Bath sell-out bright spark as Champions Cup attendances fall Sport Business 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 [...]
Investec Champions Cup organisers should meddle with knockouts Sport Business On Wednesday the amount of tickets still available for Harlequins’ Investec Champions Cup round of 16 fixture against Sale Sharks was well over 6,000. Against their registered capacity of 14,800, that could result in an attendance of less than 9,000 – or around 40 per cent empty – come Saturday night. It is a better [...]
Henry Pollock: England rugby star joins Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Talent Agency Sport Business England rugby star Henry Pollock has signed to Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Talent Agency, in the multi-sport group’s first foray into the game. The 21-year-old Northampton Saints forward joins MMA fighter Tom Aspinall at the new agency, which Hearn launched earlier this month. Pollock’s ability and showmanship have quickly established himself as one of the stars [...]
Prem Rugby Big Match Bonanza test of sport’s commercial aims March 26, 2026 This weekend will go far in helping onlookers assess how much progress Prem Rugby has made in recent years. Because on Saturday the first match since Australia beat Uruguay in the 2015 Rugby World Cup will take place at Villa Park in Birmingham. The geography is a little bit iffy given the home team – [...]
Lozowski: Showdown Saracens match at Tottenham good for Prem Rugby March 17, 2026 England’s Prem Rugby takes an almighty leap of faith later this month, staging three of its five Round 12 fixtures at stadiums more than double the home team’s usual arenas. On Saturday 28 March, Gloucester Rugby take on Leicester Tigers at Aston VIlla’s Villa Park and Bristol Bears host Harlequins at Wales’s Principality Stadium. But [...]
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 [...]
A chance to test yourself: Youngs and Watson on the Investec Champions Cup January 7, 2026 For all they achieved in their distinguished careers, there remains one prize that has eluded Ben Youngs and Anthony Watson. Between them, the former England internationals amassed over 200 caps, toured with the British and Irish Lions and played in some of the game’s most iconic stadiums. Yet the Investec Champions Cup never found its [...]
Which Gallagher Prem Rugby stadium is the best? December 26, 2025 There are 10 Gallagher Prem Rugby teams fighting to thrive, survive and just coast along this year – and their stadiums are key to achieving momentum. But which stadium is the best to watch England’s top flight competition in? In last year’s inaugural edition I had Newcastle Falcons’ (now Newcastle Red Bulls) Kingston Park bottom, [...]
Premiership play-offs: Bath and Leicester to set up old school final June 6, 2025 The final day of the Premiership was a brilliant advert for English top-flight rugby, but this weekend’s play-offs will turn that up another notch. On Friday night runaway league leaders Bath take on local rivals Bristol Bears while, on Saturday, Leicester face Sale Sharks in the East Midlands. The Premiership semi-finals are always a series [...]
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 [...]