Women’s rugby in England is way ahead, and the RFU deserves credit Sport Business In a phrase many thought a rugby fan would never utter: The RFU, the governing body of the sport in England, is doing a world-leading job. Hold the front page, it surely cannot be true given recent controversies surrounding bonuses and the structure of the men’s game below Prem Rugby. But it is true. But [...]
Platitudes in women’s sport are empty, patronising and offensive Sport Business Georgia Bridgwood argues that women’s sport should rid itself of platitudes; they’re empty, patronising and offensive. “You got this,” proclaimed Adidas. “Thirsty for more,” said Pepsi. “You don’t get it,” I thought to myself. In our exploration of ‘now what?’ for women’s sport at SXSW London this month, the panel dug into why we’re in [...]
England Red Roses are great for rugby, but are they bad for business? Sport Business Should the dominant England rugby team beat France on Sunday in the final round of this year’s Women’s Six Nations they will notch up their 38th consecutive Test victory. It is an amazing feat by one of the most incredible sports teams in the world, but is it good for business? For England, yes. For [...]
Newcastle Red Bulls, Dupont and ITV: Top rugby business stories of 2025 December 19, 2025 This year really has been a 12 months where the business of rugby became a major talking point in ovalball discourse. We have always seen the odd deal here or investment there but 2025 has seen a step change across the sport, and it remains to be seen how it will pan out. So here [...]
England rugby chiefs axe bonus scheme that led to coup attempt on CEO Sweeney November 25, 2025 The Rugby Football Union (RFU) has scrapped the controversial long-term incentive plan (LTIP) that led to a major rebellion against CEO Bill Sweeney earlier this year. Sweeney faced and survived a vote of no confidence in February after it emerged that he had been paid £1.1m in 2023-24 despite the RFU making a loss of [...]
London hailed as global capital for women’s sport as 1.4m visit October 8, 2025 London has been hailed as a global epicentre for women’s sport after the Red Roses, Queen’s Club, the Lionesses and athletics all contributed to 1.4m fans attending events in the capital. Nearly 82,000 fans packed in to Allianz Stadium in Twickenham last month to watch England beat Canada to win a first Women’s Rugby World [...]
Women’s sport participation numbers surge, Royal London state October 2, 2025 Participation numbers in women’s sport are soaring as global success inspires the next generation of athletes. More women are playing football, rugby, netball, hockey and cricket than in 2023 with big moments in women’s sport cited as key factors in getting people active. The findings, from Royal London, come a week after England’s Red Roses [...]
Surrey close £60m Oval Invincibles deal with Reliance after eight months October 1, 2025 Surrey have finally exchanged contracts with Reliance Industries over the shareholders’ agreement governing their new partnership in the Oval-based Hundred team after almost eight months of negotiations. The Mumbai Indians owners agreed to pay £60m for 49 per cent of the franchise in February, but talks over the finer details of the deal have been [...]
Mitsubishi, Emirates and Mastercard enjoy Women’s Rugby World Cup lift September 29, 2025 England’s Red Roses weren’t the only winners at the Women’s Rugby World Cup; sponsors Mitsubishi Electric, Emirates and Mastercard all enjoyed major boosts from the tournament. Mitsubishi saw a 60 per cent increase in online engagement as a result of its partnership with the Women’s Rugby World Cup, which hosts England won on Saturday in [...]
Where to watch the Women’s Rugby World Cup in London September 26, 2025 The Women’s Rugby World Cup final between England’s Red Roses and Canada gets underway on Saturday afternoon. And with a third-place play-off between New Zealand and France beforehand, there’s a bumper day of rugby in the capital. Unsurprisingly it is a sell-out in south west London so we have you covered for a couple of [...]