Average Premiership attendances fall compared to pre-pandemic figures June 8, 2022 Regular season attendances in English rugby’s top flight Premiership competition are, on average, 1,000 down on pre-pandemic levels. In data crunched by City PM – and taking into account a series of factors – attendances in England’s top flight have fallen from 12,636 in the 2018-19 season, the last full season before the pandemic, to [...]
Exclusive: London Irish’s Ollie Hoskins on ‘easy’ decision to re-sign with club May 27, 2022 Australia prop Ollie Hoskins has signed a new long-term contract with London Irish – and insists it was an easy decision to recommit to the Premiership rugby club. “I’ve got a strong connection to the club. This is where I wanted to play and continue to develop my game,” Hoskins told City PM “I can’t [...]
New Zealand Rugby and SAP announce multi-year partnership May 26, 2022 New Zealand Rugby (NZR) and software company SAP have today announced a multi-year partnership that will see the German headquartered corporation partner the major Kiwi rugby teams. The deal, confirmed today, will “accelerate” the “digital transformation” of NZR and will see the two organisations look to innovate in areas such as crowd experience and sustainability. [...]
England rugby coach Eddie Jones ‘happy’ to be shadowed by successor at 2023 World Cup May 18, 2022 England rugby coach Eddie Jones insists he has no problem showing his successor the ropes at the next World Cup. The Rugby Football Union is believed to want the next coach to shadow Jones for a handover period before his contract ends after next year’s tournament. Six Nations champions France implemented a similar process when [...]
Why Premiership and Championship rugby clubs are teaming up to win May 3, 2022 While the powers that be seem to be determined to keep Premiership rugby outfits apart from Championship teams, that hasn’t stopped clubs from partnering up with one another in a series of mutually beneficial playing arrangements. Last week defending Premiership champions Harlequins announced a partnership with London Scottish, who play just up the road at [...]
Ed Warner: The higher the price for Chelsea, the sooner their new owners will feel the strain April 21, 2022 Unless the media have been blindsided by a canny investment bank, it seems that there are no sovereign wealth funds or squillionaires left in the running to buy Chelsea. No Musk, Bezos, Chinese tech magnate or gas-rich autocracy. The three remaining bidders, as reported, are all consortia. Let the game theory commence. The selling bank, [...]
Interview: Premiership Rugby chairman Phillips insists on high standards April 12, 2022 Ealing Trailfinders were last weekend confirmed as the winners of English rugby’s second tier, the RFU Championship. So why haven’t they been confirmed as the 14th Premiership side? Well, because they have been deemed to have failed to meet certain criteria relating to infrastructure, the London-based club have been denied their chance to join the [...]
Ollie Phillips: England rugby chiefs stuck between rock and hard place over Eddie Jones March 25, 2022 It has been a challenging week for the Rugby Football Union (RFU) following the conclusion of another disappointing Six Nations for England and Eddie Jones. The expectation, which the RFU have helped to foster, is that England should be the best team in the world. But the reality, as winning just two games at the [...]
Women’s Six Nations: New dates, new sponsor, same old winners? March 24, 2022 Change is in the air at this year’s Women’s Six Nations, which now has its own slot in the calendar and a first title sponsor in TikTok – but that looks unlikely to extend to the outcome. Champions England start as hot favourites this weekend – no surprise given their 18-game winning run, which includes [...]
Explainer: Why have Championship rugby clubs been denied promotion? March 4, 2022 “Disappointed, dismayed and disheartened,” is how Championship rugby leaders Doncaster Knights reacted to news this week that they will not be promoted even if they win the league. The Knights were joined by Ealing Trailfinders in being denied entry to the Premiership, English rugby’s top division, for failing to meet a series of off-field criteria. [...]
