United Rugby Championship
The South African rugby results in European competition have been more positive than the more pragmatic fans would have expected. Travel and squad depth has been a constant concern for many, especially when the step up from the URC to full European involvement was brought into the equation. Review 2021/22 South African rugby results in […]
The Glasgow Warriors 2022/23 squad will be the ones to get the United Rugby Championship new season underway, as they travel to Treviso to face Benetton in round one on Friday night. They will be hoping that a positive result in Italy will be the good start they need this year, to have a strong […]
With just 10 days to go until the start of the new United Rugby Championship season, we preview how Scotland’s capital city side Edinburgh Rugby can build on a successful campaign last year and push to reach another gear this 2022/23 season. Edinburgh Rugby: What their upcoming season looks like? 2021/22 Season The DHL Stormers […]
Jamie Roberts’ rugby career; one that spans over a decade, has come to a close – no surprise to the majority, yet it is with fondness that many International and Welsh fans will look back on his stellar time as part of Warren Gatland’s Welsh team. Jamie Roberts’ rugby career in numbers Roberts honed his […]
The SA Rugby migration to Europe has been a resounding success. The DHL Stormers defeated the Vodacom Bulls in an all-South African final of the United Rugby Championship. Ryan Jordan considers the success of the transition of SA Rugby’s franchise teams from Super Rugby to the URC, as well as some work to be done […]
You could say, not since 2017, has the challenge been bigger. And this touring Irish squad has an opportunity like few others, to win games and even the entire 2022 Summer tour. New Zealand will undoubtedly feel the same – by turning this Irish visit into motivation to avenge last year’s loss in Dublin. The […]
The Māori All Blacks have played Ireland on two previous occasions, the most famous being the New Zealand Natives’ 13-4 win at Landsdowne Road in Dublin in 1888. So the news that two additional Māori All Blacks Ireland fixtures give many traditional supporters a feel-good factor. After the disruption of the last 24 months, seeing […]
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 […]
Last Saturday’s emotional victory over Bristol Bears secured Leicester Tigers a home semi-final in the end-of-season play-offs. This weekend however is Leicester Tigers’ toughest challenge yet as European heavyweights Leinster roll into town, for what should be a mouth-watering clash in the Champions Cup Quarter-Final. As to be expected, the fixture has caught the excitement […]
The United Rugby Championship South African teams update as they return from a week off presents fans with a slightly surprising leading light. Ryan Jordan reflects on their log standings after nine rounds of play. United Rugby Championship South African teams The overall championship table is led by two Irish and two Scottish teams. Despite […]
Angus Curtis says he wants to take every opportunity to get more game time following his recent injury issues with Ulster. 23-year-old Ulster centre Angus Curtis has gained good game time for Ulster this season for the first time since a nasty knee injury that kept him out for over 16 months. Born in Zimbabwe, […]
Wayne Pivac named his Six Nations squad earlier on this week and it did include a couple of uncapped players and a particular player that should interest supporters will be hooker Dewi Lake. It has been a very interesting career for Lake who started player rugby at Valley Ravens as a youngster before moving on […]
The Welsh rugby regions are falling behind in regional competitions. New correspondent Iestyn Rhys Thomas tracks the changes through the years. Every time during international Test windows in Wales, all you hear about is rugby, rugby and the odd splash of rugby. Yet after the Six Nations has been decided or another autumn campaign comes to […]
More and more, mandating that only a fully vaccinated rugby player policy introduction will have an impact on both Northern and Southern hemisphere competitions. The internal reactions from rugby unions and administrators take into account the health and welfare of all stakeholders. Yet with personal choice highlighting some genuine fears and more social media scaremongering, […]
BREAKING: Fresh news out of South Africa may be a blessing in disguise, as a re-scheduled United Rugby Championship offers two South African derby matches as a resolution for the disrupted 2021/22 competition. As reported widely from Friday, November 26, the outbreak of a new variant of Covid-19 named OMICRON meant Round Six fixtures on […]
The United Rugby Championship Covid 19 scare this week underlined how fragile intercontinental competition remains. Games can be canceled at very short notice. Unfinished fixture lists also bring full competition results into question. Canceled fixtures South African rugby fans woke up to the unexpected news on Friday morning that the much-anticipated matches against Munster, Cardiff. […]
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Outgoing WRU CEO Steve Phillips may have left the governing body in a disgraced position, but the shortlist of possible replacements is a high quality one, full of business acumen and sporting awareness. Last Word takes you through the 10 best candidates for the top role as the next WRU CEO. New WRU CEO can […]
The 2023 Calcutta Cup is set for one of its most intriguing battles for many a year. England has a new coach, a seemingly new approach and they desperately need a win. Scotland have been the perennial underachiever with Gregor Townsend at the helm. So, who wins it? It is such a difficult one to […]
The last few weeks have been a challenging time for the community game in England. The Rugby Football Union (RFU) announced its intention in changing the tackle height in the game below level three (National One) from July. This new change will see the tackle height reduced from shoulder height down to waist height. Reaction […]
Whether it be the gritty grounds of the Championship or blockbuster encounters at Twickenham, there’s something special about watching live rugby. There are always little moments you won’t experience watching TV. With this in mind, we thought stadium reviews could be a useful addition moving forward. We start with Welford Road, the home of the […]
The Rugby Europe men’s championship is days away from the first kick-off, in a fully new revamped competition that, for the first time ever, will have eight teams fighting for the chance to be the Kings of Europe – not counting the Six Nations, of course. Until last season, the Rugby Europe Championship was comprised […]
While all the talk of the “final event ever” was in all reality true, this cannot be the final HSBC New Zealand Sevens tournament. It seems counter to the actual understanding of the game. Which team’s appeared in the finals? Who sits atop the standings? [New Zealand sits atop all contenders over the men’s and […]
The excitement is building for the opening 2023 Six Nations clash – England v Scotland 2023. That is despite both teams being hit with injuries that have altered the squad makeup. In an interesting subplot to the Calcutta Cup, Edinburgh thoroughly outplayed an England-laden Saracens over the weekend, to strike the first psychological blow. Thereafter, […]
Following the allegations against the Welsh Rugby Union of sexist, misogynistic and toxic culture within, there must now be an independent enquiry into the governing body and that call must be answered by their highest peers…. Welsh Rugby Union faces dark truth unveiling… Charlotte Wathan, a former WRU Manager was told by a male colleague […]