Rhino boss Reg Clark on why rugby brand remains a good bet despite warehouse blaze and pandemic sales dip November 11, 2020 It is just as well Reg Clark, boss of rugby kit maker Rhino, is the level-headed type. Because 2020 has dealt the company the type of crunching blows that the world’s leading teams inflict on its scrum machines. Already braced for another dip in demand as many of its markets fell into second lockdowns, Clark [...]
Explained: Why Amazon Prime Video is showing the Autumn Nations Cup and what it means for rugby November 10, 2020 Amazon Prime Video acquired the rights to rugby’s Autumn Nations Cup for an estimated fee of £16m-£20m and it looks a potential win for all parties. Years ago, it may have been seen as a risk selling your media rights to Amazon. But now the e-commerce giant looks like it could make a lasting impact [...]
The Week In Sportbiz: Premier League set to axe pay-per-view (for now), Formula E gets cosier with Extreme E, and Gosper gives US his World Cup vote November 6, 2020 Less than a month after its introduction, Premier League clubs are expected to ditch their unpopular pay-per-view service. Since debuting on 17 October, half of all games have been restricted to those willing to pay £14.95 a time. Fans groups protested the extra charges by successfully urging people to donate thousands of pounds to food [...]
It’s England’s Six Nations to lose, and I fancy France to beat Ireland handsomely October 30, 2020 Everyone is thankful for competitive live sport like the Six Nations Championship at the moment. And the fact that the final round of fixtures on Saturday will decide the winner makes it even more exciting. Away from all the increasingly gloomy news in other areas of life, we have a Six Nations finale and a [...]
The Week in Sportbiz: QBE’s bold Six Nations call, and Euro shutdowns spell doom for ‘let fans back in’ push October 29, 2020 England may be hot favourites to win the Six Nations this weekend, but not everyone agrees. Insurer QBE is tipping Ireland to triumph — an outcome currently attracting odds of 3/1 with most bookmakers and even bigger prices on exchanges. It is a bold call, especially as QBE itself predicted England would take the title [...]
Six Nations permutations: What England, Ireland and France need to win the title October 29, 2020 Eight months after it kicked off back in February, the Six Nations Championship will finally conclude on Saturday evening in Paris. Ireland, England and France are all in contention for the title as the decisive final weekend approaches. And drama is assured until the end: the very last fixture is guaranteed to be pivotal, no [...]
Premiership final: Why I’d love to see resurgent Wasps spoil Exeter’s double dream October 23, 2020 If you had to put your mortgage on a team to win the Premiership final then, based on their entire 2019-20 campaign, it would have to be Exeter. The Chiefs proved that they are the best team in Europe by lifting the Champions Cup last weekend. Completing the double with victory over Wasps in Saturday’s [...]
New: Covid breach means England – Barbarians clash OFF October 23, 2020 England’s long-awaited return to action will have to wait after the RFU confirmed today a planned game against the Barbarians at Twickenham this Saturday has been called off. Twelve Barbarians players broke the ‘bubble’ in place before the game to eat at a central London restaurant earlier this week. The RFU has now confirmed there [...]
The Week in Sportbiz: Rugby fans in ticket rush for Lions’ Japanese Test, plus Uefa’s Euro 2020 delay silver lining October 22, 2020 Demand for attending live sport remains very strong in the time of coronavirus, if the British and Irish Lions are anything to go by. Some 35,000 rugby fans have already registered interest in tickets for next July’s home Test against Japan, which was only announced yesterday, City A.M. has learned. That means Murrayfield’s 67,000 seats [...]
Wasps cleared to play in Premiership final despite coronavirus outbreak October 21, 2020 Rugby chiefs have cleared Wasps to take their place in Saturday’s Premiership final despite an outbreak of Covid-19 at the club. Fears grew that Wasps would have to forfeit their spot in the Twickenham showdown against Exeter Chiefs after 11 players and staff tested positive in the last week. But the six-time English champions have [...]