Alex Waller has put pen to paper on a deal to see the loosehead prop remain at Northampton Saints. The tenth most-capped player in Saints’ history and the Club’s record appearance holder in the professional era, Waller has made 349 appearances in Black, Green and Gold and scored 25 tries to date. The Kettering-born prop graduated from Saints’ Academy to make his senior debut in 2009 and despite already writing his named into Northampton’s history books after scoring an extra-time try to seal Saints’ first-ever Premiership title in 2014, Waller is looking forward to adding to his 14 s ..read more

After a big win against the Blues at Eden Park in Round 4 last weekend, the team are riding high and ready to take on the currently unbeaten Brumbies.    Dallas McLeod gets the nod in the midfield after a Man-of-the-Match performance in Auckland. Nine carries, nine defenders beaten and 18 tackles, and some quick footwork to set up scoring opportunities – McLeod is in great form as we climb into the season proper.    “Dallas’ performance was something he was proud of, as were we,” said Crusaders Head Coach Scott Robertson, fresh off his announcement as All Blacks Head Coach ..read more

Scott Robertson will become the All Blacks Head Coach from 2024. The 48-year-old father of three was appointed following a robust interview process and will announce further key appointments to his coaching and management team in coming months before officially taking up his new role following the conclusion of the 2023 Rugby World Cup.  Robertson has been appointed for four years from 2024 through to the end of the 2027 Rugby World Cup and will succeed current All Blacks Head Coach Ian Foster, who will lead the All Blacks through the conclusion of the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France. Rob ..read more

The Crusaders have named their squad to take on the Blues this Saturday, 18 March, at Eden Park.    Round Four of Super Rugby Pacific 2023 brings up a rematch of the 2022 final, when Crusaders took out their sixth title beating the Blues 21-7 at home. Always a great Kiwi derby, both teams are set to front a strong pack in Auckland.    On debut is Pepesana Patafilo, set to make an impact off the bench. On his selection, Patafilo said he was “surprised and excited”.    Previously with the Hurricanes, Patafilo made the move south late last year and said the “attenti ..read more

Queensland Rugby Union and Rugby Australia are delighted to announce backrower Fraser McReight has re-signed with Queensland and Australian Rugby through 2025. The 24-year-old debuted for the Reds in 2019 and is closing in on his 50th cap for his state, captaining Queensland for the first time last season. McReight made his first appearance in the green and gold in 2020 and has already played 10 games for his country, with the two-year deal keeping him in Australian Rugby for the 2025 British and Irish Lions Tour. McReight said: “I love playing for Queensland, it’s my home, so I’m super excit ..read more

All Blacks prop Tyrel Lomax has re-committed to New Zealand Rugby (NZR) until the end of 2026. The extension will also see the 26-year-old continue to be aligned with the Hurricanes in DHL Super Rugby Pacific and the Tasman Mako in the Bunnings Warehouse NPC.  “My family and I are very happy to have re-signed with Tasman, the Hurricanes and NZR – three outfits I feel very privileged to represent,” Lomax said. The 23-Test tighthead prop was one of the All Blacks’ top performers in 2022 and has proudly represented the Māori All Blacks on eight occasions.  “Tyrel represents himsel ..read more

Tom O’Toole is delivering an impressive body of work in this year’s Guinness Six Nations Championships but his journey to this point has included a good degree of patience, trust and faith in his ability. Tom made his Ulster debut at that age of 19 against Edinburgh in April 2018 and the following season he would make his Champions Cup debut off the bench against the Scarlets. As a raw tight-head prop he was making steady progress pre COVID and had made 51 appearances for Ulster including 16 starts before he was called in the national squad in January 2021 on a learning brief. O’Toole enter ..read more

As the 14 players present at the Springbok training camp in Cape Town in the last three weeks wrapped up their activities in Stellenbosch on Friday, Springbok coach Jacques Nienaber announced that he would host alignment sessions over two days with another eight players in Cape Town this weekend. These camps are part of the Boks’ preparations for the Rugby World Cup in France in September and October, where they will attempt to defend their world champions title. As the initial group returns to their franchises following an eight-week regeneration block, which included a four-week rest period ..read more

All Blacks forward Scott Barrett has signalled his intent to build on a stellar career in Aotearoa by re-signing with New Zealand Rugby until the end of 2025. The Crusaders captain has put pen to paper on a new contract that will see him remain in Christchurch for DHL Super Rugby Pacific while being aligned with Taranaki at provincial level. “I am excited to re-sign with New Zealand Rugby, the Crusaders and Taranaki for two more years,” Barrett said. “I am grateful to have the opportunity to represent these teams who I love playing for.”  New Zealand Rugby CEO Mark Robinson added: “Scott ..read more

Some experience returns for the Highlanders for their third-round match against Chiefs with Head Coach Clarke Dermody welcoming back the Highlanders’ most capped player, Aaron Smith. Smith will be itching to return to the park after sitting out the opening rounds as the Highlanders have started with back-to-back losses against last season’s finalists the Blues and Crusaders. He will be joined by fellow All Blacks Ethan de Groot and Shannon Frizell as they return from their breaks to take on the high-flying Chiefs at home in Hamilton on Friday night.  Injury continues to plague the outsid ..read more