Saturday and Sunday will see most eyes pinned on the Champions Cup where there are plenty of playoff spots to be decided. Toulon have crashed out but can still play a spoiler role in Pool 5 when they host Edinburgh on Saturday. Facundo Isa will start on the flank while …
Read More »Monthly Archives: January 2019
Challenge Cup – Round 5 Preview
Playoff spots are on the line as the European competitions enter the penultimate round of the pool stage. Players from Argentina, Canada, Colombia, and the USA will suit up in the Challenge Cup. A head-to-head battle for top spot in Pool 4 sees Top 14 challengers La Rochelle host Italian …
Read More »Pro D2 – Week 17 Preview
Meanwhile the French Pro D2 is already two weeks past the mid-point. Thursday’s match saw 14-man Brive defeat Biarritz to keep their promotion hopes intact. Axel Müller started on the wing in a feisty game that saw Georgian international Otar Giorgadze sent off early in the first half. Six matches …
Read More »RFU Championship – Week 11 Preview
We reach the midpoint of the Greene King IPA Championship season with all teams in action on one weekend for the first time since October. It’s an unusual calendar this season and certainly one that requires revision ahead of next year. Two top-four teams will go head-to-head on Saturday as …
Read More »MLR Preseason a Work in Progress
The final stages of the of Major League Rugby preseason are fast approaching and with the regular season a little over two weeks away communications departments could afford to pick up the pace a little bit. This past weekend saw three matches take place, and there are five scheduled for …
Read More »Glendale sign Auckland prop Marco Fepulea’i
The Glendale Raptors have boosted their front row stocks with the signing of Marco Fepulea’i from New Zealand provincial champions Auckland. The tighthead prop played 10 matches during the Mitre 10 Cup campaign, including suiting up as a replacement in the Premiership Final win over Canterbury. Fepulea’i is Auckland-born but …
Read More »2018 ARN Rookie of the Year
Despite being just ahead of a World Cup year, 2018 mimicked 2017 with 66 players capped for the first time by one of the Americas Rugby Championship nations. Some of these names may not appear again on senior international team sheets but others are certain to make their mark over …
Read More »Willemse among new names in France squad
Giant South African lock Paul Willemse is among five uncapped players named by France coach Jacques Brunel to prepare for the Six Nations Championship. The 26-year-old represented his home nation up to u20 level but received his French citizenship on November 30 and now qualifies for his adopted country on …
Read More »Italy names experienced Six Nations squad
Canada’s opening opponents in the World Cup have named their squad for the Six Nations. Conor O’Shea has included just one uncapped player on his Italy roster as he looks to narrow in on his final 31 for the flagship event in Japan. Zebre lock David Sisi is the newcomer. …
Read More »John Quill moves from Glendale to New York
The heavily rumored move of John Quill from Glendale to Rugby United New York is now official. The 28-year-old flanker will play the 2019 Major League Rugby season for the expansion franchise, departing the Raptors after helping them reach the 2018 final. It’s a significant addition for New York. The …
Read More »