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OPINION: Five rounds into the Super Rugby season and new Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber has a few intriguing puzzles to solve.

WATCH as World Cup-winning Springbok coach - now Director of Rugby - delivers another classic ahead of South Africa's triumph in Japan last year.

OPINION: It was a blues Monday in Cape Town. Not only did they lose one of their key forward to injury, but their unbeaten record lay shattered on the Newlands turf.

SPOTLIGHT: Tom Vinicombe reveals how the Crusaders continue to nurture the best athletes in the world.

REACTION: Reports of South Africa's departure from - and the demise of SANZAAR - are nothing more than premature 'rumours'.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Seems like SANZAAR is pulling out all the stops to prevent South Africa from exiting the Rugby Championship. 

SUPER RUGBY SPOTLIGHT: Melbourne Rebels lock Matt Philip believes the Lions will present a different challenge to the Highlanders.

NEWS: Will Skelton has confirmed that he won’t be returning to Australia in the wake of Saracens’ salary cap scandal.

INJURY UPDATE: The Lions have confirmed that loose forward Vincent Tshituka will undergo surgery on his injured ankle on Wednesday.

NEWS: All Blacks legend Sir John Kirwan has urged Kalyn Ponga not to sign a new contract with Newcastle if he wants to play for New Zealand at the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

INJURY UPDATE: The winless Bulls are searching for answers after their fourth-successive loss - which sees them rooted to the bottom of the Super Rugby standings.

SIX NATIONS UPDATE: The Six Nations organisers on Monday gave an update on the tournament's status.

SUPER RUGBY REACTION: Stormers head coach John Dobson said he was "extremely disappointed" with his team's performance against the Blues at Newlands on Saturday.

PREMIERSHIP SPOTLIGHT: Liam Heagney speaks to Lewis Moody about Leicester Tigers' form and the personalised abuse that is blighting the game.

REACTION: Too many wasted opportunities and errors that cost them potential momentum was the by now all too familiar complaint that South African coaches shared after a disappointing round for the local teams in PRO14 Rugby.

SPOTLIGHT: @rugby365 law guru Paul Dobson looks at two contentious yellow cards from last weekend.

SPOTLIGHT: @rugby365com's law guru Paul Dobson looks at a contentious incident from the past weekend's Super Rugby.

SPOTLIGHT: Brumbies coach Dan McKellar is happy to 'double-dip' - as Australian mentor Dave Rennie looks to employ him as an apprentice.

TRANSFER NEWS: Leicester Tigers have announced that Nemani Nadolo will join the club ahead of the 2020/21 season.

SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: Highlanders captain James Lentjes will play no further part in his side’s Super Rugby campaign after the horrific ankle injury he suffered against the Rebels on Friday.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: The Queensland Reds' missed opportunities are putting Liam Wright's leadership qualities to the test but the first-year captain is holding firm ahead of one of Super Rugby's most daunting assignments.

NEWS: The Super Rugby Round Seven clash between the Blues and Lions in Auckland has been moved to an earlier kick-off time.

SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: England have received some major good news ahead of Saturday’s Six Nations match against Wales at Twickenham.

NEWS: Springbok and Stormers star Pieter-Steph du Toit will be out of action for a lengthy period.

NEWS: England back Chris Ashton and Sale Sharks set to part ways with immediate effect.

INJURY UPDATE: Racing 92 hooker Camille Chat was recalled to the French squad Monday preparing for the Six Nations clash against Scotland along with uncapped Toulouse prop Clement Castets.

SIX NATIONS REACTION: The future of the 2020 Six Nations Championship is set to be decided at a meeting in Paris on Monday.

NEWS: Exiled flyhalf Finn Russell will play no part in the rest of Scotland’s Six Nations campaign but talks have begun over his reintegration into the squad for their tour of South Africa and New Zealand.

PRO14 REPORT: Connacht beat a sloppy Southern Kings team 29-19 in Port Elizabeth on Sunday, despite the visitors being down to 14 men for most of the match.

SUPER RUGBY SPOTLIGHT: Sharks head coach Sean Everitt praised his team's fighting spirit after ending their Australasian tour with a hard-fought 33-23 win over the Reds in Brisbane.

Graeme College of Grahamstown well again host its excellent Graeme Day, this time on 14 March 2020.

Following a series of well-contested matches, the teams in the Mzwandile Mali Schools Rugby Tournament have been whittled down to the last seven title hopefuls.

The Eastern Cape’s top rugby schools will square off against a powerful group of opponents from outside its borders in a fascinating mix of fixtures in the Standard Bank Grey High Rugby Festival on 21 and 23 March 2020.

WATCH as we bring you all the Super Rugby Round Five highlights!

PREMIERSHIP REPORT: Bristol Bears resisted a second-half fightback from Bath to claim their first Premiership victory at the Rec in 14 years and go third in the league.

TOP 14 WRAP: Two Ben Botica penalties helped French Top 14 leaders Bordeaux-Begles to a 26-24 victory over Castres, for whom Rory Kockott missed a late conversion that would have tied an entertaining match.

DAY TWO WRAP: South Africa staged an incredible comeback to win the Los Angeles leg of the Sevens World Series.

SUPER RUGBY NEWS: Queensland Reds playmaker James O'Connor is facing an injury lay-off after rolling his ankle in a 10-point loss to the Sharks on Saturday.

DAY ONE WRAP: The BlitzBoks will face the USA in their quarterfinal at the Los Angeles Sevens on Sunday.

TRANSFER NEWS: Springbok star Duane Vermuelen will be heading back to Pretoria.

INJURY UPDATE: Dan Biggar joined Wales' already lengthy casualty list ahead of their Six Nations clash with England at Twickenham after the star flyhalf suffered a knee injury playing for Northampton.

MATCH REPORT: Sam Davies last-gasp penalty earned Dragons their first victory over Cheetahs in a narrow 13-10 win on Saturday.

MATCH REPORT: The Bulls' horrendous losing streak continues as they suffered a 24-39 defeat to the Jaguares at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

READERS' FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Premiership Round 12 encounter between Bath and Bristol Bears at the Recreation Ground.

MATCH REPORT: The Blues halted Stormers' unbeaten run with an outstanding 33-14  victory at Newlands on Saturday.

WRAP: Finn Russell handed out another taster of what Scotland are missing as he helped guide Racing 92 to a 49-0 thrashing of La Rochelle in Top 14 action on Saturday.

PREMIERSHIP REPORT: Wasps came from behind to seal a 36-26 bonus point win in an entertaining topsy turvy encounter with London Irish.

READERS' FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Pro14 Round 13 encounter between the Southern Kings and Connacht in Port Elizabeth.

MATCH REPORT: Northampton Saints lost their fourth successive Premiership Rugby match for the first time since April 2018 as they were defeated 21-27 by Saracens at Franklin’s Gardens.

SQUAD UPDATE: The Lions have confirmed that Vincent Tshituka will see a surgeon on Monday to determine the extent of his ankle injury.

READERS' FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Pro14 Round 13 encounter between the Dragons and Cheetahs at Rodney Parade.

MATCH REPORT: Munster's Gavin Coombes stepped off the bench to grab a late double that helped his side secure a 29-10 over Scarlets at the top of Conference B.

MATCH REPORT: Two second-half penalties from Johnny McPhillips saw Leicester Tigers record a 14-8 win over Worcester Warriors.

MATCH REPORT: Harlequins edged past Exeter Chiefs for a 34-30 thrilling win at Twickenham Stoop after a late penalty try secured a memorable triumph.

READERS' FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Premiership Round 12 encounter between Northampton Saints and Saracens at Franklin’s Gardens.

SUPER RUGBY REPORT: The Sharks ended their Australasian tour on a high when they beat the Reds 33-23 in Brisbane on Saturday.

REACTION: A mature playmaking effort from Waratahs youngster Will Harrison has drawn praise from his coach and a vastly more experienced opponent.

READERS' FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Super Rugby Round Five encounter between the Stormers and Blues at Newlands.

