Six Nations
Annual European rugby championship.
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Springbok lock crisis deepens as Norton's hamstring rules him out for 10 weeks
South Africa U20 captain Riley Norton has suffered a hamstring injury that will sideline him for eight to ten weeks, deepening a lock crisis that already saw Rassie Erasmus field no second-row cover against England. Bulls back-row Elrigh Louw has been called up as replacement.
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All Blacks assistant Barnes dismisses France 'B team' talk and calls box-kick trend overboard
New Zealand lead assistant coach Neil Barnes has pushed back on the notion that France are bringing a weakened squad to Christchurch, while also questioning whether the international game's heavy reliance on box kicks is genuinely warranted.
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Wright eager to end five-game losing streak as Wallabies host Ireland in Nations Championship opener
Australia fullback Tom Wright has acknowledged Ireland's status as a 'pretty big climb for any team' ahead of Saturday's Nations Championship opener at a sold-out Allianz Stadium in Sydney — the first time Ireland have played on Australian soil in eight years.
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Ben Earl urges England to block out South Africa's world-champion reputation at Ellis Park
Ben Earl has called on England to focus on their own game rather than South Africa's status as back-to-back world champions ahead of Saturday's Nations Championship clash at Ellis Park. Jamie George will captain the side after Maro Itoje was rested for the tour.
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Springboks could lose world number one ranking on Nations Championship opening weekend
South Africa's 3.61-point lead at the top of the World Rugby Men's Rankings is under threat this weekend, but only if England beat the Springboks at Ellis Park and New Zealand defeat France by more than 15 points simultaneously.
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Dupont ruled out of Nations Championship after calf injury in Top 14 final
Antoine Dupont has been withdrawn from France's Nations Championship squad after picking up a calf injury during Toulouse's Top 14 final victory over Montpellier. Paul Graou replaces the French captain, who was set to play his first competitive Tests outside Europe.
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Erasmus eyes double milestone as Kolbe and Willemse reach 50 caps against England
Cheslin Kolbe and Damian Willemse are both set to earn their 50th Test caps when South Africa open their Nations Championship campaign against England at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on Saturday 4 July.
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Codie Taylor reveals Rennie's standards as All Blacks prepare for France opener
Veteran hooker Codie Taylor has offered an early glimpse into Dave Rennie's coaching style ahead of Saturday's first Test against France in Christchurch, saying the new All Blacks head coach 'doesn't take mediocrity lightly'.
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Ruby Tui returns for Barbarians after year away but keeps future plans open
Ruby Tui lines up for the Barbarians against Wales on Saturday in what she calls her first 'public appearance' in almost a year, after being left out of New Zealand's Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 squad. The 34-year-old wing says she will decide on her next move only after stepping back onto the pitch.
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Hardy warns Wales that snubbed Springbok De Klerk has a point to prove against them
Kieran Hardy believes Faf de Klerk will arrive at Allianz Stadium with a chip on his shoulder after missing out on South Africa's Nations Championship squad, making Saturday's Barbarians clash a personal audition for the veteran scrum-half.
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Grand Slam architect Philip Doyle, trailblazer for Ireland Women's rugby, dies at 61
Philip Doyle, the coach who guided Ireland Women to a Six Nations Grand Slam in 2013 and their first-ever victory over the Black Ferns at the 2014 Rugby World Cup, has died aged 61. Blackrock College RFC, where he played and coached for decades, announced his passing.
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Lucy Packer commits to Harlequins after England's record-extending Six Nations Grand Slam
Red Roses scrum-half Lucy Packer has signed a new deal with Harlequins, securing the 26-year-old's future at the Twickenham Stoop after she started all five matches in England's eighth consecutive Six Nations title win.
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Wales lose Tshiunza to 25-cap rule after flanker seals Sale move from Exeter
Christ Tshiunza will be unavailable for Wales next season after signing for Sale Sharks, with the 24-year-old flanker falling foul of the WRU's 25-cap selection rule. Wales head coach Steve Tandy says losing the 15-capped back-row is 'a shame'.
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Kitshoff warns Pollock and the Smiths are in Felix Jones' crosshairs ahead of Ellis Park clash
Former Springbok prop Steven Kitshoff says Felix Jones' return to South Africa's coaching staff will sharpen their focus on England individuals — with Henry Pollock, Fin Smith and Marcus Smith all identified as key targets for next week's Nations Championship fixture.
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Italy seek Women's Rugby World Cup revenge on South Africa in WXV Global Series
Italy will host South Africa and Japan at Stadio Omero Tognon in Fontanafredda across back-to-back September weekends in the new WXV Global Series, seeking revenge for the Springbok Women's 29-24 win that knocked the Azzurre out of last year's World Cup.
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Callender captains youthful Wales side with five uncapped players against Barbarians
Alex Callender returns from injury to skipper Wales against the Barbarians at Allianz Stadium, with head coach Sean Lynn naming five uncapped players including wingers Amy Williams and Kelsie Webster in his starting XV.
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Belcher ruled out of Wales Nations Championship squad with neck injury
Cardiff hooker Liam Belcher has withdrawn from Wales's Nations Championship squad after sustaining a neck injury in Cardiff's 44-21 URC defeat to the Stormers in Cape Town, leaving head coach Steve Tandy short of options ahead of fixtures against Fiji, Argentina and South Africa.
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Van Poortvliet eyes Bordeaux's Lucu as England scrum-half battle heats up before South Africa opener
Jack van Poortvliet has named Bordeaux's Maxime Lucu as a defensive role model as he fights Alex Mitchell and Ben Spencer for an England scrum-half berth against South Africa on 4 July. The Leicester half-back also revealed Steve Borthwick demands high standards regardless of the scoreline.
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Red Roses to face USA Eagles in New York for WXV Global Series finale in October
England's Red Roses will close their 2026 WXV Global Series campaign against the USA Women's Eagles at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Newark, New Jersey, on 30 October — a rematch of the Women's Rugby World Cup's record-breaking opening fixture.
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Dillon Lewis ends two-year Wales exile after Dragons move reignites his international ambitions
Tighthead prop Dillon Lewis has been recalled to Steve Tandy's Wales squad after more than two years out of the international picture, with the 57-cap forward crediting his move from Harlequins to Dragons as the catalyst for his return.
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