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SPOTLIGHT: The Sharks, topping the Super Rugby standings, has had to find other ways for players to entertain themselves - as the COVID-19 lockdown gets into full swing.

VIDEO: Before Eben Etzebeth there was Bakkies Botha.

VIEW FROM DOWN UNDER: Dirk Baigent, an Austria-based reader, has penned an intriguing and thought-provoking column on five solutions how to make the proposed Nations Championship and global calendar work.

OPINION: Fresh from looking over the wing position and what makes for the prototype player, Alex Shaw's series attempting to build the perfect rugby player wraps up with an examination of the fullback position.

BRAINTEASER: @rugby365com's oracle Paul Dobson has come up with some real pearlers in the latest quiz. Can you get the 'royal flush'?

STAT ATTACK: There are a lot of talented and exciting players that never got the opportunity to play for their national team.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: The highest-paid rugby players in the world has been revealed.

OPINION: There is this trend to muster out the more senior members of the rugby community because they are regarded as 'superfluous'.

INTERVIEW: When people describe a player as 100 percent captaincy material, Francois Pienaar perfectly fits the mould, on and off the field.

NEWS: Rugby Europe has announced that they are supporting Bill Beaumont in his bid for re-election as World Rugby chairman.

NEWS: New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and the five NZ Super Rugby franchises are undertaking a review of New Zealand’s Super Rugby model.

THE high demand for some 'real' rugby during these testing times moved the @rugby365com team to produce an equally amusing alternative - a virtual Tri-Nations tournament!

BRAINTEASER: @rugby365com's oracle Paul Dobson has outdone himself - gifting you a few answers. Can you finally wear the badge of honour?

NEWS: It is being widely rumoured that Scotland international Sean Maitland is to set to leave Premiership side Saracens and make a return to former club Glasgow Warriors.

TRANSFER NEWS: Johnny Kotze will be heading to Japan after the Bulls accepted his transfer request, according to South African media reports.

NEWS: This Wallaby veteran is reportedly out of Dave Rennie's plans.

Keke Morabe is one of South African rugby's promising rugby teenagers, the subject of much interest to rugby unions in South Africa.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: The bench press continues to occupy a uniquely macho seat in the pantheon of weight training disciplines, and professional rugby players are by no means immune.

NEWS: The extent of the bullying Raelene Castle was receiving during her time as Rugby Australia's CEO is being revealed.

OPINION: We now come to the penultimate article in Alex Shaw's series attempting to build the perfect rugby player, with an examination of the wing position.

LISTEN as Welsh legend Maxwell Boyce reads this heavenly poem that captures the tone, the space and time in a way only he can.

SPOTLIGHT: Some are just born to lead.

NEWS: Midfielder Johnny Kotze and Super Rugby franchise the Bulls will not part ways just yet, his agency revealed.

You can never predict what some players will do with ball-in-hand. Here is a collection of some of the most outrageous skills.

DISCIPLINARY UPDATE: Controversial England prop Joe Marler will produce one of the game's 'great escapes'.

WATCH as three-times Super Rugby-winning coach Scott Robertson explains why he would like to coach World Cup-winning Springbok captain Siyamthanda Kolisi.

OPINION: @rugby365com editor Jan de Koning takes a look at what must be one of the most mind-boggling clauses ever imposed on Springbok players.

NEWS: Frustrated Premiership players are considering setting up a breakaway player union due to dissatisfaction over how the Rugby Players’ Association have acted during the coronavirus pandemic.

They've always said that rugby is played by gentlemen and this montage proves why.

SPOTLIGHT: A representative of the Rugby Australia board and the unhappy group of former Wallabies captains are set to meet next week.

Watch some of the most incredible and jaw-dropping long-range kicks of all time. Make sure you watch until the end to see some schoolboys kicking it long.

NEWS: There could be a huge twist in the race to become World Rugby chairman.

DISCIPLINARY UPDATE: Montpellier prop Mohamed Haouas, who picked up a three-week ban for punching in France's Six Nations match against Scotland, will be deemed to have served his sentence during the coronavirus lockdown.

BRAINTEASER: @rugby365com's oracle Paul Dobson keeps easing up on the adversity of the challenge, but can you actually pass the 50 percent mark?

REACTION: Gloucester Rugby revealed they are considering legal proceeding after they were effectively stiffed by a Springbok centre Rohan Janse Van Rensburg.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Usually studying a Super Rugby game plan at this time of year, Matt Toomua is instead helping plot a return to play in two months time.

NEWS: The Blue Bulls Company announced that its Chief Executive Officer Alfons Meyer will be leaving the company.

There are 3 Springboks in this Top 10 players of 2020 compilation. Are they in the correct spots though? Watch to see who else made the list.

OPINION: Retired Springbok Dawie Snyman has penned a perspicacious and enlightening column for @rugby365com, making bodacious suggestions - including 'yellow cards' for match officials.

OPINION: Following on from the examination of the inside centre position in Alex Shaw's series looking at building the perfect rugby player, we now move on to their midfield partners, the outside centre position.

DISCIPLINARY UPDATE: Springbok centre Rohan Janse van Rensburg has been fined and slapped with a ban for signing with two clubs.

REACTION: Rugby Australia's chairman complained Friday that the "dark forces" of online criticism had made life miserable for the organisation's first female CEO.

SPOTLIGHT: When, or if, rugby resumes one can surely expect a more 'involved' Stormers backline says assistant coach Dawie Snyman.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Former All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has spoken of the personal tragedy that helped drive him to Rugby World Cup success.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Bill Beaumont has promised to make international Rugby Union less of a 'closed shop' should he be re-elected as chairman of World Rugby.

NEWS: Clive Woodward has issued a ten-point plan to save rugby and reinforced the credentials of Agustin Pichot ahead of votes being cast next Sunday in the World Rugby chairman election.

WATCH as British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland talks about what makes a trip to South Africa a better option than travelling to New Zealand or Australia.

STAT ATTACK: Former Stormers centre Huw Jones produced Super Rugby's best individual performance of the decade.

WATCH as we take a trip down memory lane to bring you all the best of Joost van der Westhuizen at the Bulls.

SPOTLIGHT: Cheetahs coach Hawies Fourie admitted it is a 'challenge' to continue coaching during the COVID-19-enforced lockdown.

REACTION: Rugby Australia may claim she was the victim of 'bullies', but Raelene Castle's critics are not letting up.

SPOTLIGHT: Super Rugby's recent troubling record has various stakeholders longing for change.

NEWS: Rugby Australia chief executive officer Raelene Castle has resigned on Thursday in the latest twist in one of the code's most dramatic weeks.

OPINION: @rugby365com contributor Angus Opperman believes he has a solution to SANZAAR's Super Rugby conundrum.

NEWS: French rugby's plans to finish its current club season with a late play-off at the end of the European summer drew criticism from the president of reigning champions Toulouse.

INJURY UPDATE: It still remains very unclear when Springboks and Stormers flank Pieter-Steph du Toit will return to action from his injury.

Newport Rugby Club's Rodney Parade ground, first used for rugby in 1879, is now to be used as a testing ground in the fight against coronavirus.

Each year South African Rugby produces a South African book of the Laws of the Game. It's not a different text from World Rugby's text, but it has South African photographs.

