Harlequins sign British and Irish Lions duo July 31, 2024 Harlequins completed the signing of British and Irish Lions duo Leigh Halfpenny and Wyn Jones on Wednesday as the Londoners continue to bolster their squad ahead of next season. Wales full-back Halfpenny most recently played for the Crusaders in Super Rugby and brings experience to the back-tree at the club. Halfpenny said: “I’m excited to [...]
Challenge Cup offers struggling clubs shot at Champions Cup hope July 2, 2024 Most clubs have been in a rut, unable to win in their domestic competition and with their season looking like a failure, at some point in their lifetime. But the Challenge Cup – for clubs who did not qualify for the Champions Cup, plus invitational teams – offers a chance to reach the top flight. [...]
Investec Champions Cup: Pool draw shows competition is best of the best July 2, 2024 It may only be July but the Investec Champions Cup season got underway on Tuesday with the pool draws in Cardiff. The 24 clubs taking part – who qualified through their league position or by winning the second tier EPCR Challenge Cup – will compete across four pools of six in December and January before [...]
EPCR Investec Champions Cup and Challenge Cup pool draw in full July 2, 2024 This morning in Cardiff the draws were completed for the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup. The European competitions will see 42 teams battle it out for two trophies, with this year’s finals taking place in Cardiff’s Principality Stadium. Teams will play two teams in their pool at home and two teams away. Teams [...]
Epic sporting weekend proves sport can be cog in any government agenda May 28, 2024 With a General Election in full swing across the nation sports fans were treated to an epic weekend of action. So with so many events pencilled in across the next five years and numerous more beyond that, our politicians should promote sport to a priority talking point. City A.M. Deputy Sports Editor Matt Hardy writes. [...]
South African involvement in European rugby has given competition lease of life May 27, 2024 “It was international rugby versus club rugby,” said one person at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium after the South African Hollywoodbets Sharks beat Gloucester Rugby 36-22 in the EPCR Challenge Cup. That’s not entirely true, both sides had their international representatives, but the point is a good one. The addition of the Sharks into the European [...]
Investec Champions Cup: The final of a generation May 27, 2024 It was billed as the final we deserved, between two powerhouses of the Investec Champions Cup meeting in a showpiece for the first time ever. And what a match fans were served up. At the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, seen by many as one of the world’s greatest arenas, Leinster and Toulouse went toe-to-toe; the Dublinners [...]
Intensity at centre of Investec Champions Cup final between Toulouse and Leinster May 24, 2024 Without getting you all too excited, I do believe this weekend’s Investec Champions Cup could be one of the few finals that matches last year’s epic comeback by La Rochelle, who rallied from 17-0 down inside the opening quarter. Because Leinster versus Toulouse isn’t just Leinster versus Toulouse; it’s four-time winners against five-time winners, Ireland [...]
Challenge Cup can be cure to desperate seasons for Gloucester and Sharks May 23, 2024 Before the start of the current rugby season both Gloucester and the Sharks, from Durban, would have been full of hope for their domestic campaigns. But soon into their Premiership and United Rugby Championship campaigns, things began to unravel and any hopes of winning a league title disappeared over a cliff. It left the two [...]
What lessons can business learn from the Investec Champions Cup? May 22, 2024 As Leinster and Toulouse get set for their Investec Champions Cup showdown this weekend, what lessons can business learn from rugby? Tim Burnell, Chief Marketing Officer of UK & International at Investec Bank takes a look. Success in business and sport is much more than a numbers game. Profit figures and points tallies are important, [...]