All posts tagged: Rugby Union

I achieved everything I wanted in rugby

I achieved everything I wanted in rugby

Published by skeptic

Former Wales wing Louis Rees-Zammit has claimed he “achieved everything I wanted to in rugby” before he made his sensational switch to NFL, where he is stepping up his bid to feature for Kansas City Chiefs. Rees-Zammit left rugby union on the verge of the Six Nations earlier this year, informing Gloucester, his club, and Wales of his decision to take up an approach from the NFL’s International Player Pathway. The 23-year-old has begun to assert himself in training sessions with his franchise, who have won the past two Super Bowls. During a recent three-day camp for Kansas City rookies, players in their first year, he caught a pass and accelerated away from defenders. Kansas City are reportedly intending to use him as a running back and as a kick-off returner. Patrick Mahomes, their star quarterback, has already joined Rees-Zammit for work-outs this off-season. During a press conference on Monday, Rees-Zammit suggested that he was content with his career in rugby union. By the age of 22, he had already represented Wales, winning the Six …

Latest build-up from Champions Cup semi-final at Croke Park

Latest build-up from Champions Cup semi-final at Croke Park

Published by skeptic

Greetings everyone, what an event today at Croke Park over in Dublin, the first Leinster game at this venue since 2009 as Northampton Saints bid to pull off surely one of the greatest results in English club rugby history against the four-time champions. During the Six Nations after Ireland’s win over Wales I went to a GAA game between Dublin and Kerry at Croke Park, standing on the The Hill for a Dubs win, and can happily confirm it’s a brilliant stadium. The historical significance of playing at this ground has been well documented this week, with Northampton lapping up a history lesson on the importance of Croke Park to both Irish people and Irish history. But the actual game itself has the potential to be special. Leinster have put away La Rochelle after a run of defeats in Europe, including last year’s painful loss in the final at the Aviva, and with that monkey off their back and given they are playing on home turf, you can see why they are favourites. Yet no …

Billy Vunipola ‘tasered twice’ during arrest in Spanish bar

Billy Vunipola ‘tasered twice’ during arrest in Spanish bar

Published by skeptic

Vunipola was a replacement for Saracens in their win over Bath on Friday night, before heading off on holiday, given that the club are not part of this coming weekend’s European semi-finals. Vunipola, who was born in Australia to Tongan parents, moved to Wales when he was a child and won a scholarship to Harrow School. He started his professional career with Wasps before moving to Saracens.  The last of his 75 caps for England was in the Rugby World Cup semi-final defeat by South Africa last year, but he was not selected for Steve Borthwick’s squad for this year’s Six Nations.  Vunipola is widely expected to leave Saracens for Montpellier next season. That move will effectively end any hopes of an international recall, because England players based overseas are ineligible for the national team. While it is unclear whether Vunipola was intoxicated at the bar, which remains open until 5am each day, the 31-year-old has spoken openly about his relationship with alcohol in the past.  In a podcast episode with former Saracens team-mate Jim Hamilton …

Score and latest updates from Women’s Six Nations 2024

Score and latest updates from Women’s Six Nations 2024

Published by skeptic

England hooker Amy Cokayne says the Red Roses are relishing the chance to pit their improved scrum against France’s monster pack in their Grand Slam finale. France’s scrum has been a cornerstone of their unbeaten Women’s Six Nations campaign. Operating at a 100 per cent success rate, the hosts will look to unleash their most devastating weapon in their bid to end England’s dominance in the competition.  The Red Roses, who are hunting a sixth consecutive Six Nations crown, have spent weeks fine tuning their scrummaging technique with Nathan Catt, the Rugby Football Union’s scrum pathways coach, in preparation for their winner-takes-all encounter in Bordeaux.  Catt has been a popular addition to the women’s backroom staff, with Cokayne revealing he has helped to implement a more technically minded approach among the front-three.  “He’s come in and has been really good,” said Cokayne. “He’s told us not to dumb scrums down. Previously, we’ve kind of said, ‘Get lower and push harder.’  It’s been enjoyable to see the growth of our scrum throughout the tournament too. There’s some …

