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🗣️ “One of the best days was beating Bristol away at Ashton Gate.“They’d set everything up ready for their title party b...
03/06/2026

🗣️ “One of the best days was beating Bristol away at Ashton Gate.

“They’d set everything up ready for their title party because if they beat us they were going up. Then we turned them over.

“Fair play to them though – Pat Lam and the Bristol boys still came into our changing room afterwards and congratulated us.

“I remember them handing us loads of Thatcher’s Gold after the game...

🏉 Nick Selway, the former Jersey Reds, Chinnor, London Scottish, Lydney and Guernsey Raiders ho**er, reflects on his life in rugby.

✍️ Ben Jaycock

🗣️ “I’m a bit sceptical about the French success being purely down to money and purchasing power and the sheer quality o...
03/06/2026

🗣️ “I’m a bit sceptical about the French success being purely down to money and purchasing power and the sheer quality of those players on view.

“Aussie lock Adam Coleman – now a Tongan – was pretty much anonymous during his nondescript stint at London Irish yet suddenly looks a world be**er, while South African prop Carlu Sadie was something of an uncapped journeyman doing the rounds of all the South African provinces before Bordeaux took a chance on him three years ago.

“Lock Boris Palu, who played most of his career with Racing, is another stalwart rather than star player.

“Hooker Maxime Lamothe is a former France U20 captain but thus far has earned just three senior caps while brilliant but unheralded flanker Pierre Bochaton was spotted at lowly Bourg en Bresse and has been slowly brought on since his arrival four years ago.

“The Bordeaux pack, manifestly, was much greater than the sum of its constituent parts and that’s not so easy to explain.

“Money, purchasing power, doesn’t do that on its own...

✍️ Brendan Gallagher argues Bordeaux’s Champions Cup triumph over Leinster proves European success is about far more than financial muscle alone.

🗣️ “The RFU backing him probably gives him a little bit of breathing space publicly, but performances still matter and E...
03/06/2026

🗣️ “The RFU backing him probably gives him a little bit of breathing space publicly, but performances still matter and England need a strong summer.

“You’re going straight into the toughest possible challenge against South Africa away and that’s where you find out exactly where your team is.

“If England perform well there, suddenly people start believing again.

“If they get blown away physically, then all the questions come back...

🎙️ Tom Varndell, the former Leicester Tigers, Wasps and Bristol Bears wing, believes English rugby is entering a defining period with the Prem title race heating up, Steve Borthwick under growing pressure and the national side at a crossroads stylistically ahead of a brutal summer Test against world champions South Africa.

✍️ Ben Jaycock

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🗣️ “Chapman junior chose not to follow his father, preferring to deal in goals of a different kind, as a centre for Quin...
03/06/2026

🗣️ “Chapman junior chose not to follow his father, preferring to deal in goals of a different kind, as a centre for Quins in the early stages of a 50-year career ending with his elevation to the presidency in succession to ‘Wakers’, Lord Wakefield of Kendal.

“One historian has described Chapman as ‘probably the finest ambassador the Harlequins ever had’.

“Another historian, lauding his 20 years’ devotion to Stanmore Cricket Club, wrote of ‘the complete cricketer, an Oscar Wilde without the bitterness, a Bernard Shaw without the self-esteem’.

“Chapman senior’s anointment as ‘the greatest manager in the history of this club’ came from the most distinguished of his successors, Arsene Wenger...

✍️ Peter Jackson explores the fascinating links between rugby’s biggest names and their football allegiances, while celebrating the Chapman family’s lasting legacy.

🗣️ “Stevie has been hugely important to everything we’ve built here at Bristol Bears over the past nine years, so we’re ...
03/06/2026

🗣️ “Stevie has been hugely important to everything we’ve built here at Bristol Bears over the past nine years, so we’re delighted he’s extending his stay with the club.

“He continues to lead through his actions every single day, whether that’s on the field, around the environment or helping develop our younger players.

“His professionalism, experience and competitive drive remain world class.

