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4 days ago | 
rugbypass.com | Jon Newcombe
Rugby immortal Jimmy Gopperth insists he is in no hurry to hang up his boots, despite turning 42 at the end of June. Gopperth’s contract at the French Pro D2 club, Provence, has not been renewed beyond the end of this season, as they have signed Caleb Mutz in his place, but the fly-half/centre is keen to continue playing if the right opportunity arises.
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4 days ago | 
rugbypass.com | Jon Newcombe
Geoff Parling has been appointed Leicester Tigers head coach on a long-term deal starting next season, ending months of speculation about Michael Cheika’s replacement. The 41-year-old is currently an assistant coach of the Wallabies and will take up the reins at the Tigers in August 2025 after the 2025 British & Irish Lions Series. Prior to joining the Wallabies, Parling was an assistant coach with the Melbourne Rebels, specialising in the lineout.
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4 days ago | 
rugbypass.com | Jon Newcombe
Fin Smith revealed that hearing his name read out during the Lions squad announcement reduced him to a sobbing wreck. After what he describes as “the most horrific week of all time”, wondering whether he would get in Andy Farrell’s squad, the Northampton fly-half bawled his eyes out when he broke the news to his parents. “I had sleepless nights and was stressing all day. Then that day comes and they didn’t half drag the announcement out either, did they?
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5 days ago | 
rugbypass.com | Jon Newcombe
Exeter Director of Rugby Rob Baxter has responded to criticism from club legend Gareth Steenson that the Chiefs had been stuck in their ways for too long and have been guilty of ‘taking their eye off the ball’.
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1 week ago | 
rugbypass.com | Jon Newcombe
mens gallagher-premiership Copied to clipboard 0 After the euphoria of Thursday’s announcement, many of the Lions stars selected to go on this summer’s 10-match tour of Australia have domestic matters to attend to this weekend. Of the 38 players head coach Andy Farrell has selected, 23 are set to see action, including nine of Leinster’s cohort of 12.
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1 week ago | 
rugbypass.com | Jon Newcombe
Never one to miss the opportunity for a quip, Freddie Burns has set the hares racing with a cheeky comment to the Japanese news site, RugbyJP.com, about his potential plans for the future. Having helped his team, Toyota Industries Shuttles Aichi, claim the Japanese Second Division title with a player of the match display in last weekend’s 61-24 win over the Red Dolphins, the five-times capped former England international announced this season would be his last at the Tokyo-based club.
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1 week ago | 
rugbypass.com | Jon Newcombe
Dan Biggar believes the British and Irish Lions squad to tour Australia this summer is full of X-factor players, but one, more than any other, he feels will be worth his weight in gold to Andy Farrell. Biggar is ‘thrilled to bits’ that 20-year-old Henry Pollock’s form and exuberance have been rewarded with a place in the squad, despite the Northampton man only having one cap to his name.
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1 week ago | 
rugbypass.com | Jon Newcombe
mens japan-rugby-league-one Copied to clipboard 0 Out-of-contract Freddie Burns has confirmed that this season will be his last at the newly-crowned Japanese Second Division champions, Toyota Shokki Shuttles. Burns has had a brilliant season with the Tokyo-based club, finishing as the league’s top points and try scorer.
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1 week ago | 
rugbypass.com | Jon Newcombe
mens british-irish-lions Copied to clipboard 0 Floyd Steadman was separated from his mother aged one, lived homeless in London as a 10-year-old to escape his father’s beatings, and grew up as a child in care, unknowingly living next door to a serial killer, before going on to make a success of himself, as a rugby player and teacher, who was – and still is – an inspiration to many, including Lions captain-in-waiting Maro Itoje.
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1 week ago | 
rugbypass.com | Jon Newcombe
WRU Head of Player Development & Performance Pathways John Alder has revealed that talks are taking place with the RFU and Championship about an Anglo-Welsh Cup competition, which could form part of the new Tier 2 season structure on both sides of the border – but not before 2026/27.