SPOTLIGHT: RugbyPass columnist Ben Smith takes a look at how the Wallabies can benefit from the successful Springbok model.

Pro14 SPOTLIGHT: There may be no players from the Cheetahs or Southern Kings, but at least one Springbok is in line to make the Team of the Season.

OPINION: The latest in Alex Shaw‘s series looking at the make-up of the perfect rugby player shines a spotlight on the inside centre position.

SPOTLIGHT:  Ten years after head-butting All Black Jimmy Cowan, Bakkies Botha has claimed he would do the exact same thing.

INTERVIEW: He survived a tragic car accident and now is fully determined to shine in Scotland, Rugbypass writer Jamie Lyall interviews Jordan Venter.

TOP 14 NEWS: There will be no professional Rugby Union played in France before at least the end of August.

SPOTLIGHT: South Africa Rugby proposed revamped domestic competition kick-off date on June 5 seems more unrealistic now than ever. 

REACTION: Four former Wallabies captains have spoken out against a call by their counterparts to overhaul the leadership of Rugby Australia.

Just look at the impact on these players' bodies when they are tackled. It's so much fun to see players getting handed off or tackled hard, especially if it's payback.

BRAINTEASER: @rugby365com‘s oracle Paul Dobson has promised to make it easier. This will test your general knowledge.

BRAINTEASER: @rugby365com‘s oracle Paul Dobson has decided to test the readers' Test match knowledge.

NEWS: If any PRO14 rugby goes head in Ireland prior to September, it is likely to be behind closed doors.

INTERVIEW: Former Wallaby captain Phil Kearns says the financial backing and business smarts are there to revive the code if change occurs in head office.

SPOTLIGHT: RugbyPass analyst Ben Smith takes a look at one of the key aspects that could secure the British and Lions success in South Africa on their 2021 tour.

NEWS: The Blues and Chiefs have joined the Crusaders in making staff redundancies as the New Zealand franchises continue to grapple with the financial effects of the coronavirus.

CONTRACT NEWS: Argentina utility back Ramiro Moyano has signed a two-year contract extension with Toulon.

INTERVIEW: All Black lock Sam Whitelock has raised the prospect of rekindling New Zealand's historic North Island versus South Island derby if this year's Test schedule is cancelled.

OPINION: It’s been 17 years since Australia last hosted rugby’s blue-ribbon event in the form of the World Cup. 

UPDATE: South African Rugby announced on Tuesday huge budget cuts and the cancellation of several events in an attempt to combat the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

REACTION: World Cup hero Nick Farr-Jones is thought to be behind a no-confidence letter delivered to Rugby Australia and signed by 11 former Wallabies captains.

NEWS: The Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Port Elizabeth and home of the Southern Kings has been identified as one of the COVID-19 quarantine sites in South Africa.

BREAKING NEWS: Fiji Rugby Union chairman and convicted killer Francis Kean has stood down amid accusations of homophobia and discrimination.

TRANSFER NEWS: Following Springboks Cobus Reinach's exit, Northampton Saints have signed Tom James from Doncaster Knights ahead of the 2020/21 Premiership season.

SPOTLIGHT: Rugby could return in the form of an Australian Super Rugby league in July, more than a month after the NRL's proposed May 28 resumption.

NEWS: The Crusaders have succumbed to the financial pressure caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

NEWS: European Professional Club Rugby have confirmed that an Ireland international has tested positive for two banned substances.

OPINION: The Cheetahs, much like the Southern Kings, can't be blamed for feeling like a proverbial stepchild in South African rugby.

Watch as we bring you some of the biggest tackles and hand-offs from around the world.

SPOTLIGHT: Leezil Hendricks takes a look at South Africa's new wunderkind.

NEWS: Ireland Rory Best believes that the COVID-19 suspension could be an opportunity for European nations to boost their chances at winning the World Cup.

On the afternoon of Tuesday, 21 April 2020, South African Rugby announced officially that all youth weeks for 2020 have been cancelled.

OPINION: The latest in Alex Shaw's series looking at the make-up of the perfect rugby player shines a spotlight on the flyhalf position.

Nigel Owens is one of the most respected referees in the world. Here's a compilation of some of the reasons why many look forward to seeing and hearing what he comes up with.

WATCH as England coach Eddie Jones calculates the challenges facing rugby after the global COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

NEWS: Rugby Australia boss Raelene Castle will resume broadcast deal talks after they were put on hold during the code's coronavirus-enforced shutdown.

WATCH incredible footage of a young 18-year-old Jonah Lomu in action during an All Blacks trial match way back in 1994.

REACTION: The Pacific Rugby Players Welfare group has made fresh allegations against Fiji's rugby boss and criticised his bid for a spot on World Rugby's executive committee.

Rugby Australia CEO Raelene Castle is treading carefully, but says efforts to resume with Tests and club rugby against New Zealand make "a lot of sense".

NEWS: World Rugby chairman candidate Agustin Pichot would take the British and Irish Lions to a global stage if he is elected.

WATCH as we bring you a timely reminder of just how brutal the 2021 series between South Africa and the British & Irish Lions could be.

NEWS: Senior players will take a significant pay cut after Rugby Australia and the Rugby Union Players' Association finally reached a resolution on an interim pay deal.

SPOTLIGHT: Gary Gold, the vastly experienced United States coach knows all about rugby's world-wide cash crisis.

WATCH as Kobus Wiese, the 1995 World Cup-winning Springbok lock, speaks about one of the game's most infamous punches.

WATCH as the Blue Bulls Company's new Director of Rugby gives and update on his plans to revive the ailing franchise.

NEWS: World Rugby’s election has taken yet another turn into the abyss as governing body are launching an investigating into convicted killer Fiji Rugby chairman Francis Kean. 

FLASHBACK: In a world without rugby, one has plenty of time for reflection and now we go back to 2009 when a South African stalwart was robbed of the highest accolade.

NEWS: South African Rugby Union Chief Executive Officer Jurie Roux is a 'hot commodity' in World Rugby.

REACTION: World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont believes the "spirit of collaboration" the sport has witnessed in response to the coronavirus pandemic will lead to a new international calendar.

UPDATE: Springboks hooker Malcolm Marx remains optimistic despite being stuck in Japan during the coronavirus lockdown.

UPDATE: Planning can shift to a potential season resumption once drawn-out player pay-cut talks are finalised as expected on Monday.

WATCH as Stormers centre Jamie Roberts gives an update on how things are going on his side of the world.

NEWS: Twickenham has become the latest major sports stadium in Britain to be given a role in the fight against the coronavirus.

TRANSFER NEWS: French centre Mathieu Bastareaud has joined Lyon from American outfit Rugby United New York on a two-year deal, the Top 14 club said on Saturday.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Former All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen believes the top unions in rugby need to work together to secure the game's future.

OPINION: If the COVID-19 outbreak hadn't brought Super Rugby - and every other sporting competition worldwide - to a standstill, the Sunwolves would have got the farewell they deserved.

SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT: Numerous Springbok stars have joined a campaign in South Africa to show support for frontline workers fighting COVID-19.

Watch as we count down the Top 10 fastest players of all time. It is undeniable that speed is one of the most important aspects of the game and these players have more gas than the average wing!

NEWS: Former World Under-20 champion Paul Jordaan announced his retirement from rugby at the age of 28.

NEWS: The Premiership could be poised to play host to a number of Australia’s leading international players on short-term deals next season.

