United Rugby Championship
Cross-border European rugby league.
Competition page →-
Newcastle Red Bulls table £1m-a-year offer to prise Pollock from Northampton Saints
Newcastle Red Bulls have made a backloaded three-year offer to Northampton Saints and England flanker Henry Pollock worth up to £1 million per year — directly challenging Saints director of rugby Phil Dowson's public confidence that the 13-cap star would stay at Franklin's Gardens.
Rugby -
Jenkins set to return for Premiership opener as Zambonin faces extended absence after shoulder surgery
Exeter Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter has confirmed Dafydd Jenkins should be fit for the Premiership opener against Gloucester on September 26, while fellow lock Andrea Zambonin will miss the first block of the season following his own shoulder operation.
Rugby -
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.
Rugby -
Bordeaux Bègles target Springbok loosehead Mchunu as front-row rebuild gathers pace
Stormers loosehead Ntuthuko Mchunu, 27, has emerged as a transfer target for Top 14 side Bordeaux Bègles, who are assembling a shortlist of front-row signings for next summer. Bath prop Beno Obano is also on their radar.
Rugby -
Injury-hit Munster eye Gloucester outcast Ross Byrne to fill fly-half void
Munster are weighing a move for former Ireland international Ross Byrne after Jack Crowley's lower limb vascular injury ruled him out until at least the New Year, leaving head coach Clayton McMillan short of options at fly-half.
Rugby -
Jack Crowley ruled out until 2027 as vascular injury clouds Ireland's World Cup plans
Munster have confirmed fly-half Jack Crowley will not return until the new year after specialists ruled him out of the opening months of the 2026/27 season with a lower-limb vascular injury, raising serious questions about his place in Ireland's World Cup squad.
Rugby -
Retired drop-goal hero Freddie Burns set to return to Leicester Tigers as kicking coach
Leicester Tigers' cryptic social media teaser has pointed strongly to Freddie Burns rejoining Welford Road as kicking coach, weeks after the former England fly-half retired from playing and with the club needing to replace outgoing coach Alex Davies.
Rugby -
Jack Singleton nears rugby return a year after cardiac event but will leave Gloucester
England hooker Jack Singleton is entering the final phase of rehabilitation almost 12 months after suffering a cardiac event in training, with Gloucester confirming he will not be retained beyond the current season.
Rugby -
Edinburgh complete new-look coaching staff by signing ex-Australia 7s international Hodge
Michael Hodge, a former Australia Sevens player and ex-IRFU under-20 assistant coach, has signed a two-year deal as Edinburgh's skills and contact coach, completing head coach Sean Everitt's revamped backroom team ahead of the 2026/27 URC season.
Rugby -
Stormers eye Faf de Klerk on loan to fill scrum-half crisis before URC opener
DHL Stormers head coach John Dobson is exploring a loan move for 34-year-old Springbok scrum-half Faf de Klerk after losing two half-backs to injury ahead of their United Rugby Championship season opener against Connacht on 25 September.
Rugby -
Bath risk losing loyal servant Obano to Bordeaux-Bègles after contract talks
England loose-head Beno Obano, who has made close to 200 appearances for Bath, held face-to-face talks with Champions Cup winners Bordeaux-Bègles last week, leaving the Premiership club facing a significant prop shortage heading into next season.
Rugby -
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.
Rugby -
Scarlets secure Eddie James on new deal amid WRU West Wales licence battle
Wales centre Eddie James has extended his contract with the Scarlets, with Director of Rugby Nigel Davies describing the retention of the 24-year-old as a significant moment for a club fighting to preserve its WRU West Wales regional licence against the Ospreys.
Rugby -
Sale Sharks revive Papier pursuit as Jantjies eyes Stormers escape from Bayonne
Sale Sharks have renewed their bid to sign Bulls scrum-half Embrose Papier in the final year of his contract, while Herschel Jantjies could be offered a route back to South Africa as Bayonne's director of rugby signals he is open to letting the Springbok leave.
Rugby -
Leinster set to open contract talks with Ireland fly-half Sam Prendergast
Sam Prendergast entered the final year of his Leinster contract in July, and the back-to-back URC champions are preparing to open renewal talks with the 23-year-old Ireland fly-half.
Rugby -
Wales lock Alaw Pyrs commits to Gloucester Hartpury for a second PWR season
Twenty-year-old Wales lock Alaw Pyrs has re-signed with Gloucester Hartpury for the 2026/27 Premiership Women's Rugby season, extending a debut campaign in which she made five league appearances and scored one try.
Rugby -
Tchumbadze extends Exeter stay as Baxter eyes all-Georgian prop partnership
Tight-head Bachuki Tchumbadze has signed a one-year contract extension with Exeter Chiefs, keeping the 24-year-old Georgian international at Sandy Park until 2028. His renewal sets up a potential Georgian front-row partnership with loose-head Nika Abuladze, who rejoined the club from Montpellier this month.
Rugby -
Scarlets sign Hurricanes lock Tom Allen to bolster URC second-row stocks
Scarlets have added 21-year-old New Zealand U20 lock Tom Allen from Super Rugby Pacific champions the Hurricanes, making him the latest in a string of summer signings ahead of the 2026/27 URC season.
Rugby -
Phillips leaves Harlequins for Exeter Chiefs ahead of 2026/27 Premiership Women's season
Wales hooker Carys Phillips has signed for Exeter Chiefs after three seasons at Harlequins, becoming the second Welsh international to join Sandy Park for the upcoming Premiership Women's Rugby campaign.
Rugby -
Former Japan attack coach Dan Bowden joins Cardiff Rugby as assistant
Dan Bowden, who served as Japan's attack coach under Eddie Jones in 2024, has been appointed assistant coach at Cardiff Rugby, reuniting him with UK rugby nearly a decade after retiring as a player.
Rugby
