.

Patched-up Paul O'Connell's nervy wait for Lions Tour call

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 23:33:32 +0100

There was no need to ask the conspicuous man in a red jacket and black flat cap whether Paul O'Connell remains a worthy choice to tour with the Lions this summer, or even to captain them for a second time. Michael O'Connell, father of the Munster and 2009 Lions skipper, stood and roared his encouragement in the Stade de la Mosson grandstand as the Irish province were elbowed out of the Heineken Cup semi-finals by Clermont Auvergne.

Clermont Auvergne 16 Munster 10 match report: Paul O'Connell's grit drives brave Munster close

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 00:00:21 +0100

Not quite a miracle match to add to Munster folklore but what heart they showed in all but reining Europe's heirs apparent, Clermont Auvergne, in an intoxicatingly colourful semi-final in Montpellier.

Beware Toulon 'family', Jonny Wilkinson warns Saracens

Sun, 28 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Jonny Wilkinson has warned Saracens they will face the Toulon "family" in today's Heineken Cup semi-final at Twickenham.

Steve Borthwick interview: Happily going about his business

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 00:00:21 +0100

Back in the days when British satire was significantly spikier than it is now, the mischievous souls behind the television show Spitting Image ridiculed the deadly serious snooker player Steve Davis by awarding him a new middle name: “interesting”. Think of the fun they might have had with Steve Borthwick, whose reputation – obsessive, puritanical, sepulchral – weighed heavily on him during his long tour of duty in the England pack. The puppet version of rugby’s Eeyore would inevitably have come with a mournful expression and a mouthful of thistles.

Jonny Wilkinson on Heineken Cup clash: 'I'll try not to look at this as my final visit to Twickenham...'

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 00:00:11 +0100

It is a path he could probably tread blindfolded – he is, after all, pretty much rugby’s Mr Perfect. Off the team coach, into the stadium and down beneath the expectant fans in the grandstands to the changing rooms. It is here, though, that Jonny Wilkinson’s blindfold will have to come off as instead of pushing open the door to the home dressing room he will be across the other side of the corridor.

Heineken Cup preview: Semi-final is so much more than Owen Farrell versus Jonny Wilkinson

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Saracens v Toulon (Sunday 3pm)

Heineken Cup: Clermont Auvergne v Munster match preview

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 20:18:06 +0100

A look at this weekend's Heineken Cup semi-final fixture at Stade de la Mosson.

Heineken Cup: Saracens v Toulon match preview

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 20:16:20 +0100

Twickenham will play host to one of the most eagerly anticipated match-ups in recent European history on Sunday when Aviva Premiership leaders Saracens take on the money-rich Toulon in the Heineken Cup semi-finals.

London Welsh boss Lyn Jones among candidates for Aviva Premiership rugby director of the season

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 10:13:41 +0100

London Welsh boss Lyn Jones is among the candidates for Aviva Premiership rugby director of the season.

Saracens vow not to be intimidated by Toulon ahead of Heineken Cup semi-final

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 10:27:36 +0100

Director of rugby Mark McCall insists Saracens should not be intimidated by Toulon's vast array of proven internationals when the sides meet at Twickenham in Sunday's Heineken Cup semi-final.

Wasps wing Christian Wade moves into Lions contention after nomination for Aviva Premiership player of the season award

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 10:26:18 +0100

Prolific try-scorer Christian Wade has been recognised for an outstanding campaign with Wasps by being nominated for this season's Aviva Premiership player of the season award.

Empty seats expected for Jonny Wilkinson's return to HQ

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 23:04:17 +0100

Saracens, favourites for the Premiership title and the last English team standing in Europe, are slowly familiarising themselves with the novelty of playing to packed crowds at their new Allianz Park home in Hendon, but when they travel across town to Twickenham this weekend for their most important match of the season the paying public will seem few and far between. Around 20,000 tickets have been sold for the Heineken Cup semi-final with the stellar French side Toulon and unless there is an audience "walk-up" on an unprecedented scale, the contest will unfold in front of 60,000 empty seats.

Jonny Wilkinson is Owen Farrell's final Lions hurdle

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 22:50:22 +0100

Much as he would love one last shot at winning the jackpot with the British and Irish Lions, Jonny Wilkinson has spent the last few weeks playing down his chances of staging an international comeback in Australia this summer, effectively admitting that a full-on ruck with the Wallabies is a young man's game. If one of those young men, Owen Farrell, passes the Wilkinson test this weekend, he can expect to be named in the tour party when it is announced in seven days' time.