SPOTLIGHT: Celebrated @rugby365com writer Paul Dobson takes a look at the remarkable history of lines on the rugby field!

SPOTLIGHT: Bill Beaumont believes it is a “distinct possibility” the international rugby calendar could be scrapped this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.

NEWS: All Blacks legend Dan Carter has played his last game in the Top League after taking to Instagram to admit his two-season stint in Japan is over due to the campaign-ending coronavirus outbreak.

NEWS: Wayne Pivac has revealed three players in his Wales squad were struck down by the coronavirus but have since successfully recovered.

OPINION: After concluding the forwards, Alex Shaw’s series looking at building the perfect rugby player moves to the backline - starting with an examination of what goes into making the prototype scrumhalf.

OPINION: The Southern Kings are arguably the most changed team in Super Rugby history - during both their formal stints.

SPOTLIGHT: While SA Rugby is relentlessly formulating plans to get a domestic season underway, they have to be vigilant not to neglect the women’s game.

It's almost inevitable that tempers will flare and punches will be thrown on the field. Here we look at some fights and furious moments from 2019/2020.

SPOTLIGHT: The irony of the vote to determine the next World Rugby chairman is the often-maligned Tier Two nations hold the balance of power to shape the game's future.

SPOTLIGHT: World Rugby's election has taken a murky turn with the support by France of executive committee candidate Francis Keen, a convicted killer.

BRAINTEASER: @rugby365com's oracle Paul Dobson has decided to 'ease up', after complains that the quizzes were 'too difficult' for the readers.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Dan Biggar has outlined the reasons why he is more than happy to keep testing himself in the Premiership rather than return to the PRO14.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Bans are something that receives a lot of attention these days in rugby, particularly due to how arbitrary and inconsistent they can be.

OPINION: We come to the final position in the pack in Alex Shaw's series looking at building the perfect rugby player.

When thinking about an enforcer on the rugby field, John "Bakkies" Botha is the industry standard. Let's relive some of his wildest moments.

No Craven Week Under-18, no Academy Week, no LSEN Craven Week, no Grant Khomo Week, no Girls Under-18 Week, no Girls Under-16 Week, no Under-13 Craven Week - it looks as if they are set to be officially cancelled, victims for 2020 of the coronavirus.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: SANZAAR has selected a South African Super Rugby team of the decade based on statistics.

NEWS: He may not be the most popular player, but England captain Owen Farrell showed what a team man he can be.

NEWS: One of rugby football's most famous grounds, Cardiff Arms Park, has been converted into a hospital to help in the fight against the coronavirus.

Paul Bayvel, who played scrumhalf for Transvaal (now the Golden Lions) and South Africa, has died at his home in Hout Bay. He was 71 years of age.

NEWS: The All Blacks accepted a pay freeze on Thursday as NZ's players' association said it was preparing for the nightmare scenario of no more professional rugby this year.

REACTION: The election promises will fly thick and fast in the next few weeks - in the build-up to the face-off between Bill Beaumont and Agustin Pichot.

NEWS: Champions Saracens have asked all employees earning over £75,000 (US$94,000) to defer payment of their salaries until the start of the 2020/21 season.

SPOTLIGHT: Agustín Pichot has made his first, bold, move ahead of next month's World Rugby elections.

REACTION: The big guns of the game looks set to move swiftly to claim their portion of World Rugby Chairman Bill Beaumont's relief fund.

There's nothing quite like picking off a pass and racing away to score for your team. Here are some of the great intercept tries by some of the best players to have played the game.

BOK RANKINGS: The Springboks picked up another World Cup title not too long ago and there has been a lot of debate about where Rassie Erasmus' team is ranked amongst the best in the modern era.

INTERVIEW: SANZAAR Chief Executive Andy Marinos talks about what plans are in place for the resumption and Super Rugby and the Rugby Championship.

NEWS: French giants Toulouse have unveiled a revised format for the 2020/21 Champions Cup.

NEWS: Clermont chief Eric de Cromieres suggested on Tuesday the Top 14 season was over.

NEWS: World Rugby has confirmed the nominations for the positions of Chairman and Vice-Chairman.

SPOTLIGHT: Cash-strapped Rugby Australia is set to benefit from a World Rugby relief fund, while the Wallabies could face a compressed 13 Test-schedule through a proposed revision of the international calendar.

SPOTLIGHT: A try-scoring machine

Watch as we get some entertainment from the men tasked to make key decisions during a match. There's some funny chats and some solid hits on the referees. 

NEWS: Rugby in New Zealand has received a NZ$7.3 million boost from the nation’s government under its wage subsidy scheme.

OPINION: The players the Springboks simply cannot be without for the British & Irish Lions tour.

ANALYSIS: Conor Wilson takes a closer look at the Springboks' edge defence and the play that cost England in the Final.

SPOTLIGHT: SANZAAR has relentlessly been working to ensure both this year's Super Rugby and the Rugby Championship will go ahead.

INTERVIEW: Rugby Australia has drafted a number of models for potentially rescheduled domestic and Test matches as they prepare for a 'worst-case scenario'.

OPINION: The Sharks, the pace-setting team in the now-suspended SANZAAR showpiece, must rate as the most successful team never to have won Super Rugby.

TRANSFER TALK: Australian Jono Lance is reportedly in ‘advanced talks’ about a switch from the Premiership to the PRO14.

SPOTLIGHT: Former British and Irish Lions captain Willie John McBride has lambasted Warren Gatland’s proposal for the Lions to face the All Blacks in a one-off match prior to their 2021 tour of South Africa.

SPOTLIGHT: Vice-chairman Augustin Pichot has made is very clear that World Rugby won’t hand any financial relief to cash-strapped SANZAAR nations.

NEWS: This year's Rugby Championship could be hosted in one country.

RUGBY FROM THE BUNKERS: Former two-time Junior World Cup-winning coach and Director of Elite Sport Mentorship Eugene Eloff is back with another jim-dandy column for @rugby365com‘s readers.

BRAINTEASER: @rugby365com‘s oracle Paul Dobson has dug into the representative archives to make it 'easier' for the readers.

Springboks James "Bullet" Dalton and Keith Andrews sit down over a cold one to chat about The Battle of Tucuman. As you will see, there was no such thing as handbags back then.

NEWS: Scotland's top-earning rugby players have been asked to take a pay cut amid fears of £12 million ($15 million) losses due to the coronavirus pandemic.

NEWS: The 2021 British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa has suddenly taken on even more financial importance for SA Rugby.

NEWS: Rugby Australia and the players' union are inching closer to an agreement on an interim pay deal, but at least one Super Rugby team received some pay relief on Tuesday.

SPOTLIGHT: Former Argentina scrumhalf Agustin Pichot has been formulating new ideas to modify the landscape of World Rugby.

NEWS: A leading French rugby official has issued a chilling warning about the financial impact of COVID-19.

NEWS: An anticipated Easter resolution to the pay talks between Rugby Australia and the players' union hasn't happened.

SPOTLIGHT: Bill Beaumont has pledged an independent review of World Rugby’s governance after being challenged in his bid to remain as chairman.

NEWS: This England international is retiring due to a lack of an opportunity to prove his quality.

WATCH as Springbok Gcobani Bobo and a few friends delve into the best Super Rugby format.

