Top Kiwi ref to take charge of Gloucester vs Leicester in Premiership Sport New Zealand referee Ben O’Keeffe will take to the whistle in the Premiership this weekend in preparation for reffing England at the Six Nations, City AM can reveal. The Super Rugby official, who has officiated on a British and Irish Lions Tour, will take charge of Gloucester’s Premiership fixture against Leicester Tigers on Saturday at [...]
Wales seek Six Nations boost from Principality Stadium roof decision Sport Wales have attempted to draw a line under rugby’s roof rows of the past ahead of the Six Nations by announcing that the Principality Stadium will remain covered for all of the team’s home matches until at least 2027. Previously, opponents have had to agree to the roof being closed at the 74,000-seater venue but [...]
Northampton Saints England’s best hope in Investec Champions Cup Sport It wasn’t in the 66 points that came before full-time, nor in the sledging match in the stands that decided an all-time epic between Northampton Saints and Munster in round four of the Investec Champions Cup. Instead it was the colossal mitts of one Henry Pollock, the East Mids star quickly forming a rugby reputation [...]
Investec Champions Cup: Benetton shine and Castres shock January 20, 2025 Nearly 50 matches after we began, the great and good of European rugby have been whittled down to 16 teams. The Investec Champions Cup round of 16 will see a number of firsts for the game intertwined with some classic fixtures synonymous with the competition. Because after the four rounds of pool games, South African [...]
Sale Sharks owner sells £1bn empire to Asda backer TDR Capital January 20, 2025 Simon Orange, the self-made millionaire who co-owns Premiership rugby club Sale Sharks, has sold his business empire to Asda backer TDR Capital in a deal worth more than £1bn. CorpAcq, which is based in Cheshire, counts more than 40 businesses as part of its portfolio including the likes of Cotton Traders. CorpAcq does not included [...]
Investec Champions Cup: Saints and Munster to serve up classic January 17, 2025 Though there has been some debate surrounding the format of the Investec Champions Cup, few can deny that it has led to a final weekend of fixtures with (nearly) everything on the line. Bar the Bulls, who cannot reach the round of 16, there are 23 teams fighting for a spot in the knockouts or [...]
Investec Champions Cup needs South Africa success January 16, 2025 It looks as though European Rugby has nailed its colours to the mast in supporting the inclusion of South African franchises in the Investec Champions Cup. For the competition it offers a new rugby-mad market to venture into, for clubs it aligns European Professional Club Rugby with the United Rugby Championship, and for title sponsors [...]
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 [...]
Can Italy’s challenger European rugby project win them a World Cup? January 14, 2025 Rugby authorities in Italy have reportedly submitted plans for a new European rugby competition. But can it be viable, and is the World Cup the end goal? The new president of Italy’s rugby federation, Andrea Duodo, caused a little bit of a stir recently when he confirmed that new proposals for a European club rugby [...]
Steve Borthwick England squad: Three Champions Cup bolters to watch January 14, 2025 This morning England manager Steve Borthwick names his squad for the Six Nations, with a trip to Dublin up first next month. Last weekend’s Investec Champions Cup action, then, was the very last chance for players to give a good account of themselves before today’s announcement. But it wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies for hopefuls [...]