Australia

Australia coach Michael Cheika has refined his Rugby Championship squad, cutting his training group down to 34 players for the SANZAAR tournament. A number of injuries have forced his hand somewhat while others have received the axe after being named in the original group, most notably Brumbies lock Sam Carter. …

Australia has a new skipper. Ahead pf the Rugby Championship Waratahs flanker and captain Michael Hooper has been confirmed as the new national leader. The 25-year-old replaces Stephen Moore with the veteran hooker to retire later this year. It is not an entirely new role for Hooper. He has prior …

New Zealand is against Japan joining the Rugby Championship. Weeks after World Rugby Vice Chairman, Agustín Pichot requested Japan’s inclusion, New Zealand Rugby’s chief executive Steve Tew has said no. Tew firmly believes that in order to join the Rugby Championship Japan must focus on turning the Sunwolves into a much …

Tomás Cubelli has signed with the UAR. The 28-year-old returns to Argentina after two seasons playing Super Rugby for Australian side the Brumbies. His deal with the UAR is until the end of 2019, making him fully available for Los Pumas and Los Jaguares. For Cubelli it is both a …

Wallabies Head Coach Michael Cheika has dumped Quade Cooper from the Rugby Championship. The Queensland Reds flyhalf was the notable omission from the 38-man roster named by Cheika. The non-selection of Cooper marks the first time since 2013 that he has been left out when fit. The previous occasion was …

With Tonga qualifying for Japan 2019 this past weekend Pool C is complete. The Oceania side officially joined Argentina, England, France and the USA in the Pool of Death. This serves as a reminder of the need to book Rugby World Cup 2019 appropriately. Inappropriate Booking The existing model of …

Los Jaguares are closing in on Mario Ledesma. According to Diario Olé, the former Pumas hooker will replace Raúl Pérez as Head Coach of the Argentine Super Rugby side. The UAR is to make an official announcement following the Rugby Championship in October. As a player Mario Ledesma had a …

It’s another edition of our picks of good reads from around the rugby world. This week touches on a wide assortment of topics, including history, coaching, officiating, Canadian rugby, Australian rugby, Uruguayan rugby, and the New Zealand All Blacks.   Canada Must Get Over Being Nice Losers – by Cathal …

The strong season on the HSBC Sevens Series has seen three of the top women’s players in the Americas named to the official 2016-17 season Dream Team. USA captain Alev Kelter is joined by her Canadian counterpart Ghislaine Landry and a second Canuck, Britt Benn, on this year’s selection. Kelter …

Ghislaine Landry has been named to the official HSBC Dream Team for the Clermont-Ferrand 7s. The Canadian captain guided her team to a third place finish and secured her spot in the record books by scoring her 100th career try at the tournament, becoming just the third player to achieve …