As England look to the Six Nations in a World Cup year, the 28-year-old juggles grief and guilt after losing her father to cancer and mother to alcoholism “I’ll just use my sleeve,” Meg Jones says softly as the tears slide down her face. The England centre tries to stem the flow of pain while I scuffle around in search of a tissue in one of my pockets. It takes a while but I finally dig out a stray sheet of kitchen towel. Jones laughs, while still crying, as she accepts my scrunched-up offering and assurance that it is unused. She wipes her eyes and continues talking about the personal tragedies of the last year. Jones’s childhood was haunted by her mother’s alcoholism and then, between August and December, she lost both her parents – her Welsh dad, Simon, and then her English mum, Paula. Continue reading...

It's the final pod of the 2025 Six Nations with Chris, Tom English and Gareth Rhys Owen.

Coach Richard Cockerill says Georgia have "earned the right" to face Wales in a play-off to decide who should be in the 2026 Six Nations.

The tournament’s brightest stars make a formidable side – twin Currys, six Frenchmen and a Scottish double 15. Blair Kinghorn (Scotland) Check out this season’s stats and Kinghorn’s name is prominent in every backline category. Most metres gained, most line-breaks, most offloads … the long-striding full-back is a serious athlete and is clearly enjoying his time at Toulouse. His clubmate Thomas Ramos was the tournament’s golden boot but Kinghorn’s pace earns him the nod. Continue reading...

While Leinster coach Jacques Nienaber tipped all four SA teams to reach the URC play-offs, he described the Bulls and Sharks games as 'Test matches'.

The versatile forward, who last played for the Boks in the 2023 World Cup final, was among 56 players based in South Africa who were called up by Rassie Erasmus for a two-day gathering in Cape Town last week. Fourie had been sidelined with a knee injury since April of the previous year, which he sustained during an Champions Cup match against La Rochelle. He made his return to action in December with the Stormers. Since then, Fourie has made seven appearances and is expected to play a pivotal role in the Stormers' two-week URC tour to Wales and Northern Ireland, where they will face Scarlets and Ulster, respectively. Reflecting on the surprise call-up ahead of Saturday's match between the Stormers and Scarlets at Parc y Scarlets, Fourie admitted that he did not expect to be invited. "It was quite a big surprise for me. We (the Stormers) had just landed in Johannesburg before the Lions game when the announcement came out. We were on the team bus, and I saw it," Fourie shared on Monday. "I was really surprised to get that honour again, being invited to an alignment camp. It was fantastic to reconnect with everyone and hear about the plans moving forward." "It reignited the fire in me, and I hope to remain part of the set-up this year." At a recent Springbok press conference, Erasmus singled out the adaptable Fourie as an invaluable resource for the world champions. "It's great to have someone like Deon available," the head coach said. "A guy like (Ireland legend) Johnny Sexton played until he was 38, and Deon is one of the older players who is probably in the best physical shape." "I don't think Deon expects to play in eight Tests this year, but he understands that we can call on him if things don't go as planned or if no one performs outstandingly at hooker."

Van der Merwe's contract with the Lions expires at the end of the current season and the winger is reportedly weighing up his options. The 28-year-old enjoyed a stunning debut for the Boks last year scoring at Twickenham against Wales but was robbed of the opportunity to increase his cap tally due to a long-term injury. According to Rapport, the Lions winger, who has scored six times in 14 appearances so far this season, has caught the eye of Sale Sharks who recently announced the signing of another Lions player in Marius Louw. Sale are renowned for its South African contingent with the Du Preez brothers Jean-Luc, Dan and Robert all currently on their payroll as well as Ernst van Rhyn. Previously the likes of Faf de Klerk, Lood de Jager, Rohan Janse van Rensburg, Akker van der Merwe, Cobus Wiese and Coenie Oosthuizen all played for the Manchester-based outfit. The report adds that they will face stiff competition from the Durban-based Sharks who are also eager to add the fleet-footed winger to their books while the possibility of Van der Merwe remaining at the Lions is still on the table. Van der Merwe could add to his Test cap tally this year after he received an invite to the Springboks alignment camps and has been in sterling form for the Lions in the United Rugby Championship and Challenge Cup.

BBC pundits John Barclay and Sam Warburton name their final Lions XVs but how different are their choices to when they picked their sides after the opening round of the Six Nations?

A key member of the Stormers pack misses a two-match Vodacom URC tour due to surgery, but John Dobson welcomes back a host of Springboks and young stars for the overseas trip. The post Bok bruiser ruled out of Stormers tour appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.

Watch as leading try scorer Louis Bielle-Biarrey features in the best tries from this year's Six Nations tournament.

France have just won the Six Nations and in some circles there's a belief they're ready to knock the Springboks off the top of the rankings.

Six Nations Rugby Special's John Barclay and Sam Warburton pick their British and Irish Lions XVs after the conclusion of the Six Nations.

Scott Robertson says a catch-up with Jacques Nienaber about Jordie Barrett’s sabbatical at Leinster has contributed to the All Blacks head coach’s recent eligibility U-turn. The post Nienaber helps change Razor’s mind appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.

MARK KEOHANE argues that without Rassie Erasmus’ intervention, Cheslin Kolbe could have been playing for France instead of being celebrated as one of SA rugby’s greatest players.  The post Rassie backed Kolbe – and the rest is history  appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.