SPOTLIGHT: It was obvious that there would have been - as there is every four years - a massive clean-out (or exodus) of top players after a World Cup year.

OPINION: The latest in Alex Shaw’s series looking at the make-up of the perfect rugby player shines a spotlight on the blindside flank position.

TRANSFER NEWS: Two-time World Cup-winning Springbok Francois Steyn has signed a deal with Pro14 side Cheetahs.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Former Springbok loose forward Joe van Niekerk claims that rugby should stop punishing players who take recreational drugs.

Watch Pierre Spies do what he does best - be destructive. Here are some of his most dangerous carries.

OPINION: Head coach Eddie Jones has suggested as little as 40 percent of the current crop of England players will be on hand for the World Cup in France in 2023.

SPOTLIGHT: When the Lions returned to Super Rugby in 2014, they introduced a new group of 'no-name brand' players to the game in South Africa.

BRAINTEASER: @rugby365com‘s oracle Paul Dobson has dug into the World archives to make it 'easier' for the readers.

SPOTLIGHT: South Africa Rugby has reportedly formulated a radically modified schedule to save the season following suspension due to the COVID-19.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Aside from  Nigel Owens of Wales, Jaco Peyper of South Africa is another top-flight referee not yet ready to hang up his whistles.

SPOTLIGHT: Wallabies legend Tim Horan has offered up his five-point plan to save Australian rugby.

NEWS: One of the more outspoken and open governing figures from recent times, Argentina’s Agustin Pichot, has announced a bid to run for World Rugby chairman.

WATCH as we go back down memory lane to revisit one of the darkest days of SA Rugby.

NEWS: Rugby Australia (RA) chief executive Raelene Castle has responded to suggestions that incoming Wallabies boss Dave Rennie will abandon ship.

NEWS: Former England coach Clive Woodward has asked serious questions about the RFU’s recent decision to award Eddie Jones a contract extension.

NEWS: The stalemate between Rugby Australia (RA) and the players' association (RUPA) over wage negotiations continue, with the two parties failing to reach an agreement on Saturday.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: A former Springbok looks back at the nightmare that was Kamp Staaldraad.

TRANSFER NEWS: Gloucester revealed that Jonny May will be rejoining the Club from July 1st.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Wales referee Nigel Owens makes a U-turn as he postponed retirement from top-flight refereeing.

WATCH as Quade Cooper causes another stir with his seemingly limitless passing ability.

WATCH as one man selects his ultimate "isolation XV" in a very unique way.

OPINION: The latest in Alex Shaw's series looking at the make-up of the perfect rugby player shines a spotlight on the openside flank position.

SPOTLIGHT: No rugby and boredom is a dangerous combo. @rugby365com freelancer Angus Opperman ended up making a forgotten Stormers XV.

NEWS: South African Rugby Players Organisation unanimously voted to collectively pursue further negotiations with other stakeholders amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

NEWS: Bristol centre Will Hurrell retired on Friday after suffering a probable stroke following an English Premiership match earlier this season.

NEWS: Italian rugby bosses on Friday agreed to voluntary cuts in salaries and payments for senior federation members.

NEWS: England’s historic tour of Japan may be pushed back three months to October if their two tests in July are cancelled due to coronavirus.

NEWS: Rob Penney has been stood down without pay according to Australian media reports.

NEWS: Wasps confirmed that current interim Head Coach, Lee Blackett, has been appointed as the club’s full-time Head Coach.

SPOTLIGHT: Whatever new competition World Rugby and other organisations are drafting make sure it's a fan-friendly experience says former Wales coach Warren Gatland.

BRAINTEASER: @rugby365com's oracle Paul Dobson has dug into the archives for some really testing questions.

NEWS: Australian rugby needs to be selfish and take a hard look at its involvement in Super Rugby, says former Wallabies skipper Stephen Moore.

SPOTLIGHT: With props and hookers now in the books, Alex Shaw's series now moves on to the locks, arguably the position that has seen the largest evolution of all in the modern era.

WATCH as Stormers team up with various artists and local celebrities to record a tribute video of Johnny Clegg's 'The Crossing'.

NEWS: Australian players are set to take some of the biggest coronavirus induced pay cuts in the game.

NEWS: Welsh Rugby Union becomes the latest organisation in Europe to implement pay cuts.

NEWS: One of England's top teams is set to order their Springboks back north as a Premiership completion plan will be unveiled.

NEWS: European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) chairman Simon Halliday has expressed annoyance at being blindsided by Bernard Laporte’s idea to set up a Club World Cup.

SPOTLIGHT: Rugby Australia boss Raelene Castle has promised to take another 15 percent pay cut in a bid to break the deadlock in talks with the country's players.

TRANSFER NEWS: South African Jannes Kirsten has signed a contract extension with Premiership leaders Exeter Chiefs.

SPOTLIGHT: World Rugby's hot-button rankings remain a powder keg in the game.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Stormers head coach John Dobson believes some of the criticism levelled at Damian Willemse is unfair.

LISTEN as Jake White makes some eye-opening disclosures to @rugby365com's Jan de Koning, revealing which players he might be targeting to help revive the ailing Bulls.

STAT ATTACK: Across the last decade of Super Rugby action there have been but a handful of players who have carried their team’s workload in both attack and defence.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: South Africa head coach Jacques Nienaber is not allowing COVID-19 pandemic to disrupt his plans of keeping Springboks on top of world rugby.

NEWS: Wales midfielder Jamie Roberts is putting the Super Rugby season suspension to good use by volunteering to help the National Health Service (NHS) during the coronavirus pandemic.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: There are just some wins that are so much sweeter.

Cometh the moment, cometh the man. Here are 15 of the most memorable kicks to have been witnessed on the playing field.

'When two lions meet one must die,'

BRAINTEASER: @rugby365com's oracle Paul Dobson has decided to make this a bit easier, so can you at least get 50 percent?

NEWS: The playing future of one of South Africa's most promising players is still uncertain.

SPOTLIGHT: In the second of this new series Alex Shaw examines the prototypes of every position in the modern game and what makes for the perfect player.

REACTION: Former Brumbies and Wallaby prop Ben Alexander says Rugby Australia need to stop the blame game and get creative about the future to save the sport.

NEWS: English Premiership chiefs on Wednesday indefinitely suspended the 2019/20 season due to the coronavirus pandemic but said they were committed to finishing the campaign.

NEWS: Former French rugby captain Thierry Dusautoir said that he felt "lucky" after surviving coronavirus infection along with former teammate Sebastien Chabal.

NEWS: Another unprecedented idea has been floated amid the current rugby vacuum caused by the global coronavirus pandemic.

REACTION: European Professional Club Rugby has reacted with dismay to the proposal of a new Club World Cup.

Sit back and watch some of the funniest rugby bloopers to have ever happened on a rugby field.

SPOTLIGHT: Eddie Jones has told England to expect a radical overhaul before the next Rugby World Cup despite reaching the final in Japan in November.

NEWS: The British and Irish Lions and the All Blacks could have a decider in London next year.

WATCH as Quade Santini Cooper puts on display the outrageous skills that made him a legend in Australian rugby.

ONE-ON-ONE: Listen as one-time Springbok Nicolaas Vlok Cilliers talks to @rugby365com about why the Six Nations is a better fit than the Rugby Championship.

