Prem to Champ to sevens: Four rugby business stories to follow in 2026 January 2, 2026 How do I feel about rugby in 2026? I am not too sure. We were supposed to have the launch of Ultimate Sevens and R360 but one of those has been mothballed until 2027, we were supposed to have an exciting promotion race in the Champ but ring fencing may stop that, and we’re still [...]
Which Gallagher Prem Rugby stadium is the best? December 26, 2025 There are 10 Gallagher Prem Rugby teams fighting to thrive, survive and just coast along this year – and their stadiums are key to achieving momentum. But which stadium is the best to watch England’s top flight competition in? In last year’s inaugural edition I had Newcastle Falcons’ (now Newcastle Red Bulls) Kingston Park bottom, [...]
Newcastle Red Bulls, Dupont and ITV: Top rugby business stories of 2025 December 19, 2025 This year really has been a 12 months where the business of rugby became a major talking point in ovalball discourse. We have always seen the odd deal here or investment there but 2025 has seen a step change across the sport, and it remains to be seen how it will pan out. So here [...]
R360 or Ultimate Sevens: Which rugby project would I invest in? December 12, 2025 Everyone is an investment expert these days, with a proposal they say will save rugby and a project that will see a return on that backing. Whether it is the Prem Rugby franchising project, a developing league in the United States or South America, the delayed R360 proposal or the Ultimate Sevens project; there’s an [...]
Investec Champions Cup: How Prem Rugby can beat Top 14 budgets December 5, 2025 It seems to come around quicker every year; not Christmas but the Investec Champions Cup. Some criticise the competition – whether it is because of the inclusion of the South African United Rugby Championship teams, its availability being restricted to Premier Sports or its odd pool format – but it is the very best of [...]
Prem Rugby should consider radical shake-up of player transfer market November 28, 2025 The best thing about the football off-season is the transfer speculation, deal agreements and player announcements. Watching teams bid £100m for a player is somewhat grotesque but it is also addictive, and transfer deadline day is some of the best live sports news around. Rugby has none of this. That’s mostly because players tend to [...]
Scotland Rugby should demand Wales’ cut region, and target Newcastle Red Bulls November 21, 2025 Is the Scotland rugby team a little bit naff? They’re struggling to beat the biggest of opponents and are always the nearly team in the Six Nations. They’ll probably finish this autumn with expected wins over the USA and Tonga, while agonising losses to New Zealand and Argentina – thanks to one of the greatest [...]
WRU chiefs should eat humble pie over empty Wales rugby stadium November 14, 2025 The redeeming factor for Wales in their 28-52 loss to Argentina in Cardiff is that only 50,000 had to watch it inside the Principality Stadium. That’s not because the team’s national arena has a 50,000-seat cap for this game, or because renovation works forced the closure of a stand. It was because millions of Welsh [...]
Six Nations should stage Ireland matches in USA, but not England ones November 7, 2025 There have been calls this week for Six Nations matches to be played in the United States, and I agree. But it should never be England crossing the Atlantic, and should almost always be Ireland. Andy Farrell’s Ireland successfully staged an epic spectacle at Soldier Field in Chicago against New Zealand. The game was pretty [...]
World Rugby Nations Championship silence is deafening but predictable October 31, 2025 The World Rugby Nations Championship starts next year after the last ever autumn internationals campaign this year. Or does it? This is the last ever autumn rugby union series, not that you’d have any idea. Gone will be the days of friendly matches on chilly November evenings and in will come games with a trophy [...]
