Rugby evening headlines as England winger apologies to Ireland star for derogatory radio remarks

Here are your rugby evening headlines for Wednesday, May 11.

England star Chris Ashton has apologised to Ireland wing James Lowe over comments he made about the Leinster star a couple of years ago.

Lowe revealed that England wing Ashton said sorry to him in the aftermath of Leinster's Champions Cup quarter-final clash with Leicester Tigers. During an Autumn Nations Cup match in Twickenham, English winger Jonny May scored a spectacular solo try, which he began in his own 22.

While speaking on the BBC Sport Rugby Union Daily Podcast, Ashton criticised Lowe’s lack of pace in getting back to cover. “Where was James Lowe? He’s dragging a dresser back there. He’s too big. He’s dragging a tractor, mate, turning. I watched him during the game. He is too big, too heavy, too slow.”

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After Leinster's victory over Leicester, Lowe said: “He just apologised obviously. He said he was just caught in the moment and he obviously didn’t mean it. He said that he enjoyed the way I played, he loved how much I’ve grown as a player, and that was it.

“And I said, ‘Yup, that’s alright.’ But at the end of the day, he made his bed and he has got to sleep in it. But fair play, I understand he may have said some things he may not have meant in the heat of the moment. When you’re on live TV that’s what happened. That’s what you say.”

Plans for the new global competition would end South Africa's hopes of joining the Six Nations, according to reports.

Talks are currently ongoing in Dublin between the sport's leading unions over plans for a biennial competition that would see rugby's global calendar more closely aligned. You can