Sorry Hearn, Northampton Saints idiots if they pay Pollock £1m August 7, 2026 Is Henry Pollock worth £1m per season? No. Sorry to burst an Eddie Hearn-shaped bubble but it is just not realistic in the world of rugby union. The business of rugby – especially in England – is to fund a squad of more than 30 players within a salary cap of just over £6m, rising [...]
How sevens and Olympics can be commercial rugby lifeline August 6, 2026 Dan James argues that rugby sevens is a developmental step for some of the best players, and that can be a boon for a struggling sport. The rugby rumour mill has been turning again, as reports have circulated over the last fortnight that some of England’s young stars – Henry Pollock, Marcus Smith, Tommy Freeman, [...]
Exclusive: Twickenham residents branded anti-fun NIMBYs in rugby stadium row August 6, 2026 Twickenham residents have been accused of being part of the “anti-fun lobby” after a petition to restrict England Rugby’s plans to host most concerts at Allianz Stadium reached 3,000 signatures. The home of English rugby is able to host an unlimited number of sporting events but has submitted a planning application to Richmond Council asking [...]
Exclusive: Bordeaux Begles to compete in London rugby sevens tournament July 22, 2026 Investec Champions Cup winners Bordeaux Begles will send a team to the London City 7s in a major coup for the Square Mile tournament. The showstopping French Top 14 outfit, who in May won their second consecutive European title, will participate in the second edition of the London sevens tournament, which takes place in September [...]
London Broncos: Automatic Super League promotion not off table July 22, 2026 London Broncos have insisted automatic promotion to the Super League remains on the table. Reports had suggested that the club – which would become the only English Super League team south of Warrington – would not be automatically admitted into the top flight of rugby league and would be forced to, like everyone else, rely [...]
Exclusive: Rugby World Champions Cup set to be mothballed July 20, 2026 Plans for a rugby World Champions Cup are this week expected to be mothballed over calendar constraints and costs, City AM can reveal. Plans for a World Champions Cup – akin to the Fifa Club World Cup – were announced in 2025 with an inaugural competition set to be held in 2028. But a board [...]
SailGP, rugby and PJL: Inside the new £50m budget sporting asset class July 14, 2026 With big money tickets ever harder to find, investors are looking far and wide for their next affordable investment. Big-money takeovers will always catch the eye; whether that be the multi-billion-pound purchase of Chelsea by a Todd Boehly-fronted consortium from Roman Abramovich, the £1.3bn takeover of Indian Premier League team Royal Challengers Bengaluru by a [...]
Gloucester Rugby warn of risk to future as losses jump 450 per cent July 1, 2026 Gloucester Rugby’s accounts warn they face a “material uncertainty” after the Prem Rugby club saw losses spiral by more than 450 per cent last year. The Gloucester Rugby Limited accounts, filed this week with Companies House, posted a loss of £2.9m for last season, up from £500,000 the year prior – an increase of 464 [...]
Nations Championship: Monzo makes first move into rugby, with Allianz and ITV July 1, 2026 Monzo have broadened its sponsorship portfolio, joining Allianz in sponsoring ITV’s coverage of rugby union’s Nations Championship competition. The challenger bank and insurance giant have each signed deals with the free-to-air broadcaster to be part of the channel’s coverage of the inaugural inter-hemispheric tournament. It is Monzo’s first step into rugby union and comes after [...]
Exeter Chiefs deal done as Bournemouth owners complete ‘£45m’ takeover June 30, 2026 AFC Bournemouth owner Bill Foley’s Cannae Holdings have completed the purchase of Prem Rugby club Exeter Chiefs for a reported £45m. The American – who controls the Premier League club as part of a Black Knight consortium that includes Michael B Jordan – will become the majority owner of the Devonshire rugby union team, and [...]