Rugby

10:22 AM BST England captain Owen Farrell is a doubt for their match against Tonga on Saturday after returning a positive COVID-19 test. The Rugby Football Union said in a statement on Friday that Farrell would miss the Captain’s Run training session ahead of the game due to the result. The news comes after an

1:58 AM BST Motivated by the stunning return of Quade Cooper, Kurtley Beale is hoping to add his own influence to a Wallabies team on the up and keep his dream of a fourth Rugby World Cup appearance alive. The veteran Test back is enjoying a first taste of Dave Rennie’s Wallabies environment, after being

2:19 PM BST A number of players from Wales’ women’s team are set to receive a contract for the first time, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) announced on Wednesday. The Union have agreed for 25 contracts to be offered, up to 10 will be professional and up to 15 will be retainer agreements for a

10:02 AM BST Wales will be without captain Alun Wyn Jones and loose-forward Ross Moriarty for the remainder of the autumn international series after they were ruled out for “a number of months” on Tuesday. Welsh Rugby have confirmed the pair will both need surgery, lock Jones for his troublesome shoulder and Moriarty after he

8:10 AM BST Former New Zealand prop Carl Hayman has been diagnosed with early onset dementia at the age of 41, shining the spotlight on concussion-related illness in former rugby players. Hayman, who played the last of his 45 tests at the 2007 World Cup, revealed to New Zealand sport website ‘The Bounce’ he had

10:14 PM BST ESPN staff While there were two games over the weekend, World Rugby’s November Test window officially begins this Saturday. And there are some mouth-watering fixtures to be played, highlighted by the weekend’s closing encounter between Scotland and Australia at Murrayfield on Sunday afternoon [BST]. Read on as we bring you all the

2:13 PM BST South Africa full-back Damian Willemse has been handed a rare start as one of four changes to the match-day squad for the autumn international series match against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday. Willemse, an exciting utility player who can feature almost anywhere in the backline, has been brought into the side that

10:53 AM BST England coach Eddie Jones said he has always tried to be a “reasonable person” amid criticism of his coaching methods and the high turnover rate of backroom staff. A report in the Times last week said a former England player described Jones as “brutal, rude, aggressive” while a former employee said the

5:11 PM BST Kyle Steyn scored four tries as Scotland ran riot against a feeble Tonga side to win 60-14 at Murrayfield on Saturday in the opening test of the Autumn internationals. Scotland scored six tries in the first half to go 36-9 and added four more after the break in a comprehensive performance ahead

7:31 PM BST Beauden Barrett marked his 100th test with two intercepted tries to lead New Zealand to a convincing 54-16 win over Wales in Cardiff on Saturday. The All Blacks outscored their hosts by seven tries to one at a capacity Principality Stadium in another ominous reminder of their power as they went back

4:35 PM BST The women’s teams of England and New Zealand will wear instrumented mouthguards that record data in training and in two upcoming matches between the two sides as part of a head impact study, World Rugby said on Friday. The devices contain an impact monitor data acquisition system that collects and transmits data

11:01 PM BST Beauden Barrett will start at No. 10 in his 100th Test for the All Blacks, the pivot given the honour of selection in the run-on side for his milestone match. The selection means Richie Mo’unga returns to the bench after he started last week’s massive win over the United States, as coach

1:04 PM BST Fly-half Gareth Anscombe will face the land of his birth after returning to the Wales side for the first time in over two years when they face New Zealand in their autumn international test in Cardiff on Saturday. Auckland-born Anscombe has been preferred to Rhys Priestland in the No. 10 jersey as

11:55 PM BST Liam Napier The first northern tour in three years carries multiple objectives for the All Blacks. A return to traditional tours – from a fixture perspective, at least – brings a sense of unknown for all nations after the rugby hemispheres were split by the global pandemic since the 2019 Rugby World

5:31 AM BST Sam Bruce Close ESPN Associate Editor Sam was brought up on long drives and the dusty fields of north-west New South Wales, where he developed his love of rugby from an early age. He joined ESPNscrum after a five-year stint heading up Fox Sports Australia’s digital rugby coverage. Tom Hamilton Close Senior

1:24 PM BST Scotland will have two captains and four uncapped players on the field when they kick off their autumn international test against Tonga at Murrayfield on Saturday. Scrum-half Ali Price and loose forward Jamie Ritchie will both captain the team from the start, an experiment from coach Gregor Townsend that is likely to

1:58 PM BST Scotland captain Stuart Hogg has lost five kilograms in a bid to improve his physical and mental health after feeling “drained” following the British & Irish Lions series defeat in South Africa. The 29-year-old will not feature in Saturday’s opening test of the autumn series against Tonga as it falls outside of

12:38 PM BST England fly-half Marcus Smith can unlock any game by himself and will offer the team good balance in their autumn internationals, captain Owen Farrell said on Tuesday. Head coach Eddie Jones left out Leicester fly-half George Ford from his 34-man squad, clearing the way for summer debutant Smith to be given the