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Erasmus warns All Blacks' bench 'monster' Aumua will test Springboks in lineout battle
Rassie Erasmus has singled out All Blacks reserve hooker Asafo Aumua as a physical threat ahead of Saturday's Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series opener at Ellis Park, while also praising New Zealand's innovative high-ball tactics and faster breakdown tempo.
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McParland faces contract crossroads at Northampton with first-choice spot out of reach
Northampton Saints scrum-half Archie McParland, 21, is set for talks over his future after entering the final year of his contract, with Lions star Alex Mitchell blocking a clear path to the starting nine.
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Rennie refuses pressure talk as All Blacks enter South Africa series as underdogs
New All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie has dismissed attempts to frame the Rugby's Greatest Rivalry series around pressure, calling a Test tour of South Africa the ultimate coaching challenge as New Zealand prepare to face the world champion Springboks in Johannesburg.
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Erasmus rests fit Kolisi for first All Blacks Test to reward in-form De Villiers
Rassie Erasmus has confirmed Siya Kolisi was available for South Africa's opening Greatest Rivalry Test against New Zealand at Ellis Park, but was left out as a precaution and to reward 23-year-old flanker Paul de Villiers, who starts in his place.
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Exeter Chiefs promote Oli Bishop to head coach of their women's side ahead of 2026/27 season
Oli Bishop has been elevated from attack and backs coach to head coach of Exeter Chiefs Women, replacing Steve Salvin, who departed to join Wales' coaching staff. Bishop guided Exeter back to the play-offs in his debut season, with the club scoring 82 tries — third-most in the Premiership Women's Rugby league.
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Rennie dismisses Jones' illegal-play claims as All Blacks prepare for Springboks series opener
All Blacks head coach Dave Rennie has pushed back against Springboks defence coach Felix Jones' accusation that New Zealand operate illegal themes at the breakdown and maul, insisting the incidents Jones cited were isolated and already penalised.
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Erasmus names Springboks to face All Blacks with du Toit captaining and de Allende reaching 100 caps
Rassie Erasmus has named a largely settled Springbok XV to face the All Blacks at Ellis Park on Saturday, with Pieter-Steph du Toit captaining in Siya Kolisi's absence and Damian de Allende set to earn his 100th cap.
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Former Scotland captain Stuart McInally swaps rugby for the cockpit at Jet2
Stuart McInally, who retired from professional rugby in 2023 after a decorated career with Scotland and Edinburgh, has fulfilled a lifelong ambition by qualifying as a commercial pilot and joining airline Jet2 to fly Boeing 737s across Europe.
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Tia Hinds leads Wallaroos into Black Ferns clash as dual-code pioneer eyes XVs mark
Scrum-half Tia Hinds starts for the Wallaroos against New Zealand's Black Ferns having already accumulated 10 XVs caps, over 100 sevens appearances, two Olympic Games, and a Super Rugby Women's title — all by the age of 23.
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Teichmann backs Springboks to dominate All Blacks across four-Test RGR series
Former Springbok captain Gary Teichmann has predicted South Africa will claim a dominant victory in the inaugural Greatest Rugby Rivalry series, citing Rassie Erasmus's squad depth as a decisive edge over New Zealand.
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Worcester sign ex-England U20 Kofi Cripps from Bristol to bolster title defence
Championship champions Worcester Warriors have recruited back-row Kofi Cripps from Bristol Bears, with the 23-year-old dropping down a division to reunite with head coach Matt Everard, who previously worked with him at Wasps.
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Roigard, Jordan and McKenzie pass fitness tests as All Blacks name team for Springboks opener in Johannesburg
New Zealand have cleared their injury concerns ahead of the first Test against South Africa, with Cam Roigard, Will Jordan and Damian McKenzie all named in Dave Rennie's starting XV. Captain Ardie Savea also returns directly to the No.8 jersey after a delayed arrival on tour.
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Groizeleau set to become fourth woman to referee 50 Test matches at WXV Global Series
French referee Aurélie Groizeleau will reach her 50-Test milestone during the 2026 WXV Global Series, opening the tournament in Salford before hitting the landmark in Toronto the following month.
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Wales poach Leicester's Alex Davies as full-time kicking coach ahead of Nations Championship
Wales have appointed Leicester Tigers assistant Alex Davies as a dedicated kicking coach under Steve Tandy, with the former Bath fly-half leaving Welford Road with immediate effect to take up the role on 1 September.
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Northland end 48-year Ranfurly Shield drought by demolishing Canterbury 31-12 in Christchurch
Northland claimed the Ranfurly Shield for the first time since 1979, routing Canterbury 31-12 at One NZ Stadium on Thursday to end a 48-year wait and record their first win in Christchurch since the late 1980s.
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Sevens star Maddison Levi set to debut for Wallaroos in historic 100th Test against Black Ferns
World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year Maddison Levi is named to make her Wallaroos debut against the Black Ferns in Auckland, with Australia's 100th Test also set to feature the first cap of former New Zealand international Pia Tapsell.
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Hat-trick hero Elinor-Plum King earns Black Ferns debut against Wallaroos in Auckland
Flanker Elinor-Plum King starts for New Zealand after scoring a hat-trick against the Black Ferns XV, with two further uncapped players — Amarante Sititi and Shyrah Tuliau-Tua'a — named on the bench for the O'Reilly Cup Test.
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Ballymore to become permanent home of Australia Sevens and Wallaroos ahead of 2032 Olympics
Rugby Australia, Queensland Rugby Union and the Queensland Government have announced a major redevelopment of Ballymore, relocating the men's and women's Sevens programs and the Wallaroos high-performance unit from Sydney to Brisbane ahead of the 2032 Olympic Games.
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Tupou scores two tries as Wallabies demolish Japan 56-17 in Townsville
Taniela Tupou crossed for a first-half double as Australia ran in eight tries against Japan in Townsville, with the tighthead scoring in consecutive Tests for the first time since 2021. Commentator and ex-Wallaby Morgan Turinui had flagged Tupou's imposing presence even during the pre-match warm-up.
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Read reveals how Argentina's blueprint could help All Blacks dismantle the Springboks
Former All Blacks captain Kieran Read believes Argentina's narrow 17-10 defeat to South Africa in Buenos Aires exposed a clear tactical roadmap for beating the Springboks, pointing to Los Pumas' edge-based attacking game and six line breaks in the opening 30 minutes.
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