Ukraine invasion anniversary prompts fresh Russia Paralympics ban calls February 24, 2026 Calls for the ban on Russian Paralympians to be reinstated have heightened as the invasion of Ukraine marks its fourth anniversary. The Winter Paralympics is set to begin next week, days after today’s conflict anniversary, with the International Paralympic Committee admitting 10 Russian and Belarusian athletes despite Western outcry. Officials representing host country Italy have [...]
Conor Benn switch to Dana White’s Zuffa branded ‘outrageous’ by Hearn February 23, 2026 Matchroom president Barry Hearn has called Conor Benn’s defection to Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing stable “horrible” and “outrageous”. Benn announced his shock departure from Matchroom, which had promoted him throughout his 10-year professional career, on Friday. The move saw the son of former two-division world champion become the biggest signing yet for Zuffa Boxing, the [...]
Premier League clubs face unlicensed gambling firms ban February 23, 2026 Premier League clubs could be banned from being sponsored by a plethora of betting firms as the government looks to crack down on illegal gambling. Despite a voluntary move by Premier League clubs to remove gambling and casino sponsors from the front of shirts from next season, those brands can move to sleeves and maintain [...]
Mexico 2026 World Cup games in doubt after drug lord killing sparks violence February 23, 2026 Fifa’s World Cup games from Mexico have been plunged into uncertainty amid fears for the safety of visitors following the killing of drug cartel boss “El Mencho”. Mexican army troops fatally wounded El Mencho – real name Nemesio Ruben Oseguera Cervantes – in an operation that killed seven people in the western state of Jalisco [...]
Britain must launch no-brainer 2038 Winter Olympics bid February 22, 2026 What strikes you when attending the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics is not just the spectacle, but the structure. Multiple cities. Regional clusters. Existing venues reused. An iconic cultural backdrop. These were Games shaped as much by pragmatism and fiscal discipline as prestige. The spread-out model may have muted the traditional host-city buzz, but Milano Cortina [...]
Six Nations in-game ads pave way for football to be split into quarters February 21, 2026 Like many Welsh rugby fans, the highlight of the first round of the Six Nations was the small moment of relief granted by the ad breaks in either half, twenty seconds of respite from giving away penalties, points and accumulating yellow cards. I’m not sure everyone was as pleased to see them as me. They [...]
Hunslet RLFC’s lesson for rugby league profitability? Pay HMRC February 20, 2026 Something incredible happened in the world of English rugby league this week. No, not the World Club Challenge victory for Hull KR over Brisbane Broncos, but a club in Hunslet RLFC turning a profit. Various reports state that, across the latest possible Companies House records, only Leigh Leopards turned a profit, over £500,000 better off [...]
Seattle Seahawks: Why are NFL franchises selling for $10bn? February 20, 2026 Just days after winning their first Super Bowl in over a decade the owners of the Seattle Seahawks – the Allen family – put the NFL franchise up for sale. Paul Allen was a co-founder of Microsoft, and “The Estate of Paul G. Allen” has now begun a formal sale process of the franchise due [...]
UK Athletics pleads guilty to corporate manslaughter over Paralympian death February 20, 2026 UK Athletics has pleaded guilty to corporate manslaughter after the death of a Paralympian in London in 2017. Abdullah Hayayei, of the United Arab Emirates, was killed at Newham Leisure Centre nearly a decade ago after part of the metal throwing cage – common apparatus at many athletics tracks – fell on the 36-year-old. Parts [...]
Aston Martin F1 buys team naming rights in £50m cash deal February 20, 2026 British car manufacturer Aston Martin has announced a £50m cash sale of its Formula 1 naming rights to AMR GP. The deal will enable the eponymous Formula 1 team, owned by Canadian Lawrence Stroll, to have the “exclusive right to use the iconic automotive company’s name, logo and branding in perpetuity”. Formerly Racing Point UK, [...]