Since bursting into global recognition in last year’s Olympic Games with the USA 7s team Ilona Maher has amassed supporters from not just the rugby world Her body positivity stance and winning personality have helped gain her recognition from some of the most high profile organisations and people in today’s society Her impact on the women’s game is arguably unmatched having influenced so many youngsters into joining the game and made even more feel comfortable in their own skin The 28-year-old’s flame has burned twice as bright Maher said after the USA Women’s opening round loss to Canada: “I don’t know how much longer I’ll do it So I want to leave it in a better place.” who was playing at outside centre in the Pacific Four Series match remains heavily optimistic that when she does eventually step aside from the game future players will be able to step into her spotlight It’s my teammates — all of us who need a little bit of the spotlight as well,” she said “I think the spotlight has been on me a lot but I hope this World Cup brings more people out and creates more rugby superstars.” referring back to the landmark Sports Illustrated Swimsuit photoshoot she did in August 2024 and her time on Dancing with the Stars adding: “It’s kind of balancing business and being a social media person READ MORE: All Blacks legend’s savage takedown of Wales as B&I Lions ‘support crew’ Maher’s influence can be spotted from just the click of a button One needs simply to check out her Instagram account to see the positivity that flows through her brand On a recent beachwear video where she strutted her stuff in front of a beautiful blue sea fans left her feed covered in supportive messages One person said: “My daughter came home from school and said her whole class was talking about ‘that really strong but really beautiful woman that plays rugby’ None of them could remember your name but they all knew you.” Another jokingly asked: “Why is this video 2 hours long.” More great feedback included: “Love the positive role model that you are for my 16 yr old daughter who just played her first rugby game and “Just stood up and started clapping in my living room.” A post shared by Ilona Maher (@ilonamaher) While Maher has given no definitive timescale around her playing time READ MORE: Lewis Moody Team of My Life: Springboks ‘artist’ and Richie McCaw Every week of the 2025 Major League Rugby season just keeps on getting better Here's Joe Harvey's five takeaways from the latest round in the USA USA international Ilona Maher's stock is continuing to soar after it was confirmed that the rugby superstar has inked a multi-year deal with adidas Ilona Maher insists she is now a 'Bear for life' after her spell at Bristol ended in defeat to Gloucester-Hartpury in the Premiership Women's Rugby semis Check on the team news for this weekend's Premiership Women's Rugby semi-finals as USA star Ilona Maher starts for Bristol Bears on Sunday so that's an achievement that won't be missed by us but we know we've got three more games to keep building on that." Is the Queensland boss the right man to lead Australia forward And will Joe Schmidt be tempted to stick around for Rugby World Cup 2027 Leinster player ratings: An error-strewn Leinster will be left to lick their wounds after exiting Europe with a 37-34 defeat at the hands of a game Northampton Saints 1. Cian Healy – NAPinged for an early engage and was removed after just 20 minutes with an injury 2. Dan Sheehan – 5.5Carried hard in tight channels and stuck to his task defensively Lineout largely functioned well under pressure but there was none of his usual carnage in the carry 3. Tadhg Furlong – 6Scrummaged okay for the most part and even well on occasion Offered himself in attack to little effect 4. RG Snyman – 5A towering presence at the lineout for Leinster but Saints were ready for him in contact Worked hard on the ball but was forced into errors 5. Joe McCarthy – 4.5A worryingly slow first half from Big Joe Didn’t bring his usual edge in contact and struggled to play himself into the game 6. Max Deegan – 6.5Got through plenty of defensive work and remained disciplined at the breakdown and a crafty offload off the deck set Josh van der Flier Josh van der Flier – 8.5Exploded onto the ball to bag Leinster’s second try to calm things down at the Aviva and bagged another before the end Covered ground efficiently and maintained line speed when Saints looked to find space wide Never stopped fighting and came within a whisper of a hat-trick 8. Caelan Doris – 6A tale of two halves Quiet by his usual standards in the first 40 as Northampton closed down his space effectively Struggled to impose himself and was forced into a couple of uncharacteristic errors under pressure Burst into life for his try after half-time and even pulled off a splendid touchfinder 9. Jamison Gibson-Park – 7Didn’t force anything when others might have panicked His quick thinking and slick service kept Leinster in the fight not least his blindside break for Tommy O’Brien’s try 10. Sam Prendergast – 5Had a nightmare start. Got caught napping by Saints in the sixth minute, and two minutes later a poor kick led to Northampton’s opening try. Harried by the Saints back row, who gave him no time. Fought back bravely, putting Tommy O’Brien away with an inch-perfect pass but was far too easily rounded for Henry Pollock’s try which was possibly why Leinster went for the lineout instead of the penalty that would have drawn the sides at 37-37 had three minutes from time 11. James Lowe – 6.5Limited opportunities with ball in hand but chased kicks like a golden retriever but it just didn’t happen for him in the first half with a great touchfinder and a late try pulling Leinster right back into it 12. Robbie Henshaw – 5Offered a bit of direction in the tight phases but struggled to make a dent in Northampton’s snarling defensive wall 13. Garry Ringrose – 6Tackled like a South African back-rower and had plenty of work cleaning up other players’ messes Was part of a Leinster midfield that was too easily opened up by Saints Tommy O’Brien – 8A threat whenever he was on the ball Took Leinster’s opening try but a sloppy covering fetch gave Saints field position just two minutes later when he blundered into touch 15. Hugo Keenan – 5.5A refreshingly aggressive attacking performance from Keenan, but uncharacteristically, it was his defence that left a lot to be desired. A duffed high ball gifted Tommy Freeman his third try 16. Ronan Kelleher – 6Carried with intent and directness off the bench 17. Andrew Porter – 6Brought immediate impact at the set-piece and around the breakdown Gave the Saints little change at scrum time 18. Rabah Slimani – 5Solid at the set-piece but offers nothing in attack 19. Ryan Baird – 7.5Added energy late on and contested lineouts effectively Covered ground well in open play and made one particularly eye-catching steal An impressive performance off the pine in what has been a mediocre season for Baird 20. Jack Conan – 6Brought fresh legs and got stuck in the decision not to kick for the posts seemed to be his 21. Luke McGrath – NAUnused 22. Ross Byrne – NAOne or two composed touches but not on long enough to rate 23. Jordie Barrett – 7A huge cheer rang out when he came on and he brought bags of fight but couldn’t turn the tide Edinburgh player ratings: Edinburgh’s hopes of reaching a second European Challenge Cup final ultimately ended in dispiriting fashion as they succumbed to a 39-24 defeat against Bath at Hive Stadium Saints have nowhere near the talent at their disposal that Leinster have and they played the last ten minutes with 13 men and still Leinster couldn’t score The current Irish left wing let his opposing wing score three tries Yes it can happen once or maybe even twice but three times in one half Doubtful this group will win a Champions cup Many of the Leinster players are past their best I bet Australia are praying that Ireland make up the great majority of the run on BIL side Aimless kick after kick straight down the middle of the field with no chasers And this coming on the back of a humiliating home defeat last week Where was that humiliating “home defeat” last week Graham Stop being a troll and get a life if you have to resort to misspelling names you need more material Join free and tell us what you really think Is the Queensland boss the right man to lead Australia forward Northampton Saints found a way of beating the fabled Jacques Nienaber blitz and inflicting another 'horrific' Champions Cup loss on the Leinster giants Warren Gatland forged a sense of togetherness in his 2013 Lions but faced personal 'vitriol' after leaving out a legend Pretty likely that Saints first XV atm has Threeman in the centre with back 3 of Furbs Great to see you recognise that Leinster were at full strength Yes I’d think they’d prefer a England/Saints type match up Really I must say it didn’t seem as though Snyman was really all though and I wondered why he wasn’t just bringing his enthusiasm in off the bench like normal I could imagine him feeling more comfortable in that role I cannot thank CyberPoint enough for their incredible assistance in recovering my stolen Bitcoin I felt utterly defeated and never thought I would see my funds again after reaching out to CyberPoint Recovery Company I was amazed at their professionalism and dedication They successfully helped me recover my stolen funds and I am forever grateful for their support I highly encourage you to contact CyberPoint Recovery Company E.m.a.i.l: support(@)cyberpointrecovery(.)com I cannot thank CyberPoint enough for their incredible assistance in recovering my stolen Bitcoin It was called ‘The Curse of the Great Bambino’ no doubt it was helped by the ridiculousness of giving away Babe fn Ruth “not for things good and right” would be the answer no doubt This will be a very similar question Leinster have to ask themselves It would be enough to kill the belief of a lesser club at a venue like Dublin I hope we have segued here to the Premiership lol They ran for 147 metres more than the hosts on 41 fewer carries That’s how New Zealand teams used to be able to play scoring tries from anywhere in their own half with very little ball often even less than the 40% Saints had this game None of which will bother Dowson and his charges Don’t they now have three must win games in the Premiership How are they going to balance those are a Champions Cup Final I’m not sure I agree with the referee bottling it and putting away his whistle at the end In Super rugby theyve been starting to play their hands a lot more and using the TMO It’s increased the accuracy of the contest but also brought back in the howlers like going back 10 phases to a knock on that wasn’t even a knock on I just don’t understand why they can’t get it right but that’s pretty much the same perspective placed on Cullen right Duck by name and duck by nature You really love ducking a question don’t you? When all the players competing for the back three positions are fit….who starts? Freeman on one wing and either Ramm or Hendy on the other with Seabrook or Sleightholme competing as well Therefore they had two of the three starting Nobody was calling Hendy a second rate B team player i know you are twisting the topic of conversation rather than acknowledge you were exaggerating on the original topic I agree England are the 2nd best team up North now…still a young team with a lot of growth yet The fact that Aussie have the belief after their victory at Twickenham bodes well be interesting to see the make up of the team by Farrell Alun Wyn Jones showed in the 3rd test what captaincy is all about The Wallabies were smashed up front and it didn’t matter who played at centre A most excellent comment. BOTNET CRYPTO RECOVERY is a global leader in cross-border crypto asset recovery With a vast network of partners—including major exchanges and cybersecurity firms across North America and Asia—they can quickly freeze stolen assets across multiple jurisdictions preventing fraudsters from moving funds internationally Their team has deep expertise in the legal and regulatory complexities of cryptocurrency recovery enabling swift action even in offshore and multi-country cases working closely with law enforcement and financial institutions to maximize recovery chances Whether dealing with fake investment schemes BOTNET CRYPTO RECOVERY provides effective solutions to reclaim lost assets When will the coaching staff realise that they need to do something different at this point Yes thats what I see from all the way over hear they’ve believed they haven’t had the players but even that is possible more adding to rather than changing He’s obviously changing things on the field though which is why we all pretty much didn’t expect results from them this year and definitely with the sort of encouraging results that make you believe you’re on the right track Would be a superb outfit if they put that all together with trying to find a better way to manage the unique challenge of having a national representee team as your make up I can only imagine what problems the old Auckland Blues team would have encountered but they might want to look at the Crusaders example While not the same scope the Crusaders star players were key All Blacks who often just meandered through the season and that affected results but were always able to turn it on at the back end when it counted Don't mean SA getting kicked out of Europe altogether I mean SA withdrawing from Europe to get out of a 12 month season when playing in URC seems to be having an impact in the Springboks its entirely possible SA would re-enter a restructured SR or create its own entirely domestic comp then seek international club play on a Champions Cup type basis with its domestic teams having 20 plus scheduled games a season it'll achieve all its financial/popularity/competitiveness goals without having to go for a 12 month season Not good if he can’t play well off the bench lol I have him down as my super sub We’re all just waiting for you to comment on something other than everything Canterbury You are boredom maximus and just can’t see it Hilarious richer countries have been announcing the death of NZ rugby since rugby first became an international sport and NZ started beating the crap out of the Northern hemisphere teams There is so much resentment and hatred and frustration that NZ rugby It'll be there for the next twenty years Biggest issue was the selection they got it totally wrong and the most likely reason for it was over confidence The same arrogance that saw them off the boil emotionally and lacking in the intensity required to combat Northampton’s ferocious start All of which led them to a point where they were unable to execute at the death and capitalise on the clear advantages held at that stage Leinster got exactly what they deserved from that match and it was very amusing to watch Kearney squirming post match I'll repeat what I said Hopefully you'll get the point this time Despite your claim I never mentioned financials I focused purely on the political consequences for SA rugby structures of the Springboks decline in RWC's My focus in relation to that was entirely on the issue of competitiveness has a much better structured domestic season now than it had in SR Domestic teams playing in a round robin comp they are in every year is a domestic comp for competitive/development purposes SA's URC teams have to run significantly bigger squads again a function of having a proper full season for those teams That is something NZ will eventually emulate the URC's popularity/financials are greater in SA because its a full season and its teams are winning [again something I recognised] in the distinctly lower quality URC whereas it spent almost all its time in SR losing in much higher quality but shorter comp The story is radically different in the much higher quality European comps where the SA are getting crushed year after year what will be the political consequences in SA of the Springboks decline in RWC/WR standings Will the financial/popularity advantages of getting a proper domestic season be seen to be damaging the Springboks given the distinctly lower quality of the URC in comparison with SRP My bet is such a blame game is almost certain To give themselves a substantial domestic comp and keep the Springboks in TRC [They have no choice] SA are being forced to play 12 months a year have developed a habit of improvising solutions instead of building durable structures A 12 month season is just another improvisation And as for the fairy story that being in Europe is better prep for RWC/Test rugby than SR SA teams only play Ireland/Wales/Scotland/Italy in the URC And SA teams don't play in Europe long enough to benefit from playing against club teams from England and France And if you think that playing in Ireland/Wales/Scotland on a wet winters day is less challenging than playing in NZ then you're welcome to your short memory I had overlooked George Ford Yep he should have started in between Sam P and Garry R First-time Champions Cup finalists Bordeaux have suggested that Damian Penaud has a fighting chance of