11:58 PM BST Scoring a try by grounding the ball against the post protector will no longer be possible after the World Rugby Council approved an amendment of the scoring law, rugby union’s governing body said in a statement on Tuesday. World Rugby said that with defending players currently obliged to stay behind the goal-line

12:38 AM BST ESPN staff One of the worst kept secrets in Australian rugby has been confirmed, with French club Racing 92 announcing the signing of Wallabies veteran Kurtley Beale on a two-year deal. Rumours that Beale would move overseas have been circling since last year’s Rugby World Cup, but the Paris-based outfit at last

5:59 AM BST New Zealand Rugby [NZR] have confirmed Super Rugby Aotearoa will kick off next month with the first match to take place on Saturday, June 13. The five team, 10-week, round robin competition will include all five New Zealand Super Rugby sides, with two matches to be played each weekend without fans. Players

5:43 AM BST ESPN staff Senior Australian rugby players have pitched an NFL-inspired rugby ‘combine’ to Rugby Australia [RA], in a bid to boost excitement ahead of a proposed domestic competition. Similar to the NFL combine, players would compete in skills tests with the Sydney Morning Herald reporting players would take part in power, skill

12:14 PM BST England international Billy Vunipola was among five Saracens players who have apologised for violating the country’s lockdown rules during the coronavirus pandemic, the English Premiership club said on Thursday. Vunipola and teammates Alex Goode, Sean Maitland, Nick Isiekwe and Josh Ibuanokpe were pictured meeting for coffee in St. Albans, Hertfordshire on Monday.

4:00 AM BST Rugby in New Zealand is one step closer to returning with the government giving New Zealand Rugby [NZR] and professional netball the green light to resume when the nation’s restrictions ease to COVID-19 alert level two. The New Zealand government made the announcement on Thursday with the national cabinet to make a

1:41 PM BST The cancellation of this year’s November internationals and the 2021 Six Nations due to coronavirus restrictions would have a “catastrophic impact” on the Rugby Football Union’s (RFU) finances, chief executive Bill Sweeney said on Tuesday. Sweeney told UK government’s Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee that the RFU’s finances were in “pretty

9:40 AM BST ESPN staff Veteran flanker Sam Cane has been announced as the All Blacks’ new captain, after Kieran Read departed the role following last year’s Rugby World Cup. Coach Ian Foster made the announcement on Sky Sport’s The Breakdown on Tuesday night. Cane, 28, made his Test debut back in 2012 and was

2:16 AM BST ESPN staff Re-elected World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont is confident he can create a Nations Championship at the second attempt, suggesting two straight months of Test rugby at the end of the year could be the answer. Beaumont was announced as the winner of the Council election on Saturday [BST], the incumbent

11:15 AM BST Kathleen McNamee Wales coach Wayne Pivac has said the time is right for the northern and southern hemispheres to look at synching their rugby calendars and to create a “level playing field” for teams. The European calendar runs from September to June while teams in the southern hemisphere start their season in