Here are the latest rugby headlines on Sunday, May 14.
Moriarty's new club relegated
Ross Moriarty's new side Brive have been relegated from France's Top 14.
Moriarty, who joined the club in April on a contract until 2025, was unable to help them survive the drop into Pro D2 despite some impressive personal performances and will now be playing second-tier rugby next season.
Brive lost 16-13 at home to Castres in a match they simply had to win after relegation rivals Perpignan stunned league leaders Toulouse 26-21 earlier in the day. It means Brive are now seven points behind them with one match left and cannot catch them.
The Welshman has given up the chance of playing for Wales at the World Cup in order to settle in France with his family. He told Warren Gatland he did not want to be considered for selection, revealing to AFP: “The stage I’m at in my career, in my personal life, with my family and where I want to play my rugby I didn’t think going on a long World Cup camp, being away from the club, where I’ve only just signed, would do me any favours.
“I want to put my best foot forward with my new club, it’s a brand new start, I think that was the best decision for me."
Reffell misses out on final
Sale Sharks reached a first Gallagher Premiership final since 2006 as Tommy Reffell's Leicester Tigers missed out on defending their title.
The Wales openside showed up well with a couple of impressive first-half turnovers, but it wasn't to be as the spirited Tigers fell to a 21-13 defeat at the AJ Bell Stadium.
Two penalties from Jimmy Gopperth had given Leicester an early lead, but it was Sale - who finished second in the league - who led at the break thanks to Tom Roebuck's try.
Harry Potter's score put Leicester ahead early in the second-half, but a try from Aaron Reed and the boot of George Ford against his former club was enough to seal Sale's place in the final at Twickenham.
They'll now face Saracens on May 27th, after Sarries saw off Northampton on Saturday.
French prop faces criminal court decision
France prop Mohamed Haouas will discover his fate in criminal court on June 30 - just over two months before the Rugby World Cup.
AFP report prosecutors have asked that he receive a two-year suspended sentence for his alleged role in a brawl in which he and his friends are accused of attacking like “a pack of wolves”.
Haouas, 29, is on trial in Montpellier, along with five friends, over the incident from his youth 10 years ago.
Haouas, who has 16 caps, was part of the Six Nations squad this year but was sent off for a headbutt against Scotland and banned.
He faces charges of "aggravated violence" and "destruction of property of others" following the incident on New Year’s Day, 2014.
Sinfield's special moment
England defence coach Kevin Sinfield carried Rob Burrow over the finish line at the inaugural Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon after pushing his great friend and former Leeds Rhinos team-mate for 26.2 miles on Sunday.
With just a couple of metres left to go, Sinfield lifted Burrow out of his specially adapted wheelchair and the pair completed the course together in an emotional conclusion at Headingley Stadium.
As a crowd cheered them on, Sinfield gave Burrow, who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in late 2019, a kiss of affection after joining 12,500 other runners in Leeds' first marathon in 20 years. You can watch the special moment here.
Sinfield has raised more than £8million for MND charities after several other ventures, including an Ultra 7 in 7 Challenge in November when he ran seven back-to-back ultra-marathons.
In late 2020, Sinfield ran seven marathons in seven days and in 2021 he completed a run of 101 miles in 24 hours.
Sunday's event, plus the Leeds Half Marathon which also took place on Sunday, was held by Leeds City Council in partnership with Jane Tomlinson's Run For All charity and has already surpassed the £1m fundraising mark.
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