Australia’s Super Rugby players have received a 10% pay increase with squad sizes expanded to up to 40 players. This is part of a new collective bargaining agreement announced by Rugby Australia on Wednesday. The overall Super Rugby salary cap has been adjusted to a total of A$5.5-million (R53-million), with the average player receiving A$225,000 (R2.2-million) in 2018. The Force’s… Read more →
All Blacks and Highlanders flyhalf Lima Sopoaga is reportedly heading to England at the end of the year. According to The Times, the 26-year-old has signed a two-year deal with the English Premiership club, effectively ruling him out of next year’s World Cup in Japan. Sopoaga has played 16 Tests for the All Blacks since making his Test against the… Read more →
Harlequins prop Joe Marler will miss England’s first two Six Nations matches after being suspended for six weeks. Marler was sent off in the 58th minute of his side’s 30-29 loss to the Sale Sharks over the weekend when referee Matthew Carley adjudged him to have struck TJ Ioane in the head with his shoulder. He pleaded guilty to the charge… Read more →
England coach Eddie Jones visited Ellis Park on Monday ahead of his side’s three-Test series against the Springboks in June. Jones was shown around the stadium by Lions CEO Rudolf Straeuli, according to Netwerk24. The 57-year-old wanted to familiarise himself with the visitors’ change room and coaches box. He also inspected the demarcation area for the substitutes and the medical… Read more →
Rosko Specman on being nominated for the World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year award, his role for the Blitzboks, his goals for this year, and his dancing skills. How did you find out you had been nominated for the 2017 World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year award? I was at home when I started getting messages from family… Read more →
All Blacks flyhalf Lima Sopoaga says the decision to take up a contract with Wasps in England was ‘one of the hardest decisions’ of his life.
Coach Marius Schoeman has applauded the winning effort of the SA Rugby Sevens Academy team at the Punta del Este tournament on Sunday. The academy side beat Ireland, France and Chile on the way to the title, despite only having nine players available for the final. ‘It was a great start to the year for us, and the guys really… Read more →
Schalk Burger scored a try as Saracens thrashed hosts Wasps 38-15, while there were also wins for Newcastle, Bath, Leicester, Northampton and Sale in the English Premiership. Saracens led 18-13 at half-time thanks to tries to wing Chris Wyles, fullback Alex Goode and Burger, who started at openside flank. But Burger was yellow-carded late in the first half when he came in from an… Read more →
La Rochelle relinquished top spot after being held to a 38-38 draw by bottom-feeders Oyonnax, while Agen, Brive, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Pau and Racing 92 won in the Top 14. Shock results were the order of the day on Saturday, when – with the exception of Montpellier beating Stade Français – all the top teams failed to win against their lower-ranked… Read more →
Leinster claimed a 38-7 bonus-point victory over Ulster, while there were also wins for Munster, Glasgow, the Ospreys, Scarlets, Edinburgh and Treviso in the Pro14. The highly anticipated Irish derby turned out to be a one-sided show as Leinster produced a brilliant performance which reduced Ulster to bystanders. The result keeps Leinster in second position in Conference B, 11 points… Read more →
