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2006 London Double Header
The London Double Header ran between 2004 and 2017 and typically opened the season of Premiership Rugby (currently known as the Gallagher Premiership due to sponsorship), the top rugby union league in England. Two games were played consecutively at Twickenham Stadium, originally involving the 'big four' London origin teams of the Premiership, Harlequins, London Irish, Saracens and Wasps (London Wasps until the 2014–15 season). Harlequins were relegated from the premiership at the end of the 2004–05 season and thus for the 2005–06 season Leeds Tykes were included instead. The same applied to London Irish in 2016 who were replaced. The matches form part of the regular season fixtures, with one team nominated as the home side for each match. Since 2008 (2016 being an exception) and the inception of The Big Game, Harlequins only compete in the double-header as an away side in order to reduce the number of home games they play away from Twickenham Stoop. From 2015 and followin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Premiership Rugby
Premiership Rugby, officially known as Gallagher Premiership Rugby, or the Gallagher Premiership for sponsorship reasons, is an English professional rugby union competition, consisting of 10 clubs, and is the top division of the English rugby union system. Premiership clubs qualify for Europe's two main club competitions, the European Rugby Champions Cup and the European Rugby Challenge Cup. The winner of the second division, the RFU Championship, is promoted to the Premiership and until 2020, the team finishing at the bottom of the Premiership each season was relegated to the Championship. The competition is regarded as one of the three top-level professional leagues in the Northern and Western Hemispheres, along with the Top 14 in France, and the cross-border United Rugby Championship for teams from Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Italy and South Africa. The competition has been played since 1987, and has evolved into the current Premiership system. The current champions are ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chris White (referee)
Chris White (born 16 July 1963) is a retired English international rugby referee. He was one of England's top rugby referees and has refereed at three Rugby World Cups. He started refereeing at 17 years of age and joined the Gloucester Referees Society in 1990. White was one of 16 referees appointed to the 1999 Rugby World Cup in Wales. He was also again selected as a referee at the 2003 Rugby World Cup in Australia. He refereed the semi-final of this competition between New Zealand and Australia. He was subsequently in charge of the 2005 Grand Slam decider between Wales and Ireland. During a 2007 Six Nations match between Italy and Wales, White ended the game after Wales, believing they had time to score a match winning try, kicked for touch from a penalty. White later apologised for the misunderstanding. White was selected for the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France, his third World Cup. White retired from test match rugby in 2010, refereeing 50 test matches in total. He has also ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Karl Dickson
Karl Dickson (born 2 August 1982 in Salisbury, England), is an English professional rugby union referee and former scrum half for Bedford Blues and Harlequins. He has previously coached at St. John's School, Leatherhead. Early life Dickson started rugby at Barnard Castle School and is a graduate from Coventry University. The Salisbury born scrum half is a graduate of the Bedford Blues academy system. Club career He was promoted to Bedford's senior team in 2004 and made over 100 appearances for the club until 2009 when he joined Harlequins. Although Karl was usually selected behind England scrum half Danny Care at Quins, he remained highly rated within the club with Harlequins Director of Rugby Conor O'Shea stating that he believed Dickson to be "among the best five scrum halves in the country". He was a replacement for Harlequins in their 2011–12 Premiership final victory over Leicester Tigers. On 24 April 2017, Dickson announced his retirement from professional rugb ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Andy Goode
Andrew James Goode (born 3 April 1980) is an English sports pundit and former rugby union player. Goode had an 18-year professional career playing over 400 games and scoring over 4,000 points. He played professionally in England, France and South Africa featuring for Leicester Tigers, Saracens, Worcester Warriors, Wasps and Newcastle Falcons in England's Premiership Rugby, CA Brive in France's Top 14 and for Super Rugby's in South Africa. Goode represented 17 times between 2005 and 2009 scoring 107 points. Goode is the second highest scorer of all time in Premiership Rugby, having previously been the record holder. During his career he won five Premiership titles (1999–2002 and 2007) and two European Cups (2001 and 2002) all with Leicester; he also won the RFU Championship with Worcester Warriors. Early life Born 3 April 1980 in Coventry, Goode attended King Henry VIII School in Coventry and Bromsgrove School in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire. He started playing ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tom Palmer (rugby Union)
Tom Palmer (born 27 March 1979 in Harringay, London) is a former English rugby union player. His position is a lock Early career He started playing mini rugby at age five with Barnet. Aged six he moved to Edinburgh, Scotland with his family, where he played for Boroughmuir RFC minis and Boroughmuir High School until he was 16. After his Highers, Palmer deferred his place at the University of Leeds for a year while he went to New Zealand. He spent 18 months at Otago Boys' High School, where he played for New Zealand Schoolboys before returning to the United Kingdom to start a degree course in Physics at the University of Leeds Club career He joined Leeds Tykes in 1997 and played for the U19's during his first year at university. He also won selection for the Scotland U19 and U21 sides. He then studied part-time when he was drafted into the first team squad in September 1998. He became the Tykes' first England international and the club's second longest serving player after ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Joe Launchbury
