11:28 AM BST World Rugby has cancelled scheduled events in Cape Town and Singapore in this year’s Sevens Series due to “ongoing challenges” brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, officials confirmed on Friday. The series had been due to visit Singapore (October 29-30) and Cape Town (December 10-12), the latter with a Women’s Sevens Series
Rugby
5:38 AM BST The All Blacks may have tucked the Bledisloe back into the cabinet for a 19th year, but the Rugby Championship is only just gathering momentum. Sunday’s Test between the Wallabies and All Blacks in Perth has been a long time coming, with West Australian rugby fans twice having had the match date
1:13 AM BST Liam Napier Strength in depth is a pillar that underpins the All Blacks, one set to be severely examined as they confront 12 Tests in the next 10 weeks. Traditionally if the All Blacks don’t hurt opposition with their starting team they have an equally dynamic threat waiting on the bench. Lose
12:34 AM BST An emotional Ardie Savea says he has no intention of deviating from his usual approach to rugby despite being named New Zealand captain ahead of the All Blacks’ Rugby Championship meeting with Australia in Perth next weekend. Savea will celebrate his 53rd appearance for his country by taking over the captaincy after
2:33 PM BST South Africa rugby winger Cheslin Kolbe is joining Toulon from fellow French giants Toulouse, the Top 14 club said on Friday. The 27-year-old Kolbe, who is currently playing in the Rugby Championship with the Springboks, had two years left on his contract with Toulouse, who he joined in 2017, winning two French
7:58 AM BST ESPN staff Almost a week after relations between Rugby Australia and New Zealand Rugby soured, RA have confirmed Optus Stadium in Perth will host Bledisloe III with a Father’s Day afternoon clash on September 5. This will be the first time Australia have hosted an afternoon Bledisloe clash in 25-years, with the
5:23 AM BST Captain Sam Whitelock and first-choice halves Richie Mo’unga and Aaron Smith have been left out of the All Blacks’ travelling squad for next week’s Rugby Championship Test against Australia in Perth with the players expecting babies. The All Blacks did not name a replacement skipper for lock Whitelock in the 35-man squad
2:53 AM BST The United States has long been dubbed the sleeping giant of world rugby. But such has been the slow rate of growth, one wonders whether the giant will actually ever wake from its slumber. There have, however, been positive signs over the past few years with Major League Rugby bedding down its
10:15 AM BST Australia’s Queensland state will host eight Rugby Championship tests in double-headers over four weekends from September in a revised schedule following new COVID-19 restrictions across the country and in New Zealand. Organisers had considered moving games to South Africa or the UK amid lockdowns and tightening travel curbs in Australia and New
8:06 PM BST Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber has said South Africa was ready to host the remainder of the Rugby Championship, as the competition’s organisers scramble for a venue for the rest of this year’s matches in the coming days. The Springboks have been told they cannot enter New Zealand for two tests in late