Rugby

2:14 PM GMT Johnny Sexton has recovered from a facial injury and will captain Ireland from fly-half but prop Tadhg Furlong has been ruled out of their Six Nations opener against Wales in Cardiff on Saturday. Furlong has not played since December after ankle, hamstring and calf injuries, but had hoped to be fit to

9:28 AM GMT Veteran fullback Stuart Hogg has recovered from injury to take his place in Scotland’s backline for Saturday’s Six Nations opener against England at Twickenham. Hogg, who had a heel injury, will win his 97th cap despite having missed matches at club level over the last weeks in an experienced line-up named by

12:39 PM GMT Wales coach Warren Gatland has included lock Alun Wyn Jones in his starting 15 to face Ireland in their Six Nations opener at the Principality Stadium on Saturday, having opted for experience in his first selection since returning to the role. Jones is the most capped international in rugby history with 155

3:55 AM GMT It might be his second coming as Wallabies coach but Eddie Jones insists he should not be treated as the messiah as he sets his sights on resurrecting a golden era for rugby in Australia. If they can take down New Zealand along the way, then so much the better. Back at

1:38 PM GMT Steve Phillips has resigned from his position as CEO of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), the governing body said on Sunday after he came under pressure for its handling of allegations of misogyny, sexism and racism within the WRU. In a BBC Wales documentary, several former female WRU employees made allegations about

5:42 PM GMT Benetton Rugby prop Ivan Nemer has been suspended until June 30 after giving Black teammate Cherif Traore a “rotten banana” as a Christmas present, the Italian Rugby Federation said on Friday. The sanction was imposed based on investigations into what happened during a private lunch organised by the club’s players on Dec.

2:50 PM GMT The Rugby Football Union (RFU) has issued an apology for the “anger and concern” in the rugby community following its announcement last week that the tackle height would be lowered across the community game. The announcement, made on Thursday, caused uproar in the sport and a flurry of criticism. There was widespread

2:15 PM GMT French rugby was thrown into further turmoil just over seven months before the World Cup as Bernard Laporte resigned as president of the French rugby federation (FFR) on Friday. “I can confirm Bernard Laporte’s resignation. I welcome this decision … which is a good thing for French rugby, for its values and

12:27 AM GMT As the fallout continues from the Rugby Football Union’s decision to implement a waist-high limit for tackling in community rugby, World Rugby has confirmed it intends to follow suit with a reduction in the defensive height at the elite level of the game. In an interview with The Telegraph, World Rugby chief

8:34 AM GMT Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) chairman Ieuan Evans said he will set up an external task force to examine accusations of sexism, racism and misogyny within the governing body as it looks to address issues raised by a BBC Wales documentary. Several former female WRU employees, including Charlotte Wathan, who resigned as the