INTERVIEW: Israel Folau may be 'public enemy No.1' for some in Rugby Australia, but there are those who regard his return as part of the solution to their ever-growing crisis.

Teams number their players now but it was not always so. In fact there was a time when numbering players was frowned upon as it smacked of tawdry professionalism.

SPOTLIGHT: In the first of a new series Alex Shaw examines the prototypes of every position in the modern game and makes for the perfect player.

REACTION: Under-fire All Black Richie Mo'unga moved swiftly to clear up some misconceptions over the Crusaders' breaking of New Zealand's lockdown regulations.

Sometimes, all it takes is one player to have a rush of blood and it costs his team dearly. Enjoy watching some of the best brain farts over the years.

SPOTLIGHT: Despite being scattered across the Australian continent, the Rebels have found a way to ensure they are ready for whenever Super Rugby resumes.

SPOTLIGHT: England coach Eddie Jones has used Springbok stalwart Tendai Mtawarira as an example for controversial England prop Joe Marler to follow.

REACTION: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had some choice words this week for the minority of people who were not following rules.

SPOTLIGHT: British and Irish Lions legend Sir Ian McGeechan believes he knows how to overcome the Springboks, a feat he has achieved as a player and a coach.

NEWS: Rugby Australia could lose more than just their chief executive should Raelene Castle be axed from her position.

REACTION: The Super Rugby champion Crusaders have been forced to apologise after several members of their squad were caught flouting New Zealand's isolation rules.

WATCH as Christiaan Stander goes to unusual lengths to keep his fitness ticking over during the rugby lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

NEWS: French Rugby Federation President Bernard Laporte wants to introduce a new Club World Cup tournament as part of the ticket he is running on for the upcoming World Rugby elections.

REACTION: Rugby Australia keeps toeing the 'positive' line, as the chorus of outcries for change grows.

SPOTLIGHT: The debacle surrounding axed Wallaby Israel Folau could be in for another twist if the sport’s governing body is forced into insolvency.

NEWS: Former Scotland captain Dougie Morgan has died at the age of 73 after an illness.

JUST FOR LAUGHS: The game of rugby is filled with many diverse characters and it would seem that these characters can be - to some extent - placed inside a box per position.

BRAINTEASER: Take on @rugby365com‘s oracle Paul Dobson in this mental challenge!

SPOTLIGHT: There is no guarantee the tours would even happen, but exiled flyhalf Finn Russell sees himself heading to South Africa and New Zealand.

Fiji Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama says two international players have put the whole country at risk after they absconded from quarantine following visits abroad.

REACTION: Wallaby legend Nick Farr-Jones has painted a bleak picture for the code in Australia after years of "atrocious" management by the governing body.

What's better than watching some great Springbok tries against the old foe?

Never forget the moment the Springboks' Impi was remembered for the wrong reasons.

NEWS: The Premiership season could reach a conclusion with teams looking very different to how they looked when the campaign was suspended last month due to the coronavirus pandemic.

WATCH as two-time former World Rugby Junior Championship winner Eugene Eloff shares his lockdown message with the rugby community and the rest of the world.

COVID-19: Two France-based World Cup winners are hunkering down during the coronavirus pandemic in South Africa - but under very different circumstances.

OPINION: The Springboks heading North will be great for South Africa.

NEWS: The South African rugby 'industry' have come together in an unprecedented act of unity to prepare a long-term strategy to combat the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

REACTION: Eddie Jones revealed that his ambition to win the World Cup has cost him dearly in other aspects of his life.

NEWS: The Springbok and BlitzBok coaches have started to share their expertise online.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: The big "farewell season" for Newlands Stadium is turning out to be a disaster.

WATCH a couple of the biggest upsets the Bulls managed over the Sharks in Durban.

Marius Jonker is a well-known citizen of Richards Bay, a harbour town up on Northern KZN coast, just under 180 km from Durban.

NEWS: Dragons have just been dealt a massive blow for next season – the loss of Wales lock Cory Hill.

WATCH as we go down memory lane to 2001 to revisit a famous and quite funny tackle.

REACTION: Rugby Australia appears to be imploding at an alarming rate, with Chief Executive Officer Raelene Castle in the firing line.

OPINION: The 2019 Rugby World Cup Final feels a lifetime ago right now.

OPINION: Jan de Koning believes he has a solution for the current cash-crunch facing South Africa's franchises.

REACTION: There has already been threats of 'legal action', but the Newcastle Falcons' promotion to the Premiership has been described as a "fair and balanced outcome".

Watch the Wimbledon men's final, an epic battle, and there you will see challenges about whether the ball was in nor pout, and they use hawk-eye. Watch the cricket between Sri Lanka and Pakistan and there will be referrals to the match referee via television replays. Rugby does it, too. In fact it did it before cricket or tennis.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: World Rugby will not decide on whether Test matches in July will go ahead before the end of April, French rugby federation chief Bernard Laporte told AFP Thursday.

NEWS: England head coach Eddie Jones and the RFU have agreed to a contract extension which will see him continue his role until the end of the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France.

REACTION: As appeals for greater transparency grow, Rugby Football Union boss Bill Sweeney says national unions are collaborating on ways to help Rugby Australia.

REACTION: A grim short-term future for Australia's rugby professionals bracing for steep pay cuts.

SPOTLIGHT: It appears the costly pay-out to Israel Folau was not the only financial blunder during Raelene Castle's reign as Rugby Australia Chief Executive Officer.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: England coach Eddie Jones just won't stop planning.

Tackling are an essential aspect of rugby football. It is also the most dangerous and complex aspect of the game and the most difficult to manage. World Rugby has now issued new guidelines aimed at making tackling clearer for players and referees.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Worcester lock Michael Fatialofa says his ability to walk again is "just the tip of the iceberg" as he battles back from a horrific spinal injury.

WATCH as South Africa's Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus delivers yet another one of his impressive coaching insights.

NEWS: The 2019/20 domestic rugby season in Scotland has been classified as null and void, the Union confirmed.

BRAINTEASER: Take on @rugby365com's oracle Paul Dobson in this mental challenge!

STAT ATTACK: It takes an impressive display of strength and agility to be able to evade defenders and push through a gap in the defensive line.

OPINION: Leezil Hendricks takes a look at the selection 'headache' facing new Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber.

REACTION: Former Australian Test player and 1999 World Cup winner Rod Kafer has heavily blasted Rugby Australia.

VIDEO: Social media is currently awash with players adopting unique and sometimes bizarre methods to continue training while staying at home.

Willem Kenton was a ballet dancer. He was also a rugby player. It is an unusual combination. I was about to say 'unlikely combination', but I'm not so sure. For both pursuits require the utmost physical fitness, an awareness of the agility and strength of the human body, team work, and, for excellence, a sense of rhythm and timing that is usually both innate and cultivated. So perhaps Willem's interests were more logically complementary than most people would realise.

NEWS: New Zealand Rugby announced wage cuts for all staff Wednesday.

OPINION: It's probably safe to say that the Pro14 will never be as popular as Super Rugby for South African fans.

NEWS: Australia's Super Rugby franchises plan to lean on emergency JobKeeper funding as the code braces for a three-month survival period.

NEWS: The Rugby Football Union (RFU) have announced Newcastle Falcons will be promoted from the Greene King IPA Championship to the Premiership next season.

