Rugby

9:55 AM GMT There is nothing like a rugby Test, in almost clean sporting air in Australia, to ignite the casual fans’ disenchantment with the sport – particularly when it comes to the game’s high tackle laws. Saturday night’s Bledisloe Cup thriller in Brisbane won’t go down as one of the great trans-Tasman contests, after

7:00 AM GMT Winger Tom Wright had to bide his time for a test debut under new Wallabies coach Dave Rennie but needed only two minutes to make an impression in Saturday’s win over the All Blacks. The 23-year-old ACT Brumbies man had visualised his first involvement in the days leading up to the 24-22

7:00 AM GMT All Blacks coach Ian Foster has urged his team to play “smarter”, claiming they were “provoked” into losing their discipline by a niggly Wallabies side during the tight loss in Brisbane. Foster tasted a bitter first defeat as head coach of the All Blacks after his reshuffled side fell 24-22 in Saturday’s

12:51 AM GMT All Blacks captain Sam Cane admits a repeat of Saturday’s 14-a-side Bledisloe Cup Test might be hard to avoid given the frenetic nature of Test rugby. Debutant Wallabies flanker Lachie Swinton and All Blacks forward Ofa Tu’ungafasi both received first-half red cards for high shots. Tu’ungafasi’s hit on Tom Wright brought pats

1:14 PM GMT Joe Marler and Elliot Daly have rejoined England’s squad for the Autumn Nations Cup after recovering from injury, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) said on Saturday. Scrum-half Alex Mitchell has also been named in the 36-man squad for England’s opening test against Georgia at Twickenham Stadium on Nov. 14, but Jack Singleton

4:07 PM GMT Scrum-half Antoine Dupont was voted the Six Nations Player of the Championship on Friday, becoming the first Frenchman to pick up the award in the history of the competition. Dupont recorded one try and four assists as his blistering runs in the open field threatened defences throughout the competition. 1 Related The

1:06 PM GMT Welsh Rugby Union chief executive Steve Phillips has said talks have taken place about the possibility of rescheduling the 2021 Six Nations amid uncertainty over whether COVID-19 restrictions will be eased in time to allow the return of fans to stadiums. This year’s competition was only completed on Oct. 31 behind closed

11:23 AM GMT Finn Russell made his return to the Scotland squad for their impressive win over Wales in the Six Nations. Photo by GEOFF CADDICK/POOL/AFP via Getty Images Scotland flyhalves Finn Russell and Adam Hastings will miss their upcoming Autumn Nations Cup games due to injury, head coach Gregor Townsend told the BBC. Russell limped

8:51 AM GMT New Zealand loose forward Akira Ioane was on the brink of walking away from professional rugby last year until his father, former Samoa international Eddie, gave him a metaphorical “boot up the bum” and asked him if he would rather work a 9-5 job. “I came to, and said ‘no’,” said Ioane,

7:12 AM GMT There is no hiding from the obvious: The Wallabies have played truly terrible rugby for the past 120 minutes. As a result, they have turned a promising first-up showing in Wellington and solid opening half in Auckland into an ugly 2-0-1 record that means the Bledisloe Cup has been filled with Steinlager,

12:45 AM GMT Reece Hodge will play his first Test for Australia at flyhalf against New Zealand in Brisbane this weekend after coach Dave Rennie made six changes to his starting side for the fourth Bledisloe Test. With James O’Connor still struggling with a knee injury that ruled him out of last weekend’s record 43-5

5:12 AM GMT ESPN staff The South African Rugby Union (SA Rugby) has reaffirmed its commitment to the Rugby Championship for the next decade, tournament organisers SANZAAR said on Wednesday, bringing an end to speculation that the three-time Rugby World Cup winners may look to join Europe’s Six Nations. The four-nation SANZAAR alliance faced turmoil

5:24 AM GMT Australia has the young talent to potentially build the best front row in the world, new scrum coach Petrus Du Plessis said a few days after meeting the players in person for the first time. The South African-born former prop followed head coach Dave Rennie from Glasgow Warriors and has been impressed

6:25 PM GMT Toronto Wolfpack have failed in their attempt to be reinstated into the Super League for 2021 after a majority of the teams voted against the move, the Canadian club said on Monday. The Wolfpack pulled out of this year’s competition in July citing financial challenges from the COVID-19 outbreak, having failed to

8:00 PM GMT Champions England sealed the Grand Slam in the women’s Six Nations for a second year running after they trounced Italy 54-0 in Parma on Sunday in their final match of the tournament which was postponed from March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. England had already won the title without stepping foot on