making the May 24 decider versus Northampton – despite appearing to be seriously injured when exiting Sunday’s semi-final Penaud looked to be in agony when he limped out of the win over Toulouse leaving the fray on 57 minutes to be replaced by Arthur Retiere with his team leading at the time by 25-18 The winger’s premature departure didn’t hamper his team as they went on to win 35-18 and progress to the final in Cardiff against the Saints the chat in the immediate aftermath was that the French club would likely miss not having the services of Penaud available not only for the Principality Stadium match but for the run-in to the Top 14 title race A day, though, can be a long time in rugby and the message now coming from Bordeaux is that Penaud potentially has a chance of making the Champions Cup final A report in L’Equipe read: “UBB’s victory against Toulouse on Sunday was marked by Damian Penaud’s tears after his team qualified for the Champions Cup final against Northampton “Coming off just before the hour mark the Bordeaux winger suffered a left ankle injury and his participation in the final As reported by Sud-Ouest and confirmed to L’Equipe And optimism remains high on the Bordeaux side we will have to wait until midweek or the weekend to get a more precise idea of ​​how long Penaud will be out the Bordeaux winger will be able to undergo medical tests While there is little doubt that he will not play in the next two Top 14 matches (away to Montpellier and home to Castres) his participation in the final against the Saints cannot be ruled out who returned to competition after three weeks of absence the Frenchman could be operational in Cardiff.” READ MORE: Five takeaways as ‘rugby genius’ Louis Bielle-Biarrey stars to end champions’ ‘magnificent reign’ Following a pulsating Investec Champions Cup semi-final between Bordeaux-Begles and Toulouse here's our winners and losers from Sunday's clash Jordie Barrett is one of three Leinster players nominated for the award Following some impressive performances in the Investec Champions Cup quarter-finals over the past few days Doris, the Ireland captain, will undergo shoulder surgery this week but, after a worrying assessment by the Leinster coach, Jacques Nienaber, he is in danger of missing the series against the Wallabies in a potentially momentous development before Andy Farrell names his squad on Thursday. Leinster do not expect Doris to play again this season and said in a statement the ­precise length of any layoff would not be known until after the operation Nienaber’s “gut” instinct painted a bleak outlook for the No 8 “He saw a specialist and I think there’s some further investigation that needs to be done,” Nienaber said “Fingers crossed that things aren’t as bad as we think it is but in the last couple of months that I’ve worked with Caelan he’s not a guy that necessarily comes off the pitch with injury “So when I subjectively saw him coming off the pitch on Saturday I thought in my mind: ‘That must be quite serious’ We’ll probably know more in the back end of the week Caelan Doris scored Leinster’s third try during their Champions Cup semi-final defeat by Northampton Photograph: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile/Getty Images“It’ll definitely be a race depending on the amount of structural damage there is can be anything from a two-month thing to a four-to-six month thing we’re just not 100% sure how much damage.” Farrell is due to announce his captain and unveil his squad in front of a live audience at the O2 on Thursday and it is expected that Doris will have undergone the operation before then The potential to lose Doris so soon before his squad announcement is a major concern for Farrell. Even if he was already leaning towards Itoje – who excelled as England’s leader in the Six Nations – Doris is his Ireland skipper and was almost certainly nailed on to start the Test series against the Wallabies at No 8 Farrell will now anxiously await the result of Doris’s operation all the while exploring contingency options Last month the head coach insisted there were at least a handful of options for the captaincy – Sione Tuipulotu Jamie George and even Owen Farrell could fit the bill – but Itoje has excelled since assuming the role for club and country this season And while the back-row positions in the squad will be hotly contested there are fewer standout candidates at No8 Free weekly newsletterThe latest rugby union news and analysis Scotland’s Matt Fagerson and Jack Dempsey are other options having both appeared at No 8 during the Six Nations as well as England’s Ben Earl and Tom Willis Jack Conan deputises for Doris for Leinster and Ireland Leinster have issued a worrying update on captain Caelan Doris throwing his involvement with the British and Irish Lions into doubt Doris scored a try in the Irish province’s 34-37 Investec Champions Cup defeat to Northampton Saints on Saturday but did not last too much longer as he was replaced by Ryan Baird in the 56th minute The club have now confirmed that he sustained a shoulder injury in the heartbreaking defeat, which raises doubts over his availability for the Lions tour to Australia Doris is widely regarded as the frontrunner but only time will tell if he will be fit to feature Leinster confirmed on Monday that Doris has ‘definitely’ been ruled out of the side’s United Rugby Championship clash against Zebre this weekend and will undergo a procedure on the shoulder injury he picked up in the loss to Northampton Saints won’t be known until after the procedure,” the statement added If Doris were to miss the tour through injury it would be a hammer blow to the side despite the plethora of options in the back-row at Andy Farrell’s disposal with his leadership being another huge attribute The Lions boss was coy about selecting his captain when pressed about the role in March this is the right number to fit the schedule and what you need and which hybrid players can play in different positions “Then you consider who are the leaders within that what are the dynamics of a leadership group and who is going to be capable of being themselves and comfortable in and around all that Law discussion: Leinster’s controversial non-try v Northampton was the correct decision, here’s why British and Irish Lions: Five potential captaincy candidates after the Six Nations as new ‘man in waiting’ emerges ‘I’ll never give up the dream’ – Courtney Lawes’ message to British & Irish Lions and Brive at start of biggest week of his season Leinster head coach Leo Cullen issued some good news to accompany the setback of Doris with Ireland lock James Ryan back to full fitness after missing the semi-final with both players taking part in training this week Farrell will name his British and Irish Lions squad on Thursday and he was expected to name his captain at the same time but may well delay that decision until clarity over Doris’ injury is provided READ MORE: ‘Sea of red’ fails to materialise as fans snub British and Irish Lions squad announcement event Ex-England hooker Brian Moore has published the rejigged British and Irish Lions squad he would like to see picked this Thursday by Andy Farrell General public tickets are still in plentiful supply for Thursday’s British and Irish Lions squad announcement in London Lawrence Dallaglio has named the British and Irish Lions squad he wants to see picked to tour Australia – and it includes the French-based Owen Farrell Leinster’s attempt to reach their fourth successive Champions Cup final in a row spectacularly came a cropper in the Saturday evening Dublin sunshine Toulouse player ratings: Toulouse’s title reign came to an end on Sunday as Bordeaux-Begles booked their place in the Investec Champions Cup final for the first time with a 35-18 win Bereft of some of their superstars, this was not the Toulouse that have dominated European rugby over the last 12 months as plenty of players were outmatched by their opposite man It is back to the Top 14 for Toulouse – where they sit at the top of the ladder – but their campaign to add a seventh star ended miserably 1 Cyril Baille – 6Got the upper hand against the Bordeaux pack during his 48 minutes on the field which Toulouse ultimately could not capitalise on 2 Julien Marchand – 6Back as a starter following Peato Mauvaka’s injury he showed exactly what he brings to the party just minutes into the match with a penalty won in his own 22 Had a performance sprinkled with turnovers 3 Dorian Aldegheri – 6Alongside Baille looked strong at the set-piece and perhaps went off earlier than he should have 4 Thibaud Flament – 7Well-rounded display as ever from the lock in a pack that matched 5 Emmanuel Meafou – 4Coughed up possession which led to Bordeaux’s opening try though it did require a sensational counter-attack from the hosts though Bordeaux made a point of closing him down early 6 Francois Cros – 6Plagued the Bordeaux lineout and got through his work in defence 7 Jack Willis – 7Alongside Marchand the Englishman formed one of the most lethal jackaling duos in the game and they went tit-for-tat with each other with turnovers and penalties won on the west coast At his usual elite level but only managed 65 minutes 8 Alexandre Roumat – 5Got through his share of carries during the 50 minutes he was on the field Overshadowed by his replacement Anthony Jelonch Bordeaux-Begles booked their place in their first ever Investec Champions Cup final with a 35-18 victory over reigning champions Toulouse on Sunday at the Matmut Atlantique 9 Paul Graou – 6Kicked well at times to relieve some pressure off his side. Was turned inside out by Louis Bielle-Biarrey as Bordeaux scored swiftly after the break Started to look a bit more lively as Toulouse began to chase the match but he did not last much longer after that 10 Romain Ntamack – 5Up against his French No.10 rival Matthieu Jalibert his counterpart certainly won their battle but failed to have the influence the Bordeaux star had 11 Dimitri Delibes – 5Opened Toulouse’s try scoring account though much of the work was done inside him Otherwise a fairly quiet display before leaving on the hour mark 12 Pita Ahki – 4There were some bright flashes with some offloads but he was largely neutralised by Yoram Moefana 13 Pierre-Louis Barassi – 7Breezed through the Bordeaux defence early on Rewarded with a try in the second half with yet another silky line 14 Ange Capuozzo – 4Was not necessarily rewarded with breaks or metres but the winger frequently challenged the Bordeaux defence 15 Juan Cruz Mallia – 5Kicked from the tee relatively well in Thomas Ramos’ absence and topped the match for metres carried though it was the opposing back three that made the greatest impact Replacements16 Guillaume Cramont – 5Perhaps could not make the same impact that Marchand could make 17 Rodrigue Neti – 4Some brainless decisions from the replacement, and also put in a limp effort to stop Pierre Bochaton scoring what proved to be the decisive try in the match 18 Joel Merkler – 6Maintained the same strength in the scrum and added some robust carries 19 Clement Verge – 6Enjoyed a busy 15 minutes on the field 20 Anthony Jelonch – 6Brought some impetus from the bench after coming on with some punchy carries 21 Mathis Castro-Ferreira – 5The 21-year-old struggled to make a huge impression during his cameo 22 Naoto Saito – 5Came on with Toulouse staring down the barrel of a defeat and maybe had too big a task to turn the match around 23 Santiago Chocobares – 5Got his hands on the ball but Toulouse looked to have run out of ideas by the time he came on Owen Farrell's hopes of making the British and Irish Lions squad named later this week took a major hit on Sunday at the Stade de Gerland as he was forced from the field early as his Racing 92 side lost to Lyon in the Challenge Cup semi-final News, stats, live rugby and more! Download the new RugbyPass app on the App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android) now who has been in love with the sport since she was eight."},"children":[]},{"name":"break","children":[]},{"name":"break","children":[]},{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"But today she is at home in Amsterdam facing the consequences of a life-changing injury playing Dutch premiership rugby in January."},"children":[]},{"name":"break","children":[]},{"name":"break","children":[]},{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"The tackle that ripped her left knee out of its socket was made by a transgender woman whom King believes should not have been playing."},"children":[]},{"name":"break","children":[]},{"name":"break","children":[]},{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"Before this season King had not thought about trans women in women’s rugby and was planning a year out is facing six months of physiotherapy to be able to"},"children":[]}]}]},"summary({\"maxCharCount\":200})":{"type":"json","json":[{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"Elena King has been holding her first rugby membership card for comfort a lot in the past few weeks Robert De Niro is not infrequently in the news with some story or"},"children":[]}]}]},"summary({\"maxCharCount\":125})":{"type":"json","json":[{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"Having sired a mere seven children Robert De Niro is not infrequently in the news with some story or other about his"},"children":[]}]}]},"summary({\"maxCharCount\":145})":{"type":"json","json":[{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"Having sired a mere seven children Robert De Niro is not infrequently in the news with some story or other about his parenting style In"},"children":[]}]}]},"summary({\"maxCharCount\":160})":{"type":"json","json":[{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"Having sired a mere seven children In February we learnt the"},"children":[]}]}]},"summary({\"maxCharCount\":175})":{"type":"json","json":[{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"Having sired a mere seven children In February we learnt the 81-year-old"},"children":[]}]}]},"summary({\"maxCharCount\":225})":{"type":"json","json":[{"name":"paragraph","children":[{"name":"text","attributes":{"value":"Having sired a mere seven children In February we learnt the 81-year-old doesn’t watch as many films as he would like because"},"children":[]}]}]}},"$Article:bd7a8132-6aa0-48ba-8cca-e16cca8e3c70.bylines.0.author":{"image":"https://www.thetimes.com/imageserver/image/methode%2Ftimes%2Fprod%2Fweb%2Fbin%2Fd9d50330-5afe-4692-ae10-d3ca9526d99d.png","jobTitle":"Assistant Editor The Sunday TimesElena King has been holding her first rugby membership card for comfort a lot in the past few weeks who has been in love with the sport since she was eight.But today she is at home in Amsterdam facing the consequences of a life-changing injury playing Dutch premiership rugby in January.The tackle that ripped her left knee out of its socket was made by a transgender woman whom King believes should not have been playing.Before this season is facing six months of physiotherapy to be able to Freelance Sports ReporterPublished: Invalid Date AN ENORMOUS brawl broke out during Huddersfield Giants' clash with Hull FC The rugby league match ended with a win for the Giants after a tense 80 minutes The most dramatic moment of the fixture came in the 40th minute Hull's Sam Eseh was sin-binned for a "horrendous" hit with his shoulder on Matty English The Giants' star fell to the ground after the collision with Eseh which sparked complaints from his team-mates which quickly turned into a mass brawl between the two teams This led the brawl to continue from the middle of the pitch to past the touchline. Eseh was handed a ten-minute sin bin for the high challenge that was deemed "dangerous". However, he was spared sending off due to the height at which English was when contact was made. Referee Aaron Moore explained the decision there is a mitigating factor due to loss of height More drama quickly followed as Liam Knight was sent off for Hull after a shoulder charge on Sam Hewitt The Giants were able to hold on to secure a 12-10 victory at St James Park Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/ IT WAS good to see the Magic Weekend back in Newcastle which in my view should become its permanent home And yet the games for the most part were tremendous contests other than the one-sided game between Hull KR and Salford There were some great individual incidents such as Guillermo Aispuro-Bichet’s brilliant try for the Catalans against Leigh on Saturday or George Flanagan’s brilliant try-saving tackle of Cade Cust on the line for the Giants against Hull FC the superb offload by Davy Litten for Lewis Martin’s try in the same game There was also the brilliant finishing for a debut try by Noah Booth for Hull KR or the superb field-goal by Jack Sinfield that put Leeds two scores ahead of St Helens on Saturday evening The Magic Weekend is a great showcase for some of the young talent in our competition although the other side of the coin is that plenty of club representatives from the NRL will have been in attendance and will no doubt have an eye on some of those young stars The one