Freddie Burns, at 5.15pm on National TV:
"I can't sum it up. I'm gagging for a beer. I'm gagging to get on the bus with the boys and have about 3 days on the sauce with them"
😂😂😂 What a boy.
*Rugby is somewhere parents know kids are safe
*Where rival fans sit together
*Where coaches join fans in the bar after games
*Where players call the ref "Sir"
*Where they hit lumps out of each other & shake hands after
"Be kind"???
Rugby, more than anywhere, IS KIND!
Minimum stadium capacity for Premier League club, to be able to play global £billion clubs like Man Utd, City, Liverpool?
5000
Minimum standards for Premiership rugby club, to be able to play in front of around 5000 people at Sale, Newcastle or Worcester?
10,000
This might be the first time I can remember that every single rugby account on Twitter agreed on a decision.
That was a red card, absolutely incredible.
Defending a ruck on your own line?
Mauling?
A 6'7 lock tackling 5'7 scrum half?
Someone rapidly changing direction to run at different defender?
Just a few of many such scenarios
Of those people at the RFU who voted, when was the last time they played a game? Have they ever?
Good job there isn't relegation this season. If Bath went down all that temporary seating (they've had for years) might mean they wouldn't be allowed back up to the Prem. Because the criteria are critically important, right?
Let me just get this right.
The
@RFU
is making grassroots players play children's tackle laws to mitigate the bad publicity from head injuries...... IN THE PRO GAME.
Meanwhile Owen Farrell.........
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Owen Farrell: Steve Borthwick's England captain.
That's ANOTHER name to add to the list of elite coaches that clearly aren't as informed as the expert analysis of 'rugby twitter'.
IF it comes to it (and let's hope it doesn't 🤞)
Exeter handed Premiership title and to fulfil contractual duties play against Bristol for a one off Gallagher European Super Cup - Challenge v Champions Cup winners?
After which both teams celebrate with the mother of all benders
I'm glad Quins are taking such a principled and vocal stand on Saracens. It must be painful to watch their rivals having that much success only to find out it might've been with an unfair advantage.
Our mouths bleed for them.
The RFU Council, in RFU's own words:
"The Council represents the views of the members who elected them. They channel feedback and information between their clubs and the RFU"
All 60 councillors voted for these changes.
Anyone feel represented?!
Complete dereliction of duty.
Tom Jones, Neville Southall, Mark Drakeford, Shirley Bassey, Fireman Sam, H from Steps, Catherine Zeta Jones, Huw Edwards, Charlotte Church, Ryan Giggs, Rhodri Giggs, Shane Howarth, Gareth Anscombe, Nick Tompkins...
Your boys took a hell of a beating
Forza Italia!
#WALvITA
No, you cannot go to a rugby ground, outside in the open air, even with attendance limited for safety.
Go to a pub to watch it instead. Much safer.
After all, the jobs connected to rugby, the mortgages and meals they pay for, nor the sense of community clubs bring is important.
RFU moving tackle height to waist from next season from level 3 down:
They've just created 2 different sports. For "player welfare"?
Those affected are AMATEUR, not physical mutants as in pros, engaging voluntarily as they might horse riding, sky diving or skiing.
Farcical.
Let The Boys Play!
The fact that fans can share a beer or have a laugh with opposing fans, players and even officials is what makes rugby special.
Let's make a deal - Jaco Peyper should be reprimanded for this if anyone thinks he got the red card decision wrong. Anyone?
So, in summary, £800k of the salary cap breach is due to a valuation of Itoje's image right being inflated by 100%.
The incorrect valuation made by one of the World's biggest and most reputable Accountancy firms, who Prem Rugby employ as auditors of the salary cap.
#Saracens
Please let the Scotland v Japan game go ahead. Somewhere, anywhere, crowd or no crowd, with a full camera crew or on one camera phone. Haven't looked forward to a game this much in years.
*EXCLUSIVE...Leaked Sale XV
15 Nick Macleod
14 Tom Brady
13 Fergus Mulchrone
12 Sam Tuitoupou
11 Nev Edward's
10 Charlie Hodgson
9 Chris Cusiter
8 Dan Braid
7 Magnus Lund
6 Jon Mills
5 Bryn Evans
4 Jonathan Beardmore
3 Brian Mujati
2 Neil Briggs
1 Eifion Lewis Roberts
Best bit about the England team...Courtney Lawes is captain, even though the other contenders have returned.
An absolute warrior. Deep thinker too. Brave on the field and fearless off it.
Maligned by some...but a hero to us and would be a contender for an all time England XV
Friday:
Bristol v Bath, 7:45pm, BT
Saturday:
England v Australia, 8:15am, ITV
NZ v Ireland, 11:15am, ITV
Saracens v Saints, 3pm, BT
Sunday:
Wales v France, 8:15am, ITV
Japan v South Africa, 11:15am, ITV
Wasps v London Irish, 3pm, BT
Some facts on the trials n lower tackle heights previously held.
1. English Championship Cup. Trial abandoned before trial finished due to safety concerns. Did not decrease incidence of concussion. More occured to tacklers.
1/6
After the news about AJ Macginty...
We just want to reassure everyone that JB is ok. Tim and Phil are taking it in turns to watch him. He said he's trying to be glad it happened rather than sad it will soon be over.
