Rugby’s Week from Hell
The past week might just have been the worst week of rugby news in history. Not ‘the worst’ because it has been dull – far from it – ‘the worst’ in the sense that almost all the news has been…
Louis Picamoles’ Double Brain Injury
A disturbing incident has emerged from the France v Fiji match on Saturday 24 November which saw Fiji claim an historic victory concerning the French No.8 Louis Picamoles. In the video below, Picamoles appears to suffer two concussive blows in…
Autumn Internationals Disciplinary Review
The 2018 Autumn Internationals have come and gone without a single red card or suspension – in the men’s game, at least. Surely, this is something we should be celebrating? A cleaner and safer game is in the interests of…
Rugby’s New Law: Lifting in Open Play
World Rugby has created a new law, for implementation with immediate effect. A World Rugby ‘proclamation’ states: “Acting in accordance with the Bye-Laws and on behalf of the Council, the World Rugby Executive Committee have agreed to create a new…
Will Spencer’s Red Card
The rugby world (or at least the twittersphere) erupted into furore on Sunday after Will Spencer’s red card against Wasps. The Leicester lock was sent off in the in the 40th minute after the referee deemed his shoulder to have…
To Arbitrate or Not to Arbitrate? What RFC Seraing v FIFA means for rugby
“The last twenty years have seen huge growth in sports arbitration. Rather than allowing disputes to be settled in ordinary domestic courts, most Sports Governing Bodies (SGBs) now provide for all disputes under their regulations to be settled exclusively by…
Around the World in 7 Days: Rugby’s Hemisphere-Hopping ‘Heroes’
With the Rugby Championship underway in the Southern Hemisphere, and the English Premiership now restarted in the north, the club vs. country battle is fiercer than ever. Leicester’s Matt Toomua and Tatafu Polota-Nau, Saracens’ Juan Figallo, and Bath’s Francois Louw…
Four-Year Doping Bans in Rugby: Davis & Ashfield Explained
On the same day last month, it was announced that two rugby players from opposite ends of the playing spectrum had received four-year doping bans. August 13 saw US Eagle Aaron Davis and Clevedon RFC’s Dean Ashfield both sanctioned by…
Ashton Fortunate to Escape Longer Ban
Chris Ashton was yesterday handed a seven-week suspension by the RFU. It came as a result of the red card he received in a pre-season friendly match between Castres Olympique and his new club, Sale Sharks, on Friday 17 August,…
Rugby’s Summer of Crime
This summer, rugby has hit the headlines for many reasons – not all of them good. There have been a trio of incidents which have seen players charged with criminal offences, leaving something of a shadow hanging over the sport…
