United Rugby Championship
Cross-border European rugby league.
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Lions hand Junior Bok Adams debut as Van Rooyen warns of Leinster's structural 'superpower'
The Lions will give Junior Springbok Ethan Adams a likely senior debut when they host defending URC champions Leinster at Ellis Park on Saturday, with head coach Ivan van Rooyen cautioning that the Irish giants excel at pulling opponents out of their game plan.
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Springbok Van der Merwe and ex-England prop Brookes set for Munster debuts against Glasgow
New signings Marnus van der Merwe and Kieran Brookes will make their competitive Munster debuts in Saturday's URC opener against Glasgow Warriors at Thomond Park, with academy fly-half Charlie O'Shea also in line for a first appearance.
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Oghre signs new Bristol Bears deal after scoring on England debut against USA
Gabriel Oghre has committed his future to Bristol Bears on a new contract, having scored on his England debut against the USA in July 2025 and racked up 26 tries in 63 appearances for the club.
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Bristol Bears lose Staddon to ACL injury before competitive debut, Ravouvou also sidelined
New Bristol Bears signing Ethan Staddon will miss most of the season after suffering an ACL and possible MCL injury, head coach Pat Lam has confirmed. Fijian back Kalaveti Ravouvou is also out for around 12 weeks following a knee injury on international duty.
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Andrew Porter switches to tighthead as Leinster name youthful side for URC opener in Johannesburg
Leo Cullen has confirmed the long-anticipated move of Andrew Porter back to tighthead prop as Leinster prepare to face the Lions at Ellis Park in their United Rugby Championship season opener.
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Darcy Graham ruled out until Christmas with ruptured bicep, ending Scotland's autumn hopes
Edinburgh wing Darcy Graham faces at least three months on the sidelines after rupturing a bicep muscle in a pre-season friendly at Harlequins, ruling him out of Scotland's November Tests against New Zealand, Australia and Japan.
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Zebo backs Hanrahan to cover Crowley's long injury absence but urges consistency
Simon Zebo has backed JJ Hanrahan to be invaluable to Munster while Jack Crowley recovers from a rare blood vessel issue expected to keep the Ireland fly-half out until the New Year.
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Kolisi set for versatile back-row role as Stormers welcome three Springbok stars home
Siya Kolisi, Cheslin Kolbe and Wilco Louw have all returned to the Stormers ahead of the new URC season. Director of Rugby John Dobson says Kolisi could play across all three back-row positions, while Kolbe faces a four-week absence with a broken jaw.
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Welsh regions' overseas recruitment wave draws 20-year comparison from Tom Shanklin
Former Wales centre Tom Shanklin has praised the wave of high-profile overseas signings across all four Welsh URC regions this summer, comparing the influx to a period two decades ago when Welsh clubs were genuinely competitive on the European stage.
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Domachowski opens up on mental health battle before Scarlets debut against former club Cardiff
Wales tighthead Corey Domachowski has spoken candidly about the mental health toll of a prolonged injury spell that left his career stalled, revealing he masked his struggles from family and teammates before making a fresh start with the Scarlets.
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Lancaster dismisses Leinster links and signals commitment to Connacht project
Stuart Lancaster has denied any contact with Leinster over their vacant head coach role, insisting he and his wife are settled in Galway and keen to continue building at Connacht, where his contract expires at the end of the season.
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Hepburn eyes Scotland RWC 2027 spot after Edinburgh move: 'It'd be naive to think it's not a big carrot'
Former England prop Alec Hepburn has joined Edinburgh hoping proximity to Gregor Townsend's setup gives him the best chance of making Scotland's 2027 Rugby World Cup squad. The 33-year-old has earned just five Scotland caps since switching allegiances in 2024.
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Zebo backs Leinster for third straight URC title but warns Munster faces a tough start without Crowley
Simon Zebo has named Leinster as URC favourites to complete a hat-trick of titles under outgoing coach Leo Cullen, while cautioning that Munster face a difficult opening run of fixtures without injured fly-half Jack Crowley.
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Stormers sign Andre Warner on short-term deal to ease scrum-half injury crisis
The Stormers have signed experienced scrum-half Andre Warner from Seattle Seawolves on a short-term deal, their second No.9 signing in two days, as injuries to Imad Khan and Cobus Reinach's Springbok commitments left the Cape Town side dangerously thin ahead of the new URC season.
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Dewi Lake named Gloucester captain for 2026/27 after Tomos Williams' exit to Saracens
Gloucester have appointed Welsh hooker Dewi Lake as club captain for the 2026/27 season, replacing compatriot Tomos Williams, who departed for Saracens. Lake, who has led Wales in 22 of his 36 Tests, will be supported by vice-captains Seb Atkinson and Jac Morgan.
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Porter and O'Brien return to full training as Carbery steps up ACL recovery ahead of URC opener
Leinster have received a double injury boost ahead of their URC season opener against the Lions at Ellis Park on Saturday, with loosehead prop Andrew Porter and outside back Tommy O'Brien both returning to full training. New signing Joey Carbery is also progressing his ACL rehabilitation.
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Van Poortvliet nears long-term Leicester deal as Tigers lock down squad ahead of new season
England scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet is in advanced talks over a new long-term contract with Leicester Tigers, with the 25-year-old's current deal set to expire next summer. The news follows fly-half Billy Searle's recent renewal and ongoing negotiations with Lions forward Ollie Chessum.
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Bath's Jamie Bhatti breaks arm 10 minutes into pre-season return to rule him out of Premiership opener
Scotland prop Jamie Bhatti has broken his arm just 10 minutes into his second spell at Bath, suffering the fracture against Glasgow in a pre-season fixture. The 33-year-old revealed the injury on Instagram before any official club confirmation.
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Henry Pollock set to sign £400,000-a-year Northampton contract after Hearn's Instagram slip
England flanker Henry Pollock is expected to put pen to paper on a new two-year deal with Northampton Saints worth around £400,000 a season, after boxing promoter and agent Eddie Hearn inadvertently revealed the timing on Instagram.
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Junior World Player of the Year Haashim Pead leaves Lions to join Stormers for URC season
Scrum-half Haashim Pead, named Junior World Championship Player of the Year in 2025, has departed the Lions for the Stormers ahead of the new URC season, with Cape Town signing him as cover following Imad Khan's ACL injury.
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North Korea U17 W