Joseph Oliver Launchbury (born 12 April 1991) is a former English rugby union lock. He represented England at international level and previously played for the under-18s and under-20s before making his Test debut in 2012. Launchbury plays mainly in the second row but is also comfortable as a blindside flanker. Club career Youth Born in Exeter. Launchbury was introduced to rugby by his first coach - Shaun Parkin at Exmouth RFC. Launchbury was educated at St John’s Sidmouth in East Devon, where he captained the school rugby team, and Christ's Hospital Horsham. He played for Horsham and also represented Barns Green before joining the Harlequins Academy age 15. After Harlequins failed to offer him a professional contract aged 18, he left the club and joined then National League 2 South side Worthing Raiders for the 2009–10 season. His performances at Worthing under Will Green, then head coach and former Wasps player, saw him recommended to his former club once again unde ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Greg Garner
Greg Garner (born 26 June 1980) is an international rugby union referee who represents the Rugby Football Union. He began officiating in 2000 at local rugby clubs in Coventry before joining the elite referee development at the RFU in 2008, and was part of the touch judge team in the 2008–09 English Premiership. In 2010, Garner was part of the IRB referee panel for the 2011 IRB Junior World Championship in Italy – refereeing 4 fixtures, before refereeing the final of the 2012 IRB Junior World Championship between hosts South Africa and New Zealand. He made his first appearance at Test match level during the 2012 end-of-year rugby union tests, where he officiated the Italy vs. Tonga Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania. The country has 171 islands, of which 45 are inhabited. Its total surface area is about , scattered over in the southern Pacific Ocean. accordin ... match. References {{DEFAULTSORT:Garner, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Owen Farrell
Owen Andrew Farrell (born Owen Andrew O'Loughlin, 24 September 1991) is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a Fly-half (rugby union), fly-half for Premiership Rugby club Saracens F.C., Saracens. He was the England captain from 2018 to 2023. Although fly-half is his preferred position, he frequently played at Centre (rugby union), inside centre at test level. He has spent the majority of his club career with Saracens. He spent a season on loan with Bedford Blues and played the 2024/25 season with French side Racing 92. He is known for his goal kicking prowess. Making his international debut in 2012, Farrell has represented England internationally. With over 1,200 points scored in over 100 tests, Farrell is one of the List of leading rugby union test point scorers, highest point scorers in test history, and holds the record for highest points scored as a player at both England and Saracens. He took a break from international rugby following the 2023 Rugby World ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chris Ashton
Christopher John Ashton (born 29 March 1987) is a retired English rugby union and former rugby league footballer, one of the few players who have represented England in both rugby codes. Ashton primarily played wing and secondarily played fullback. Ashton first played as a or for Wigan Warriors in rugby league's Super League competition and won four caps for England in 2006 and 2007. In 2007 Ashton signed for Northampton Saints in rugby union's Premiership, before moving to Saracens in 2012, Toulon in 2017, Sale in 2018 and Harlequins in 2020; he finished his career at Leicester Tigers in 2023. He made his debut for England in March 2010 and played regularly until 2014, including in the 2011 Rugby World Cup where he finished as the tournament's joint leading try-scorer. After a break of four years, he was recalled to the England squad in November 2018. In April 2022 he became the record try scorer in Premiership Rugby after scoring a hat trick against Bristol to take him ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mako Vunipola
Mako Vunipola (born 14 January 1991) is a professional rugby union player who plays as a loosehead prop for French club Vannes in the Top 14 He previously played for the England national team. Born in New Zealand to Tongan parents, he qualified for England through residency having lived and been educated in Wales and then England since the age of 7. Vunipola made his England debut in 2012 and has since won 79 caps. He toured with the British & Irish Lions in 2013, 2017 and 2021, winning 9 caps. He won the award for England Player of the Year in 2018. Early life Born in Wellington, New Zealand, son of Iesinga, Vunipola was raised for much of his childhood in Wales and attended Porth Junior School, and later West Monmouth School. He started playing rugby in Wales, and played alongside brother Billy for New Panteg RFC. His family then moved to Thornbury, Gloucestershire, and he attended the local comprehensive The Castle School and then Millfield. Club career Bristol Vunipola ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jamie George
Jamie Edward George (born 20 October 1990) is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a hooker for Premiership Rugby club Saracens and the England national team. Early life George played for local team Hertford RFC in his youth, until he was asked to join the Saracens Academy. George was educated at Haileybury and Imperial Service College and captained the Haileybury 1st XV for two years, in Lower Sixth and Upper Sixth, while also being a regular for the 1st XV in Y11. Club career George has played for Saracens since 2009 after training in the Saracens Academy from the age of 14. He had a short loan spell at Southend Saxons in the lower tiers of English rugby in 2008–09, however quickly caught the attention of Bobby Walsh in the Saracens management team to return the following season. 2009–14 In November 2009 George made his professional club debut for the Saracens first team against Northampton Saints in the Anglo-Welsh Cup. However this was the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ian Humphreys
Ian Humphreys (born 24 April 1982 in Belfast, Northern Ireland) is a retired Irish rugby union footballer, who played at fly-half for the Pro12 team Ulster Rugby and English sides Leicester Tigers and London Irish. He joined Ulster in 2008 from Leicester Tigers having previously played for Ulster at under 21 level where he captained them during the 2002/03 season and has also represented Ireland at U19, U21 and 'A' level, and captained the Irish side at the Rugby World Cup Sevens tournament in Hong Kong in March 2005. He had previously been named player of the tournament for the European Sevens qualifier in Poland. He is the younger brother of retired Ulster fly-half David Humphreys. Humphreys joined Leicester Tigers in 2005 from Belfast Harlequins. His first outing in Tigers stripes was at the Middlesex Sevens Tournament at Twickenham in August. During October 2006 Humphreys was loaned out to first division Leeds where he made 4 appearances, scoring 2 tries and a drop goal. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