WATCH as Ireland coach Andy Farrell and captain Johnny Sexton fronts up to the media after a training session.

READERS' FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Super Rugby Round Five encounter between the Bulls and Jaguares at Loftus Versfeld.

INJURY UPDATE: The Lions have lost a player to injury after their first game on tour.

SUPER RUGBY: Wing Kobus van Wyk scored a hat-trick as the Hurricanes smashed the Sunwolves 62-15 in Napier on Saturday.

READERS' FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Super Rugby Round Five encounter between the Reds and Sharks in Brisbane.

SUPER RUGBY REPORT: The Waratahs recorded their first win of the season when they beat the Lions 29-17 in Parramatta.

PREMIERSHIP MATCH REPORT: Sale Sharks moved into second place on the standings, after winning a scrappy affair, beating Gloucester 23-17 at a muddy Kingsholm on Friday.

WORLD SERIES ROUND FIVE: The global circus returns to Los Angeles this weekend for two days of non-stop action.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Australia and Waratahs flank Michael Hooper revealed he has "no regrets" about his handling of the Israel Folau controversy last year.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: New Zealand Rugby's plans to radically change the landscape of the sport in the country has commenced.

TOP14, WEEK 17: Bordeaux-Begles' Australia back-row Scott Higginbotham says he has no complaints about the start of the season, with his club leading the French Top 14 table.

PRO14 MATCH REPORT: Young lock Ryan Baird and wing Dave Kearney enjoyed a magical game at the RDS with both scoring hat-tricks.

CODED MESSAGES: The build-up to Round Five has been dominated by off-field dramas - from possible code-hopping to games called off as a result of the Corona virus.

PRO14 MATCH REPORT: George Taylor's first-half try helped Edinburgh edge past Cardiff Blues and maintain their lead at the top of Conference B.

NEWS: Wallabies legend Drew Mitchell remembers clearly the moment he decided to hang up his boots.

SUPER RUGBY REPORT: The Melbourne Rebels produced their best performance of the season so far when they beat the Highlanders 28-22 in Dunedin on Friday.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: As Conference A gets a little bit tighter, three teams look to be detaching themselves in Conference B heading into Round 13.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Well passed the halfway mark in the 2019-20 season and again it is extraordinarily tight at the top with just eight points separating the teams in second and ninth as the race for the Premiership Rugby semi-finals heats up.

UPDATE: Australia will host two Super Rugby home games of the Sunwolves after they were relocated from Japan on Friday due to fears over the deadly coronavirus epidemic.

OPINION: After four rounds there is only one unbeaten team left in the tournament.

OPINION: The Six Nations returned from its bye week on Saturday with Round Three of the 2020 campaign, as teams at opposing ends of the table contested games of varying quality.

Two PRO14 matches in Italy have been postponed - Zebre vs Ospreys and Benetton vs Ulster. Northern Italy is concerned about the coronavirus which has caused deaths in the area.

SQUAD UPDATE: An ankle injury to Springbok Sevens forward Impi Visser has ruled him out of the Los Angeles Sevens in Carson this weekend and he will be replaced by the experienced Chris Dry.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: More than 140 years of provincial pride will once again take centre stage this August with the 2020 Mitre 10 Cup and Heartland Championship draws being announced by New Zealand Rugby.

READERS' FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Super Rugby Round Five encounter between the Waratahs and Lions in Parramatta, Western Sydney.

PRO14 SPOTLIGHT: Southern Kings coach Robbi Kempson is preparing to shake up his selection for Sunday's clash with Irish province Connacht in Port Elizabeth.

NEWS: Clayton McMillan has been appointed as interim head coach of the Chiefs for next year’s Super Rugby campaign.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: There are two changes in the tight five for the Stormers' encounter with the Blues at Newlands on Saturday.

READERS' FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Super Rugby Round Five encounter between the Highlanders and Rebels in Dunedin.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Sharks Sean Everitt has made a number of changes to his team for their Super Rugby Round Five encounter with the Reds.

NEWS: Harlequins can confirm that Toby Booth will leave the Club at the end of the 2019/20 season to become Head Coach at Ospreys.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Jaguares head coach Gonzalo Quesada has made a number of changes to his team to face the Bulls in Pretoria on Saturday

NEWS: Tonga is confirmed as the fourth opponent England will host at Twickenham during the 2020 November Internationals.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Sunwolves coach Naoya Okubo reached for the panic button after his team's humiliating 5-64 loss to the Reds last week.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: The Blues have opted for a very experienced midfield combination for their Super Rugby clash against the unbeaten Stormers.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: The Hurricanes have named their team to face the Sunwolves in Napier on Saturday.

UPDATE: The Brumbies' Super Rugby match against the Sunwolves scheduled for early next month in Osaka is set to be relocated due to the coronavirus.

BASEMENT BATTLE: Friday's two matches involve four desperate teams - all based between 10th and 15th on the standings.

REACTION: An explosive new report revealed exactly how the Israel Folau saga tore the Wallaby team apart.

WATCH how an early celebration leads to the most ridiculous finish to a match ever!

TRANSFER NEWS: Siale Piutau has signed a one-year contract extension at Bristol Bears, the club announced.

NEWS: Grand Slam-seeking France are up to fifth in the World Rugby Men's Rankings, their highest position for nearly six years, following their 27-23 win over Wales in Cardiff.

NEWS: The Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt Hancock has addressed the upcoming England fixture against Italy in the Six Nations amid fears of the spread of the coronavirus.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: New Zealand’s traditional post-World Cup exodus saw a number of experienced heads relocate off-shore at the end of 2019.

TRANSFER NEWS: Worcester Warriors’ United States international hooker Joe Taufete’e is to join French Top 14 club Lyon at the end of the current season.

NEWS: Former Toulon President Mourad Boudjellal has won his defamation case against EPCR.

TRANSFER NEWS: Fijian wing Timoci Nagusa has quit Montpellier, where he has been since 2010 and with whom he was under contract until June.

NEWS: The Coronavirus has claimed the first game of rugby.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Sharks are ready to test another aspect of their game-plan when they face the Reds in Brisbane on Saturday.

SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: England head coach Eddie Jones has recalled 25 players to his squad as they prepare for Six Nations match against Wales at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Tongan centre Nafi Tuitavake has been named in the Bulls starting line-up for the Super Rugby clash against the Jaguares on Saturday.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Queensland Reds coach Brad Thorn is backing the depth in his squad to deliver back-to-back wins.

SUPER RUGBY SPOTLIGHT: The in-form Sharks will provide the Reds with a litmus test at on Saturday.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: It took a simple gesture after a game in France to turn Springbok Uzair Cassiem from just another PRO14 Rugby import player into a fan favourite.

NEWS: Private equity investment group CVC is moving closer to completing a deal to acquire a 14 percent stake in the Six Nations, according to reports.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen has made a number of changes to his team for the opening match of their Australasian tour.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Waratahs coach Rob Penney has made a couple of changes to his winless team for their Super Rugby showdown with the Lions.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Melbourne have regained Wallabies playmaker Matt Toomua as they look to get their Super Rugby season back on track against the Highlanders in Dunedin on Friday.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Highlanders return to their home stadium to play the Melbourne Rebels with a side that has remained largely unchanged over the first three matches.

WATCH as the New Zealand panel analyse round four of Super Rugby and the Stormers' prospects.

SUPER RUGBY SPOTLIGHT: The Blues are far more menacing than their recent past suggest and their 2020 form means they are a real peril to the Stormers.

SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: France have chosen a 28-man training squad to prepare later this week for their Six Nations match away to Scotland.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Super Rugby matches involving the Tokyo-based Sunwolves are at risk of cancellation due to outbreak of the coronavirus in Japan.

SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: Ireland prop Cian Healy will miss the final two rounds of this season's Six Nations. 

Lance Sendin of Hoërskool Hugenote in Wellington returns to coach the SA Schools team in 2020 and Wessel du Plessis of Grey College in Bloemfontein is the new coach for the SA Schools A team.

