#British and Irish Lions

All being well, Courtney Lawes will become a centurion this Saturday at Suncorp Stadium by winning a 95th England cap to go with his five Tests for the British and Irish Lions. His pedigree is unquestioned and there is more for him to achieve. But it is a curiosity of the 33-year-old's fantastic career that his best position has remained a matter…

Here's your round-up of all the latest rugby news for Wednesday, December 14. Gloucester Rugby are the unnamed England Premiership side which has signed Welsh star Max Llewellyn from Cardiff, according to the latest reports. The 23-year-old is one of Welsh rugby's hottest prospects and has been tipped by many to be a future Wales international, but…

So is ex-All Black Tawera Kerr-Barlow a realistic chance to play for the Wallabies? The short answer is no: it's theoretically possible, but long odds of happening. The 27-Test halfback made waves this week by telling a French news outlet he was willing to pull on the gold jersey, and Dave Rennie revealed they'd spoken earlier this year.…

Warren Gatland is ready to kick-start his second stint as Wales head coach with a bang. During his first tenure as Wales boss, Gatland stuck with the same lieutenants throughout the entirety of his 12 years in charge. If people thought it was going to be a case of same old Gatland this time around, they were wrong with the New Zealander selecting…

Stan "Tiny" Hill, who has died aged 92, was one of the toughest All Blacks of his era, and was once dropped from the side for being "too physical" when he knocked out a South African opponent; when New Zealand lost the next Test match, he was swiftly restored to the team and his abrasiveness helped them to win the series. He played 19 times for the…

Rory Sutherland will join Ulster from Worcester Warriors Ulster have announced the signing of Scotland and British and Irish Lions prop Rory Sutherland on a short-term deal. Apart from Sutherland, the club also revealed that they are at "advanced negotiations" with an unnamed "world-class" prop on a three-year deal post 2023 Rugby World…

Australia international Dave Dennis will captain the New South Wales Waratahs against the British and Irish Lions tomorrow after the back rower was released from Wallabies duty for the match. No.8 Dennis will join centre Rob Horne in the side after Robbie Deans agreed both could leave the Australian camp to feature against the Lions. In total, four…

Wales head coach Warren Gatland is looking to former England assistant coach Paul Gustard to fill the defence vacancy in his backroom staff. Gatland is finalising his support staff ahead of the upcoming Six Nations campaign, and PA understands that Gustard is a leading contender to fill one of the vacancies. Returning for his second stint at Wales,…

Andy Haden, who has died of leukaemia aged 69, was one of the biggest, toughest and most controversial of All Black forwards, winning 117 caps for New Zealand between 1972 and 1985 (41 in Tests) and captaining his country eight times; but his reputation was overshadowed by accusations of cheating on the field and racist and sexist remarks off…

Lineen played for the Scots from 1989 and 1992, sharing in their 1990 Five Nations grand slam. There has since been a continuous Kiwi influence in the Five Nations/Six Nations since 1994. This year's tournament kicks off this weekend, with seven New Zealand-born players and two Kiwi head coaches involved. Some - notably French prop Uini Atonio -…

The official men's World Rugby rankings have, for some time now, been widely dismissed. Too often the prescriptive modelling does not accurately reflect the true balance of power. At present World Rugby's top fivereads: 1. South Africa (90.61) 2. France (88.88) 3. All Blacks (88.75) 4. Ireland (88.22) 5. England (84.50) This week, following the…

Scottish rugby in the last decade has grown more than most nations. Since an underwhelming Rugby World Cup in 2011, crashing out at the group stage, Scotland have vastly improved as a rugby nation. However, to take the next step and seriously challenge for a Six Nations title, will Scotland need to look at losing their national identity? Gregor…

Saturday will bring the grand finale of the 2022 Six Nations Championship with just France and Ireland left in contention for the trophy. France are set to face England at home and are aware that a victory in Paris will give them their first Six Nations title and Grand Slam since 2010 while Ireland are hoping Les Bleus fall to England and that they…

