Whether right or wrong, the sharks have moved to request an investigation.
I can understand that but I have to say players that make themselves guilty of this, should not be selected. For any professional team.
I’ve always been fascinated by those players who had no right to be a lion (only with hindsight I should add, when you look at their career). You know, the ones who had 1 great 6 nations/season building up to the Lions tour, get selected on form and merit, then after it’s over either never play international again or had severe dips in form. Usually you’d consider the Lions to be the ‘Greats’, and when you think about Farrell, Biggar, Alun Wyn Jones, Sexton, O’Connell, Warburton, Itoje, that tends to be the trend. Then you get the other end, the guys who were amazing for 1 season building up.
Some options would be from me:
- Ben Te’o, 18 England caps over 2 years, and 2 lions test caps?? Absolutely insane.
- Jared Payne, 20 Ireland Caps over 3y, made the Squad in 2017.
And when you then consider the likes of Jonny May, 70 caps for England, 2nd top try scorer for England, and one of the best wingers over 10y for England, he missed out to a Payne or a Tommy Seymour?
I know in the moment these men deserved there spots based on current form (subjectively) but it’s an interesting thing to think about to me.
Who’s your favourite?
Made a comment on his retirement post about how he played in every possible big game for England and won most of them, will go down as a great in a white shirt....yet elsewhere his career was very low key.
Never played for the Lions and barely played a big club game.
But on looking further, did he just never play a single play-off game and only played one Champions Cup knockout game (unused sub for the 2nd).
16 years, 2nd top try scorer in England history, 6th top try scorer in Premiership history. 200+ appearances in England.....zero play-off games?
He had made his debut but wasn't in the Gloucester squad for the Saracens game in 2011, he was at Leicester when Gloucester next made the play-offs, which coincided with Leicester's 4 year spell outside the play-offs for the first time in their history, before he returned to Glocuester.
Hard to get historical information anywhere - something Rugby needs to fix - but this feels like a crazy anomaly.
Is there anything else comparable?
* Noah Caluori - 5 tries twice, both for Saracens vs Sale Sharks in 2025 & 2026 (only player to have done it twice)
* Gabe Hamer-Webb - 5 tries for Leicester Tigers vs Newcastle RB in 2026
* Christian Wade - 6 tries for Wasps vs Worcester Warriors in 2016 (one of only two players to score more than 5 tries in a single game)
* Lesley Vainkolo - 5 tries for Gloucester vs Leeds Tykes in 2007
* Ryan Constable - 6 tries for Saracens vs Bedford in 2000 (one of only two players to score more than 5 tries in a single game)
Rugby Australia will establish an investment fund before the end of the year after the British and Irish Lions Tour helped to deliver the strongest financial result in its history.
The British and Irish Lions tour and improved ticket sales for Super Rugby and Test matches swung RA from a $36.8 million loss to a $70.6 million profit for the year ending December 31. RA is debt-free and has $31.4 million in cash.
The British and Irish Lions tour helped push Rugby Australia to its first surplus since 2022. Getty
“Not only did we outperform Rugby Australia’s targets and budgets, but every state government that we went to, we importantly outperformed their budget in terms of the economic impact on their state,” RA chief executive Phil Waugh said.
This was RA’s largest profit. The previous record was in 2003 when Australia hosted the World Cup and posted a surplus of $33 million. In 2013 – the last time it hosted a Lions Tour – it posted a $19 million profit. Its last surplus was $8.2 million in 2022.
It is challenging to compare the year-on-year financial performance of international sports codes, such as rugby union and cricket, because of variations in touring teams and World Cup calendars. There were seven rugby Test matches on home soil in 2025, bringing total revenue to $262.2 million, more than double the previous year.
Four of these Tests were sold-out, and the average attendance of Wallabies games was 53,308.
Match-day costs tripled to $49.6 million while player payments grew from $52.2 million to $59.7 million. The governing body owed $63.5 million to Pacific Equity Partners as part of an $80 million loan provided in 2023 when rugby union was in deep financial turmoil. It paid the loan back last August.
Investment fund next step Waugh said additional money generated last year would be used to stabilise the sport in periods when fewer Test matches were played on home soil.
“Where our vision is through that cycle, excluding Rugby World Cup 2027 and Rugby World Cup 2029, is that through that cycle, there will be a dollar surplus,” he said.
Former chairman Hamish McLennan floated a private equity-backed fund in 2022 as a way to shore up the sport’s future. The company’s new leadership decided to push ahead with a future investment fund model that mirrors what was set up by the Australian Olympic Committee after the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. It will involve putting some of the hosting fees as well as profits from the World Cup, into a vehicle.
The AOC uses about one-third of the fund to manage Olympic-related expenses. RA chief operating officer Richard Gardham said he was exploring the best way to establish the fund with a view to setting it up before the end of the year.
Waugh said: “Where we can leave a meaningful legacy for rugby in Australia is ensuring that the hosting fee that World Rugby invests in the game of rugby in Australia is quarantined into an investment fund which sets the game up here in perpetuity.”
Rugby Australia said it was experiencing growth in participation and accredited coaches and match officials, but the sport’s popularity is intrinsically tied to its on-field performance. In 2025, the Wallabies won five of 15 Test matches – the highest number of losses in a calendar year.
“We’ve stabilised the off field as well as the on the field, and we’ve retained the best talent or the majority of the best talent that we could, as well as attracted some new talent,” Waugh said.
“The performances still have some work to do – we’re still not comfortable with the level of consistency that we’re getting across our teams.”
Waugh said the arrival of former NRL stars Joseph-Aukuso Sua’ali’i and Zac Lomax, as well as the future arrival of Angus Crichton and Mark Nawaqanitawase, would continue to grow the game.
“They’re big profiles. They’re big bodies. Hopefully, that drives increased interest in rugby,” he said.
"But Mesley said he had been approached by multiple parties keen on joining Super Rugby Pacific should the competition look to expand beyond either a 10- or 11-team tournament into the future.
"We have inbound interest to join this competition." Mesley told ESPN. "There are a number of clubs from different parts of the world that are knocking on our door saying they want to be part of Super Rugby Pacific, which is great."
Discussion about upcoming Aus and USA world cups.
Weird one this - can see exactly why the officials gave a yellow card for a deliberate knock on at a line break opportunity, but the ball clearly goes backwards relative to the pitch - IFW touches it where the grass changes colour and it bounces in front of the Saints physio.
But the ball is travelling that direction (slightly towards the Exeter line) is due to the momentum of the pass from Saints, so he’s probably hit it forwards relative to the pass, but backwards relative to the pitch
As I said, can see why the ref would call it and I don’t have any particular agenda (aside from being mildly salty at the downvotes when I questioned if it had gone forwards on the match thread), just thought it was an interesting one
I don't think you can overstate how great this news is. Enoka has had a huge influence on the ABs during their most successful period.
Rennie seems to be making some great decisions so far.