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Continue reading →: 31 October-2 November: The big boys are backThe men’s international rugby calendar kicks into full gear again this weekend, as six of the world’s top 10 teams battle to end their year on a high and put themselves in the best possible position in the rankings before the World Cup 2027 draw in December. In addition, the…
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24-26 October: Rugby Europe Trophy campaign begins
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Continue reading →: 24-26 October: Rugby Europe Trophy campaign beginsOctober 20, 2025 After a weekend with only two matches, this weekend is full, with five games to keep an eye on, as the Men’s and Women’s Rugby Europe Trophy gets going and the Wallabies face off against Japan in Tokyo. Last weekend, Paraguay booked their tickets to the Final…
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Continue reading →: Rugby Rankings Watch: 17-19 October 2025
Upcoming matches include Paraguay vs. Brazil in World Cup qualifying and a Rugby Europe Conference clash between Norway and Luxembourg. Rankings are fluctuating, and both matchups present significant implications for teams striving to qualify and improve standings.
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Continue reading →: Rugby Rankings Watch – 4 and 5 October 2025
This week, we look at the last round of the Rugby Championship and a round of Rugby Europe Conference matches in the Rugby Rankings Watch, using the improved version of our Rugby Rankings Predictor app. You can now see the results of the last three matches each team has played…
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Continue reading →: Forgotten heroes: when 50 Test caps were exceptionalThe changing scene In the last 12 months, four rugby players have achieved the special distinction of eclipsing their country’s long-standing caps record. The first of them was James Slipper, who, during the 2024 edition of the Rugby Championship, broke the Australian cap record of 139 Test caps established by…
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Continue reading →: Rugby Rankings Watch – 20 and 21st September 2025
After another exciting week of international rugby, where teams in the Pacific Nations Cup, Rugby Championship and Women’s Rugby World Cup all contributed to a feast of high class games, the Men’s World number one changed hands again, the four semifinalists of the Women’s Rugby World Cup were confirmed and…
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Rugby Rankings Watch – 13 and 14 September 2025
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Continue reading →: Rugby Rankings Watch – 13 and 14 September 2025As discussed in a previous blog, the World Rugby Rankings are a source of consistent intrigue and jeopardy, with positions on the global ranking tree often swapping hands week-to-week as the game’s biggest and smallest nations duel for glory. To better document the drama the rankings serve up, the Rugby…
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Continue reading →: Rank outsiders: What rugby’s basement boys tell us about the health of the gameAuthor: Du Toit McLachlan The World Rugby Rankings of the 18th and 25th of August 2025 told the story of the previous two weekends’ tumultuous results: the Springboks had been dislodged from their position atop the men’s rankings, replaced by the All Blacks and sliding back to third behind Ireland…
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Continue reading →: The first short rugby union tour: Scotland in South Africa 1960Author: Jer McLachlan Why are we travelling back into history? On 21 July 2025, the then-oldest living Springbok, Des van Jaarsveldt, passed away, having reached the advanced age of 96 years and 112 days. We became aware of this when Mark Alexander, the President of the South African Rugby Union,…
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To the Rugby Historian
The Rugby Historian is the brainchild of Jer McLachlan, a rugby fanatic who has loved the game since he was in primary school. The blog will dive into the history of rugby, telling stories of long-forgotten heroes and providing context to modern debates.
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