#Scotland

Warren Gatland believes that Rob Howley should be forgiven for breaching betting rules and been allowed his opportunity to possibly rejoin Wales' coaching staff. ormer Wales attack coach Howley was sent home from Japan on the eve of the 2019 World Cup and he subsequently received an 18-month ban from rugby, nine of which were suspended. Howley has…

With the Welsh Rugby Union deciding on a head coach change so close to the 2023 World Cup in France, Warren Gatland does not have long before the major tournament across the Channel. However, having worked under limited time frames in the past with the British & Irish Lions, if anyone can turn things around for Wales in this time, it's…

Forget Eddie Jones for a moment. Let's talk about Subbuteo. If you were a young sporting fan, it was the game for you back in the 1970's and 1980's. The game looked beautiful, with its lush green felt pitches, plentiful accessories, and detailed crowd models all the way down to one man and his dog. You could even buy the picket fences and…

1 - Who will win the World Cup? On home soil, and with a star-studded squad full of pace and power, there is no doubt that France are the team to beat. However, this looks like being one of the most open World Cups ever, with at least six teams capable of going all the way. Bring it on. 2 - Can Ireland break their glass ceiling? Heart says yes,…

It used to be that what happened was of general import only when one pack destroyed the other giving a psychological and sometimes numerical advantage from penalties extracted from hapless opponents. The talk of a game within a game was apposite and sometimes front rows on the losing team really did come off the field inwardly satisfied that they…

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…

Returning Wales coach Warren Gatland will have been thrilled at how the regions fared, winning four from four across the Heineken Champions Cup and the Challenge Cup, while players old and new staked a claim to new England boss Steve Borthwick. England and Wales, as well as Scotland, will all be naming their squads for the Championship next week,…

NZ Herald Focus Sport's Cheree Kinnear wraps all the news from day ten as Black Ferns Sevens claim Olympic glory and Dylan Schmidt makes history. Video / NZ Herald New Zealand Olympic Sevens player Ruby Tui gave the world a taste of her sharp and hilarious personality during a highly entertaining interview with the BBC on Friday. Jill Douglas was…

Geronimo looks a good shout to win the Coral Scottish Grand National (3.35pm) at Ayr on Saturday afternoon. After last week's historic events with Tiger Roll's second victory in the Randox Health Grand National at Aintree Racecourse, Ayr hosts another of the spring's long-distance handicaps. It looks as competitive as last week's action at Aintree,…

Blackburn Rovers are set to make an offer for Hibernian centre-back Ryan Porteous in their quest to lure him away from the Scottish Premiership, according to last night's report from the Daily Record. The 23-year-old's contract at Lee Johnson's side expires in the summer and with the player refusing to put pen to paper on fresh terms, he could…

Five meetings take place in four countries on a busy day of horse racing across the British Isles on Tuesday. The action commences at Brighton (1.00-4.10pm), which is one of four Flat cards along with Hamilton in Scotland (2.15-5.20), Roscommon in Ireland (4.40-8.10) and Chepstow in Wales (5.50-8.50). The lone jumps card is at Stratford…

Yellow cards: Adiana Talakai (Australia) 27min, 81min Red card: Ashley Marsters (Australia) 76min Australia have survived a big scare from Scotland, then two late red cards, to secure a crucial Rugby World Cup win in Whangārei on Saturday. Down 12-0 until they finally opened their account in the 59th minute, the Wallaroos fought back for a tense…

A last gasp Australian penalty broke Scottish hearts in the dying moments of a barnstorming quarter-final clash watched on by Prince Harry, Princess Anne and an animated Nicola Sturgeon. Scotland - who failed to register a single victory in the Six Nations - thought they had done the impossible when Mark Bennett's intercept-try put them ahead with…

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…

Here are the latest rugby headlines on Friday, January 13. Scotland's sporting anthem Flower of Scotland should be ditched because of its anti-English "chippiness", according to rugby legend Jim Telfer. Having previously made the call for it to be replaced 12 years ago, the Scot hasn't changed his mind about the song which refers to Robert the…

France head into the 2023 Six Nations as one of the favourites to retain the title, but they may not have things all their own way this year. The latest Six Nations betting rates Ireland as the biggest dangers to the reigning champions, while England are also in the mix. The latter undoubtedly have a point to prove under new head coach Steve…

West Indies are favourites going into this clash despite losing to Scotland and Zimbabwe winning their opener. The key from the Southern Africans will be whether Raza can fire with the bat again. West Indies vs Zimbabwe Predictions Head to Head West Indies Form West Indies Injuries & Team News Zimbabwe Form Zimbabwe Injuries & Team News West Indies…

