Ireland

World Rugby has confirmed the qualification  model for Rugby World Cup 2023. The France-hosted tournament will be a 20-team competition, operating on the same model as that of Japan 2019. As was the case in RWC 2019, RWC 2023 has eight qualifying slots. The eight successful teams will join the …

Considering the circumstances that the new coaching staff under Greg McWilliams had on their plate, Rugby United New York fared about as well as could be hoped in the 2020 Major League Rugby season. A slew of injuries to start the season and at least four key recruits left waiting …

Hawaiian prop Roman Salanoa will make the move to Munster ahead of the 2020-21 Guinness Pro 14 season. The 22-year-old tighthead leaves Leinster, where he has been part of the senior academy since September 2017. A move west to Connacht had been suggested but instead it’s the southern Irish province …

The pandemic pause button was hit just before the New England Free Jacks were set to host their first ever Major League Rugby match in Weymouth. Making it doubly untimely was that several of the team’s best players were just returning to the lineup from injury. The Boston faithful will …

A disappointing 2019 season saw the Raptors make significant changes in the off-season. Peter Borlase took over a new-look coaching staff and the team itself re-branded, shedding their Glendale label for the all-encompassing Colorado state moniker. Both seemed positive choices but they were only papering over seismic damage to the …

A real cancellation scenario is facing the 2021 British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa writes Graham Thomas for The Mirror. The eight match tour is scheduled to take place from July 03 – August 07, 2021. The Covid-19 pandemic now sees questions being raised as to whether the …

The campaigning process for World Rugby elections has seen candidate Agustín Pichot plotting a British and Irish Lions of the Americas. The British and Irish Lions are the combined test sides of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Every four years, in between RWCs, the British and Irish Lions embark on a …

Shane O’Leary is headed back to France. The Canadian international has signed for Pro D2 club Rouen Normandie, whom he will join for the 2020-21 season when the sport resumes. Rouen are relatively new to professional rugby. Formed in 2009, they reached Fédérale 2 in 2013, winning the Fédérale 1 …

The Stade Félix Bollaert in Lens, France was the setting for a RWC classic. On the one hand, Ireland were looking to retain their record of reaching the Quarter Finals in every RWC. On the other hand, Los Pumas were seeking to reach a first ever Quarter Final. Argentina had …

The 2020 Major League Rugby season came to an abrupt end last week after just five rounds. Its cancellation meant that several players who were awaiting visa clearance made no appearances at all. Others were yet to return from preseason injuries. Below we identify a team full of players signed …