The British and Irish Lions v South Africa will be fighting it out tonight for that all-important win. The British and Irish Lions are one match away from a series win in South Africa for the first time since 1997. If you're interesting in watching the match today here's everything you need to know, from kick-off times to when and where it's being…

Pieter-Steph du Toit says he was confident of victory in the last Rugby World Cup final after the first 10 minutes. In that opening spell in Yokohama two years ago, England's Owen Farrell chose to spin the ball wide from behind his own posts and team-mate Billy Vunipola, facing a fast-advancing South Africa defence, chucked a pass to ground deep in…

Facing a formidable foe in No. 3 England, Canada will be looking for small victories Saturday at Twickenham. Coach Kingsley Jones is hoping to see the 23rd-ranked Canadian men make inroads at scrums, lineouts and other parts of the rugby test match. "We know the odds are stacked against us. We have to look for those small wins," he said Friday.…

Here's your rugby headlines for Wednesday, December 21. Cardiff captain Josh Turnbull has warned more players are will follow Will Rowlands and Max Llewellyn in leaving Wales at the end of the season. Speaking on the Scrum V podcast, Turnbull admitted that the current freeze on player contracts would continue to result in departures as he insisted…

Ireland has a long history with betting with many people in the country loving to have a bet. Various sports have been popular to bet on in Ireland over the years. While relatively new inventions like esports have their fans, plenty of people prefer more traditional sports. Here are the five most popular sports among people browsing betting sites…

OPINION: First the apology. Sorry. Having to read, or listen, to a windbag carp on about historical All Blacks' tours can be a distasteful episode in anyone's book. Spare me the sermon, pass me a pillow, dim the lights. Yawn. But hear me out. Firstly, let's be clear. The All Blacks, despite the defeats to France and Ireland in Paris and Dublin last…

Ireland have completed a stunning series win over the All Blacks in the decider in Wellington. It is the first time the All Blacks have lost a series at home in the professional era. The game was billed beforehand as the biggest here since the drawn decider of the 2017 British and Irish Lions tour. A magnificent Irish team created history. Despite…

The men's national team clinched a Six Nations title in empty stadiums and endured a bruising autumn when fans returned, while the women's game made significant progress on the pitch and in the boardroom. But for domestic rugby in Wales, problems continue to intensify after another austere 12 months. BBC Sport Wales looks back at an incident-packed…

There have been some seriously dark times in the rich, turbulent history that is Welsh rugby. You only have to recall the countless thrashings by New Zealand - some of which are too painful to remember without feeling embarrassed - but South Africa dished out the worst beating on June 27, 1998. In the last passage of play, replacement Springbok…

Some of the biggest stars of world rugby continue to be liked with moves around, in and out of the Premiership as directors of rugby look to build their squads ahead of the 2023/24 season and plug holes in their teams as injuries bite. Here are all the latest transfer rumours, contract renewals and confirmed moves from around the Gallagher…

Georgia take another step forward towards qualification for Rugby World Cup 2023 with more silverware. In the weekend's other rankings match, Brazil begin their quest to qualify for the tournament for the first time in history with victory over Paraguay. Georgia retained the Rugby Europe Championship trophy for the fourth year in a row after a…

Rugby matches can be tricky, especially for new fans… Commentators with a vast knowledge of the game, more so as one-time players, come in handy in every match for insights and narrations. You might have heard their voices before, but perhaps you need to know who they are… Former Rugby Stars that are Currently Commentators Brian O'Driscoll is a…

Millions of fans worldwide are enthralled with the blend of physicality and skill, no wonder it gets extensive coverage and viewership. As a rugby fan, having at your disposal more info about the Rugby Union, its events, and the betting markets can be advantageous as you plan your betting. There is no doubt that Rugby Union is one of the most…

It is sixth against ninth in World Rugby rankings as Argentina arrive in Cardiff to face Wales. Except this time, after a 30-29 win over England at Twickenham, it is Michael Cheika's Pumas riding higher in the global standings than Wayne Pivac's Wales. Three places between the two sides, three years and three months after Wales had topped the world…

