World Rugby
Owen Doyle: Someone needs to have a word with some of these referees – and their critics
The great official Francis Palmade showed how it should be done, with help from Marcel Marceau
Owen Doyle: Oscar Jegou incident shows why World Rugby needs to look at disciplinary protocols
French flanker’s four-match ban for eye gouging shows up many of the shortcomings of the system
Inside rugby’s law battles: How politics shapes the game
How minor law changes are caught in a geopolitical tug-of-war
Georgia rugby caught in doping scandal as players allegedly swapped urine samples
Joint probe by Wada and World Rugby finds five instances of alleged urine swapping
Owen Doyle: Positive vibes from World Rugby summit could be spoiled by a fly in the ointment
Decision to leave laws unchanged is good for the sport, but what will Super Rugby Pacific make of it all?
‘Worse than trying to get Taylor Swift tickets’: Fans’ fury at Rugby World Cup seat presale
Supporters faced long waits to buy for tickets online for tournament or were kicked out the system
Owen Doyle: Changes to rugby’s laws need widespread buy-in, not more haste
Plenty of on-the-pitch examples should be giving World Rugby pause for thought
The slow march to lower tackle heights in rugby appears unlikely to stop
In Ireland, amateur rugby is already at this stage and looks here to stay
Why rugby’s darkest ‘dog acts’ like eye-gouging must be punished severely
Eben Etzebeth’s actions serve as a warning of the consequences that await any player who gouges a fellow player’s eyes
Eben Etzebeth’s suspension is lenient for such a repugnant offence
Question marks on whether 12 weeks is enough for eye-gouging on Alex Mann
Rugby World Cup draw: Ireland get Scotland, Uruguay and Portugal – As it happened
Hosts Australia are drawn with three time champions, New Zealand
Gordon D’Arcy: Reactionary thinking threatens to force rugby to be something it’s not
European competitions offer a chance for fresh faces to put their names in the hat for Six Nations selection
Conor Murray: The game of rugby is in trouble. Genuinely, serious trouble
Referee Matthew Carley rolls with decisions made in the opening minutes, even if they don’t apply by the hour mark
‘Fight, problem-solving, guts’: Johnny Sexton hails Ireland’s response in Springboks clash
Loss of players and chaotic first half on Saturday made for severe test of team and coaches
Gerry Thornley: It’s hard to warm to idea of Nations Championship on any level
Dubbed the Jet Lag Cup, player welfare looks like being an issue as old-style tours become a thing of the past
Why is South African rugby’s doping rap sheet much longer than everyone else’s?
How can the IRFU know the extent of any use of banned substances in Irish schools?
Five things we learned from the rugby weekend: Crafty Jamison Gibson-Park had Ireland purring
World Rugby is now facing an escalating officiating crisis; both Irish outhalves impress
Ireland are receiving more cards than before – is it a problem and why is it happening?
Some may blame coaching or rule changes, but evidence suggests team behaviour is a factor, too
Owen Doyle: Modern lineouts are a nonsense – here’s why they need to change
England’s skill in 2003 Rugby World Cup-winning manoeuvre a far cry from what we see today
Elite rugby players face 30-game season limit under new World Rugby guidelines
World Rugby guidelines agreed following recommendations from expert group
Breakaway R360 league launch dealt blow after World Rugby application withdrawn
Planned launch next September now appears unrealistic
Matt Williams: Ireland and others are taking advantage of residency rules – this must stop
All countries should aspire to emulating South Africa and Argentina
Jac Morgan’s pivotal Lions moment reignites jackling debate in rugby
Some people consider it sacrosanct but has World Rugby extended too much latitude to the jackler or ‘stealer’?
