Leicester Tigers’ stuttering start to the season highlights familiar concerns November 20, 2019 Just four games into a new Premiership campaign that promised to be a turning point for Leicester Tigers and they appear no nearer to ending the “worst period in the club’s history”. That was head coach Geordan Murphy’s brutal assessment of last season. But despite an intense 12-week pre-season designed to get the players in [...]
Saracens’ Premiership points deduction leaves the Champions Cup wide open for challengers November 14, 2019 Saracens’ 35-point deduction for breaching Premiership salary cap rules has dominated the news in recent weeks and I think it will have a big knock-on effect in the Champions Cup, which starts this weekend. After Sarries’ impressive away win at Gloucester at the weekend, head coach Mark McCall said that he would prioritise league games [...]
Eddie Jones has enriched English rugby but the RFU should try and hire Steve Hansen November 7, 2019 Firstly, I want to hold my hands up: I called the Rugby World Cup final completely wrong. I have rewatched the match since to try to make sense of it, and although Kyle Sinckler’s early injury helped give South Africa the ascendancy in the scrum, it was far from the biggest factor in England’s 32-12 [...]
Saracens could challenge legality of Premiership Rugby’s salary cap if review falls through November 7, 2019 Saracens could seek a legal challenge to Premiership Rugby’s salary cap if they fail in their bid to overturn a 35-point deduction and £5.4m fine, according to a leading sports lawyer. The English and European champions could argue that the salary cap framework is anti-competitive, says former World Rugby head of legal Darren Bailey. However, [...]
Rugby World Cup: Why the legacy of Japan’s tournament will live on November 6, 2019 The Rugby World Cup may have ended without the ultimate prize for England last weekend but the tournament itself created winners beyond those in the triumphant South Africa camp. The decision to choose Japan as host nation, ahead of bids from Italy and the eventual winners, appeared bold back in 2009. With the benefit of [...]
Saracens docked 35 points and fined £5m for breaching salary cap November 5, 2019 Premiership and European rugby champions Saracens have been docked 35 points for breaching Premiership Rugby’s salary cap. The English club must also pay a £5.4m fine after a probe into investment partnerships between its chairman, renowned City bigwig Nigel Wray, and a number of senior players. Read more: These were the six best players at [...]
The six best players at the 2019 Rugby World Cup November 4, 2019 From Cheslin Kolbe’s dancing feet in South Africa’s opening weekend defeat against New Zealand to Manu Tuilagi bursting through the gain line in England’s quarter-final with Australia, the 2019 Rugby World Cup was filled with individual moments of brilliance. Here, City A.M. picks six of the best performers at the tournament. Maro Itoje, England Where [...]
Eddie Jones’s future a key part of England’s next four-year cycle for 2023 Rugby World Cup in France November 3, 2019 After a Rugby World Cup comes a period of flux. Win or lose, success or failure, a new cycle begins now for the teams who competed in Japan, with planning for France 2023 under way already in the back rooms of the country’s governing bodies. For the likes of Australia, New Zealand and France that [...]
Why the Rugby World Cup could force up player wages and bring legal challenges to the sport’s salary cap October 31, 2019 When Japan and South Korea hosted football’s World Cup in 2002, it precipitated a significant increase in Asian investment in the sport. Takeovers of high-profile European clubs followed, as did multi-million pound Asia-only sponsorship deals with star players. With the first Rugby World Cup to be held in Asia about to conclude, this milestone could [...]
England v South Africa: Rugby World Cup final victory can top the achievement of 2003 October 31, 2019 It’s the eve of the Rugby World Cup final and I could hardly be more confident. England come into their clash with South Africa on the back of a near-perfect performance in the semi-final, while their opponents did the bare minimum to reach the showpiece in Japan. England were sensational in beating New Zealand 19-7 [...]