negative was the abusive reception some St Helens supporters gave their players and coach after their defeat by Leeds Rhinos that Jack Welsby refused to go to the St Helens fans after the game to acknowledge their support having heard abusive comments when standing behind the posts waiting for a Leeds conversion Welsby was strongly supportive of his coach and yet Saints are now clinging to a top-six place by their fingernails with five wins from ten matches without a Challenge Cup semi-final game this weekend but there has to be a nagging thought that the St Helens directors could take drastic action to replace their coach although it’s hard to say who would be an obvious replacement And I had great sympathy for the Saints coach when his winger Lewis Murphy was sinbinned for leaping to catch a high kick and accidentally colliding with the head of the Rhinos’ Alfie Edgell I don’t think anyone could describe Murphy’s leap as reckless He was clearly trying to catch the ball and the contact with Edgell’s head was clearly accidental it couldn’t even be described as careless While I’m totally supportive of a desire to eliminate careless play that leads to contact with the head at some point we surely have to accept that in a collision sport accidents will happen with no blame being attached to the player making contact Sydney Roosters’ owner Nick Politis is clearly a wealthy and very successful club owner But his idea of buying Salford Red Devils and rebranding them as Manchester Roosters is clearly unrealistic It would be like someone from this country announcing he was going to buy the Sydney Roosters and rename them the Sydney Red Devils Such an aim would be greeted with derision from the Roosters fans and the same is true of the Red Devils supporters if an Australian club owner were to be in the market to buy Salford I’m sure most supporters would welcome such a move with open arms But before making a move for an English club it would be sensible for any Australian to educate himself about the history and culture underlying our game I was quite taken at the weekend by an article in the Sydney Telegraph written by their sports editor Phil ‘Buzz’ Rothfield which is the body that runs Aussie Rules football gives to its outpost clubs compared to what the NRL does And Rothfield observed that in the NRL the existing clubs have far too much influence on decision making which then inevitably ensures that decisions about the future of the game will be skewed in favour of the existing clubs “NRL clubs are often caught up in their own self interests,” wrote Rothfield rather than take a whole-of-game position on any decisions that are made around the future of the sport “’What’s in it for us’,” is the most common phrase whenever expansion is spoken about “It’s one area where the AFL plays Rugby League off the park “I’m going to use the (AFL’s) Gold Coast Suns as an example “The AFL has invested hundreds of millions of dollars into the club since its inception in 2011 They now have a competitive footy team and their crowds are up 24.6 per cent “Last year they were given a $34 million grant from the AFL “The more powerful clubs like Hawthorn the West Coast Eagles and Richmond received between $16 million and $18 million “The clubs are happy for the Suns and (Sydney based) GWS to get almost double their money because it’s a long-term big-picture investment in key growth areas that will make the game bigger and better in the long run “Now compare that to the (Gold Coast) Titans They get $17 million from the NRL annually “They have to put up with their richer rivals setting up junior academies and school development programs in their own backyard Rabbitohs and Melbourne all have a footprint on the Gold Coast “The same is happening to the Storm in Victoria “It’s taken them more than 25 years to build solid junior development foundations in an AFL city – with little or no outside help from the NRL “Finally they have local players coming through … so the Rabbitohs decide to set up their own academy south of the border to pinch them “This Titans club is now fighting hard to fend off an AFL surge on the glitter strip “The question is … would it be better if the NRL handed out the annual cash grant on a user-needs basis like the AFL does.” and exactly the same argument could be applied in this country Surely the money that is available from the centre could be targeted towards the clubs that actually need it Midlands Hurricanes  and any other clubs that might be regarded as expanding Rugby League’s footprint in this country But unfortunately the RFL has no power to direct financial support to where it is actually needed Those readers who tune in to the League Express Podcast each week will know that the presenter Jake has been a great host for almost two years and we will continue the Podcast I will feature on the Everything Rugby League Podcast this week Following a gripping Investec Champions Cup semi-final between Leinster and Northampton Saints we take a look at a pivotal officiating decision that played a huge role in the outcome of the match Northampton booked their place in the finale in Cardiff on May 24 courtesy of a 34-37 victory over the far more fancied Irish outfit it was far from plain sailing as the Premiership club and their fans held their breath in the final knockings of the match as French referee Pierre Brousset requested a review from his TMO Tual Trainini The incident in question is of course Ross Byrne’s disallowed try as the clock ticked into the final minute of the match At the time Leinster were trailing by three points and had turned down the opportunity to level the scores and went for the jugular Saints forwards Henry Pollock and Alex Coles pilfered over a turnover stopping Leinster’s attack dead in its tracks with Tom James’ clearance pushing the Irish province back to a lineout just beyond Northampton’s 10-metre line Leinster then launched a multi-phase attack which eventually led to Jamison Gibson-Park switching the attack to the short side with James Lowe setting Josh van der Flier charging down the touchline with Coles charging in and dislodging the ball from the Irish flanker’s grasp James attempts to avoid the ball as he runs back onside Byrne has stretched out to dot the ball down on the corner flag for what looks to be a try to put Leinster back in front in the dying minutes of the game Brousset now blasts his whistle with players from both teams already pleading their case to the referee amid the euphoria of the Aviva Stadium cheers What would follow was arguably the biggest decision of Brousset’s career to date as he decided whether Leinster had scored or not he went with the latter but issued a yellow card to Saints forward Coles for his actions Brousset’s on-field decision is no try meaning that clear and obvious evidence is needed to overturn the referee’s decision the referee wanted to check whether Coles had ripped the ball from Van der Flier on the ground “Then we will look if there is a grounding from blue or if the ball is in touch.” His suspicions about how the ball popped out of Van der Flier’s grasp proved to be correct as Coles clearly rips the ball while on the ground Law 14.5 states: “Tacklers must…”c Be on their feet before attempting to play the ball.” It’s the type of action that the referee may well ignore if it occurred in the middle of the pitch but considering the fact that Leinster are so close to the line and the events that unfold afterwards Brousset has no choice but to take into consideration – and understandably so So once the officiating team had decided that Coles had conceded a penalty it was a straightforward call that he should be yellow carded for the professional and cynical penalty so close to the try line But there it comes to whether Byrne had scored the try or not… He joins the mess and actually goes off his feet before reaching out and applying downward pressure on the ball that is touching the corner flag padding meaning that it would have been a penalty to Northampton Saints had Coles not dislodged the ball illegally Had the replacement fly-half been deemed to be on his feet then the try would have still been disallowed because of where he had dotted it down This is explained by Law 21.15: “If the ball or ball-carrier touches a corner flag or corner flag post without otherwise being in touch or touch-in-goal play continues unless the ball is grounded against the post.” There is also a case to be made that Byrne was also in front of the last man’s feet at the tackle One could claim that the ball came out and touched another player’s leg who wasn’t part of the tackle and therefore he is onside but that isn’t clear and obvious it is clear and obvious that he is off his feet the officials decided to penalise the cynical infringement from Coles with Brousset deeming that a penalty try was not warranted as Van der Flier was dragged down short and couldn’t reach out to score A penalty try is only awarded when foul play prevents a probable try from being scored but there was enough doubt about a possible try being scored to not sanction Saints in that manner he explains that the ball touched the base of the corner flag which can’t be used in the act of scoring as explained above The officiating team came to the correct decision and one has to commend them for doing so in such a pivotal moment of a decisive match There were several incidents that could be used to disallow the try but the one they pinpointed was certainly the easiest to explain and with Leinster getting a penalty anyway World Rugby also encourage TMO decisions to be discussed and decided in English to ensure clarity for the viewers but in this case it was positive that Brousset and Trainini defaulted to their mother tongue to ensure accuracy in the decision-making the referee then explained the decision in English to the two captains and the fans in attendance Planet Rugby reached out to a current elite professional match official to ensure that the technicalities and law interpretations expressed in this article were accurate and fair – which they did READ MORE: Caelan Doris’ British and Irish Lions involvement thrown in doubt after worrying Leinster update Owen Doyle has insisted that Leinster should have been awarded a game-winning penalty try in the final minute of their Champions Cup semi-final Northampton Saints came away 34-37 victors over Leinster in front of an almost packed out crowd at the Aviva Stadium The Champions and Challenge Cup semi-finals will both take place this weekend George Martin is out of the rest of England's Six Nations campaign Great Britain's Stuart Robinson said finishing on the podium at the recent Wheelchair Rugby European Championships in the Hague Eight months ago, the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic champions failed to win a wheelchair rugby  medal at Paris 2024 bringing in new players and building a new culture “This medal is only the start,” Robinson said when asked to describe the bronze medal at the European Championships. “We’re not trying to go all out from the very start, winning as many medals as possible. We’re looking at the bigger picture, which is always going to be Los Angeles in 2028.” Fresh and familiar faces showed that the future for Great Britain’s wheelchair rugby team looks bright when the team secured bronze with a convincing 59-48 victory over Germany The European Championships took place from 22-27 April at Sportcampus Zuiderpark featuring more than 90 athletes from eight teams Great Britain won two group matches before losing to France in the semifinal. France beat Denmark 53-49 in the final to win the European Championship for the third straight tournament “We were here to get some experience with new players in the squad This event was a great opportunity for them to get some world-class opposition to play against,” Robinson said “Our new players bring so many fresh ideas Gavin Walker who represented Great Britain at three Paralympics Particularly for those who have been in the sport for much longer Having that youthful energy from players coming into the squad is amazing.” “It helped me recover from the disappointment from Paris,” he added “Those were my third Games and nothing is going to beat winning Robinson and Walker won gold at Tokyo 2020 and was part of the fourth-place finishing team at the Paralympics last year it took a lot of mental fortitude to continue after that,” Robinson said with a smile especially coming off the back of a gold medal in Tokyo We had high hopes and a big target on our backs in Paris but I also knew my career couldn’t end after a fourth place,” he added In the Hague, debutant Hannah Bucys and experienced player Faye West appeared on the team. “Being one of the few multi-gender sports, increasing female participation is great,” Walker said. “It’s nice to have them around,” Robinson added. “Whether they are females or not doesn’t make a difference for us. Sometimes they bring a different perspective. Having them around can only build our team further.” Faye West, who has a lot of international experience playing in women’s teams, agreed. “We’re a united team, we’re growing as a unit, and we all have each other’s backs,” West said. “As females, we are no different to any other player. The boys treat us the same as any other player – how it should be. Being a female doesn’t stop me. I am just as aggressive on court, and you have to be; it is a massive part of our sport. Being male or female doesn’t really affect anything.” “Potentially we have a bit more composure, though”, she laughed. “We’re a bit more level-headed maybe. We don’t get over-eager, we just stay calmer.” West, who initially played wheelchair tennis and later moved to wheelchair rugby, said that other females in the sport inspired her to start. “It was great to see them at the top level in our sport. Having had female players in the Paralympic squads shows that it is possible and that is something I could aspire to.” Bucys, who debuted for Great Britain in the Hague, felt exactly that. “Everyone on the team is so welcoming. It’s like one big family,” she said. “It’s great to be in a mixed sport and show what we can do as females. I hope we can inspire others to fall in love with the sport like we have. You never know where it might take you.” is mulling over a full-time comeback to the sport after taking charge of a special anniversary match between Lampeter Town RFC and London Welsh in west Wales The game marked his first officiating role since overseeing France v Italy in his 100th Test match back in autumn 2020 Owens shared his reflections on his potential return to rugby Despite the lopsided 60-24 victory for London Welsh Owens expressed his enjoyment of the occasion and hinted at his future plans Owens reminisced about his previous visit to the club saying: "I actually refereed a game here when they opened the new clubhouse 10 years ago I was always hoping to carry on refereeing the community game but I've been so busy over the last four years I was quite pleased with myself that I lasted the 80 minutes Owens finds solace in his Gwendraeth Valley farm Owens shared his lifelong ambition to be a farmer a dream that his rugby career helped fulfil We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy detailing his journey to purchasing a smallholding with his partner Barrie following his return from Japan's tournament Owens expressed deep gratitude for having such a passion project as it provided a vital focus post-refereeing "I'm so grateful to have had something like that to focus myself on If I had nothing else to look forward to after finishing refereeing and it had all just ended overnight I probably would have struggled like a lot of referees have done when their careers have ended." This article originally appeared on Mirror US order back issues and use the historic Daily Express newspaper archive Daily Express uses notifications to keep you updated Zebre Parma have confirmed the signing of second row Francesco Ruffolo ahead of the 2025/26 season The 22-year-old, who came through the ranks at Rugby Colorno, has already featured for Zebre as a permit player during the 2024/25 campaign, including appearances on the club’s recent South African tour against the Sharks and Bulls “Francesco impressed us with his technical skills and excellent attitude,” said Zebre CEO Fabrizio Gaetaniello. “The Permit system allows us to have a growing and fruitful collaboration with local clubs, with a view to bringing talents – and Francesco Ruffolo is no exception – closer to the international level we are happy to welcome him and to be able to permanently include in our staff a player who has already shown this year to be amply up to the challenges that await us and will await us” Two Argentines made the 2024-2025 Rugby SVNS Dream Team the 2025 Dream Team contains two Argentines The Argentines are Marcos Moneta and Luciano González They are joined by Manu Moreno and Pol Plá (both Spain) The inclusion of two Argentine players underlines the impact made by Los Pumas 7’s in the just concluded 2024-2025 SVNS season The inclusion of two Spanish players notes that Spain has