NEWS: Australia and La Rochelle loose forward Lopeti Timani is due in court on charges stemming from an incident when he threw a bottle at a nightclub bouncer.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: It is not uncommon for the match officials to be on the receiving end of tirades from unhappy coaches, players and fans after a match, usually a loss.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Ireland's Six Nations rugby match with Italy in Dublin next month should be cancelled due to the coronavirus epidemic, the health minister said Tuesday.

NEWS: Springboks flank Albertus Smith could return to Super Rugby franchise the  Lions.

INJURY UPDATE: England are likely to be without Mako Vunipola for the next stage of their Six Nations title push, according to boss Eddie Jones.

TRANSFER NEWS: Ulster revealed that All Black scrumhalf Alby Mathewson has signed a one-year contract which will see him join the province in July 2020.

Born in 2008, the Tony Stoops Rugby Festival turns 13 this year. In 2008, eight teams took part. On the opening day, Saturday, 21 March 2020, there will be 36 teams in this flexible festival of fun.

INJURY UPDATE: The Chiefs have been dealt a double injury blow as two of their All Blacks are set for lengthy stints on the sideline.

INJURY UPDATE: The Bulls have one new injury concern after their narrow defeat against the Blues at Loftus Versfeld in Round Four of Super Rugby.

SUPER RUGBY REACTION: The Stormers' famed defence is set to face a stern examination when they host the Blues at Newlands on Saturday.

INJURY UPDATE: Wales' already wobbling campaign suffered another cruel blow on Tuesday.

SUPER RUGBY SPOTLIGHT: The Waratahs may be desperate to end their losing start to the season, but they are not about to copy the Lions blueprint and rush a number of veterans back into the team.

NEWS: All Black Ben Franks will retire from professional rugby at the end of the 2019/20 season, English Premiership club Northampton announced on Monday.

NEWS: The French rugby federation said Monday it had opened an investigation into allegations that racist insults were used during a third division match in which seven red cards were issued.

NEWS: All Blacks star Ardie Savea has revealed he wants to play in Australia's National Rugby League and would consider a switch to the 13-man game as soon as next year.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: The Hurricanes have refused to dwell on recent comments made by star loose forward Ardie Savea regarding a potential code switch to rugby league.

TRANSFER NEWS: Wales international Liam Williams will leave Saracence and join Scarlets with immediate effect.

OPINION: England head coach Eddie Jones was rewarded with a fairly emphatic display from his side in their 24-12 win over Ireland at Twickenham on Sunday.

OPINION: Les Bleus first away game was always going to be a major litmus test for Fabien Gathie’s young side. Ian Cameron rates the French players!

OPINION: As pointed out this week by Russ Petty on Twitter, the team that leads at half-time nearly always wins this fixture, and this game was all but over by the 40-minute mark.

OPINION: It was the third thrilling game for the neutral and a nailbiter for fans in a row between these two teams and, finally, France came out on top. Rhiannon Garth Jones rates the Welsh players!

SEVENS SPOTLIGHT: A new route to the USA, a change in format and a new venue for the fifth tournament of the World Rugby Sevens Series mean an extra day of preparation for the Springbok Sevens team.

REACTION: Pote Human is another coach questioning a referee's crucial decisions after the Bulls 21-23 defeat to the Blues on Saturday.

MATCH REPORT: Scarlets kept up the pace in the top three of Conference B with a36-17 won over an improved  Southern Kings.

MATCH REPORT: England ended Ireland's hopes of a Grand Slam in this season's Six Nations with a 24-12 win at Twickenham on Sunday.

One and Two were neck and neck, One a nose ahead but after Round 3's clash One has pulled into a clear lead in the Under-20 Six Nations for 2020. And One did it on Two's ground.

WATCH as we bring you highlights from all the main fixtures this past weekend.

In Round 3 of the Women's Six Nations, France thrashed Wales and England's continue to dominate but the sad news was the postponement of Italy's match against Scotland.

There were two shock results in the third round of Rugby Europe's International Championship, leaving Georgia out on their own at the top of the log.

NEWS: Both Pro14 fixtures set to take place in Italy this weekend have been postponed.

OPINION: Gregor Townsend’s men came into the Wooden Spoon decider knowing a win was a must. Ian Cameron rates the Scotland players!

WATCH as the Pro14 match between Connacht and Edinburgh descends into chaos as referee struggles to control brawling players.

WATCH as twitter explodes over the petulant behaviour of England captain Owen Farrell in his team's 24-12 win over Ireland in their Six Nations showdown at the weekend.

REACTION: Stormers head coach John Dobson has huge praise for his team's performance on Saturday.

REACTION: Wayne Pivac felt the big refereeing decisions went against Wales as France claimed a first Six Nations win in Cardiff for 10 years to stay on course for Grand Slam glory.

SPOTLIGHT: James O'Connor admits he wasn't ready to handle being Australia's flyhalf the last time he wore the No.10 jersey for the Wallabies but he is now.

MATCH REPORT: Cardiff Blues came back from being 19-7 down to secure a 34-24 victory against Benetton Rugby in the PRO14.

PREMIERSHIP REPORT: Exeter Chiefs ran in eight tries as they thumped Northampton Saints 57-7 at Sandy Park to stretch their lead at the top of the Premiership Rugby table.

SIX NATIONS REACTION: Andy Farrell said he should take a look at himself and whether Ireland's dream of the Grand Slam disappeared in a 12-24 defeat to England on Sunday.

INJURY UPDATE: France prop Cyril Baille announced on Sunday that he will miss the Grand Slam-chasing side's final two Six Nations matches with a right shoulder injury.

MATCH REPORT: The Reds recorded their first win of the season with a bonus-point 64-5 win over the Sunwolves on Saturday.

NEWS: Rugby Australia named former Wallaby Paul McLean as temporary chairman Monday, edging out his predecessor Cameron Clyne early amid tense talks on a new broadcast rights deal.

MATCH REPORT: Bristol Bears jumped into the top four at the half-way stage of the Premiership Rugby season after recording a 13-10 win over a resilient Worcester Warriors side at Ashton Gate.

WATCH as South Africa's Director of Rugby Rassie Erasmus produces another video classic.

SUPER RUGBY REPORT: Flyhalf Otere Black slotted a late penalty to earn the Blues a 23-21 win at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday.

READERS' FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Pro14 Round 12 encounter between Scarlets and the Southern Kings at in Llanelli.

SPOTLIGHT: Tom Vinicombe takes a look at the value Dane Coles brings to the All Blacks, even though he may sometimes cross the line.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: @rugby365com's acclaimed writer Paul Dobson takes a close look at a rugby man turned winemaker.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Rugby World Cup winner Cheslin Kolbe is fast becoming the most versatile player on the planet after his performance at flyhalf at the weekend.

PRO14 MATCH REPORT: Ulster cemented second place in Conference A with a scrappy 20-10 win over a willing Cheetahs team on Saturday.

READERS' FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Six Nations Round Three encounter between England and Ireland at Twickenham.

PRO14 MATCH REPORT: Hooker Grant Stewart bagged a brace to help Glasgow Warriors outgun Dragons in a bonus-point win at Scotstoun.

READERS' FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Premiership Round 11 encounter between Exeter Chiefs and Northampton Saints at Sandy Park.

SIX NATIONS MATCH REPORT: Scotland got their first win of the tournament on Saturday, with a 17-0 win over Italy in Rome.

PREMIERSHIP MATCH REPORT: Bath won their third game in a row to move into the top four, downing Harlequins 19-12 at the Rec.

SUPER RUGBY NEWS: South African referees have been labelled a 'joke' and the chief executives of the Australian franchises have called for an inquiry into refereeing.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Grinning ear-to-ear after orchestrating Queensland Reds' record Super Rugby haul, James O'Connor says he's finally made his mind up about where he wants to play.

SUPER RUGBY REPORT: The Stormers maintained their winning start to the season, but conceded their first points of the season at Newlands.

