11:38 AM BST Sam Bruce Close ESPN Associate Editor Sam was brought up on long drives and the dusty fields of north-west New South Wales, where he developed his love of rugby from an early age. He joined ESPNscrum after a five-year stint heading up Fox Sports Australia’s digital rugby coverage. Andy Withers Close ESPN

11:09 AM BST Wales defence coach Shaun Edwards has decided not to sign a new contract and will leave the team after the World Cup in Japan this year, the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) said on Thursday. Edwards had last month reversed a decision to become head coach of English Super League club Wigan Warriors,

12:21 AM BST Australian rugby is no stranger to controversy, yet it has never seen anything quite like this. Just when the game in Australia looked like it might be starting to recover, with improved Super Rugby results, promising television ratings and hopes that the national team, the Wallabies, could be something more than Rugby

4:51 AM BST Wallabies centre Samu Kerevi has moved to ease concern about Pacific Island player unrest in Australian rugby and says he still feels comfortable to express his religious faith publicly. The Queensland captain was keen to restore calm on Thursday after a furore sparked when his Reds and Wallabies teammate Taniela Tupou leapt

9:12 PM BST Eleven rounds of Super Rugby have come and gone, and all four of Australia’s teams remain in the playoff mix. There have been some excellent team performances, but also frustrating defeats, as the Brumbies, Rebels, Reds and Waratahs all struggle for consistency. Individually, a few players have really shone, while others are

4:49 AM BST Queensland Reds are back at home after a two-week tour of South Africa, followed by a bye, for the visit of the unpredictable Sunwolves. But the weekend’s action kicks off in Christchurch earlier Friday, the seemingly unstoppable Crusaders welcoming the Sharks. Saturday’s action is headlined by two trans-Tasman clashes, firstly in Wellington

12:58 AM BST Rugby Australia could be facing a Polynesian player mutiny after one of the Wallabies’ most exciting prospects claimed all Pacific Islanders “might as well just be sacked” because of their religious beliefs. In an explosive development days out from Israel Folau’s attempt to save his multimillion-dollar career at an RA code of

11:06 PM BST All Blacks captain-in-waiting Sam Whitelock has signed a long-term deal with the world champions in a momentous deal for New Zealand Rugby. Crusaders lock Whitelock added four years to his contract, committing himself through to the 2023 World Cup in France. The 30-year-old is regarded as the man most likely to take

1:01 PM BST France international Mathieu Bastareaud will become the biggest name to play in the United States when he joins Rugby United New York on a season-long loan deal next season. Bastareaud will leave Top14 side Toulon to play in Major League Rugby after this year’s World Cup, before returning to the French side

12:32 PM BST Wales have called up uncapped players Rhys Carre and Owen Lane to their 42-man training squad in preparation for this year’s World Cup. A total of 36 players from the Six Nations Grand Slam winning team have been named in the training squad. Back-row forwards Taulupe Faletau, Josh Navidi and Aaron Shingler