Rugby

Liam Napier Sep 25, 2024, 12:43 AM Open Extended Reactions Five straight final quarter fades isn’t the only issue the All Blacks must solve in their rematch with the Wallabies this weekend. The buffeting Wellington wind carries the seemingly crippling curse of the capital, too. The All Blacks’ final home Test of the year, before

Tom Hamilton, Senior WriterSep 24, 2024, 05:06 PM Close • Joined ESPN in 2011• Covered two Olympics, a pair of Rugby World Cups and two British & Irish Lions tours• Previously rugby editor, and became senior writer in 2018 Open Extended Reactions England are set to appoint Joe El-Abd as the team’s new defence coach. Photo by Ryan Hiscott/Getty

Meanwhile, the All Blacks survived a stirring Wallabies comeback in Sydney to claim their second win of the tournament. Read on as we review some of the key takeaways from the weekend. If you flicked off the TV after 15 minutes of Bledisloe I, and then came back an hour later, it would have been

Liam Napier in Sydney Sep 18, 2024, 05:30 AM Open Extended Reactions Maybe it’s the need for New Zealand to prove itself on the sporting stage. Maybe it’s the constant desire to get one over our closest neighbours. Whatever the overarching reasoning, the All Blacks will never take the Bledisloe Cup for granted. There’s a

Open Extended Reactions After a week’s break the Rugby Championship is back with plenty still on the line. In case you need a reminder of what we last saw, the Springboks came from behind again to make it four straight wins against the All Blacks, while the Wallabies were smashed by the Pumas in Argentina

Tom Hamilton, Senior WriterSep 17, 2024, 04:35 PM Close • Joined ESPN in 2011• Covered two Olympics, a pair of Rugby World Cups and two British & Irish Lions tours• Previously rugby editor, and became senior writer in 2018 Open Extended Reactions Simon Easterby will coach Ireland’s men’s team in the 2025 Six Nations while Andy Farrell takes

Sam Bruce, Deputy Editor, espn.com.auSep 16, 2024, 02:32 AM Close 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 ESPN after a five-year stint heading up Fox Sports Australia’s digital rugby coverage. Open Extended Reactions

James Regan Sep 14, 2024, 07:56 PM Open Extended Reactions TWICKENHAM, London — England have accepted the fact they will carry extra pressure and responsibility into next year’s home World Cup, but if they do go all the way in 12-months’ time and win the tournament for the first time in a decade, fans are

James Regan Sep 14, 2024, 04:41 PM Open Extended Reactions TWICKENHAM, London — England swept past world champions New Zealand with a 24-12 win at Allianz Stadium on Saturday to record their second straight win over the Black Ferns. It was a statement win for England ahead of the upcoming WXV 1 tournament in Canada

Sep 9, 2024, 11:29 AM Open Extended Reactions South Africa captain Siya Kolisi says he would like to be part of the team should Rieko Ioane’s New Zealand tour SA in 2026. Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images Over the course of two nail-biting Rugby Championship contests in South Africa, both won by the hosts, the Springboks and All

Sam Bruce, Deputy Editor, espn.com.auSep 8, 2024, 12:07 AM Close 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 ESPN after a five-year stint heading up Fox Sports Australia’s digital rugby coverage. Open Extended Reactions

Tom Hamilton, Senior WriterSep 6, 2024, 02:47 PM Close • Joined ESPN in 2011• Covered two Olympics, a pair of Rugby World Cups and two British & Irish Lions tours• Previously rugby editor, and became senior writer in 2018 Open Extended Reactions Dan Tobin was the head of performance at Gloucester Rugby. Photo by Harry Trump/Getty Images England’s men’s

Sep 6, 2024, 10:59 AM Scott and Jenny Hastings (left) at the 2014 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Awards. Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage Jenny Hastings, the wife of ex-Scotland rugby international Scott Hastings, has gone missing after disappearing at a wild swimming spot near Edinburgh. Jenny was reported as having gone missing at Wardie Bay

Michael DiRocco, ESPN Staff WriterSep 4, 2024, 10:41 PM Close Michael DiRocco is an NFL reporter at ESPN. DiRocco covers the Jacksonville Jaguars. He previously covered the University of Florida for over a decade for ESPN.com and Florida Times-Union. DiRocco graduated from Jacksonville University and is a multiple APSE award winner. You can follow DiRocco

Tom Hamilton, Senior WriterSep 4, 2024, 07:00 PM Close • Joined ESPN in 2011• Covered two Olympics, a pair of Rugby World Cups and two British & Irish Lions tours• Previously rugby editor, and became senior writer in 2018 Open Extended Reactions Rugby Football Union (RFU) CEO Bill Sweeney said the organisation feels “deeply disappointed” by Aled Walters

Tom Hamilton, Senior WriterSep 4, 2024, 03:00 PM Close • Joined ESPN in 2011• Covered two Olympics, a pair of Rugby World Cups and two British & Irish Lions tours• Previously rugby editor, and became senior writer in 2018 Open Extended Reactions The announcement on Wednesday of the new-look Men’s Professional Game Partnership (MPGP) for English rugby came

Sep 4, 2024, 03:26 PM Open Extended Reactions The Rugby Football Union, Premiership Rugby and the Rugby Players Association revealed an eight-year plan on Wednesday that they say should align the three organisations across a host of areas after 18 months of wrangling. The Men’s Professional Game Partnership (MPGP) aims “to create world-leading English international

Open Extended Reactions South Africa Rugby has issued an apology for a “simple human error” after music and pyrotechnics overshadowed the All Blacks’ haka ahead of Saturday’s Test against the Springboks in Johannesburg. The national union had been accused of disrespecting the All Blacks’ traditional pre-game challenge, which this week carried extra significance following the