The European rugby quarter-finals have finished for another year. Both the Heineken Challenge Cup and Champions Cup quarter-finals were settled last weekend, and they did not disappoint. There was plenty of drama across the two competitions. Knowing this, Last Word on Rugby has analyzed the main talking points. That penalty shoot-out! Breathtaking conclusion The biggest […]

Worcester will be desperately hoping to improve on their last-place finish in the Gallagher Premiership last season. Worcester Warriors 2021/22 Director of Rugby Alan Solomons won’t have the fear of relegation, but, will hope the Warriors can be far more competitive. Worcester Warriors 2021/22 Gallagher Premiership Focus Can Worcester climb the table of such a […]

Last Word on Rugby is refocusing attention on the Gallagher Premiership ahead of the 2021/22 season. We move on to London Irish, who can look forward to their first proper season back in London, with crowds allowed to return. Biggest departure It can only be stalwart Blair Cowan for this title. He stuck with them […]

In the fourth article of our feature series, Last Word on Rugby focuses attention on the Gallagher Premiership ahead of the Gloucester 2021/22 season. This edition turns the focus on Gloucester Rugby, who will be aiming to improve on a disappointing 11th place finish last time out. Focus on Gloucester 2021/22 – Biggest departure The […]

The Champions Cup 2021/22 draw was announced today as the build-up to the new season ramps up. As in last season, the 24 teams were drawn into two pools. Tier 1 sides will take on Tier 4 clubs, whilst Tier 2 and 3 teams will play each other home and away. After the success of […]

The United Rugby Championship has been revealed, replacing the PRO14 and including four former Super Rugby teams from South Africa. This new competition is the realization of long-brewing plans to include the South African teams in European rugby after their fallout with Super Rugby. It should be noted though that the competition has yet to […]

After the Japan Top Rugby and European Professional Club Rugby playoffs concluded, the scene is set for more Northern Hemisphere rugby playoffs over the next month. Japan Top League (JTL) finals played out on the opposite side of the globe, while the two leading European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) leagues played their respective finals; the […]

Yet again, a selection of men from assorted clubs will be in competition to claim European Player of the Year 2021. Picked from all sides apart from the Gallagher Premiership, to discover the one player from French Top 14, and the Guinness PRO14 leagues who are judged by both in a public vote and most […]

The hugely interrupted European calendar this season has provided an opportunity for live test changes to the tournament format. Original plans had the well-supported Champions Cup Round of 16 adjusted in the 2020/21 season. The group stages had already been cut from six games to four, and we ultimately only saw two games before Covid-19 […]

Forced to do it, the executive for European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) has taken the drastic decision to not rescheduled postponed matches in European competition. “The decision was made by the EPCR executive,” said Darren Childs. Premiership Rugby’s chief executive added: “The reason we can’t reschedule those is that there are no available weekends. Our season […]

Cardiff Blues’ Director of Rugby, John Mulvihill, has left his role six months prior to its planned three-year expiry. The region shiftily cited “personal reasons”. Dai Young, original Blues coach, has returned as interim Director of Rugby. Blues are stalled in fourth place, having won five of eleven games in the Guinness Pro14 this season. […]

Wales‘ national team has had a torrid year and the regional teams haven’t fared much better, but the festive Welsh rugby derbies are here regardless. Can they add a little sparkle to an otherwise ugly year as they battle to be the best Welsh region? History has a little something to say about that. History […]

The 2019/20 Gallagher Premiership season is complete and Exeter Chiefs have been crowned champions. Looking back at the domestic and European campaigns of each of the 12 clubs, Robert Rees grades each sides performances. Grades are given based on a combined domestic/European contribution, but Champions Cup rates higher than Challenge Cup. Exeter Chiefs – A++ […]

With the final round of Gallagher Premiership fixtures complete, the confirmed line-ups of the Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup are finalised. Robert Rees brings you all you need to know about the one-off campaign ahead. Heineken Champions Cup sides confirmed There are going 24 teams that make up the top tier tournament for the […]

In a tumultuous season to date, Saracens are now set to compete in another Heineken Champions Cup semi-finals match-up versus Racing 92 on Saturday, September 26. They secured their place with victory over Guinness PRO14 champions Leinster. Winning 25-17, it makes the 2020 season much improved for Mark McCall, as he can feel satisfied that […]

There will be 24 teams in the newly announced 2020/21 Heineken Champions Cup (also called the European Rugby Champions Cup). This is an increase of 20 teams from the 2019/20 Champions Cup structure. These teams will include the top eight clubs from Premiership Rugby, Guinness PRO14, and French Top 14. This new format was created […]

At LWOS, we have previously covered which countries have the most registered players. This got us thinking about other aspects of rugby’s popularity. At the very least, it can indicate how and where rugby flourishes. Using social media statistics, this list ranks the world’s most popular rugby clubs.Of course, social media won’t tell the whole […]

The Toronto Arrows ended the New England Free Jacks’ 10-game-winning streak after the latest round of the Major League Rugby season. It was only the Free Jacks’ second loss of the season. The win at York Lions Stadium also put Toronto back in the MLR playoff race with only two games to go. Toronto Arrows […]

The visual evidence is damming yet, the recent stalling tactics in the recent England v Argentina 7s match at the Toulouse leg of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series has tarnished each nation’s team’s strategic desires to ‘win at all costs’. Yet for all the social media beat-up, it clearly is an aberration in the […]

Indigo Group Premiership transfer season is now underway as club’s start announcing retained staff before moving on to those who they are bringing in. Robert Rees brings you the destination of either incoming or outgoing Prem players. Jack Maynard The fly half is on the move back to Llandovery despite living nearer Cardiff. A great […]

In what feels like a lifetime ago, LWOS began to feature Rugby Europe Qualification coverage. Team’s right across Europe had high hopes, and Spanish Rugby RWC hopes were high – that was until what can be described as self-immolation that has all but spoiled those ambitions. It cannot be overstated just how important qualifying for […]

Australia has been awarded the 2027 men’s Rugby World Cup and the women’s tournament two years later. This has kickstarted talk about whether Rugby Australia will look to a few NRL converts to boost their chances? In the past, NRL converts have had mixed success. For every Sonny Bill Williams, there is a Sam Burgess. […]

Each new squad announced by a head coach brings joy to some corners of the country, and some misery for others. This squad is no different. The latest England men’s rugby squad is out, and supremo Eddie Jones has made some big decisions. There are recalls for discarded stars and first-time call-ups for young talent […]

The Rassie Erasmus waterboy role was addressed by World Rugby with a change in the wording of the relevant law. Head Coaches and Directors of Rugby are now both not permitted to fulfill this role. Rassie Erasmus’s waterboy role was torpedoed by World Rugby Erasmus is very much a Marmite character. You either love him […]