URC in London: Ospreys can open new frontier for league in capital November 2, 2023 Come Friday night, Harlequins’ Twickenham Stoop will be having its usual pre-match bonanza, with a light show building up to the evening’s main entertainment: the rugby. But the London club are not in action at home this weekend, because for the first time a United Rugby Championship (URC) game will take centre stage. The domestic [...]
Eddie Jones makes Japan job claim as Ugo Monye slams Australian October 31, 2023 Jones's short-lived stint with Australia 'stinks' says former England player Ugo Monye.
‘Made in Britain tag huge for India founded rugby equipment business’ October 27, 2023 The Rugby World Cup is drawing to a close in France and England are shaping up for their bronze medal match nicely after losing to South Africa last weekend. But at their camp in the northwest coastal commune of Le Touquet – alongside major brands supplying kit, drinks and partnerships – is training equipment by [...]
Rugby World Cup expansion welcome but err on the side of caution October 25, 2023 In the depths of the destructive World Rugby announcement that is set to partition the best rugby teams from the aspiring ones there was one shining light: the 2027 World Cup will have 24 teams rather than 20. It is a move that has been long called for and should at least ease the pain [...]
World Rugby’s new two-tier competition has been branded “ridiculous, shameful, farcical and scandalous” by a former US coach October 24, 2023 World Rugby’s new two-tier competition has been branded “ridiculous, shameful, farcical and scandalous” by a former United States international coach after the sport’s major nations voted in a closed-shop system until 2030. A new global competition due to begin in 2026 will see the six Six Nations teams, four Rugby Championship sides, Fiji and Japan [...]
Former Premiership side Wasps moving to KENT but will play in Worcester October 23, 2023 Wasps rugby are to set up shop in Kent but play and train in Worcester in the short term as the former Premiership rugby side look to rebuild having gone bust last season. The club failed to pay a number of valuable bonds taken out to fund their move to Coventry a number of seasons [...]
Premiership Rugby salary spend hit £100m season before three clubs went bust October 17, 2023 Premiership rugby club salary spending rose to £100m in the season before three clubs folded, the league’s latest report into wages shows. The amount spent on senior salaries saw an increase from £94m in 2020-21 to £100m in 2021-22 in the latest figures released today by Premiership Rugby. The rise represents a larger increase, £6m, [...]
Think of the fans: Why stadium experience matters as much as TV production October 9, 2023 It feels like we’re at a new low point for customer experience. After Covid, the services we used to rely on seem like they’re getting worse. Of course, it’s understandable how shutting the world down for two years is going to have an impact on fragile supply systems but the pandemic has also reset our [...]
Golfers can play for brand value at Olympics and Ryder Cup, not a pay cheque October 5, 2023 This week’s Ed Warner column looks at the Patrick Cantlay “pay or no pay” discussion and how Olympians can only dream of being in a situation where they don’t need payment to compete at the highest level. Can those Ryder Cup golfers simply increase their brand value by rubbing shoulders with Olympians in Paris next [...]
England need best players playing in Premiership, says Care October 3, 2023 England international Danny Care has said he sees the positives of proposed hybrid international contracts if it keeps the country’s top rugby players in the English Premiership. A number of stars, such as Henry Arundell and Jack Willis, have fled overseas after the collapse of the rugby clubs last season while the surviving 10 outfits [...]