REACTION: England's Rugby Football Union has scaled back plans that would have slashed the budgets of second-tier clubs by 50 percent next season, after their initial proposals sparked a furious reaction.

SIX NATIONS REPORT: Romain Ntamack guided France to a thrilling 27-23 victory over Wales on Saturday to keep their hopes of a Grand Slam alive.

WATCH a very different take on the past weekend's Super Rugby action.

READERS' FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Pro14 Round 12 encounter between Ulster and the Cheetahs ast the Kingspan Stadium.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: England Test star Danny Cipriani revealed on Friday he once tried to buy a gun to kill himself in an emotional video posted on Instagram.

PREMIERSHIP REPORT: Ollie Hassell-Collins proved a one-man bonus-point, notching four tries as London Irish beat Gloucester.

PREMIERSHIP REPORT: Lee Blackett registered his first win as Wasps interim head coach with a stunning victory over Saracens, winning 60-10 at the Ricoh Arena.

READERS' FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Six Nations Round Three encounter between Wales and France in Cardiff.

READERS' FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Super Round Four encounter between the Bulls and Blues at Loftus Versfeld.

READERS' FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Six Nations Round Three encounter between Italy and Scotland in Rome.

PRO14 REPORT: Munster ran in three second-half tries to secure a comfortable 28-0 win over Zebre in Milan.

MATCH REPORT: There was certainly no aftermath of a mumps outbreak as Brumbies produced an outstanding 26-14 win over Chiefs in Hamilton.

READERS’ FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Super Round Four encounter between the Stormers and Jaguares at Newlands.

PREMIERSHIP REPORT: Marland Yarde’s hat-trick helped Sale to a 36-3 bonus-point win over Leicester to go second in the Premiership standings.

MATCH REPORT: The Sharks got back to winning ways with a 36-24 win over the Rebels on Saturday in Ballarat.

SPOTLIGHT: @rugby365com's law guru Paul Dobson looks at two incidents and reveals whether the referee got it wrong or right.

WATCH what has been described as a boxing match interspersed with some rugby after seven red cards were shown.

READERS’ FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Super Round Four encounter between the Chiefs and Brumbies in Hamilton.

READERS’ FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Super Round Four encounter between the Rebels and Sharks in Ballarat.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Elliot Daly has no qualms about returning to fullback when England face Grand Slam-chasing Ireland in a pivotal Six Nations clash at Twickenham on Sunday.

READERS’ FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Premiership Round 11 encounter between Wasps and Saracens at the Ricoh Arena.

SUPER RUGBY SPOTLIGHT: The Stormers will be out to suffocate the Jaguares when the two teams meet in their Super Rugby Round Four encounter at Newlands.

SIX NATIONS ROUND THREE: Ireland coach Andy Farrell once joked his son Owen never beat him at anything, even tiddlywinks.

CROSS-CONFERENCE RAIDS: Despite the significance of the BIG match at Newlands, the bulk of Saturday's encounters are between miles and continents apart.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Southern Kings No.8 Elrigh Louw will make a return when the side takes on Scarlets in a PRO14 Round 12 encounter at Parc y Scarlets in Llanelli on Sunday, February 23.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Former Ulsterman, Ruan Pienaar returns to Kingspan Stadium when he leads the Cheetahs onto the field.

PRO14 REPORT: Edinburgh stretched their lead at the top of the Pro14 Conference B after decisively defeating Connacht 41-14 at Murrayfield.

SIX NATIONS ROUND THREE: Franco Smith can smell blood as the new Italy coach prepares for this first home game in the Stadio Olimpico on Saturday against a weakened Scotland in the Six Nations.

PRO14 REPORT: There was Gnoll way through for the Ospreys in Neath on Friday as Leinster remained at the very top of Conference A with a record-breaking start of 12 wins from 12 after their 21-13 victory.

NEWS: All Blacks prop Tim Perry has called time on his career reportedly 'without any fanfare or fuss'.

SIX NATIONS ROUND THREE: Wales have opted for experience in their bid to derail Six Nations table-toppers France and stay alive in the tournament.

After Round 2, England and Ireland are locked at the top of the Women's Six Nations log, and on Saturday afternoon in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England and Ireland lock horns in a match to decide who is sole log leader.

On Saturday, 22 February 2020, the third round of Rugby Europe's National Championship takes place for the 18th time. Expectations are that Georgia will win it for the 12th time.

SUPER RUGBY SPOTLIGHT: Waratahs captain Rob Simmons insists his team will "stay connected" as they bid to recover from their worst ever start to a season.

SIX NATIONS REACTION: England coach Eddie Jones apologised to a reporter who he suggested could not tell half-Asians apart in a barbed answer to a question on Thursday.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Hot on the heels of Round 11 comes a weekend of matches that will take us past the mid-way point of the campaign, and matters are intensifying as the Final Series draws ever closer.

TRANSFER NEWS: Stade Francais have signed French fullback Alexis Palisson as cover for injured Springbok Ruan Combrinck until the end of the Top 14 season.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: After a short break  Premiership Rugby returned with aplomb last weekend – and the rip-roaring action looks set to continue with Round 11.

TEAM UPDATE: Ireland lock Iain Henderson has been ruled out of this weekend's Six Nations international against England because of family reasons.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: England coach Eddie Jones named his 23-man squad to play Ireland in the third round of the Six Nations at Twickenham Stadium on Sunday.

SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: Australian Sevens squad has been named with schoolboy prodigy Angus Bell and Stu Dunbar named in the touring squad for the Los Angeles leg of the Series.

SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: The Lions have named their 26-man squad for their four-week Australiasia tour.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Eddie Jones was forced to apologise after making a bizarre remark about racism that has invited renewed scrutiny of his England regime.

SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: All Blacks Sevens Co-Captain Tim Mikkelson will run out for his 90th tournament at next week’s Los Angeles Sevens, surpassing DJ Forbes as the most capped New Zealand Sevens player.

SUPER RUGBY REPORT: The Crusaders stretched their unbeaten home record to 33 matches when they dismissed an error-prone Highlanders team in Christchurch on Friday.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Stormers coach John Dobson has made four changes to his team for their Super Rugby Round Four encounter with the Jaguares at Newlands on Saturday.

Six Nations action is back in its four competitions which make for wonderful watching and  PRO14 and Super Rugby are also in full swing.

READERS’ FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Super Rugby Round Four encounter between Crusaders and Highlanders in Christchurch.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENTS: Wales have made two changes to their starting XV to face France in Cardiff on Saturday

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Italy coach Franco Smith has named an unchanged side to face Scotland in the Six Nations on Saturday in Rome.

Ireland and England have each won both their matches in the 2020 Under-20 Six Nations, but Ireland top the log because they have two bonus points to England's one. And Ireland and England meet in Round 3 and they do so in England.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Sharks head coach Sean Everitt has named his team to face the Melbourne Rebels on Saturday.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: A rejuvenated France have stormed to the top of the Six Nations table after impressive performances collectively and individually, none more so than the South African-born second-row pair of Bernard Le Roux and Paul Willemse.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Melbourne Rebels coach Dave Wessels has revealed his Round Four side to face the Sharks in Ballarat this Saturday.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Barnstorming centre Virimi Vakatawa has handed France a massive boost after being named in the team to play Wales in the Six Nations on Saturday.

SIX NATIONS SPOTLIGHT: Grand Slam-chasing France will go in search of their first Six Nations win in Cardiff for a decade with Welsh accusations they are "cheats" ringing in their ears.

SUPER RUGBY ROUND FOUR: The Crusaders have turned to the 'legends of the past' in their build-up to this southern derby.

WATCH  a clip from some insane trucks in games from the 1980s.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: The Sunwolves have made several changes to their starting XV for the Super Rugby clash against the Reds on Saturday.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Brumbies coach Dan McKellar has made three changes to the starting side ahead of their match against the Chiefs at FMG Stadium in Waikato on Saturday.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: The Jaguares made eight changes to their team for Saturday's crucial Round Four Super Rugby encounter with the Stormers.

