England rugby chiefs axe bonus scheme that led to coup attempt on CEO Sweeney Sport Business The Rugby Football Union (RFU) has scrapped the controversial long-term incentive plan (LTIP) that led to a major rebellion against CEO Bill Sweeney earlier this year. Sweeney faced and survived a vote of no confidence in February after it emerged that he had been paid £1.1m in 2023-24 despite the RFU making a loss of [...]
Gianni Infantino, Jay Shah and the rise of sport’s super-execs Sport Business Infantino at Fifa and Shah at the ICC are styling themselves as super-execs like Musk and Zuckerberg but it won’t end well, warns Matt Readman. In sport, the best referees go unnoticed. They quietly manage the game, letting play flow and leaving the athletes to shine. Occasionally they must enforce the law, but they are [...]
BBC facing fight to retain £60m Wimbledon broadcast rights Sport Business The BBC faces the prospect of having to significantly increase its rights fee to the All England Club to extend their exclusive coverage of Wimbledon beyond 2027 amid increased competition for tennis amongst broadcasters. While Wimbledon’s status as a Category A “crown jewel” event means live coverage has to remain available on free-to-air channels, the [...]
Championship rugby boss set for top RFU role March 27, 2025 A key figure in the Championship is being lined up for a top Rugby Football Union (RFU) role, City AM understands. London Scottish chairman Stephen Pearson is believed to be preparing a bid to become RFU president. It is not certain whether he will run unopposed but, if successful, will first become junior vice-president and [...]
RFU CEO Sweeney faces no confidence vote today March 27, 2025 Bill Sweeney could be ousted as Rugby Football Union chief executive this evening when member clubs vote on his future. Sweeney has been fighting for his future since the RFU’s latest accounts revealed he received a £1.1m pay package – including a £300,000 bonus – for the 2023 financial year despite the union making losses [...]
England could ditch Twickenham for Milton Keynes over council row March 19, 2025 England could quit Twickenham and play their rugby internationals in Milton Keynes because of Richmond upon Thames Council, chief Bill Sweeney has warned. The Rugby Football Union needs to fund a £663m redevelopment of Allianz Stadium in Twickenham but has previously admitted that some of the financing for this would need to come from non-rugby [...]
Sweeney should get RFU bonus if he earned it. He didn’t, so shouldn’t February 18, 2025 England Rugby’s CEO Bill Sweeney should get a hefty pay package, but only if the numbers add up. They don’t, so he shouldn’t, argues Matt Hardy Should the chief executive of a major organisation receive a bonus for the work they do? For some it will depend on where they stand on the morality of [...]
RFU hits back at MPs, saying it got no COVID-19 loans from Government January 15, 2025 The Rugby Football Union (RFU) has hit back at MPs after a swathe of parliamentarians demanded government intervention over the “dying” game. English rugby’s governing body has faced widespread criticism over bumper bonuses for chief executive Bill Sweeney while the wider game struggles to find a financial footing. Shadow sports minister Louie French said that [...]
Ratcliffe, IPL and Littler: The City AM Sport 2024 year in review December 31, 2024 It was the year that was in sport; when iconic athletes retired, major brands made fascinating choices and one pole vaulter was knocked out of the Olympics because of his hefty package. The 12 months that made up 2024 weaved the retirement of cricketer James Anderson with the iconic breakdancer Raygun, it saw a German [...]
Why RFU boss Sweeney is set for no confidence vote December 18, 2024 Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney will face a vote of no confidence after over 180 clubs and bodies rebelled against the governing body’s biggest name. Sweeney, alongside chairman Tom Ilube, will face the music in February following a grassroots-led revolt against the body led by the referees’ union and the Championship clubs at [...]