made tremendous progress No players from South Africa nor Kenya made the team This meant no African was considered as being the best in his position in the 2024-2025 season The non-inclusion of Blitzboks comes despite South Africa having won the Los Angeles tournament on Sunday New Zealand and Ireland also all notably missed out on having players selected by World Rugby for the 2024-2025 SVNS Dream Team Tags Argentine Marcos Moneta won the award for scoring the best Rugby SVNS try during the … Henry Pollock’s arcing run to the tryline in Saturday’s epic 37-24 Champions Cup semi-final win over Leinster will be remembered as one of the highlight reel moments in the history of the Investec Champions Cup Pollock had gone into the match against a backdrop of noise from fans and pundits alike questioning whether he could walk the walk as well as talk the talk after his try-scoring antics in the quarter-final against Castres With Saints down to 14 men and down by five points after Curtis Langdon was sent to the sin-bin approaching the half an hour mark, Pollock silenced the doubters and showed exactly why his ability is worth all the hype by hitting a great line and taking the ball at full pace on halfway and then rounding Sam Prendergast as if he wasn’t there It drew Saints level at 15-15 and prompted another celebration the 20-year-old unashamedly pressing his forefinger and index finger to his neck as if to check his pulse right in front of the hordes of Leinster fans He was the top tackler in the game with 18 15 of which were inside the Saints’ half Andy Farrell is known to be big on players with an insatiable work-rate, and the fact that Pollock also hit the most defensive rucks in the match (21) is unlikely to have gone unnoticed ahead of Thursday’s Lions squad announcement While Henry Pollock's rugby ability is without question his antics on the pitch have divided opinion Cannot believe the vitriol from the Irish fans regarding as to who to blame Their no 8 was totally outplayed by opposite number No 10 schoolboy standard Centre pairing past sell by date So funny to see Sam Prender-gassed by Pollock for his try HP had “a target on his back” heading to Dublin and would have been better advised to “keep his head down and learn his trade” he’s just another of the Irish arrogant crew that got their comeuppance on Saturday once again… stood there on premier sports having to eat his words Tommy Freeman’s treble and a fine display by Henry Pollock shocked Leinster and booked Saints a final place Read moreWhat a game that was, by the way. Thanks for reading. Good night. “It’s a nice balance. Henry [Pollock] brings massive energy. People like Alex Coles, Fraser Dingwall and Fin Smith direct him in the right way. Curtis Langdon as well is someone who drives that energy through the group.” Fraser Dingwall, the Saints captain: “We enter every competition knowing, if we get stuff right, we’ll take on anyone in the world. As Fin was saying, before the game, a lot of people wrote us off. But we had full belief within our circle of what we were capable of. Hopefully people recognise that now.” Smith is asked: will that result affect Lions selection? “One hundred per cent. Wait and see. I don’t think we did ourselves any harm today. Look, I’m going to give you a boring answer but fingers crossed. We’ll be watching that telly, but we definitely didn’t do ourselves any harm.” Updated at 20.54 CEST2d ago20.39 CEST“This has blown a major hole in Farrell’s Lions selection,” emails Mark. “He was going to load it with Leinster/Irish players. Not sure he can now. “Never thought that Gibson-Park was best scrum half, Mitchell miles ahead of him now; and Prendergast is poor. (Crowley is better anyway) Itoje must be captain now, not Doris.” At one stage he is interrupted by Rory Hutchinson, the Saints centre, who barges in chanting “Lions, Lions” at his teammate. “This group’s been through so much this season,” Pollock continues. “To be able to do that away from home, after the last two performances these guys had, they nailed both teams. To come out here, no fear, just go 100% at everything we did. And I tell you what, why not us? We’ve been saying that all week. Why not us? “I tell you what, this is what sport’s about. This is why you play the game. You do it because you love it. You love the fans, the atmosphere, the sport. Going up against the best back row in the world. I couldn’t ask for much more. I’m so proud. The team were just amazing, 1 to 23. Bring on Cardiff!” For a flanker with the speed of a wing, Pollock does a nice line in post-match interviews, too. Updated at 22.59 CEST2d ago20.31 CEST“To be fair, the best team won,” says pundit Kearney. “Agony or ecstasy,” says Dallaglio. “The game took us right to the wire. We’ve witnessed one of the great matches there. Semi-finals aren’t meant to be like that. From the get-go, that was a superb game of rugby. I’m amazed by Northampton’s resilience and the way they’ve played today.” “Will their tight five stand up? That was the challenge,” says Pat Lam. “They were outstanding. The way they ran on to the ball, they got up every time, the defending was huge.” “We ran for each other, we showed love for each other, we showed heart. We did that for 80 minutes and we got the result.” 2d ago20.26 CESTThe Leinster players look shattered. Reminder: They’d won their previous two matches by an aggregate score of 114-0 in the Champions Cup. Updated at 20.27 CEST2d ago20.24 CESTFinal score: Leinster 34-37 NorthamptonThey’ve done it! Leinster are out! Northampton are in the final but then Northampton ate up the final few seconds and booted the ball out They will play Bordeaux or Toulouse in the final in Cardiff later this month Updated at 20.57 CEST2d ago20.19 CEST79 min: It’s touched down by Byrne! Pollock says it’s a knock on. TMO check … Referee says no try. But they want to check a few things on replay. Updated at 20.57 CEST2d ago20.18 CEST78 min: Phases, phases, phases for Leinster in the Northampton 22 … The Saints tackling is utterly heroic. But are Leinster going to get there? Updated at 20.12 CEST2d ago20.10 CEST72 min: Fin Smith puts a high kick up. Lowe calls for the mark. Northampton still hold a slender lead but this is going to be a seriously testing final eight. 2d ago20.09 CESTTry Leinster 34-37 Northampton (Lowe)Northampton are hopelessly stretched by a smart set play from the penalty Lowe swan dives in and Prendergast nails a very difficult conversion It’s a three-point game as we move into the final 10 2d ago20.06 CEST69 min: Scott-Young comes on Northampton, an immediate response to the yellow card. Henry Pollock’s conditioning and work-rate is absolutely another level. Updated at 20.05 CEST2d ago20.04 CEST68 min: Potential yellow card for a high and late hit by Northampton’s Kemeny on Slimani. The crowd roar at the replays but it looks like he might have hit his chest first … Updated at 20.02 CEST2d ago20.00 CEST65 min: Tom James for Mitchell at scrum-half. Tom Lockett, the lock, also on. Updated at 19.55 CEST2d ago19.52 CEST59 min: Now Leinster win what looks a key penalty for a high shot at a ruck. They kick for the corner. 2d ago19.51 CEST57 min: Prendergast pick a nice inside pass, popped inside for a rampaging McCarthy. Leinster knock on I fancy Northampton to engineer a classy counterattack score before too long … 2d ago19.50 CESTPenalty 56 min: Leinster 22-30 Northampton (Smith)A long-range penalty sneaks over from the England man We’re not far from the final quarter and this promises to be a scintillating finish But they’ll still fancy it with the ball in hand … Prendergast converts Updated at 19.39 CEST2d ago19.37 CEST44 min: A big shot from O’Brien on Langdon. BIG. Now Jack Conan is on for Leinster. Prendergast knocks on but in fairness to him it was an appalling pass by Gibson-Park. Pressure starting to tell? Updated at 19.35 CEST2d ago19.32 CESTSecond half kick off!Here we go. Can Northampton pull this off? Updated at 19.33 CEST2d ago19.24 CESTA touch of half-time reading: Leinster 15-27 NorthamptonThat was one of the best halves of rugby I’ve seen in a while Leinster have shown plenty of quality but the sheer verve of Northampton’s attack – with one stupendous finish by Pollock and a hat-trick for Freeman prompted by another brilliant display by Fin Smith – have rocked Leinster right back on their heels The problem Leinster face is that no matter how many they score after half time, it’s difficult to imagine Northampton failing to score a few more playing like this. Bring it on. 2d ago19.18 CEST40 min: Clock in the red, Leinster pushing for a try after a knock-on by Mitchell … arrowing to the left corner and over the try-line after a wonderful one-handed offload by Augustus Lowe and O’Brien are both desperately trying to keep Freeman out but he has too much power and pace 2d ago19.02 CESTTry! 28 min: Leinster 15-17 Northampton (Pollock)WOW! Northampton have it on the left wing Nothing really looks on but Mitchell feeds Pollock running a super-intelligent line through a gap he’s spotted The commentators reckon it was Snyman out of position around the ruck and it was a bit soft from Prendergast as the last line of defence Updated at 19.01 CEST2d ago18.59 CESTTry! 25 min: Leinster 15-10 Northampton (Van der Flier)Crushing pressure from Leinster and there is no way out for Northampton on this occasion Deegan is tackled close to the line but waits for support and it’s Josh van der Flier who powers over from close range 22 min: Leinster 8-10 Northampton (Smith)Saints capitalise on that superb counterattack and are back in the lead thanks to a kick off the tee from the England fly-half Retired England out-half Stuart Barnes has claimed that Sam Underhill’s “brutal hit” last Saturday on Ali Price in Edinburgh has made him fall in love with rugby all over again The Champions Cup semi-finals in Dublin and Bordeaux were the past weekend’s headline rugby fixtures in Europe, but Bath’s Challenge Cup win in Scotland didn’t escape the attention of Barnes who used his Monday column in The Times to wax lyrical about the moment the England flanker mowed down the Scotland scrum-half on the Murrayfield back pitch Bath eventually won 39-24 to book their place in the May 23 final in Cardiff versus Lyon but Barnes’ attention was drawn to the early second-half incident just minutes before Edinburgh were awarded the penalty try that gave them a short-lived 17-12 lead “Sam Underhill had already levelled Edinburgh’s scrum-half with a horrifying shot to the ribs in the first half As Price produced an almost perfect kick from his own 22 the Bath open side smashed the scrum half on the left side of his ribs all his formidable power legitimately channelled through his shoulders “Price didn’t see just what a wonderful kick he had manufactured as he rolled around in understandable agony The TV director produced a replay to remind us that rugby is brutish at its best Or perhaps he was on the hunt for a late tackle and a controversial card Price was trying to make sure one part of his body hadn’t been dislodged from the other when the hit man himself arrived on the scene to check that his target was all right The Bath man extended his hand in legitimate concern and respect the scrum-half accepted it and rose ruefully to his feet tenderly trotting towards the Bath 22 for a lineout There weren’t half a dozen players surrounding the referee demanding a red card or something worse There was no incitement to and from the terrace The English side took victory in Edinburgh, catch up on all the #ChallengeCupRugby action with Instant Highlights ⬇️ — EPCR Challenge Cup (@ChallengeCup_) May 5, 2025 “There was nothing but huge admiration for the legitimate brutality of the Bath flanker and — from me who was wincing from another country – even more respect for Price he shook his head and smiled as he hobbled to his feet you will not see much better than the thriller in Dublin with the most brutal of endings for Leinster possession turned over inches from the Northampton try line strategic decision to play it tight up front and then there was that hit from Underhill on Price A brutal moment which made me fall in love with rugby all over again.” Bath defeated Edinburgh 24-39 on Saturday afternoon to progress to the final of the 2024/25 Challenge Cup Planet Rugby's Edinburgh player ratings following their loss to Bath in the Challenge Cup Stuart Barnes has floated a radical Anglo-Welsh Premiership idea to revive the financial stricken regions in Wales that would involve demoting three current English top-flight teams to the Championship Sam Underhill was sent off in his side's Challenge Cup win over Pau last weekend Nittawela Rugby Stadium in Kandy, Sri Lanka, hosted the first overseas tour for the New Zealand U85kg team The team overcame a physical test from the Sri Lankan Tuskers A loud and passionate crowd packed into the stadium for the matchup, after the Tuskers recently won an Asia Rugby Championship Playoff against Malaysia captained by Jarred Percival out of the High School Old Boys Light Bears club team in Canterbury scoring in the opening ten minutes through loose forward Pasia Asiata from the Poneke Wanderers club in Wellington Percival added the extras from the corner to take a 7-0 lead Moana Pasifika's replacement halfback Melani Matavao proved to be the hero charging down a Robinson clearing kick and scooping the ball up to score in the corner Pellegrini crucially converted the try from out wide putting the game out of reach for the Highlanders The New Zealand side then decided to counterattack from their own end winning the ball back on the back of a long kick from Percival New Zealand midfielder Ben Megson out of Grammar TEC Old Boys in Auckland found himself in some space before firing a long cut-out pass to his midfield teammate Campbell Busby Busby sharply offloaded it to Jamie Petford who dived in the corner to score untouched one of five representatives from the national club champions the Pakuranga Black Panthers showed some nice footwork to break the Sri Lankan line Morrison was able to free the arms and offload to vice-captain Josh Gellert putting the ball down 15 meters in from the touchline taking New Zealand’s lead to 12 just before halftime New Zealand’s final try of the first half was from influential lock Jack Laity out of the Auckland University club in Auckland Laity got the ball in his hands just under five meters from the line The second half was dominated by the Kiwis running in another four tries in the second forty with the Tuskers only adding a penalty to their first-half total Percival was once again in the thick of the action this time he found a gap in the Sri Lanka defence after a nice offload from Asiata finally got himself on the try scorer’s list after setting up a couple of tries Morrison fired a cutout ball to replacement playmaker Eamon Reilly who returned the favour and set up Morrison in the corner Asiata was then on the end of a Reilly line break to score his second of the match with just under ten minutes to go With only a couple of minutes left on the clock the New Zealand side was able to score their eighth try of the evening Morrison was able to break through the Sri Lankan defence on the back of a Taine Cordell-Hull bullet pass from the base of the ruck FT: 50-10 to the New Zealand U85kg representative team Game two: New Zealand Under 85kg v Sri Lanka Tuskers The Sri Lankans really know how to put on a show I didn’t realise how much of a rugby-loving nation Sri Lanka is Reminds me of those NPEC games in Ruatoria lol Exeter Chiefs have endured a rather dramatic week Pumped 79-17 by West Country rivals Gloucester last Sunday a defeat which plunged the club into turmoil head coach Rob Hunter and backs coach Ali Hepher were suspended pending a full review of both the game and the 2024/25 season as a whole Rob Baxter was also handed front-line coaching duties until the end of the campaign issued a damning statement detailing the ‘clear disconnect’ between the coaching staff and playing group That departure now leaves Exeter with a head coach void ahead of the 2025/26 season here are some of the names who could be in the mix for the head coach role at Sandy Park Former Racing 92 boss Stuart Lancaster and former Munster head coach Graham Rowntree will likely be at the very top of Rowe’s shopping list in their quest for a new top dog Both men boast exceptional coaching pedigrees with Lancaster understood to have been the mastermind behind the Leinster juggernaut during his stint there and Rowntree recently took Munster to the URC title against the odds both men would know what it takes to turn a team around quickly which is the sort of thing Exeter need right now Despite the sour ending to his England spell Lancaster had turned the national side around from the carnage of the 2011 World Cup and into consistent Six Nations title chasers He also helped blood in the likes of Owen Farrell Henry Slade and Luke Cowan-Dickie amongst others which again could do wonders for the young Chiefs group at the moment Rowntree took over as Munster boss following a disappointing 2021/22 season where they finished sixth