Italy Six Nations revival a lesson for Wales as England challenge awaits March 6, 2026 In 2019 rugby in Italy was staring down the barrel of extinction: three home Six Nations matches at their 70,500-capacity Stadio Olimpico drew crowds of just 38,500 versus Wales, 49,700 against Ireland and 48,800 for their match against France. Fast forward to 2026, however, having just beaten Scotland in front of 68,200 fans Italy will [...]
Automatic promotion and relegation from Prem Rugby scrapped February 27, 2026 Automatic promotion and relegation from Prem Rugby has been scrapped after a crunch RFU Council vote on Friday. Yo-yoing between English rugby’s top flight Prem Rugby and the second tier Champ Rugby will be halted, with expansion teams admitted into the highest form of domestic rugby in England on a case-by-case basis. In what many [...]
Welsh Rugby Union faces £1m hit due to unsold Six Nations tickets versus France February 13, 2026 The Welsh Rugby Union could lose £1m this weekend due to empty seats at Sunday’s Six Nations tie between Wales and France. As of Friday morning there were over 15,000 seats available for the team’s first home fixture of this year’s championship. A mix of fan fury at the state of the Welsh Rugby Union, [...]
Two top flight clubs in same league to be owned by same firm after major sport decision January 22, 2026 Two top flight sporting clubs in the same league are set to be owned by the same private stakeholder after a major decision was made in Cardiff. United Rugby Championship teams Ospreys and Cardiff will be owned by the same firm, Y11, after the Welsh Rugby Union agreed to sell their holding in the Cardiff [...]
Exclusive: Leicester Tigers and DCMS face scrutiny over £6m Covid loan renegotiation November 5, 2025 Leicester Tigers and DCMS are facing questions after they altered the repayment terms of the club’s £6m Covid-19 loan to interest-only until 2028. The change, which only emerged in the Prem Rugby club’s most recent financial accounts, casts further doubt on DCMS’s chances of recouping its £474m lending to sporting and cultural bodies – raising [...]
Maro Itoje eyes politics: ‘Opportunity to effect real change is attractive’ September 23, 2025 England, Saracens and British and Irish Lions captain Maro Itoje has talked up his interest in a career in politics when he hangs up his rugby boots. Itoje, 30, discussed his post-playing ambitions in an appearance on the Rest Is Politics podcast with Westminster veterans Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart. “It’s something that is of [...]
Red Roses must match footballers to give Lions Women’s tour best chance August 1, 2025 What a fantastic moment for women’s sport in the UK we’re living through right now. The Lionesses securing consecutive European Championships has created huge excitement and momentum – as well as a bit of extra pressure – for the Red Roses as they prepare to begin the campaign to win the Women’s Rugby World Cup [...]
Lions profit share gives players buy-in and shows the future of rugby July 25, 2025 British and Irish Lions players will be hoping that the MCG gets close to capacity for Saturday’s second Test against Australia – and not just for the sake of a good atmosphere. This tour is the first in which Lions players will receive a share of profits, a move expected to bump their pay up [...]
Red Roses sign up Clinique as sponsor ahead of Women’s Rugby World Cup July 23, 2025 The Rugby Football Union has added Clinique to its roster of Red Roses partners ahead of the Women’s Rugby World Cup in England. The global skincare giant has become the official beauty partner of the team, who begin their World Cup campaign next month. It expands Clinique’s presence in the women’s game, having partnered with [...]
British and Irish Lions tour boosts Aussie booze sales by a third July 22, 2025 Major Australian cities have seen a 30 per cent uplift in alcohol sales as a result of the British and Irish Lions tour, City AM can reveal. The touring side began the three-Test series with a win over Australia on Saturday having been in the country, playing provincial sides, for the previous three weeks. Thousands of fans [...]