January 2025

It’s a double whammy for Rugby World readers this month as not only does George Martin headline our Schools Special issue but all copies come with your FREE 2025 Lions legends calendar, ready to pin up for the New Year.

The likes of Jeremy Guscott, Willie John McBride and Barry John all feature across the months as the Lions go back on tour with all their fans in 2025 for the first time in eight years.

Read more: How to watch the final game of the Autumn Internationals

Watch the video

With the help of NextGenXV we rank the world’s top 12 rugby schools for the second year running – with some surprising results! Editor Joe Robinson heads to John Fisher for their inaugural State School Festival and concussion activist Sam Peters highlights how the school game is returning to a game of evasion.

What is in the Rugby World Schools Special?

  • GEORGE MARTIN EXCLUSIVE

We travelled to Leicester to chat to and photograph Leicester and England lock George Martin. The 23-year-old is an England regular who lets his rugby do the talking as he plays the role of the enforcer for club and country.

  • TOP 12 GLOBAL RUGBY SCHOOLS

With NextGenXV, we rank the best rugby-playing schools in the world. Did yours make the cut?

  • LOSING THE COLLISION?

Sam Peters examines how the school game is taking steps to move away from a game of collision back to a game of evasion amid the fears around concussions.

  • THE BUCKET LIST: STANDING IN THE SHED

Editor Joe Robinson went to Kingsholm to stand in the famous Shed stand as Gloucester played Bath for the latest instalment of our Bucket List series.

  • BEHIND THE SCENES: JOHN FISHER STATE SCHOOL RUGBY FESTIVAL

Joe Robinson went to Purley, Croydon to check out the state-school competitor for the renowned St Joseph’s Festival that takes place at the same time.

  • THE MAKING OF ROBBIE HENSHAW

Tom English chart the rise of the Ireland and Lions centre

  • STEPHEN JONES: YOUNG PLAYERS TO WATCH

Our columnist pinpoints the players from each home nation that are set to take centre stage

  • BIG INTERVIEW: SAM CANE

The former All Black captain reflects on reaching 100 caps and his time in the jersey as Japan beckons

What else is in this month’s Rugby World issue?

  • Downtime with Exeter’s Dan Frost: “I don’t believe in dinosaurs – the boys think it’s nuts!”
  • Where are they now? Paul Hodgson
  • Remember when Australia blitzed the home nations in 1984
  • Rising Stars: Craig Wright and Claudia Peña Hidalgo
  • Face-off: Do 20-minute red cards enhance the game?
  • Inside the mind of… Sale’s Le Roux Roets
  • The Kit Collection: Leicester Tigers 2001-2002
  • What it’s like to… Go on Tour with Emerging Ireland
  • Global: Mozambique on the move
  • Rugby firsts with Jamie Roberts
  • In the basket: Christmas gift guide
  • The Analyst: No one has skills like the All Blacks
  • Pro Insight: How to snipe at the ruck with Harlequins and England A scrum-half Will Porter
  • Secret Player on Christmas food guidelines

Download the digital edition of Rugby World straight to your tablet or subscribe to the print edition to get the magazine delivered to your door.

Follow Rugby World on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter/X.