overall but were below both Leinster and Ulster out of the Irish sides they also finished top of the table at the end of the regular season before losing to eventual champions Glasgow Warriors But that rapid transformation under him will have captured Rowe’s attention Suspended Exeter Chiefs boss departs club after ‘clear disconnect’ the former Leicester Tigers icon is also understood to be in contention for the vacant head coach posting at Mattioli Woods Welford Road too with Michael Cheika leaving at the end of the season but Nick Easter is certainly in the discussion for Exeter head coach for next season The former Harlequins icon enjoyed a decent spell at Worcester Warriors as an assistant before properly cutting his teeth with Chinnor in National One He guided the club to safety in his first season in charge and later helped them earn promotion to the Championship He has also gained more valuable experience at Test level as he currently acts as the forwards coach for the USA Exeter Chiefs: Rob Baxter entrusted to fix ‘clear disconnect’ as CEO issues damning statement Easter’s rise through the coaching ranks isn’t too dissimilar to Baxter’s either and with the experience of the long-standing director of rugby His appointment would also be a more long-term one given he is fairly fresh into his coaching career but that again seems to fit the bill of what Exeter want right now It could be a master stroke from the Devonians Leon MacDonald and former Chiefs player Geoff Parling could also be catching the eye of the Chiefs’ higher-ups MacDonald was attracting the interest of Leicester Tigers but reports suggest he has turned them down to take up an offer in Japan; however if the Chiefs act quickly and present a good offer The former All Black again would bring a wealth of experience to the role serving as an assistant under Scott Robertson for the national side and previously worked as an assistant for the Crusaders and later as Blues head coach it’s a bit of a stretch considering he is set to take a role in Japan considering he is Joe Schmidt’s right-hand man at the Wallabies but with the former Ireland boss heading for pastures new The former lock already has a high standing among the Chiefs faithful after an excellent playing career in Devon and he is quickly gaining a reputation as a great coach too A head coach role at Test level is likely in his future too so this could give him the exposure to life at the top This would be a HUGE kick in the teeth for the Tigers but he is available for next season after all He would be a brilliant appointment for the Devonians but he is only leaving the East Midlands to be with his family so another Premiership role seems highly unlikely Another option for the Chiefs head coach role could be Baxter to just continue on for the foreseeable future Baxter has an impressive record at the club but he again commands high standards from his group which saw a dramatic upturn in form and boosted the Chiefs to a Champions Cup semi-final run in the process and if he again sees a rapid rise in fortunes ,he could just hold onto the duties next season too They need to get some form of succession plan in place and after all the drama of the current season this feels like the perfect time to get that sorted out READ MORE: Opinion: Exeter Chiefs call for the return of Caesar to resurrect ‘besieged empire’ Rob Hunter and Ali Hepher were suspended on Monday pending a formal review Rob Hunter and Ali Hepher were suspended pending a full review into the 2024/25 season on Monday but will the return of Rob Baxter herald a new dawn Social media was divided in its reaction to Monday’s development that Exeter owner Tony Rowe has suspended coaches Rob Hunter and Ali Hepher It’s time for our Monday wrap of who has their name in lights and who is making the headlines for all the wrong reasons after the weekend Northampton Saints: Who saw that coming? Northampton shocked us all as they produced one of the performances of the past few years, against the odds, to knock out heavy favourites Leinster in Dublin the Saints shot out of the blocks on Saturday and further tries from Henry Pollock and James Ramm as well as Fin Smith’s boot secured a famous 37-34 semi-final triumph Bordeaux-Begles: Joining Northampton in the final in Cardiff on Saturday who sent reigning Champions Cup holders Toulouse tumbling out of the competition Sunday’s victory was also inspired in part by a wing as Louis Bielle-Biarrey crossed twice in a five-try success The only negative from their triumph was the injury Damian Penaud sustained that saw him depart in the second half Bailyn Sullivan’s try-scoring heroics: The 26-year-old was amongst the replacements for the Hurricanes’ Super Rugby Pacific fixture against the Chiefs in Wellington but was called into action early in the second half when the home side’s star wing Kini Naholo was forced off through injury Despite trailing the visitors 17-9 at half-time the Hurricanes delivered a superb second-half showing as they eventually sealed a 37-17 victory Sullivan was the home side’s hero as he proved a real handful to the Chiefs’ defence ending with four well-taken tries in that half Bath and Lyon: While Bordeaux and Northampton stole the spotlight there were two other clubs who booked their spots in Cardiff later this month with Bath and Lyon downing Edinburgh and Racing 92 Finn Russell weaved his magic for the Premiership outfit as they ran in six tries to knock out the club from the Scottish capital while Léo Berdeu’s booted Racing 92 out with three penalties in the final quarter Moana Pasifika and Ardie Savea: Head coach Tana Umaga and his side continued with their outstanding Super Rugby Pacific season as they claimed a shock 34-29 victory over the Highlanders in Dunedin on Sunday Moana were full value for their win as they outscored their hosts by five tries to four and the result means they move into the play-off frame as they currently occupy sixth position on the table Leading the way for Umaga’s troops was inspirational skipper All Blacks star Ardie Savea who delivered a fine attacking performance as he finished with 81 metres gained from 19 carries as many defenders beaten and was rewarded with a well-taken try Champions Cup Team of the Week: World’s ‘form player’ joined by ‘joyous free spirit’ Henry Pollock while fly-half produces the ‘toughest call’ Lions match officials: As much of an honour as it is for the players to be selected for the Lions tour as it is for the officials with Ben O’Keefe and Nika Amashukeli named as the referees for the all-important Tests with the appointment of Italian Piardi who was in the spotlight for the wrong reasons for his handling of Munster’s clash with the Bulls which saw the Irish club play with 14 men for 14 minutes Only time will tell if World Rugby Head of Match Officials Joël Jutge has made the correct decision World Rugby accused of ‘rewarding failure’ following ‘appalling’ Andrea Piardi’s Lions Test appointment Leinster: Some bookmakers had given Northampton a 20-point-plus start such was the expectancy that Leinster would roll them over due to several factors They were their Ireland internationals were all fresh after being rotated in recent weeks it was at the Aviva Stadium and also Leinster had hammered their two most recent knockout opponents by an aggregate score of 114-0 How wrong they were as Leinster were shredded by Saints’ attack with questions now being asked of Leo Cullen and Jacques Nienaber Caelan Doris’ injury: There are few times worse than right now to get injured for British and Irish Lions hopefuls Andy Farrell will announce his squad later this week but may well put the captaincy call off for the time being after Leinster confirmed that number eight Doris had sustained a shoulder injury in the defeat to Northampton and will go under the knife The full extent of the injury is yet to be confirmed The injury just rubs further salt into the loose forward’s gaping wounds following the defeat Highlanders: As good as Moana Pasifika were the Highlanders will do plenty of soul searching after that defeat on their home patch That result means Jamie Joseph’s outfit have lost three consecutive matches after losing their previous two games against the pace-setting Chiefs and Crusaders and their last win was recorded against Fijian Drua on April 12 The Highlanders’ loss to Moana leaves them in a precarious position on the Super Rugby Pacific table as they currently sit 10th in the 11-team competition after winning just three out of their 11 games Kini Naholo’s injury: Although the Hurricanes will be delighted with their win and the performance of Sullivan against the table-topping Chiefs they will be greatly concerned with Naholo’s condition The 26-year-old has been one of their best players as he’s delivered several outstanding showings but lasted just eight minutes against the Chiefs before being forced off with what looked like a knee injury Naholo could be out for the rest of the season which means he may miss out on his dream of playing for the All Blacks Joseph Suaalii’s hit on Noah Lolesio: The Brumbies sealed a deserved 40-17 triumph over the Waratahs in Canberra but the result was soured somewhat by an incident involving Wallabies team-mates Suaalii and Lolesio With the score 26-12 in the hosts’ favour they launched an attack inside the Waratahs’ half and Lolesio got a pass out to a team-mate before being taken out by a shoulder charge from Suaalii The move saw Billy Pollard being rewarded with a try but Lolesio was left prone on the ground after Suaalii’s challenge that went unpunished READ MORE: Brumbies v Waratahs: Five takeaways as Joseph Suaalii must learn from Sonny Bill Williams’ mistake before B&I Lions Series There are now just six weeks left for Major League Rugby (MLR) teams to firm up their postseason credentials Two thirds of the way into the 2025 campaign the New England Free Jacks are top of the Eastern Conference and the Utah Warriors top the west While there will be more twists and turns ahead In the space of four days the Utah Warriors and San Diego Legion experienced both loss and defeat On Wednesday night a converted Logan Crowley score proved to be the difference as the Warriors picked up a 38-31 victory over the California club Then on Sunday night the two teams were back on the pitch again First up was Utah who had a tricky visit to Old Glory DC It was the hosts that raced into an unassailable four-try lead with less than 50 minutes on the clock Late tries for Reid Davis and Fred Apulu meant that the final scoreline read 28-12 On the other side of the coin was a 45-36 win for San Diego over the NOLA Gold to close out Week 12 To describe Legion’s victory as comprehensive would be putting things mildly Christian Poidevin and Shilo Klein all grabbing a brace in the win Utah have maintained top spot in the Western Conference and the San Diego Legion have maintained third-place In spite of a slow start to the 2025 season the New England Free Jacks have a firm grip on top spot in the Eastern Conference Over the weekend the back-to-back champions registered a 36-17 win over Western Conference powerhouses Jack Reeves and Cam Nordli-Kelemeti were all try-scorers for the Free Jacks in the victory and really underlined that their early season worries were nothing short of a flash in the pan In the Western Conference the Seattle Seawolves and Rugby Football Club Los Angeles shared the points with a 26-26 draw at Starfire Stadium When World Rugby confirmed more wholesale changes to the HSBC SVNS for a second year in a row it set off the first domino in a chain of events Four teams have been cut entirely from the men’s and women’s competition and dropped down to a new second tier Twist in Louis Rees-Zammit’s stint with Jacksonville Jaguars as they change his playing status June-July internationals: Fixtures and referee appointments including the match officials for the Lions tour Ahead of the leg of the competition in Los Angeles USA men’s captain Stephen Tomasin discussed what this may mean for his team More than anything else uncertainty means that the USA men’s programme will be in a state of flux for some time as the dust settles Funded by the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee not competing at the highest level of competition between Olympic Games could impact the rate of investment into the side As a result MLR could become a more viable and less turbulent career course for young players wanting to compete at the top level in the USA Former London Irish back James Stokes has come out of retirement to sign for the Chicago Hounds The 33-year-old enjoyed a meteoric rise from the doldrums of English club rugby to the Champions Cup and spent the 2024 MLR season with Rugby Football Club Los Angeles After making 11 appearances in Southern California last season he called time of his career in the new year As the Hounds looked to bolster their backline options at SeatGeek Stadium Chris Latham has added Stokes to his roster to add competition and quality to squad Stokes was in attendance on Sunday night as Chicago ground out a 14-7 win over the Miami Sharks thanks to Luke White and Dylan Fawsitt tries Last Thursday the league announced that the competition is now broadcast in over 100 countries This comes off the back of MLR’s multi-year agreement with ESPN Whether it is Premier Sports in the United Kingdom & Ireland Disney+ in Latin America or Stan Sports in Australia wherever you are in the world MLR is at your fingertips For a competition that has never been more popular this feels like another significant step forward and could lead to a host of new support “Given the depth of talent across the league we are in the midst of our most exciting season yet These strategic agreements with our broadcast partners will enable more of our fans world-wide to tune in for some best-in-class rugby action,” Nic Benson READ MORE: ‘Leadership not fit for purpose’ – World Rugby accused of ‘Machiavellian’ behaviour with latest Sevens revamp As the countdown towards Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 continues fans across England will have the chance to celebrate early as the prestigious trophy will embark on a nationwide tour of the tournament’s eight host locations The RWC 2025 host location trophy tour will set off from the country’s capital on a journey spanning three weeks from 14 May to 6 June giving fans a unique opportunity to get up close to the iconic prize at the heart of the world’s biggest women’s rugby event marking 100 days to go until the opening match RWC 2025 Trophy Tour Dates & Locations: London: 14 – 16 MayBrighton & Hove: 17 – 19 MayExeter: 20 – 22 MayBristol: 23 – 24 MayNorthampton: 26 – 27 MayManchester: 29 – 31 MayYork: 1 – 3 JuneSunderland: 4 – 6 June Each stop will feature a series of appearances across iconic landmarks and locations communities and grassroots rugby clubs the chance to join the celebrations and share in the excitement and buildup to the biggest Women’s Rugby World Cup ever Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 Managing Director said: "Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 promises to be a landmark tournament for the sport and the trophy tour to our host locations provides a brilliant opportunity to ignite excitement across England “We look forward to celebrating with fans and encouraging even more people to be a part of this unforgettable tournament.” New tickets for Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 will become available from 14 May with prices starting at £10 for adults and £5 for children Full details of each stop’s events and appearances will be available on the official Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 website and social media channels in due course Durham University Rugby Club (DURFC) is one of the oldest and most successful university rugby clubs in the UK Durham University Rugby Club (DURFC) and Durham University Women's Rugby Club (DUWRFC) and with the support of Campus Living Villages invite you to a day of rugby on Saturday 3 May "To celebrate the 150th year of rugby at Durham University the club is both honoured and proud to become only the 5th university team to take on the world famous Barbarians where it all began for the renowned wearers of the black and white shirt (the first game ever was against Hartlepool Rovers in 1890) don't panic - our award-winning student TV station The second episode of the newly-launched Talking Team Durham podcast features a conversation with our current Head and Assistant Coaches (and Durham alumni) Si Culley and Rob Vickers Listen in as they chat to hosts Dave Coldwell (our Head of Sport and Physical Activity) and Peter Warburton OBE (our former Director of Sport) about the Rugby Club's 150th Anniversary The Racecourse Rugby Scholarship provides support for incoming undergraduates looking to combine rugby as a University level sport with further education at Durham The Scholarship has been gifted by University rugby club alumni who wish to provide the same opportunities they were afforded A large number of our alumni have gone on to become famous international players Familiar names include former England captains Peter Dixon and England World Cup Winner Will Greenwood Doncaster Knights rugby teamHighlights from the 2020-21 season He also captained England Students to victory over their French counterparts Fred will be playing for the Barbarians on Saturday 3 May 2025 Winning the BUCS Super Rugby League in 2021.DURFC reflect on winning the BUCS Super Rugby League and creating University history Durham University Rugby Club in images through the years With roots dating back to the foundations of the University DURFC's past is illustrious and long-standing.  