Beware the money
Rugby needs investment, but it should be careful whose money it takes. Just look at France…
Latest News
Chalk and cheese
It’s been over a year since NZ and Australian Super Rugby sides clashed. What should we expect on Friday?
Bright Vannes man
Nick Abendanon is a shining example of how overseas players should adapt to life in France
One giant leap
Justin Marshall picks out his biggest movers and shakers from Super Rugby Aotearoa.
Strength through pain
Kyle Sinckler’s emotive interview stood out on a weekend of sparkling rugby and controversy
A closer shave
Scott Robertson has led the Crusaders to a fifth title but has that enhanced his All Blacks chances?
Laying the myth to rest
Eight Scottish Lions is a deserved return for a side that has shown it can thrive away from Murrayfield
Dynamic duo
The Crusaders had one All Blacks midfield combo before the season started. They’ve unearthed another.
Rising son
Isaac Lucas is a once in a generation Australian talent currently making waves in Japan.
Let’s talk about it
Warren Gatland set tongues wagging with his Lions squad announcement but there is method to his madness
Homegrown hit
The Crusaders have built a dynasty on nurturing young talent, not buying superstars.
The Lions lowdown
Warren Gatland has just announced his 37-man squad for the tour of South Africa so here’s your cheat sheet
The old enemy
The Chiefs and Crusaders have forged a fierce rivalry in the past decade with a new chapter set for Saturday.
The problem position
Unlike previous tours, the No 9 spot is wide open so we spoke to Mike Phillips and Rory Lawson for their thoughts
Testing times
Are the All Blacks going to do the impossible and play less but make more money?
Time to go it alone?
Super Rugby AU has been a roaring success in Australia – should it be part of long-term planning?
The mythical beast
Chris Robshaw knows all about the agony of narrowly missing out on a Lions tour but he recognises its uniqueness
Pull down the shutters
A Premiership closed shop shouldn’t anger rugby fans like it has in football
Pulling power
The Crusaders have surprised the rugby world by making perhaps their highest profile signing ever.
The back-row conundrum
With Warren Gatland spoiled for Lions back-row options, who should he pick to face the mighty Springboks?
Case for the Crusader
David Havili is showcasing his wide-range of skills week after week and deserves an All Blacks call-up.
The waiting game
Dan Biggar feels he can do no more to put himself in position for a second Lions call-up on Thursday
Law and disorder
Three top coaches talk about the psychology and the pitfalls of the penalty count
Watershed moment
Alice Soper is thankful ahead of the landmark fixture between the Blues and Chiefs Women’s teams.
Intellectual poverty
Fluid movement of players and coaches means intellectual property is always going to be tough to lock down.
Bringing the good times back
Leon Lloyd made 266 appearances for the Tigers and he’s hopeful silverware is just around the corner for the next generation
Rising to the challenge
After rebuilding a club that was at its lowest ebb in 2018, Dan McFarland is closer than ever to ending Ulster’s 15-year title drought.
Folk hero
Japan loose forward Kazuki Himeno has become another fan favourite at the Highlanders.
Slog or sidelines
There’s no middle ground in Super Rugby Aotearoa this year – if you’re not a seasoned pro, you’re left right out.
Holding the fort
Leinster will have their work cut out to storm La Rochelle’s barricades in the Champions Cup
Play it again, Sam
At 32 years of age, Crusaders lock Sam Whitelock is continuing to reach new levels in performance.
Ready to step up
As the Rainbow Cup kicks into life and Premiership Rugby reaches its denouement, everyone is talking about the Lions
Blue is the coldest colour
Things appear to be unravelling at the Blues and this time, there are no ready made excuses.
The Tongan tornado
Malakai Fekitoa overcame near-permanent disability to reach the pinnacle of world rugby.
Up for the fight
Steve Hansen has been impressed with how Big Brad Thorn has turned around the Red’s fortunes.
The defensive Lion
Chris Harris seldom features in Lions fantasy XVs. This is why the Scotland centre has a compelling case for inclusion
Ready as they’ll ever be
The trans-Tasman bubble is at long last open and Australia’s NZ counterparts may be licking their lips.
Master of his craft
Over the last 24 months, French scrum-half Antoine Dupont has become, arguably, the world’s best player
Shout out to my ex
Having helped them win a World Cup, Matt Proudfoot explains what Rassie Erasmus and Jacques Nienaber tick.
Mana rising
Despite coming in as an interim coach, Clayton McMillan had no intentions of sitting on his hands.
The glass ceiling
They are one of the biggest clubs in the world but Munster are stuck on the second tier.
On the hook
The fire that burns within Dane Coles is raging still, which is why he’s put off retiring.
Bigger isn’t always better
LIons need to learn lessons of 2009, when Heinrich Brüssow bossed the breakdown for the Boks
Push the pass
The All Blacks’ offloading game has faded dramatically since Wayne Smith left the coaching fold.
Return of the Gat
Glorious free-flowing rugby, Lions talk and petty squabbles dominate the weekend’s talking points
Pacific pathway
Moana Pasifika’s genesis is the first step to helping Pasifika rugby thrive, but an important one nonetheless.
That winning feeling
After a torrid year, the Chiefs have finally rediscovered the lost art of winning.
Midfield muddle
More questions than answers continue to arise in the All Blacks’ quest to rebuild their midfield.
Earning the right
Wanted by Scotland and England, Cam Redpath smashed a Calcutta Cup hoodoo on debut. This is his story.