Gavin Henson is keen on Bath switch

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 22:50:22 +0100

Bath have confirmed they are in talks with Wales international Gavin Henson over a possible move to the Rec.

Round-up: Lions captaincy would be just mind-blowing, says Sam Warburton

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 23:49:38 +0100

Sam Warburton insists he would accept the invitation to lead the British & Irish Lions in Australia in an instant after bookmakers suspended betting on him receiving the captain's armband, when the Lions squad is announced on 30 April.

Exeter chase second taste of Heineken after ending Wasps' hopes

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 23:49:18 +0100

Unlike a certain well-known wood preservation product, Exeter's current brand of rugby is precisely the opposite of what it says on the tin. They prefer playing on a fast track rather than in a swamp, would far rather keep the ball in hand than kick the leather off it, and if this new-fangled way of playing sits uneasily with the age-old traditions of the union game down Devon way, Rob Baxter's men could not give a tinker's. As they demonstrated yesterday, there is more to life than an 80-minute scrummage, interrupted by the occasional maul.

Bath desperate to salvage something at the last after season of disappointment

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 23:48:49 +0100

Mike Catt, England's attacking skills coach, was asked at a supporters' event at the Rec shortly before the kick-off of this entertaining Premiership match what had changed from the days a decade and more ago when he would turn out for Bath against Leicester. "We used to beat 'em," said Catt, pithily. Bath's ensuing win by 27-26 and four tries to two could not have erased the hurt of the last few years the former champions have spent in the doldrums but it was clear from the cheers that most of the locals saw it as a big step in the right direction.

Bath desperate to salvage something at the last after season of disappointment

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 23:39:22 +0100

Exeter chase second taste of Heineken after ending Wasps' hopes

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 23:39:22 +0100

Round-up: Lions captaincy would be just mind-blowing, says Sam Warburton

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 23:39:22 +0100

Gloucester 28 Saracens 23 match report: Gloucester show power and positive thinking to topple Saracens

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 00:00:29 +0100

How infuriating has this season been for Gloucester? Two scalps have been Saracens and Leicester, leaders of the Aviva Premiership, yet they have scrabbled to secure qualification for next season’s Heineken Cup, never mind any domestic honours.

Bath 27 Leicester Tigers 26 match report: Francois Louw’s late try strengthens Bath’s Heineken Cup push

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 00:00:03 +0100

There cannot have been many bigger cheers heard around what many see as an outdated relic of a stadium than the one the Rec unleashed when Francois Louw kicked through a ruck, and Stephen Donald, the misfit All Black flanker who is soon leaving for Japan, bravely carried the ball away from danger with seemingly half of the Leicester Tigers on his back. In the last seconds of both teams’ penultimate regular-season Premiership match, with implications for the top and middle of the table, it secured a win for Bath that was almost lost through the wobbly goal-kicking of Donald and others.

Aviva Premiership round-up: Harlequins handle Warriors with Danny Care

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Harlequins guaranteed themselves a place in the Aviva Premiership play-offs after England scrum-half Danny Care claimed a hat-trick in a 42-26 win away to Worcester Warriors.

Steffon Armitage is standing tall among giants

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Mourad Boudjellal, the owner and ubiquitous cheerleader of Toulon, made his millions selling comics with tales of superheroes and mythical beasts, and he has put together a rugby squad along similar lines.

London Irish 47 London Welsh 28: Battle at the bottom of the table goes to the Irish

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 18:06:13 +0100

Prop Halani Aulika's try-scoring antics continued as his double helped London Irish to a comprehensive victory over London Welsh at the Madejski Stadium.

Weekend preview: Big spenders Bath look to Europe to save their season

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 00:00:52 +0100

Bath (7th) v Leicester (2nd)

Book closed on Sam Warburton to captain Lions

Sat, 20 Apr 2013 00:00:01 +0100

The fierce debate over the British and Irish Lions captaincy in Australia this summer turned full circle when a leading bookmaker suspended betting on Sam Warburton, the Wales flanker, who started the season as red-hot favourite before drifting towards outsider status as injury and poor form undermined his candidacy.

Aviva Premiership weekend preview: Harlequins, Northampton and Gloucester battle for play-off places

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:32:56 +0100

With London Welsh’s relegation now confirmed following their 14-31 defeat against Northampton Saints last week, heads now turn to the top of the table as the Aviva Premiership reaches its penultimate round.

London Irish sign trio of players from Premiership rivals Leicester

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:18:26 +0100

London Irish have announced a trio of new signings from their Aviva Premiership rivals Leicester.