From origins as one of the strongest senior sides DURFC-linked teams dominated the rugby landscape in the North East of England in the 1900s The importance of rugby and sport in general as a unifying element of society was recognised early on with The Northerner (student newspaper in the 1900s) remarking: it is imperative that men turn out and yell for all they are worth we do not see why the colleges should be open at all on these important days." the Alumni Society provides a community to maintain the relationships and camaraderie experienced by former DURFC players They also support the rugby club's vision to maintain its position amongst the elite rugby universities in the UK The Palatine CentreDurham UniversityStockton RoadDurham DH1 3LE Uruguay u20’s have scheduled two international matches for June Los Teritos will have home advantage in matches against the u20 sides from Chile and Portugal The two matches have been organized to fill in the massive gap left by World Rugby’s decision to cancel the World Rugby u20 Trophy The World Rugby Under 20 Trophy was used as the second level of the World Rugby tournament structure for national u20 teams The inaugural tournament took place in 2008. Uruguay were champions at the tournament hosted by Chile. Scotland hosted and won the 2024 edition to win promotion back to the World Rugby u20 Championship The 2024 u20 Championship will be hosted by Italy from June 29 to July 19 It will be a twelve-team tournament including three pools of four and subsequent play-off’s The World Rugby u20 Trophy was played as an 8 team format featuring two pools of four Tags Super Rugby Americas 2025 has been shaken up Los Tarucas celebrated an away victory over … Argentine Marcos Moneta won the award for scoring the best Rugby SVNS try during the 2024-2025 season The 25-year-old’s score against Australia in Hong Kong was awarded as the best of the season Moneta’s try was a finalist alongside Vuiviwa Naduvalo for Fiji vs France in Dubai Simon Desert for France vs Fiji in Cape Town and Anton Legorburu for Spain vs New Zealand in Vancouver The Argentine’s try was in a Semi Final victory over Australia which Los Pumas 7’s won 31-7. Argentina went on to win the 2025 Hong Kong 7’s, marking a first-ever tournament victory in the Asian city for Argentina Moneta and Joji Nasova both scored 26 tries in the 2024-2025 SVNS season. Nasova and Moneta both made the 2024-2025 Dream Team Moneta is joined by Luciano González to give Argentina two players on the season’s Dream Team Below are highlights featuring Moneta throughout the 2024-2025 Rugby SVNS season Tags Super Rugby Americas 2025 has been shaken up. Los Tarucas celebrated an away victory over … The final international action before the squad is named is over - who will Andy Farrell be picking to head Down Under I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice The unveiling of the British and Irish Lions squad to tour Australia is imminent with the last chance to impress Andy Farrell over The Lions head coach will name his touring party to travel Down Under on 8 May in front of a live audience at London’s O2 Arena with a big captaincy call to be made between Ireland No 8 Caelan Doris and England lock Maro Itoje England’s strong finish to a coming-of-age Six Nations campaign has furthered the chances of plenty of their players while Farrell’s familiarity with the Irish squad should mean plenty of representation despite the relinquishing of their crown Scotland and Wales have several standouts eyeing inclusion, too, with the announcement of the assistant coaches potentially revealing more about Farrell’s plans. What could his squad to take on the Wallabies look like The Independent has selected a 38-man touring party: Changes since post-Six Nations selection: None Don’t rule out Wales loosehead Nicky Smith given his scrummaging skill but this trio all possess a better blend of skillsets Ironman Porter is a regular 70-minute man for Ireland Schoeman an underrated force with the ball and at the breakdown and Genge has been back to his best in England white Sheehan returned to full force in the Six Nations after a speedy recovery from ACL surgery, and feels a nailed-on starter. It was a shame not to see more of Lake after his own injury issues - how Wales needed him fit and firing. While his time as a Lions Test starter may have gone, George would be an excellent squad man and possible midweek captain if required, a role fulfilled by mentor Rory Best in 2017 The thought of Asher Opoku-Fordjour bolting into contention with a breakthrough Six Nations was entirely misplaced with the hugely improved Stuart instead taking the tighthead shine for England The Bath prop has gone from fringe contender to possible starter particularly with Furlong’s ongoing fitness battles Fagerson should make a second tour in succession There’s a chance that Beirne reprises his role on the blindside with the emergence of McCarthy and Martin giving Farrell two tighthead lock options to complement Itoje, who tends to rise to the occasion in the famous red shirt The England second row is now our choice as captain having performed the role well in his first Six Nations a skipper with his past experiences as a tourist helping his case Chessum also offers four/six versatility and is just getting better and better; Leicester teammate Martin must get over his injury and prove his fitness James Ryan and Ryan Baird all have their merits Squeezing this group down to even seven names remains a brutal task - with Henry Pollock impossible now to leave out after his Dublin tour de force against Leinster Jack Willis and Tommy Reffell deserve mention and consideration Willis misses out partly due to the fact that Toulouse could well still be playing in the Top 14 when the Lions play their first game in Australia There are relatively few bonafide blindsides in the mix at six though Jamie Ritchie is returning to past form and Courtney Lawes has made his desire to tour clear Four of the locks included in our squad have the ability to cover the position and Farrell may well favour two back-row scavengers anyway Jack Conan is very close to a second tour but the vast experience of Faletau a Test match animal chasing a fourth Lions trip Gibson-Park’s importance to Ireland’s attack should see him take the starting nine shirt with Mitchell also earning a first Lions trip Williams’s skillset would be a nice fit if Farrell favours an Irish-style system having shown his talents again for Gloucester after a slightly difficult time with Wales The younger of the two Smiths has seized England’s fly half shirt and has the right materials to go well with the Lions as he showed in out-shining Sam Prendergast in Northampton’s brilliant Champions Cup semi-final success George Ford takes the final shirt as another experienced head having been a key off-field contributor for England in the Six Nations and sparkled since at Sale Henshaw has not been at his best this year and perhaps feels slightly vulnerable Changes: Graham for Duhan van der Merwe (England) Another area in which it is tough to narrow the options down with livewire Scot Graham stealing in to snatch a spot as part of a wing group where beauty may be in the eye of the beholder Immanuel Feyi-Waboso drops out on account of a shoulder injury that appears to have been mismanaged by both Exeter and England while Duhan van der Merwe is another overcoming injury and perhaps more limited a player than other options Freeman’s capacity to cover centre and aerial ability offer a point of difference from a player just getting better and better Starting XV: 1 Andrew Porter, 2 Dan Sheehan, 3 Tadhg Furlong; 4 Maro Itoje (capt), 5 Joe McCarthy; 6 Tadhg Beirne, 7 Tom Curry, 8 Caelan Doris; 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 10 Finn Russell; 11 James Lowe, 12 Bundee Aki, 13 Sione Tuipulotu, 14 Blair Kinghorn; 15 Hugo Keenan Replacements: 16 Dewi Lake, 17 Ellis Genge, 18 Will Stuart, 19 Ollie Chessum, 20 Ben Earl; 21 Tomos Williams, 22 Fin Smith, 23 Tommy Freeman Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies {"adUnitPath":"71347885/_main_independent/gallery","autoGallery":true,"disableAds":false,"gallery":[{"data":{"title":"British & Irish Lions.jpg","description":"A composite image of potential British & Irish Lions tourists Sione Tuipulotu, Maro Itoje, Caelan Doris and Dewi Lake","caption":"Sione Tuipulotu, Maro Itoje, Caelan Doris and Dewi Lake (clockwise from top left) could all be in Andy Farrell’s squad Sione Tuipulotu, Maro Itoje, Caelan Doris and Dewi Lake (clockwise from top left) could all be in Andy Farrell’s squad a semi-final clash is coming to our home - Hive Stadium and you will not want to miss out FUEL THE FINAL PUSH: GET TO YOUR SPOT EARLY FOR THE SEMI-FINAL Hive Stadium plays host to a huge EPCR Challenge Cup Semi-Final as Edinburgh Rugby lock horns with Bath and we need YOU to be part of something truly special Forget the frantic dash to your seat just before kick-off whether you’re in the stands or on the terraces to be in your place by 2.45pm ahead of a 3pm kick-off Because you won’t want to miss a pre-match ‘hype moment’ designed to ignite the atmosphere and create a cauldron of noise as your capital club runs out onto the pitch The club will once again have free flags for fans in seats and in standing areas so let’s transform our home into a vibrant wall of orange that will help fuel our players With the stirring sounds of the Penicuik & District Pipe Band filling the air and the energy of stadium host Bruce Aitchison leading the charge the pre-match build-up promises to be huge If have any enquiries please contact the Customer Services team: For the full terms of entry, please read our Ticket Terms and Conditions. Please also take the time to read the full list of safety measures and to find out more about what you can expect on matchdays, visit the ASK Scottish Rugby section Sign-up for our newsletter today to receive the latest updates Bath and Lyon will contest the 2024/25 Challenge Cup final at the Principality Stadium after the pair beat Edinburgh and Racing 92 respectively in their semi-finals The West Country outfit outmuscled their Scottish opponents at Hive Stadium on Saturday to book the first spot in the final Scores from Sam Underhill, Tom Dunn (2), Alfie Barbeary, Niall Annett and Guy Pepper as well as nine points from the boot of Finn Russell saw Bath to an away win Mosese Tuipulotu and Ali Price would cross for Edinburgh in a disappointing effort from the United Rugby Championship outfit after recent solid outings in that league Bath were worthy winners of the fixture and are enjoying a wonderful season to date having already won the Premiership Rugby Cup and sit atop the Premiership table Edinburgh v Bath: Five takeaways as Finn Russell ‘rubber-stamps’ his Lions selection while Bomb Squad does its job Therefore they are on track for a possible treble trophy haul in 2024/25 under Johann van Graan but there are still a few obstacles to bypass for Bath’s head of rugby their opponents in the May 23 final in Cardiff will be Lyon after they overcame Racing 92 29-15 in the second semi which took place in Lyon on Sunday Tries from Vincent Rattez and Beka Saginadze were added to by 19 points off the tee from Leo Berdeu who kicked two conversions and five penalties in the victory The Challenge Cup final will kick off at 20:00 BST on that Friday with the match officials to be confirmed by European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) at a later date The Sharks won last year’s Challenge Cup after beating Gloucester 36-22 in the final at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium so there will be fresh hands on the trophy in 2025 READ MORE: Bath player ratings: Scotland star helps Bath progress to Challenge Cup final Round 12 of Super Rugby Pacific was the most perilous round in the lead up to finals There were banana skin games predicted throughout and upsets were sprung right across the board reshuffling the look of the top six and making for four weeks ahead of must watch fixtures While the Western Force failed to fire for 80 minutes in Auckland they certainly showed an aptitude for exciting rugby Across the Pacific, the Reds found out that bringing your strongest squad available isn’t necessarily enough to win in Fiji, and the Brumbies rediscovered a winning edge at the cost of another Waratahs loss on the road The bus trip back to Sydney should give Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii enough time to think about where he can truly give the Wallabies the best impact for the British and Irish Lions series in July There were strong performers right throughout the Force side on a wet night in Auckland but none shone brighter than Carlo Tizzano and he is being rewarded handsomely with his 12 tries His tackle stats are the highest in the comp sitting 11 tackles clear of second spot held by DuPlessis Kirifi but what has been most impressive this season is his ball carrying He’s often getting over the gain line, and on Friday night he showed he had a bit of speed and rugby nous to go along with his brute strength; as he palmed All Black Stephen Perofeta and surged down the left flank the cutting inside to get away from the touchline his pass is now not only a tool in his toolkit being able to throw a 20m spiral and put it on the chest of whoever wants it He is the Force’s beating heart along with Darcy Swain, captain Jeremy Williams, Nick Champion de Crespigny, Ben Donaldson, and Nic White they are all crucial for this side’s lofty ambitions to be the first Force side in history to make a Super Rugby finals series Whether the men from Perth reach this goal or not with every week he remains top of the log for tackles he is clawing that Wallabies No.7 jersey from the hands of the incumbent Suaalii’s mixed performance shows where he should play against the Lions Suaalii looks effortless with ball in hand but it’s his gritty determination and aggression which takes his carrying game to another level The best example of this came in the 22nd minute, when he ran over the top of Brumbies inside centre, David Feliuai racking up nine of the 23 tackle busts for his side accounting for a third of the Tahs’ team total his positional play tainted an otherwise stellar performance He was caught out of position on a few occasions and handed off clearance duties to teammates around him it’s clear he’s not quite comfortable yet to nail the exit every time The pertinent factor to consider is it does not look like a skill he will nail before July and nor is the positional side of the game The Lions are bringing some of the best kickers and most brilliant tacticians in the world of rugby to Australia and they will find any weaknesses and exploit them Territory and possession will be everything for coach Andrew Farrell and his men and you can bet they’ll be watching tape on Suaalii because he put the world on notice at Twickenham last year there was nothing Suaalii did that can’t be achieved from outside centre fullback doesn’t seem like a viable option currently and while he may not walk into the Wallabies’ starting lineup yet the No.23 jersey has his name written all over it and had a respect for the fundamentals of the game structures which have allowed them to punch well above their weight as always being the semi-finalists but never making it to the big dance has come down to an inability to go to another level and to kick-away from teams when push comes to shove the Brums showed how they can get to that next level by imbuing their well regimented systems with speed The Brumbies structurally looked the same as any other week, but there was a visible difference in their intent in everything they did. This change of pace likely comes from acknowledging the Hurricanes out enthused them last week leading to their second loss at home for the season This newfound eagerness translated into better tackles and a sense of responsibility around the field What’s clear is the Brumbies still lack enough consistent and dominant ball carriers to rely on a power game when the going gets tough. If Rob Valetini is covered then no one else is guaranteed to be that metre-eater and subsequently their plan breaks down and the purpose they had in every little task which ultimately is a recruitment/roster issue and allow them to be genuine final competitors this season Reds gamble in Fiji fails to down the bottom dwelling Drua It would require a particularly spectacular fall from grace to see the Reds miss the finals series from here with four regular