YEAR-END NEWS: Wales will host three of the Southern Hemisphere's big guns in their November Tests.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Ireland coach Andy Farrell has named the matchday 23 to travel to London to take on England at Twickenham in a Six Nations crunch match on Sunday.

OPINION: The Stormers and the Chiefs are still unbeaten after three rounds of Super Rugby.

SUPER RUGBY SPOTLIGHT: Acclaimed @rugby365com writer Paul Dobson takes a look at the match-winning try at Ellis Park and what it meant for both the Lions and Stormers.

NEWS: New Zealander Vern Cotter is leaving his position as Montpellier's Director of Rugby three months early before starting his post as Fiji head coach, the French club announced on Wednesday.

SIX NATIONS SPOTLIGHT: Manu Tuilagi and fellow centre Henry Slade could figure in the England team to play Ireland.

WATCH as Sharks Chief Executive Officer Eduard Coetzee reveals the new family-friendly area in memory of the late legendary World Cup-winning Springbok James Small.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Head coach Gregor Townsend today named three changes to the starting Scotland team to face Italy at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome this Saturday.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: The winless Bulls have named a virtually unchanged team for their Super Rugby Round Four encounter with the Blues.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: The Queensland Reds have announced an unchanged starting XV for their first home match of 2020 against the Sunwolves at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday.

SQUAD UPDATE: The Sharks' flyhalf stocks will be a little thin over the next few weeks.

NEWS: The mysterious disease that struck down a number of Brumbies players and management members has been revealed.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Chiefs head coach Warren Gatland has made a raft of changes to his side named to face the Brumbies in Hamilton.

NEWS: Jordan Petaia will miss the rest of the Super Rugby season with scans confirming the Wallabies' centre will need surgery on his dislocated shoulder.

SUPER RUGBY SPOTLIGHT: The Lions are making the most of their early-season break, using this week's bye to reduce the crippling effect of travel fatigue.

SUPER RUGBY SPOTLIGHT: Stormers coach John Dobson is expecting an "epic" clash against the Jaguares at Newlands on Saturday.

SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: BlitzBok coach Neil Powell made three changes to his squad for the Los Angeles Sevens.

NEWS: England prop Mako Vunipola has been ruled out of Sunday's Six Nations clash with Ireland for family reasons.

NEWS: New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has announced an inaugural national club rugby competition, scheduled to kick off in May this year.

SUPER RUGBY SPOTLIGHT: The Brumbies face a monumental task against the Chiefs on Saturday, where they plan to break a hoodoo by unleashing a former star against the competition leaders.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: The Crusaders will play their first home game in Christchurch this Friday when they host the Highlanders.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: The Highlanders have retained most of last week’s team to play the Crusaders in Christchurch on Friday.

DISCIPLINARY UPDATE: Leicester Tigers captain Tom Youngs has been slapped with a ban for punching.

WATCH AS Former Ireland international Darren Cave joins Andy Goode and Jim Hamilton in the studio.

WATCH as we bring you all the highlights from Super Rugby's Round Three action!

PRO14 SPOTLIGHT: Springbok flank Arno Botha dreams of a recall to the national team, ahead the July Tests.

SUPER RUGBY SPOTLIGHT: The Sharks have some injury concerns but there is also some good news.

NEWS: Following discussions with the club last week, Wasps confirmed that Dai Young will be leaving his post as Director of Rugby.

NEWS: Wales have called Cardiff Blues back Hallam Amos into their Six Nations squad ahead of Saturday’s Round Three match at home to France.

NEWS: Coach Warren Gatland has revealed the British and Irish Lions are weighing up three potential opponents for a warm-up game before 2021’s tour to South Africa.

INJURY UPDATE: The Bulls received a timely boost, as they return from their bye to prepare for their Round Four encounter with the Blues on Saturday.

SUPER RUGBY SPOTLIGHT: The Brumbies are determined to end an almost six-year Super Rugby losing streak in New Zealand when they face the Chiefs on Saturday in Hamilton.

TRANSFER NEWS: New Zealand wing Ben Lam, currently playing for Super Rugby side Hurricanes, has signed for Top 14 club Bordeaux-Begles for the next two seasons, the French club announced Tuesday.

A referee has things he must do in applying the laws of the game. He must signal a score, stop play when the ball is dead, act on a score, act on a score and protect players from harm when he can. To help him he has a whistle, a set of signals and, higher up the refereeing ladder, he has help from others, such assistant referees, a TMO, a timekeeper and those who regulate the coming and going of players.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: The World Cup-winning Springboks added another fantastic award to their impressive list of recent accolades. 

SIX NATIONS SPOTLIGHT: @rugby365com law guru Paul Dobson looks at yet another contentious incident.

SUPER RUGBY NEWS: Highlanders wing Sio Tomkinson has been slapped with a three-week suspension for his hit on Tom Banks, but that will be of little comfort to the Brumbies.

WATCH as Andy Goode and Jim Hamilton analyse the Six Nations crunch encounter between Ireland and England.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Ruhan Nel's winning try against Lions might be proof that everything good is finally heading the Stormers' direction.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Scotland are optimistic that time away from the international scene will benefit Stuart Hogg before facing Italy in the Six Nations on Saturday following a difficult start to his time as Test captain.

SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: Andy Farrell has assembled a 36-strong Ireland squad to prepare for next Sunday’s Six Nations trip to England.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: World player of the year Pieter-Steph du Toit has given his support to a list of players’ principles that the International Rugby Players (IRP) insist must form the basis of any future tournaments.

SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: Two players including All Black Rieko Ioane have come off the injury list to join the 27-man Blues squad that is en route to South Africa.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Wales boss Wayne Pivac could be forced to abandon the union’s 60-cap selection rules due to the ongoing injury crisis at flyhalf.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: For professional rugby players, the constant pressure and strains of having to be the best can have dire consequences.

WATCH as Springbok captain Siya Kolisi delivers his speech after the Boks won the World Team of the Year award at the 2020 Laureus World Sports Awards.

SUPER RUGBY REACTION: Strap yourself in for blue-chip showdown that may well prove to be the conference decider.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Tom Vinicombe analyses the candidates in the race for New Zealand's next All Black flyhalf.

REACTION: Springbok World Cup winner Cheslin Kolbe said he was holding discussions with the South African Rugby Union to play at this year's Tokyo Olympics.

PRO14 REACTION: South Africa's two entries are simply not on par with the best that Europe has to offer.

WATCH as World Cup-winning Springbok Eben Etzebeth goes on a try-scoring run for his French club Toulon.

SPOTLIGHT: @rugby365com's law guru Paul Dobson looks at the vexed issue of uncontested scrums.

WATCH as World Cup-winning Springbok hooker Mbongeni Mbonambi speaks about his season-ending hamstring injury and subsequent surgery.

INJURY UPDATE: The Lions at least have something to celebrate following their 30-33 defeat to the Stormers at Ellis Park.

DISCIPLINARY UPDATE: Highlanders wing Sio Tomkinson has been charged with a dangerous tackle after escaping with a yellow card in his team's win over the Brumbies.

It is presumably the last time there will be a Schools Day at Newlands. Let's hope the schools provide again the exciting rugby that has been a feature of Schools Day, even though it is a sad farewell to glory.

REPORT: Wallaby Israel Folau, who was sacked last May by Rugby Australia over social media posts, scored on his Catalans Dragons debut in Saturday's 36-18 Super League win over Castleford.

SOCIAL MEDIA OUTRAGE: All Black hooker Dane Coles has earned the ire of Sharks fans for yet another cheap shot!

TOP 14 WRAP: An added-time try stopped South Africa's World Cup winner Cheslin Kolbe from marking his first career appearance at flyhalf with a win.

REACTION: Brumbies' young playmaker Noah Lolesio was forced into mistakes in a tough Super Rugby clash with the Highlanders, but he's being backed to learn from it.

TOP 14 WRAP: Semi Radradra scored two tries as Bordeaux-Begles shoved Lyon off the summit of the French premiers league with a 37-19 home victory on Saturday.

