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Mallett accuses All Blacks of 'basically cheating' in scrum row with Springboks
Former South Africa coach Nick Mallett has waded into the scrum controversy surrounding Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series, accusing the All Blacks of deliberately collapsing scrums to avoid conceding penalties.
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Injury-hit Black Ferns hand rookie King starting role for historic Johannesburg double-header
New Zealand head coach Whitney Hansen has named her squad for the Black Ferns' double-header against South Africa at FNB Stadium, with 2024 Player of the Year Kaipo Olsen-Baker ruled out by a shoulder injury. Test rookie Elinor-Plum King retains her starting spot after impressing on debut against the Wallaroos.
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Kemara leaves Crusaders to sign with Chiefs and fulfil childhood dream
First five-eighth Taha Kemara has signed a one-year deal with the Chiefs for the 2027 Super Rugby season, departing the Crusaders to return to Hamilton — the city where he grew up dreaming of playing for his home franchise.
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Reilly to captain First Nations & Pasifika XV in inaugural Kaume'a Ofi Trophy clash with Tonga
ACT Brumbies recruit Triston Reilly will lead the First Nations & Pasifika XV against a Tonga President's XV at Teufaiva Stadium, with the match marking the first-ever contest for the Kaume'a Ofi Trophy.
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Record Super Rugby cap holder James Slipper re-signs with Brumbies for 2027 season
James Slipper, the all-time appearance leader in both Super Rugby and Wallabies history, has committed to the ACT Brumbies for the 2027 campaign. The 36-year-old prop continues after a standout 2026 season that included breaking the Super Rugby caps record.
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Wallabies chase first five-Test winning run in five years against Argentina in Mendoza
Australia have won four straight Tests under interim head coach Les Kiss and can match a feat not achieved since 2021 when they face Los Pumas in Mendoza. Winger Max Jorgensen says the squad is focused on the task but has one eye on next year's Rugby World Cup.
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Ultimate Sevens set to launch club-based format in Cardiff in September 2026
Former Great Britain Olympian Tom Mitchell, now Sport and Innovation Director at Ultimate Sevens, says the new club-based tournament launching in Cardiff on 12 September 2026 aims to expand sevens rugby beyond the HSBC SVNS circuit and attract a new generation of fans.
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Van Graan backs Erasmus on team-naming row but insists players must always be told first
Bath head of rugby Johann van Graan has defended Rassie Erasmus's fluid approach to naming his Springboks squad, arguing the method is acceptable as long as players are kept fully informed throughout the process.
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Northampton boss Dowson confident Pollock will stay despite seven-figure valuation
Northampton Saints head coach Phil Dowson says talks to retain 21-year-old England and Lions flanker Henry Pollock are progressing well, even as promoter Eddie Hearn's public push for a seven-figure salary complicates the club's salary-cap planning.
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Itoje reveals Borthwick had to convince him to skip England's summer Tests for his own good
Maro Itoje admits he was initially taken aback when Steve Borthwick suggested he sit out England's Nations Championship fixtures this summer, but the Lions captain says the enforced rest has left him physically and mentally refreshed ahead of the new season.
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Catha Jacobs credits sevens stint as Springbok Women face Black Ferns on home soil
Utility forward Catha Jacobs says a spell with the Springbok Women's Sevens squad has sharpened her skills ahead of Saturday's one-off Test against New Zealand in Soweto — the first time South Africa has hosted the Black Ferns.
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Sanderson backs Lawes to force England return at 37 ahead of World Cup
Sale Sharks director of rugby Alex Sanderson says he would be "surprised" if Courtney Lawes does not earn an England recall this autumn, with Tom Curry and George Ford also praising the veteran forward's physical condition and leadership since his return to the Premiership.
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Baxter leads Premiership chorus calling for Welsh clubs to join an Anglo-Welsh league
Exeter chief Rob Baxter has backed the inclusion of Welsh regions in an expanded Gallagher Premiership, saying the idea 'ticks a lot of boxes'. Gloucester's George Skivington and Bristol's Pat Lam have added their voices to the growing cross-border push.
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Seven uncapped players named as Italy's new head coach targets WXV squad depth
New Italy women's head coach Plinio Sciamanna has named a 38-player squad for the WXV Global Series, featuring seven potential debutants. Michela Sillari could earn her 100th cap if selected across the four-match campaign.
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Bourdon Sansus takes France captaincy for WXV as injury crisis depletes second row
Scrum-half Pauline Bourdon Sansus will captain France at the WXV Global Series after regular skipper Manae Feleu steps away for two months to focus on her medicine studies. The squad also faces a significant lock shortage, with two second rows injured and a third absent due to pregnancy.
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From Cape Town schoolboys to Leicester Tigers: Craig Childs embraces first senior defence role
Craig Childs has joined Leicester Tigers as defence coach after three years as pathways assistant at the Stormers, where he worked with emerging Springboks Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Paul de Villiers. The South African is seven weeks into his first senior professional coaching role.
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Western Force Women's coach Dylan Parsons heads to Japan champions Yokohama TKM on six-month sabbatical
Western Force Super Rugby Women's head coach Dylan Parsons has been granted a six-month sabbatical to join reigning All-Japan Women's Rugby Football champions Yokohama TKM as an assistant coach for their November-to-February season.
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First Nations & Pasifika XV travel to Tonga for inaugural Kaume'a Ofi Trophy clash
A squad featuring Super Rugby players and sevens stars will face the Tonga President's XV in Nuku'alofa on Friday, contesting the inaugural Kaume'a Ofi Trophy in a fixture built around Pacific and First Nations cultural exchange.
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James O'Connor signs with Western Force 17 years after making his Super Rugby debut there
James O'Connor is returning to the Western Force for the 2027 Super Rugby season, 17 years after debuting for the Perth club as a 17-year-old. The 36-year-old 69-Test Wallaby arrives with two Super Rugby titles and over 127 career appearances to his name.
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Rugby Australia unveils historic Sydney quadruple-header featuring Wallabies, Wallaroos and Sevens sides
All four of Australia's senior rugby teams will compete at Accor Stadium on October 17, with the Bledisloe Cup Test against the All Blacks headlining a day that also features the Wallaroos against Scotland and two Sevens internationals.
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