Whether you’re a professional athlete or a recreational sportsman or woman down the village green, it takes a strong personality to captain a team. There’s the need to inspire your teammates to give their all, settle inter-team disputes where they arise and act as a PR frontman or woman for your club. In some sports, […]
Rugby
What Is a High Tackle In Rugby and How are the Rules Changing?
Even though it is a sport of immense physicality, there are still rules in place in both codes of rugby that protect the welfare of the players. The high tackle rule was introduced to outlaw tackles that targeted the ball carrier’s head and neck, predominantly, with contact above the shoulders penalised. That was accepted by […]
Is Rugby Union Dying a Slow Death? Breathing New Life Into an Old Sport
With a handful of Guinness Premiership clubs in financial disarray, the onus is on RFU chiefs to emphasise the importance of sustainability and self-sufficiency sooner rather than later….or more clubs, not just Wasps and Worcester, could go to the wall. Wasps could be in for a renaissance thanks to a takeover deal that should provide […]
The Curse of the Ricoh Arena: Wasps Follow Coventry City Into Administration
The Ricoh Arena has proven to be anything but a home, sweet home for Coventry City FC and Wasps RFC. Renamed the Coventry Building Society Arena for sponsorship purposes, both the former Premier League football side and the current Premiership rugby outfit have fallen into administration while playing their games at the venue. Coventry City […]
Is English Premiership Rugby Heading for Financial Armageddon?
We often read about football clubs that are on the brink of financial disaster, whether it’s due to greed, mismanagement or simply unfortunate economic circumstances. Rugby union clubs have been, for the most, more conservative and sustainable in their spending, although some at the top table of the sport in England have started to pay […]
Should Former Professional Sports Stars Be Able to Sue When Diagnosed with Dementia?
This is in no way a heartless pun, but the increasing numbers of former sports stars that are developing dementia and similar neurological conditions in later life is becoming a major headache for both governing bodies and legal specialists. The latest case to be brought will be from a group of ten former rugby league […]
Major League Rugby: The Unlikely Story of How the USA Fell in Love with the Sport
In a country in which American football is still very much the go-to sport, it’s amazing to see how quickly rugby is growing in the United States. Major League Rugby is up and running in its third year, and the competition has been able to attract a number of world class stars to swap Twickenham […]
Rugby Salary Cap vs Financial Fair Play: What Is the Difference, and Which Is Stricter?
Most football fans have heard of, or have some idea about, the Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations that (supposedly) ensure that clubs don’t go around spending hundreds of millions on new players if they cannot afford to do so. Rugby union has its own version in the form of the salary cap, and Premiership champions […]