British and Irish Lions launch takes heritage brand into modern age at O2 May 8, 2025 The British and Irish Lions have followed in Formula 1’s footsteps in hosting launch events in London and it’s dragged a heritage brand into the modern era, writes Will Taylor. This afternoon, the British and Irish Lions did something they’ve never done before, they turned their usual squad selection into a show. For the first [...]
New Zealand Rugby post £8.7m loss months after Ineos saga May 8, 2025 New Zealand Rugby has posted a third consecutive loss despite the firm – which encompasses the All Blacks – achieving record income. A NZ$19.5m (£8.7m) loss for 2024 follows losses of NZ$8.9m (£4m) and NZ$47m (£21m) in 2023 and 2022 respectively. While nowhere near the £34.3m loss at England’s Rugby Football Union recently, the 2024 [...]
Saudi Arabia’s PIF sponsors new $13m prize golf series May 8, 2025 The Saudi Arabia investment vehicle the Public Investment Fund (PIF) is to be the title sponsor of a revamped golf programme. The PIF Global Series will replace the Aramco Team Series and will have a total prize pot of $13m. The PIF Global Series will span five events on the Ladies European Tour (LET) – [...]
Raiola Ratings, FPL gurus and €1m: What super agent’s family did next May 8, 2025 The larger-than-life, occasionally combustible figure of football super-agent Mino Raiola couldn’t have appeared further from the world of number-crunching and algorithms. The late transfer broker, whose clients included Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba and Erling Haaland, always seemed far more into pressing the flesh and pouring champagne than poring over data. But one strand of the [...]
What price do you put on London 2040 Olympics and 2029 athletics meet? May 8, 2025 Ed Warner writes on the 2040 London Olympics and 2029 World Athletics Championships ambitions and what price you can put on the impact such events have. For London 2012 and London 2017 read London 2040 and London 2029. Plans are afoot to persuade the IOC and World Athletics to return their flagship events to Britain’s [...]
Crystal Palace co-owner Textor’s firm hit with strike-off notice May 7, 2025 Leading Crystal Palace shareholder John Textor’s Eagle Football Holdings company has been slapped with a strike-off notice as it prepares for an IPO in the US. A First Gazette “notice for compulsory strike-off” was added to the filing history of Eagle Football Holdings Limited this month and dated 13 May 2025. Textor, who owns just [...]
BBC to show Queen’s Club tennis after striking new TV deal May 7, 2025 The BBC has agreed a three-year deal with the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) to show the iconic HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club. BBC Sport will continue to broadcast from the Fulham venue, which will include a women’s tournament for the first time in over 50 years, as well as the Eastbourne and Nottingham grass court [...]
David Kogan: Football regulator nominee donated to Starmer and Nandy May 7, 2025 The man nominated to chair the football regulator, David Kogan, has revealed he made donations to both Keir Starmer and Lisa Nandy but insists he will have “absolute independence of political control” if given the job. Kogan, a Labour historian, said he donated “very small sums” to the leadership campaigns of Starmer and Nandy in [...]
Trump denies lobbying for Russia to be given 2026 World Cup place May 7, 2025 President Trump insists he is not lobbying for Russia to be parachuted into the 2026 World Cup co-hosted by the US despite saying it could be “a good incentive” for an end to war in Ukraine. Russia and its clubs have been banned from international football since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and European [...]
Jannik Sinner and anti-doping bans in tennis: How players can mitigate risks May 7, 2025 Jannik Sinner’s reappearance at the Italian Open guarantees attention, following his three-month suspension for failing two “in-competition” drug tests, during and eight days after Indian Wells last year, for the banned anabolic steroid clostebol. Ranked world No1, the three-time Grand Slam winner’s return to competitive tennis at his home tournament this week is a reminder [...]