Domestic and European Rugby Union

[paul_e]

Fucking awful ref, utterly incompetent.

[nigel]

Their 9 is a bit of a tw@t, too.

[paul_e]

Their 9 is a bit of a tw@t, too.

Great player but yes, Lucu is an arse.

My problem with the ref was summed up towards the end in the last 10 he gave a perfect line-out throw as not straight, a knock-on for a ball that went backs, missed 3 offsides in midfield and 2 time they came from the side at the breakdown. Even just fixing those and instead of the commentators talking about Saints being stuck in their own half it'd have bene all about the pressure on them from us being camped in their half.

No idea how he didn't see a yellow card for Moefana leading with a shoulder and then clearing out with a headlock twice in the same ruck.

Finally I'm not sure how they didn't see the offload from Bielle-Biarrey as forward in the build-up for the last try, was clear as can be for me.

[nigel]

Their 9 is a bit of a tw@t, too.

Great player but yes, Lucu is an arse.

My problem with the ref was summed up towards the end in the last 10 he gave a perfect line-out throw as not straight, a knock-on for a ball that went backs, missed 3 offsides in midfield and 2 time they came from the side at the breakdown. Even just fixing those and instead of the commentators talking about Saints being stuck in their own half it'd have bene all about the pressure on them from us being camped in their half.

No idea how he didn't see a yellow card for Moefana leading with a shoulder and then clearing out with a headlock twice in the same ruck.

Finally I'm not sure how they didn't see the offload from Bielle-Biarrey as forward in the build-up for the last try, was clear as can be for me.

There were a couple of headlocks, too, which the Saints skipper mentioned to the ref, which he dismissed out of hand

[paul_e]

Their 9 is a bit of a tw@t, too.

Great player but yes, Lucu is an arse.

My problem with the ref was summed up towards the end in the last 10 he gave a perfect line-out throw as not straight, a knock-on for a ball that went backs, missed 3 offsides in midfield and 2 time they came from the side at the breakdown. Even just fixing those and instead of the commentators talking about Saints being stuck in their own half it'd have bene all about the pressure on them from us being camped in their half.

No idea how he didn't see a yellow card for Moefana leading with a shoulder and then clearing out with a headlock twice in the same ruck.

Finally I'm not sure how they didn't see the offload from Bielle-Biarrey as forward in the build-up for the last try, was clear as can be for me.

There were a couple of headlocks, too, which the Saints skipper mentioned to the ref, which he dismissed out of hand

Yep, having someone around the throat is apparently fineso long as there's no twisting motion, a rule that exists absolutely nowhere other than that refs head.

[Brazilian Villain]

Stuart Lancaster appointed as head coach of Connacht.
https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/articles/cx2e4edv2d9o

[UK Redsox]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/articles/c4g2ezj2749o

Scrum Half being the lowest paid position surprised me.

Fly-half remains the best paid position in rugby union's Premiership, while scrum-half is the lowest paid.

Figures in the latest Premiership Rugby salary cap report show senior player salaries dropped by 11.4% between the 2022-23 season and 2023-24.

However, there was a 14.5% increase in academy players' salaries, indicating a shift towards investing in homegrown talent.

The latest salary cap report, external covers just the 2023-24 season, not the current 2024-25 campaign which soon ends.

Most positions have seen an average drop in salary, but fly-half, back-row and hooker all saw average increases.

Starting with the highest-paid to the lowest, the positions are ranked: fly-half, back-row, centre, lock, prop, full-back, hooker, wing and scrum-half.

The mean average for a fly-half was up to £231,182 and for a scrum-half £119,614.

Senior squad sizes are down from an average of 47 to 43 and the income of players with more than 50 international caps went down by an average of almost £22,000.

[paul_e]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/articles/c4g2ezj2749o

Scrum Half being the lowest paid position surprised me.

Fly-half remains the best paid position in rugby union's Premiership, while scrum-half is the lowest paid.

Figures in the latest Premiership Rugby salary cap report show senior player salaries dropped by 11.4% between the 2022-23 season and 2023-24.

However, there was a 14.5% increase in academy players' salaries, indicating a shift towards investing in homegrown talent.

The latest salary cap report, external covers just the 2023-24 season, not the current 2024-25 campaign which soon ends.

Most positions have seen an average drop in salary, but fly-half, back-row and hooker all saw average increases.

Starting with the highest-paid to the lowest, the positions are ranked: fly-half, back-row, centre, lock, prop, full-back, hooker, wing and scrum-half.

The mean average for a fly-half was up to £231,182 and for a scrum-half £119,614.

Senior squad sizes are down from an average of 47 to 43 and the income of players with more than 50 international caps went down by an average of almost £22,000.

It should bea surprise but I'd actually have guessed as much because there are plenty of decent SHs around but not many truly top class ones, I'm a bit surprised that Back Row is near the top though because there are loads of very good back row players around right now so it feels like teams shouldn't be needing to pay big there either.

[UK Redsox]

Gloucester v Leicester at Villa Park in March 2026

https://www.avfc.co.uk/news/2025/july/23/villa-park-to-host-gallagher-prem-rugby/

Villa Park will host Gallagher PREM Rugby next March with Gloucester Rugby taking on Leicester Tigers at Aston Villa’s famous home.

The fixture, to be played on Saturday, March 28, 2026 (ko 1pm), forms part of the rugby top flight’s ‘Big Game’ weekend where Gloucester will join both Bristol and Saracens in hosting fixtures away from their home stadiums.

Following on from a summer of successful concerts where some of the world’s biggest and most iconic artists played at B6, this latest announcement ties in to the wider plan to make Villa Park the go-to destination in the West Midlands for music, other sports plus much more, providing the Club with additional revenue streams.

Due to take place during the men’s international break in March 2026, Gloucester and Leicester will face off for the Slater Cup (named after former Gloucester and Leicester lock Ed Slater who was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in July 2022) which is contested between the two teams every season across each home and away Gallagher PREM fixtures.

[nigel]

Guess this was inevitable

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/articles/cpdjn2jzq3zo

[UK Redsox]

Yep. The fact that the Jags didn't add him to the active roster for the two London games (when they were allowed to add players without dropping others) was good evidence that the NFL was not going to work out for Zammo.

At least he's made the decision to come back when he's young enough to resume his rugby career.

I'm not sure if Glawster have retained his rights, or whether he's a free agent.

[nigel]

Yep. The fact that the Jags didn't add him to the active roster for the two London games (when they were allowed to add players without dropping others) was good evidence that the NFL was not going to work out for Zammo.

At least he's made the decision to come back when he's young enough to resume his rugby career.

I'm not sure if Glawster have retained his rights, or whether he's a free agent.

Yes, still only 24, so plenty of time.
Big bonus for Wales and time for the next Lions tour

[paul_e]

I think he was always going to be back but the difference in wages was so huge that it was worth giving it a go.

Sadly I don't think he'll do much to fix the problems wales have.