The Rugby Paper - June 08, 2025

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June 08, 2025

Cheika tells his Tigers: We've won nothing yet

MICHAEL Cheika saw his Leicester side make the Premiership final but warned: It means nothing without the trophy.

1 min

Easter prepares to help US take on England

FORMER England No.8 Nick Easter is preparing to face his fellow countrymen from the other side of the touchline this summer, as his USA Eagles take on Steve Borthwick’s team in a match that has already captured the imagination of American fans.

2 mins

Diamond leads the applause for Kurdi

AS Newcastle finished the season waiting for news on a takeover, Steve Diamond paid tribute to backer Semore Kurdi.

3 mins

I’ve enjoyed so many incredible moments, says Ewers

AFTER 16 years of bone-rattling collisions and relentless intensity, Dave Ewers has announced his retirement from rugby and opposition players across three hemispheres will be sleeping a little easier.

2 mins

JVP keen to follow in Youngs' footsteps

JACK van Poortvliet has spent his rugby upbringing idolising fellow Norfolk-born scrum-half Ben Youngs and now hopes to step into his sizable shoes for club and country.

3 mins

Peel confident Scarlets are on right track

SCARLETS head coach Dwayne Peel insists reaching the URC play offs was just the start of the journey for the west Wales club.

2 mins

I'm aspiring to be like Manu, says Ma'asi-White

ALEX Sanderson believes Rekeiti Ma’asi-White’s work ethic will take him far after a season when the centre broke into the England squad.

2 mins

Van Graan: Harris will fit in very well

BATH boss Johann van Graan has insisted that the signing of another world-class player in Chris Harris has not put any noses out of joint.

2 mins

Aitchison agrees to join Sale on two-year deal

SALE have signed England fly-half Holly Aitchison from Bristol on a two-year deal.

1 min

Montoya excited by Pau challenge

JULIAN Montoya admits he will be leaving Leicester with a heavy heart after five seasons at the club.

2 mins

Houston out to make the most of new life in France

CORNISH Pirates top try scorer Bruce Hous ton helped secure a fi nal day triumph against Nottingham on his 50th appearance, but the Irish born fly-half now has his sights set on a new over seas adventure.

2 mins

RFU consultation will be 'meaningless'

THE RFU are asking all affiliated clubs and individuals, to complete the consultation survey by the end of June. The result will be meaningless.

1 min

Six Nations under lights gets my vote

RESPECT to Dai Evans (TPR letters June 1) for his devotion to the Welsh rugby team but contrary to his assertion, I am not sure that the vast majority of the fan base would support his views regarding the scheduling of next year's Six Nations fixtures.

1 min

R360 could kill off the Premiership

THIS new competition that is being talked about - the R360could be the death knell for the Premiership and the professional game as we know it.

1 min

MacGinty: Expect big hitters at No.10

AJ MacGINTY was not surprised at the Premiership salary cap report’s revelation that outside-halves are the highest earners in the league.

2 mins

Now R360 has to put meat on the bone

OUTSPOKEN AND UNMISSABLE...

4 mins

Radwan flies in to make it safe for Leicester

ADAM Radwan delivered a finishing masterclass but it was replacement Izaia Perese who finished Sale off as Tigers made it back to the Premiership final.

3 mins

Williams is named as Player of the Season

GLOUCESTER scrum- half Tomos Williams has been named Premiership Player of the Season.

1 min

Bath pass their final audition but Bears go down with all guns blazing

BATH, the form team all season, duly booked a place in next Saturday’s final against Leicester but they needed to demonstrate all their customary second-half strength and fitness to see off a spirited Bristol side.

3 mins

It's brilliant to be back with England, says Isiekwe

NICK Isiekwe was a 19-year-old barely out of school last time England toured Argentina in 2017 and he has overcome some huge obstacles to be in with a shot of returning eight years on.

2 mins

'It was a great game of rugby'

BATH head of rugby Johann van Graan hailed the hunger of his side to get past Bristol for another crack at the Premiership title after losing last season’s final to Northampton.

1 min

Bouncing Bulls set up Dublin showdown

DAVID Kriel produced the crucial moment of a pulsating semi-final clash as the outside-centre raced over the try-line to ensure the Pretoria Bulls will be heading to Dublin in search of their first ever URC title next week.

2 mins

Leinster have the final word with Glasgow

LEINSTER'S tortuous quest for a fifth European star continues to cast a shadow, but their season may yet have a silver lining.

2 mins

Wallabies need to find some form - and sharpish

AUSTRALIA'S whole will have to be much greater than the sum of its parts to win the imminent Lions series if the collapse of the Queensland Reds and the NSW Waratahs in the final rounds of this season’s Super Rugby tournament is an accurate yardstick.

1 min

Brute forces which could do the game great harm

RUGBY Union has reached a critical crossroads in which the future of our sport is in the balance, particularly in England, Wales, and Scotland, but also further afield in Australia, and even New Zealand.

4 mins

Vermeulen looking to win trophies with Sale

Paul Rees catches up with the 29-year-old back rower who is leaving Exeter Chiefs after six years to become a Shark

4 mins

Roll up for the next circus in town

HERE'S an idea: let’s launch a new rugby tournament to run alongside...er...forgotten its name already.

1 min

Without jeopardy, the game is nothing

THE journey time between the sublime and the ridiculous can be speed-of-sound short: Clement Poitrenaud, the quintessence of French rugby cool who even on a rough day measured 9.5 on the Serge Blanco scale of elegant running full-backs, covered the distance in three seconds flat during the 2004 Heineken Cup final between Toulouse and Wasps at Twickenham.