Celtic hero Lubomir Moravcik reckons Aberdeen have landed a huge bargain by snapping up Slovakian countryman Patrik Myslovic. The Dons signed the Slovakian Under 21s midfielder this month on loan from Zilina where he captained the club and are awaiting a work permit. And Hoops icon Moravcik, who spent four years at Celtic and won two leagues, two…

The next 12 months have the potential to be game-changing for rugby. It's a World Cup year and domestic leagues are becoming ever more competitive, so here are my three hopes for the coming year. My main hope for 2023 is to see England give the Six Nations and World Cup a good go. I still do not believe sacking Eddie Jones was the right thing to do…

A lot of people will voice their negative opinions of this new format based on just one campaign, but we need at least another year to really see if it works. It hasn't been a disaster and when you change a format, that's what you don't want. It's been interesting to see how the players have evolved and coped with the increased number of…

Jack Dempsey will make his first start for Scotland as Gregor Townsend's side face Argentina in their Autumn Nations Series finale on Saturday. The Glasgow Warriors back row has featured off the bench in all three of Scotland's matches so far this autumn, making his debut in the narrow defeat to the nation of his birth Australia, and will now get…

We gave you the chance to win £350 worth of free bets with Paddy Power by completing John Randall's festive quiz, with free bets of £100 and £50 going to the runner-up and the third. Find out how you fared and if you finished in the money below. . .

Paul Odera and his technical bench at the Kenya Simbas (national fifteens rugby team) have summoned a provisional squad of 81 players for the Rugby World Cup 2023 campaign. Preparations will kick off with a training session on Thursday morning at the RFUEA Grounds in Nairobi, Kenya, mainly focusing on strength and conditioning. "Some players from…

The RFU are set to give head coach Steve Borthwick the go-ahead to name a New England captain for the 2023 Six Nations. The new boss spent seven years as predecessor Eddie Jones' right-hand man for both Japan and England before becoming director of rugby at Leicester Tigers. He prefers to keep a low profile, which could make some aspects of the…

The Six Nations Rugby 2023 tournament is just around the corner, with England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Italy gearing up to see if they can take the trophy from France, who won in 2022. This annual rugby cup takes place over the course of five weeks, with each team playing each other once to see which performs better overall. It's the biggest…

England travel to the Millennium Stadium to face Wales in the tournament's big kick-off this evening, but when do things get underway? Kick-off: The waiting is over Rugby union fans rejoice, the Six Nations is here! European rugby's premier international competition kicks off this evening, with Stuart Lancaster's side looking to start on the right…

It has been a hugely eventful year in the world of rugby, amid a plethora of incident and individual excellence. Here's our A-Z guide of what went on in 2021. A is for Alun Wyn Where better to start than with a man who has risen to new heights this part year amid more superhuman exploits. Having skippered Wales to the Six Nations title, he was then…

Here are the latest rugby headlines on the evening of Wednesday, December 8. Thousands of pounds have already been raised to help Ospreys player Ifan Phillips, who is being treated for "life-changing injuries" after being involved in a motorbike crash. The Welsh region confirmed that 25-year-old Phillips - the son of former Wales and Neath hooker…

After a unique and in many ways extremely encouraging 2022, the Dutch men's and women's teams can look forward to a testing 2023. For the men, the year begins with a visit to Zimbabwe and South Africa in late March, where they will complete their Super League programme with three matches against the former and two against the Proteas. Their biggest…

The United States of America Women Under-19s will be up against the United Arab Emirates Women Under-19s (USA-WU19 vs UAE-WU19) in the 10th match of the ICC Women's U19 T20 World Cup Warmup Matches. The Steyn City School in Dainfern, South Africa will host this contest on Wednesday, January 11. Ahead of the match, here's all you need to know about…

TOP jockey John Egan could still be racing into his SIXTIES. John, who will be 53 in May, has signed a top agent to help him in his quest to become one of the oldest jockeys in the world. Even though he's ridden more than 2000 winners across 30 countries, he's still not satisfied. Successes have included the Irish 2000 Guineas, July Cup, Golden…

To help with rugby's global expansion, can a good rugby-themed video game be the answer? Find out more right here. Rugby is now played in more than 100 countries around the world, but to help with the sport's further global expansion, could a good video game be integral? Here is a closer look at today's most popular rugby video games available…

