Customise ESPN
ESPN Sites
Rugby World Cup sweeps into Asia for first time on a sea of red and white
Any thought that the tournament's first foray into Asia wouldn't be embraced by the people of Japan was blown away on opening night.
Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
RWC2019 - Fixtures/Results
Saturday & Sunday's Pool Matches
The best 25 players at Rugby World Cup 2019
ESPN Rugby Staff
Rugby World Cup
The chaos of the ruck: What the heck is actually going on in a rugby pile?
Far from being simply a mad scramble, a rugby ruck has no shortage of technique and regulations around it. Oh, and some dark arts as well, of course...
Tom Jenkins/Getty Images
Rugby
Love, rugby and a sport's crucial battle with concussion
On the eve of the Rugby World Cup, Tom Hamilton assesses how far the game has come and how far it still has to go in its understanding of the most prevalent -- and damaging -- injury in rugby.
Mike Egerton - PA Images via Getty Images
What is a concussion protocol? Sport by sport, there's no single solution
Reporters from across ESPN give their insights on how sport has been impacted by the increasing awareness of concussion.
Wales' World Cup woe
Wales head coach Gatland 'shocked' over Howley investigation
Wales head coach Warren Gatland has expressed his shock after his assistant coach Rob Howley was sent home from the World Cup amid allegations of betting infringements.
Photo By David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile via Getty Images
Wales coach Howley sent home from World Cup amid betting allegations
Wales assistant coach Rob Howley has been sent home from Japan amid allegations of betting infringements.
Rugby
What leading the haka means to TJ Perenara
The All Blacks' haka is world-famous but for the man who will lead Ka Mate and Kapo O Pango in Japan, it's the connection with the land, his ancestors and teammates that's important rather than putting on a show for the crowd.
Hannah Peters/Getty Images
Understanding the All Blacks' supreme success
The All Blacks are a global sporting powerhouse with a winning record that sits just under 80% over the past 100 years. But how has that success been achieved, and what sets this team apart in not just rugby but world sport in its entirety?
Rugby
Tonga rugby team sing on flight to Rugby World Cup
0:31
Tattooed Samoans don skin suits to avoid offending Japanese hosts
Samoan players will keep traditional Pacific islander tattoos under wraps with skin suits during the World Cup in Japan to avoid offending their hosts.
Australia preparations
Coleman: There's something special with this group
1:23
news - uk rugby
'Reluctant leader' Kolisi the right man to skipper Boks at World Cup
Siya Kolisi will become South Africa's first black Rugby World Cup captain when the Springboks tackle New Zealand on Saturday, and former Stormers coach Robbie Fleck feels Kolisi is the perfect man for the job.
Don't Miss...
- Phil Walter/Getty Images
Rugby Championship: All Blacks, Wallabies, Springboks, Pumas resume play
How do the Wallabies pick up the pieces? What do the All Blacks actually need to work on? And what have been the key learnings from two Springboks-Pumas clashes? The Rugby Championship restarts this week.
ESPN Recommends
Live Sports on ESPN Player
Watch the very best in U.S. sport LIVE and on-demand with ESPN Player. Available across Europe, subscribe today.
Customise ESPN
- Richard Heathcote/World Rugby/Getty Images
Definitive rugby fixtures
Keep up to date with all the latest fixtures from around the rugby world.
- Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
The unrivalled Statsguru database
Every single player who's ever played Test rugby features in our unrivalled database of the stats behind our great sport.
