South Africa warmed up for the Rugby World Cup in superb style by beating Argentina 46-13 in the southern hemisphere's Rugby Championship in Salta on Saturday to claim its first major international trophy in a decade. Flyhalf Handre Pollard scored two tries and tallied a ...
Wallabies clobber 14-man All Blacks in Rugby Championship test
Australia gave itself a huge boost ahead of the World Cup when it stunned a New Zealand side reduced to 14 men for half the match 47-26 in a thrilling Rugby Championship test on Saturday. Lock Scott Barrett's dismissal for a dangerous tackle just before ...
Risk of injury real concern before final squads named
With less than three weeks to go before the 2019 Rugby World Cup coaches name their final squads, and 41 days before the tournament kicks off in Tokyo, it is a nervous time for players. While warm-up games — and there are plenty this weekend ...
Busy weekend sets stage for final preparations ahead of Japan's Rugby World Cup
Preparations for the Rugby World Cup step up a level this week with 10 of the participating sides playing test matches, as players look to impress coaches ahead of the announcement of the final tournament squads at the end of August. Among the nations playing ...
Former Wallabies bad boy James O'Connor on bench for Pumas clash
James O'Connor is poised to play his first test in six years after being named on the Australia bench in a revamped squad for the Rugby Championship clash against Argentina on Saturday. The 29-year-old former bad boy of Australian rugby, whose last Wallabies contract was ...
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen insists Boks clash isn't RWC preview
New Zealand's Rugby Championship clash against South Africa on Saturday will have few implications for the World Cup beyond giving the winner a bit of confidence, All Blacks coach Steve Hansen said. Both sides, who meet in the opening round of the Rugby World Cup ...
Injured Crusaders Ryan Crotty, Scott Barrett to miss Super Rugby final
The Canterbury Crusaders have suffered a double blow ahead of Saturday's Super Rugby final against Argentina's Jaguares, with Ryan Crotty and Scott Barrett both suffering injuries that will also end their Rugby Championship hopes. The Crusaders said on Monday veteran centre Crotty suffered a broken ...
Fiji, Japan and even the United States could join an expanded Rugby Championship now that World Rugby's proposed global league has collapsed. Rugby Australia chief Raelene Castle revealed Friday that governing body SANZAAR had been working on new models for the Southern Hemisphere competition in ...
Proposed new league presents issues for Japan
A World Rugby news release late Wednesday night from Dublin may have appeased some parties concerned by plans for a new worldwide league, but many questions remain as to how Japan will be affected. The sport's governing body was attacked from all sides last week ...
Winger Rieko Ioane scored two tries as New Zealand rebounded from a shock loss against South Africa to beat Argentina 35-17 Saturday to win the Rugby Championship for the sixth time in seven years. The All Blacks' title win was delayed when they were beaten ...
South Africa pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the history of the Rugby Championship on Saturday, holding on under enormous pressure to beat New Zealand 36-34. Given almost no chance of winning after losing their last two championship matches — and 11 of ...
Australian police have arrested and charged a 51-year-old man with public mischief after an investigation into the discovery of a listening device at the All Blacks hotel in Sydney ahead of their Rugby Championship clash against the Wallabies last year. The world champions notified police ...
