London Wasps suspend Andy Powell & Tim Payne pending an internal investigation.

Painful.

 m.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/apr/ ... pe=article

 m.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/apr/ ... pe=article

[url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/club/8461264/Wasps-suspend-Andy-Powell-and-Tim-Payne-after-bar-altercation-with-football-fans.htmlWasps suspend Andy Powell andTim Payne after bar altercation with Football fans[/url
Another source for you guys. FWIW, always thought Powell is more of a joker then a bad un, lets hope it was nowlt serious.

Thanks joeydynamo. He may be a joker but he really didn't need another black mark against his name.

And a call for RU to move to summer- with an interesting point in the comments about why this will cause more harm than good to compete against RL in summer in the North... www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/20 ... f-comments

And a call for RU to move to summer- with an interesting point in the comments about why this will cause more harm than good to compete against RL in summer in the North... www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/20 ... f-comments

When the going gets tough... www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague ... ll_KR.html

When the going gets tough... www.sportinglife.com/rugbyleague ... ll_KR.html

Quote ="Urmston Wire"And a call for RU to move to summer- with an interesting point in the comments about why this will cause more harm than good to compete against RL in summer in the North... www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/20 ... f-comments'" Will union ever come up with an idea of their own? Can't read the comments on my iPhone so will have to wait till I can get my hands on a good old PC. Great to see folk in rugby union doing their best to dispel the upper-middle class snobbish stereotype. Tony Rowe will receive at Stockport following his remarks about Edgeley Park. "I'm going to Sale on Friday and I'm not really looking forward to sitting in a tired old stadium where you've got to hold your nose when you go to the toilet," he said.

Quote ="Urmston Wire"And a call for RU to move to summer- with an interesting point in the comments about why this will cause more harm than good to compete against RL in summer in the North... www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/20 ... f-comments'" Will union ever come up with an idea of their own? Can't read the comments on my iPhone so will have to wait till I can get my hands on a good old PC. Great to see folk in rugby union doing their best to dispel the upper-middle class snobbish stereotype. Tony Rowe will receive at Stockport following his remarks about Edgeley Park. "I'm going to Sale on Friday and I'm not really looking forward to sitting in a tired old stadium where you've got to hold your nose when you go to the toilet," he said.

Quote ="Urmston Wire"And a call for RU to move to summer- with an interesting point in the comments about why this will cause more harm than good to compete against RL in summer in the North... www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/20 ... f-comments'" "A European Super-League?" Someone tell Mr. Kitson it already exists and has since 1995...but then again, if the 5Live presenter refers to Leeds/Bradford on Thursday as "Going to the rugby" as they did with whatever game was on last night, I may die with surprise.

Quote ="Urmston Wire"And a call for RU to move to summer- with an interesting point in the comments about why this will cause more harm than good to compete against RL in summer in the North... www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/20 ... f-comments'" "A European Super-League?" Someone tell Mr. Kitson it already exists and has since 1995...but then again, if the 5Live presenter refers to Leeds/Bradford on Thursday as "Going to the rugby" as they did with whatever game was on last night, I may die with surprise.

It's rife throughout Radio 5, Gabby Logan probably being the worst. Thank god for George Riley's presence.

I'm thinking Crusaders have dodged a bullet when Powell went to Wasps instead of moving to league...

And you're not alone.
Not too sure a move to league was ever going to actually happen though.

And yet the article makes no mention of the fact that Brian Kennedy hasn't improved the place in the slightest, though a commentator below does.

Quote ="Catalancs"And you're not alone. Not too sure a move to league was ever going to actually happen though.'" And on tonight back page of the standard. www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard- ... -powell.do

Quote ="Catalancs"And you're not alone. Not too sure a move to league was ever going to actually happen though.'" And on tonight back page of the standard. www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard- ... -powell.do

So the lad is set upon while having a drink with a teammate and loses a lot of blood in the process. His club then look to sack him.
I kind of hope they do then he takes them to court.

RFU gambles on England's World Cup success with £250,000 wager. m.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/apr/ ... pe=article

RFU gambles on England's World Cup success with £250,000 wager. m.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/apr/ ... pe=article

Caught this in today's I www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugb ... 70522.html

Caught this in today's I www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugb ... 70522.html

From the article posted by Dids858:

Hmmm, do you think Hewitts tongue was firmly in cheek when he wrote that?

See Tony Rowe's comments above.

Why the RFU is short-changing Championship clubs Despite the Union reorganising the second tier three years ago to make it leaner and more competitive, little has changed m.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/apr/ ... pe=article Exeter spent £12m getting Sandy Park up to Premiership standard. Rowe said the criteria were so exacting that they had to measure every urinal to make sure it was at least 60mm apart from the next one. An extra 5cm had to be added on to a door to a medical room. Sale have been looking to raise £8m to redevelop Edgeley Park. They lost £1.5m last year and have only once broken even in the professional era. The RFU slimmed down the Championship, with the aim of getting rid of clubs happy to coast at that level with no ambition of going up. Yet what has changed, apart from the size of the division? The Union has not been prepared to back its mouth with money. Worcester were relegated this season and they are the only ones who can go up. Too much attention put on the top division leaving many smaller clubs to swim with the sharks. Is professional rugby union viable outside the premiership? Looking at clubs like Sale Sharks, how many clubs are viable full stop?

Why the RFU is short-changing Championship clubs Despite the Union reorganising the second tier three years ago to make it leaner and more competitive, little has changed m.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/apr/ ... pe=article Exeter spent £12m getting Sandy Park up to Premiership standard. Rowe said the criteria were so exacting that they had to measure every urinal to make sure it was at least 60mm apart from the next one. An extra 5cm had to be added on to a door to a medical room. Sale have been looking to raise £8m to redevelop Edgeley Park. They lost £1.5m last year and have only once broken even in the professional era. The RFU slimmed down the Championship, with the aim of getting rid of clubs happy to coast at that level with no ambition of going up. Yet what has changed, apart from the size of the division? The Union has not been prepared to back its mouth with money. Worcester were relegated this season and they are the only ones who can go up. Too much attention put on the top division leaving many smaller clubs to swim with the sharks. Is professional rugby union viable outside the premiership? Looking at clubs like Sale Sharks, how many clubs are viable full stop?

Gavin Henson - will he ever learn? m.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/apr/ ... pe=article Where now? Who will be willing to risk it with him?

Gavin Henson - will he ever learn? m.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/apr/ ... pe=article Where now? Who will be willing to risk it with him?

Last home game of the season for Sale Sharks yesterday coming off the back of their big game at the Reebok. As well as the longer-serving Charlie Hodgson and Chris Jones, there were several other players making their final home appearances for Sale Sharks against Exeter Chiefs on Friday afternoon. They included Chris Bell, Carl Fearns and Eifion Lewis Roberts.
I said their next home game would be the true test of whether the Bolton experiment had been a success or not. Average attendance at Edgeley Park has been around 7,400 this season so it was interesting to see what effect the 'rugby at the Reebok' factor would have.
7,482 turned up, oh and they lost.

St. George's Day game 2010 - Wasps vs. Bath, 60,208

St. George's Day game 2011 - Wasps vs. Bath, 38,074

A good gate but they would have to worry about the drop off

So, the current England Rugby Union captain is at the Royal Wedding today – as far as I am aware, James Graham didn’t get an invite

And there are people who claim that the old barriers have been broken down... this country is still rife with elitism and class wars

Quins RL take heed