NEWS: Scotland Rugby head coach Gregor Townsend has agreed a 25 percent salary deferral and Wales boss Wayne Pivac will cut his wages by the same figure in response to the financial woes caused by the coronavirus.

WATCH as we bring you a collection of the most dramatic last-minute winning moments.

WATCH as one-time Springbok Siyabonga Ntubeni takes readers through his home while he is in lockdown.

NEWS: A French-based agent has laid bare the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the sport in France.

WATCH as the Southern Kings embarrassed the Waratahs in Sydney in 2017.

It is sometimes the injured rugby player's journey - from rugby ground to hospital.

A SHORT STORY: John Gardener entertains the readers with a tale of fiction (or is there some truth in it) about referee's additional time.

RUGBY FROM THE BUNKERS: Former two-time Junior World Cup-winning coach Eugene Eloff has dusted off his laptop and produced a lollapalooza for @rugby365com's readers.

NEWS: Three-quarters of Rugby Australia's (RA) staff will be stood down for the next three months.

REACTION: Several of South Africa's leading players have a tough decision to make: Choose between the 15-a-side and Sevens codes.

SPOTLIGHT: The coronavirus continues to cause havoc as three more Springboks legends of the 1981 squad reportedly tested positive.

REACTION: The Australian rugby landscape could change dramatically in the next year, including the culling of another franchise.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Wasps forward Thibaud Flament's unorthodox path to professional rugby reflects his experience during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

NEWS: USA Rugby officially filed for bankruptcy as the federation’s financial implications have worsened during the Covid-19 pandemic.

SURVIVAL MODE: Wage cuts will be on the agenda when Rugby Australia meets its players' association on Tuesday, with fears that the game is in a financial black hole.

WATCH as the Cheetahs and the Hurricanes produced a spectacle of running rugby in Bloemfontein in 2011.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Former England loose forward James Haskell has heavily criticised rugby’s ‘diabolical’ and out of date coverage in a four-minute online rant.

NEWS: Rugby Australia's alarming financial state heading into the coronavirus shutdown was revealed Monday.

BRAINTEASER: Take on @rugby365com‘s oracle Paul Dobson in this challenging quiz!

SPOTLIGHT: Known as a destroyer of defences and knocking people down with his determined tackling, but since the COVID-19 pandemic Werner Kok had to change his ways quite a bit.

REACTION: It is not what any employee ever wants to hear, but New Zealand's top players know it is coming.

NEWS: England loosehead Joe Marler is understood to have become disillusioned with rugby after receiving a 10-week ban for grabbing Wales captain Alun-Wyn Jones by the genitals.

PREMIERSHIP UPDATE: Salary cuts are a reality, but reports of potential player strikes have been dismissed as 'fake news'.

NEWS: NEWS: It appears imminent that the July tests are set to be cancelled as rugby calendar continues to be disrupted. 

WATCH as the Stormers host the Highlanders in the 1999 Super Rugby semifinal at Newlands.

INTERNATIONALS: COVID-19 has plunged Tier One nations into a financial crises which the Pacific Islands nations deal with every year, says Pacific Rugby Players Welfare chief executive officer Dan Leo.

NEWS: A fortunate encounter helped Springboks No.8 Duane Vermeulen return to South Africa.

OPINION: Leezil Hendricks takes a look at the impact of COVID-19 on the Six Nations tournament.

WATCH as we bring you a collection of the worst mistakes by players and match officials in the game.

BRAINTEASER: Take on @rugby365com's oracle Paul Dobson in this challenging quiz!

SPOTLIGHT: Tom Vinicombe looks at the unexpected alternative for the Wallabies' No.10 jersey.

NEWS: Rugby Australia is set to discuss large player wage cuts and staff layoffs at an Annual General Meeting on Monday.

WATCH as the new Director of Rugby at the Blue Bulls Company Jake White reveals how he plans to take the Pretoria-based franchise from also-rans to genuine contenders.

COVID-19: All Black coach Ian Foster has confirmed he will be taking a pay cut, and that players will follow suit, as New Zealand Rugby looks to limit its costs.

NEWS: New Zealand Rugby’s Heartland Championship has been axed for the 2020 season.

NEWS: The coronavirus is continuing to claim high-profile casualties.

WATCH as we bring the first win by the most successful team in Super Rugby history - the Crusaders.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: It is no secret that South African rugby industry are not only facing salary cuts but also faces unemployment due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. 

WATCH as World Cup-winning captain Siyamthanda speaks about how he deals with being in lockdown for COVID-19.

VIDEO: Rugby loves its villains and Owen Farrell is no exception.

INTERVIEW: George Kruis hopes to see medicinal cannabis introduced as an alternative to painkillers to help players cope with the wear and tear caused by the modern game.

BRAINTEASER: Take on @rugby365com‘s oracle Paul Dobson in this challenging quiz!

WATCH as we bring the first Final of Super Rugby's professional era - the Auckland Blues hosting the Natal Sharks at Eden Park.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: British and Irish Lions Test series winner Alex Corbisiero has revealed a recent battle with testicular cancer.

TRANSFER NEWS: Kurtley Beale will be heading north to Europe.

COVID-19: The Lions players and staff will receive their salaries for March, but future 'cost-cutting' has not been ruled out.

BRAINTEASER: Take on @rugby365com‘s oracle Paul Dobson in this challenging quiz!

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: At least one prop jokingly admits he's going a bit crazy missing his regular scrummaging sessions.

WATCH as we bring you the first-ever Super Rugby Final.

NEWS: England coach Eddie Jones will be asked to emulate the Rugby Football Union’s executive team by taking a pay cut in excess of 25 percent.

NEWS: Bath have become the latest Premiership club to announce 25 percent pay cuts for players and staff.

NEWS: The new Bulls Director of Rugby is keen to play his part in keeping South Africa No.1 in the world.

COVID-19: Veteran Welsh centre Jamie Roberts has had a dramatic change of heart and left South Africa on a late night flight on Thursday.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Michael Cheika has opened up about his turbulent tenure as Wallabies head coach.

NEWS: Italian rugby chiefs announced Friday that they were definitely scrapping the 2019-2020 season amid the coronavirus pandemic.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Stade Francais may be the bottom side in the suspended Top 14 league, but they are top of the charts in France when it comes to their generosity.

SPOTLIGHT: From perfecting pizza dough to fermenting tea.

REACTION: England's Rugby Football Union admitted the financial implications of the COVID-19-enforced cancellations will be huge.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Springbok scrumhalf Ruan Pienaar has found a silver lining amid all the chaos brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

TOP BILLING: Take on @rugby365com's oracle Paul Dobson in this new quiz!

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Billy Vunipola is staying at Saracens and the No.8 is preparing for playing in the Championship.

VIDEO: In 2007 we probably saw the most dramatic ending to a Super Rugby Final.

READERS' FORUM: The @rugby365com team came up with a novel idea of a 'fantasy' tournament to entertain the readers - a Tri-Nations series.

WATCH as @rugby365com editor Jan de Koning sits down with Stormers coach John Dobson for an evocative interview.

REACTION: England coach Eddie Jones is to join other top officials at Twickenham in taking a pay cut of more than 25 percent for up to three months.

