DHL chief on English rugby ‘concern’, Formula 1 and Manchester United Sport Business “I’d say it’s a concern,” Elliott Santon, the head of global sponsorships at DHL Express, says on the state of rugby in England. The global logistic giant is the front-of-shirt sponsor of Prem Rugby club Harlequins and has its distinctive yellow and red logo plastered on the quartered strip of the London team. DHL is [...]
Champions Cup hits attendance lows as Leinster crowds slump at Aviva Stadium Sport Business The Investec Champions Cup quarter-finals at the weekend saw the lowest collective attendance figure since the current scheduling format was introduced. The four quarter-finals across England, France, Ireland and Scotland were played a week after the round of 16 phase of the continental competition and total attendances were down 11 per cent on last season. [...]
Investec Champions Cup needs two-legged quarter-finals. Here’s why Sport Business It occurred to me, while watching predominantly dominant performances from home teams in the round of 16 last weekend, that the Investec Champions Cup needs two-legged quarter-finals. It was a little depressing to watch a depleted Leicester Tigers side who had won just one match in the group phase get smashed by defending champions Bordeaux [...]
Bath sell-out bright spark as Champions Cup attendances fall April 6, 2026 Bath Rugby’s return to the top flight Investec Champions Cup saw the only sell-out for an English team across the intercontinental competition. A packed Recreation Ground saw the West Country side beat Saracens and earn a spot in the quarter-finals for the first time since the single-legged round of 16 was reintroduced in the 2022-23 [...]
School of Hard Knocks and Investec celebrate spring rugby tournament April 3, 2026 Around 350 boys and girls used rugby to test their teamwork, resilience and determination as the School of Hard Knocks celebrated its latest Eton Manor RFC spring tournament. The two-day event, backed by international bank and wealth manager Investec, saw students joined by Red Roses legend Shaunagh Brown and the president of English rugby’s governing [...]
English Investec Champions Cup winner good for franchise investment January 16, 2026 Despite Northampton Saints’ loss at the weekend to tournament favourites Bordeaux Begles, the Investec Champions Cup could see its first English winner in over five years. Phil Dowson’s team, as well as Bristol Bears and Bath Rugby, are flying high in the European competition while Harlequins and others have qualified for the next round with [...]
Investec Champions Cup: How Prem Rugby can beat Top 14 budgets December 5, 2025 It seems to come around quicker every year; not Christmas but the Investec Champions Cup. Some criticise the competition – whether it is because of the inclusion of the South African United Rugby Championship teams, its availability being restricted to Premier Sports or its odd pool format – but it is the very best of [...]
France real winners out of Bordeaux Champions Cup success May 26, 2025 Sometimes it takes a Bordeaux to come along and remind you why the Investec Champions Cup is the most prestigious competition in club rugby. A couple of years ago you wouldn’t have even put Bordeaux in the mix to reach the knockout stages of the competition, then they started to build a ruthless machine that [...]
Investec Champions Cup: Cardiff, Chippy Lane and rugby’s selling point May 26, 2025 Walking down Cardiff’s iconic “Chippy Lane” in the shadow of the Principality Stadium on Saturday night after the Investec Champions Cup final was a reminder of the very best of club rugby. Bordeaux fans celebrating their 28-20 victory alongside Northampton Saints fans drinking away their sorrows – before the mad dash back across the border [...]
Bordeaux to edge Northampton in Cardiff Champions Cup thriller May 23, 2025 It’s that time of year again when rival fans pack into one of Europe’s great stadiums to watch the Investec Champions Cup final. This year it is Northampton Saints and Bordeaux Begles in the superb Principality Stadium in Cardiff. And what a final we’re in for. It’s an Anglo-French battle, a classic match-up from days [...]