8:30 AM GMT England’s Owen Farrell looks set to be available for the opening match of the 2023 Six Nations despite being handed a four-week suspension for a dangerous tackle. Farrell is set to be a key part of England’s charge in the championship under new coach Steve Borthwick, but was a doubt for their

8:03 PM GMT Wallabies coach Dave Rennie has poured cold water on the prospect of a World Cup union with Eddie Jones, while revealing his messages to two key squad omissions. A 44-man Australian cast has assembled on the Gold Coast for a four-day camp to begin preparations for this year’s showpiece in France. Rennie

10:54 AM GMT Owen Farrell has been cited for a high tackle in Friday’s Premiership match between Saracens and Gloucester and if he is found guilty of foul play will face a ban that could rule him out of England’s Six Nations game against Scotland on Feb. 4. Farrell’s shoulder made contact with the jaw

3:17 PM GMT Harlequins coach Nick Evans has joined England’s coaching ranks and is scheduled to work under Steve Borthwick only for the duration of the Six Nations championship, the RFU said on Friday. Former All Black fly-half Evans will work as attack coach during the tournament, with England kicking off at home to Scotland

9:34 AM GMT Scotland could be without fly-half Adam Hastings for next month’s Six Nations after his club Gloucester said he will require shoulder surgery, adding to coach Gregor Townsend’s injury problems in the build-up to the tournament. Hastings, who has 27 caps, damaged his shoulder in their 28-13 Premiership defeat to Leicester Tigers on

10:31 PM GMT Harlequins’ England prop Joe Marler has been given a two-week ban for comments made to a Bristol Bears player while playing for his club this week, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) said. The 32-year-old faced a hearing on Friday where he answered the charge of making comments “prejudicial to the game” during

5:29 PM GMT Wales coaches Gethin Jenkins and Stephen Jones have left their roles with the national team as new boss Warren Gatland is set to freshen up his backroom team ahead of the Six Nations starting in February. Gatland succeeded Wayne Pivac as Wales head coach earlier this month to rejoin the team he

10:16 PM GMT World Rugby will encourage elite competitions to have a shot clock for penalties and conversions from Jan. 1, with sanctions to be issued for time wasting as part of plans to speed up the game in 2023 – a World Cup year. The guidelines have been designed by the global governing body

6:03 PM GMT Benetton Treviso rugby club said on Thursday they had suspended one of their players after a Black team member revealed he had received a banana as a Christmas gift from a teammate. Cherif Traore, who represents Italy at national level, wrote on Instagram on Wednesday that some players had laughed when he

4:51 PM GMT A Black Italian rugby player accused his teammates of racism on Wednesday after they gave him a “rotten banana” during a Secret Santa anonymous gift exchange. Cherif Traore wrote on Instagram that he received the unwanted present, inside a rubbish bag, during a Christmas dinner for Benetton Treviso players. “Apart from finding