Rugby Union

World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont has confirmed that plans are being discussed to overhaul the bidding process for its World Cup as the governing body seeks to demonstrate that it won’t simply “chase the cash” when assigning future hosting rights.

New Zealand Rugby (NZR) has unveiled a groundbreaking partnership with English Premiership club Harlequins, the first time it has entered into an official relationship with an overseas team.

New Zealand Rugby has posted a record profit of NZ$33.4m (€19.8m/$24.1m) for the 2017 financial year, a figure which owed much to the British and Irish Lions’ tour of the country last summer.

RFK Stadium in Washington D.C. will host an international rugby union match between Wales and South Africa later this year as part of plans to further grow the sport in the US.

Major League Rugby (MLR), a new professional rugby union competition that will launch in the United States this year, has added a franchise in New York, while New Zealand Super Rugby team Crusaders has invested in the league’s Seattle-based club.

European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR), the organising body of the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup club rugby union competitions, has announced it will relocate its headquarters to Lausanne.

Japan will host the third and final match of this year's Bledisloe Cup, a rugby union competition contested by the Australian and New Zealand national teams, as the country prepares to stage the World Cup in 2019.

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has entered into a long-term partnership with Fanatics as part of an effort to boost the experience of supporters at its retail and online stores, as well as support its ‘Pass It Back’ grassroots initiative.

The French Rugby Federation’s (FFR) headquarters in Marcoussis near Paris were raided by a dozen police officers earlier today (Tuesday) amid an investigation into the governing body’s president, Bernard Laporte.

English Premiership rugby union club London Irish has denied reports of an imminent takeover, but has admitted its is considering a number of investment offers as it seeks a return to its status as a leading force in the domestic game.

Rugby Australia, rugby union’s governing body in the country, has sealed a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) for the sport that is set to introduce gender equality in pay and a new contracting model for the Super Rugby franchises, amongst other changes.

Rugby Australia has today (Wednesday) signalled its intention to bid to host the 2027 Rugby World Cup and the 2021 edition of the Women’s Rugby World Cup.

Raelene Castle has today (Tuesday) become the first woman to take the chief executive’s role at a major rugby union body by succeeding Bill Pulver at Rugby Australia.

A deep-dive into how rugby union’s Newcastle Falcons used a new CRM and corresponding data-driven approach to marketing communications as a means of reinvigorating its attendances.

World Rugby has announced that France will host its U20 Championship in 2018, with matches being played in Béziers, Perpignan and Narbonne.