Rugby

9:25 PM GMT It’s official: Kurtley Beale is returning home to Sydney and will be available for the Wallabies’ blockbuster three-Test series with England in June-July. Rugby Australia confirmed the code’s worst-kept secret on Sunday night that Beale would finish up with Racing 92 at the end of the French Top 14 season and rejoin

12:51 PM GMT There are no plans to change the participants of Rugby’s Six Nations, the organising body said in a statement on Friday, amid media reports that South Africa are set to replace Italy in the tournament. British newspaper the Daily Mail reported this week that South Africa were keen to re-align with northern

2:51 AM GMT So South Africa want to join the Six Nations. The concept is hardly a new idea, having done the rounds in media circles for the best part of a decade, but a Daily Mail report this week suggested a move north for the Springboks was a fait accompli. And didn’t social media

12:45 PM GMT A consortium of investors including a South African World Cup-winning captain, Francois Pienaar, has completed a £32 million ($43.47m) takeover of Saracens, the English Premiership club announced. Saracens, five-time Premiership champions, were relegated at the end of the 2019-20 season as punishment for multiple salary cap breaches. But they won promotion back

8:09 PM GMT Veteran centre Manu Tuilagi has been included in a 25-player England squad for a five-day training camp in London announced by head coach Eddie Jones on Tuesday, ahead of their Six Nations game against Wales. Jones had said on Monday he was optimistic of welcoming back Tuilagi for the upcoming tie at

5:15 PM GMT England got their Six Nations campaign back on track with a 33-0 bonus-point win in Italy on Sunday, as Jamie George scored two tries and Ben Youngs equalled his country’s test cap record. An opening loss to Scotland was a bad start for Eddie Jones’s World Cup runners-up, but they made short

4:25 PM GMT Dan Biggar’s late drop goal proved the difference as Wales edged Scotland 20-17 in their Six Nations clash at the Principality Stadium on Saturday to register their first win of this year’s competition. Captain Biggar marked his 100th test cap with four penalties and the 70th minute drop goal in a contest

6:53 PM GMT France underlined their status as Six Nations favourites but had to hold on for a 30-24 win over Ireland at the Stade de France on Saturday having scored their first try after 70 seconds. It was a second home win in a row for France, who beat Italy last Sunday, and are

12:12 PM GMT Maro Itoje has been moved to blindside flank as England coach Eddie Jones made a number of changes to his side to face Italy in the Six Nations Championship at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Sunday. England lost their competition opener 20-17 in Scotland last weekend, but will be expected to

11:34 AM GMT Ireland will be without captain Johnny Sexton when they face France in Paris on Saturday after the fly-half sustained an hamstring strain in training on Wednesday. Coach Andy Farrell named his team to take on France on Thursday after his side’s opening win against Wales. Joey Carbery will start at fly-half and