3 mins

Big names are hitting the jackpot at No.10

IT PAYS to be an outside-half in the Premiership. The recently published salary cap report for the 2023-24 campaign saw the average pay for a 10 was not far from double that of a scrum-half.

6 mins

R360 would have to find a new audience

THE build-up to the Premiership play-offs was hijacked by a global franchise competition that is being planned for next year.

4 mins

Time for 'Sir Kev' to make history

N A table reserved exclusively for sporting knights, cricket and football stand joint-top with 30 each followed by Rugby Union with 19. Marooned at rock bottom without a single Sir of its own: Rugby League.

5 mins

Staples glad to be making a name for himself at Quins

FOR Harlequins hooker Jimmy Staples, the journey to elite rugby began with a twist of fate when his local football team folded and left him searching for a new sport.

2 mins

Another 520 join lawsuit over head injuries

MORE than 520 additional former rugby players have joined a concussion lawsuit against the sport’s authorities, according to the law firm bringing the case.

1 min

It all adds up again for forceful Ealing

EALING Trailfinders secured their second successive title this season and underlined their status as the division’s most dominant force.

2 mins

It's great to see Aurillac defy the odds again

LAST August, I suggested that a fly-on-the-wall team might be well rewarded if they spent a season with lowly Aurillac, the perennial survivors of French rugby, and my favourite ProD2 team certainly laid on the drama even though the documentary makers stayed away.

2 mins

Calling it a day is a tough business

SORRY is traditionally the hardest word to say - or indeed sing - but I've always thought “Goodbye” runs it close. Saying your farewells and retiring from the sport you love is a gut-wrenching business and all sorts of players have been bowing out recently and contemplating what the future holds in store.

4 mins

Named in the Dream Team? Happy days...

It was only when my mate Norm introduced me to rugby that I first became properly aware of the sport as none of my family had played. I started boxing for a bit, but my great grandad didn’t want me to do it, so my Mum pulled the plug on that; I played football but I wasn’t very good, as I was quite clumsy as a kid, whereas rugby suited me much better, especially as I was a big boy.

5 mins

Twelvetrees back in big time at Worcester

FORMER England centre Billy Twelvetrees has come out of retirement to join Worcester Warriors as a player-coach.

1 min

Lancaster to take charge at Connacht

CONNACHT have appointed former England boss Stuart Lancaster as their new head coach on a two-year deal.

1 min

Zheng on the fast road to success

ROMA Zheng’s rugby journey has been far from conventional and he admits it’s had its challenges.

3 mins

Easter welcomes Worcester return

Ben Jaycock talks to the former England No 8 and current Chinnor coach about the challenges playing in the second tier

5 mins

R360 plans a threat to the England team

SO ONCE again the game is set to face a challenge that could further undermine the England team and the RFU's efforts to build a successful international squad of players, by offering an alternative place to play the game.

3 mins

Hertfordshire take on Leicestershire

HERTFORDSHIRE and Leicestershire will contest the Bill Beaumont Division 3 final at the home of English rugby in two weeks' time.

1 min

Double swoop for Trailfinders

TRAILFINDERS Women have signed Scotland wing Francesca McGhie, right, and Canada full-back Claire Gallagher from Leicester Tigers.

1 min

Devon get set for Cheshire clash

DEVON sealed their place in the Bill Beaumont Division 2 final with a thrilling 27-20 victory over Staffordshire to set up a meeting with Cheshire at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.

1 min

I can't wait to learn best - Wafer

SIX Nations player of the tournament, Ireland star Aoife Wafer, can’t wait to pick the brains of her new back row colleagues at Harlequins after the World Cup.

2 mins

MP joins campaign to help raise funds in fight against MND

NICK Smith is calling for the rugby community to come together and support the sport’s battle against Motor Neurone Disease.

2 mins

Eastern Counties set sights on Twickenham

Gill Burns County Championship

1 min

I can’t wait to learn best - Wafer

SIX Nations player of the tournament, Ireland star Aoife Wafer, can’t wait to pick the brains of her new back row colleagues at Harlequins after the World Cup.

2 mins

Ask yourself: Have you made a difference?

Steve Hill talks to Nick Scott, below, director of rugby at Pesaro RFC in Italy Serie A

5 mins

England take their time to get going

ENGLAND kicked off their preparations for their U20 World Championship title defence with a resounding triumph in Wales, with both teams serving up a treat for the Pontypool Park crowd.

1 min

I'm sure we can get to next World Cup

Joe Santamaria talks to Chile and Racing 92 hooker Diego Escobar on his international dreams

4 mins

England in talks to host Fijians in Nations Cup

ENGLAND look set to kick off their inaugural Nations Cup campaign with fixtures against Fiji, South Africa and Argentina next summer.

1 min

Galthie prepares to spring surprises

WHITE smoke of a sort was spotted this week, heralding FFR and LNR agreement on tweaks to the player release deal for this July’s tour of New Zealand. Habemus pactum, you might say, if you felt so inclined.

3 mins

Mo’unga helps Brave Lupus defend their title

Japan League One roundup

1 min

Last four prepare for final assault

Super Rugby Pacific round-up

3 mins

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The Rugby Paper, the UK's number 1 selling rugby title, brings you exclusive stories, reports and features on your device, published in exceptional clarity. It contains renowned journalists such as Nick Cain and Peter Jackson, and famous former players as columnists including Jeremy Guscott and Jeff Probyn. Published every Sunday, The Rugby Paper covers Rugby Union from national teams and Premiership / Rabo Direct down to grass roots.