2:44 AM BST Wallabies coach Michael Cheika admits he may have lost a friend but he had to shrug off the emotion of sacking Stephen Larkham for the good of the team. Larkham, Australia’s attack coach since 2015, was the high-profile fall guy of Rugby Australia’s review of the Wallabies’ worst season in 60 years

3:00 PM BST Former All Blacks fullback Israel Dagg has called time on an ongoing battle with injury and announced his retirement from all rugby. One of the most eye-catching players of his generation, Dagg spent the latter part of his career fighting a knee problem that hasn’t allowed him to play for the Crusaders,

12:12 AM BST Brittany Mitchell Close ESPN Assistant Editor Brittany Mitchell has been a sports fan from an early age, with a keen interest in netball, cricket and rugby. Brittany interned at Rugby Magazine and the Australian Rugby Union before joining ESPN. Andy Withers Close ESPN Senior Editor Andy loves all sport, in particular football,

8:09 AM BST The future of the Crusaders name is in doubt with the Super Rugby franchise and New Zealand Rugby announcing they have engaged an independent research company to seek feedback and provide recommendations on the side’s team name and imagery. This comes as the two organisations announced the Crusaders sword-wielding horseman will not

2:52 AM BST After the Sunwovles shocked the Waratahs at home last weekend, Round 8 of Super Rugby will see them take on the Rebels in Melbourne and pay for their second win in Australia. But the round is highlighted by the Crusaders returning home for the first time since the Christchurch terror attacks to

10:59 PM BST Gloucester fly-half Danny Cipriani has signed a new, extended contract with the Gallagher Premiership club. The 31-year-old joined from Wasps on a two-year deal last May, and had been linked with a move to the likes of Bristol, Bath and Toulon. “It’s official! We are delighted to announce that @DannyCipriani87 has signed

2:16 PM BST It may not quite be a dirty word like “rotation” was during Mickey Arthur’s stint as Australia cricket coach, but World Cup-aiding “rest weeks” are fast becoming a key factor in this year’s Super Rugby competition. The decision to rest a player this week or that could be the difference between playing

11:11 AM BST Saracens will play their next five home fixtures against London rivals Harlequins at Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium, the clubs announced on Tuesday. Premiership champions Saracens played the annual derby at Wembley Stadium in 2017 before it was relocated to West Ham United’s London Stadium for the past two seasons. The partnership between

2:44 PM BST Ireland flanker Dan Leavy will miss this year’s Rugby World Cup in Japan after he was ruled out of the rest of the season with a “complex” knee ligament injury, his club Leinster said on Monday. Leavy suffered the injury during Leinster’s 21-18 Champions Cup quarterfinal victory over Ulster on Saturday after

2:32 PM BST The Stormers have lost key Springboks forwards Pieter-Steph du Toit and Eben Etzebeth from the remaining two matches of their month-long Super Rugby trip to Australia and New Zealand, the team announced on Monday. Du Toit is returning to Cape Town for the birth of his first child, while a calf injury