Why science, engineering and business must unite to protect our athletes and the sports we love February 24, 2021 The stadiums were echoing, the stands empty, but when normal life ground to a halt, many professional sportsmen and women played on. The spectacle gave the rest of us a dose of much-needed escapism. Watching from our locked-down homes, it was easy to imagine the athletes on-screen didn’t have a care in the world beyond [...]
The changing face of match-fixing and why integrity mustn’t be allowed to suffer as Covid-19 squeezes budgets February 19, 2021 As sports events continue to take place in unfamiliar surroundings, the integrity of competitions has been thrust into the spotlight as match-fixing grows and evolves. The global pandemic has created many new challenges to the sporting world, none more significant than the way in which criminals have been able to intensify their operations and become [...]
Should football brace itself for a dementia claims crisis? February 10, 2021 Last week the Football Association’s head of medicine, Charlotte Cowie, announced the governing body was considering “likely risk factors” for dementia among players. The review comes as concern grows across contact sports around the potential link between neurodegenerative disorders and head trauma. The concern isn’t new – Alan Shearer’s 2017 documentary Dementia, Football and Me [...]
Rugby World Cup could have joint hosts in 2027 and 2031, says governing body February 1, 2021 The men’s Rugby World Cup could be shared by joint hosts in 2027 and 2031, the game’s global governing body has said. France is due to stage the 2023 tournament and World Rugby has just officially opened the bidding process for the next two instalments. “We recognise that for some of our members hosting a [...]
Ollie Phillips: Private equity investment is the impetus rugby needs for short-term survival and long-term prosperity January 31, 2021 Private equity in rugby is back on the agenda, with the long-rumoured CVC Capital Partners and Six Nations deal now said to be imminent. Meanwhile, US buyout firm Silver Lake is keen to add a stake in the All Blacks to a portfolio that also includes Manchester City. All this will make some in sport [...]
Saracens announce four-year stadium and shirt sponsorship deal with StoneX and City Index January 10, 2021 Saracens have announced a major new sponsorship deal with financial services company StoneX Financial and its subsidiary City Index. The four-year agreement will see the club’s north London home named the StoneX Stadium. Trading platform City Index will appear on the front of the shirts worn by both Saracens’ men’s and women’s teams. Saracens’ men’s [...]
What to expect from sports technology in 2021 January 1, 2021 After the sporting chasm that was 2020, things are definitely looking up in 2021. In prospect are Olympics and Paralympic Games, football’s European Championship and the return of a plethora of iconic annual fixtures, such as Wimbledon, Royal Ascot and The Open. But as we embrace the new normal of live sport next year, what [...]
The Big Sport Quiz of 2020: How well were you following the action this year? December 22, 2020 Roll up, roll up: it’s City A.M.’s Big Sport Quiz of 2020! Yes, a lot of it was severely disrupted and most of it happened without fans present, but there was still plenty of vintage sport and some intriguing storylines to follow. So test your knowledge on our selection of questions covering all major sports [...]
England v France Autumn Nations Cup final tickets available by invite only and hospitality sold out December 1, 2020 Spectators are due to return to Twickenham this weekend when England host France in the Autumn Nations Cup final. The good news for England rugby fans is that 2,000 seats have been made available, including some hospitality places, for the game on Sunday. The bad news is that only a few tickets remain at the [...]
How to stage a limited capacity match in the Covid era, from socially distanced seating to ordering drinks November 25, 2020 Sports clubs across England are preparing to host limited-capacity events when lockdown ends next week, but Harlequins are one step ahead. The Premiership rugby club had 2,800 at their home, The Stoop, for a match against Bath in early September, as part of a nationwide pilot scheme. Here, Adrian Wells, chief marketing officer at Harlequins, [...]