Premier Sports planning 24/7 rugby channel with Champions Cup at heart August 14, 2024 Broadcaster Premier Sports are planning to create a 24/7 rugby union channel after announcing a deal to show every match of the Investec Champions Cup over the next three years. Club rugby’s top competition is moving from TNT Sports, mainly due to the Warner Bros. Discovery company making an investment into international rugby with the [...]
Louis Rees-Zammit makes debut for NFL champions Kansas City Chiefs August 11, 2024 Former rugby player Louis Rees-Zammit said he “loved” his debut for the Kansas City Chiefs after his move to the NFL. The 23-year-old Welshman moved to the States earlier this year to chase his dream of playing in the NFL, swapping scrums for scrimmage. After being part of the International Pathway, Rees-Zammit ended up signing [...]
Woodward: RFU have sold soul in Allianz Stadium deal August 7, 2024 Coach of the 2003 Rugby World Cup winning England side Clive Woodward has described the decision to rename Twickenham the Allianz Stadium as “sad”, and insists the RFU board have “sold its soul”. England entered into a partnership with the major insurer Allianz which will see home of rugby Twickenham rebranded with the firm’s name [...]
Twickenham rugby ground becomes Allianz Stadium after deal struck with firm August 5, 2024 The home of English rugby Twickenham will now be known as Allianz Stadium after the Rugby Football Union and the insurance and asset management giant finalised a new partnership. Under the new deal there would be further investment into English rugby, alongside the stadium naming rights being sold. Twickenham Stadium has used its namesake for [...]
Harlequins sign British and Irish Lions duo July 31, 2024 Harlequins completed the signing of British and Irish Lions duo Leigh Halfpenny and Wyn Jones on Wednesday as the Londoners continue to bolster their squad ahead of next season. Wales full-back Halfpenny most recently played for the Crusaders in Super Rugby and brings experience to the back-tree at the club. Halfpenny said: “I’m excited to [...]
Ahead of the Game: Six Nations facing compensation fight over £800m deal snub July 31, 2024 In his first weekly sports news column, Matt Hughes reports on the row between the Six Nations and southern hemisphere chiefs over the Nations Championship, the value of Team GB’s new deal with Adidas, Everton’s tensions with the Premier League, and England cricket chiefs’s latest hire. The Six Nations are facing potential demands for tens [...]
Olympics: Rugby sevens needs Dupont and USA to be medal contenders July 26, 2024 As a former sevens player, the Olympics is always an exciting time. We see the very best of a bunch of athletes who otherwise go under the radar across the rest of the calendar. But in a rugby-mad country like France, where stars like Toulouse and international No9 Antoine Dupont will be on show, this [...]
Qatar Airways to sponsor British and Irish Lions Tour to Australia July 25, 2024 Major long haul group Qatar Airways will be the title partner to the British and Irish Lions series against Australia in 2025. The partnership marks the next step in sponsorship for the famous rugby touring group, who have one of the most valuable pound-per-minute played commercial platforms in world sport. They follow City firm Howden [...]
Rugby: Wales, Cory Hill and what if they lose to the Queensland Reds? July 18, 2024 Let’s make one thing clear: if Wales lose to the Queensland Reds this weekend it would be an incredible humiliation for Warren Gatland and the national team. The game is uncapped and the Welsh side is a mix of experience and inexperience – including captain Cory Hill, who was forced to apologise this week for [...]
Are the All Blacks feeling the pressure ahead of Eden Park showdown? July 12, 2024 There has been a lot of talk this week about the history of playing the All Blacks at Eden Park being a heavy burden for Steve Borthwick’s England team to shoulder. But I actually believe that the weight of being unbeaten at one ground for 30 years, as the All Blacks are at the Auckland [...]