In the beginning there were no points in the game as played at Rugby School. The goal counted. The aim (goal) was to get the ball over the crossbar. That ended the game. Grounding the ball over the opponents' line gave you the opportunity to attempt (try) to improve (convert) the effort into a goal. The try did not count. The goal did. And, of course, a goal could be scored from the field of play.

FEATURE: This year it's the coronavirus that has prevented the completion of the International Championship that this year is called the Six Nations. In fact, the very first one was not completed, not that there was a pandemic that year.

OPINION: Acclaimed @rugby365com writer Paul Dobson takes a look at an ugly, soccer type, attitude that is creeping into Rugby Union.

NEWS: World Rugby has relentlessly been conducting plans to salvage the under threat July Internationals, Rugby Championship and the Six Nations amid the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. 

After the article on the creation and development of referees, a query arrived about what happened when the score seemed to be change in a Varsity Cup match. We have a look at it.

TRANSFER NEWS: Springbok and Stormers scrumhalf Herschel Jantjies has signed a two-year contract extension with Western Province Rugby.

NEWS: Several Springboks are stranded in Japan after an international airline cancelled all flights to South Africa.

NEWS: Former Springboks head coach Jake White move to the Bulls appears imminent - now more than ever.

#WATCH as several Springboks stars shared what they have been up to during self-isolation.

REACTION: SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux said that the postponement of the 2020 Olympic Games, due to be held in Tokyo later this year, was disappointing news, but that the steps taken were necessary to assist in countering the COVID-19 pandemic.

VIDEO: It's 2004, the Blues were the defending Super 12 champions and the Stormers travelled to Eden Park to destroy them.

NEWS: The BlitzBoks will have to wait another year to contest for the Olympic Sevens title after Tokyo Games officials decided to postpone the event until 2021.

SUPER RUGBY SPOTLIGHT: The Bulls have had an interesting array of jerseys in the last few years.

NEWS: All Blacks hooker Dane Coles is prepared to take a pay cut to help New Zealand Rugby in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic that has prematurely ended the Super Rugby season.

NEWS: Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) chief executive Martyn Phillips has agreed to stay on at the helm of Welsh rugby for the foreseeable future, despite previously announcing his intention to step down.

WATCH as Ben John, coach at Manor London, show youngsters ways to improve their skills and stay on top of their fitness.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Veteran Welsh centre Jamie Roberts suspect he may already have played his last game in South Africa.

VIDEO: In the first installment of our Match of the Day series we go back to 2007 when the Bulls destroyed the Reds at Loftus Versfeld.

OPINION: Love him or hate him, Jake White is good at what he does.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: With Super Rugby in limbo, evaluating a player’s form has become a very daunting task for international coaches – especially Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber.

NEWS: Plans by Australian and New Zealand franchises to stage domestic competitions were put on hold Monday and the international season is also in doubt.

WATCH as we bring you the Springboks Top 10 tries in 2019.

NEWS: Former Scotland international Rory Lawson has issued a warning targeted at younger people as he battles coronavirus in quarantine.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Mathieu Bastareaud may have played his last game of Major League Rugby (MLR) following the cancellation of the American competition due to the spread of the coronavirus.

NEWS: European rugby officials have bowed to the inevitable.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Italian international Maxime Mbanda has leapt from the back row on the rugby pitch to the front line in the fight against the coronavirus.

FEATURE: Acclaimed @rugby365com writer Paul Dobson takes us back in time to where 'refereeing' was first introduced to the game.

NEWS: England international Harry Williams has agreed terms on a new long-term deal with Gallagher Premiership leaders Exeter Chiefs.

SPOTLIGHT: England Rugby Players' Association  (RPA) boss Damian Hopley revealed there are no threats of a players strike, as English rugby struggles to cope with the financial ramifications caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

NEWS: Another club takes action during this coronavirus pandemic.

NEWS: Australia has pulled out of this year's Tokyo Olympics amid the coronavirus pandemic.

UPDATE: The Bulls and Lions received some good news as both teams tested negative for the COVID-19 coronavirus.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Stormers and Wales centre Jamie Roberts is doing his bit in the ongoing battle against the coronavirus pandemic.

NEWS: Ulster fullback Louis Ludik plans to stay in Ireland where he wants to settle with his family after his rugby career is over.

IN THE REARVIEW MIRROR: While #COVID-19 has put the sport in an unexpected hiatus, we decided the lull is a good time to revisit our pre-season predictions.

OPINION: Not long ago Curwin Bosch was the "forgotten flyhalf of South African Rugby". Warren Fortune shines the spotlight on the No.10 race.

NEWS: The Japan Rugby Top League has decided to cancel their season as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, meaning they will have no final standings for the season.

VIDEO: With all the doom and gloom we've experienced the last few weeks, watch as we try to bring you something to smile or maybe laugh about.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: @rugby365com’s  Law guru Paul Dobson takes a look at another contentious incident during the Hurricanes win over the Chiefs on Friday.

OPINION: Tom Vinicombe takes a look at which players could make the cut when new All Black coach Ian Foster names his first squad of the year.

WATCH as South Africa's Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus gives some more insights into his 'coaching motto'.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: England centre Manu Tuilagi should ‘never be let on a rugby field again’ following his latest red card offence.

The game started as a catch-as-catch-can, every-man-for-himself affair. Gradually it became more structured and settled into positions. This was an important facet of the game as it became a game for all shapes and sizes and for all sorts of skills.

SPOTLIGHT: Nigel Owens had revealed details of conversations he has had with Owen Farrell’s about the England skipper’s controversial tackle technique.

OPINION: Momentum is everything in Super Rugby and the Sharks just lost it.

NEWS: World Rugby has postponed the men's World Sevens Series tournaments in London and Paris until September due to the coronavirus.

#COVID-19: The first batch of players have agreed to a pay cut in the face of the Coronavirus outbreak.

NEWS: Rugby Football Union CEO Bill Sweeney has confirmed the end of the 2019/20 season for all league, cup and county rugby in England.

NEWS: New developments regarding a makeshift New Zealand-only Super Rugby competition have been unveiled.

OPINION: This will be the last weekly selection by @rugby365com for a while.

NEWS: The suspension of the 2019/20 season of Pro14 is now on an indefinite basis due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

INJURY UPDATE: Worcester Warriors lock Michael Fatialofa is back walking unaided just weeks after he suffered a serious spine injury in what his wife described on Saturday as a "miracle".

#COVID-19: The Irish Rugby Football Union has become the latest organisation in Europe to implement pay cuts.

INJURY UPDATE: The Bulls have paid a dear price for their one-match tour to Australia.

COVID-19: New Zealand Rugby's plan to stage derbies involving their Super Rugby franchises is set to be canned.

INTERVIEW: The flow of Australian, New Zealand and South African players to Japan is nothing new to the game of rugby.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: The Western Force are set to make one of the most improbable comebacks to top-flight rugby the code has ever seen following the formation of a five-day domestic competition next month.

NEWS: Major League Rugby announced Thursday that it will cancel the remainder of the 2020 campaign due to the coronavirus outbreak.

NEWS: Numerous Premiership clubs asked players to consider drastic pay cuts to enable them to survive the COVID-19 suspension.

NEWS: World Rugby has announced further action in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Springbok scrumhalf Faf de Klerk has come up with an interesting selection for the Springboks' No.8 role.

SPOTLIGHT: @rugby365com law guru Paul Dobson looks at yet another bizarre incident where the wind takes over and the ball doesn't go where the player wanted it.

