Thursday Evening Round Up

Morgan Parra to miss the rest of the Six Nations with knee injury

France scrum-half Morgan Parra will miss the rest of the Six Nations tournament after being ruled out for 4-6 weeks with a knee injury.

Parra has not represented Les Bleus since the 2015 Rugby World Cup, but his impressive form for Clermont Auvergne earned him an international recall under Jacques Brunel. Full story

Mark Bakewell joins Leicester Tigers as forwards coach with immediate effect

The highly respected New Zealand-born coach Mark Bakewell has accepted the role of forwards coach at Leicester Tigers, the club can confirm.

Bakewell - who joined Bristol Rugby in February 2016 – agrees a three-year deal at Welford Road and departs with immediate effect. Full story

Nottingham Rugby club captain Matt Everard to retire

Current Nottingham Rugby club captain Matt Everard has announced that he will retire from playing professional rugby at the end of the current season.

The 27 year-old former England Under-20 international will be leaving The Bay to take up a full-time coaching role with Wasps academy, after five seasons with the Green and Whites, making 75 appearances to date, plus three successful years coaching Nottingham’s academy side. Full story

Blues trio suffer injuries in pre-season defeat

The Blues have suffered an early season season setback after loose forwards Jerome Kaino, Jimmy Tupou and Dalton Papali'i all suffered injuries in the Blues preseason clash against the Hurricanes.

The trio left the Mahurangi Rugby Club field in the first half and the extent of the injuries were not readily available to head coach Tana Umaga afterwards. Full story

Longbottom to return to the Force

After four seasons playing for Saracens and Sale Sharks in the UK, Kieran Longbottom will return to Perth to bolster the line-up of a renewed and re-energised Force side.

The Rockingham product made his debut in 2008 against the Chiefs, going on to earn 57 Super Caps in the blue jersey and was awarded the Force Man Award in 2011. Full story