Stephan Lewies: Fan power a huge boost to Harlequins’ hopes of Premiership success August 15, 2022 Harlequins captain Stephan Lewies believes that being one of just two clubs in the Premiership to sell out their season tickets for the 2022-23 campaign can propel them towards the play-offs. Quins and Bath announced in recent weeks that their allocation of season tickets – usually around two thirds of stadium capacity – had sold [...]
Saracens won’t let internationals derail Premiership bid, says coach Joe Shaw August 11, 2022 Saracens head coach Joe Shaw has vowed to ensure that international call-ups don’t derail the Premiership runners-up’s attempts to go one better next season. With many European internationals set to miss over 10 weeks of domestic action and players representing countries further afield likely to miss a similar number of weeks, strength in depth at [...]
Lessons from Lionesses: What English rugby can learn from Euros for 2025 World Cup August 9, 2022 The iconic Chloe Kelly goal celebration, the record attendance for a final, success on home soil; England Women’s Euro 2022 victory felt like a watershed moment for women’s sport. But in a few years’ time England will be doing it all over again. This time, however, it will be with the oval ball. It was [...]
Gambling sponsors back on the up in sport despite continued threat of a ban, study finds August 4, 2022 Gambling sponsorship in English sport is back on the rise despite the threat of a potential ban, according to a new study. The number of betting companies with front-of-shirt sponsorship deals at leading clubs appeared to be in terminal decline just a year ago, having plummeted 48 per cent from 2019 to 2021. Premier League [...]
Ollie Phillips: Why I am taking on the China Sevens coaching job July 29, 2022 I’ve spent a lot of my life involved in rugby sevens but I haven’t taken on many challenges as big as the one I have just embarked on with China. I am heading up the coaching team for China’s sevens programme, and will be heading out there shortly for the next few months. I am [...]
England chief executive floats idea of sending potential coaches to Georgia July 21, 2022 England Rugby’s chief executive Bill Sweeney has floated the idea of placing coaches at second-tier nations such as Georgia to groom them for the England job. Speaking a week after England wrapped up a 2-1 Test series win against Australia Down Under, Sweeney suggested that a long-term coaching succession plan would not be realised until [...]
Hassell-Collins looking Down Under to other sports to help development July 20, 2022 Uncapped England hopeful Ollie Hassell-Collins insists that taking tips from sports outside of rugby union can give him the edge in next year’s Premiership season and, he hopes, propel him into national colours. The 23-year-old London Irish wing has been a staple for his club but has been in and out of various England camps [...]
Premiership Rugby: Fixtures announced with Spurs hosting London derby July 19, 2022 London clubs Saracens and Harlequins will clash at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next March, it was revealed this morning as the 2022-23 Premiership Rugby fixtures were confirmed. It looks to be part of a solution that will see key derbies played outside of international windows – a criticism of last year’s schedule. The season will [...]
Rugby round-up: England win Down Under, history for Ireland and Chile on fire July 17, 2022 A Emiliano Boffelli crossed the whitewash in Santiago del Estero on Saturday night to earn his Argentina side a Test series victory against a sorry looking Scotland, it marked the end of the European rugby season; one that began in September. But in Ireland’s historic series in New Zealand, England’s continued success on the shores [...]
Ollie Phillips: Home nations within reach of rugby history July 15, 2022 Let’s be frank: the quality of rugby we have seen across this month of internationals hasn’t always been high – it’s been stop-start, mismatched and controversial at times – but it has been competitive. Heading into the final round of their Test series, Ireland are level with New Zealand, Scotland are equal with Argentina, England [...]