European rugby future resolved April 10, 2014 RUGBY UNION: The European Rugby Champions Cup is to replace the Heineken Cup next season, it has been confirmed. A second competition, the European Rugby Challenge Cup, will offer a route into the top tournament, while Italian and minor sides will take part in a qualifying competition. BT and Sky are set to share rights.
Rugby Comment: Man in street right about England progress March 20, 2014 A MAN stopped me in the street this week and shared his thoughts on how England fared at the Six Nations. He said that while the second-place finish was ultimately the same as 12 months ago, the fact that we went so close to the title and won the last match made a huge difference. [...]
End to Euro rugby row in sight as clubs and unions close in on deal March 17, 2014 EUROPEAN club rugby looks all but certain to remain on the calendar next season amid growing optimism that a deal to establish a successor to the Heineken Cup will be signed this week. Officials representing clubs and the unions of the Six Nations met for further talks in Paris yesterday in an attempt to finalise [...]
Rugby Comment: Wales are the benchmark, it’s time to step up March 6, 2014 WALES pride themselves on their rugby. For them, playing against England on Sunday is a huge game, their biggest. They’ve become a top team over the last three years and have probably become the benchmark, so for us, it’s a massive test. There are other teams at the top that can still win the Six [...]
Poles apart: FX trader will join rugby stars’ trek to North Pole March 3, 2014 WHAT do you get when you mix an Arctic explorer with some ex-England rugby internationals and an FX chief executive? The Capitalist found out last night having hotfooted it to the Shepherd’s Bush HQ of LMAX Exchange – you get a well financed rugby match at the North Pole. The financial exchange company has teamed [...]
Rugby Comment: How I prepare for a Six Nations clash February 20, 2014 SINCE narrowly losing our Six Nations opener in France, our focus has been on emulating Wales, who recovered last year to win the title. We were clinical against Scotland in our next match and the whole England squad is excited to play our first game at Twickenham this year, against Ireland tomorrow. I’m not surprised [...]
Euro rugby row is a threat to England, says Wilkinson February 12, 2014 ENGLAND 2003 Rugby World Cup hero Jonny Wilkinson has warned that the national team stands to suffer if a last-minute peace deal to save the European club game cannot be found. Union and club chiefs from England, Wales, Ireland, France, Scotland and Italy met in Paris yesterday for talks about the Six Nations committee running [...]
Sport Comment: Rugby facing threat of a two-tier Six Nations February 9, 2014 I’M finding it hard to remember a more dispiriting post-match experience than being in Edinburgh on Saturday night, following England’s dismembering of an abject Scotland rugby team, who you suspect would still have 0 on the board if the game was going on now. Hapless. Hopeless. There is no pleasure in saying that the Tartan [...]
Rugby lad comes back to the City January 30, 2014 SEAN Bean wasn’t the only hard man in the City yesterday. Ex-England rugby international Will Greenwood was down at the Gherkin, banging the drum about the Rugby World Cup 2015 (hosted in the UK) and the vast hospitality opportunities it presents to the capital. Greenwood was at home in the Square Mile, having started his [...]
Rugby Comment: Talented France at most dangerous at home January 30, 2014 LAST year we did well in the Six Nations right up until the last game in Wales and we’re all focused on going one better this time. We want to get off to a good start against France in Paris tomorrow and after that we’ll see what happens. France finished with the wooden spoon last [...]