Rugby Canada have announced the sudden removal of John Tait as Head Coach of Canada’s Women’s Sevens program. While he is not mentioned by name, the official release confirms that Sandro Fiorino, Tait’s Women’s XVs counterpart, has taken over in an interim capacity until Mick Byrne is available and approved …

Joel Sclavi is to depart Argentina. His destination is La Rochelle. He will join the Top 14 side ahead of next season. The move will follow the 2021 July Internationals when Argentina are scheduled to play host to Wales and Georgia. Before then Sclavi will play for Los Jaguares XV …

Ned Hodson will return to Major League Rugby for the 2021 season. The 26-year-old utility back last played for Austin Elite in 2018. He joins fellow Irishman and Austin ‘original’ Paddy Ryan in re-joining the club that is now dubbed the Gilgronis. Formerly of the Munster academy, the US-eligible Hodson …

Saracens are set to debuts to Canadian internationals Emma Taylor and Alysha Corrigan on Saturday. Taylor will start at lock, with versatile back Corrigan named on the bench for the match against Durham Sharks. Sophie de Goede will also take up a spot among the reserves. It’s a full return …

2021 looms as a breakthrough year for Uruguay. In a year like no other Los Teros are set to play test matches against Italy, Romania, Tonga, and Wales. The information comes from a publication on the URU’s website. It notes club and international activities for the year 2021. Uruguay are …

The destinations of players left in the cold by the Dallas Jackals withdrawal are starting to trickle out. While yet to be officially announced by the club, Head Coach Paul Healy has confirmed on the latest edition of the MLR Kickoff podcast that the SaberCats have acquired free agent Bronson …

Juan Ignacio Brex will make his test debut on Saturday. The 28-year-old will start for Italy at inside center in round one of the 2021 Six Nations against France in Rome. The Argentine midfielder is eligible despite his prior representative duty for Argentina. Brex played for Argentina in capturing matches …

Cobras Brasil XV have replaced Corinthians as Brazil’s professional rugby team. Cobras Brasil XV will compete in the 2021 Súper Liga Americana de Rugby (SLAR). The Brazilian franchise is one of six teams. The 2021 season starts next month. The team’s player roster is forthcoming. For the time being the …

Major League Rugby has released a revised schedule for the 2021 season. The changes were necessary following three significant developments – the withdrawal of the Dallas Jackals, and the temporary relocations of the San Diego Legion to Las Vegas and the Toronto Arrows to Atlanta. While the fixture list itself …

This past weekend saw the return of professional rugby in England, with the Premiership and Premier 15s both in action after a two-week hiatus. Both the French Top 14 and Pro D2 were also on business as usual. It gave us a few more players than usual to consider. In …

The Toronto Arrows will follow the lead of the Blue Jays and Raptors by playing their home games south of the border, at least for the start of the 2021 Major League Rugby season. With the Canadian border closed to non-essential travel, the team announced on Wednesday that they have …

Despite pandemic concerns the Six Nations will go ahead as planned. One of the topics that continues to be a point of discussion around the tournament is player eligibility, with a handful of new residency captures taking the field during the Autumn Nations Cup. Players obtain eligibility by meeting Regulation …

Gloucester have signed Santiago Socino from Los Jaguares. He replaces Australian hooker James Hanson. The Argentine forward arrives at Gloucester with immediate effect. The move comes after Socino’s name was not on Los Jaguares XV’s roster for the Súper Liga Americana de Rugby. It means that the Pumas hooker will be …

South American rugby is in mourning. Former president of Sudamérica Rugby and current treasurer Carlos Barbieri passed away in Buenos Aires. A hooker in his playing days, Barbieri played for Taragüy, in Corrientes. In 2010 he began working for the Unión Argentina de Rugby (UAR). In 2012 he replaced Ricardo Paganini to …

The San Diego Legion have announced the signing of prop Cronan Gleeson for the 2021 Major League Rugby season. It’s a coastal change for the 27-year-old Irishman, as he makes the switch from Rugby ATL for whom he played four games in 2020. Capable of playing either side of the …

Jake Ilnicki has signed on for a third season with the Seattle Seawolves. The Canadian international follows countrymen Djustice Sears-Duru, Nakai Penny, George Barton, and Brock Staller in extending with the two-time Major League Rugby champions. A veteran of two World Cup campaigns and 38 tests for Canada, Ilnicki has …

Rugby ATL will have two of the USA’s brightest young scrumhalves in 2021 with the addition of Ryan Rees to their Major League Rugby roster. The 23-year-old will compete for game time with incumbent starter Duncan van Schalkwyk and South African arrival Rowan Gouws. Rees caught the eye at the …

Former Puma Santiago Iglesias Valdez has joined Béziers as a medical joker. The hooker arrives at the Pro D2 club from Fédérale 1 side Beaune. The move is a return as he played for Béziers in 2017-2018. He joined Beaune in 2018. Iglesias Valdez is now a seasoned Argentine hooker. He …

World Rugby has officially opened the process to determine hosts for the next four World Cups. Expressions of interest for the hosting of the women’s tournaments in 2025 and 2029, and the men’s tournaments in 2027 and 2031 will be tabled through May of this year. The second phase of …

Biarritz Olympique have set their sights on Joshua Furno to fill the gap left by Evan Olmstead’s injury. The Italian international has reportedly arrived in France for testing and is set to sign on as a medical joker for at least the next three months while Olmstead is recovering. Furno …