Centurion Club preparing for ‘huge year’ as host of LIV Golf Invitational and Aramco Team Series May 26, 2022 Almost a decade after it opened its doors for the first time, Centurion Club is preparing for by far the biggest fortnight in its relatively brief history. The eyes of the golfing world will be trained on the exclusive St Albans venue from 9 June when it stages the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational, the debut [...]
Uncovering Churchill’s Marrakech May 26, 2022 Asking if Winston Churchill was a hero or a villain oversimplifies the man and the historic events in which he played such controversial — but undoubtedly significant — roles. I knew of him first as a statesman, then as a historian and writer, but only relatively recently discovered that Churchill was an accomplished artist, too. [...]
Rising wages tip Manchester United to £27.7m Q3 loss despite post-pandemic revenue recovery May 26, 2022 Manchester United made a loss of £27.7m for the three months up to the end of March, a 53 per cent increase on the same period last year, due to rising wages and unfavourable exchange rates. Revenue was up 29 per cent to £152.8m, largely due to the return of supporters to Old Trafford following [...]
The A-Z of wine: G is for… Grenache, your secret favourite grape May 26, 2022 What’s this then? Grenache is a red grape variety, until 2000 the second-most planted variety in the world. It’s most commonly associated with France but actually believed to have originated in Spain – so we should probably refer to it by its Spanish name, Garnacha. It’s capable of making ripe and juicy quaffers, hefting bruisers [...]
New Zealand Rugby and SAP announce multi-year partnership May 26, 2022 New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and software company SAP have today announced a multi-year partnership that will see the German headquartered corporation partner the major Kiwi rugby teams. The deal, confirmed today, will “accelerate” the “digital transformation” of NZR and will see the two organisations look to innovate in areas such as crowd experience and sustainability. [...]
Champions League final not about revenge over Real Madrid, says Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp May 26, 2022 Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists revenge is not top of the agenda when his team face Real Madrid in the Champions League final again on Saturday. The Spanish giants beat Liverpool in the final four years ago, when Reds forward Mohamed Salah was forced off early with a shoulder injury sustained in a tangle with [...]
Benediction film review: A smart portrait of the fascinating Sigfried Sassoon May 26, 2022 Author biopics can be terribly dull, but then few authors have lived a life quite like Sigfried Sassoon. The British poet’s words became a chilling epitaph for so many in the First World War, but Benediction by director Terence Davies (Distant Voices, Still Lives) shows an uncompromising picture of the real man. Jack Lowden plays the [...]
Ed Warner: ECB may buck financial trends but must turn playing claims into reality May 26, 2022 Fourteen million people participate in cricket in England and Wales. Yep, you read that right! How do we know that a quarter of the population play, attend or follow the sport? Because the ECB told us so last week in its annual report. Looks like the governing body has adopted a Westminster approach to big [...]
Dan Norton: London 7s, bursting onto the scene and longevity in sport May 26, 2022 The two-day fun-fueled party that is the rugby sevens returns to the capital this weekend as England, Fiji, New Zealand and others look to go head-to-head to win on the prestigious London leg of the circuit. Argentina top the table coming into the event – which will be held at England’s Twickenham Stadium – but [...]
Liquid investment: How a new breed of rum is biting at the heels of whisky May 25, 2022 The rise of rum has been predicted for some time. The staggering rise in the fortunes of the whisk(e)y industry – I’ll omit the “e” from now on for aesthetic purposes – over the last couple of decades means many enthusiasts and would-be collectors are now being priced out of that market, and rum is [...]