By: Matt Hardy

Deputy Sports Editor - City AM Matt Hardy is the City AM Deputy Sports Editor with a specialism in the business of sport. He covers the likes of rugby, cricket, sporting investment and venture capital funds; while also being across golf, cricket, and the politics of sport.

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Padel: 3,200 clubs built in 2024 as racket sport surges in popularity

June 26, 2025

Over 3,000 padel clubs were built in 2024, according to a report that suggests padel is further surging in popularity. Around 3,200 clubs were constructed in 2024 along with over 7,000 courts added to the global padel surplus across the last 12 months, according to the Playtomic Global Padel Report 2025. That’s one club every [...]
CVC Capital Partners hire former EE boss to new sports arm

June 26, 2025

CVC SportsCo, a new entity created by private equity giants CVC Capital Partners, has been bolstered by the hire of former mobile phone network EE boss Marc Allera. Allera will take a the role central to the firm’s sporting portfolio, which once owned Formula 1. The current CVC Capital Partners portfolio includes stakes in Premiership [...]
London Broncos rugby league team make name change admission

June 26, 2025

London Broncos rugby league team have been forced to deny that they’ve made a final decision on a change of name. Former Leeds Rhinos chief executive Gary Hetherington is leading a revival of the London club which was relegated from the Super League last year. And part of that is a potential name change, with [...]
Mohammed Ben Sulayem rival Carlos Sainz Sr backs out of FIA race

June 25, 2025

President of motorsport’s governing body Mohammed Ben Sulayem is almost certain to remain head of the FIA after potential rival Carlos Sainz Sr chose not to stand against the Emirati. The current president is currently unopposed for the position of president ahead of December’s election despite a number of controversies under his recent tenure. He [...]
Lions 1-0 Australia: Wallabies make concessions and release players

June 25, 2025

The British and Irish Lions have had an early tour win after Rugby Australia bosses made concessions after a player availability row. The Lions had complained that Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt wanted to keep his core Australia players in camp ahead of a three-Test series against the touring side that begins on 19 July. This [...]
How sport could shape Xi Jinping’s next five-year China plan

June 25, 2025

It doesn’t feel like that long ago when the world was captivated by 2,008 drummers from China opening the Beijing Olympic Games in perfect harmony. But that was a different China in a different era, and the Sleeping Dragon has been in something of a comatose state since due to a number of factors including [...]
Israel and Iran missile tensions causing chaos for British and Irish Lions fans

June 24, 2025

Missile tensions between Iran and Israel in the Middle East have caused travel chaos for British and Irish Lions fans heading to Australia. Large numbers of rugby fans heading Down Under to be in Perth in time for Saturday’s opening match of the British and Irish Lions tour are flying via Doha, the UAE and [...]
Australia rugby coach rejects Lions contract breach warnings

June 24, 2025

The coach of Australia’s rugby team Joe Schmidt has rejected the notion that his side would be breaching their playing contract with the British and Irish Lions. Lions chief executive Ben Calveley said that the clubs the touring side will face before a three-Test series against Australia must play their Wallaby internationals otherwise they’d be [...]
Motorsport Valley a £16bn jewel in crown of UK, new report says

June 24, 2025

A new report has today described Motorsport Valley as a “jewel in the crown of UK manufacturing” as the area celebrates £16bn in turnover. The area, which takes in the Midlands and Oxfordshire as well as the Silverstone hub, is the epicentre of much of the UK’s advanced manufacturing, and home to a number of [...]
Brits back Team GB funding hike, but split over taxpayer involvement

June 24, 2025

More than half of Britons think Team GB athletes should be given more funding but are split over whether that injection should come from the taxpayer, new research out today shows. Exclusive polling by Ipsos for City AM reveals backing for athletes such as Keely Hodgkinson to receive more than the average £22,500 payment, but [...]

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By: Matt Hardy

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