CATEGORIES

Bailey: I'm just happy to get on and play

ORLANDO Bailey is happy to do whatever it takes to fulfil his dream of becoming a Premiership winner with Bath.

Cavalry comes to rescue for Bath

REMARKABLY this was the first meeting of these clubs since October 2020 when they contested a double-header in the European Cup competition.

Dozens of players in search of a contract

A SQUAD’S worth of Premiership players are still without a contract with just three weeks to go before the start of the 2024/25 season.

Freeman: We will be ready for All Blacks

TOMMY Freeman has an international date on November 2 circled in his diary and has urged England to make home advantage count that day.

Rees-Zammit's dream still alive

LEGENDARY American sports agent Leigh Steinberg believes Louis ReesZammit has a good chance of playing in the NFL this season despite being cut by Kansas City Chiefs.

Barker determined to hit the heights at Bristol

Paul Rees talks to Steele Barker, a young player who was once told he was too small to make it in the second row

Price glad he played under old regime

AT Pontypool Park on September 24, 1986, with the sweet chestnut trees in full autumnal regalia, the faithful rolled up without the foggiest clue that they were about to see something they had never seen before. And would never see again.

Energetic thinking urgently required

CRITICAL supporters of Bristol in the late amateur era believed their team was being straitjacketed by a rigidly traditional committee structure driven primarily by the pursuit of a better yesterday.

Fit-again Anscombe can't wait to pull the strings for Gloucester

GARETH Anscombe has been charged with helping propel Gloucester up the Premiership table, a task the Wales outside-half is relishing nearly a year after he played his last match.

We must get used to life after Lawes, urges Dowson

NORTHAMPTON boss Phil Dowson has told his squad to get used to life without Courtney Lawes and co in a hurry ahead of their Premiership title defence.

Relentless Tigers run in six as Cheika era starts in style

WILL Wand, one of Leicester’s newbies, summed up this hectic friendly, which launched Tigers’ Michael Cheika era, by saying: “I played for 40 minutes but it felt like 80.”

Round 1 to Boks in battle of the big beasts

RASSIE Erasmus won the battle of the coaches against Scott Robertson as his South African Bomb Squad – headed by Malcolm Marx – got the Springboks over the line and kept them on track for the Rugby Championship.

Warrior Macqueen shooting for gold

A FORMER rugby prodigy turn paralympic archer could fulfil a life’s ambition today and complete a unique sporting journey for Team GB in Paris.

Working together is name of the game

ONCE upon a time, when the game went pro, the astute national rugby unions took control of their biggest asset, which was the players, by contracting them.

England must find answers ...and fast

THE coaching churn that was a canker during the Eddie Jones’ tenure as England head coach has now spread to Steve Borthwick’s regime.

Students too good for Esher

THIS weekend’s preseason encounters presented National League coaches with a final opportunity to test their squads ahead of their season openers on Saturday.

Holmes hoping to make his mark with Scottish

WHEN it comes to player movement this summer, English rugby’s normal merry go round has been somewhat of a slow spin, a reminder of the fragility the game still has as it looks to work its way out of the woes left by Covid.

Devoto to make the difference for Titans

TWO sides have dropped down from National One into the West meaning it would be hard to look past one of Cinderford or Taunton Titans bouncing straight back up.

Shanahan: We need to create fear factor

NATIONAL One gets underway next weekend and supporters will expect another enthralling campaign with jeopardy throughout.

Heald predicts a four-way battle

THIS season is a golden opportunity for one of last season’s title contenders to take advantage and win promotion as no team has dropped down from National One into the East.

Tykes out to get it right this time

LEEDS Tykes are embracing their big club mentality and heavy favourites tag ahead of the new season getting underway on Saturday.

HIGHER CALLING

Pro cycling commentary is a formidable skill that Ned Boulting and Matt Stephens make look easy. Andy McGrath drops in on their booth at this year's Giro d'Italia to learn their secrets

GOLD RUSH

With conflict around the world, Paris 2024 was a ray of light. Here are our highs of a mighty Olympics

STAR TREK

New tube shapes and carbon lay-up makes the eighth generation of Trek's legendary Madone an aero and climbing bike all rolled into one

"I rode 3,000 miles around Britain on a bamboo bike to highlight our climate crisis"

Recordbreaking cyclist and triathlete Kate Strong, 45, took to the road to raise awareness of environmental issues

15 OF THE BEST ADVENTURES

Featuring Yorkshire, the USA, Sri Lanka and more, here are our picks of the world's greatest gravel races and routes

FOREST COMMISSION

Looking for a goal race in 2025 that'll stimulate the synapses and live long in the memory? You'd struggle to do better than ENID CRV in Finland

COMFORT AND JOY?

Is a £2,000 to £3,000 endurance bike with mechanical Shimano 105 going to do the job for you? Read on to find out how our tasty trio performed...

FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE

We venture into the hidden gem of the glorious Creuse, one of France's least populated regions

UNBOUND UNLEASHED

Josh Patterson was one of 34 starters for the inaugural edition of Unbound in 2006. Now, with more than 5,000 riders taking part in today's event, he charts the rise of the most important race in gravel