season games left to play against the Waratahs and Brumbies away followed by the Hurricanes and Drua at home Les Kiss’ decision to take his full strength side to Suva in a bid to roll the bottom at home and potentially pick up a winning bonus point Poor skill execution and brain farts robbed the Reds of any true opportunities to potentially level or win the game in the final moments of their 33-36 defeat to the Drua on Saturday Afternoon In round one, Brumbies’ coach Stephen Larkham sent a side light on Wallabies talent to Fiji meanwhile the Waratahs did something in between for no pay and it will be interesting to see what Simon Cron does with the Western Force in round 14 the Reds sent their strongest side and in an exciting yet unpolished performance the Reds were made to pay for their gamble Without Tom Lynagh at No.10 the Reds looked clunky and disorganised and it fed into their inability to control possession and territory The loss means they must now weather the Fiji hangover, with only the top two sides, the Chiefs and Crusaders managing wins after their trip to the islands It’s an even tougher ask to break the hoodoo heading to Sydney to take on a Waratahs side which has yet to lose at home this season Putting the Drua game and the Tahs game in the context of the table it makes the decision from Kiss to freight all his big names out to Fiji even more puzzling With a casualty ward full of Wallabies like Matt Faessler, Josh Flook, Filipo Daugunu, and Harry Wilson but that excuse won’t matter in the do or die moments ahead I would now pick him over Fraser…and I’m a Qlder He has taken over the mantle of the great WF champion Matt Hodgson His involvement in the game is way higher than Fraser’s and he just so much harder to shift from over the ball Fraser has the edge as a running and supporting player Depends really what Schmidt wants from his 7 Leinster’s fanbase has turned sharply on long-serving head coach Leo Cullen following the province’s latest Investec Champions Cup heartbreak — a 37–34 semi-final loss to Northampton Saints in Dublin Cullen, who has guided Leinster to three successive finals without lifting the trophy cut a muted figure post-match as he defended his position and insisted he remains the right man to lead the side forward yes,” said Cullen in the post-match press conference who have heretofore rightly given Cullen latitude after three hair’s breadth losses in Champions Cup finals Indeed the loss – in a game where Tommy Freeman scored a first-half hat-trick and Saints punished Leinster’s defensive lapses with ruthless precision – has triggered one of the most vocally critical reactions to Cullen’s tenure since he took charge in 2015 One supporter opined: “That was a horror show defensively I’m sick listening to Leo Cullen’s excuses after big-game losses If he’s still there at the start of next season I will never go to a Leinster game again.” “I hope Leo Cullen stands down and is not pushed… I see a massive fall off of so-called ‘supporters’ not turning up at games… the sunshine fans… will stop going to the RDS Another was more blunt: “The only question left is who will replace Leo Cullen?” while another fan posted: “Leo Cullen has to be the worst manager in Irish sport “Leo Cullen has to answer for a lot,” said one supporter “but all those great leaders in the squad have to take responsibility too.” Another added: “Leo Cullen is in big trouble Does winning the URC really save the season?” There was anger over selection, particularly the decision to leave All Blacks star Jordie Barrett on the bench: “Never seen anyone as Teflon as Leo Cullen You pick your best team.” One summed it up bluntly: “A case study in wasting talent… no cohesion suggesting the time had come for a fresh direction Wales-based rugby columnist Paul Williams wrote: “I absolutely love Leinster I could watch them all day long and write about them for even longer But it’s time for a change in that setup That squad is way too good to not be making finals.” Leo Cullen is one of the good guys of World Rugby… but Leinster needs a change 2018 is a long time ago with such a well-resourced club.” Watch The Rugby Championship U20s live and for FREE on the RugbyPass app Kicking off Thursday 1.5 at 1pm BST with New Zealand U20 vs Australia U20 Geo-blocked in: All South America, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa It may be the right call to look for a new head coach but the trade-offs should be carefully considered and conversely changes at the top can cause immediate regression and even long-tail organizational trauma but they are certain to be more or less disruptive the really successful teams have had stable coaching over many years The solution for Leinster may be to make some adjustments And that should be rigorously considered before reaching for the ejector button Leinster delivered extraordinary victories in the two previous games Had the ref allowed the disallowed Leinster try in this game there would have been no calls for resignations To me it feels like there are millimeters between hero and zero in this case Retired Test-level referee Owen Doyle has insisted that Leinster should have been awarded a game-winning penalty try in the final minute of their Champions Cup semi-final With the clock stopped on 79 minutes in Dublin last Saturday French referee Pierre Brousset concluded that Northampton’s Alex Coles should be yellow carded and that the ‘try’ by Ross Byrne after he dived on the resulting loose ball while off his feet should not be allowed However, rather than award Leinster a penalty try for the way Coles had illegally impeded the ball-carrying Josh van der Flier, Brousset instead opted to only award a penalty – and this wasn’t enough to rescue the Irish side from their 34-37 loss Writing in his weekly Irish Times refereeing column Doyle explained: “Let’s clear a couple of things up If the ball hits the corner flag/post it is not out of play − it used to be aeons ago Ross Byrne’s ‘touch down’ could not be considered as he was off his feet while penalty tries are normally accompanied by a yellow card Doyle then went into detail about Coles ‘tackle’ on Van der Flier, outlining why a result-changing penalty try should have been the decision reached by Brousset “Van der Flier was bowled over short of the line “Brousset penalised and carded Northampton’s Alex Coles for not releasing the Leinster man “What mattered here occurred when Coles went to ground onto van der Flier That is specifically and sensibly covered in the law bible It outlaws an opponent from falling on a ball carrier who is on the ground van der Flier could very probably have reached out and scored “Probability is the key factor for awarding a penalty try If Brousset had started at the beginning as he considered the events he might well have come up with the right answer.” A review of Ross Byrne's disallowed try in the Investec Champions Cup semi-final Former Test referee Owen Doyle has delivered a withering put-down of Scottish whistler Sam Grove-White after the recent Stormers v Connacht match Leinster’s 37–34 loss to Northampton in the Investec Champions Cup semi-final didn’t just end their European campaign — it may also have dented the British & Irish Lions prospects of several big-name contenders While Leinster will almost certainly provide the single biggest contingent of players from one club for the tour their poor showing at the Aviva Stadium will not have helped the case of those potentially still fighting for a spot on the plane With Andy Farrell’s squad being announced this Thursday and some highly contested spots potentially up for grabs for the tour of Australia here are five Leinster players whose Lions stock took a hit over the weekend Prendergast’s defensive struggles against Northampton were brutally exposed Beaten one-on-one by Fin Smith and guilty of soft tackling throughout the young fly-half showed promise in attack but looked some distance off the physical demands of Test rugby but this was a reminder of how far he still has to go 2. Joe McCarthyOne of the most talked-about Irish forwards this season, McCarthy failed to impose himself physically against a Saints pack that won key collisions at the Aviva. His discipline has hampered him this season, but on Saturday it was the lack of bite in contact that stood out. The normally powerful lock just couldn’t provide the dominant defensive edge Leinster and Ireland have come to rely on Across from him, sometime England second-row Alex Coles — who hadn’t been part of the Lions conversation — outshone him Jack ConanConan was once a Test starter for the Lions but came off the bench against the English champions — albeit in the context that Max Deegan’s selection ahead of him will have raised eyebrows given the magnitude of the game Given the back row depth at Andy Farrell’s disposal, Conan needed a big performance here, and he may feel he didn’t quite do himself justice. With the likes of Caelan Doris, Ben Earl, Tom Willis and Aaron Wainwright in strong form Conan’s Lions inclusion now looks touch and go even if roughly half his game time in the Champions Cup (57 per cent) and Six Nations (40 per cent) came from the bench Robbie HenshawStill a world-class operator on his day Henshaw had one of his quieter outings against Northampton but there’s a growing sense that while he remains an incredibly solid midfield option the attacking side of his game has become a little predictable The cheer that rang out around the Aviva when Jordie Barrett replaced the Athlone man may have reflected a broader feeling: the two-time Lions tourist is no longer at the top table in terms of cutting edge Keenan might have been one of the first names on most fans’ Lions XVs but the semi-final showed he’s not immune to pressure in a highly competitive fullback field Leinster’s fanbase has turned sharply on long-serving head coach Leo Cullen following the province’s latest Investec Champions Cup heartbreak — a 37–34 semi-final loss to Northampton Saints in Dublin If Prender-gassed goes the it’s an utterly self serving pick to boost Farrell and irelands chances for the ‘27 WC The guy has a huge development curve ahead and is nowhere near Lions standards atm Crowley must be livid and I wonder if he might come to regret declining the Leicester opportunity on the wane and both behind superior players that should go ahead of them Keenan almost certainly going and can start if he finds form again depending on how Kinghorn’s injury plays out ofc World Rugby has confirmed an evolved HSBC SVNS competition model designed to deliver long-term financial sustainability and grow the global reach of rugby sevens in the lead-up to the LA 2028 Olympics Following a record-breaking Olympic Games Paris 2024 World Rugby has confirmed anevolved HSBC SVNS competition model designed to deliver long-term financial sustainability and grow the global reach of rugby sevens in the lead-up to LA 2028 Shaped through stakeholder consultation and evaluation of the sporting landscape three-division hosting model that expands the series from 10 to 13 events in 2026 HSBC SVNS Division 1 will see core team numbers reduce from 12 to eight per gender in a six-tournament series with all events adopting a two-day format – enabling more agile cost-effective delivery while elevating competitiveness The model responds to the shifting sports and media landscape season-long pathway from regional qualification through to the SVNS World Championship Series – offering emerging nations the opportunity to rise to the top within a single year The eight teams competing in the HSBC SVNS World Championship 2025 in Los Angeles (3-4 May) will form the HSBC SVNS Division 1 teams for the 2026 Series The teams that finish with final rankings of 9th-12th from the LA Playoff Tournament will qualify for SVNS 2 – in the 2025/26 season Teams that finish with final rankings of 13th-16th will start their 2025/26 Sevens Season journey through their respective sevens regional qualifier competitions Rugby sevens continues to drive global growth – especially among youth and emerging nations – with record attendance and engagement at Paris 2024 and a legacy of success since its Olympic debut at Rio 2016 unlocking vital National Olympic Committee and Olympic Solidarity funding that was previously unavailable for rugby World Rugby Sevens General Manager Sam Pinder said: “World Rugby is firmly committed to the success of rugby sevens on the road to the LA 2028 Olympic Games and is investing £10 million annually into the SVNS a large proportion into team participation fees This evolved model provides greater certainty for unions with more events greater pathway opportunities than ever before and most crucially a financially sustainable event ecosystem which provides a clear pathway for the future for international rugby sevens this is an evolution that ultimately secures the sustainable advancement of a sport that has proven to be a hit at the Olympic Games showcasing some of the most gifted athletes on the planet We are grateful for all the engagement throughout an extensive stakeholder consultation process and now look ahead to an exciting future for the short format of the sport.” A global host tender process will launch in May as the next phase of implementation begins The HSBC SVNS World Championship 2025 and Play-Offs take place at Dignity Health Sports Park in Los Angeles on 3-4 May. More information at www.svns.com It takes a lot to unsettle Courtney Lawes and life in France has not managed it yet loads of reasons to go out and eat or have a mooch around.” It is the start of the biggest week in the former England captain’s rugby season On Thursday the British and Irish Lions tour party is named on Friday his team play host to the only side above them in Pro D2 With two games left of the regular season Grenoble lead by five points but Brive have won six in a row and nine of their last 10 Lawes did not come to France to finish second His twin aims are clear: promotion and Lions selection Out of sight and out of mind is not his bag. Lawes would doubtless love to have been in Dublin helping his beloved Northampton to a win which shocked the world. As Lions auditions go But he has always been comfortable in his own skin sure in himself that will be enough to get him where he needs to be “I’m never going to go somewhere and just give up the dream do you know what I mean,” he tells Planet Rugby “What drives me is my ambition to continue growing as a player Brive got the message loud and clear the first day they met introduced himself with the warning that if he was looking for a retirement home “then don’t come here” Lawes fixed him with a stare and replied: “If I’m going anywhere I’m not going to be sitting on my laurels If I come to Brive it is to take you back to the Top 14.” Nine months on Brive are eight points clear of third place the former champions of Europe set for a home play-off semi-final “I want us to finish top for the first time,” he says “I’m not sure you win anything for coming first in this league but that’s certainly where I intend to finish.” It is this drive which for so long made him indispensable to Saints And while he is 36 and now retired from England you’d better believe he thinks he can do a job for Andy Farrell in Australia this summer “The Lions is always in the back of your mind,” he says “I wouldn’t say it’s the main motivator but I still really believe I can contribute to a Lions team and I’d love to get the opportunity Champions Cup Team of the Week: World’s ‘form player’ joined by ‘joyous free spirit’ Henry Pollock while fly-half produces the ‘toughest call’ Leinster v Northampton: Five takeaways as ‘heroic’ Saints condemn ‘champions elect’ to ‘another year of hurt’ in Champions Cup classic “I feel really confident I could perform game in The things I’ve been focusing on this year along with my leadership experience and defensive ability “It doesn’t mean I think I’m going to go If they want to take me I’ll put it all out there for them I’m very confident I’d earn my place in the team.” Lawes has another year on his Brive contract Will his body stay in one piece long enough for that as you get older it does get harder to get warmed up and that but I’m still performing really well I’m still more than capable of doing my part “I’m taking it one year at a time I have thought about rugby beyond my current contract.” the Daily Mail’s respected correspondent sent a dispatch home from Brive where he had watched Lawes in action against Provence These are the qualities Brive identified when they went after him They saw a leader who could influence the club in much the way Jonny Wilkinson inspired Toulon during his trophy-laden spell at Mayol That there have been no complaints is no surprise Lawes prides himself on maintaining the level he bowed out on when leading Northampton to Premiership glory last season Asking his wife Jess and their four children to up sticks for the south west of France was a big deal as only one child in their class spoke English “They found that very scary at first there were a lot of tears,” Lawes admits “But we never thought it was a bad decision We