“Stevie cares deeply about this club, his teammates and our supporters, and he desperately wants to do everything he can to achieve the big goal he had coming to Bristol – to win the Prem before he leaves...

🐻 ✍️ Pat Lam on Bristol Bears flanker Steven Luatua after he extended his contract into a 10th season with the club.

ICYMI 👀🗣️ “Jo’s breadth of experience across the UK club game and the international women’s game in the southern hemisph...
03/06/2026

ICYMI 👀

🗣️ “Jo’s breadth of experience across the UK club game and the international women’s game in the southern hemisphere made her an outstanding candidate for this role.

“Her vision for bringing together players from the four unions was hugely compelling and we are thrilled to welcome her on board.

“For a moment that represents such a step forward for the game, it was important to us that this appointment serves our desire to grow and support all aspects of the women’s game including the promotion of female coaches.

“We are delighted to appoint Jo, who we believe will excite players and fans alike as we continue to build towards New Zealand in 2027...

🦁 Jo Yapp will lead the first-ever British & Irish Lions Women side after being appointed head coach for the historic tour of New Zealand.

ICYMI 👀🗣️ “It comes down to one man’s opinion. Statistically, and in my opinion, he is one of the best back rowers in th...
03/06/2026

ICYMI 👀

🗣️ “It comes down to one man’s opinion. Statistically, and in my opinion, he is one of the best back rowers in the league.

“We share our stats and opinions with Steve Borthwick (England head coach) and his coaching group and Tom is right up there.

“I am always going to be biased because Tom wears the Northampton shirt and I see him every day, but there is a plethora of talent in the back row, as there always has been with England, and the likes of Ben Earl are playing very well.

“Tom has to keep banging on the door and make himself impossible to ignore.

“It is not hard for him to keep battling on because he is driven to play international rugby, but he has to manage his frustration otherwise it will have an impact on his performance...

😇 Tom Pearson has had another strong season for Premiership leaders Northampton Saints but has not come closer to adding to his one England cap.

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ICYMI 👀🗣️ “My kicking game has developed a lot and my defence has improved as well.“I’m excited to bring that back into ...
03/06/2026

ICYMI 👀

🗣️ “My kicking game has developed a lot and my defence has improved as well.

“I’m excited to bring that back into the Bears environment and keep developing my game.

“It’s obviously frustrating because we’re all competitive and want to win.

“But I think we’ve actually grown a lot as a team. We’ve built relationships and connections that maybe we didn’t have before.

“The league is so competitive now that you can’t just expect to win games anymore...

🐻 🌹 Bristol Bears & England international flyer Millie David insists she is only scratching the surface of what she can become.

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🗣️ “It’s incredibly sad to see some of the girls leave, and to see some retiring as well.“But it’s also exciting for the...
02/06/2026

🗣️ “It’s incredibly sad to see some of the girls leave, and to see some retiring as well.

“But it’s also exciting for the new girls coming through the pathway to get opportunities.

“It’s all about seeing what we can do as a group over the next five weeks, and how we can galvanize and inspire each other to put in some of the best performances we have ever had.

“This group is so great at helping each other out and we want to help each other be the best...

🍒 Gloucester–Hartpury head coach Dan Murphy is determined to finish the season on a high despite the distraction of three of his star players departing this summer.

🏉 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐏 𝐑𝐔𝐆𝐁𝐘 𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐌 🏉 5x Ealing Trailfinders Rugby Club 🟢3x Worcester Warriors 🔵🟡2x Bedford Blues 🔵2x Coventry Rug...
02/06/2026

🏉 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐏 𝐑𝐔𝐆𝐁𝐘 𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐌 🏉

5x Ealing Trailfinders Rugby Club 🟢
3x Worcester Warriors 🔵🟡
2x Bedford Blues 🔵
2x Coventry Rugby Club 🔵⚪️
1x Chinnor RFC Thame ⚫️⚪️
1x Cornish Pirates 🔴⚫️
1x Hartpury University RFC 🔴

🏆 The best XV from 2025-26 as voted for by our correspondents.

✍️ Ben Jaycock

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