Thanks to the miracle of the carrier pigeon and pony express, news has finally filtered through to the Bucket’s ears of all the goings-on at rugby outfit Western Force. After Kiwi ex-All Blacks type John Mitchell was installed, we all assumed everything would be relatively fine and left them to…

In news guaranteed to generate pity in absolutely no-one in Australia, the boss of failing French rugby team Toulon has been moaning about how it’s all gone wrong for him. “Volatile millionaire” (rich, interfering, mercenary tantrum-haver) Mourad Boudjellal has looked at the crop of big-name signings (including a knacked Sonny…

In his pursuit of cheap wealth through gambling, the Bucket has already been sadly humbled. Part one of his carefully thought-out trifecta (a team of English toddlers to beat the Wallabies for the Creche Cup) went west last night thanks to Matt Giteau, leaving only Fiji to beat the Kangaroos…

The Wallabies’ rugby tour is – like Movember – a bit hairy, slow-going and worthy, but sometime at Christ-I-should-really-get-to-bed o’clock on Sunday morning, the men in green and gold will actually play a game against the Poms with a little bit of interest in it. Both sides have seen big…

The Rugby World Cup created a new class in Australian society. An invisible class – you knew they were there; sometimes they asked for change on street corners. You would see them sat in the park, hoping the pigeons would accept food from them. On bad days, kids would poke…