Exclusive: RFU monitoring possibility of protests against stadium sponsor Allianz February 17, 2026 The Rugby Football Union is closely monitoring the possibility of protests against sponsor Allianz ahead of this weekend’s Six Nations clash between England and Ireland in Twickenham. Irish sport has seen a backlash over the insurance giant’s sponsorship of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) amid the German firm’s alleged links to military companies which trade [...]
Winter Olympics 2026: How insurance keeps Milano Cortina on track February 17, 2026 Every four years, the world’s greatest athletes fight to take gold, but it’s the unseen safety nets, drafted by insurers, that keep the Winter Olympics running smoothly. German-based Allianz became the exclusive insurance partner of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2021, with coverage until the 2032 summer games in Brisbane, under the oversight of [...]
Youri Djorkaeff on investing, SailGP and buying an English football club February 16, 2026 French football legend Youri Djorkaeff and his son Sacha on their investment vehicle Playmaker, backing SailGP and buying an English club. Two years after helping his country to win a home World Cup in 1998, Youri Djorkaeff was ticking off another life goal in France colours. Only this time it was on the waters around [...]
Fans negative towards Samsung and Virgin Atlantic Six Nations in-game adverts February 16, 2026 The majority of Six Nations fans have reacted negatively to in-game adverts during the rugby tournament. UK broadcaster ITV’s coverage has been broken up with adverts during scrum resets across the opening two weekends of the tournament, which involves England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France and Italy. Samsung and Virgin Atlantic both saw an increase in [...]
Matt Weston: Team GB skeleton star hit in the pocket by Winter Olympics gold February 16, 2026 The road to Olympic gold is paved with sacrifice but for Team GB skeleton star Matt Weston there is another, less common, ingredient: beer. Weston teamed up with Tabby Stoecker to claim the mixed team title on Sunday, his second gold in 48 hours at the Milan Cortina Games after he won the individual crown. [...]
Macclesfield FC: FA Cup heroes in talks with ‘huge’ foreign investors February 15, 2026 FA Cup giant-killers Macclesfield are in talks with two wealthy foreign groups over a transformative investment in the non-league club’s bid to continue their rapid rise. The sixth-tier team pulled off one of the biggest shocks in FA Cup history by beating holders Crystal Palace last month and are back in the spotlight on Monday [...]
Why agents are asking athletes to get a pre-nup this Valentine’s Day February 14, 2026 The rise of the pre-nuptial agreement continues unabated. And never more so than for young successful athletes who tick all the ‘you need an agreement’ boxes – rapid accumulation of wealth, short career spans and public interest in their private lives. For many, a pre-nuptial agreement now sits firmly on the wedding to-do list alongside [...]
Former Six Nations stadium to become 50,000-seat football arena February 13, 2026 A former Six Nations stadium is set to be transformed into a new £380m, 50,000 arena for top flight football. The Stadio Flaminio in Italian capital Rome will be transformed from its current derelict state into a new state-of-the-art arena for Lazio The arena was opened for use during the 1960 Summer Olympics before it [...]
Man City boss Guardiola calls for better society after Ratcliffe immigrants row February 13, 2026 Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has called on countries to “embrace other cultures” after Manchester United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe said the UK had been colonised by immigrants. Ratcliffe’s comments drew condemnation from Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham as well as from across football. The Ineos billionaire has since [...]
Boozing Six Nations fans to contribute £60m to British pub sector February 13, 2026 Brits boozing during the Guinness Six Nations could boost the British beer and pub sector by £60m. An estimated 12m pints will be sunk during the five-round tournament, which began last weekend, according to the British Beer and Pub Association. The annual rugby union tournament consisting of England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, France and Italy takes [...]