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Chessum returns from foot injury to captain Leicester against Pau in Champions Cup opener
Ollie Chessum is fit to lead Leicester Tigers against Pau on Sunday after missing the start of the season with a foot injury. Head coach Geoff Parling has confirmed the England loose forward's return ahead of a trip to the Stade de Hameau.
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Skivington calls on Kingsholm crowd as Gloucester face 'ultimate test' against back-to-back champions Bordeaux
Gloucester head coach George Skivington has described Friday's Champions Cup opener against back-to-back winners Bordeaux Bègles as the ultimate test for his side, urging Kingsholm fans to create a hostile atmosphere for the French champions.
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Scotland attack coach backs squad to end seven-game losing run against Australia in Sydney
Scotland attack coach Tom Luke insists his side have enough to trouble Australia in Saturday's WXV Global Series Test in Sydney, despite a seven-match losing streak that followed a second-half collapse in the reverse fixture in Edinburgh.
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Etzebeth set to rejoin Sharks squad in Europe after early injury scare
Eben Etzebeth will miss the Sharks' Challenge Cup opener against Lyon but is expected to link up with the touring party for their URC fixtures against Cardiff and Munster, offering encouragement over the severity of his lower limb injury.
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Black Ferns target clinical edge as France arrive in Hamilton for WXV Global Series opener
New Zealand host France in Hamilton on Saturday in the first of three WXV Global Series Tests, with the Black Ferns focused on the clinical execution that eluded them in a narrow defeat to England at Twickenham last month.
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Tom Roebuck signs two-year Sale extension with England recall firmly in his sights
Tom Roebuck has committed to Sale Sharks until at least the end of the 2028/29 season, signing a two-year contract extension with his boyhood club. The England winger, currently sidelined by a calf strain, says playing for England remains a central part of his career ambitions.
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Premier Sports enters final year of Champions Cup rights deal as rivals circle
Premier Sports begins what could be its last season broadcasting the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup in the UK and Ireland, with the third and final year of its deal kicking off at Kingsholm as Gloucester host defending champions Bordeaux-Bègles.
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Revamped France head to New Zealand buoyed by first top-three win since 2023
France travel to New Zealand for the southern hemisphere leg of the WXV Global Series carrying a 2-1 record and renewed confidence after beating World Cup finalists Canada 21-5 in La Rochelle — their first victory over a top-three nation since October 2023.
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Feyi-Waboso scan clears serious damage but rules him out of Exeter's Toulouse trip
Exeter Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter has confirmed Immanuel Feyi-Waboso will miss Sunday's Champions Cup match at Toulouse after picking up a hamstring problem, but a scan has dispelled fears of a lengthy absence, with the England winger potentially back within a week.
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Etzebeth ruled out of Sharks' European tour with lower-limb injury after Stormers defeat
Eben Etzebeth will miss the Sharks' three-match European tour after picking up a lower-limb injury in Saturday's 39-22 defeat to the Stormers. The 34-year-old lock awaits further assessment, and is one of several Springboks absent from JP Pietersen's 28-man travelling squad.
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British & Irish Lions Women to face France in first-ever fixture at Cardiff's Principality Stadium
The British & Irish Lions Women will play their historic debut match against fourth-ranked France at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on 27 August 2027, before embarking on an inaugural tour of New Zealand.
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Maddison Levi leads Australia Women's Sevens squad against Black Ferns in Sydney double-header
Star winger Maddison Levi returns from the Ultimate Sevens off-season league to headline Australia's women's squad for back-to-back matches against New Zealand in Sydney on Friday and Saturday. The men's side, captained by Henry Hutchinson, face Fiji across the same two-day event.
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Umaga tips Jordie Barrett to become one of New Zealand's greatest midfielders
All Blacks defence coach Tana Umaga has praised Jordie Barrett's consistency and competitive drive, saying the inside centre is on course to be remembered among the best New Zealand has ever produced after another standout Bledisloe Cup display.
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Wallabies vow to meet Barrett and Tupaea physically in Sydney Bledisloe decider
Australia's players have identified All Blacks midfielders Jordie Barrett and Quinn Tupaea as the primary threats ahead of Saturday's Bledisloe Cup Test in Sydney, with winger Harry Potter and Joseph Suaalii both flagging the aerial battle as a key area for improvement.
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Barrett backs NRL converts to shine as Wallabies build toward 2027 World Cup
All Blacks centre Jordie Barrett has praised the wave of NRL talent crossing to rugby union ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup on home soil, singling out Angus Crichton and Mark Nawaqanitawase as players who will be "outstanding" in the 15-man game.
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Leicester sign Samoan hooker Richie Asiata to ease injury and retirement crisis
Richie Asiata, a 30-year-old Samoan international with more than 50 Super Rugby caps, has joined Leicester Tigers immediately, addressing a hooker shortage caused by Charlie Clare's injury and Finn Theobold-Thomas' retirement at 23.
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Van Graan faces late Spencer fitness call as Bath open Champions Cup campaign against Montpellier
Bath head coach Johann van Graan will decide late in the week whether captain Ben Spencer is fit to face Montpellier at The Rec on Saturday, with the England scrum-half yet to play this season following shoulder surgery.
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Dowson expects 'no love lost' as Northampton host Cardiff in first Champions Cup clash in 16 years
Northampton Saints head coach Phil Dowson has recalled the fierce Anglo-Welsh rivalry ahead of Sunday's Investec Champions Cup meeting with Cardiff — the first between the clubs since the 2010/11 season, when Saints reached the final.
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Injury-hit Wallaby Rob Leota released by Bayonne after just 12 appearances
Australia back-row Rob Leota has departed Top 14 side Bayonne with immediate effect, the club confirmed on Tuesday. The 29-year-old, sidelined since March with a knee injury, made only 12 appearances during his time with the Basque club.
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Racing 92's Paul Costes remains hospitalised weeks after scooter accident
Racing 92 have confirmed that centre Paul Costes, 23, is still in hospital following a scooter accident last week, with the former France U20 international facing an extended spell on the sidelines. Loosehead prop Hassane Kolingar is also absent, recovering at home after a health issue in round five.
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