Close Brothers: How the motor finance scandal reshaped one of ‘Europe’s least cost-efficient lenders’
The Jenga Effect: Why professional rugby’s collapse has already happened Sport Business 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 [...]
English Investec Champions Cup winner good for franchise investment Sport Business 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 [...]
Exclusive: RFU ready to block London Irish or Ealing move to URC Sport Business 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 [...]
Nike returns to British and Irish Lions shirt for first time since 1993 January 15, 2026 Nike will produce the British and Irish Lions shirt for the first time in over 30 years after agreeing a partnership with the touring rugby side. The brand will be the official kit provider of the Lions, and will make the kit for the inaugural Lions Women’s Team tour to New Zealand in 2027. The [...]
Exclusive: London Broncos plan Challenge Cup game at Stoop January 14, 2026 London Broncos plan to take a game to the Twickenham Stoop this year as part of their first season under Australian ownership. Brisbane Broncos NRL legend Darren Lockyer and a consortium of fellow countrymen acquired the Championship team, based at AFC Wimbledon’s Cherry Red Records Stadium, in 2025 with ambitions to see a London side [...]
Exclusive: Brits don’t trust football and rugby team owners to run clubs properly January 13, 2026 Less than a third of British adults trust football and rugby team owners to “run their clubs in a financially sustainable manner” amid intensifying scrutiny on those who buy sporting institutions. Exclusive Ipsos polling for City AM shows that just 32 per cent of adults trust the owner of their football or rugby club. It [...]
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 [...]
Premier Sports to broadcast five Six Nations matches across UK January 7, 2026 Premier Sports will broadcast five Six Nations matches across the UK as the streaming platform looks to strengthen its rugby offering. The Irish broadcaster, which holds the UK rights to rugby competitions such as the French Top 14, Investec Champions Cup and multinational United Rugby Championship, will show one match per round, beginning with Scotland’s [...]
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 [...]
Exclusive: Brits say taxpayer shouldn’t bail out struggling football and rugby clubs January 5, 2026 The majority of Brits say that the government should not use taxpayer money to support professional football and rugby clubs that are teetering on the edge of financial difficulty. Exclusive research by Ipsos for City AM shows that British adults think football teams (67 per cent) and rugby teams (66 per cent) should not seek [...]