Women’s rugby can teach the men’s game exactly what it needs right now Sport Business For the last 10 years, the story of women’s rugby has been told through the lens of investment and comparison. How quickly could it catch up with the men’s game? When would attendances improve? When would broadcasters pay for it and big brand sponsors follow? Those were understandable questions, but they are now the wrong [...]
British Lions vows to ban players who defect to R360 rugby breakaway Sport Business British and Irish Lions chiefs have landed another blow on R360’s plans by warning they will not pick any player who signs up for the planned rugby franchise league. It follows England, Ireland, New Zealand and five other leading unions adopting the same stance last month and comes less than a year before R360’s proposed [...]
Kildunne and Maher honoured with Barbie dolls, celebrating women’s sport Sport Business England Red Roses star Ellie Kildunne has been honoured with her own Barbie doll alongside US sensation Ilona Maher. The pair are two of four players – alongside New Zealand’s Portia Woodman and France’s Nassira Konde – to have dolls created for them by Barbie owner Mattel. It comes after the Red Roses partnered with [...]
Maher, mauls and moneyballing women’s rugby September 19, 2025 Much has been said about USA rugby player Ilona Maher’s potential move to wrestling and the WWE, and she herself has mentioned how she’d like to follow in the footsteps of people like The Rock in going from sport and entertainment into acting. The confidence of the most followed rugby player in the world is [...]
Women’s Rugby World Cup opener peaks at 2.4m viewers August 26, 2025 England’s opening Women’s Rugby World Cup match against the USA peaked at nearly 2.5m as records tumbled during the competition’s opening weekend. The 69-7 victory over the States was watched by an average 1.5m viewers on BBC 1 while the 42,723 in attendance at Sunderland’s Stadium of Light surpassed the crowd for the previous final, [...]
Women’s Rugby World Cup: Red Roses key to wider success August 22, 2025 Whatever happens at the Women’s Rugby World Cup over the next few weeks all eyes are going to be on that Allianz Stadium final in Twickenham, where 82,000 fans are set to break a world record for a women’s rugby match attendance. I think in the aftermath of the 2022 Euros, where the Lionesses sent [...]
Women’s Rugby World Cup shows UK’s love of live sport August 21, 2025 The Women’s Rugby World Cup arriving in England is a timely reminder of what live sport can do. Sporting events forge some of the most positive and enduring moments of our lives, whether we’re stood on the terraces of our local club or sat in the stands at the biggest events on the planet. Live [...]
RFU backing of Red Roses can aid better English pro structure August 21, 2025 So it begins. Red Roses vs USA at the Stadium of Light. Friday night, BBC 1. That’s a USA fielding the rugby player with by far the biggest social media following on the planet, Ilona Maher. You won’t find a hotter ticket this year than the Women’s Rugby World Cup final at Twickenham on 27 [...]
Red Roses sign up Clinique as sponsor ahead of Women’s Rugby World Cup July 23, 2025 The Rugby Football Union has added Clinique to its roster of Red Roses partners ahead of the Women’s Rugby World Cup in England. The global skincare giant has become the official beauty partner of the team, who begin their World Cup campaign next month. It expands Clinique’s presence in the women’s game, having partnered with [...]
Breakaway rugby talks not a ‘distraction’ to Rugby World Cup, says chief January 1, 2025 World Rugby chief executive Alan Gilpin has insisted that talk of a breakaway franchise competition is not a distraction, stating that any investment talk is “fantastic”. Reports have circled of a LIV Golf-style breakaway in rugby union with both private equity and sovereign wealth backers, to various degrees. Details of the supposed competition, which some [...]