Rugby

Last night I tuned to Sky Sports television in order to watch the first real heavyweight clash of the Women’s Rugby World Cup now taking place in France – the group stage match between Ireland and four-times World Cup winners New Zealand (aka ‘the Black Ferns’), who had yet to lose a [...]

What to make of England’s rugby tour to New Zealand this month? In advance it was viewed both by the England coaching hierarchy and UK pundits as a chance to make a statement of intent as regards next year’s Rugby World Cup – who can forget the Martin Johnson team’s 13-15 victory at [...]

One of the eternally-fascinating aspects of sport is its unpredictability – and I’m not saying that from a punter’s perspective because I’m not a betting girl. Last Sunday Jensen Button began the last lap of the Montreal (Canadian) Grand Prix in 8th place and – through no intervention of [...]

For my sins – including leaving my husband and kids to fend for themselves at no small cost to the quiet order of the McDonnell kitchen – I spent much of yesterday glued to the BT Sports television channel, watching first the English Premiership Final between Saracens and Northampton Saints and [...]

Having said my piece yesterday on the issue of whether newly-crowned European Player Of The Year Steffon Armitage should be considered for inclusion in England rugby squad [I’m in favour, in case you missed it], I awoke this morning to find that not only has head coach Stuart Lancaster indicated [...]

Even though the 2013/2014 domestic rugby union season is not quite over – the Premiership Final takes place this coming Saturday – I wish to comment upon two linked issues of crucial importance to the future of the sport. The first touches upon the vexed question of whether the national rugby [...]