Premiership: Five things we’ve learned as the east Midlands rise again October 4, 2021 The east Midlands are on the rugby rise again and more clubs than ever are competing for European places, here are five things we learned from this weekend’s Premiership action. The east Midlands heartlands are back The east Midlands duo of Leicester Tigers and Northampton Saints now occupy the top two Premiership spots. The pair [...]
Jepkosgei and Lemma triumph as fans return to the London Marathon October 3, 2021 Joyciline Jepkosgei and Sisay Lemma won the women’s and men’s London Marathons for the first time as British junior doctor Phil Sesemann shocked the field to finish seventh. Over 40,000 took part in today’s Marathon, and 50,000 completed the race virtually, as crowds returned to the streets of the capital for the first time since [...]
Leicester City and JD Sports probed by watchdog over merchandise September 30, 2021 The Premier League’s Leicester City and retailer JD Sports are being investigated by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) over suspected anti-competitive behaviour relating to merchandise. The watchdog said in its case that it has “reasonable grounds to suspect one or more breaches of competition law” and that the CMA “has not yet reached a [...]
Moeen Ali’s entitled to chase the franchise dream September 28, 2021 On Monday morning, England spinner Moeen Ali announced he would be stepping away from Test match cricket but would continue to play the game’s white-ball formats. Some traditionalists might condemn Moeen for turning his back on the oldest and longest form in favour of so-called disco cricket, but onlookers should pause for thought before judging [...]
Liam Livingstone’s summer has made him undroppable for the World Cup September 28, 2021 The road to the highest level of any sport is never straightforward and England cricketer Liam Livingstone has encountered his fair share of hurdles this year in search of a T20 World Cup place. Now, following a summer of batting fireworks, Livingstone has not only secured a spot in the squad for next month’s tournament [...]
Brighton can go top of Premier League with Palace win September 27, 2021 Brighton and Hove Albion have not finished a Premier League season above 15th position, but tonight they could go top. The Seagulls face Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park this evening knowing three points will take them above Liverpool into first. Brighton’s five year Premier League spell has seen them finish in the bottom quarter in [...]
Exeter Chiefs reveal new sponsor, West Exe Business Park, owned by Tony Rowe September 26, 2021 Exeter Chiefs revealed their new front of shirt sponsor at the weekend: another company owned by outspoken chief executive Tony Rowe. West Exe Business Park appeared on the Chiefs’ home shirt for their home defeat by Northampton Saints, after the club started their Premiership campaign without a main shirt sponsor. The business park has not [...]
Exeter’s chief problem: Why did they start Premiership Rugby season without a main sponsor? September 25, 2021 Last weekend, Exeter Chiefs’ Premiership campaign began with a 34-19 loss at Leicester Tigers. Remove the result, the return of the roaring terraces and professional rugby’s big kick-off, and you may have noticed a commercial anomaly in the away side’s kit: Exeter’s shirt was missing a main sponsor. Little more than a year ago, Chiefs [...]
Rugby Europe Super Cup: New second-tier competition for clubs from Israel, Belgium and Russia kicks off effort to raise standard in emerging nations September 23, 2021 It largely slipped under the radar here but across the continent last weekend the Rugby Europe Super Cup kicked off its inaugural season. The competition for emerging rugby nations saw teams from the Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, Spain and Russia clash in the opening round. But just what is the Rugby Europe Super Cup, and why [...]
Whistling Straits: the Ryder Cup course explained September 22, 2021 Whistling Straits will host the 43rd Ryder Cup this weekend, a year later than planned due to the pandemic. It’s the first time the course, in Wisconsin, has hosted the tournament. Where is it? Whistling Straits resort in Haven, Wisconsin, was established in 1998 after plans for a nuclear power plant on the site, an [...]