Women’s rugby can teach the men’s game exactly what it needs right now Sport Business For the last 10 years, the story of women’s rugby has been told through the lens of investment and comparison. How quickly could it catch up with the men’s game? When would attendances improve? When would broadcasters pay for it and big brand sponsors follow? Those were understandable questions, but they are now the wrong [...]
Prem Rugby needs a draft, but not one for the very best players Sport Business Top flight domestic rugby is back this weekend in the form of the Prem Rugby Cup – the former Anglo-Welsh, British and Irish, and inter-Prem/Champ competition that is now just a little bit of a nothing league. But that’s for another day. Because the return of rugby in England feels underhyped. We’ve had an entire [...]
Why the smart money should be on rugby sevens Sport Business Why should we be taking more notice of rugby sevens at the moment, asks former player Jim Hamilton. There are different versions of rugby, and while the 15-a-side game will always be my Everest, sevens offers something completely different. The sport is simple to follow, fast and incredibly athletic, and it allows individual personalities and [...]
South Africa need cash from New Zealand Tests but All Blacks fans not like Lions August 21, 2026 It is quite simple really: the Greatest Rivalry series between South Africa and New Zealand, which starts on Saturday, needs to be a real money-spinner for the Springboks. It should see every seat occupied for the three Tests – in Johannesburg and Cape Town – and healthy crowds for the All Blacks matches against the [...]
London City 7s sign up Springbok-producing powerhouse varsity team August 19, 2026 In less than a month a Springbok-producing university team will join Bordeaux at the London City 7s. This Saturday the Greatest Rivalry resumes as New Zealand take on South Africa at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. It is the first time the All Blacks have undertaken a full tour of South Africa in 30 years. Up [...]
South Africa sport minister on Olympics bid, Formula 1, Springboks and LIV Golf August 17, 2026 When you think of sport in South Africa images from the 1995 Rugby World Cup come to mind alongside the sound of vuvuzelas en masse in 2010 and Chad le Clos (and his father, Bert) at the London 2012 Olympic Games. But there remains a feeling that the Rainbow Nation, and the wider African continent [...]
Ticket price hikes proof Wales Rugby Union is tone deaf to loyal fan concerns August 14, 2026 Earlier this month the Wales Rugby Union announced ticket price hikes for the Six Nations and if nothing else it is utterly tone deaf. Over the Severn Bridge the sport is in turmoil, with regions fighting for their lives not only because of difficult macroeconomic factors but because their own governing body is actively trying [...]
Exclusive: Rugby League monitoring Henry Pollock amid £1m Hearn wage demands August 12, 2026 Henry Pollock could find himself at the centre of a rugby bidding war with top flight league clubs monitoring the union star amid uncertainty over his future, City AM can reveal. The 21-year-old flanker has emerged as one of England rugby’s most popular players, earning a reported £150,000 per year at Prem Rugby champions Northampton [...]
Prem Rugby team ditch Big Game fixture at Premier League ground August 10, 2026 Prem Rugby club Gloucester have cancelled a planned fixture at Aston Villa’s Villa Park after its inaugural staging last season was criticised by fans. A Slater Cup fixture between Gloucester and Leicester Tigers was held at the Premier League ground last season, with a number of discounted tickets helping the attendance top 20,000 – around [...]
Champions Cup rugby team hacked in ransom attack with player data at risk August 7, 2026 Champions Cup rugby club Stade Francais has said it is the victim of a cyber attack, with reports stating players’ identity documents are being held to ransom. Cybercriminals have reportedly threatened to release documents relating to players, having already unveiled a number of identifiable documents belonging to 18 players. “Immediate containment, investigation and recovery measures [...]