Exiles 'at the crossroads' with Lyn Jones and stars free to leave

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 21:58:45 +0100

London Welsh lost more than their Premiership status when they failed to beat Northampton last weekend: they also lost Kelvin Bryon, their principal benefactor. The forfeits may not end there. The club chairman, Bleddyn Phillips, said he would not hold any front-line player to his contract if a top-flight club showed an interest in his services.

Worcester confirm Dean Ryan as new director of rugby

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 10:19:05 +0100

Worcester have appointed Dean Ryan as their new director of rugby.

Worcester confirm departure of Richard Hill

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 21:36:34 +0100

Richard Hill, one of the most widely travelled Premiership coaches as well as one of the best, has presided over his last game at Worcester. Last weekend's heavy defeat at Saracens, the Midlanders' eighth in nine league outings since Christmas, left the former England scrum-half in a weak position at Sixways and club officials confirmed Hill's departure.

Jonny Wilkinson delays retirement after signing new contract with Toulon

Tue, 16 Apr 2013 12:56:00 +0100

Former England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson has signed a new one-year contract with French club Toulon, it was announced today.

Lyn Jones vows Exiles will return but relegation cuts deep

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 00:28:56 +0100

They deserved better – infinitely better, as anyone with a beating rugby heart would happily agree – but when London Welsh yielded their Premiership status against Northampton in Oxford yesterday, it was as much in the spirit of black comedy as of grand defiance. Directors quitting the board, hot rumours over the position of the chief executive, the last-minute withdrawal of the wonderfully resilient captain Jonathan Mills, another raft of injuries… all things considered, Napoleon's retreat from Moscow was easier than this retreat from the top flight.

Leicester bounce back from Toulon disappointment to surge into semi-finals again

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 00:28:56 +0100

A long weekend in Southern France is not Richard Cockerill's idea of preparation. Add some bone crunching encounters with Bakkies Botha and tackling practice with Mathieu Bastareaud and you are getting warmer.

David Strettle steams to hat-trick to earn Sarries home tie

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 00:28:56 +0100

David Strettle sunk Worcester with a 12-minute hat-trick as Saracens secured a home Premiership semi-final in emphatic style here yesterday. Charlie Hodgson added 17 points from three penalties and four conversions as the league leaders ran in six tries to one.

Monye's birthday wish is another Premiership crown for Harlequins

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 22:47:31 +0100

Ugo Monye was in reflective mood after scoring Harlequins' second try in Saturday's ultimately clear-cut 23-9 win over a humdrum Bath, but it was not all to do with the England wing turning 30 the same day. Monye called to mind Quins' victories away to Munster, Stade Français, Biarritz and Toulouse in recent seasons as his way of saying, if the club need to play away in the Premiership play-offs to defend their title, they can cope.

Exeter Chiefs 27 London Irish 6 match report: Chiefs' iron grip squeezes the life out of Exiles

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0100

This may not have been the rugby Exeter Chiefs wanted to play as sullen, rain-filled clouds cloaked the West Country, but it was certainly the result they wanted. A convincing victory, combined with the failure of Bath at the Twickenham Stoop, pushed them up to sixth place in the Aviva Premiership and into the Heineken Cup qualifying place they covet.

Harlequins 23 Bath 9 match report: Birthday boy Ugo Monye settles Quins' nerves

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Perhaps Harlequins' supporters felt they needed to claw back brownie points after some of them were criticised by their own club for flogging tickets to Munster fans before last Sunday's deflating Heineken Cup loss to the Irish province here.

Andy Robinson interview: 'I'm relishing banter from A4 rivalry and can't wait for Recreation Ground return'

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 00:00:12 +0100

The moment Andy Robinson appeared on the Memorial Ground pitch after his appointment as Bristol's director of rugby, a loudmouthed terrace comedian shouted “offside” at the top of his voice. It was a wisecrack that transported Robinson in two directions simultaneously: backwards to his playing days with Bath, when his ability to operate at the very limit of legality made him one of the most effective flankers in the sport; and forwards into an inevitable debate with those locals who see his decision to cross the great West Country divide as a step too far.

Weekend Preview: Quins need a swift response to Munster loss

Sat, 13 Apr 2013 00:00:06 +0100

Harlequins (3rd) v Bath (6th)

Aviva Premiership weekend preview: Make-or-break time

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:05:39 +0100

After last week’s gruelling European fixtures, the Aviva Premiership returns to centre-stage this weekend as we head to the business end of the season. With just three games to go till the play-offs, there are still many things to be decided; who will secure a play-off berth, the final Heineken Cup qualifying position and Premiership survival?

