The times they are a-changin’… Bob Dylan’s timeless message is certainly apt when one looks at the rugby landscape, and thankfully, it’s changing for the good. This weekend, Keegan Hirst of the Batley Bulldogs became the first openly gay British rugby league professional. Hirst, a father of two, made the decision to publicly announce his sexual orientation through an interview with the …

First we lost Tommy O’Donnell, and now this…. There’s more bad news coming out of the Irish camp following last weekend’s victory over Wales. Although the manner of the victory was satisfying, it has come at a cost with Andrew Trimble struggling with a nasty foot injury. Speaking at the pre-match press conference ahead of the clash with Scotland this …

Tyrone’s Tiernan McCann will be handed an eight-week ban for his simulation during last weekend’s All-Ireland Quarter-Final, which ultimately led to the dismissal of Monaghan’s Darren Hughes. Hughes appeared to tousle McCann’s hair, and the forward dropped to the floor theatrically as though he had been struck in the head. As per Colm Keys of the Irish Independent, the GAA’s …

Michael Hooper is our pet-hate in the Pundit Arena office; we love to hate him, but secretly wish he was on our team every week. There’s no doubt about it, Hooper is a divisive character. However, the 23-year-old flanker is incredibly talented and possesses the heart of a lion. Rushes of blood to the head may sully Hooper’s reputation, but …

Australia are growing in strength with every game, and you’d be a fool to write them off for this year’s World Cup. Powerful, precise, potent. Michael Cheika’s Wallabies’ are peaking at the right time and their defeat of the All Blacks over the weekend should send a clear message to their doubters; this team are contenders for the Webb Ellis Cup. A YouTube …

Okay, so maybe we’re exaggerating a little bit, but the return of cult hero Alessandro Diamanti to the Premier League is really whetting our footballing appetites ahead of the season openers this weekend. Diamanti is on the brink of sealing a move to Watford and fans of the Premier League newcomers must be looking forward to some crackers. The old …

Hurricanes’ TJ Perenara stands at just 6 foot, but the halfback jumps like Michael Jordan. The same however, cannot be said for his New Zealand teammate Jerome Kaino. With Kaino standing at almost 6 foot 4 and a half inches, one would expect the Blues’ flanker to easily outjump Perenara right? Wrong. Perenara’s explosiveness sees him fly through the air …

As it’s Friday, we’ve decided to add a Bledisloe Cup theme to this week’s fill of rugby porn. The Bledisloe Cup takes place on Saturday, with both New Zealand and Australia fancying their chances of a victory in Sydney. What better way to prepare yourself for the upcoming epic tussle than to look back on some of the greatest moments …

Jack Wheelchair’s Wilshere’s ongoing battle with injuries took another turn for the worst this week when it emerged that he had a hairline fracture on his fibula and would be sidelined for up to three months. Get Arsenal at a whopping 20/1 to win the Premier League title. Click here. While this may seem like a major blow to Arsenal fans …

After months and months of us pleading Nehe Milner-Skudder’s case for inclusion in the New Zealand squad, it looks like our dreams could be about to come true. If reports are to be believed, Steve Hansen could be ready to throw the explosive utility man in at the deep end. These were the scenes at Pundit Arena HQ when we first …

This is quite simply one of the most emotional and spine-tingling hakas we’ve ever seen… Palmerston North Boys’ High School in New Zealand sadly lost one of their teachers in the past week and this incredible tribute from the students will leave you with chills running down your spine and tears rolling down your face. The entire school performed the iconic …

The Corrigan Brothers have come up with some classics in their day, but this latest belter, titled Tipp Thumpin’, is sure to be an instant classic. We’ve had it on repeat here at Pundit Arena HQ all morning and it’s set to be a bigger hit than Irish classics ‘G-G-G-Galway’ from DJ Gaillimh, and the iconic ‘Jimmy’s Winning Matches’ from …

Devin Toner has enjoyed an incredible rise to prominence over the last few years, firmly establishing himself as one of Ireland’s top performers during their back-to-back Six Nations victories. However, while his 6ft 8 frame is of great benefit during lineouts, the same cannot be said when it comes to advertisements. Canterbury released their latest ad for the upcoming Rugby …

Controversy rarely seems far from the enigmatic Quade Cooper, the Australian fly half allowing his emotions to boil over via social media over the weekend. In an expletive laden rant, Cooper took to Twitter over the weekend to blow off some steam. Although it was unclear why the Wallaby was so vocal, many believed it was due to his exclusion …

Johnny Glynn was exceptional today during Galway’s convincing 2-28 to 0-22 defeat of Cork in Thurles. In a game that was littered with great moments, the best of all was saved for after the final whistle. Glynn was interviewed by RTÉ and asked what he thought about the belief that Galway have just one forward (Joe Canning). His reaction was superb. …

Iker Casillas conceded the first goals of his Porto career yesterday, as he looks to rebuild his reputation following some tough times at Real Madrid. The Los Blancos legend devoted two decades to Madrid, but was frozen out in the last two seasons, ultimately leading to an acrimonious exit to Portugal. Any genuine footballing fan of the last twenty years …