All posts tagged: rugby

Edinburgh rugby legend Scott Hastings dies aged 61 after cancer diagnosis

Edinburgh rugby legend Scott Hastings dies aged 61 after cancer diagnosis

Edinburgh born Scottish rugby legend Scott Hastings has tragically died at the age of 61 after undergoing treatment for cancer. Widely regarded as one of the greatest Scotland players of all time, securing 65 caps for his country, he played alongside his older brother Gavin while representing his country. Hastings attended the capital’s George Watson’s College in his youth, and at the time of retiring, he was the most capped player in Scottish Rugby Union history – a record that has since been broken. He was part of the side that last won the Grand Slam for Scotland when they triumphed in the Five Nations championship in 1990. He later moved into broadcasting as a commentator and pundit. He passed away on Sunday, May 17, which would have been his late wife Jenny’s birthday. Jenny died in October 2024 after going missing while swimming in the water at Wardie Bay in Edinburgh. In 2022, Hastings revealed he had been diagnosed with cancer and was receiving treatment for incurable non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Wales Online reports. In a …

Toulouse play rugby from the gods to demolish Bristol

Toulouse play rugby from the gods to demolish Bristol

Ramos was ubiquitous in the Toulousain assault, offering one sumptuous offload from an audacious counter for Gourgues’s first –but Bristol often did not help themselves. Williams, often distributing beautifully, had a couple of howlers which led to two tries while Ibitoye and Rees-Zammit never quite looked comfortable in the backfield against a Dupont-Ntamack-Ramos three-pronged aerial bombardment. Thomas added a quickfire double to a rapidly increasing scoreline, but what made it more remarkable was that it was during the period in which the hosts had been reduced to 14 players. Toulouse were in cruise control, knowing the game was over, while the Bears attempted to salvage some pride. Thankfully, the visitors managed it. For Toulouse, with the crowd jumping to the sounds of the stadium’s sunset DJ, the victor of Bordeaux’s hosting of Leicester awaits; for the Bears, some claw-sharpening and wound-licking is required. Match details Scoring sequence: 0-5 Harding try, 0-7 Williams con, 5-7 Willis try, 7-7 Ramos con, 12-7 Mauvaka try, 14-7 Ramos con, 19-7 Gourgues try, 21-7 Ramos con, 26-7 Mauvaka try, 28-7 …

All Blacks prop Williams ruled out of Super Rugby Pacific season

All Blacks prop Williams ruled out of Super Rugby Pacific season

March 30 : New Zealand prop Tamaiti Williams has been ruled out of the rest of the Canterbury Crusaders’ Super Rugby Pacific season with a spinal infection and is no certainty to return to action in time for the start of the All Blacks’ test season in July. The 25-year-old loosehead is in hospital after being diagnosed with discitis, an infection in one of the discs in his spine, the Crusaders said in a statement on Monday. His absence is a blow for the defending champions, who are sixth on the table after a slow start. “His return to rugby beyond (the season) remains unclear and will be guided by further medical advice,” the Crusaders said. Williams said he had a sore back for a couple of weeks before going in to hospital for scans. “I’m feeling gutted, but I’m also grateful that the news isn’t as bad as what it could be,” he said. “I’ve been told I’m going to make a 100 per cent recovery, so I’m thankful for that.” The All Blacks …

The House | From ‘Workington Man’ To Clubs On The Brink: Rugby League’s Fight To Survive

The House | From ‘Workington Man’ To Clubs On The Brink: Rugby League’s Fight To Survive

12 min read13 min Rugby league is cherished by many of the ‘left behind’ towns that become central to Britain’s electoral politics. But now community clubs are fighting to stay afloat, reports Adam Payne In the run-up to Boris Johnson’s red wall landslide in 2019, rugby league found itself in a peculiar position. Its fans, based mostly in northern England, generally regard the London class, its politicians and media, as having little interest in their sport.  To generations of supporters, it is an ignored and underappreciated game, played a long way from the corridors of Westminster in mileage and in mind, in the towns of Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cumbria.  “Rugby union has always been the sport of the establishment, the media, Westminster, big businesses, even the Royal Family. Rugby league, like most things in the North, it had to fight just to be heard,” says Anthony Broxton, author of Hope and Glory: Rugby League in Thatcher’s Britain.  Naturally, then, there was some bemusement when, in autumn 2019, the spotlight of British politics landed on the Cumbrian …

Princess Anne leaves fans in stiches after funny rugby moment | Royal | News

Princess Anne leaves fans in stiches after funny rugby moment | Royal | News

Princess Anne has left fans in stitches after she shared a hilarious moment with a Scottish rugby player. The Princess Royal, Scottish Rugby Union, attended the Guinness Men’s Six Nations match between Scotland and France in Edinburgh today. Anne presented the Auld Alliance Trophy to Scotland’s Sione Tuipulotu after they beat France 50-40. As the rugby player was getting close to Anne, he made a gesture of a hug attempt, before they both burst out laughing. However, the King’s sister kept the formalities and gave him a handshake before having a brief chat. A video of the hilarious moment has gone viral on social media, with fans praising the princess. One user wrote on X: “Funny moment as #PrincessAnne #PrincesRoyal presents the trophy as Patron of @Scotlandteam after they beat France 50-40 in the @SixNationsRugby.” A second one wrote: “I wish she was Queen.” Another one agreed: “She would be a great monarch.” Ensure our latest royal headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here …

