Rugby News, Analysis, History, Schedule, Rumours
On February 28, the crown was firmly positioned with Spain Rugby Europe Women’s Champions for 2020. With their win over the Netherlands, they also secure a spot in the European qualifying tournament for the RWC 2021. 🏆 | Introducing the 2020 Women's Rugby Europe Champions and now taking their place in the @rugbyworldcup European Qualifier…[email protected]! […] READ MORE
It is rare to see one side so utterly dominant in a rugby match. But that is what happened today when Spain hosted Russia. Spain savaged Russia in that penultimate match of the 2020 Rugby Europe Women’s Championship. The scoring opened with a short-range drop goal by Spain, after which Russia ran in their single […] READ MORE
It has been several years since it last took place. 2021 will see the Derby of the Low Countries be played. Today Rugby Europe held a meeting about the singular circumstance that affects the last round of the Rugby Europe Championship 2020. The last of these fixtures would have been played this weekend, alongside the […] READ MORE
This week, World Rugby announced the Women’s Rugby World Cup will be expanded from 12 to 16 teams. Which begs the question: which teams would likely qualify for 2025? Of the 12 teams competing in New Zealand in 2021, 7 qualified courtesy of their placement in the last World Cup. Fiji and South Africa came […] READ MORE
Today was a day of sunshine for both Exeter Chiefs‘ First XV’s in the West of England. The rainbows showed there was always a shower nearby though. 2016 | Exeter 34–23 Wasps2017 | Exeter 18-16 Saracens2018 | Exeter 36-5 Newcastle2019 | Exeter 42-12 Northampton2020 | Exeter 35-6 [email protected] know how to get it done in […] READ MORE
Earlier this week, Qantas announced they would stop as sponsor of the Wallabies. It ends a partnership of 30 years. Financially, it could be the deathblow for struggling Rugby Australia. In other ways, it might just be their saviour too. The financial shortfall could not come at a worse time. The union was in trouble […] READ MORE
Immediately upon becoming professional, Rugby Union went global. The first Professional Rugby competition was Super Rugby, now all but dead in the water. This is the story of how that came about and how the peace deal made then influences rugby’s development now. Rugby, of either code, is a story both of tribalism and exclusivity. […] READ MORE
Owen Farrell faced a disciplinary hearing last night, after the red card he received over the weekend. He received a five match ban. All considered, this is far too short. What Owen Farrell got is fair in accordance to the laws, there is no mistaking that. The initial entry level punishment the committee agreed on […] READ MORE
The Leinster vs Munster Pro 14 semi-final should have been a feast of rugby. It is the Irish derby and should have been a spectacle of a contest. Instead, it was a contest of who could play the slowest. Yes, the weather was atrocious. But from both sides it was an appalling battle of attrition, […] READ MORE
In the past week Women’s Rugby has seen two pieces of big news. One lead to the creation of #IamEnough and got everyone in a tizzy. The other has snowed under. One is a very real problem in Women’s rugby, the other at first sight a cosmetic issue. Paul Peerdeman delves a little deeper into […] READ MORE
I have played and coached rugby many places, for many years, and I love the game, its tactics and its intricacies. I love the stories of every match and every tour and every journey.