PREMIERSHIP REPORT: Two tries in two minutes ensured Bristol Bears fought back to secure a 20-14 victory against Northampton Saints at Franklin’s Gardens.

READERS’ FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Premiership Round 10 encounter between Northampton Saints and Bristol Bears at Franklin's Gardens.

OPINION: It was always going to take something rather significant to get Saracens out of the headlines this season, although few likely expected the prospect of South Africa joining the Six Nations to be the story that would finally do it.

PREMIERSHIP REPORT: Saracens returned to Premiership action with a four-try win over Sale Sharks at Allianz Park on Saturday.

SIX NATIONS SPOTLIGHT: Leigh Halfpenny hopes history will repeat itself this season as Wales look to win the title, despite a defeat at the hands of Ireland.

SUPER RUGBY SPOTLIGHT: A last-gasp try by centre Ruhan Nel helped the Stormers edge the Lions 33-30 in a thrilling encounter at Ellis Park on Saturday.

SIX NATIONS NEWS: Exeter Chiefs second row forward Sam Skinner and Glasgow Warriors back row forward Matt Fagerson were added to the Scotland squad.

PRO14 REPORT: Conference A leaders Leinster extended their unbeaten run in the Pro14 to 11 games after beating Cheetahs 36-12 in treacherous conditions at the RDS Arena.

PRO14 REPORT: Jack Carty produced a masterful performance to steer Connacht to a bonus-point 29-0 victory over Cardiff Blues in the Pro14.

SUPER RUGBY REPORT: James O'Connor shone, but frustrating losses has left Australian sides with zero wins against foreign outfits this season.

Hard as it may be to believe but there are no Test matches this weekend, not that there will not be lots of rugby to test referees in both wintry north and summery south.

PRO14 REPORT: Ospreys turned around a terrible run of recent form with a hard-fought and incredibly dramatic 26-24 win against second-placed Conference A rivals Ulster.

WATCH as Rassie Erasmus produces another pre-World Cup special.

PREMIERSHIP REPORT: Bath survived a late scare to secure a slender 22-21 victory over Worcester Warriors at Sixways Stadium, as Duncan Weir missed a conversion to win it for the hosts.

CONTRACT NEWS: Elliot Daly has followed the lead of England teammate Jamie George in committing his future to Saracens.

PREMIERSHIP REPORT: Curtis Rona scored two tries as London Irish claimed a comfortable 29-15 Premiership victory over Harlequins at The Stoop.

PREMIERSHIP REPORT: Second-half tries from Greg Bateman and Telusa Veainu were enough for Leicester Tigers to overcome Wasps 18-9 at Welford Road.

PRO14 REPORT: Edinburgh did the double over rivals Scarlets to return to the top of Conference B in the Pro14 courtesy of a 14-9 triumph in Llanelli.

SUPER RUGBY REPORT: Replacement Teariki Ben-Nicholas scored deep into additional time from the Highlanders to end the Brumbies' well-documented home run.

SUPER RUGBY REPORT: The Sharks winning start to the season came to an abrupt end at the Wellington Regional Stadium on Saturday.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: @rugby365com‘s law guru Paul Dobson takes a look at an incident during the match between Reds and the Lions.

READERS’ FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Pro14 Round 11 encounter between Ospreys and Ulster at the Liberty Stadium.

REACTION: After their worst ever start to a Super Rugby season, including a 10-24 loss to the Rebels, Waratahs captain Rob Simmons admits his team is in deep a hole.

SUPER RUGBY REPORT: The Chiefs ended the Sunwolves' chances of a dream start to their last season in the competition.

REACTION: Mako Vunipola has insisted he has no regrets over the joint business ventures that helped pave the way for disgraced title-holders Saracens' relegation from the English Premiership.

SPOTLIGHT: Wallaby discard Israel Folau said he had thought about retiring after he was sacked last May by Rugby Australia.

READERS’ FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Premiership Round 10 encounter between Saracens and Sale Sharks at Allianz Park.

MATCH REPORT: Stuart Hogg scored on his return to Exeter colours as the visitors weathered the first-half storm to beat Gloucester 26-15 at Kingsholm.

MATCH REPORT: Glasgow Warriors boosted their hopes of reaching the PRO14 quarter-finals with an eight-try 56-24 victory over Zebre at Scotstoun Stadium.

READERS’ FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Pro14 Round 11 encounter between Leinster and the Cheetahs in Dublin.

TRANSFER NEWS: Saracens have announced the signing of Fijian Eroni Mawi.

READERS’ FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Super Rugby Round Three encounter between the Lions and Stormers in Johannesburg.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Maro Itoje has said it felt like an "invasion of privacy" after he unexpectedly found himself at the centre of the Saracens' salary cap scandal.

SUPER RUGBY REPORT: The Crusaders bounced back from last week's loss to the Chiefs to demolish the Chiefs in an entertaining encounter in Auckland on Friday.

READERS’ FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Super Rugby Round Three encounter between the Brumbies and Highlanders in Canberra.

SUPER RUGBY REPORT: The Rebels won their first game of 2020, when they beat the Waratahs 24-10 in a drab encounter in Melbourne on Friday.

NEWS: Rugby Australia tabled their "whole of rugby" media rights package.

READERS’ FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Super Rugby Round Three encounter between the Hurricanes and Sharks in Wellington.

READERS’ FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Premiership Round 10 encounter between Gloucester and Exeter Chiefs Kingsholm.

MATCH REPORT: Munster claimed a commanding 68-3 PRO14 bonus-point victory as they thrashed Southern Kings at Irish Independent Park.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: @rugby365com's law guru Paul Dobson takes a look at a contentious incident during the match between Stormers and Bulls.

READERS’ FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Pro14 Round 11 encounter between Munster and Southern Kings in Cork.

BACK WITH A VENGEANCE: After intense SIx ANtions matches, Premiership Rugby rushes back onto the screen in style.

UNBEATEN: All five teams that remain unbeaten will be in action on Saturday - a day that could see some significant movement on the standings.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Jaguares head coach Gonzalo Quesada has made five changes to his starting team for their clash against the Reds in Buenos Aires on Saturday.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: It’s been a while, but after the excitement of the second weekend of Six Nations it’s time for the Pro14 to return to centre-stage once again.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: The Reds have made five changes to their starting XV for Saturday's Round Three Super Rugby encounter with the Jaguares in Buenos Aires.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: There are four changes to the Stormers starting line-up to take on the Lions in Johannesburg on Saturday.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Lions coach Ivan van Rooyen has produced a midfield surprise ahead of the Super Rugby Round Three encounter with the Stormers.

SQUAD UPDATE: Anthony Watson may miss the whole of the Six Nations after England coach Eddie Jones ruled him out of next week's third-round match at home to Ireland.

READERS’ FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Super Rugby Round Three encounter between the Blues and Crusaders in Auckland.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: There is one change to the Sharks side that takes on the Hurricanes in a Super Rugby Round Three encounter on Saturday.

PREMIERSHIP NEWS: Jamie George has become the first England player to commit his future to Saracens despite the disgraced Premiership and European champions imminent relegation to the Championship.

TRANSFER NEWS: A Springbok prop will be off to England at the end of the current Super Rugby season.

NEWS: After being dramatically relieved of first-team duties earlier in the week, Wasps Director of Rugby Dai Young could be in line for a shock return to Wales with a potential switch to the Ospreys.

TOP 14, WEEK 15: Finn Russell's Racing 92 host champions Toulouse as France's Top 14 returns this weekend, with the flyhalf continuing his Six Nations exile.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Ireland's 24-14 win over defending Six Nations champions Wales made sure they climb one spot to fourth place.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Dane Coles has been named in the 23-man squad set to take on the Sharks in Wellington on Saturday.

NEWS: World Rugby, the Hong Kong Rugby Union and Sport Singapore have taken the decision to reschedule the Hong Kong and Singapore rounds of the World Sevens Series.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Kurtley Beale rates NSW Waratahs teammate Will Harrison is a special player but knows better than anyone the pressure associated with steering the side around the park at a young age.