Bath claim crucial win over Exeter in Premiership play-off push

Bath claim crucial win over Exeter in Premiership play-off push

Published by skeptic

Exeter Chiefs 14 Bath Rugby 26 There was a time when Bath ruled supreme in English rugby, a formidable on-field force, known as serial trophy winners. Like all good things, however, that eventually came to an end – and in the case of the men from the historic Roman city, it has been a pretty barren spell since they last lifted the title back in 1996. A plethora of distinguished players and coaches have come and gone in that intervening period, but despite plenty of huff and puff, the secret of success has yet to be found. In Johann van Graan, it seems, they now have a studious front man from whom to launch their latest assault for glory. The South African arrived at the Rec two years’ ago following a successful stint in charge of the Irish giants, Munster. Not quite a poisoned chalice to take on, the 44-year-old is at last making his presence truly felt. “That’s potentially our best win of the season,” said Van Graan. “It was a terrible feeling coming …

Theo Dan makes case to be starting Saracens hooker as Gloucester blown away

Theo Dan makes case to be starting Saracens hooker as Gloucester blown away

Published by skeptic

Saracens uncharacteristically allowed Gloucester back in after the break – even if the result was never in doubt – and during their first-half purple patch the combination of Farrell and Goode was irresistible. Alongside Dan, the duo had a hand in the first two of Parton’s tries before Aled Davies sent the wing over for his hat-trick. Parton admitted in the aftermath that his three record-breaking tries were walk-ins but the same could not be said for Gloucester wing Hathaway. The dual-qualified wing, who has played age-group rugby for Wales and England, scored three remarkable breakaway tries in the second half, with Seb Blake’s fourth adding a losing bonus point for Gloucester. It was also the hooker’s cute grubber which set up Hathaway’s opening score. George Skivington joked that he was wary of praising Hathaway too much having already seen one Welsh-qualified Gloucester wing depart to the NFL. Only time will tell, however, whether an Immanuel Feyi-Waboso-style tug-of-war erupts over Hathaway’s precocious talent. “Josh is a big one for Gloucester, and potentially for two different …

Results, TV details, fixtures and how to get tickets

Results, TV details, fixtures and how to get tickets

Published by skeptic

How do I get tickets for matches? Tickets are still widely available. See the websites of each team for details. England tickets, for example, are available to purchase via EnglandRugby.com. Amy Cokayne, the England front rower, was sent off against Ireland after receiving a second yellow card last week in Edinburgh for head-on-head contact with Scotland’s Lana Skeldon. It spelled the end of the afternoon for the hooker, who had already been sin-binned for a tip tackle on Evie Gallagher in the first half, although England still cruised to 46-0 victory. It was the second time an England player has been sent off in this year’s championship after Sarah Beckett was red-carded for a crocodile roll on Italy’s Michela Sillari in the Red Roses’ opening match. An independent disciplinary committee upheld Cokayne’s red card on Wednesday and warranted a two-week suspension, which was reduced to one week after applying mitigation, meaning she will be eligible for the Red Roses’ crunch match against France in Bordeaux next week. Despite Cokayne’s suspension, England have considerable depth at …

Travis Kelce’s brother retracts claim that Wales is ‘full of upper class, beautiful white people’

Travis Kelce’s brother retracts claim that Wales is ‘full of upper class, beautiful white people’

Published by skeptic

Louis Rees-Zammit’s switch to the NFL has shone a spotlight in the United States on not only rugby but also Wales itself, resulting – in the case of Jason Kelce – some rapid backtracking after he claimed Wales is “posh” and filled with “rich, upper class, just beautiful white people”. Discussing Rees-Zammit’s move with his famous brother on their podcast – Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, partner of a certain Taylor Swift – the duo noted Rees-Zammit’s polished appearance and spoke of his marketing potential, with Travis Kelce describing Rees-Zammit as “debonair” and “as suave as it gets”. Coming to his thoughts about the people of Wales, inspired by Rees-Zammit’s appearance, Jason Kelce said: “When I think of Welsh, I think British people call it ‘posh’. I think of these rich, upper class, just beautiful white people. He is the running stereotype of what I would think of with a Welsh person. I don’t know if that’s an accurate stereotype but that’s certainly what I think of and he’s helping continue that trend …