Ollie Phillips: Chiefs vs Saracens could be the match of the season… so far December 2, 2021 The international players are back at their clubs and so is the Premiership, and in this blockbuster weekend of games we have the hottest match-up of the season so far. Chiefs vs Saracens There is no love lost between Exeter Chiefs and Saracens. Tony Rowe was shouting from the rooftops about Sarries deserving relegation after [...]
Can fans truly have a bigger role in sports clubs? November 26, 2021 The recommendations within the Crouch review will be, quite simply, a symphony to many sports fans up and down the country. But they are just that… recommendations. So just how can real-world examples of fans holding authority in sport push what are currently ideals into actions. Long have sports clubs been toys for owners: left [...]
Competition Law likely to have a place in sport long into the future November 26, 2021 Although historically associated more with corporate CEOs in smoke-filled rooms than the world of sport, competition law has certainly hit the back pages in 2021. The ever-increasing commercialisation of sport means that this crossover is only likely to continue and, in the case of football, could soon ultimately decide the future. European Super League While [...]
Retired professional rugby players more likely to be depressed, anxious and irritable November 24, 2021 A new study has found that retired professional rugby players were more likely to be depressed, anxious and irritable compared to amateur players or non-contact athletes. The former top players who took part in the study had suffered more concussions on the pitch than those in the other groups, and the researchers believe this could [...]
Record £3.2bn in private equity deals for sports teams as funds target football, rugby and F1 November 22, 2021 The last twelve months saw a record £3.2bn of sports team acquisitions by private equity funds, almost treble last year’s total, as they targeted football, rugby and Formula 1 teams, according to new data shared with City A.M. this afternoon. Last year saw an all-time high of 11 PE purchases of stakes in sports teams [...]
Georgia on my mind: The business of rugby November 22, 2021 Fans back packing stands, pints flowing, and roofs being raised. International rugby’s back and, as the inaugural Autumn Nations Series draws to a close, the on-pitch balance of power between the hemispheres seems delicately poised. Away from the pitch though, tensions exist as to the direction the sport should take post-pandemic. A tough 2020 for [...]
Ollie Phillips: The Boks play simple, boring rugby, but winning is winning November 19, 2021 In tomorrow’s match with South Africa, England have their hardest test. Why? Because they know exactly what they’ll be coming up against. The Springboks don’t often play exciting rugby – it’s simple, boring rugby. They try to bully you, outmuscle you and, when in doubt, send the ball skyward and harass the catcher. It’s not [...]
New stadium in Cornwall could change the sporting landscape October 27, 2021 For a region boasting a population of 550,000, it has long been an anomaly that Cornwall lacks a large-scale sports stadium. That could begin to change today, however, as a decision at today’s Budget could set in motion a series of events resulting in a major shift of Cornwall’s sporting landscape. The Stadium for Cornwall [...]
Premiership Rugby names RFU commercial boss Simon Massie-Taylor chief executive October 12, 2021 Premiership Rugby has hired Simon Massie-Taylor, chief commercial and marketing officer at the Rugby Football Union, to be its new chief executive. Massie-Taylor, who began his career in financial services, has also held commercial roles at the British Olympic Association, the London 2012 Olympic organising committee and Tough Mudder. “This is a key moment for [...]
World Rugby’s 15 minute contact limit: the solution to injury fears or too simplistic? October 4, 2021 Rugby’s physically demanding nature has seen the sport’s organisers implement advanced concussion policies and a science-based approach to medicine, but they are about to go further. World Rugby, the game’s international governing body, last month issued the recommendation that players be limited to 15 minutes of full-contact training per week, across a maximum of two [...]