US road to 2031 Rugby World Cup starts with Pacific Nations challenge
Eagles coach Scott Lawrence has picked college talent – and crossovers from football and wrestling – in his squad to face Canada and Japan in new event
April 2024
The Breakdown newsletter
Beleaguered World Rugby attempts to tackle conflict at heart of the game
‘It’s madness’: Exeter’s Baxter attacks World Rugby’s latest law change plans
March 2024
World Rugby reveals radical plans to speed up sport and broaden its appeal
World Rugby is considering reducing the tackle height in the elite game as well as a global trial of the 20-minute red card as part of a radical plan to broaden the appeal of the sport
January 2024
World Rugby backs North Carolina team in US MLR with eye on 2031 World Cup
Anthem Rugby Carolina, based in Charlotte, will field young American players in attempt to grow domestic game
December 2023
Diverse player list makes scale of damage clear in lawsuit against World Rugby
Andy Bull
Phil Vickery and Gavin Henson among rugby players in brain injury legal claim
November 2023
Rugby players’ brain injury battle reaches watershed moment in court
Legal action brought by 268 players faces a day of reckoning on Friday while the sport continues to wrestle with the repercussions of head trauma
Wayne Barnes: ‘It’s gone to the next level of abuse in the last 12 months – aimed at my family’
Rugby referee who retired after the 2023 World Cup final on his career, online abuse and friendship with Howard Webb
England ‘unprofessional’ over Tom Curry race row, says Bongi Mbonambi
South Africa hooker Bongi Mbonambi has accused England of being ‘unprofessional’ over allegations that he racially abused Tom Curry
October 2023
Savea wins World Rugby men’s player of the year as Farrell named best coach
RFU reacts with fury to World Rugby ending Mbonambi case without hearing
Sportblog
World Rugby in reputational minefield with call on Curry and Mbonambi incident
Robert Kitson in Paris
Curry ‘getting support’ after receiving threats following racial slur allegation
World Rugby’s global calendar overhaul labelled ‘stitch-up’ by smaller nations
World Rugby investigates alleged racist slur by South Africa’s Mbonambi
World Rugby insists more opportunity for tier-two nations is priority for future
World Rugby keen to introduce hi-tech mouthguards at all levels of the game
Sportblog
Flying Fiji break new ground but World Cup is set up for smaller nations to fail
Will Hooley
September 2023
World Rugby defends sport’s drug-test programmes amid World Cup concern
Positive tests from Rhys Webb and Elton Jantjies have raised fears doping is becoming more common but World Rugby’s chief executive rejected the idea