Sitting idle and isolated in the South Pacific, there will be some much-needed rugby sevens competition for both New Zealand Sevens teams in Fiji during March. Announcing a series of tournaments that will help prepare both the Black Ferns Sevens and the All Blacks Sevens teams ahead of the return of the HSBC Sevens Series […]

Across the board, all nations have had to make the best of it. Yet for sides downunder and being somewhat isolated, the NZ rugby preseason for each of the XVs and 7s sides has had to be creative and especially reactive. Covid-19 has changed or made near impossible so many of the prearranged set preseason […]

Last Word on Rugby Spanish correspondent, Edward Anderson gives us the lowdown on a rare international rugby sevens tournament – the World Rugby Madrid 7s 2021. Scheduled over two weekends, it will be a pinnacle event for many invited nations; when competition is hard to find in the Covid era. Plus, an update on Leonas […]

Here is your Fiji rugby sevens update: & it’s good news. There will be Fiji rugby sevens in the new year. It will take the form of a new Super Sevens Series scheduled for this weekend. Good news for any fans of 7s although, organizers will surely be observant of both Covid-19 as well as […]

With restrictions lifting, the ‘Red Bull Ignite7’ tournament for women and men kickstarted the Summer of Sevens which should entertain fans of the shortened game over the New Year seasonal timeline. New Zealand’s leading women’s players joined the men in massing in Mount Maunganui, to restart the stalled sevens season. Halted due to the Coronavirus […]

In what will be a virtual awards ceremony, the 2020 World Rugby Awards are to be presented on Monday, November 7. And this year, the sport will also crown publically judged ‘decades greatest’ categories. World Rugby Hall of Fame inductee Maggie Alphonsi and rugby presenter Alex Payne host the show, which will be available for […]

For the majority of fans, they sustain a rugby life balance. One where participating, following and enjoying watching the game is Nirvana. But now, under the rugby lockdown, there is less and less to enjoy. So to fans who have very little to digest, we present RUGBY LIFE – news and views across the Rugby […]

With frantic 2020 Tokyo Olympics qualification tournaments underway across World Rugby, the nations and regional tournaments completed and in the planning, have promoted diversity in Rugby Sevens. By diversity, it refers to both the Tier of the country competing (position within World Rugby), but also in the competition between regions. From Asia to Africa, every […]

It is with real sadness, that Last Word on Rugby bid farewell to a dear friend and contributor. Jovilisi Waqa. Our Rugby Sevens Guru and the cornerstone of the sites Pacifica rugby content. It is to our friend Jovi, that we say ‘Vinaka Vakalevu’ our friend. Jovi was to the rugby sevens coverage for LWOR, […]

It’s a longstanding question and one that has no definitive answer; can American football players hack it in rugby or vice versa? Lovers of rugby will say that NFL American Football players lack the stamina to play over 80 minutes while NFL fans may feel that rugby players lack the tactical discipline to succeed in […]

The Police Rugby sevens side; laced with seasoned Fiji 7s stars, have defended their McDonalds Coral Coast Sevens title in style over tournament favorites Tabadamu, 17-0. The defending champion mastered the wet conditions at Lawaqa Park, with tries to Rusiate Matai, Necani Nawaqadau and Filipe Sauturaga, with Sauturaga named the Campese-Serevi Medal Winner as Player […]

Day three of the 2019 McDonalds Coral Coast Sevens will see the start of the I Wau men’s competition, with local side Tabadamu chasing their maiden title. The mix of 16 invited and local-based sides is what is popular about the CC7s tournament. Based on the fun of playing sevens in Fiji, teams like Police […]

The McDonalds 2019 Coral Coast Sevens is shaping up to be one of the best in recent years. Women’s, men’s and Youth teams from across the rugby globe and locally, will all battle it out in the four-day tournament that begins on Wednesday, and ends on Sunday with the men’s Cup final. 16 Men’s and […]

Talent identification is a critical tool for all leading rugby nations, and this week New Zealand Rugby pointed the finger squarely at Nico Jones. A talented student from national schools champions St Peter’s College, who happens to be the son of the ‘Iceman’ – former All Black Michael Jones. Aside from his father, Nico Jones has […]

Olympic Sevens champions Fiji and Australia reigned supreme at the 2018 Oceania Rugby Sevens tournament, after two hectic days of competition at the ANZ Stadium in Suva, Fiji. The Fiji Airways men’s Fiji Sevens team scored through Waisea Nacuqu in extra-time, to overcome World Cup and Commonwealth Games champions New Zealand 17-12. On the other […]

The current World and Commonwealth Games Sevens Champions New Zealand, want to add the Oceania title to their current title. Both the New Zealand teams heading up to Fiji will be out to add the Oceania Rugby Sevens Championship titles to their already impressive Trophy cabinet. The men’s and women’s teams hold titles from their […]

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 […]

Last week saw Leicester Tigers announce a host of new contracts for existing squad members, as well as new signings ahead of next season. What was striking was that on both sides of the coin it showed the Tigers’ squad building strategy continues to follow a theme and purpose that started three years ago. This […]

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 […]

World Rugby gets plenty of stick yet deserves praise for its decisions over the last 12 months with the freshly appointed Rugby World Cup hosts being one of them. Other policies and decisions include; the change in eligibility laws will that allow Pacific Island teams to compete and encourage their qualified national representatives to continue […]

The 2021/22 Indigo Group Premiership and end of season rewards are revealed after another thrilling season of community rugby. Indigo Group Premiership Team of the Season After a season of both an Indigo Group Cup and Premiership, the Team of the Season has been selected by Robert Rees. Rowan Jenkins (Aberavon) Will Griffiths (Newport) Geraint […]

USA Rugby got a huge boost today as they will host the 2031 Rugby World Cup (men’s) and the 2033 Women’s Rugby World Cup. They will be hoping to replicate the success Japan had in the 2019 Rugby World Cup (men’s). USA Rugby was given rights to host both Rugby World Cups Embed from Getty […]

TORONTO, ON – Rugby New York won the game, thanks largely to their strong start to the game. They scored the first 17 points of the game, as they found ways to get behind the Toronto Arrows’ defence on the road. Rugby New York really played well offensively in a 41-17 road win in Toronto […]

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 […]