Australia

Rugby has been given a wake-up call as the FIFA World Cup has expanded to 48 teams. Tuesday’s announcement that the 2026 FIFA World Cup would be increased from 32 to 48 participants sees it having more than double that of rugby’s showpiece event. FIFA World Cup Expansion The FIFA …

Round 4 of the California Cup is now on the books and the results have set up an exciting final set of round-robin play for next weekend. Any of the top four teams can now conceivably qualify for the grand final set for January 21. Saturday’s games started with a battle of …

The first half of the new California Cup competition is on the books, with Round 3 bringing three high-scoring affairs and handing one team a clear lead while leaving three sides within one point of each other in the race to the final. Round 4 takes place on January 7 …

The pools for the 2017 Women’s Rugby World Cup have now been determined. While the draw took place last month, three spots were still to be determined in regional qualifying matches. Those have now been completed and all 12 teams are now ready to begin their tournament preparations. Spain took …

There will be no ‘Pool of Death’ for Americas teams when the HSBC Sevens Series resumes in Wellington on January 28. After a rough start to the 2016-17 season, all three Americas teams at the tournament will be looking for a lift in fortunes, and the draw has certainly offered …

Americas teams found more frustration in Cape Town with the USA tying for 7th spot, Argentina clocking out in 10th, and Canada again topping the bottom bracket in 13th. The glory went to England who upset home team South Africa to claim the title for their first tourney win of …

The opening day of Round 2 of the HSBC Sevens Series in Cape Town saw a few surprise results, none more than Canada’s 19-all draw with New Zealand. Pat Kay’s conversion of a late Justin Douglas try made for a tense finale but neither side would come away with the …

Paul Ryan named South Africa as his favorites to set the pace on the 2016-17 HSBC Sevens Series and following the opening tournament in Dubai his predictions look spot-on. The Blitzbokke cruised through Day Two to lift the title, smashing both New Zealand and Wales before meeting Fiji in the …

New Zealand have laid down the challenge to the rest of the field after a dominant showing in Dubai that saw them march through all comers with relative ease to take the title in the first stop of the 2016-17 HSBC Women’s Sevens Series. Even Olympic champions Australia were no …

It’s safe to say Day One in Dubai did not go as planned for the three Americas teams taking part. Argentina, Canada, and the USA managed only two wins between them as they struggled to find their rhythm in their return to the HSBC Sevens Series. As such no Americas …