Flicking the switch
Nathan Sharpe talks about how Eddie Jones masterminded the 2003 World Cup win over New Zealand
Rise from the ashes
NZ were once unstoppable at Under 20s level but the landscape has changed over the last decade.
Loyalty in question
Clubs need to make player welfare a priority, not an afterthought
Nothing is impossible
Passion and resilience underpin the MLR and make everyone confident the US competition will flourish.
The prodigal son
Simon Zebo may have a happy-go-lucky nature but the returning Munster star doesn’t shy away from the sport’s biggest issue.
Room to move
Analysis: Greater policing of the offside line has helped attacks flourish in Super Rugby Aotearoa 2021.
Guessing game
Some major All Blacks selections still remain a mystery ahead of the test season.
Laying down a marker
Leinster will be left to take on the power of the Top 14 and English contenders fell by the wayside in Europe
Devil in the detail
New Zealand’s rugby clubs are struggling – but aren’t expecting a large piece of the Silver Lake pie.
Back in the running
After two years out with a potentially career-ending knee injury, Ellis Jenkins’ comeback has been uplifting
Advantage over
Quirks of the law were brought to fore in the Chiefs’ golden-point win over the Highlanders.
Silver bullet or silver medal?
A probable $465m cash injection is going to change New Zealand rugby forever.
Ruling the roost
Sam James isn’t chicken about talking up Sale’s chances of challenging at the top
Pain, pleasure and patience
Pari Pari Parkinson, one of the most promising physical specimens in New Zealand rugby, is back.
National question
Exeter Chiefs have taken the Premier 15s by storm but face the threat of a move to limit overseas players.
Back to the future
Mike Brown is having to move on but Harlequins are in safe hands with Marcus Smith
Back seat driver
All Black legend Sam Whitelock is a stickler for New Zealand’s traditions
Building the empire
From Liverpool to Lancaster, how Leinster have become a European rugby juggernaut.
Bubble and squeak
A Trans-Tasman Super competition has just gone from doubtful to highly likely. That’s good news for everyone.
Centre stage
From hulking winger to shrewd centre – the stats and details behind George North’s compelling transformation.
The great entertainer
Tom O’Flaherty has been pulling up trees down in Devon and the wing is thriving in esteemed company
Blonde ambition
Faf de Klerk has spent a career confounding critics and his bite around the fringes may trouble the Lions
The final whistle?
Calls for Eddie Jones to be sacked are growing so someone had to defend the England coach
Stats and Snapshots: Episode five
How much can Warren Gatland rely on statistics to help him choose his 36-man Lions squad for South Africa?
Love, hate relationship
The rise and fall of Eddie Jones is a story New Zealanders are not surprised to be reading.
Coping with a crisis
The England captain has had a year of injury hell – but she refuses to abandon her dream.
Attacking the underbelly
Modern defences have forced an attacking re-think and the Hurricanes have a new trick up their sleeve.
Red zone shuffle
Law changes for Super Rugby Aotearoa have changed the way that teams attack inside the red zone.
Better never stops
Jason Ryan is helping to keep the Crusaders’ pack at the top of the heap.
Never give up hope
A scintillating Six Nations, a try-fest in the Premiership and a familiar Pro14 ending, it’s all in our weekend wrap
The hard yards
The community game has faced an unprecedented year of hardship but now there is finally a chink of light
Pain and triumph
Jean de Villiers talks about how his injury setbacks made him into a Springbok legend
Simply the best
Ali Williams compares his former teammates Dan Carter and Jonny Wilkinson, two of the best 10s to play the game.
On the brink
Anxiety, career pressure and low income may force stars of women’s game to give up
Edge of glory
The Crusaders exposed some familiar failings of the Blues in Sunday’s victory.
On a wing and a prayer
Scotland can still party like it’s 1999 in France despite missing Sean Maitland
Time to breathe
Thumping England was a huge fillip for Andy Farrell and his Ireland reign. The next step is to win a trophy.
Risky business
The announcement that the 2021 Lions tour will take place in South Africa has rugby fans hoping for the best
Pomp to ‘poison’
After five years in charge, now bereft of the Saracens swagger, it is increasingly unlikely Eddie Jones is the man to rediscover England’s mojo.
Raising the bar
When will Richie Mo’unga finally transfer his excellent Super Rugby form into the test arena?
Agony and ecstasy
A modern-day classic in Paris, a humbling in Dublin and a walkover in Edinburgh, the Six Nations finale had it all
Who makes our Lions XV?
A bonkers Six Nations leaves Warren Gatland with much to ponder. Who makes our writers’ Lions XVs?
Groundhog Day
More heartbreak and yet more frustration. Will Scotland ever become Six Nations contenders?
Attack force one
If Super Rugby looks to be a different game entirely to the Six Nations, that’s because it is.
The Force awakens
Being culled in 2017 has made the Western Force a stronger club.
Stats and snapshots: Episode 4
England have found an attacking edge but defence could win Wales the Grand Slam
Taking the hits
The England v Ireland games were always feisty affairs according to 48-cap Lions prop Nick Popplewell
Ambition is critical
Former England captain wants to see Eddie Jones’ men playing with more verve against Ireland
Blue blooded
Joe Rokocoko’s soft spot for the Crusaders vanished when they beat his beloved Blues in the 1998 Super 12 final.
The comeback kids
Wales have an ageing, unfancied team but they may yet have the last laugh on a gifted French side