Rugby

5:42 AM BST There is a new sporting team in Los Angeles. No, it’s not yet another NFL team relocating to the City of Angels nor another NHL or MLB franchise. The latest team to call LA home will be playing rugby union, joining the Major League Rugby [MLR] competition for its fourth season that

When the fourth season of Major League Rugby kicks off this weekend, a new team will cross the white line to take their competition bow – one with a distinctly Australian flavour. The LA Giltinis begin their journey at home to the New England Free Jacks boasting an Australian general manager, head coach, assistant coach

11:00 AM BST England have made one change for their trip to Ireland in the Six Nations with Elliot Daly starting at outside centre. Daly comes in for Henry Slade who is sidelined with a calf injury. Harlequins centre Joe Marchant is added to the bench, but bar those two changes, Eddie Jones has retained

11:35 AM BST Hollie Davidson will referee Friday’s PRO14 game between Munster and Benetton with Joy Neville serving as television match official (TMO), making it the first top-tier men’s professional match with both roles filled by female officials. Scotland’s Davidson, 28, was set to take charge of a European Challenge Cup game in January and

10:31 AM BST Ireland and Munster No.8 CJ Stander has announced he will retire from rugby at the end of the season. The news will come as a shock to rugby as Stander, 30, is starting for Ireland in the ongoing Six Nations, and is regarded as one of the finest back-rows in Europe. But

10:07 AM BST World Rugby has launched a new annual three-tier global women’s tournament as it seek to create more a competitive international landscape and grow the Women’s Rugby World Cup to 16 teams. WXV will start in 2023 and has initially been supported by a 6.4-million pound ($8.8 million) investment from the global governing

3:42 AM BST Melbourne prop Pone Fa’amausili faced many challenges with unexpectedly being on the road last year for six months, including clothing his hulking frame. Standing 196cm and weighing 130kg, Fa’amausili was caught short when the Rebels’ dash interstate to beat border closures in mid-2020 turned into six months. As well as being part

5:07 PM BST Ireland have confirmed that James Ryan and Garry Ringrose won’t be available for their final Six Nations game against England after both picked up injuries. Ryan was taken off the pitch during Ireland’s 27-24 victory over Scotland for a HIA assessment 10 minutes from the end of the game and the Irish

5:31 PM BST Johnny Sexton steered Ireland to a 27-24 victory over Scotland at Murrayfield on Sunday, grinding down a sparkling but indisciplined home side to cap off a brilliant weekend of Six Nations rugby and send his team shooting up the standings. Tries by Robbie Henshaw and Tadhg Beirne and the unerring boot of

7:48 PM GMT The turning point of this wonderful match came with nine minutes left. England had a penalty in their own half, and you could make out a voice saying to George Ford: “Fordy… this is when we turn the game!” England were four points down. France, who played some wondrous rugby, were looking

6:49 PM GMT England lock Maro Itoje left it late to secure victory for England. Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images A late Maro Itoje try secured England a 23-20 victory over France in a Six Nations game full of high-speed, enterprising rugby at Twickenham on Saturday to leave the championship wide open. England were

4:32 PM GMT Wales moved to within one step of a Six Nations Grand Slam after scoring seven tries in a 48-7 thrashing of Italy in Rome on Saturday. Wayne Pivac’s side, fresh from sealing the Triple Crown against England, made short work of the error-plagued Azzurri and will clinch a stunning Grand Slam if

2:29 PM GMT Having lost a game due to COVID-19 in Round 3, things have been less turbulent in the run up to this weekend’s batch of Six Nations matches. Wales are two matches away from a remarkable Grand Slam, while France are still in the mix for a clean sweep, but goodness knows when,

1:53 PM GMT Jamison Gibson Park will start at scrum-half ahead of Conor Murray for Ireland’s match against Scotland in the Six Nations on Sunday. Andy Farrell has made three changes to the Ireland squad with the experienced scrum-half Murray on the bench following his return from injury. – Play ESPN’s Rugby Pick’em for FREE

1:53 PM GMT Scotland have made four changes, including a first runout in this year’s Six Nations for centre Sam Johnson, as coach Gregor Townsend on Thursday named his side to face Ireland at Murrayfield on Sunday. In the pack, prop WP Nel comes in at tighthead while Jamie Ritchie returns at blindside flanker. –

12:51 PM GMT Centre Virimi Vakatawa is back in the starting line-up as France gear up for their Six Nations clash against England at Twickenham on Saturday. Vakatawa, who missed Les Bleus’s opening wins against Italy and Ireland with a knee injury, features alongside Gael Fickou while Matthieu Jalibert starts again at fly-half despite the

11:00 AM GMT England have made three changes for Saturday’s Six Nations match against France at Twickenham, with Max Malins starting at fullback. Malins has six caps for England, but this is his first Test start as he replaces Elliot Daly in the starting XV at No. 15. Daly drops to the bench while Luke

7:51 AM GMT World Rugby has formally ratified a recommendation to postpone this year’s women’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand to 2022 due to uncertainties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the sport’s global governing body said on Tuesday. It also announced a funding package of £2 million ($2.78m) to assist unions hit by the