6:06 PM BST The U.S. men’s national rugby team will host New Zealand in Washington for an October test match designed to grow interest in the sport among Americans in hopes of staging a future Rugby World Cup, organisers said on Monday. The Oct. 23 test, to be played at the home of the National

1:03 PM BST British & Irish Lions assistant coach Steve Tandy believes if South Africa’s Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus has any complaints about rough play from the tourists he should direct them through the appropriate channels and not social media. Erasmus has retweeted a video from Saturday’s first test which he says shows Springbok

5:21 AM BST Fiji’s Waisea Nacuqu scored two second-half tries as the defending Olympic Rugby Sevens champions survived a scare from hosts Japan to eventually run out with a 24-19 victory on Monday, the opening day of the 12-team tournament. In sweltering conditions in Tokyo, with no fans present in line with anti-coronavirus curbs, Japan

7:07 PM BST Dan Biggar’s boot proved the difference as the British & Irish Lions came from behind to beat South Africa 22-17 in an attritional first test in Cape Town on Saturday. Biggar kicked four penalties and a conversion for a 14-point personal tally to take the Lions to victory after they were 12-3

6:18 PM BST The British & Irish Lions have issued a complaint to the Irish Independent after one of its columnists, former Ireland forward Neil Francis, made an “offensive” remark about fly-half Marcus Smith’s skin colour. Francis described the Harlequins and England star as having a “David Beckham haircut and an Oompah Loompa tan” during

10:07 AM BST British & Irish Lions’ assistant coach Robin McBryde has said World Rugby showed a lack of thorough planning after the appointment of South African Marius Jonker as the Television Match Official (TMO) for the first test against the Springboks. Jonker is a late replacement for New Zealander Brendon Pickerill, who did not

10:07 AM BST British & Irish Lions’ assistant coach Robin McBryde has said World Rugby showed a lack of thorough planning after the appointment of South African Marius Jonker as the Television Match Official (TMO) for the first test against the Springboks. Jonker is a late replacement for New Zealander Brendon Pickerill, who did not

5:51 AM BST Australia and Melbourne Rebels winger Marika Koroibete will relocate to Japan to play with Top League club Wild Knights next season, the club said on Friday. Koroibete will link up with former Wallabies coach Robbie Deans at the Wild Knights, which won the Top League title this year after beating Suntory Sungoliath

3:03 AM BST ESPN staff The three-match Bledisloe Cup has been thrown into uncertainty with the shutdown of the trans-Tasman travel bubble between New Zealand and Australia. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Friday announced an eight-week pause on the travel bubble as New South Wales struggles to manage a COVID-19 outbreak in Sydney.

1:05 AM BST It took three attempts, but the Wallabies have their first piece of silverware under coach Dave Rennie. The Trophée des Bicentenaires will stay in Australia’s keeping until at least the end of next year following the Wallabies dramatic 33-30 win in Brisbane last week, which secured a 2-1 series win over a