British & Irish Lions
The Handre Pollard injury creates a selection conundrum for Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber up to and including the planned British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa in July 2021. Handre Pollard injury Pollard ruptured his anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL) on Friday in playing for Montpellier against Racing 92. The early word is that […]
The British and Irish Lions first began touring in 1888 where 10,000 spectators watched the first clash in Otago. Fast forward 132 years and the next tour is due to take place this summer. It’s a hot topic in world rugby currently but, what if there was potential to form a women’s British and Irish […]
Now that the Lions tour has begun, the question crossing my mind is, “Will this year’s Lions tour be remembered as worth it, or folly?” With news filtering back of hastily scheduled rematches, coronavirus induced self-isolation and footage of the empty stadiums. You would be correct in asking, “Is it worth the bother?” Lions tour […]
The choice to leave out Josh Navidi from Warren Gatland’s initial 37-man Lions squad was one that not many predicted. He was arguably Wales’ best player in their winning 2021 Six Nations campaign and he is more than capable of going toe-to-toe with the Springboks. Whilst the inclusions of Tom Curry, Taulupe Faletau and Justin […]
Despite a leak yesterday afternoon, the British & Irish Lions have named a slightly different one to that in The Times. Robert Rees brings you the team news. British & Irish Lions team: 15. Stuart Hogg (Exeter Chiefs, Scotland) #783 14. Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby, England) #816 13. Elliot Daly (Saracens, England) #822 12. Robbie […]
British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland hasn’t ran away from tough selection decisions. Taulupe Faletau, Conor Murray, Mako Vunipola and Jamie George have all been excluded from the squad. In come Jack Conan, Duhan van der Merwe, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Ali Price, all of whom have been rewarded for their form on this tour. […]
In a media release timed to give fans a 2021 South Africa tour update, no news was better than bad news (it seems). The Lions are due to kick off an eight-match Tour in South Africa on July 3 and continue to review the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. “As you would expect, we are […]
British & Irish Lions come from all corners of the UK, but you may be hard-pressed to recognise some of the players in the youth or community club days. Robert Rees looks back at the pre-professional days of the Welsh Lions. Adam Beard – Birchgrove/Aberavon The Welsh lock was a late call-up to the squad, […]
Marcus Smith, Harlequins and British & Irish Lions fly half, has been racially abused in a podcast by ex-Irish international Neil Francis. Marcus Smith abused online ‘The Left Wing’ podcast, which featured Neil Francis, had posted their latest podcast in which Francis calls Smith an “Oompa Loompa.” The podcast was made public with the below […]
What makes a British and Irish Lions tour so special? The players involved are the best of the best. There are no passengers on the bus heading towards the Lions first test squad selection. Everyone can make the test team and that is why the media love speculating the matchday 23. Announced days ago, deciphering […]
The British and Irish Lions and Springbok squads for Saturday’s first Test have been announced. A day earlier than originally planned. British and Irish Lions and Springbok squads South Africa: 15 Willie le Roux, 14 Cheslin Kolbe, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Damian de Allende, 11 Makazole Mapimpi, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 […]
There are some big decisions for Warren Gatland ahead of the Lions first test, not least who is his starting captain. Wyn Jones returned against the Stormers off the bench to stake his claim to be starting next weekend as captain. However, Gatland also faces other selection headaches in the back row, scrum-half and in […]
Only a week into the July Test window opening, most of the leading national rugby union International Test squads have settled into their business. They have ‘stretched the legs’ during opening matches, and if the planning were good, and the opponent was designed to provide a measured opposition (that is a luxury for some). If […]
In the space of a couple of hours, the meticulously laid plans of Warren Gatland have been thrown into disarray. Talisman and captain Alun Wyn Jones is out of the tour with a dislocated shoulder. This is a huge blow given his experience, leadership and presence on and off the field. The subsequent appointment of […]
The Springbok squad announced on Saturday indicates how Head Coach Jacques Nienaber intends to take on the touring British and Irish Lions team. This follows the announcement of Warren Gatland’s British and Irish Lions squad as well as the coaching team. Many expect this Lions group to be very adventurous in their approach to the […]
What an honour it was for the Blues Super Rugby team. The very first franchise to face the touring British and Irish Lions, and somehow they managed to create even more history in beating the tourists 22-16. In a massive game, the Blues created a piece of history as Ihaia West ran 30 metres to […]
(More Articles are available below this video.)
Ever found yourself in a chat with a rugby-mad buddy, only to be baffled by the lingo and the rules? Let’s start unscrambling that confusion by diving into the world of the National Rugby League (NRL) – the premier global competition in Rugby League.
Warren Gatland has had his say on the Rugby World Cup in France in his recent UK Daily Telegraph article. Wales failed to progress beyond the last eight not because they were outfought and outthought. Rather that there is something wrong with the rules of the game, and how it is played at the highest […]
In a look back, Last Word on Rugby views the Rugby Heroes and Villains for 2023. Not focused entirely on one or the other – balanced in as how the sport of rugby union is a team-based game; as much as for individuals who can shine or be villainised for their contributions. Over the last […]
The 2023 Rugby Canada women’s team might be seen as one of the best years in the national team’s history. There were many highlights for the national team, including playing the Pacific Four Series in the nation’s capital in the summer. 2023 Rugby Canada women’s team: Finished second in the WXV 1 competition Strengths Players […]
Rugby League players are a talented and fearless bunch, so it only stands to reason that amongst them are some unusual hobbies. If you’ve ever wondered what some of the most exciting rugby league players in the world get up to in their spare time, or get up to now that they’ve retired, then we’ve […]
The Champions Cup game of the Stade Français vs Leicester game will take place on Sunday at 12:30 PM ET. This will be the first group-stage game for Stade Français Paris after the Leicester Tigers won on December 10 against the Stormers. While Stade Français lost on the road against the Sale Sharks, it will […]
The two most impressive teams this past week in European Professional Rugby Club (EPRC) competition were perhaps the Harlequin F.C. and the Exeter Chiefs. And in those games, Marcus Smith and Will Joseph were superb in Harlequins’ scintillating win over Racing 92 in Paris. On Saturday afternoon, the Chiefs were equally impressive in downing mighty […]
If you love a stat or fact, then you’ve come to the right place! After the French Top14 Round Nine concludes, LWOS adds to your weekend’s enjoyment. 14 Fun Facts of Top14 Round Nine Larissa Falls continues her series breaking down the names and numbers from Round Nine of the French Top14. Après un énorme combat, […]
About Author
Ryan Jordan
Ryan is the Managing Editor at Last Word on Rugby and resides in Johannesburg, South Africa. He specializes in opinion pieces relating to International rugby, Super Rugby and domestic rugby in South Africa.
His career highlights include being granted media accreditation for the Rugby World Cup tournament.