World Rugby chief executive Brett Gosper is to leave the organisation early next year and head National Football League (NFL) operations in Europe and the United Kingdom.

Argentina's rugby skipper Pablo Matera has been stripped of the captaincy and suspended alongside two other players after the emergence of racist posts on Twitter.

World Rugby has announced that the women's edition of the Rugby World Cup is to increase in size from 12 teams to 16 from 2025 onwards.

Incoming first team coach of the Wales women's rugby team Warren Abrahams and new skills coach, former captain Rachel Taylor, have expressed their excitement at their new appointments as they look to develop the squad ahead of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Russian Sports Minister Oleg Matytsin has claimed the country’s bid for the Rugby World Cup would not be impacted if the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA) loses its appeal against World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) sanctions.

Australia women’s rugby sevens star Charlotte Caslick has been assured Tokyo 2020 will go ahead - with Chef de Mission Ian Chesterman pledging to "put his house on it".

World Rugby has accepted Burkina Faso, Iran and Laos as new full members of the governing body, while Nepal and Panama have become associate members.

The World Rugby Council is to receive an evaluation of candidates to host the Rugby World Cup, rather than a recommendation of which one should win, and voting will be made public.

Kirill Yashenkov has vowed to raise the profile of European events and boost the commercial growth of rugby if elected Rugby Europe President, while he has encouraged the development of beach and snow rugby.

Octavian Morariu, who will seek a third term as President of Rugby Europe at the election scheduled for December 4, has rebutted the charge levelled by his Russian rival, Kirill Yashenkov, that the continental game outside Six Nations unions has "stagnated."

China's women's rugby sevens head coach Euan Mackintosh revealed the country is aiming to finish in the top eight at next year's Olympic Games in Tokyo.

New Zealand Rugby (NZ Rugby) chairman Brent Impey, has resigned from the same post at SANZAAR, calling for change within the body and requesting that it looks for an independent figure instead.

Hosts and defending champions New Zealand are set to play Australia in the 2021 Rugby World Cup group stage following the completion of the draw for the women's tournament. 

World Rugby has appointed Joël Jutge as its new head of match officials, with the Frenchman due to return to the governing body when his role starts in January.