#COVID-19: The Welsh Rugby Union says it expects to make a substantial financial loss this year.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: All Blacks head coach Ian Foster is not allowing the COVID-19 pandemic to scupper his plans of getting New Zealand back to the top in world rugby.

NEWS: Leicester Tigers have failed to get their man.

NEWS: Australian Super Rugby players insisted it's "business as usual" as they resumed training despite a coronavirus shutdown that has left the competition facing an uncertain future.

SPOTLIGHT: @rugby365com law guru Paul Dobson looks at a weird incident which saw the wind blow the ball back over the player's head.

SPOTLIGHT: World Cup-winning Springbok Francois Louw believes rugby will increasingly become a younger man’s game due to the ferocity of its collisions.

#COVID-19: As SANZAAR and the rest continue to scramble for ideas it seems like the introduction of a 'locally-based derby competition' is the best option.

#COVID-19: While officials scramble to find solutions, the Stormers management has come up with creative ways to keep their players active and 'rugby ready'.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: French officials haven’t given up hope yet that Marseille can still host this season’s Champions Cup and Challenge Cup finals despite the coronavirus outbreak.

It is a wonderful book for those interested in schools, their histories, their people and their contribution to South African society.

WATCH as we bring a team of truly cringe-worthy thugs - all the baddies in the same team.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: England back Mike Brown has heavily criticised Wales skipper Alun Wyn Jones' reaction after Joe Marler's testicle grab.

NEWS: World Rugby are poised to formally announce the cancellation of this year’s Under-20 Championship due to the coronavirus outbreak.

NEWS: Leicester Tigers are no longer up for sale after the club pulled the plug on the process due to a lack of offers.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Stormers head coach John Dobson fears that the Super Rugby suspension could lead to major job losses.

INJURY UPDATE: World Rugby player of the year Pieter-Steph du Toit was at risk of losing his leg after a seemingly innocuous knock against the Blues a fortnight ago.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: World Cup-winning coach Clive Woodward has called on rugby administrators to draw a line under the 2019/20 season and start planning immediately for 2020/21 instead.

One of the best rugby pictures ever had John Solomon as its central figure. He is being carried off Newlands by two Springbok forwards, Chris Koch and Ernst Dinkelmann, after his Wallabies had beaten the Springboks on the famous ground. It was the first time that the Springboks had lost a Test match since 1938.

These are bad times for sport, big and small. In South Africa, tournaments are being cancelled because of the coronavirus in the wake of the wake of the President's declaration of a state of disaster.

NEWS: Rugby Australia has confirmed that two of its sevens team members who were tested for coronavirus have returned with negative results.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Super Rugby is exploring domestic derbies as a way of resuming competition after its coronavirus suspension.

NEWS: While others fear salary cuts and job losses, Rugby Australia CEO Raelene Castle is confident the organisation will survive the financial strains despite asking for a government bailout. 

#COVID-19: Super Rugby has confronted numerous problems during its 25 years, but experts warn the coronavirus pandemic may prove a knockout blow for the Southern Hemisphere's premier franchise competition.

OPINION: Covid-19 could be the re-making of rugby in New Zealand. Hamish Bidwell looks at the real issues facing the game!

WATCH as we bring some of this season's best Super Rugby matches after seven Rounds.

INJURY UPDATE: Brumbies captain Allan Alaalatoa broke his arm in the 47-14 win over Waratahs at the weekend, the club said, but with Super Rugby suspended indefinitely it is unclear how many matches the Wallabies prop might miss, if any.

NEWS: The Rugby Football Union (RFU) has suspended all rugby activity in England.

NEWS: The European Champions Cup and the Challenge Cup have become the latest top rugby tournaments to be postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic.

NEWS: South African Rugby has announced a raft of measures in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Mostly, when school meets school, there is more than just the 1st XV that plays. It is our devout wish that we record all the matches played right down to Under-14F.

SPOTLIGHT: A series of crucial meetings in the next few days may give a clearer picture of the full impact of the #COVID-19 cancellations.

SUPER RUGBY UPDATE: The Lions have become the second South African franchise to go into self-isolation after returning from New Zealand.

TRANSFER TALK: This might be the last season that the Tongan-born brothers Billy and Mako Vunipola are seen playing in England.

#COVID-19: New Zealand Rugby Players’ Association boss Rob Nichol hasn’t eliminated the prospect of pay cuts.

SUPER RUGBY SPOTLIGHT: The Brumbies are open to a Super Rugby draw shuffle that would see them complete Australian conference matches.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Scotland boss Gregor Townsend admits their June Test trip to South Africa could come under threat from the coronavirus.

PRO14 SPOTLIGHT: Pro14 Rugby has given their reason for not playing matches behind closed doors.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: SANZAAR Chief Executive Andy Marinos has revealed that Super Rugby's failure to resume in five weeks could have dire consequences for the 2020 season.

Kearsney hosted Clifton College in Botha’s Hill on a hot summer’s afternoon. The visitors were deemed the underdogs, but full credit to them for their determined efforts.

St Andrew’s College 1st XV met Framesby on Saturday. It was never going to be an easy game to call, and so it proved on Saturday as the College 1st XV got their season under way with a tight 15-12 win against a motivated and solid Framesby team at the Graeme College Rugby Day.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: A couple of Super Rugby coaches have offered various alternatives and solutions following the suspension of the tournament.

NEWS: The Bulls will be the first South African franchise to undergo self-isolation after returning from Australia.

REACTION: From the kick-off, it seemed like the Sharks were in a far better state than their opponents the Stormers.

MATCH REPORT: The Brumbies raged to a 47-14 Super Rugby victory over NSW Waratahs in the Canberra derby on Sunday.

WATCH as we bring you 15 of the most unusual and bizarre moments in the game.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Super Rugby bosses admit it would be "premature" to talk about alternative fixtures after the season was suspended due to the coronavirus, however, they had already begun work to find a solution.

DISCIPLINARY NEWS: Stormers flank Johan Du Toit finds himself in heaps of trouble following his moment of madness against the Sharks on Saturday.

Graeme College produced a rousing finish to the 22nd Graeme Rugby Day when they recorded a thrilling 21-18 victory over Marlow Agricultural in Grahamstown on Saturday, 14 March 2020.

It is devoutly to be wished that schools rugby in South Africa is not to become a victim of the coronavirus, as is happening to so much rugby around the world.

NEWS: The worldwide COVID-19 outbreak has now resulted in a decision to suspend the Global Rapid Rugby season amid concerns that the virus could spread among players.

REACTION: The Sharks and Stormers players have spoken out about the decision to suspend Super Rugby.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Rugby Union's English Premiership is set to be suspended on Monday due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to British media reports.

REACTION: He'd love to see Super Rugby return in 2020, but Reds coach Brad Thorn admits sport is not a priority amid the coronavirus outbreak.

Members of the Australian Sevens program are to be tested for COVID-19 after showing coronavirus symptoms.

The Highlanders will be self-isolated in New Zealand after their Super Rugby match in Argentina was aborted because of the coronavirus threat.

NEWS: SANZAAR has decided to call off one of the only two remaining Super Rugby matches to be played.

SUPER RUGBY REPORT: The Sharks may have finished the season as the competition's top team, as doubt remains over the future of the tournament.