16 points from Benjamín Urdapilleta were not enough for Castres. The south-western French side were at home against Stade Français. The Argentine no 10 scored all points for his side who were beaten 22-16 by the Parisians. Urdapilleta was joined by Canadian captain Tyler Ardron. Both RWC 2019 players started …

Australia has named its roster for the Rugby Championship. New Head Coach Dave Rennie has selected 44 players, 16 of whom are uncapped. The Wallabies will have home advantage for the Rugby Championship, although the fixtures are yet to be announced. Australia is likely to face New Zealand twice prior …

Saturday was a winning Top 14 debut for Guido Petti. The Argentine second-rower put in an 80 minute shift for Bordeaux who had home advantage against Brive. Bordeaux were 25-20 winners in the Week 2 Top 14 fixture. Petti was joined by RWC 2015 teammate Santiago Cordero. Both Pumas started the …

Juan Martín Hernández backs the Súper Liga Americana de Rugby (SLAR) for Argentina. In an interview with A Pleno Rugby the former 74 time Puma noted how important he believes the project to be for Los Pumas in the long term. Argentina is facing a dilemma. COVID-19 cancelled the 2020 Super …

Old Glory DC have announced the re-signing of Sean Hartig for the 2021 Major League Rugby season. The 26-year-old scrumhalf has been with the club since their inception, playing all four matches during the 2019 exhibition series including starts against Scotland u20 and the USA South Panthers. Hartig was stuck …

The Ohio Aviators are making a surprise return to the rugby field. Four years after their last game in the now-defunct PRO Rugby, the team has been revived with a new logo to compete in the newly-created World Tens Series that will take place in Bermuda starting late next month. …

The New England Free Jacks have confirmed the return of Ronan McCusker for the 2021 Major League Rugby season. He continues an existing contract and joins Jackson Thiebes in the team’s second row stocks publicly revealed thus far. McCusker, 25, lined up for the team in their initial exhibition matches …

It is official: the process is underway for the USA’s bid to host RWC 2031. The national governing body, USA Rugby, announced the formation of a speciality group of American rugby stakeholders to conduct a feasibility study. It will investigate the capability of hosting a Rugby World Cup in the …

Talks are underway for Spain to tour Uruguay in November. Negotiations between the Uruguayan and Spanish rugby unions are pointing towards a two test match series in Montevideo this coming November. Los Teros would have home advantage against Los Leones. The series would follow the 2020 South American Championship. The …

Australia will play host to the 2020 Rugby Championship. The country was allocated hosting rights ahead of New Zealand. The decision was made official earlier today. The 2020 Rugby Championship will be a 12-match tournament. It is to be played over six weeks within the World Rugby sanctioned window from …

The Unión de Rugby Argentina has confirmed a latest outbreak of COVID-19. The results have seen members of the staff and players testing positive. Coaches Mario Ledesma, Nicolás Fernández Miranda, and Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe tested positive. More alarming is the new cases among the players; specifically backs. Scrum-halves Tomás Cubelli …

JP Eloff has signed a one-year extension with the NOLA Gold. Already under contract for 2021, the new deal sees him committed to the club through the 2022 Major League Rugby season. Injury delayed the start of the 2020 campaign for Eloff. He recovered in time to start the last …

Quentin Newcomer has signed a new three-year deal with the New England Free Jacks that will run through the 2023 Major League Rugby season. The 24-year-old tighthead prop played four matches in the abbreviated 2020 season, his first as a professional. Hailing from Fairfax, Virginia, Newcomer is – ironically and …

Mike Brown will return to Texas for the 2021 Major League Rugby season. Having spent the 2018 season with Austin on loan, the Rugby United New York hooker has signed with the expansion Dallas Jackals. Brown started 7 of 8 games for the Elite but has used as primary backup …

It is official: the South American Championship is set for October. The competition will exclusively take place in Montevideo. It is to be a Four Nations tournament, in effect a 2020 version of Americas Rugby Championship without North Americans Canada and the USA. The Argentina XV will join the test …

Charlie Connolly and Thomas Morani have re-signed with the Houston SaberCats for the 2021 Major League Rugby season. The duo are set for a third and second season with the club, respectively, and make it 11 returning players confirmed publicly to date. Connolly is still a month away from his …

New Zealand’s provincial competition – the Mitre 10 Cup – is set to kick off on Friday with a full slate of seven games scheduled over the weekend. There are 14 teams competing this season, seven in each of the Premiership and Championship divisions, though there is crossover between the …

This past week notably saw the return of the Top 14 and Pro D2 in France. It opened the door for new contenders for our weekly selection. Tyler Ardron enjoyed a winning debut, while Benjamín Urdapilleta kicked 16 points in the away win over Agen. Juan Imhoff got his season …

The New England Free Jacks have signed Bay of Plenty flanker Joe Johnston on a two-year deal through the 2022 Major League Rugby season. Born and raised in New Zealand, the 22-year-old qualifies for the USA through his American mother, a native of Boston. Johnston captained both the Bay of …

Japan are prepared to host the troubled Summer Olympic Games regardless of any complication imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, says the country’s Olympic Minister. Seiko Hashimoto spoke at a media conference on Tuesday to reassure the public that the Games would go on in 2021. “Everyone involved is working together …