DERBY DAY: This week we open with two intriguing domestic derbies - one in New Zealand and the other across the Tasman Sea in Australia.

WATCH as All Black coach Ian Foster fronts up to answer fans' questions in a new segment on The Breakdown!

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: The Sunwolves have made two changes to their team for their Round Three encounter with the Chiefs on Saturday.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: The Chiefs have ventured overseas this week and have travelled to Tokyo to face the Sunwolves at Prince Chichibu Memorial Stadium on Saturday.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: The Highlanders have revealed their team to take on the in-form Brumbies at fortress Canberra on Saturday.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Brumbies coach Dan McKellar has made three changes to the starting XV ahead of their showdown with the Highlanders in Canberra on Saturday.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Despite their rocky start, Lions fullback Andries Coetzee is confident that his side has the prowess to end Stormers' pristine run on Saturday at Ellis Park.

OPINION: It was a weekend of surprises - the Chiefs, Sharks and Hurricanes all coming away with important wins.

OPINION: The second weekend of the 2020 Six Nations offered a mixed bag of performances.

SQUAD UPDATE: Three big names are expected to return for unbeaten France's Six Nations trip to Wales two weeks' time, the French Rugby Federation announced on Tuesday.

TRANSFER NEWS: Destructive USA international and former NFL star Paul Lasike has committed his future to Harlequins.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Cheetahs captain Ruan Pienaar knows all too well how tough it will be to try and beat runaway PRO14 Rugby log leaders Leinster in their own back yard.

SUPER RUGBY SPOTLIGHT: Sharks head coach Sean Everitt believes Aphelele Fassi has become a more balanced player in 2020.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: The Crusaders are on the road again this week and will travel to Auckland head of their Friday match against the Blues at Eden Park.

OPINION: France were on a hiding to nothing in this match against a heavily unfancied if developing Italian outfit in Paris.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Blues head coach Leon MacDonald has named his team to face the Crusaders at Eden Park on Friday.

NEWS: The Hong Kong Sevens is set to be postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Waratahs coach Rob Penney has made several changes to his Round Two side for their clash against the Melbourne Rebels in Melbourne.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: An estimated 200 players face being unemployed after the Rugby Football Union (RFU) stunned second-tier Championship clubs by informing them they were slashing their budgets by 50 percent next season.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Ryan Louwrens will get his chance to audition for the Melbourne Rebels starting scrumhalf role in their crunch Super Rugby clash against the Waratahs on Friday.

SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: Henry Slade has been called up by England for the first time in the 2020 Six Nations as he steps up his recovery from an ankle problem.

INJURY UPDATE: Wales flyhalf Owen Williams has been ruled out of the rest of the Six Nations with a hamstring injury, the Welsh Rugby Union announced on Tuesday.

NEWS: Wasps boss Dai Young has been relieved of his duties ahead of the club’s weekend Premiership derby with midlands rivals Leicester – but hasn’t officially left the club.

SUPER RUGBY SPOTLIGHT: Frustrated Brumbies chief executive Phil Thomson says the players are doing their part as the franchise desperately searches for ways to bring back Super Rugby crowds.

INJURY UPDATE: The Bulls' campaign just took another blow with two players joining the ever-growing injury list.

INJURY UPDATE: In less than three weeks, the Stormers' on-field celebrations have turned into off-field headaches.

After the close Round 1 results, those of Round 2 are the opposite - clear-cut wins by big margins. The smallest winning margin was 19 points. In fact the average difference between victory and defeat was 32 points!

NEWS: World Rugby has unveiled details of the inaugural Sevens Challenger Series event for women, which will take place at the Danie Craven Stadium in Stellenbosch, South Africa on March 28-29. 

SUPER RUGBY SPOTLIGHT: Chiefs head coach Warren Gatland has given a rare insight into his half-time team talks after the Hamilton franchise completed their second successive second-half comeback against the Crusaders.

TRANSFER NEWS: Highly-rated Argentina prop Enrique Pieretto signed for Glasgow Warriors on Tuesday, just the sort of "abrasive" scrummager incoming coach Danny Wilson said the team required.

SIX NATIONS REACTION: Scotland coach Gregor Townsend believes Finn Russell has shown he is unwilling to "align himself" with the standards expected of players in his squad.

After the first two rounds of the Under-20 Six Nations this year, Ireland, with two bonus-point wins, top the log, while Wales languish at the bottom.

OPINION: England head coach Eddie Jones rang the changes following his side’s demoralising loss to France in their tournament opener and it paid off as they emerged 13-6 winners at Murrayfield against Scotland.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Eddie Jones has cautioned the Six Nations against expanding the Northern hemisphere tournament.

SIX NATIONS UPDATE: France wing Vincent Rattez has announced he suffered a fracture of his fibula in the 35-22 victory over Italy on the weekend.

INJURY UPDATE: Springboks wing Sibusiso Nkosi has been ruled of Sharks' Australasia tour with a hamstring injury.

OPINION: Dreadful conditions killed this game as a spectacle and it was a hard day to be judged, but yet that is what we must do.

REACTION: New All Black coach Ian Foster is more than pleased with the current relationship between the All Blacks and Super Rugby franchises, but there is to be a review of the player resting policy.

SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: Southern Kings will travel with a 27-man squad on Monday for a PRO14 two-week tour.

South African Rugby's Director of Rugby took to his newly created Twitter account to publish a frank discussion with players about what it means to be a Springbok.

REACTION: South Africa's Director of Rugby has vehemently denied weekend rumours that he is in talks to join the England coaching set-up.

INJURY UPDATE: The Lions' hopes of bolstering their team with a seasoned Springbok has been dealt a cruel blow.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Paul Willemse has warned France to cut out the indiscipline to stay in the hunt for a first Six Nations title in 10 years.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Italy lock Dean Budd said his side are targeting the visit of Scotland in two weeks' time to end their record winless streak of 24 straight Six Nations matches.

SUPER RUGBY SPOTLIGHT: Melbourne's Test centre Reece Hodge is putting his hand up to help lead the Rebels out of their Super Rugby early-season slump, starting with the NSW Waratahs.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Sean Maitland believes Finn Russell will be welcomed back into the Scotland fold if he can find a way to work out his differences with coach Gregor Townsend.

SIX NATIONS UPDATE: Scotland will be without Jonny Gray for the rest of the championship.

After two rounds of Rugby Europe's International Championship, Georgia and Portugal remain unbeaten while Belgium have done themselves a huge favour en route to avoiding relegation with a big win over Russia.

NEWS: The Springboks could join an expanded Six Nations tournament in 2024.

SUPER RUGBY REACTION: Failing to score a try in their first two games of the season is a massive concern for the Bulls' coaching team.

SIX NATION REACTION: Scotland star Finn Russell has blamed a breakdown in relations over "a long time" with national coach Gregor Townsend for his ongoing exile from international Rugby Union.

SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: Ireland head coach Andy Farrell has released 13 players from his Six Nations squad as attention turns to the trip to face England in Twickenham on February 23.

NEWS: Legendary Wallaby David Campese has today re-joined Australian Rugby in the newly formed role of Rugby Ambassador.

OPINION: Wayne Pivac described this game as the toughest of his coaching career and it was certainly much more challenging than last week’s assignment against Italy.

SIX NATIONS REPORT: France staved off a comeback to beat Italy 35-22 on Sunday and secure their second win from two matches in this year's Six Nations in strong winds caused by Storm Ciara.

OPINION: Following Ireland's 24-14 win over Wales, we can more properly judge the baby steps of this new Andy Farrell era in charge of Ireland.

SUPER RUGBY REACTION: Stormers head coach John Dobson knows that his team could have put up a bigger score the Bulls if they played to their full potential on Saturday.

SIX NATIONS REACTION: Eddie Jones accused spectators at Murrayfield of lacking "manners" after England captain Owen Farrell was booed during a hard-fought 13-6 win over Scotland.