Rugby nostalgia is a powerful phrase that should, for most South Africans, instil fond memories of the perfect boerie-roll braai, joining friends at the stadium, proudly donning your green and gold, waving a large flag, Madiba wearing the number 6 jersey, and, OMG, the Rugby World Cup 1995… Touch. Pause. Engage, beer, ahh… perfect. (Yeah, I know,…

Listening to Richie Collins reflect on his playing career, you come to realise he was very much a man out of his time. With his basketball background, he was blessed with rare skills for a forward in the 1980s and'90s - the Justin Tipuric of his day. He also adopted a professional approach in an amateur era, with a dedicated focus on fitness and…

Benoit de la Sayette (left) and Harry Davies: two talented apprentice jockeys Identifying a top-class apprentice can be a golden ticket, for trainers and punters. Horses ridden by apprentice jockeys carry less weight than those with professionals on board. But some precocious apprentices can be just as good as professionals. Several stars of the…

Southampton have won both cup ties they have played under Nathan Jones but it will be a surprise if they make it a hat-trick when Manchester City visit on Wednesday (kick-off, 8pm). The sides meet in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup with both having enjoyed successful weekends in the FA Cup, Saints winning 2-1 at Crystal Palace and City thumping…

The squad are set to meet for a camp in Verona between January 22-27 and World Rugby Men's 15s Breakthrough Player of the Year Ange Capuozzo spearheads the list of those included having burst onto the international scene during last year's Championship. Michele Lamaro will once more captain the Azzurri, though Paolo Garbisi misses out with injury…

France head into the 2023 Six Nations heavily favoured and eager to repeat their dazzling performance in 2022, which saw them win the Championship and Grand Slam for the first time since 2010. Meanwhile, both England and Wales are set to compete in their first major tournament since the sacking of their respective head coaches, Eddie…

It's a two-day spectacle, featuring flags, fast-paced rugby and a whole lot of costumes. Canada's annual celebration of sevens, rugby's faster-paced cousin, is set to return to BC Place for a fourth year this weekend. The Canada Sevens pits teams from 16 countries against each other in a two-day mini World Cup tournament expected to draw close to…

The rearranged Euro 2020 tournament is here, with Europe's best competing to be crowned the continent's top team. Twenty-four teams will battle it out through group stages and knockout rounds before a winner is crowned on 11 July at Wembley Stadium in London. Gareth Southgate's England will be desperate to be there on home soil while Scotland, back…

All 16 of the United Rugby Championships teams to the pitch this weekend for round 12 of the 2022/23 season. Ahead of next weekend's Heineken Champions Cup there were several notable results as well as a whole host of intriguing subplots as the tussle for play-off berths heats up. Here are five of the major takeaways from this weekend's…

PORTSMOUTH are reportedly considering a shock managerial appointment in the form of Spurs and Republic of Ireland legend Robbie Keane. Pompey sacked head Danny Cowley earlier this week after his side slipped to 12th in the League One table. He was dismissed with the club having not won a league match since October. Keane, 42, was in attendance at…

The 2020 edition of the Six Nations kicked off with Wales against Italy. The Welsh came into the tournament as the defending champions after their Grand Slam success 12 months ago, but England were the bookmakers' early favourites this year, followed closely by Ireland. A spokesperson for The Pools said: "All change for the Six Nations Express!…

A campaign that began in the best possible fashion with their first Calcutta Cup win over England at Twickenham since 1983 has since given way to familiar disappointment, with successive narrow defeats against Wales and Ireland on home soil in Edinburgh leaving them fifth in the standings. Their trip to France was postponed last month due to a…

Corrigeen Rock: makes the long trip to Sandown for Lucinda Russell Corrigeen Rock might have less than two miles to run in this race, but he will do over 900 in a horse box to get here and back to Kinross. It almost goes without saying that Lucinda Russell will not enter one at Sandown lightly and her record here underlines that: she is 3-16 at the…

Under the cover of darkness, the coaches slipped away from the hotel with the passengers on-board unaware of their final destination. They don't know how long they are going to be on the bus for, they don't know where they are going, same with us. They've just been taken to a field up in the mountains to play a game in secret because if the…

Every nation has now played their second game at the Rugby League World Cup. Here is Rugby League Live's Team of the Week. Full Back: James Tedesco - Australia The Kangaroos captain showed his class in Australia's 84-0 rout of Scotland. So good on his feet and always a genuine option, he scored his second half try despite playing the ball moments…

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…

The 2015 Rugby World Cup has captured the imagination of the public so many times since it began at the end of September. With shocks, spills and jubilation at nearly every twist and turn, it has entertained and surprised in equal measure. Whether it has been England's early exit, Japan's vivacious victory over South Africa or Ireland's…