Exclusive: Parliament must scrutinise Prem Rugby franchise plans, MP says January 27, 2026 The government has been called upon to scrutinise Prem Rugby’s franchise plan, which promises to be the biggest shake-up of the domestic game since professionalisation. It comes as the Department for Culture, Media and Sport is also accused of passing the buck over Covid loans to English professional rugby. Liberal Democrat MP Edward Morello told [...]
The Jenga Effect: Why professional rugby’s collapse has already happened January 17, 2026 Professional rugby is not approaching collapse; it is recognising one that already occurred and mistaking that recognition for failure. What we are watching across leagues, unions and competitions is not chaos, bad luck or incompetence finally catching up, but the delayed visibility of a structural outcome that was locked in years ago. What feels sudden [...]
Exclusive: RFU ready to block London Irish or Ealing move to URC January 15, 2026 The RFU is ready to block London Irish or Ealing Trailfinders from competing in the United Rugby Championship amid interest from the multi-national league, City AM understands. Reports in Wales this week stated that URC chiefs are open to a London team joining the league to fill a gap that will be left by the [...]
Tony Rowe is right to say rugby needs to Americanise in Britain January 9, 2026 I never thought I would say it but rugby needs to learn from Formula E if it is to survive long into the future. Because the all-electric racing series, despite being a country mile behind Formula 1, has innovated throughout its decade-long existence. Formula E, until 2022, had a Fan Boost feature, where supporters could [...]
Exeter Chiefs post £10m loss as they seek fresh investment January 7, 2026 Prem Rugby club Exeter Chiefs have posted a loss of £10.3m in their most recent accounts, just weeks after chairman Tony Rowe reiterated plans to sell a stake in the club. The Devonian team, seen as one of English rugby’s great promotion stories, saw their ownership company Exeter Rugby Group PLC record losses of £10.3m [...]
Prem to Champ to sevens: Four rugby business stories to follow in 2026 January 2, 2026 How do I feel about rugby in 2026? I am not too sure. We were supposed to have the launch of Ultimate Sevens and R360 but one of those has been mothballed until 2027, we were supposed to have an exciting promotion race in the Champ but ring fencing may stop that, and we’re still [...]
Exclusive: CVC Capital Partners nearing external investment for $14bn Global Sport Group December 30, 2025 Six Nations investors CVC Capital Partners is close to securing external investment in its $14bn Global Sport Group, which is expected to trigger a wave of new sporting acquisitions at the start of next year. GSG, which is chaired by former EE chief executive Marc Allera, was formed earlier this year to run CVC’s existing [...]
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, [...]
Champ clubs demand divorce payment from RFU over Prem franchise plan December 23, 2025 The Rugby Football Union is facing the threat of legal action from Champ clubs if the RFU Council approves a proposal from the Prem to become a franchise league with no promotion from the second tier. City AM has learned that the Champ Rugby board held an emergency meeting with clubs last week at which [...]
Cornish Pirates: We will kick door down to reach franchised Prem Rugby December 18, 2025 The chief executive of Cornish Pirates insists she is ready to “kick the door down” to get her Champ side into Prem Rugby if the top flight becomes a ringfenced franchise league. Prem Rugby and the Rugby Football Union are exploring a franchise model which would see the current 10 teams form a new ring-fenced [...]