These are the latest rugby headlines on Thursday, November 3. Wales head coach Wayne Pivac is due to name his starting XV today, when it will become clear how much injuries within the squad have taken their toll. The build-up has seen a number of players with injury issues, including key performers like Taulupe Faletau, George North and Josh Adams.…

Ireland skipper Johnny Sexton kept New Zealand at bay with his kicking game in Dunedin Free rugby union tips, best bets and analysis for Saturday's third Test between New Zealand and Ireland at Sky Stadium, Wellington. Sky Sports Main Event & Action, 8.05am Saturday Ireland+10.5 2pts 8-11 bet365 New Zealand rugby is still reeling after the All…

ANALYSIS: Culturally and temperamentally, Rugby Australia chair Hamish McLennan is so far removed from rugby administrators in New Zealand that he might as well come from Mars. A product of elite Shore School on Sydney's affluent North Shore, the 56-year-old currently chairs two multibillion-dollar companies listed on the Australian Securities…

Ken Owens looks set to make a Wales return on Saturday after an 11-month injury battle that severely tested his mental and physical strength. The 35-year-old Scarlets hooker has not represented his country since a Six Nations Grand Slam clash against France early last year. A nerve issue in his back, which he suffered during Wales training two days…

WALES HOOKER KEN OWENS said he is ready to make his Test return against New Zealand this weekend after an 11-month injury battle that left him doubting he would make it back to the international stage. Owens has not played for Wales since a Six Nations Grand Slam clash against France early last year. The 35-year-old suffered a nerve issue in his…

As we draw near to the end of another year of international rugby, we are faced again with the question, who is the best player in the world? Rugby fans get into discussions like these armed with the stats but never seem to settle on the same answer. As we shift our focus to the ever-so-close France 2023 Rugby World Cup, we seek to find the top…

Since the Scotland show now moves to Wales, it might be appropriate to mention Sam Warburton at this point. The great man has been saying some interesting things about the Scots of late. The former Wales and British and Irish Lions captain is a fan of this team and thinks there might just be something special in them. He reckons they are on a…

Ireland kept their hopes of a Six Nations title alive as they finally saw off a valiant, spirited England who played 78 minutes with 14 men after Charlie Ewels' red card. Ewels was dismissed with just 82 seconds on the clock after clashing heads with James Ryan in an attempted tackle. Ireland, the pre-match favourites, seemed set for a procession.…

With the rugby transfer market flooded with Worcester Warriors players, and potentially soon Wasps players, the rugby transfer market has never been busier with clubs also locking down their key stars and targets ahead of the 2023/24 season. Here are all the latest transfer rumours, contract renewals and confirmed moves from around the Gallagher…

The Champions Cup gets under way this weekend, with the competition continuing with the format it adopted last year due to Covid. In this format, there are 24 teams in the competition split into two pools. Each team plays two sides, home and away, from their side of the draw. The top 16 sides, eight from each pool, will progress into the round of…

Under the new proposals, players will be able to represent the country of their or their ancestors' birth after a three-year stand-down period. The likes of All Blacks superstar Charles Piutau could represent Tonga as soon as next year in what would be a major boost to Pacific Island nations before the 2023 Rugby World Cup. The World Rugby council…

Ulster Rugby have announced the signing of Scottish international prop Rory Sutherland in a short-term deal. The British and Irish Lion will link up with the province next week to reinforce squad depth at loosehead. The 28-year-old arrives in Belfast after his Worcester Warriors contract was terminated following part of the club being wound up in…

Almost exactly 12 months ago, I was part of a group of ex-players who calling for drastic change to make the game safer. I and my co-signatories - who included Willie John McBride, Sir Gareth Edwards, Barry John and John Taylor, as well as consultant surgeon Professor John Fairclough - felt the sport urgently needed to return to the days when rugby…