England v France TONIGHT: Why World Cup opponents’ rivalry lacks spice December 10, 2022 For two neighbouring countries with such a long history of conflict and mutual suspicion, England’s World Cup quarter-final with France tonight is curiously short on piquancy. There is no love lost when the nations’ rugby teams meet each year in Le Crunch, while recent political developments have soured more than a century of Entente Cordiale. [...]
No10 Russell can win Six Nations Triple Crown for Scotland March 10, 2023 Mercurial talent Finn Russell can drive Scotland to their first ever Triple Crown in the Six Nations era on Sunday when his side host Ireland. I would go as far as saying the fly-half is a genius, while his opposite number at Murrayfield – Johnny Sexton – is world class in his own ways. Scotland [...]
‘The supply-demand balance in sport needs re-calibrating’ February 8, 2024 It would be nonsense to ask how much money top golfers need. How much they want, however? That’s easy. More. And more is what’s coming their way, this time from private equity investment into the PGA Tour, herd-following the Saudi investment via LIV Golf into the sport. It’s not just golf where athletes are reaping [...]
Ed Warner: Are Manchester City on course to follow the Harlem Globetrotters? June 13, 2024 Our sport business columnist tackles Man City's challenge to the Premier League.
New Zealand Rugby and SAP announce multi-year partnership May 26, 2022 New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and software company SAP have today announced a multi-year partnership that will see the German headquartered corporation partner the major Kiwi rugby teams. The deal, confirmed today, will “accelerate” the “digital transformation” of NZR and will see the two organisations look to innovate in areas such as crowd experience and sustainability. [...]
Ed Warner: What Ivan Toney and Shohei Ohtani say about sport and gambling March 28, 2024 From football to baseball, sport is intertwined with betting.
Ollie Phillips: Premiership sides are dishing up humble pie in Investec Champions Cup December 15, 2023 Premiership teams stunned columnist Ollie Phillips last week. Can they do it again?
England finally have their axis, but Ireland and France the ones to watch November 4, 2022 Here it is – the day has finally arrived: England are set to field a 10,12,13 axis against Argentina on Sunday of Marcus Smith, Owen Farrell and Manu Tuilagi. This is the kind of backline team sheet we thought we’d see early on in Jones’ tenure – albeit a different No10 would have been in [...]
Ed Warner: Is China about to bring Russia and its athletes in from the sporting cold? March 30, 2023 The war in Ukraine doesn’t look like ending any time soon. Just as Russia is recalibrating its geopolitical and industrial relations, so the prospect of a conflict stretching years into the future will necessitate a realignment of its place in the sporting world. Asia’s warmth towards the Kremlin points a way back into the international [...]
TV schedule: What sports are on the tele and where can I watch? January 27, 2023 This weekend sees blockbuster sports ties while Saturday is set to see an important movers day at the Dubai Desert Classic. Here’s what you need to look out for. FA Cup: Wrexham v Sheffield United, Sunday The magic of the FA Cup returns to television screens this weekend and though there are some blockbuster clashes [...]