Rugby Journal

The Rugby Journal is the home of big rugby reads. A print quarterly that not only should take pride of place on any bookshelf, but one that digs deep into rugby unlike any other publication. Within the refined pages of the Rugby Journal, the greats (from Campese and Carling to Edwards and Isherwood) share their life stories, and a truly global game is explored, be it in Chile or China, Spain or Shetland, India or the Isle of Man. Rugby clubs aren’t just covered, they’re uncovered, revealing their past, present, and future through the many voices that make them what they are. And we’re not just talking about the Cardiffs, Castres, Bristols, and Bordeauxs of this world. It’s also about the Brixhams, Merthyrs, Clontarfs, and Stirlings. Every level of the game has incredible stories to tell, and the Rugby Journal is where you find them, beautifully told by the best storytellers.

RUGBY 31 • In the end, the final result seemed inevitable, the Red Roses were world champions and years of dominance finally paid off.

Rugby Journal

THE GAME • KINGSTON PARK’S FIRST SELL-OUT IN OVER SEVEN YEARS MARKED A NEW ERA FOR RUGBY IN NEWCASTLE, AS THE RED BULLS KICKED OFF THEIR PREM SEASON AGAINST SARACENS.

ALEX MATTHEWS • Even with a professional contract being offered, Alex Matthews didn’t want to sign it. She was questioning herself, her mindset, even her ability to pass and catch a rugby ball. But, she loved rugby. Really loved rugby. She just had to rediscover that love, then who knew what might happen next.

WORCESTER WARRIORS • It’s been more than one thousand days since Sixways last hosted its beloved Worcester Warriors. But, amid the wreckage of a terrible era in Premiership history that saw three clubs disappear from view, Worcester have risen again. And Sixways has never known a night like it.

DAN CARTER • CHRISTCHURCH HIGH SCHOOL WAS FAMED FOR PRODUCING ALL BLACKS, AND WHEN DAN CARTER ARRIVED AS A TEENAGER HE WAS OVERWHELMED BY WHAT HE SAW. SO MUCH SO, HE LOST HIS LOVE FOR THE GAME, OPTING TO AVOID SENIOR RUGBY AND INSTEAD PLAY WITH HIS MATES. IT COULD HAVE MEANT THE END OF HIS RUGBY DREAMS, BUT INSTEAD IT WAS THE BEGINNING.

WOMEN’S RUGBY WORLD CUP • The 2025 Rugby World Cup didn’t just change the game, it set new standards across women’s rugby. It was more than just a series of matches, it was a celebration of the sport, a true rugby carnival.

FRAN COTTON • The president needed the shirt to be in South Africa for the final, and it had to be the same number as the captain, it was important. It was more than a shirt, it was a symbol, for a country, for its future. Fran Cotton has done many things in rugby, but getting a shirt shipped to the Rainbow Nation for the 1995 World Cup final, might just top the lot.

EXE MEN • Otters serving pints, chaos from the back of the bus, poignancy in the toughest of times, Abide With Me, and a sea shanty for a finale, Exe Men is the rugby play everyone should see.

ORIGIN STORIES with #TheNationsNetwork • WITH A SIDEKICK CALLED REBEL, SHE REARS UP TO ONE HUNDRED CALVES BEFORE TRAINING WITH THE THREE-TIME CHAMPIONS OF ENGLAND. SHE SCORES TRIES IN HISTORIC FINALS, THEN RETURNS TO THE FARM. THIS IS THE DOUBLE LIFE OF GLOUCESTER-HARTPURY’S PIP HENDY.

CARLOS SPENCER • Graham Henry could only watch on in awe as Horowhenua’s 18-year-old fly-half weaved past one All Black, outran another and raced to the tryline for a breathtaking solo score. Even he couldn’t have known he was witnessing the birth of King Carlos.

ORRELL RUFC • RUGBY UNION’S ANSWER TO ICARUS, ORRELL SOARED THROUGH THE 1970S, ’80S AND ’90S WITH FAMED TEAMS AND PLAYERS, ONLY TO CRASH DOWN TO WHERE WE FIND THEM TODAY, LEVEL NINE OF THE RUGBY PYRAMID. BUT WITH AN UNLIKELY FORMER ENGLAND STAR NOW AT THE HELM, BRIGHTER DAYS COULD BE JUST AROUND THE CORNER FOR THE STORIED...