The latest rugby news from Wales and around the world
Former Wales head coach Warren Gatland(Image: YouTube/Dom Harvey)
Here are your rugby headlines for Tuesday, September 30.
Gatland calls media outlet ‘trash’ in stinging attack
Warren Gatland has launched a scathing attack on the New Zealand Herald, branding the newspaper that depicted him as a clown “trash” and vowing never to work with them again.
The former Wales head coach was speaking on The Dom Harvey Podcast when he revisited the infamous “clown-gate” saga of 2017, when the Herald depicted him as a clown during the British and Irish Lions tour.
Gatland later hit back by arriving at a press conference wearing a red clown nose.
Reflecting on the incident, Gatland accused the paper of running a campaign against him and claimed journalists were fed inside information to unsettle him.
“I don’t know what they [New Zealand Herald] were trying to do, but definitely it was a concerted effort by some people to put me off my stride and upset me during that tour,” he said.
“It was a journalist who had written a lot of stuff but never asked a question in a press conference. It’s one organisation I would never deal with again. I’d never ever do a story with them again.
“I just think they are trash, where I thought Sky was great in terms of the way they covered stuff. They were fair, and they were other outlets that I thought were pretty good.”
By contrast, he praised broadcasters such as Sky for what he called “fair and balanced” coverage.
Gatland admitted the saga never broke his resolve but acknowledged the personal impact of hostile media coverage, not just on coaches and players but also on their families.
“You have got to be careful,” he added. “I’m a little thicker-skinned than most people. I’m pretty strong, but it’s the impact it has on… I have seen it with players, and then it’s also their partner and then their mum and dad and brother and sister and wider group, they can take that stuff more to heart.
“With that clown stuff, there were times when my son and daughter wanted to go on and say something, and I said, ‘Just let it be’.
“But I can understand why people won’t deal with certain journalists or outlets because of what’s happened, and I fully understand and respect that I have been in that same situation myself.”
World Cup viewing figures officially released
The 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup has officially smashed records, becoming the most-watched tournament in the sport’s history.
England’s 33-13 win over Canada in the final at London’s Allianz Stadium capped a remarkable competition, with a world-record crowd of 81,885 watching the decider live.
Across the tournament, 444,456 tickets were sold – 92% of all available seats – with almost half a million fans attending matches.
The demand translated to TV too, with the final peaking at 5.8 million viewers on the BBC.
That figure made it not only the most-watched women’s rugby match ever in the UK, but also the most-watched rugby match of any kind this year.
The surge in interest stretched beyond the stands and screens. Join WalesOnline Rugby’s WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free
Players’ social media accounts recorded 219 million views, amplifying the global reach of the tournament and drawing in new audiences.
Notably, half of those who attended games had never seen women’s rugby live before – but 95% said they would watch again.
Tournament managing director Sarah Massey said: “This has been the most watched, most diverse and most empowering tournament we have ever seen. It’s shown women’s sport at its finest.”
World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin added: “It didn’t just raise the bar – it went stratospheric, broke records, changed perceptions and showcased the very best of our sport.”
Rassie Erasmus to make ’emotional’ Siya Kolisi decision
Springboks boss Rassie Erasmus admits he faces an “emotional” call over where Siya Kolisi will win his 100th cap.
The South Africa skipper reached 97 appearances in the victory over Argentina in Durban and is now just three Tests away from joining the Springbok centurion club, which already includes Eben Etzebeth and Willie le Roux.
If selected, Kolisi will move to 98 against Argentina in London before South Africa’s end-of-year tour, which features huge clashes with Japan, France, Italy, Ireland and Wales.
Erasmus is fully aware of the significance of the milestone but insists he cannot allow sentiment to dictate selection.
“There are so many emotional decisions one has to make,” said Erasmus. “We are tight and very good friends, and there’s a mutual belief in each other.
“But if you start thinking too much about it, that’s when you risk losing Tests. Whether Siya gets it against France or wherever, we’ll celebrate it properly when it happens.”
Erasmus also pointed out that Kolisi is not the only Springbok approaching a major landmark, with winger Makazole Mapimpi closing in on 50 caps and several younger players pushing for more international recognition.
“We want to get Mapimpi to his milestone too,” he added. “And there are guys like Kurt-Lee Arendse, Edwill van der Merwe and Aphelele Fassi, who we’re still looking at. We try to work it out as best as possible.”
With heavyweight fixtures against France, Ireland and Japan on the horizon, Erasmus says there will be no room to manipulate selection just to create a landmark occasion for Kolisi.
“He will have to take it as it comes,” he said.
World Rugby warns R360 league after Women’s World Cup success
World Rugby has warned that proposed breakaway competitions like R360 must work within existing structures if they are to succeed, after the Women’s Rugby World Cup smashed attendance and TV records.
Almost 450,000 tickets were sold for the six-week tournament in England, with half of those fans attending women’s rugby for the first time. A record 5.8 million people also tuned in on the BBC to watch England beat Canada in the final, making it the most-watched rugby match of the year in the UK.
R360 organisers, which include former England centre Mike Tindall, are pushing plans for a 12-team global franchise league staged across major city venues. Insiders say a detailed 120-page proposal has been submitted to World Rugby, although formal sanctioning has been delayed until next year.
World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin admitted the game needs fresh investment but argued the World Cup had proved the strength of the current international model. “Women’s rugby can deliver incredible quality, incredible audiences and incredible experiences,” he said. “The question is how to bring in investment that works with that, not against it.”
The Red Roses are among the key targets for R360, with some England stars understood to have already received approaches. However, players are believed to have delayed any talks until after their World Cup triumph, knowing the collective influence they hold as the sport’s most dominant team.