Broadcast numbers out for first 9 Drua games[home&away various start times].Population of Fiji is 900K.Number of devices [phone,tablet,app]used to watch live on FTA average 175,000.Up 18% YoY. That's devices,not people.Quite extraordinary.We estimate 50% of country watching live.

On Sat, Elliot Millar Mills (note lack of hyphen, there's a story there) will be at Croke Park for Euro semi. A year ago he was on verge of quitting rugby. A remarkable tale featuring Brora, bigamy, belief (not all at same time) Times Sport The Times and The Sunday Times Scotland thetimes.co.uk/article/81d5ee…

Featuring one of the most extraordinary portfolios by Ukrainian photographer Mykola Synelnykov for Times Sport unseen gallery thetimes.co.uk/sport/photogra…

For the record, none of this changes the fact that Luke Pearce is a great referee. His desire to keep the game moving is to be applauded.
If that clashed with official procedure re Fin Smith (and I’m only assuming) then I’d back Pearce over protocol.

1 - Not sure Luke Pearce should have been giving a running countdown. Up to the player to manage it.

2 - RFU ref review obvs concluded that telling Fin Smith to hurry up in same situation was wrong.

3 - Just confirms that 60secs is too long for a pen kick.

🎙️🆕 Harlequins 🃏 Ruck special Times Sport

Come down to Guildford to hear from Quins before the #BigSummerKickOff

🃏Chandler Cunningham-South
🃏Cadan Murley
🃏Danny Wilson
🃏CEO Laurie Dalrymple

Stay for a top ✈️ 🍺 story! Alex Lowe 📰 Alfred Reynolds
open.spotify.com/episode/1vd2LA…

Phil Dowson on the RFU's new England contracts:

December 1: 'The DoRs are meeting to find out where we are with the RFU. The sooner it is sorted the better. Rugby needs direction.'

April 23: 'I've had no more clarity since the last time we spoke, which feels like months ago.'

Very reasonable ticket pricing for Wales games in November. They might lose all three but good value nonetheless given the opposition of RWC darlings Fiji and RWC champs SA, plus a potential Aussie revival under Joe Schmidt.

England newcomer Maddie Feaunati is standing on the shoulders of giants, inspired both by her father’s story and the pioneers of women’s rugby as she carves her own reputation with Red Roses.

England v Ireland at Twickenham. 2.15pm kick off.

thetimes.co.uk/article/6b6422…

England newcomer Maddie Feaunati is standing on the shoulders of giants, inspired both by her father’s story and the pioneers of women’s rugby as she carves her own reputation with Red Roses.

50k expected for Eng v Ire at Twickenham on Saturday.

1/3

thetimes.co.uk/article/6b6422…

Congratulations to The #PressAwards Daily Newspaper of the Year category winner The Times and The Sunday Times

Fascinated by these prediction models.

E.g. How do you groove in the Finn Factor for Bath? A 'significant' groin injury means his season is in the balance - and Orlando Bailey playing 10 v Exe & Sarries most likely.

Does that swing it again?!

More on Finn Times Sport later

🎙️ The Ruck podcast 🎙️

'If Faz wanted to take me, I'd bite his hand off.'

Will Kelleher talks to Adam Jones about his Lions coaching hopes and reviews the Champions Cup games with Alex Lowe 📰, Will Kelleher, Alan Dymock and Alfred Reynolds.

shows.acast.com/theruck/episod…

👀😬

Jordie Barrett will join Leinster in December on a six month deal.

Interesting one here in the Exeter game - each game they choose 2 non-playing players to watch the game and make notes on what they are seeing. They feed this into the attack coach before coaches meet with players. Great way to build team culture. Bernard Jackman

It’s not hard to see why Jack Willis is loving life in Toulouse. The fans chant his name and the team play some scintillating rugby.