James While

1 week ago | planetrugby.com | James While |Ross Heppenstall

Few players have seen more change in rugby and its attitudes and values as Harlequins and England legend Danny Care. With a career spanning some 21 years, the scrum-half ace has played over 500 games of professional rugby, and 392 matches for Quins alone. Care is a man that embraces the diverse nature of the Harlequins brand and he wants to see more positive inclusion within the sport.

1 week ago | planetrugby.com | Colin Newboult |James While

Rugby Australia have taken aim at French clubs for signing some of their brightest young talent and have duly urged World Rugby to step in. Chairman Daniel Herbert was speaking after the governing body announced its 2024 financial results, revealing a deficit of AUS$36.8m, when he slammed the Top 14 outfits. Those teams have much greater fiscal power than Australia and New Zealand, and they are able to lure some of the world’s best players to those shores.

1 week ago | planetrugby.com | James While

And then there were four. The weekend saw some amazing action with Bordeaux-Begles and Munster throwing up a thriller and Toulouse finally beating their Mayol hoodoo to scrape past a superb Toulon side. Elsewhere, Northampton Saints and Leinster put in big scoring performances on Friday and Saturday respectively, as we now have our semi-finalists. Following the quarter-final action, here’s our standout XV.

1 week ago | planetrugby.com | James While

Following a dramatic 21-18 victory for Toulouse over Toulon, here are our five takeaways from the Investec Champions Cup quarter-final at the Stade Mayol on Sunday. The top lineA game that started slowly, and at times failed to live up to its expectation of fast flowing rugby, unfolded to an absolute classic of attrition, close quarter power and forward domination as Thomas Ramos kicked Toulouse to a Champions Cup semi-final appointment against UBB in May in the dying moment of the match.

1 week ago | planetrugby.com | James While

Following a 51-16 win for Northampton Saints against Castres in the Investec Champions Cup quarter-final, here’s James While’s five takeaways from Saturday’s game. The top lineNorthampton booked themselves a semi-final trip to Dublin to take on the mighty Leinster as they disposed of a scrappy and ill-disciplined Castres at Franklin’s Gardens.