Anglia Rugby News

Bedford Blues Rugby Club has failed to meet the standards required to be eligible for promotion to the Aviva Premiership.

An independent report has concluded that the club does not meet the minmum requirements as defined by the Professional Game Board.

Other promotion chasing clubs , Newcastle Falcolns, Leeds Carnegie and Nottingham Rugby have passed the standards test.

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• Bedford Blues
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No many rugby contests come bigger than Northampton Saints against Leicester Tigers on Saturday. Again there's plenty at stake with both clubs still in the hunt for the Premiership title.

The Saints, however, have lost the last six meetings against their fierce rivals.

Director of Rugby Jim Mallinder is hoping they can halt that sequence at Franklin's Gardens.

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• Northampton Saints

Although some railways were saved from Dr Beeching's axe, hundreds of others were closed, seemingly gone forever. Among them the line between Peterborough and Rugby.

ITV News Anglia reporter Claire McGlasson took a trip along a route now consigned to the history books.

• UK
• Peterborough
• Rugby

It has been reported that Northampton Saints are targeting Wales star George North.

The 31-times capped winger has more than a year left on his Scarlets contract, but the 20-year-old's agent Christian Abt is said to have confirmed that talk are taking place over a possible transfer to Saints.

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• Northampton Saints
• rugby

Back-to-back wins for Northampton Saints certainly led to a positive forum between season ticket holders and Saints chairman Leon Barnwell on Thursday night.

A couple of players were able to transmit some of that positivity during a visit to one of the town's primary schools ahead of the visit by London Irish on Saturday.

Click below to watch a report by ITV News Anglia's Sports Correspondent Donovan Blake:

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• Northampton Saints

Northampton Saints' players Courtney Lawes, Tom Wood and Dylan Hartley have been named in the team to play France in the RBS 6 Nations Rugby match at Twickenham on Saturday.

Norfolk player Ben Youngs is also in the starting line-up. His brother, Tom, has been named as a replacement.

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• Rugby
• 6 nations

In Rugby Union there's been a big blow for Northampton Saints and England today after flanker Calum Clark confirmed he needs a shoulder operation.

The 23-year-old was injured in the weekend Heineken Cup defeat against Glasgow and has said he'll be out of action for the foreseeable future.

As well as being a crucial stage of the season for Saints, it also means that Clark is almost certain to miss the whole of the Six Nations championship which begins next month.

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• Rugby
• Northampton

Northampton Saints lost by a single point and the thickness of the crossbar against Saracens in the Premiership this afternoon.

Saracens raced into an early 11-0 lead at the Stadium:MK, but a Phil Dowson try and a conversion, plus a penalty from Stephen Myler brought Saints back to 11-10 at the break.

The second was tight, with the teams exchanging penalties. But with the 80 minutes up, fly-half Stephen Myler had a long range chance to win it for Saints - but his penalty attempt hit the cross bar and came back, giving Saracens victory by 17 points to 16.

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• Northampton