England's rugby team faces a challenging Nations Championship debut with three Tests across continents in three weeks. The reappointment of veteran Jamie George as captain, in Maro Itoje's absence, raises questions about the management's confidence amid a four-match losing streak.
The English Premiership semi-finals showcased brilliant rugby, leading to a Northampton v Exeter final. This presents an opportunity for England to embrace a more dynamic, attacking style, potentially identifying future national team talent beyond current coach Steve Borthwick.
Andy Farrell has signed a new deal to stay as Ireland head coach until 2031, ruling out a possible move back to England. The extension covers two World Cup cycles and comes after a successful spell in charge.
Article about second-tier rugby club last December piqued interest of American private equity firm “I think my family already thought I was crazy so this is nothing new,” says Kenn Moritz from his home office in faraway Pittsburgh. The Moritz family may have a point. Given all those baseball, football, ice hockey and basketball franchises in the United States, why opt instead to invest in a second-tier English rugby club in Cornwall that almost folded less than two years ago?The catalyst turns out, ahem, to have been your correspondent’s article about the Cornish Pirates in the Guardian last December. Moritz was sitting where he is now, trawling through his trusted worldwide news sources when he stumbled across the Pirates’ quest for fresh investment. Somewhere inside him a light flicked on. “Without that article I wouldn’t have called,” says Moritz, the president of the private equity firm Stonewood Capital. “It gave me an insight into what was going on in English rugby and piqued my interest.” Continue reading...
Stonewood take minority stake in Champ clubPirates officials call it a ‘landmark’ dealCornish Pirates have stolen a march on some bigger sides in the Prem by becoming the first English rugby union club to complete a significant deal with wealthy American-based backers. The Champ club have joined forces with the Pittsburgh-based private equity firm Stonewood Capital with the aim of revitalising the prospects of the Penzance side.The long-term arrangement would give Stonewood a substantial minority stake in the club for what is understood to be an initial seven-figure sum. Pirates officials are calling it a “landmark” deal and a “major milestone in the club’s evolution”. Continue reading...
