United Rugby Championship
Cross-border European rugby league.
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Baxter refuses to confirm reports of Tom Hooper contract extension ahead of Prem final
Exeter Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter declined to address reports that Wallabies flanker Tom Hooper has signed a one-year extension to remain at Sandy Park until 2028, calling the matter 'not commentable' days before Saturday's Gallagher Premiership final against Northampton Saints.
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Farrell hands Ireland debuts to Connacht trio as Lions stars rest before tour
Andy Farrell has named a 36-man Ireland squad for the Nations Championship summer tour, handing potential Test debuts to uncapped Connacht players Billy Bohan, Sam Illo and Sean Jansen while 12 Lions await their first summer break in two years.
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Munster close in on Harrison and Brookes as McMillan reshapes squad for next season
Munster are set to sign Australian fly-half Will Harrison and Irish-qualified former England tighthead Kieran Brookes, bringing their summer recruitment to four new arrivals ahead of the 2025-26 United Rugby Championship campaign.
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Matfield warns Leinster: Fail to extend Nienaber and he returns to Springboks for World Cup
Springbok legend Victor Matfield has cautioned Leinster that a failure to extend Jacques Nienaber's contract will see the World Cup-winning coach reunite with Rassie Erasmus ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
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Cullen bids farewell to Lowe and Ioane as Leinster brace for URC Grand Final exodus
Leo Cullen has spoken candidly about the wave of departures from Leinster, including James Lowe, Rieko Ioane and Luke McGrath, insisting the club's 'grow your own' model will sustain them beyond Friday's URC Grand Final against the Bulls.
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Ospreys sign Waratahs fly-half Lawson Creighton as Australian recruitment drive reaches four
The Ospreys have confirmed Lawson Creighton as their fourth signing ahead of the 2026-27 season, with the NSW Waratahs fly-half joining as cover for Wales international Dan Edwards.
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Doris and Sheehan pass fit as Leinster name Lowe for farewell URC final
Caelan Doris has been cleared to captain Leinster in Friday's URC final against the Bulls at Croke Park, with Dan Sheehan also recovering in time. James Lowe starts on the left wing in his final appearance for the province.
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Harlequins confirm Long and Turner-Hall in coaching overhaul ahead of 2026/27 season
Harlequins have appointed former England centre Jordan Turner-Hall as defence and transition coach and rugby league great Sean Long in a full-time skills role, continuing a significant coaching rebuild under Jason Gilmore for the 2026/27 campaign.
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Scarlets release South African flanker Jarrod Taylor after 44 appearances
Jarrod Taylor has departed the Scarlets at the end of his contract following two and a half years with the Welsh region. Interim director of rugby Nigel Davies cited squad balance and the management of overseas positions as the key factors behind the decision.
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Argentina tighthead Eduardo Bello leads Ulster's triple signing ahead of new URC season
Ulster have announced three new signings, headlined by 26-cap Argentina tighthead Eduardo Bello, who joins on a one-year deal from Newcastle Red Bulls. Irish-qualified prop Keynan Knox and Connacht back-three player Chay Mullins complete the recruitment drive.
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Nacewa 'absolutely surprised' Leinster released all-time top try-scorer Lowe before URC Final
Leinster legend Isa Nacewa has admitted he is surprised the club did not retain James Lowe, their all-time leading try-scorer, who will leave for Japan after Friday's URC Grand Final against the Bulls at Croke Park.
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Le Roux warns Leinster that Bulls have buried Grand Final demons under Ackermann
Willie le Roux insists the Bulls have moved on from their 32-7 URC Grand Final thrashing by Leinster at Croke Park, but acknowledges that facing a Jacques Nienaber-coached defence remains a formidable challenge.
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Piardi set to referee fourth straight URC final as Leinster injury doubts cloud Bulls rematch
Italian official Andrea Piardi will become the first referee to take charge of four consecutive URC Grand Finals when Leinster host the Bulls at Croke Park on Friday, with captain Caelan Doris and hooker Dan Sheehan both racing to be fit.
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Andrews leaves Sale Sharks to join Lions as they build for Champions Cup rugby
Lock Hyron Andrews will end his two-year stint at Sale Sharks and return to South Africa, signing with the Lions ahead of their first Champions Cup campaign. The 30-year-old replaces Raynard Roets, who is departing for Biarritz.
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Scottish Rugby expands women's contracts to 47 as 15 players return home for 2026/27
Scottish Rugby has unveiled its women's contracting model for 2026/27, growing the contracted player pool from 35 to 47, with 35 of those now based in Scotland — up from just 18 the previous season.
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Leinster shed 5,700 fans per match as Bordeaux-Bègles dominate European attendance figures
A new report on regular-season attendances across the Top 14, URC and Premiership reveals Bordeaux-Bègles averaging nearly 35,000 per game, while Leinster and the Bulls record the steepest crowd declines in European club rugby.
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Calf injury rules Keiron Assiratti out of Wales' Nations Championship tour
Cardiff tighthead prop Keiron Assiratti has been withdrawn from Steve Tandy's Wales squad after suffering a calf injury in Cardiff's URC quarter-final defeat to the Stormers, ruling him out of July fixtures against Fiji, Argentina, and South Africa.
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Ackermann handed three-match ban after red card mars Stormers' URC semi-final exit
Stormers No.8 Ruan Ackermann has been suspended for three matches after his red card in the 21-12 URC semi-final defeat to Leinster, ruling him out of the Currie Cup's opening rounds. A guilty plea and clean record halved the original six-week sanction.
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Ospreys sign Wallaby centre Foketi days after securing fellow international Wright
The Ospreys have confirmed the signing of Australia international Lalakai Foketi, their second Wallaby recruit in under a week. The experienced centre joins from the Chiefs, where he provided three try assists in their Super Rugby semi-final win over the Crusaders.
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Finn Russell misses third straight game as Bath name side for Exeter semi-final
Scotland and Lions fly-half Finn Russell remains sidelined by a calf injury and will miss Bath's Premiership play-off semi-final against Exeter at The Rec on Saturday. Santi Carreras starts again at ten, partnered by captain Ben Spencer.
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Argentina U17 W
