How sevens and Olympics can be commercial rugby lifeline August 6, 2026 Dan James argues that rugby sevens is a developmental step for some of the best players, and that can be a boon for a struggling sport. The rugby rumour mill has been turning again, as reports have circulated over the last fortnight that some of England’s young stars – Henry Pollock, Marcus Smith, Tommy Freeman, [...]
Exclusive: Twickenham residents branded anti-fun NIMBYs in rugby stadium row August 6, 2026 Twickenham residents have been accused of being part of the “anti-fun lobby” after a petition to restrict England Rugby’s plans to host most concerts at Allianz Stadium reached 3,000 signatures. The home of English rugby is able to host an unlimited number of sporting events but has submitted a planning application to Richmond Council asking [...]
Fifa want to sell the family silver but should World Rugby do the same? July 31, 2026 Selling stakes in commercial entities is like selling the family silver. So should World Rugby copy Fifa? Selling stakes in commercial entities – much like Fifa announced it wanted to do with the World Cup – is like selling the family silver. Global tournaments are pillars of sports with revenues and reach that soar during [...]
Saracens and Harlequins embracing athletics and hockey smart move for rugby July 24, 2026 Despite this weekend appearing to be the first in an eternity without top-flight rugby, the reality is that across England we have never had so little of it. Take Harlequins or Saracens, the two Prem Rugby clubs in London, and recent fixture announcements lay bare the underlying reason as to why so many teams make [...]
Exclusive: Bordeaux Begles to compete in London rugby sevens tournament July 22, 2026 Investec Champions Cup winners Bordeaux Begles will send a team to the London City 7s in a major coup for the Square Mile tournament. The showstopping French Top 14 outfit, who in May won their second consecutive European title, will participate in the second edition of the London sevens tournament, which takes place in September [...]
Exclusive: Rugby World Champions Cup set to be mothballed July 20, 2026 Plans for a rugby World Champions Cup are this week expected to be mothballed over calendar constraints and costs, City AM can reveal. Plans for a World Champions Cup – akin to the Fifa Club World Cup – were announced in 2025 with an inaugural competition set to be held in 2028. But a board [...]
What can the Rugby World Cup learn from US nailing of Fifa World Cup? July 17, 2026 With a United States Rugby World Cup just five years away, Ollie Phillips asks what can the sport learn from the Fifa World Cup. Sitting here in the UK looking across the Atlantic to a World Cup mainly staged in the United States, it is difficult not to get just a little bit excited about [...]
Politicians call for easing of private school stranglehold on elite rugby July 14, 2026 Politicians have called for an easing of the stranglehold private schools have on providing England with elite rugby players. Nearly two thirds of the matchday 23 that played Fiji at the weekend had some form of private or independent education, underlining concerns about the shortage of state-school pupils making it in the sport. Just last [...]
SailGP, rugby and PJL: Inside the new £50m budget sporting asset class July 14, 2026 With big money tickets ever harder to find, investors are looking far and wide for their next affordable investment. Big-money takeovers will always catch the eye; whether that be the multi-billion-pound purchase of Chelsea by a Todd Boehly-fronted consortium from Roman Abramovich, the £1.3bn takeover of Indian Premier League team Royal Challengers Bengaluru by a [...]
Will the Nations Championship financially underdeliver for in-need Fiji? July 11, 2026 With Fiji set to sell out Everton’s stadium this weekend why isn’t it rosy for the island nation, Ollie Phillips asks. In theory this month should have been a dream one for Fiji’s rugby team, despite losing to Wales in their opening Nations Championship match. They’ve upped sticks from Suva in the Pacific and chosen [...]