SIX NATIONS REACTION: Gregor Townsend came to the defence of Stuart Hogg after the Scotland captain's second costly error in as many games helped prove decisive in a 6-13 Calcutta Cup loss to England

WATCH as we bring the highlights from the past weekend's main matches - Six Nations and Super Rugby!

SUPER RUGBY REPORT: The Hurricanes produced a fantastic come-from-behind effort to beat the Jaguares 26-23 in a pulsating encounter in Buenos Aires.

READERS’ FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Six Nations Round Two encounter between France and Italy in Paris.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Top-tier professional players heading abroad is one of the main challenges facing South African Rugby.

SIX NATIONS REPORT: England got their Six Nations campaign back on track with a 13-6 win over Scotland at a rainswept and windy Murrayfield on Saturday that saw them regain the Calcutta Cup.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: A photograph snapped in Murrayfield of World Cup-winning Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus has set the England coaching job rumour mill alight.

MATCH REPORT: The Lions bounced back from a horrendous Super Rugby opener with a hard-fought 27-20 win over the Reds.

SUPER RUGBY REPORT: Wing Mark Telea scored a hat-trick as the Blues beat the Waratahs 32-12 in Newcastle on Saturday.

SUPER RUGBY REACTION: Lions head coach Ivan van Rooyen knows that his team will have their work cut out for them ahead of their clash against the Stormers.

SIX NATIONS ROUND TWO: France head coach Fabien Galthie said he was looking for 'consistency' in the next stage of his youthful side's development as they host Italy in the Six Nations on Sunday.

SUPER RUGBY REPORT: The Chiefs produced a strong second-half performance to upset defending champions the Crusaders 25-15 in their Super Rugby Round Two clash in Hamilton on Saturday.

NEWS: European Champions Cup holders Saracens were on Friday fined 50 000 euros ($54,732) but escaped a ban for fielding an ineligible player in a pool-stage win against Racing 92.

READERS’ FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Super Rugby Round Two encounter between the Stormers and Bulls in Cape Town.

MATCH REPORT: Stormers made it two wins from two matches this season with a 13-0 victory against the Bulls at Newlands on Saturday.

READERS’ FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Six Nations Round Two encounter between Ireland and Wales in Dublin.

SIX NATIONS REPORT: Ireland kept their hopes alive of a second Six Nations Grand Slam in three years while ending Wales' hopes of a repeat with a deserved 24-14 win at Lansdowne Road on Saturday.

READERS’ FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Six Nations Round Two encounter between Scotland and England Edinburgh.

READERS’ FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Super Rugby Round Two encounter between the Lions and Reds in Johannesburg.

SIX NATIONS SPOTLIGHT: Christiaan Stander has hit out at the anonymous keyboard warriors who launched personal attacks on his family via social media.

WATCH as World Cup-winning Springbok captain Siyamthanda Kolisi speaks about the injury that will sideline him for two months.

OPINION: Tom Vinicombe rates the teams after the opening weekend of Super Rugby.

SPOTLIGHT: @rugby365com's law guru Paul Dobson again tackles the most contentious decisions of the past week.

SUPER RUGBY REPORT: The Sharks got their Australasian tour off to a fantastic start with a convincing 42-20 win over the Highlanders in Dunedin on Friday.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: Leezil Hendricks delves into the murky world that is performance enhancing substances in South African rugby.

READERS’ FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Super Rugby Round Two encounter between the Waratahs and Blues in Newcastle.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Italy's South African coach Franco Smith made just one change to his starting line-up to face France, after last weekend's humiliating 0-42 Six Nations loss at Wales.

READERS’ FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Super Rugby Round Two encounter between the Chiefs and Crusaders in Hamilton.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: French coach Fabien Galthié has made one enforced change to his team for their Six Nations Round Two encounter with Italy.

BIG NORTH-SOUTH DERBY: The Sunwolves' stay at the top of the Australian conference will be brief, but there are other very delectable games to look forward to.

SIX NATIONS SPOTLIGHT: Scotland captain Stuart Hogg wants his side to follow their 2018 example by "turning over" arch-rivals England at Murrayfield on Saturday.

CHAMPIONS CUP NEWS: Saracens’ crisis season continues to limp from one staggering twist to the next.

SIX NATIONS SPOTLIGHT: Scotland coach Gregor Townsend has told Finn Russell he will not consider bringing the shamed star back into the fold until after this weekend's Six Nations clash with England.

NEWS: Wing sensation Sevu Reece signed a contract extension Friday that will keep him with the All Blacks and Super Rugby's Crusaders until 2022, New Zealand Rugby said.

SUPER RUGBY REPORT: The Brumbies have won 10 straight games at home after dispatching the Melbourne Rebels in an Australian Super Rugby derby on Friday.

INJURY UPDATE: France have lost in-form centre Virimi Vakatawa and back Kylan Hamdaoui for the Six Nations match against Italy on Sunday due to injuries, the team announced.

SIX NATIONS SPOTLIGHT: Ireland will be able to adapt to conditions if Storm Ciara hits Dublin during their Six Nations clash with Grand Slam holders Wales on Saturday.

READERS’ FORUM: Welcome to our coverage of the Super Rugby Round Two encounter between the Highlanders and Sharks in Dunedin.

SIX NATIONS ROUND TWO: Ireland scrumhalf Conor Murray and Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar will be battling for their jobs on Saturday, one on the field against Wales and the other at the polls in a general election.

NEWS: Newcastle will host its first-ever Rugby Championship later this year, with the Wallabies to play Argentina at McDonald Jones Stadium on September 5.

SIX NATIONS SPOTLIGHT: Ireland captain Johnny Sexton mounted a strong defence of his long-time halfback partner Conor Murray on Thursday.

SIX NATIONS ROUND TWO: Passion is guaranteed when Scotland play England but it may take more than raw emotion to secure a win in the latest edition of rugby union's oldest international match.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: The Bulls received a timely boost ahead of their Super Rugby trip to Cape Town.

Lance Nel, who came from Port Elizabeth to Stellenbosch and was something of a boy wonder, has died.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: England coach Eddie Jones has made a number of significant changes to his team to play Scotland in the second round of the Six Nations.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Magnus Bradbury is the only change Scotland’s starting line-up for this Saturday’s Six Nations Test against England at Murrayfield.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Springbok Andries Coetzee makes a return to the Lions team for their first Super Rugby game at Ellis Park against the Reds on Saturday.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Wales have made only one change to their starting XV to face Ireland this weekend.

NEWS: Jacob Stockdale, the 2018 Six Nations player of the tournament, has revealed what the future holds for him.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Reds coach Brad Thorn has made four changes to the starting XV for Saturday's Super Rugby Round Two match against the Lions in Johannesburg.

SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT: Injured lock Sintu Manjezi has recovered from his shoulder injury and will return in time for the Cheetahs crucial tour of Ireland and Wales which starts next week.

ROAD TRIP: The Sharks start their four-match tour of Australasia against tournament latecomers the Highlanders on Friday in a game that will answer many questions.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Former NRL forward Tepai Moeroa is poised to make his Super Rugby debut off the bench for the Waratahs in Saturday’s home game against the Blues in Newcastle.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Two major changes have been made to the Hurricanes starting line-up set to take on the Jaguares in Buenos Aires this weekend.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Stormers coach John Dobson has been forced to make a couple of changes to his team for the big north-south Super Rugby derby.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Crusaders head coach Scott Robertson has named his side for the highly-anticipated Round Two clash against the Chiefs in Hamilton.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: The Blues have named a largely unchanged team to head across the Tasman to take on the Waratahs in Newcastle on Saturday in Round Two of Super Rugby.

TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT: Chiefs head coach Warren Gatland has named his side to challenge the defending champions the Crusaders in Hamilton on Saturday.

SQUAD UPDATE: Uncapped forwards Dewi Lake and Taine Basham have been called into Wales’  Six Nations squad ahead of Saturday’s match against Ireland.