Owen Doyle: French determination to ensure a straight throw-in to the scrum a bold, welcome initiative
It’s not simply about the scrum-half delivering a straight ball. The mechanics of the scrum must also change to ensure the hooker can strike safely
‘Bigger, bolder, more accessible’: Tickets schedule for Rugby World Cup 2027 announced
February 2026 presale is available for fans who register before the end of January 2026, with further tickets sold in May 2026
World Rugby says it backs officials over final-play decision in Lions win but fails to say if call correct
CEO Alan Gilpin disappointed with some of the post-Second Test comments from Australia coach Joe Schmidt
Four changes to Ireland Under-20s side for vital meeting with Junior All Blacks
Neil Doak’s side need to beat New Zealand in their final pool game to have a chance to make the semi-finals
Owen Doyle: Let’s hope the Lions’ penalty try is a sign of things to come
And let’s hope recent changes don’t mean something horrific will have to happen before a referee shows a red card
LIV Golf shows what happens when a niche sport goes to war with itself – rugby should take note
Professional rugby probably needs to change to stay viable, but the R360 breakaway league proposal seems a fanciful solution
Owen Doyle: World Rugby session will have big focus on 20-minute replacement red card
There will be huge interest in the outcomes of the World Rugby’s specialist group studying the breakdown
Owen Doyle: As game faces an existential threat, World Rugby must not duck the replacements question
Use of 7-1 split is clearly against the spirit of the game
No evidence that 7-1 bench splits increase injury risk, insists World Rugby
Use of seven forwards on bench is controversial but governing body says it has no plans to outlaw tactic
Owen Doyle: World Rugby should leave the lineout alone and fix the scrum
World Rugby's lineout law trial risks veering into black comedy
Matt Williams: Glacial pace of reform of laws shows oligarchs remain in control of World Rugby
November’s conclave of the law-making body has proved a failure, most of the badly-needed reforms had been quashed
Owen Doyle: Steven Kitshoff’s close call shows scrum laws need to change
New global law trials lack suggestions to improve what has proven to be a disastrous phase of the game
Four Lions revealed to be part of group suing rugby authorities over brain injuries
Lawyers withdraw anonymity application for 43 players
Erin King named World Rugby’s Breakthrough Player of the Year
Springboks’ Pieter-Steph Du Toit pips Caelen Dorris for Men’s Player of the Year award
To contest or not to contest? That is the question for Ireland’s aerial game
Performance under the high ball likely to be tested against Fiji and outcome sure to be instructive
Australia’s Brett Robinson elected chairman of World Rugby
Robinson is the first permanent chairman of the global governing body from the southern hemisphere
Rugby is crying out for fresh global vision in crucial leadership vote
Whoever succeeds Bill Beaumont at World Rugby will have bulging in-tray with 20-minute red card fallout on agenda
Conrad Smith says limiting player workload is critical to reducing head injuries in rugby
Head of player welfare and performance in International Rugby Players’ association whether it’s a red card or a 20-minute red card you are still going to have the same number of concussions and head impact events
Owen Doyle: Video nasties required to show just what merits a red card
Forget words, written or spoken; visuals are needed – clear, unambiguous video clips of what foul play gets what punishment
Twenty-minute red card undermines World Rugby’s campaign to make the game safer
At a time when rugby was starting to win the battle it is in danger of losing the war
IRFU ‘still considering’ position on 20-minute red card proposal
World Rugby proposal has been strongly opposed by a combination of ruling and player bodies in France
Gerry Thornley: Italian rugby making tangible strides despite many obstacles at home and abroad
With friends like World Rugby and the EPCR, Italian rugby needs few enemies – but imagine what a World Cup in Italy would do for the sport in that country?
Owen Doyle: World Rugby needs to stick to its guns with no replacement red cards for ‘aggravated foul play’
World governing body’s new proposals could allow a replacement for Cane-like incidents while remaining utterly unforgiving of hard shoulders to the head and similar foul play
Matt Williams: Rugby’s failure to remain tech-savvy is a blight on the sport
Ball-tracking is just one technology that could help referees and TMOs get key calls right
Rugby World Cup to expand to 24 teams for 2027
Ireland has already qualified for the tournament, which will be staged in Australia
Matt Williams: Hard to be confident World Rugby will soon grasp nettle of scrum law reform
Matt Williams: The root cause of low ball-in-play time in matches can be traced back to the current scrum laws presided over by rugby’s governing authorities
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