Aug 19, 2000: London Irish gained revenge for their pre-season eviction from The Stoop by storming to a Chris Sheaby-inspired victory
Aug 19, 2000: Rejuvenated Sale Sharks pulled off a shock victory as they defeated one of the favourites for the title Bath by a single point and sent a strong message to any clubs who might have written them off as no-hopers
Aug 18, 2000: Tim Stimpson has an extra motivation for trying to make the British Lions tour to Australia this summer he is out to banish the worst 12 months of his life to distant memory
Aug 18, 2000: Bath coach Jon Callard has delivered a shuddering eve-of-season message to England's Zurich Premiership elite, claiming: ``Leicester are streets ahead''
Aug 18, 2000: Dave Scully's face beams into the camera as the victorious England squad celebrate their 1991 World Sevens triumph at Murrayfield
Aug 18, 2000: Second Division clubs have threatened legal action if automatic promotion and relegation is not re-instated
Aug 17, 2000: Howard Thomas, Chief Executive of English Rugby Partnerships, launched a vociferous defence of the policing of the £1.8 million salary cap imposed on Zurich Premiership clubs this season
Aug 17, 2000: Edinburgh Reivers will be without five players for their trip to Ulster in their final pre-season game tomorrow night
Aug 17, 2000: Frenchman Thomas Castaignede will make his Premiership debut when Saracens tackle Gloucester at Vicarage Road on Sunday
Aug 17, 2000: The three year sposnsorship deal for the English Premiership with Zurich Financial Services was announced at a Twickenham press conference on Thursday
Aug 17, 2000: Welsh international Leigh Davies will make his league debut for Bristol in Sunday's Premiership clash at newly-promoted Rotherham
Aug 17, 2000: Sale will give Premiership debuts to six players in Saturday's league opener against Bath at Heywood Road
Aug 17, 2000: Former England captain Lawrence Dallaglio could miss Wasps' opening three Premiership matches
Aug 16, 2000: France stayed on course for a third consecutive Students World Cup, beating England 34-15 Wednesday in a semi-final where the scoreline flattered the English
Aug 16, 2000: Leicester have signed South African centre Glen Gelderbloom on a 12-month contract
Aug 16, 2000: Dan Luger could be excused for concealing himself in cotton wool as Saracens prepare to take the wraps off their star-studded Premiership squad
Aug 15, 2000: England face a tough semi-final clash with holders France in the Students World Cup in L'Aquila tomorrow
Aug 14, 2000: Bristol were beaten by Newport in a pre-season friendly at Rodney Parade in a high scoring game in Saturday
Aug 14, 2000: Glasgow Caledonians coach Richie Dixon believes that the pre-season game at Northampton will give him a chance to further assess his side's potential
Aug 14, 2000: Newcastle have appointed second-row forward Doddie Weir as their captain for the new season
