Andrew Strauss and Bryan Habana to return to sport at first ever Padel Classic in London June 22, 2023 Sporting greats Sir Andrew Strauss and Bryan Habana are set to come out of retirement next summer for an all-star padel pro-am tournament at the Hurlingham Club. The Padel Classic, which will also feature a corporate tournament, is scheduled to be played on the lawns of the exclusive south-west London venue on May 15-16 2024. [...]
Ed Warner: Rugby, boxing, netball, Para sport – what should Saudi Arabia buy next? June 22, 2023 Challenge accepted! A reader last week asked what the most investable sports worldwide are from the perspective of a sovereign wealth fund such as Saudi Arabia’s PIF. He had rugby union in mind, but wanted a long train journey to dredge up others. A return trip on Avanti West Coast to the first Ashes Test [...]
Georgia rugby bosses: We deserve place in Challenge Cup more than anyone June 20, 2023 Two titans of Georgian rugby have called on domestic and international chiefs to open the door to the country and the opportunities it can bring to the sport. Levan Maisashvili, head coach of Georgia’s international team and Super Cup side Black Lion, and Ioseb Tkemaladze, the president of the Georgia Rugby Union, have used an [...]
VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: Johnny Sexton’s second row with officials after cup final June 15, 2023 Further questions have been raised about Johnny Sexton’s conduct at the Champions Cup final after Morning Wire obtained new footage showing a second instance of the Ireland No10 apparently having to be ushered away from confronting officials. The footage – available below – is at the heart of an investigation into Sexton by European Professional [...]
Premiership Rugby confirm new Sporting Commission June 15, 2023 Premiership Rugby has today launched a sporting commission as the English game looks to dig itself out of a hole that has seen three clubs go under. Worcester Warriors, Wasps and London Irish have all been kicked out of the top flight over financial woes. Premiership Rugby has been forced into action with the very [...]
Rugby World Cup Barometer: Ntamack shows us a new side June 15, 2023 | Sponsored In the lead up to the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Morning Wire has put together a barometer in partnership with City Index to assess whose form is hot – and whose is not – in the race to be part of the tournament in France later this year. Rugby player of the week It may [...]
Worcester Warriors owners dealt blow as foundation severs ties, citing effort to “dispel unambiguously any connection whatsoever” with Atlas consortium June 14, 2023 The Worcester Warriors Foundation is to move away from Sixways Stadium in an effort to “dispel unambiguously any connection whatsoever” with the club’s new owners Atlas. Atlas consortium, led by former chief executive Jim O’Toole and ex-professional player James Sandford, purchased former Premiership club Worcester Warriors after it fell into administration in the early part [...]
Ollie Phillips: Tackle-bag carriers must not poison England squad June 14, 2023 It must be a weird feeling being one of the fringe players in England head coach Steve Borthwick’s first World Cup training squad, because the odds are that you’ll be dropped. Next Monday sees the addition of players from Northampton Saints and Leicester Tigers – I estimate that to be more than 10 and closer [...]
Exclusive: Sexton could be forced into early retirement with 24-week ban June 12, 2023 Ireland fly-half Johnny Sexton could be forced into an early retirement by a 24-week ban, Morning Wire has learned. That is the mid-range sanction Sexton is facing if found guilty of threatening match officials at the end of Leinster’s European Champions Cup final defeat by La Rochelle last month. Sexton has been accused of three [...]
Care and Marler handed World Cup life lines by England June 12, 2023 Harlequins duo Danny Care and Joe Marler have been handed World Cup lifelines by England head coach Steve Borthwick. The duo were included in the England manager’s 28-man training squad for the first phase of the team’s World Cup preparation. The squad was named without players from the four sides that made the Premiership semi-finals [...]