Stade Francais scrum-half Jerome Fillol given 14-week ban for spitting

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 01:00:46 +0100

The Stade Français scrum-half Jérôme Fillol did not attempt to plead innocence when he answered a charge of spitting in the face of his Bath opponent Peter Stringer – live television coverage of the incident complete with multi-angled replays, followed by 100,000 hits on YouTube, meant there was very little point – and no one was surprised that he was given a long break from the sport. Fillol was banned for 14 weeks and will not play again until mid-August.

Jerome Fillol suspended for 14 weeks following spitting incident

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 16:24:30 +0100

Stade Francais scrum-half Jerome Fillol has been suspended for 14 weeks for spitting at Bath scrum-half Peter Stringer during last Saturday's Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final, the tournament organisers have announced.

Saracens maintain plan to hold minute's silence for Margaret Thatcher despite anger among own fans

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 13:57:32 +0100

Despite opposition from their own fans, Saracens have said they will go ahead with a minute's silence in honour of Baroness Thatcher this weekend.

Wasps’ future secured with fresh investment

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 17:48:25 +0100

It has been a chastening few days for England’s top-flight clubs – five defeats in six quarter-final ties spread across two European tournaments, four of them on home territory, left them reflecting long and hard on another difficult cross-border campaign – but a puff of white smoke above a rickety old training base in West London finally gave the Premiership fraternity a reason to celebrate. Wasps, a great club at serious risk of collapse, are financially stable for the first time in years.

Harlequins to investigate ticket sales after Munster supporters 'exceed' allocation

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 17:33:58 +0100

Harlequins have launched an investigation after claiming “many” of their supporters sold tickets on to rival Munster fans for last Sunday's Heineken Cup quarter-final at the Twickenham Stoop.

George North agrees deal to join Northampton

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 17:10:48 +0100

Wales wing George North will join Northampton this summer on a three-year deal.

Spitting Jérôme Fillol to be banned for season maximum suspension

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 01:00:57 +0100

Jérôme Fillol, the Stade Français scrum-half widely condemned for spitting in the face of his Bath counterpart Peter Stringer during last weekend's Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-final at the Recreation Ground, was duly cited for the offence last night and will be dealt with at a disciplinary hearing in Dublin on Thursday.

Chris Ashton making a splash again after confusion with England

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:00:58 +0100

If Chris Ashton was hurt by pundits taking a dim view of his tackling and lack of tries while he was with England in the Six Nations Championship, his return to club action with Saracens has salved the wounds.

Heineken Cup: Paul O’Connell crushes Harlequins’ dream with Gatland reminder

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:00:56 +0100

There was not so much as a single drop of theatrical blood to be seen on European quarter-final day at The Stoop, thanks be to the sporting gods: just bucket-loads of the real stuff, sweating from every Munster pore as they staged another of their great Heineken Cup productions. And no-one sweated more of the red stuff than Paul O’Connell, who, in the space of 80 jaw-dropping minutes, not only booked himself a seat on the British and Irish Lions flight to Australia this summer, but put up his hand to pilot the plane.

Heineken Cup: Toulon's Jonny Wilkinson back at Twickenham after kicking Leicester out

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:00:22 +0100

Jonny Wilkinson, the former England fly-half, out-duelled the current incumbent Toby Flood by seven kicks to five as the two scored every point in a gripping Heineken Cup quarter-final in Toulon.

IRB call for 'spitting' Frenchman to feel force of law

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 23:02:54 +0100

Peter Stringer was “disgusted” at apparently being spat at by his French opposite number Jérôme Fillol as Bath became the last English side to crash out of the Amlin Challenge Cup.

Sitiveti Sivivatu turns on the style to send Clermont Auvergne through

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 00:00:40 +0100

Sitiveti Sivivatu scored a 60-metre try as Clermont Auvergne recovered from a sluggish start to book their place in the Heineken Cup semi-finals with a home thrashing of fellow Top 14 side Montpellier.

Saracens 27 Ulster 16 match report: Chris Ashton finds his old form as Saracens see off Ulster

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0100

The Premiership's middle order of Gloucester, Wasps and Bath may have been blown away in the Challenge Cup in the past few days, but last night at Twickenham it was the start of the turn of the opening bats in the Heineken Cup, and the league leaders, Saracens, smashed Ulster out of the ground.

Bath 20 Stade Francais 36 match report: Bath hit hard by the superior – but unsavoury – Stade

Sun, 07 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0100

Whatever befalls England's representatives in the Heineken Cup, the three English clubs in the Amlin Challenge Cup have endured a woeful weekend. Despite home advantage, Gloucester, London Wasps and, yesterday, Bath have been outclassed.