8:25 PM BST New Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has been heavily criticised by his World Cup-winning predecessor Jake White over the decision to allow loose forward Duane Vermeulen to miss this year’s Rugby Championship. White, who led the Springboks to the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France, says allowing the influential Vermeulen to skip the
Rugby
9:09 AM BST Kurtley Beale can provide the spark needed to create some Super Rugby history in Johannesburg for the NSW Waratahs, halfback Nick Phipps says. The Waratahs have never won a Super Rugby playoff game in South Africa and will be up against it at the Lions’ Ellis Park Stadium fortress in Saturday night’s
6:33 AM BST It’s a record that has stood for more than 20 years, yet Joe Roff’s Super Rugby try-scoring mark is in serious danger as the competition reaches its final weeks. Roff’s effort of 15 five-pointers has twice been equalled since he starred for a Brumbies side that made it all the way to
7:49 AM BST All Blacks flanker Ardie Savea is recuperating rapidly and could make a surprise appearance for the Hurricanes in their Super Rugby semifinal against the Crusaders. Both teams are hoping to welcome one Test player back for Saturday’s match in Christchurch, with Crusaders prop Joe Moody also close to a return. The Crusaders
6:01 AM BST ESPN staff The Melbourne Rebels have suspended two players indefinitely after they were involved in an incident that has left one man in hospital with serious injuries. Rookies Hunter Paisami and Pone Faamausili were both accused of seriously injuring a man during a late-night brawl on Saturday night. They have since both
4:07 AM BST NSW Waratahs forwards coach Simon Cron will look for his hookers to hit the reset button and their targets, as they prepare to face Super Rugby’s most prolific lineout combination. The lineout has been a strength of the Tahs game for most of the season, but they have had several throws picked
12:45 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. John Goliath Close Rugby
3:49 AM BST ESPN staff In one of the most exciting games of Day 2, England broke USA hearts’ with an incredible Tom Mitchell cross-field kick and score to Phil Burgess in extra time for a 24-19 quarterfinal victory in the men’s championship, booking themselves a semifinal spot at AT&T Park in San Francisco. In
8:21 AM BST New Zealand have claimed a historic back-to-back Rugby World Cup Sevens title, and 26 straight wins, after they hammered France 29-0 in the gold medal final at AT&T Park in San Francisco on Sunday. New Zealand were hardly challenged on their way to the 2018 title, making easy work of Mexico (57-0),
2:48 PM BST Springboks Sevens star Rosko Specman has endured a frustrating couple of months after injury kept him out of the final two tournaments in the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series. Seeing his teammates fight for the title in Paris was challenging, as he would rather have been on the field than watching the