were always of the mindset that as long as we’re in it together we’ll be fine we drop them in at 8.30am and don’t pick them up until 4.45pm so if I have a day off I actually get a day of recovery “The town has only got like a 55,000 population yet we get 10-15,000 crowds The supporters have really got behind me and I’m just glad I’m able to give back to the club – do whether it’s a summer in Australia or in the local pool playing with his kids Lawes will throw himself in at the deep end READ MORE: Andy Farrell ‘simply can’t afford not to take’ Jack Willis as Toulouse star hails ‘amazing’ B&I Lions hopefuls Courtney Lawes has issued a come-and-get-me plea to Andy Farrell ahead of British and Irish Lions tour Courtney Lawes has given a candid response after the British & Irish Lions boss Andy Farrell said he is "open-minded" about naming France-based players in his squad for their upcoming tour to Australia Courtney Lawes insists that England will be too strong for Scotland despite their recent Calcutta Cup woes Courtney Lawes believes rookie fly-half Fin Smith has the potential to be as good as England legend Jonny Wilkinson after his recent heroics against France Rob Hunter has departed the club by mutual agreement We extend our sincere thanks to Rob for his substantial and valued contribution over many years His commitment and professionalism have played an important role in the club’s journey Chairman and Chief Executive Tony Rowe CBE said: "On behalf of everyone at Exeter Rugby Club I would like to express our gratitude to Rob for his dedication and the impact he has had during his time with us We wish him every success in his future endeavours." Director of Rugby Rob Baxter added: "Rob has been an integral part of our coaching team across multiple seasons I want to personally thank him for his hard work and the positive influence he has had on the squad "Although it is never easy to part ways with someone who has contributed so much we look forward with confidence and enthusiasm as we continue to build on the strong foundations Rob has helped to establish." Copyright Exeter Rugby Club | Website developed by Webselect | Telephone systems, data networks, data centre services, video conferencing supplied by Focus Group To receive a copy of the Exeter Chiefs Newsletter You will then receive an email to confirm that you wish to receive it You can unsubscribe at any time simply by following the link at the bottom of the email Ilona Maher has dropped her biggest hint yet that retirement could be on the horizon urging other players to use this summer’s World Cup to become the sport’s next breakout stars The viral sensation sprinkled more of her trademark stardust on Friday night when 10,518 fans — a record for a women’s rugby match in the United States — turned out at CPKC Stadium for the opening game of the 2025 Pacific Four Series who boasts 3.5 million followers on TikTok and nearly 5 million on Instagram spoke after the USA’s 26–14 loss and admitted she’s unsure how much longer she’ll stay in the game It’s my teammates — all of us who need a little bit of the spotlight as well but I hope this World Cup brings more people out and creates more rugby superstars I love playing and it’s a big part of my life but I don’t know how much longer I’ll do it So I want to leave it in a better place,” she said Since her short-term spell with Bristol Bears ended in March balancing rugby with a fast-growing media and business profile I did a swimsuit shoot with SI (Sports Illustrated) I did a little bit of Dance with the Stars tour I try to train for this [Pacific Four Series] as well “So it’s kind of balancing business and being a social media person as well as being a rugby player,” she added Watch USA Eagles Women v Canada Women live and for FREE on the RugbyPass app She’s done a fantastic job being an Ambassador for the game in that market Her importance is in publicizing women’s rugby not what she brings to Bristol or The Eagles cutting his original Ireland representation from 16 players to 14 and increasing England’s from nine to 13 Moore initially suggested a squad of 37 for the trip to Australia when reviewing the form players following the conclusion of the Six Nations in March At the time, the 1989 Lions tour series winner agitated for a squad consisting of 16 Irish players, nine English, nine Scottish and three Welsh he has revisited that post-championship selection and proposed a reshuffled squad of 37 made up of 14 Irish Moore opted to omit March picks Iain Henderson He also added that Ireland captain Caelan Doris must travel as Lions tour captain ahead of Maro Itoje, despite recent speculation that the England skipper could well be chosen for the role. Doris failed to fire last Saturday when leading Leinster in their surprise Champions Cup semi-final loss to Northampton in Dublin writing before it emerged on Monday afternoon that the number eight will undergo a procedure this week on a shoulder injury believed that Lions head coach Farrell will stick with the Irishman to lead the upcoming tour to Australia Explaining his preference in The Telegraph Moore claimed: “The squad will inevitably be dominated by players from Ireland and England and as the head coach/captain dynamic is even more important on a Lions’ tour dismissed the clamour for England Test rookie Henry Pollock to be selected “Henry Pollock’s recent form has led to him being a ‘bolter’ the whole issue of ‘bolters’ is mystifying although I accept it is a ubiquitous obsession “This probably reflects something that both I and Ian McGeechan have previously stated that the Lions are not a finishing school for players with potential You need Test-match animals when it comes to Test-match squads you should choose a player with unmatched pace or extravagant creativity; someone who might unlock a tight game by offering the unexpected.” Leinster have issued a concerning update on Caelan Doris just three days out from the British and Irish Lions squad announcement Former Wallaby prop Oli Hoskins has announced his retirement from professional rugby with immediate effect via social media The 32-year-old tighthead has only managed sporadic performances for Saracens this season making five appearances and only one start against Ealing away in November in the Premiership Rugby Cup His last outing for Saracens was the return game against Ealing at the StoneX Stadium on February 1st A former Junior Wallaby, Hoskins joined London Irish in 2016 having played Super Rugby with his boyhood club He spent seven seasons as a popular member of the Exiles pack but was left looking for new employment when the club went to the wall Whilst at Irish, Hoskins fulfilled his dream of playing for Australia in November 2021, coming off the bench to win his only cap as a replacement for James Slipper during the latter stages of a 32-15 defeat at Allianz Stadium “I told my Dad when I was 6: ‘I want to play for the Wallabies I have the cap and the jersey hanging on my wall I f***** did it,” he posted on LinkedIn Saracens signed him on a two-year contract in June 2023 So many people helped me achieve my dreams The European Champions Cup has reached it's final stages with Leinster being knocked out by Northampton and Bordeaux overcame a tough test from Toulouse in the other semi-final Brazilian Thalia Costa has been noted for her extraordinary season playing Rugby SVNS The 27-year-old from São Luis do Maranhão in Brazil’s northeast is the one Americas player named in the Women’s Dream Team of the Year Michaela Brake and Jorga Miller and Risi Pouri-Lane (all New Zealand) and Maddison Levi and Isabela Nasser (both Australia) on the 2024-2025 Women’s SVNS Dream Team Tags A crushing 78-18 away win by Los Pampas sees the Buenos Aires side returning to … SWINTON LIONS will go into Sunday’s Challenge Shield final against Salford with a new coach at the helm following the departure of Paul Humphries who was formerly assistant at Wigan Warriors when they won the Super League Grand Final in 2018 The former Warrington Wolves Academy player has been involved in the game for more than 30 years and has a proven track record of developing both players and teams Most recently he has helped take the Ireland Women’s team from being an unranked nation to eighth in the world He has also spent time as assistant coach with the England Lionhearts during undefeated tours of Italy and Jamaica “We’re delighted to welcome John to the club,” said Jason Harborow experience and passion are exactly what we need as we continue to develop our women’s programme and strive for excellence on and off the field.” World Rugby has confirmed the Emirates Match Official appointments for the British and Irish Lions tour of Australia and a busy window of July internationals Twenty-seven of the 38 matches between 20 June and 2 August are test matches with 24 referees from 11 nations set to referee these matches across World Rugby’s six regional associations Andrea Piardi (Italy) and Nika Amashukeli (Georgia) will each take charge of one Lions test in Australia with Richard Kelly (New Zealand) Eric Gauzins (France) and Marius Jonker (South Africa) the three Television Match Officials selected Piardi and Nika Amashukeli become the first Italian and Georgian respectively to take charge of a Lions test James Doleman (New Zealand) will referee the opening test of the July window with the Lions encounter with Argentina in Dublin on 20 June with Amashukeli taking charge of the final match with the third Lions test in Sydney on 2 August VIEW FULL APPPOINTMENTS >> As is normal for British and Irish Lions test matches World Rugby will also collaborate closely with all teams involved in the July test window to ensure an aligned and positive approach to the match officials/coaches’ relationship The Rugby Championship and the World Rugby U20 Championship will be announced over the coming weeks Chair of the Emirates World Rugby Match Officials Selection Committee Su Carty said: “With new global competitions to commence in 2026 our long-term focus continues to be on ensuring we have a widened pool of top level international match officials on the road to Rugby World Cups in the USA and this selection represents that strategic ambition “I would like to congratulate and thank the match officials selected who earn their places on merit I know how hard this group strives for excellence on and off the field whether that be via rigorous performance review and we look forward to seeing them in action.” World Rugby High Performance 15s Match Officials Manager Joël Jutge added: “Our collective focus continues to be on arriving at Australia 2027 with a team performing to its fullest potential facilitating an exciting game for players and fans “The foundations are in place with the ‘critical few’ co-created and agreed with coaches in 2024 as performance indicators around speed We are collectively focused on consistent application and the 2025 July tests represent another milestone on the road to Australia.” Ilona Maher hopes the Women’s Eagles have won over new fans after a record-breaking crowd of 10,518 attended their opening match against Canada in the 2025 World Rugby Pacific Four Series at the CPKC Stadium in Kansas City It was the highest attendance for a USA Women’s match in America Their North American rivals may have won the match 26-14 but the Women’s Eagles put in a dogged performance against the defending PAC4 champions Despite defending for the majority of the match and conceding 78 per cent territory the match was tied at 14-all with just 10 minutes remaining only for Canada to find another gear and rack up a 10th consecutive win in the fixture It was still some turnaround from the previous year when Canada put 50 points on the Women’s Eagles and Maher says the crowd played their part in being the ’16th person.’ We wanted to put on a show for them,” she said I think we showed them what women’s rugby is and we kind of let the Midwest experience it.” Maher’s presence as the trailblazer of women’s rugby played a factor in helping to sell the game hopes that more people come along to watch all the great athletes on show throughout women’s rugby The 28-year-old from Vermont is banking on Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 in England in a few months being a catalyst for growth in all the participating countries I think we have to do more to get more fans in but they have to realise we have so many other great athletes that they can take a look at and that we start to build momentum.” While the USA kept things close on the scoreboard and were ruthlessly efficient in converting two of their three visits into the Canadian 22 into tries Maher hopes that they’ll be able to show up more as an attacking force when they play Australia in their next PAC4 game at the Gio Stadium in Canberra and we didn’t get to show what our attack is like,” she admitted so when we do have those opportunities to play we’re going to be really unstoppable.” The USA beat the Wallaroos 32-25 when the sides met in last year’s PAC4 It was their first win in seven in the competition and the most points they have scored in a PAC4 match Maher anticipates that it could be another high-scoring encounter “I know they have a lot of sevens girls back who I’ve played before so it’ll be interesting,” she said because they also like to keep the ball alive and I think we’ll need to unlock our attack to stand a chance.” The Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 is coming to England. Click here to buy tickets Difficult to judge Canada on that performance The litmus test is how well they can dispose of Australia and deal with NZ in the next few weeks USA look dogged and will battle for 80 minutes Bordeaux player ratings: Bordeaux-Begles stormed into their first-ever Investec Champions Cup final with a thumping 35-18 win over Toulouse putting the reigning champions to the sword at a jubilant Matmut Atlantique We rate the Bordeaux players: 15. Romain Buros – 8.5A constant threat on kick return and from set-piece launch. Broke the line to set up Bielle-Biarrey’s first try and remained composed under the high ball. The France rookie is one to watch 14. Damian Penaud – 8Busy from the outset Beat defenders with ease in the opening half and provided the assist for Bielle-Biarrey’s opener Limped off in the second half after a strong contribution 13. Nicolas Depoortere – 7Positionally sound throughout and made good reads defensively Supported well in attack as Bordeaux’s fifth highest carrier with 32 metres made 12. Yoram Moefana – 8Dominated the midfield battle Consistently got over the gainline and won collisions both sides of the ball 11. Louis Bielle-Biarrey – 9A constant threat out wide and delivered when it mattered Took both of his tries with pace and precision showing excellent support lines and composure 10. Matthieu Jalibert – 9Controlled the game superbly and overshadowed France 10 rival Romain Ntamack and orchestrated Bordeaux’s attack with poise and variety A near complete performance in a high-pressure match 9. Maxime Lucu – 8Bounced back well from early errors Provided excellent control in the second half defended with determination and helped manage the closing stages efficiently 1. Jefferson Poirot – 6.5Anchored the scrum well and worked hard in the carry 2. Maxime Lamothe – 8.5Outstanding display from the hooker One of Bordeaux’s most effective and consistent performers across the 80 minutes 3. Sipili Falatea – 5.5Struggled in the scrum against Cyril Baille and couldn’t quite impose himself physically 4. Adam Coleman – 7The giant Wallaby put in a big shot on Julian Marchand but left the field after just 27 minutes 5. Cyril Cazeaux – 8Tackled like a demented zombie but one of those fast ones from 28 Days Later One of Bordeaux’s most consistent performers on the day 6. Mahamadou Diaby – 6Worked hard in the tight exchanges and made his tackles but didn’t have much influence on the game before being replaced at half-time 7. Guido Petti – 6.5Some strong carries and a presence in the lineout but discipline let him down on a couple of occasions 8. Pete Samu – 8Powerful showing Scored the opening try and linked well with his backs Got through a big shift before being replaced on the hour 16. Connor Sa – N/ALate introduction 17. Matis Perchaud – 7Scrummaged well and kept things steady after replacing Poirot 18. Ben Tameifuna – 8Impactful off the bench Helped turn the screw at scrum time and finished with a late try to seal the result 19. Pierre Bochaton – 5.5Scored the final nail-in-the-coffin try from a well-taken pick-and-go but was inconsistent elsewhere 20. Marko Gazzotti – 5Yellow carded shortly after coming on but ill-discipline could have proved costly 21. Bastien Vergnes Taillefer – 6Brought energy and played his part in shutting down Toulouse’s late momentum 22. Arthur Retiere – 6Injected pace and width when Bordeaux needed it 23. Joey Carbery – N/AThe former Ireland fly-half came on with the result largely decided Toulouse player ratings: Toulouse's title reign came to an end on Sunday as Bordeaux-Begles booked their place in the Investec Champions Cup final for the first time with a 35-18 win