MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Bernard Foley has been recalled for his first test since the 2019 Rugby World Cup in one of eight changes to Australia’s starting lineup for the opening Bledisloe Cup match against New Zealand.
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Fiji is back on top of the world in rugby sevens.
For New Zealand, it was double despair on the final day of the Rugby World Cup Sevens on Sunday.
Fiji beat New Zealand 29-12 to claim the men's title in Cape Town, a third World Cup crown for the flying Fijians but their first since 2005.
PARIS (AP) — A cardiac problem that jeopardises Virimi Vakatawa's health when playing elite rugby has forced the France center to end his career.
A day after Vakatawa's club Racing 92 said medical officials were banning him from playing in France, club doctor Sylvain Blanchard told a news conference on Tuesday that a heart defect was evolving and first diagnosed before the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — During the period that New Zealand rugby fans may remember as the dark days of 2022, head coach Ian Foster’s was a voice crying in the wilderness as he insisted the All Blacks still could win the Rugby Championship.
ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — Australia scored a try in the second minute and withstood a series of South African challenges to beat the World Cup-champion Springboks 25-17 in a Rugby Championship match on Saturday.
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) — Winger Emiliano Boffelli kicked six penalties and the conversion of a try to Juan Martin Gonzalez to propel Argentina to a momentous 25-18 win over New Zealand in a Rugby Championship test on Saturday.
ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — South Africa head coach Jacques Nienaber is under no illusions as his World Cup-champion Springboks attempt to win their first rugby match in Australia in nine years.
Coming off a 35-23 home loss to New Zealand two weeks ago, the Springboks will have a chance to make amends in Saturday’s Rugby Championship afternoon match at Adelaide Oval.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The Rugby Championship test between New Zealand and Argentina at Christchurch on Saturday is supposed to be a “new dawn” for the All Blacks.
Fans know this because New Zealand Rugby told them so.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Southern Hemisphere rugby will be put on show and possibly on trial in the Rugby Championship which begins Saturday with a match between the World Cup-winning Springboks and defending champions New Zealand.
DUBLIN (AP) — With his stock high after masterminding a series win in New Zealand, Andy Farrell signed a contract extension as Ireland rugby coach on Friday that ties him to the position until 2025.
KAWANA WATERS, Australia (AP) — Tonga has advanced to next year's Rugby World Cup in France after a 44-22 win over Hong Kong in the final of an Asia Pacific qualifying tournament on Saturday.
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — The 19th team in the 20-team Rugby World Cup in France next year is set to be determined Saturday on what is expected to be a mud-splattered pitch in a 10,000-seat stadium north of Brisbane.
SYDNEY (AP) — Rugby Australia has denounced the behavior of a fan who verbally abused visiting coach Eddie Jones and imposed a life ban on a man who climbed onto the roof of a grandstand during England’s series-deciding win over Australia in Sydney on the weekend.
French senators said the chaos outside the national stadium that marred the Champions League soccer final was due to a series of mistakes by police and officials — and not the actions of previously blamed Liverpool fans — with “malfunction at every stage” before, during and after the game.
South Africa coach Jacques Nienaber denied it's a gamble and Wales captain Dan Biggar said “there's nothing in it.”
But almost everywhere else, Nienaber's decision to change 19 of his 23 players and rest 14 Rugby World Cup winners for the second test on Saturday with a series still to play for has provoked strong reaction.
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Italy won in Romania for the first time in 31 years when it beat the Oaks 45-13 at Arcul de Triumf on Friday.
Romania, confirmed this week in the 2023 Rugby World Cup, started strong and led 6-5.
DUBLIN (AP) — Spain's appeal to requalify for the Rugby World Cup next year was thrown out on Monday.
World Rugby said an independent appeal committee upheld the decision in April to disqualify Spain for fielding an ineligible player in two qualifying matches.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Former Wallabies and All Blacks coach Robbie Deans believes the Rugby World Cup in France next year will be the best ever.
There'll be more teams capable of winning the title than at any previous tournament, he said, adding that the standard of rugby being played around the World is higher and more teams are competitive now than ever before.
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — The excitement level Down Under of having two Rugby World Cup tournaments tossed their way — the men in 2027 and the women two years later — was sort of lost on Wallabies captain Michael Hooper.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Michael Leitch led Japan to key victories at the last two rugby World Cups. The next World Cup is in 2023 in France, and Leitch has a message: Don't overlook Japan.
In 2015, Japan defeated South Africa in the English seaside town of Brighton, which lives on as the “Brighton Miracle." In 2019, its group-stage wins over Ireland and Scotland carried it to the quarterfinals and brought rugby into the daylight in Japan.
PARIS (AP) — France rugby coach Fabien Galthié is set to sign a contract extension to keep him in his role through the 2027 World Cup.
Galthié led the French to their first Six Nations title in 12 years after completing the Grand Slam with a 25-13 win over England on Saturday.
The Six Nations panned out as most observers predicted.
France was first, Ireland second, followed by England, Scotland, Wales, then Italy.
Yet, on the final day on Saturday, Ireland led the championship for about three hours, England and Scotland were in danger of dropping in the standings, and Wales could have finished third.
LONDON (AP) — Eddie Jones has urged England to “have some faith” in his ability to lead the team to a successful Rugby World Cup next year despite presiding over another failed Six Nations campaign.
PARIS (AP) — The French rugby renaissance has reached the next stage: Les Tricolores are the kings of Europe once again.
France won the Six Nations for the first time in 12 years after beating England 25-13 to complete the Grand Slam on Saturday.
For all of Ireland's resurgence under coach Andy Farrell, one significant milestone continues to elude them.
That is going to another major team's turf, defying the hostile crowd and beating them.
Even during the year he was considered the world's best rugby player, Jonathan Sexton endured talk about finding his replacement.
Sexton's eternal class for more than a decade allied to increasing aches and pains as he's aged have made unearthing his flyhalf successor the longest-running saga in Irish rugby.
So much is on the line for England and Wales in their Six Nations showdown at Twickenham on Saturday.
Lose and Wales can surely forget about successfully defending its title.
For England, the ramifications of a defeat are worse.
England is the highest ranked and most well-resourced rugby team in Europe.
Ireland is on an eight-test winning run including knocking over the All Blacks.
France also has a recent victory over New Zealand and is improving quicker than any test nation ahead of hosting next year’s Rugby World Cup.
LONDON (AP) — The Rugby World Cup appears set to be heading back to Australia for 2027, leaving the United States as the front-runner to host the event in 2031.
Australia was awarded “preferred candidate” status by World Rugby, the sport’s governing body, on Wednesday.