
Adidas and France release new 120 Crunch range (Adidas)France will wear the special jersey against England in the final game of the Six NationsAdidas and France release special jersey and range to celebrate 120 years of Le Crunch [...]

Argentina's men celebrate winning the 2025 Hong Kong Sevens (HKTB)*Sponsor content created with Hong Kong Tourism Board The Kai Tak Sports Park will host over 100,000 fans in April and you could be one of them *Supported content with Hong Kong Tourism Board The Kai Tak Sports Park will host over 100,000 fans in April and you could be one of them [...]

Six Nations mid-term reports with Paul Williams (Getty Images)Columnist Paul Williams puts on his headmaster hat to grade each nation's performances in the Six Nations so far... Columnist Paul Williams puts on his headmaster hat to grade each nation's performances in the Six Nations so far [...]

John Inverdale, the BBC Sports presenter looks on during the Varsity match between Oxford University and Cambridge University (Getty Images)Inverdale earned his reputation on the BBC but played just shy of 1000 games of senior rugby throughout his lifeInverdale earned his reputation on the BBC but played just shy of 1000 games of senior rugby throughout his life [...]

Nations Championship logoEverything you need to know about the new Nations Championships including fixtures, format and moreEverything you need to know about the new Nations Championship [...]

Saints wing Amena Caqusau takes the ball under pressure from Ethan Grayson of Newcastle (Getty Images)The English top-flight is under way and here is all the information you need including fixtures and how to watch on TV.The English top-flight is under way and here is all the information you need including fixtures and how to watch on T.V [...]

Beibhinn Parsons of Ireland scores a try during the Ireland v Wales (Getty Images)All the info you need to tune into every single Women's Six Nations game wherever you are in the worldDon’t miss any of the action from the 2022 women’s championship [...]

The Women England Rugby team celebrate becoming Grand Slam Champions (Getty Images)A rundown of all the winners of the Women's Six Nations rugby tournament and previous iterations A rundown of all the winners of the Women's Six Nations rugby tournament and previous iterations [...]

John Mitchell, Head Coach of England looks on after the Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 Final (Getty Images)There are no female head coaches in the 2026 Six Nations which starts on Saturday 11 AprilThere are no female head coaches in the 2026 Six Nations [...]

Sadia Kabeya of England prepares to pass during Ireland v England (Getty Images)The Red Roses have won the last seven Women's Six Nations trophies and are on an impressive unbeaten streakThe Red Roses have won the last seven Women's Six Nations trophies and are on an impressive unbeaten streak [...]

The Women England Rugby team celebrate becoming Grand Slam Champions (Getty Images)The Women's Six Nations starts on Saturday 11 April with England on pursuit of a eighth consecutive championship. The Women's Six Nations starts on Saturday 11 April with England on pursuit of a eighth consecutive championship. Here’s all you need to know about the northern hemisphere’s biggest tournament [...]

