Ollie Phillips: Grand Slam winners Wales show England and Ireland the benefits of impeccable leadership March 21, 2019 Like most teams, England want to win the World Cup and become the No1-ranked side in rugby union. The dramatic conclusion of the Six Nations last weekend showed just how lofty those ambitions currently are. Eddie Jones’s side flew out of the blocks against Scotland and held a 31-0 lead after as many minutes, but [...]
Amazon brings in BT Sport for Premier League matchday coverage March 21, 2019 Amazon has hired BT Sport to produce its studio and live action matchday coverage for Premier League games next season. The tech giant last year revealed it had secured exclusive rights to livestream 20 matches per season, which will be available to its Prime customers. Read more: Disney closes $71bn takeover of 21st Century Fox But [...]
Men’s tennis at a crossroads: The ousting of ATP president Chris Kermode has left the sport in a period of flux March 20, 2019 On the face of things, men’s tennis seems much the same as it always has been. The same players are dominating the grand slams. The same youngsters trying to break through. The same tournaments being contested in the same order as always. But turn your attention away from the courts and the men’s game is [...]
Chris Tremlett: The Indian Premier League is a brilliant opportunity for England’s best to find form ahead of the World Cup March 20, 2019 The Indian Premier League starts on Saturday and with 11 Englishmen competing there should be plenty of interest in this country. My experience of the IPL is limited. I entered the auction process in 2011, but back then English players weren’t particularly popular, with Kevin Pietersen, Stuart Broad and Paul Collingwood among the lucky few [...]
England’s Six Nations campaign leaves Eddie Jones with a number of selection headaches March 20, 2019 England’s runner-up finish at the Six Nations may not spell disaster but, having beaten Ireland in their opening game, losing to Wales and sacrificing a 31-0 lead at home to Scotland have left Eddie Jones with more questions than answers just six months before the World Cup. What had looked like a marked improvement in [...]
Trevor Steven: Callum Hudson-Odoi may not have started a Premier League game but his England call-up makes sense March 19, 2019 Some players just stand out; everyone in the game knows they are a special talent and there is no split opinion about it. Callum Hudson-Odoi, who could make his England debut this week, is one of them. Having starred at age-group level for Chelsea’s successful youth teams and the World Cup-winning England Under-17 side, Hudson-Odoi [...]
How Shane Warne is helping to establish Rajasthan Royals as England’s favourite Indian Premier League team March 19, 2019 The original and biggest Twenty20 cricket league resumes on Saturday, and while millions around the world will be tuning into the Indian Premier League, its franchises are hungry for more eyes and ears. Launched in 2008, the IPL has developed at an unprecedented rate to become a hugely successful, mammoth global entertainment product that has [...]
FA Cup to remain on BBC until at least 2025 as broadcaster pens new deal with Football Association March 19, 2019 The BBC will show FA Cup football matches until at least 2025, in a four-year broadcast deal between the broadcaster and the Football Association (FA) announced today. Live matches, highlights and clip rights will remain with the BBC under the terms of the deal, which comes into effect at the start of the 2021-2022 season. [...]
International Swimming League: Adam Peaty on the ambitious new breakaway which aims to revolutionise the sport March 18, 2019 Swimming is about to change for good. For so long the preserve of the Olympics and World Championships, the sport is finally branching out. The International Swimming League is nothing if not ambitious. The idea is to take a pastime that 300m people regularly take part in and enjoy every four years and turn it [...]
Sam Torrance: Mature Rory McIlroy is calm, in control and ready to handle Career Grand Slam talk at the Masters March 18, 2019 Rory McIlroy was sublime at The Players Championship – leading virtually from the start and winning in style – but what impressed me most was the way he took it all in his stride. Having struggled on the front nine at times last week without necessarily playing bad golf, he had another difficult start to [...]