Rugby: The Henry hype is far from a load of Pollocks, he’s class April 18, 2025 I did laugh to myself when I saw the abuse Northampton Saints star Henry Pollock got for his celebration during his side’s Investec Champions Cup victory over Castres last weekend. I thought: “What a load of bollocks!” The 20-year-old has a swagger about him, he reminds me of a cross between Lewis Moody and Lawrence [...]
Premier Sports to show 400 rugby games per year after new deal April 17, 2025 Premier Sports is set to show 400 rugby games per season after agreeing a new deal to broadcast the United Rugby Championship (URC). The agreement, which will last four years and take the Irish challenger brand through until 2029, will see the multi-national URC broadcast on a dedicated Premier Sports Rugby channel alongside the likes [...]
Taking Champions Cup seriously benefits Leinster and Bordeaux April 15, 2025 It might be bizarre that, despite brilliant wins in the Investec Champions Cup for Leinster, Northampton Saints, Toulouse and Bordeaux, the next couple of hundred words will talk about the two games to come and the five previous rounds of continental rugby. Because left, ready to battle it out in the semi-finals of this competition, [...]
RC Toulon tough Investec Champions Cup path can be making of new Galacticos April 11, 2025 Dynasties rise and fall in sport, often taking years to reach their summit before fading into the darkness at pace. Between 2013 and 2015, RC Toulon were the “it” team. Probably the best club rugby team in the world. They won a Top 14 title in 2014 and were European champions three years in a [...]
Northampton Saints chief: Champions Cup run is financial tonic April 10, 2025 Northampton Saints may be the sole English representative remaining in the Investec Champions Cup but they’re out only to look out for themselves. A run in the world’s premier club rugby competition is a money spinner, up until a certain point, and can open doors to countless commercial and fan activation opportunities. For Julia Chapman, [...]
Premiership clubs cannot get bored of Champions Cup failures, it’s the pinnacle April 8, 2025 Looking across the results from the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup at the weekend with a focus on the seven English teams, there were six results that went the way many expected and one that didn’t. Gloucester’s victory in France against Montpellier was a real surprise, but wins for Northampton Saints and Bath, [...]
How club revenue turns Champions Cup into cash of the titans April 4, 2025 This weekend’s Investec Champions Cup round of 16 may be about getting the win in one of Europe’s most iconic stadiums, but in reality competitions such as this – seen by many as the top club rugby competition in the world – can have a monumental impact on rugby finances. The classic cliches in rugby [...]
Which English teams can win this weekend in the Investec Champions Cup? April 3, 2025 There’s always a fuzzy feeling when the Investec Champions Cup returns to the calendar, especially during the knockout stages. There are six French teams, five English sides and five URC outfits left in the competition but I do fear for the Gallagher Premiership contingent this weekend. Usually the five competing teams – Northampton Saints, Saracens, [...]
Investec Champions Cup Barometer: Munster ready for La Rochelle March 31, 2025 In the lead up to the 2024-25 Investec Champions Cup round of 16, City A.M. has put together a barometer in partnership with Investec to assess which teams are hot – and which are not – ahead of this week’s knockouts. Team of the week: Munster, Ireland It hasn’t been a smooth season for Munster: [...]
Investec expand rugby portfolio with SOHK kids tournaments March 28, 2025 Investec has strengthened its rugby portfolio, backing education inclusion charity School of Hard Knocks’ (SOHK) girls’ and boys’ spring rugby tournaments. The FTSE 250 bank, whose London office sits on Gresham Street in the Square Mile, featured at the tournament’s on 27 and 28 March at east London’s Eton Manor RFC. It added to their [...]