Team GB double gold medalist Matt Weston on his love of rugby (Getty Images)Great Britain's Winter Olympics double gold medallist Matt Weston was an ace on the ice but also handy on the rugby field too Double Winter Olympics champion Matt Weston on life on the track and the rugby pitch [...]
QUALIFICATION PROCESS
BIG 12 AUTOMATIC SPOTS
> As hosts Australia qualify automatically for the 2027 tournament with another 11 teams gaining automatic qualification by finishing in the top three positions in their pools in the 2023 World Cup. Those teams are: South Africa, New Zealand, England, Argentina, Ireland, France, Wales, Fiji, Scotland, Italy and Japan. The remaining 12 spots in the 2027 expanded 24-team format will be allocated through teams competing in a global qualification process.
Four of those spots have already gone to the semi-finalists in the Rugby Rurope Championship, with semi-finalists Georgia, Spain, Portugal and Romania all qualifying for Australia 2027. The winner of the fifth-place play-off will earn a ticket to the Final Qualification Tournament in November, when one place in Australia 2027 will go to the winner of the tournament.
EUROPE – 4 TEAMS
Qualification matches: January-March 2025
> The four teams that reach the semi-finals of the Rugby Europe Championship 2025 will qualify directly for Australia 2027. Nations involved: Belgium, Georgia, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal, Romania, Spain and Switzerland.
The winner of the fifth-place play-off will secure their ticket to the Final Qualification Tournament (see below).
ASIA – 1 TEAM
Qualification matches: June-July 2025
> The Asia Rugby Championship 2025 winners will qualify directly for Australia 2027.
Nations involved: Hong Kong China, Korea, Malaysia and United Arab Emirates.
The runner-up in the tournament will progress to the Asia/Africa Play-off (see below).
AFRICA – 1 TEAM
Qualification matches: July 2025
> The Rugby Africa Cup 2025 champions will qualify directly for Australia 2027. Nations involved: Algeria, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Namibia, Senegal, Uganda and Zimbabwe. The runner-up in the tournament will progress to the Asia/Africa Play-off (see below).
SOUTH AMERICA – 1 TEAM
Qualification matches: July-September 2025
> The Sudamerica Rugby Championship 2025 winners will secure their place at Australia 2027, with the runner-up qualifying for the South America/Pacific Play-off (see below) and the third-placed team joining the line-up for the Final Qualification Tournament (see below). Nations involved: Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay.
PACIFIC – 3 TEAMS
Qualification matches: August-September 2025
> The top three teams in the Pacific Nations Cup 2025 (other than already-qualified Fiji and Japan) will qualify for Australia 2027. The sixth-placed team will join the South America/Pacific Play-off (see below). Nations involved: Canada, Fiji, Japan, Samoa, Tonga and the United States.
SOUTH AMERICA/PACIFIC PLAY-OFF – 1 TEAM
Qualification matches: September 2025
> A home-and-away play-off between the runner-up and the team finishing sixth in the Pacific Nations Cup. The winner qualifies for Australia 2027, while the loser will join the Final Qualification Tournament (see below).
ASIA/AFRICA PLAY-OFF
Qualification matches: September 2025
> The Rugby Africa Cup 2025 runner-up will play the Asia Rugby Championship runner-up in a home-and-away play-off. The winner qualifies for the Final Qualification Tournament (see below).
FINAL QUALIFICATION TOURNAMENT – 1 TEAM
Qualification matches: November 2025
> The final qualification tournament will comprise one pool of four teams, playing in a round-robin format with the winner - on competition points - qualifying for Australia 2027. The four teams will comprise the Sudamerica Rugby Championship 2025 third-place team; the South America/Pacific Play-off loser; the Rugby Europe Championship 2025 fifth-placed team; and the Africa/Asia Play-off winner.
A knee injury rules centre Ollie Lawrence out of England's Six Nations meeting with Italy in Rome on Saturday. [...]
Cardiff's Keiron Assiratti and Dragons' Ryan Woodman have been added to Steve Tandy's Wales squad who resume their Six Nations campaign in Ireland on Friday. [...]
Bundee Aki, Jimmy O'Brien and Robbie Henshaw are in contention to feature for Ireland in Friday's Six Nations game against Wales in Dublin [20:10 GMT]. [...]
Stuart McCloskey is enjoying his run as a starting centre for Ireland and is keen to maintain his fine form in Andy Farrell's side. [...]
Watch the trailer for new BBC documentary Ben Youngs Investigates: How Safe Is Rugby? [...]
Glasgow Warriors miss out on the chance to extend their lead at the top of the United Rugby Championship table as Sean Jansen's last-gasp try lifts Connacht to a dramatic victory at Dexcom Stadium. [...]
Ospreys scored a pair of late tries as they earned victory over Ulster in the United Rugby Championship. [...]
England head coach Steve Borthwick says he is feeling the "disappointment" and "frustration" more than any supporter after back-to-back defeats in the Six Nations against Scotland and Ireland. [...]
At the halfway stage of the Six Nations, Rugby Special's John Barclay and Sam Warburton dish out their report cards for every team so far and give their predictions for what we could see in the rest of the tournament. [...]
France's Thibaud Flament, who missed France's first Six Nations game because it clashed with his wife's fertility treatment, says he is "surprised how many people go through" the process. [...]
Rugby Special's John Barclay analyses the "huge influence" Antoine Dupont had in France's 33-8 win over Italy, highlighting the scrum-half's vision and toughness. [...]
Rugby Special pundits John Barclay and Sam Warburton are surprised by the nature of England's last two defeats in the Six Nations and feel Steve Borthwick's side couldn't match the "intensity" of Ireland at Twickenham. [...]
Created in the 1970s, Reading West Indians RUFC went on to inspire generations of black players. [...]
Bath secure a thrilling bonus-point win over local rivals Gloucester to reach the Prem Cup semi-finals. [...]
Munster secured a much-needed victory over Zebre in Round 12 of the United Rugby Championship, but they were made to work hard before pulling clear in the second half. [...]





