Rugby News, Analysis, History, Schedule, Rumours
To the delight of many, Japan Top League preseason/training matches began in the lead-up to the 2021 season start. That is, despite raised Covid-19 fears, with the latest strain placing ongoing pressure on Japanese borders. Overseas players who have all been imported to support the raised profile of rugby union, may now also now feel […] READ MORE
Nearly 35,000 turned out on Sunday afternoon, as delighted Blues Super Rugby fans were back in the winning mood they have grown [a little] used to. The 21-17 victory was tough on the field; the Chiefs may have suffered a series of losses but, they pushed the home side right to the final whistle. And […] READ MORE
Rugby union players can be well paid, and despite the pandemic, there are still plenty of lucrative contracts out there. Looking at various media sources, Last Word has identified the highest-paid rugby union players in the world. 14th. Faf de Klerk – £500,000 The Sale Sharks and World Cup-winning scrum-half is pocketing half a million […] READ MORE
Auckland Blues star back Beauden Barrett has announced he’ll take a year off from Super Rugby to play in Japan, with the contract thought to be worth nearly £800,000. Beauden Barrett bids goodbye! Beauden Barrett, who signed a four year deal with the NZRU last year will miss the 2021 Super Rugby season to play […] READ MORE
Blues fans were overjoyed by the news last year of a star signing for 2020. However, a Beauden Barrett Blues first cap may not come until April – a long wait for what might be some Easter treats will test some supporters resolve. And by then…..it could be too late. Not to be overly skeptical, […] READ MORE
England v New Zealand is the first of two mouthwatering semi-finals as the 2019 World Cup reaches its climax. Many are saying that this is the final a week early. It is hard to disagree with this sentiment given how good England and New Zealand were in the quarter-finals. For all of the positivity around […] READ MORE
To the delight of their wide fan base, a phenomenal New Zealand All Blacks team has literally ‘shown all their cards’ at 2019 Rugby World Cup. They have blitzed Ireland, to make a strong statement and proceed to the semifinals. And it was phenomenal, as they built on an impressive opening half of rugby, that […] READ MORE
The All Blacks team to play Canada has been named, with 16 players ready to make their World Cup debut, in only the defending champions second match. 10 days after #NZLvRSA, it appears that RWC rest days has applied unfamiliar pressure on the All Blacks with assistant coach Ian Foster addressing the pressures of the […] READ MORE
The Rugby World Cup in Japan is underway, and a few elite teams have looked seriously impressive in the early stages of the tournament. After enjoying the first round of fixtures, Last Word on Rugby has looked closely at the results, and found a shortlist of top performers. An agreement has been reached, and these […] READ MORE
Some considered Beauden Barrett at fullback a waste. Yet as the Barrett/Mo’unga combination flourishes after the Bledisloe Cup win on Saturday night it may be now seen as a masterstroke, particularly after the 36-0 victory over Australia. The two-time World Rugby Player of the Year had been assigned the fullback jersey (for the opening tests […] READ MORE