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Fissler Confidential: Exeter see off Saracens as NRL pinch NZ Olympian

Benjamin Coen of England kicks a conversion during the World Rugby U20 Championship 2024 match between England and Fiji at Athlone Stadium on July 04, 2024 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Grant Pitcher-Gallo Images/Getty Images)

Racing 92 are looking for a tighthead prop to fill one of their two injury joker spots that will help fill the void left by Siya Kolisi when he finalises his return to the Sharks. The Top 14 giants are still locked in talks with the Sharks as they look to agree on a transfer fee for the double Rugby World Cup-winning Springboks skipper, and they could be concluded as early as next week.

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RugbyPass understands that Racing want to claw back as much as possible of the R17million (£726,200) they paid out to sign him and they will then reinvest the money into signing a much-needed front rower.

Exeter Chiefs have seen off interest from several clubs, including former European and Premiership champions Saracens, to retain the services of England U20s fly-half Ben Coen.

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Rassie Erasmus sheds light on RG Snyman and Ruan Nortje’s niggles

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Rassie Erasmus sheds light on RG Snyman and Ruan Nortje’s niggles

The 19-year-old Teignmouth-born Coen, who made 14 BUCS Super Rugby appearances for Exeter University last season, only made his England debut against France U19s earlier in the year. He made five appearances for the England U20s, including starting the World Rugby Championship final victory over France and the semi-final win over Ireland in South Africa last month.

Bristol Bears owner Steve Lansdown is set to take his personal wealth to over £2billion if he cashes out his remaining six per cent stake in financial giants Hargreaves Lansdown, who are set to be snapped up in a £5.4bn deal.

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The 71-year-old Guernsey-based Lansdown, who also owns Bristol City Football Club, is estimated to be worth £1.9bn. He helped to make Hargreaves Lansdown, which started in a spare bedroom, the biggest DIY investment platform in the country.

A consortium of investors, including CVC, is set to complete a buy-out of the firm early next year, and Lansdown is expected to cut his remaining ties in return for cashing out his interests for around £309m.

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Newcastle Falcons might not be kicking off the Gallagher Premiership season until September 20 when they entertain Bristol, but they are already on the lookout for injury reinforcements. Steve Diamond has signed seven players ahead of the new season, six on a permanent basis, including Edinburgh tighthead Luan de Bruin and centre Connor Doherty on loan from his former club, Sale Sharks.

Ace wheeler dealer Diamond told a media call this week that he might be in the market for a lock, most likely on a short-term basis, because two players are recovering from operations. Diamond also confirmed he has stood down from his consultancy role at the RFU, where he was part of a group helping tier two teams improve standards.

The RFU got Diamond on board because of his experience in growing clubs sustainably and he was estimated to be paid around £20,000 a month. He told the media this week that he was no longer helping the RFU and is fully focused on his job with the Falcons, who finished bottom of the Premiership last season.

Melbourne Storm are poised to make a cross-code move to sign New Zealand sevens star Moses Leo now that his commitments at the Olympic Games in Paris have been completed. The NRL side met with North Harbour’s Leo, the 26-year-old bronze medalist at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, before he left.

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He helped the Kiwis finish in fifth place in France and is now expected to hold more talks after returning from Europe. Three years ago, after the delayed Tokyo Olympics, the Storm landed another New Zealand sevens star, Will Warbrick. He has proved to be a success, with 25 tries in 42 matches.

According to an industry expert, the RFU could earn as much as an eye-watering £130m from its partnership with insurance and business asset giant Allianz, whose headquarters are in Munich. RugbyPass understands that the partnership starts next month and that Twickenham, renamed Allianz Stadium, will swell RFU coffers by £13m a year for 10 years.

It represents a bargain for Allianz, who had been in talks with West Ham over a deal for the London Stadium and had been quoted almost double by another London Premier League club for naming rights to their ground.

US-qualified openside flanker Joe Johnston, who can play anywhere across the back row, is reported to be on his way back to New Zealand after a successful stint in the United States with the New England Free Jacks.

Johnson made 48 appearances for the Free Jacks, scoring eight tries, and was a member of the side that beat San Diego to win the 2023 MLR final. The 26-year-old, who started his career with the Bay of Plenty, is said to be heading home where he has agreed on a deal with Waikato to play in the NPC.

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J
JW 1 hour ago
Kyren Taumoefolau All Blacks stance splits opinions on eligibility

Yeah of course it can be, it manages a good commerical outcome when 100 million people are following it. I’m saying rugby is no where near even remotely close to getting the payoff you’re talking about, never mind the distinct lack of anyway to implement it.


So you’re going for the dirty approach. I’m not surprised, it’s the only way to easily implement it right now. I wouldn’t see the benefit to doing that myself. A draft, if purely feasible in it’s own right, doesn’t need to provide commercial benefit at all (if it works, that’s all it needs to do, as it no doubt did back in america’s heyday). But without the advantageous backing of sponsors and interest levels, if you pick the wrong method to implement it, like a dirty approach, you do potential harm to it’s acceptance.


The aspect’s of the approach you chose that I don’t like, is that the franchises are the ones spending the money of the U20’s only for there opposition to get first dibs. Personally, I would much prefer an investment into a proper pathway (which I can’t really see SR U20s being at all in anycase). I’m not exactly sure how the draft works in america, but I’m pretty sure it’s something like ‘anyone whishing to be pro has to sign for the draft’, and results in maybe 10 or 20% of those being drafted. The rest (that accumulative 80/90% year on year) do go back into club, pronvincial, or whatever they have there, and remain scouted and options to bring in on immediate notice for cover etc. You yes, you draw on everybody, but what is generating your interest in the drafties in the first plaec?


This is your missing peace. If some come through school and into the acadamies, which would be most, you’ve currently got three years of not seeing those players after they leave school. Those that miss and come in through club, maybe the second year theyre in the draft or whatever, aged 20/21, you’re going to have no clue how they’ve been playing. NPC is a high level, so any that are good enough to play that would already be drafted, but some late bloomers you might see come in NPC but then Sky’s not going to broadcast that anymore. So what’s generating this massive interest you’re talking about, and most importantly, how does it tie in with the other 7 clubs that will be drafting (and providing) players outside of NZ?


Is the next step to pump tens of millions into SRP U20s? That would be a good start for investment in the youth (to get onto international levels of pathway development) in the first place but are fans going to be interested to the same level as what happens in america? Baseball, as mentioned, has the minor leagues, if we use that model it hasn’t to be broad over the whole pacific, because you’re not having one draft right, they all have to play against each other. So here they get drafted young and sent out into a lower level thats more expansive that SR, is there interest in that? There would be for large parts, but how financially viable would it be. Twiggy tried to get a league started and NPC clubs joined. BOP and Taranaki want SR representation, do we have a mix of the biggest clubs and provinces/states make a couple of divisions? I think that is far more likely to fan interest and commerical capabilities than an U20 of the SR teams. Or ofc Uni fits a lot of options. I’ve not really read anything that has tried to nut out the feasability of a draft, it can certainly work if this spitballing is anything to go by, but I think first theres got to be a need for it far above just being a drafting level.

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