The Rugby World Players’ Issue has hit the shelves and is already in the hands of subscribers. In our May 2024 edition, we seek to find out what the players really think about the game and where it’s heading.

In our Big Interview with Lewis Ludlam, the outgoing Northampton Saints flanker believes we should stop apologising for the nature of the sport, saying: “It’s time to celebrate the physical side of rugby”.

Related: Ireland win the 2024 Six Nations to claim back-to-back titles

Elsewhere, Stuart Barnes examines how Andy Farrell’s Ireland bounced back from losing to England to claim back-to-back Six Nations titles on Super Saturday and also selects his Lions team for next year if it was being picked off the back of the championship.

What is in the Rugby World Players’ Issue – May 2024 edition?

• WHAT PLAYERS REALLY THINK

Editor Alan Dymock speaks to elite players across the global game who tell us what they really think about key issues like wages, training loads, rugby’s laws and media demands plus much more. The results are quite surprising…

• BIG INTERVIEW: Lewis Ludlam

The Northampton Saints man tell us why he is leaving the Premiership, why rugby must celebrate its physicality and how he has fostered his artistic side

• HOW THE SIX NATIONS WAS WON

Stuart Barnes unpicks how Ireland made it back-to-back titles, albeit missing out on history with a second straight Slam.

• INSIDE SPAIN’S WORLD CUP BID

Francisco Isaac speaks to Spanish federation president Juan Carlos Martín Sánchez who confirms that the country are looking at making a bid for the men’s Rugby World Cup in 2035

• NATIONAL IDENTITY: Inside Scotland’s global recruitment

The accents in the Scotland squad often gets people talking – but is it actually a big deal? Tom English finds out…

• LARK DE TRIOMPHE: England’s try-scoring machine Lark Atkin-Davies

Alan Pearey chats to the prolific No 2 as the Red Roses look to assert their dominance in the ongoing Women’s Six Nations

• MY DAY OFF: Raffi Quirke – barbering

Our very own Josh Graham travelled to Sale to get his haircut by scrum-half Raffi Quirke who let us into his life on and off the pitch while we were in the chair…

• MEET YOUR HERO: George Hendy and Jason Robinson

In an exciting brand-new feature, we get young up-and-coming rugby players to interview their heroes. In the first instalment, Northampton Saints full-back George Hendy picks the brains of World Cup-winner Jason Robinson…

• GREEN SHOOTS

Benetton have been flying in the URC, so Mark Palmer looks at how things have turned around in Treviso…

What else is in this issue of Rugby World?

• Downtime with Wales hooker Kelsey Jones
• Club hero: Mike Brown
• Inside the mind of France women’s captain Manaé Feleu
• Grass Roots Heroes: Our new spread highlighting news and individuals from the community game
• Grass Roots Feature: We chat to Raynes Park legend Russ Price who is still playing First XV rugby at the age of 65!
• The Analyst: The remarkable rise of Cam Winnett
• Generation Game: Jon Cardinelli speaks to Springbok legend André Venter and his son André-Hugo
• Rising Stars: Ben Redshaw and Rob Carmichael
• Remember When… England slammed door on Wales in 1994 Six Nations
• What it’s like to… Defend your Paralympic title, Alan Pearey checks in on the GB wheelchair rugby team
• Ten things you should know about… The Hong Kong Sevens
• Stephen Jones on European competition venues

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