Rugby

12:02 AM BST There have been plenty of talking points, on and off the field, in Australian rugby circles this week, with the game even getting some air time in the Federal Budget on Tuesday night. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg confirmed the Australian Government’s financial support for the 2027 World Cup bid, while the SANZAAR judiciary

12:17 AM BST There was no shortage of talking points across another busy weekend of Super Rugby Pacific, but sadly most of them were overshadowed by another busy weekend of high-tackle debate. Brumbies coach Dan McKellar has again raised the idea of an “orange card” after his team continued their unbeaten start to the season,

3:37 PM BST Prop Marlie Packer scored a hat trick of tries as England got their Six Nation’s title defence underway with a 57-5 victory against Scotland at Edinburgh’s DAM Health Stadium on Saturday. The result was the Red Roses’ 19th-straight win, breaking the record for most consecutive Test match wins, which was set by

4:31 PM BST France scrum-half Antoine Dupont has been named 2022 men’s Six Nations player of the championship after guiding his team to their first Grand Slam and Six Nations title since 2010, tournament organisers said on Friday. The 25-year-old was instrumental in the final as France held off England to clinch a 25-13 victory

12:44 AM BST The head of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) has repeated his backing of Eddie Jones and his belief that England are making progress, but admitted the upbeat statement of support on Sunday should have shown more understanding of fans’ frustration. Echoing Jones’s positive comments after the defeat by France, their third of

3:08 PM BST Emily Scarratt will make her first appearance for England in more than 10 months as the Red Roses look to make history when they begin their Six Nations title defense against Scotland on Saturday. The 32-year-old missed the side’s autumn campaign after breaking her leg in the opening round of the Premier

4:51 AM BST Reuters with ESPN staff Super Rugby Pacific organisers on Thursday announced new dates for four matches involving New Zealand sides that were postponed due to COVID-19. The match between the Hurricanes and Chiefs has been rescheduled for April 3, while the Highlanders will face Moana Pasifika on April 8. The Hurricanes’ game

2:08 AM BST The shifting assessment of Taniela Tupou’s cleanout of Jahrome Brown tells you everything you need to know about rugby’s ongoing wrestle with foul play – and that the breakdown looms as the next likely flashpoint, potentially at the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Tupou was on Wednesday night cleared of any wrongdoing, the

12:54 PM BST Frenchman Loik Le Priol has been arrested in Hungary in connection with the murder in Paris last weekend of former Argentine rugby international Federico Aramburu, a source at the Paris prosecutor’s office said on Wednesday. “I can confirm that Loik Le Priol was arrested last night in Hungary,” said the source, following

12:03 PM BST Bethan Clargo For the first two months of her new job, Lisa Neumann had a 200-mile commute. She didn’t mind the four-hour drive down the M6 from Manchester to the National Centre of Excellence in Cardiff. It was a journey she had made hundreds of times in the past few years to

12:16 AM BST France are rejoicing after Les Bleus achieved their first Six Nations Grand Slam since 2012 with a 25-13 victory over England at the Stade de France. That result was good enough to push them up to second on World Rugby’s Test rankings behind only South Africa, with the All Blacks at No.

11:08 AM BST Former England wing Ugo Monye has said the Rugby Football Union’s claim that they were encouraged by England’s progress during the Six Nations is “dishonest”. On Sunday, the RFU said they were “encouraged by the solid progress”, England made despite winning only two games and suffering three defeats, and added that they

12:12 AM BST Sam Bruce Close ESPN Associate Editor Sam was brought up on long drives and the dusty fields of north-west New South Wales, where he developed his love of rugby from an early age. He joined ESPNscrum after a five-year stint heading up Fox Sports Australia’s digital rugby coverage. Brittany Mitchell Close ESPN

9:58 PM BST France claimed their first Grand Slam and championship title in the Six Nations since 2010 as they beat England 25-13 on Saturday after passing a test of nerves in a contest they largely dominated at a packed Stade de France. Fabien Galthie’s side showed their brilliance in an exhilarating opening half, although

6:55 PM BST Ireland kept the Six Nations championship alive for a few hours at least with a Triple Crown-clinching 26-5 victory over Scotland in Dublin, meaning France must beat England in Paris later on Saturday to win their first championship in 12 years. The host’s more controlled attacking rugby shaded an entertaining first half,

12:56 PM BST The Melbourne Rebels’ winless woes have continued into Round 5 as they fell to their 10th straight loss, their fifth in 2022, after they were unable to convert their riches of possession and territory, falling 24-19 to the Waratahs at the SCG. Floundering second from the bottom of the Super Rugby Pacific

4:19 PM BST Wing Edoardo Padovani scored a late try as Italy stunned their hosts Wales 22-21 to secure a first ever win in Cardiff and end their 36-game losing streak in the Six Nations on Saturday. A brilliant break from rookie fullback Ange Capuozzo set up the score for Padovani, and when fly-half Paolo

4:54 PM BST Six Scotland players including captain Stuart Hogg and Finn Russell have been disciplined after they breached team protocols following their Six Nations victory over Italy last weekend. Scotland beat Italy 33-22 for a bonus-point win at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. Upon their return to Edinburgh, the players left the team hotel