‘It’s not hard to imagine a future where the IPL simply is cricket’ May 18, 2023 As the ICC is set to change the way it distributes revenue, with India getting a significant portion, Ed Warner states that it is not hard to imagine a world where the IPL simply is cricket. The venality and self-interest that drive decisions in international cricket have been so well known for so long that [...]
O’Driscoll: Champions Cup double with La Rochelle can make O’Gara as coach May 17, 2023 A La Rochelle victory in the Champions Cup final would be the greatest moment in Ronan O’Gara’s coaching career, says his former Ireland teammate Brian O’Driscoll. O’Gara’s stock has risen monumentally since he took his first role as assistant coach at Parisian side Racing 92 a decade ago. After five years in the French capital, [...]
London Irish could lose spot in Premiership if funds cannot be proved May 15, 2023 London Irish could be kicked out of the Premiership if they cannot prove their potential new owners have the funds to keep the rugby club going. The Rugby Football Union has issued a statement confirming that the club have until 30 May to prove that a proposed takeover – led by Redstrike Group and former [...]
Sale Sharks into first Premiership final since 2006 with win over Leicester Tigers May 14, 2023 Sale Sharks reached their first Premiership final since 2006 yesterday with a 21-13 win over defending champions Leicester Tigers at the AJ Bell Stadium. In front of a capacity crowd of 12,000 on the outskirts of Manchester, Jimmy Gopperth, 39, put the visitors 6-0 ahead with to early penalties before man of the match George [...]
Northampton Saints are defensively woeful, but semi against Saracens will suit them May 12, 2023 The only statistic that truly matters at the end of a domestic Premiership rugby season is a club’s position in the table. But a considerable number of other figures can tell us everything we need to know about how they got there. Northampton Saints are no strangers to the Premiership play-offs, with tomorrow’s semi-final against [...]
Leicester and Saracens star in my Premiership rugby Team of the Season May 12, 2023 It is that time again when everyone with an interest in rugby names their Premiership Team of the Season. I am no different, so here goes. It took a small amount of debate with City A.M. colleagues but, all in all, this was one of the easiest XVs to put together. Front row Gloucester loosehead [...]
Rugby World Cup Barometer: Coombes in for some Irish luck? May 11, 2023 | Sponsored In the lead up to the 2023 Rugby World Cup, City A.M. has put together a barometer in partnership with City Index to look at whose form is hot and not in the race to be part of the tournament in France later this year. Player of the week Tipped earlier on in the season [...]
Neville to become first female official at men’s Rugby World Cup May 10, 2023 Joy Neville will make history later this year when the Irish referee becomes the first female official selected for a men’s Rugby World Cup. The tournament takes place in France this autumn and Neville, 39, is among the group of television match officials – rugby’s version of VAR. Elsewhere England’s Wayne Barnes, who has been [...]
English rugby bans high-ranking official from Twickenham for using N-word May 10, 2023 A former Rugby Football Union council member has been banned from Twickenham after admitting making racist comments at a Six Nations match last year. Alex Murphy said to an unnamed volunteer as they walked to the council box at the England v Wales game in 2022, “You realise they don’t let n****** in the Royal [...]
Premiership enjoys attendance bounce, but figures little for rugby to cheer about May 9, 2023 Premiership rugby’s average match attendance is close to returning to pre-pandemic levels as the sport shows signs of recovery following a turbulent period. Average attendance in the Premiership this season was 12,569, up by more than 1,000 on last year and almost back to pre-Covid-19 levels, according to data crunched by City A.M. The figures [...]