We ask for people to give him space at this challenging time.
Who Am I???
I'm a world class lock...
I'm one of rugby's most destructive tacklers...
I famously folded Jules Plisson like a deckchair...
I'll say what most people think but are too scared to say on Twitter because I'm not afraid of the "woke" mob.
@Courtney_Lawes
🙌
Everyone watching the Six Nations this weekend and hearing the crowd in Cardiff sing Delilah even louder than usual, off their own back, as a middle finger to the WRU's attempt to protect them from the insufferable damage done to them by *checks notes*
....a Tom Jones pop song.
Tigers fans...if the mood takes you, a perfectly acceptable way to toast your brilliant side, would be to go and get absolutely bolloxed.
Congratulations. LTBP.
Dame Edna Everidge, Mrs Mangle, the Honey Badger, Bouncer the dog, Kevin Rudd, The Flying Doctors, the Cast of Heartbreak High and Round the Twist, Mark Bosnich, Danni Minogue...
...your boys took one hell of a beating!
#SCOvAUS
Spare a thought for the many, many
@Champrugby
players whose employment at their club may be ended by a 50% cut of the RFUs funding of England's 2nd Tier.
To make this level of cut and not explain why, or the future plans, is bizarre (outrageous even?).
How many people have actually slated Ellis Genge for drinking a beer?
Seen loads of tweets saying how wrong the criticism is. Seen hardly any criticism itself.
Is our timeline that different to yours? 🤔
Disappointing number of rugby "fans" on here intent on finding something to moan about, or focus on Racing players' errors, debatable decisions etc rather than revel in an awesome advert for club rugby.
These people hate rugby. That was immense, emotional stuff.
The England teams exploits have clearly captured the imagination. Our little operation is the biggest, highest charting independent podcast of any sport, not just rugby.
Thank YOU for listening! We have another for you tonight. Your thoughts and Q's for a
#RWCFinal
Preview? 👇
The attempted justification for the law change now filtering through:
*Less kick tennis
*More offload
*Lower dangerous collisions
*Better spectacle
NONE of which affect the game outside of the pros!
Which if they listened to, or took an interest inn amateur rugby they'd know.
April 16th 2020:
"It's time for our weekly Saracens point deduction, taking place in front of an independent adjudicator, and using machine 'Guinevere'. Let's get those balls going...and this week's points deduction is...
29!"
Like a kid before Christmas I'm awake at 4:45am, knowing I should be asleep and will be knackered later, but too excited about what lies ahead.
Must be World Cup Semi Final Day!
#NZLvENG
#RWC2019
We just want to reassure everyone that JB is ok.
We've run him a nice relaxing bath and making him a nice cup of tea and playing soothing music.
He will be ok, but thanks for the well wishes.
Anyone else oddly apathetic about the Prem Final?
Saracens and Sale are fine clubs who deserve an epic finale. Hard to buy the hype though isn't it when, by Tuesday, 23% of the league will have gone bust...and others are teetering.
We're wondering if we pivot & have a "Tier Two Tour" to England's Tier Two, given today's news.
Penzance or Jersey perhaps? Championship game; Live show from an old school clubhouse and an old school rugby knees up
Keen?
(Could be as well as not instead of of a foreign trip)
FACT...your RFU Councillor is bricking it.
They realise they've failed and are scratching around for justification for not consulting or representing you. (they know doesn't exist).
Politely email them and let them know your feelings on their vote. It is making a difference
Boris Johnson deserves criticism for all manner of reasons, but his total commitment to rugby union should be praised widely.
Press conference now starting at 6:45pm, just after the full time whistle.
*BREAKING NEWS
@BathRugby
to re-brand as 'Bath Mats'. Todd Blackadder to release any player not called Matt.
Giteau, Tait and Kvesic among rumoured new signings AND Banners is now staying.
Tim
@Cocker
here. Thanks for all the messages of concern about me being airborne during the semi final.
I managed to avoid finding out the result and have just finished watching
#NZLvENG
. Immense.
Don't feel *too sorry for me 😊
Be upset, completely understandably, with Saracens. Speak your mind, take the piss, take them to court to recover losses even.
But this is not rugby. We're better than this aren't we?!
Grabbing a fistful of an opponents shirt in a desperate attempt to bring them to ground will be a penalty in September for most rugby players in England 🤢. Let that sink in.
A sample of our email inbox today following the latest pods.
Even if a very loud (but very small) minority want to twist a different tale...nobody will ever change our mind that THIS is what rugby clubs represent.
And is precisely HOW we keep growing the game.
You administer a sport with very close ties to the Royal family and perilous finances. Do you:
A) Let 30,000 fans come together to show their respect at a 134 yr old rivalry
Or B) postpone the game by 22hrs at huge cost and meaning it can't be broadcast.
🙈
In 2014 we weren't sure anyone would listen. Let alone travel with us to USA, Monaco, Marseille, Madrid and Bucharest. Or that we'd have Beauden, Richie, Siya, Doddie & more on the show too
🙏VERY grateful
But only getting started! Big plans ahead...that we need you part of 👊
The more discussion and justification of the new tackle law, the more it becomes evident that any issue, if it exists, exists in the pro game.
The amateur game has never been safer. Consent of individuals has never been more informed.
RFU is pushing a solution without a problem