1:01 PM BST Bulls head coach Pote Human has extended his contract with the Super Rugby franchise for another year, with an option to renew. Human was something of a surprise appointment after the resignation of John Mitchell late last year, with Bulls and Springboks legend Victor Matfield reportedly having been the preferred candidate, but

Apr 2, 2019 Blues winger Tanielu Tele’a, Sharks hooker Akker van der Merwe and Bulls hooker have each received a heavy ban, after Super Rugby’s governing body, SANZAAR, announced sanctions handed down by their Foul Play Review Committee . Tele’a was banned for four weeks after he pleaded guilty to a charge of tackling a

10:05 AM BST The erratic NSW Waratahs have identified a dip in work rate from last year as one reason for their inconsistent Super Rugby form. The Tahs slipped off the top of the Australian conference following a shock 31-29 loss to the Sunwolves in Newcastle last Friday. That deflating low came less than a

5:18 AM BST Aaron Smith has set his sights on playing 100 Tests for the All Blacks, after bucking the trend of his countrymen and re-signing with New Zealand Rugby beyond this year’s World Cup. It’s a proposition he could be a little further towards, too, had he come to understand a little sooner that

1:30 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

11:35 AM BST Springboks legend Naas Botha has accepted a short-term appointment as India’s head coach, as the national men’s and women’s rugby teams prepare for the Asia Rugby Championship in June. Botha, the World Rugby Hall of Fame member who played for Northern Transvaal and South Africa, winning 28 Test Caps with the Springboks,

3:27 AM BST Disagreeing with Michael Cheika and returning rugby to the top table of Australian sport: they’re the two chief agenda items for Scott Johnson as he begins his role as Australia’s first Director of Rugby. Johnson returned home on Thursday after his commitments with the Scottish Rugby Union finally came to a close,

3:00 PM BST Scottish Rugby will have a shareholding in newly-formed Major League Rugby side Old Glory DC, the union announced on Thursday. The Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) will provide the Washington-based franchise with a combination of “financial and rugby support”, and SRU Chief Operating Officer Dominic McKay will sit on the franchise board, a

2:25 PM BST Barbarians Women have announced their 19-strong group to face the USA Women’s Eagles next month for their first international assignment. Head coach Anna Richards has called up players from nine different nations including New Zealand World Cup winners Fiao’o Fa’amausili, Steph Te Ohaere-Fox, Linda Itunu and Emma Jensen. Players from Australia, Canada,

12:06 AM BST The biggest year of his coaching career is still to play out, but Michael Cheika’s pending replacement at Australia’s helm is as much a talking point as the Wallabies’ Rugby World Cup fortunes themselves. Cheika has already signalled his intention to finish up when the Wallabies’ run ends in Japan, and he