Seven-try Scotland stun France to end Les Bleus’ Six Nations Grand Slam hopes

Seven-try Scotland stun France to end Les Bleus’ Six Nations Grand Slam hopes

⁠Wings Darcy ​Graham and Kyle Steyn scored two ​tries each as Scotland beat France 50-40 in Edinburgh on Saturday to secure a ​pulsating ‌bonus-point win that ensures ⁠the Six Nations Championship will be decided in ‌the final round next weekend. Despite the defeat, ⁠a try-scoring bonus-point means France head the table on points-difference from ​Scotland with both teams on ‌16 points from their five games. Ireland are still in the mix with ‌14 points. Read moreFrance’s rugby team overpowers Ireland in Six Nations title defence Prop Pierre Schoeman and scrumhalf Ben White ​also crossed for tries as the Scots ran France ragged with a high-tempo game ​in the Edinburgh sunshine and they ​recorded their highest points ​tally over France. The visitors scored tries through wings Louis ​Bielle-Biarrey and Theo Attissogbe, scrumhalf Antoine Dupont, fullback Thomas Ramos (two) and flanker Oscar Jegou, but coach Fabien Galthié will ⁠be concerned by their discipline with two yellow ⁠cards and ​how they wilted under pressure.  ‘Anything is possible’ France have a points-difference of +79 and Scotland +21, so ‌it …

Royal Family LIVE: King Charles strips rugby captain of MBE, the Duke of Glouster’s Scottish visit and more

Royal Family LIVE: King Charles strips rugby captain of MBE, the Duke of Glouster’s Scottish visit and more

The King has stripped honours from nine people, including Scottish rugby captain Stuart Hogg, who was convicted of domestic abuse. According to the UK’s official public record, The Gazette, Stuart is just one of nine other people to have their honours “cancelled and annulled” by His Majesty. © Getty ImagesStuart was award his honours in 2024 Stuart, who pleaded guilty to a domestic abuse charge in 2024 against his then estranged wife, was given his award in 2024 for services to rugby. Other names on the list are Ian Michael Ashbolt,  Anantkumar Meghji Pethraj Shah, Graham Gilbey Trewhella, Lloyd Ian Hamilton, Ian Michael Ashbolt, Angela Jane Middleton, Nigel Timothy James O’Connor and Paul Allen Rose.  This isn’t the first time the King has chosen to strip former recipients of their honours. In January 2012, former Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) CEO Fred Goodwin was stripped of his knighthood due to his role in the bank’s near-collapse and subsequent 2008 bailout.   Source link

King Charles strips shamed domestic abuser Stuart Hogg of MBE | Rugby | Sport

King Charles strips shamed domestic abuser Stuart Hogg of MBE | Rugby | Sport

Stuart Hogg has officially been stripped of his MBE after King Charles III ordered it to be “cancelled and annulled”. The former Scotland rugby union captain pleaded guilty to a single charge of domestic abuse against his ex-wife, Gillian Smith, spanning five years in November 2024. The court heard Hogg admit to shouting and swearing at his former wife as well as tracking her movements and sending distressing and alarming messages. He managed to avoid jail but was given a community payback order (CPO) with one year of supervision and a five-year ban on approaching or contacting Gillian. After his conviction, there were widespread calls for the former British and Irish Lion to lose the MBE he received in the 2024 New Year Honours list for services to rugby. Scottish First Minister John Swinney described these demands as “reasonable and understandable”. At the time, SNP’s Commons leader Stephen Flynn confirmed that officials were “firmly on the case” to revoke the honour; however, more than a year after his conviction, Hogg still held the award, which …

‘I’d have headaches. I felt sick, emotional’: Inside the lab tackling the head trauma imbalance in women’s rugby | UK News

‘I’d have headaches. I felt sick, emotional’: Inside the lab tackling the head trauma imbalance in women’s rugby | UK News

In a white-walled university laboratory, four female student rugby players are strapped face-down onto what look like upside-down rowing machines. As belts are tightened across their backs, sensors are adjusted to fit snugly around their heads. It isn’t the most dignified way to spend a Thursday afternoon, but the research at Swansea University could be fundamental to the future of women’s rugby. The machines test the strength of the players’ necks, both forward and back, and side-to-side. Neck strength in women players has emerged as a significant factor in preventing concussions and any resulting neurological damage. Sky News has been given exclusive access to the university’s work, which is funded by the governing body World Rugby, at a time when the sport is growing in popularity among women and girls. Image: A player taking part in the research gets to grips with one of the machines in the laboratory The success of England’s ‘Red Roses’ in last year’s World Cup fuelled a boom in the sport’s popularity. But safety research has, until now, been heavily …

It says everything about Welsh rugby that humiliating France defeat was an improvement

It says everything about Welsh rugby that humiliating France defeat was an improvement

To their credit, Wales staged a mini revival, with Elllis Mee beginning the scoreboard resistance, as the Scarlet wing’s initial line-break led to Rhys Carre’s try. The three-quarter strong crowd were suddenly awakened and valiantly tried to gather their boys to capitalise on the momentum. Wales might have gone into the break only seven points down. But they messed up a fine position in the French 22 and then Adam Beard, as a second-rower, decided it would be a good idea to try to kick as he exited a ruck. The British and Irish Lion whiffed it completely and Jalibert stretched himself between the sticks. It was galling but, in the coaches’ box, there was perhaps a ray of hope. For the first time since his appointment, Tandy showed some anger as he slammed his desk and swore at the Beard-inspired shambles. Tandy needs uncompromising coach in ‘nicey, nicey’ regime “You probably saw my reaction,” he later said. “To concede off that… well, those are the moments where great teams punish you. That was a …