Ollie Phillips: Rugby in 2020 had fairytale triumphs and falls from grace, but it could all be derailed in 2021 December 23, 2020 Rugby in 2020 has been a mixed bag, with both fairytale triumphs and causes for real alarm. The club game delivered gripping storylines in the rise of Exeter from second-tier to European champions and the demise of Saracens. International rugby has suffered, though, and questions about concussion and dementia leave the sport in a vulnerable [...]
The Big Sport Quiz of 2020: How well were you following the action this year? December 22, 2020 Roll up, roll up: it’s City A.M.’s Big Sport Quiz of 2020! Yes, a lot of it was severely disrupted and most of it happened without fans present, but there was still plenty of vintage sport and some intriguing storylines to follow. So test your knowledge on our selection of questions covering all major sports [...]
Rugby World Cup 2023 draw: England to face Japan and Argentina in pool stage December 14, 2020 England have been drawn to play Japan and Argentina in the pool stage of the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France. It is a relatively kind draw for Eddie Jones’s team, who were runners-up last year and were among the top seeds. Ireland and Scotland face a battle to escape from Pool B alongside holders [...]
Ollie Phillips: England may have won but France were the real stars of the Autumn Nations Cup December 7, 2020 It was brilliant to see England claim the Autumn Nations Cup in such dramatic fashion on Sunday. Rugby fans have been missing that kind of competitive tension, so it was awesome that the competition was decided by a golden penalty. But while England took the silverware, much of the plaudits will rightfully go to the [...]
Week in Sportbiz: Yashenkov makes fan pledge ahead of election; global golf tour moves step closer; and Cazoo trumpets Hundred deal December 3, 2020 It’s a big weekend for rugby in Europe, and not just because of the final round of Autumn Nations Cup fixtures. On Friday, Russian challenger Kirill Yashenkov is hoping to topple incumbent Octavian Morariu and be named president of Rugby Europe. Yashenkov has vowed to double the organisation’s budget and create more opportunities for elite [...]
NFL poaches World Rugby boss Brett Gosper as it aims to increase its presence in UK and Europe December 2, 2020 World Rugby chief executive Brett Gosper will leave the governing body next year to run the NFL in Europe and the UK. Gosper has been in his current role for eight years, during which time he has overseen the staging of two successful World Cups. The Australian has agreed to become head of Europe and [...]
England v France Autumn Nations Cup final tickets available by invite only and hospitality sold out December 1, 2020 Spectators are due to return to Twickenham this weekend when England host France in the Autumn Nations Cup final. The good news for England rugby fans is that 2,000 seats have been made available, including some hospitality places, for the game on Sunday. The bad news is that only a few tickets remain at the [...]
Video: Premiership rugby 2020-21 season preview: Wasps, Bristol and Sale best placed to topple Exeter November 30, 2020 [brid video=”681229″ player=”24372″ title=”Premiership%20rugby%20202021%20season%20preview” duration=”422″ description=”” uploaddate=”2020-11-20 12:18:43″ thumbnailurl=”https://cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/18445/thumb/681229_t_1605874744.png” contentUrl=”https://cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/18445/sd/681229.mp4″] It’s surreal that Premiership rugby returns this weekend, just 27 days after Exeter lifted the trophy. But in 2020, everything is out of the ordinary. With Exeter also winning the European Champions Cup and Bristol the Challenge Cup, the English game is in a good [...]
How to stage a limited capacity match in the Covid era, from socially distanced seating to ordering drinks November 25, 2020 Sports clubs across England are preparing to host limited-capacity events when lockdown ends next week, but Harlequins are one step ahead. The Premiership rugby club had 2,800 at their home, The Stoop, for a match against Bath in early September, as part of a nationwide pilot scheme. Here, Adrian Wells, chief marketing officer at Harlequins, [...]
France are my favourites for the Autumn Nations Cup, a Six Nations with extra spice November 13, 2020 I’m a glass-half-full person, so I can’t help but be excited that the Autumn Nations Cup is happening. Given everything, fans and players just have to be grateful we’ve got some international rugby with silverware to play for. OK, we haven’t got New Zealand, South Africa or Australia coming over as usual. But we to [...]