THIS SEASON is the last the Pro12 will have the title sponsor, RaboDirect. The bank have opted not to renew its sponsorship contract with the league, meaning that just as…
Rugby World
Diary of a new academy recruit in NZ – Part Three
SINCE MY last blog on my stay at the Inside Running Academy, a huge amount of things have happened in a very short amount of time: finals, gym sessions, tough…
England’s back-row headache for Stuart Lancaster
By Alan Dymock IT’S NOT long until the Aviva Premiership season starts and we’ve only just stopped nursing our British and Irish Lions hangovers. However, with the start of the…
Top 14: Clash of the big spenders with Toulon v Racing
By Alan Dymock AS CLASHES go, Toulon versus Racing Metro draws more attention that John McCririck’s wardrobe. The two superstar-stables do battle in the second round of France’s Top 14…
Rugby Championship: Minimal changes for Round 2
By Alan Dymock AS INEVITABLE as the front of the newspapers showing flaxen-haired teenage girls jumping for joy on school-results day, the big guns have made almost no changes for…
Hotshots: Meet Worcester rugby youngster Ben Howard
Your dad Chris played for England Colts, Bristol and Rugby. When did you first play? At Sandal when I was six. We moved to Warwick when I was eight and…
Minis: How to play King of the Ring
THE ENGLAND women’s team play King of the Ring as part of their training and it’s just as suitable for young minis wanting a bit of rough and tumble as…
Top 14: Toulouse coach going the way of the Gunners
By Gavin Mortimer IF THERE’S one man who knows how Arsene Wenger is feeling this week it’s Toulouse coach Guy Noves. Like the Arsenal manager, Noves ended Saturday afternoon with…
RWC2015: Canada in driving seat heading into decider with USA
By Alan Dymock INSURMOUNTABLE IT ain’t, but the USA Eagles have a tough task ahead, overcoming the odds and qualifying outright for Rugby World Cup 2015 after losing 27-9 to…
Beware the return of Juan Smith
By Alan Dymock AS RUGBY becomes more competitive, more sponsor-driven, more about the trophies than the humans involved, there is a chance that some folk could get chewed up and…