BBC 3, ITV 1: Beeb pulls in three times as many viewers as rival for World Cup final December 19, 2022 The World Cup final may have been a close run contest but the same can’t be said of the competition for UK audience between the BBC and ITV, according to viewing figures. Both terrestrial channels broadcast the final, which Argentina won on penalties after a thrilling 3-3 draw with defending champions France. The BBC’s peak [...]
Steve Borthwick announced as England Rugby’s new head coach December 19, 2022 The Rugby Football Union (RFU) have announced Steve Borthwick as the next coach of England Rugby. The 43-year-old will succeed Eddie Jones, who was sacked in early December following a poor year where his England side won just five of their 12 Test matches. Former England captain Borthwick is heading to Twickenham from Leicester Tigers [...]
Break the internet: Google reveals World Cup final set new records for search traffic December 19, 2022 Argentina’s thrilling World Cup final triumph over France set a new record for the number of Google searches, says the tech giant. The South Americans won the trophy for the third time on Sunday afternoon in a thrilling match that saw Lionel Messi finally become world champion at the age of 35. Sundar Pichai, chief [...]
Gareth Southgate to stay on as England manager until 2024, FA confirms December 18, 2022 Gareth Southgate has decided to stay on as manager of the England men’s team until 2024, the Football Association has confirmed. The announcement ends speculation over his future, after Southgate hinted that he might walk away following last week’s World Cup quarter-final elimination by France. “We are delighted to confirm that Gareth Southgate is continuing [...]
Quins postpone showpiece Big Game over rail strike chaos December 16, 2022 Premiership rugby club Harlequins’ cash cow showpiece event of the season – Big Game – has been cancelled due to the fall out from South Western Rail’s strikes over the Christmas Period, as reported first by City A.M. yesterday. The game – which regularly attracts over 70,000 fans to Twickenham Stadium across the winter festive [...]
It’s all change at the Rugby Players Association come the new year December 15, 2022 It’s due to be all change at the Rugby Players Association come the new year with a raft of new non-executive directors and a new general secretary of the union coming in. Having dealt with the impact of the pandemic on its members, the RPA has recently had to spring into action following the downfall [...]
ECJ strikes major blow for Uefa and Fifa in legal battle over European Super League December 15, 2022 Three of football’s biggest clubs have suffered a major blow to their hopes of reviving a breakaway Super League at the European Court of Justice. In a recommendation issued by an advocate general this morning that followed a hearing at the ECJ in July, the court has been advised to side with governing bodies Uefa [...]
Ed Warner: Bullingham must own England manager decision if it comes December 15, 2022 “The FA should only look at English managers if Gareth Southgate steps down.” “No, the FA should be prepared to hire a foreign coach.” Discuss ad nauseam. Now imagine you are Mark Bullingham, the Football Association’s chief executive, possibly (but not certainly) about to have to make an appointment whose success or failure would stand [...]
Harlequins’ Big Game in doubt over train strikes December 14, 2022 Premiership rugby club Harlequins’ showpiece annual game, Big Game, has been thrown into doubt over rail strikes on 27 December. In an alleged email seen by City A.M. and posted into a fan forum, fans were told that the club had taken the “extremely difficult decision to postpone the Big Game 14 fixture at Twickenham”. [...]
European Super League: Will ECJ resurrect breakaway or prove final nail in its coffin? December 14, 2022 Abandoned by most of its supporters in the face of widespread outcry, tied up in red tape, and then undermined by the financial problems of its remaining backers, the European Super League has never looked more dead. But the controversial breakaway football competition could be dramatically resurrected on Thursday when an advocate general delivers their [...]