Articles
News & Opinions articles
Topical articles and commentary on rugby events around the world.
Does ‘retrospective refereeing’ do the game any good?England’s narrow 12-6 victory over Wales attracted an impressive UK TV audience of 6.4m to underline the appeal of what is billed as ‘rugby’s greatest championship’. Writer Graham Jenkins examines how rugby failed to capitalise on its popularity at Twickenham where the officials and not the players stole the headlines.
Continuity the key to continued success for EnglandIn a sporting landscape where the news of a coach losing their job often appears as common as a kick off, word of one being rewarded with a contract extension certainly commands attention. In his latest article, Graham Jenkins evaluates Eddie Jones’ England head coach contract extension and what the succession plan could be.
Money talks in World Cup bid processIn the wake of their success, even France acknowledged that the current financial model and the selection criteria make it almost impossible for any nation outside the deep-pocketed French and English to take on the role of tournament hosts. Writer Graham Jenkins explores the reality of the ‘voting’ and the future tournament prospects.
Is the congested calendar slowly killing the game?Graham Jenkins considers ongoing debate about the physical and mental demands of what is quite clearly an over-congested season.
Concussion: Back to BasicsConcussion awareness has raised considerably in recent years. Dr Sam Barke (Return2Play) looks at the next part of the issue – how to effectively recognise and manage the injury.
How successful was Premiership's Philadelphia experiment?As the dust settles on the Aviva Premiership’s latest attempt to crack the United States market, Graham Jenkins reflects on what the league can learn from their Philadelphia experiment.
Exclusive: USA Rugby CEO Dan Payne talks growing the game StatesideWriter Graham Jenkins talks exclusively with USA Rugby CEO Dan Payne about various issues he’s faced in his first year in charge and looks ahead at the key areas of growth, ahead of this week’s Premiership game in the States.
Do you love rugby more than you love your children?As coaches and referees, it is incredibly important that we teach our youngsters the safest way to enjoy our game but it is also imperative that we educate ourselves about the player welfare issues and share that knowledge with players and parents. With the northern season nearly upon us, writer Graham Jenkins looks at what measures the RFU implementing to make the game safer for junior players.
Why Warren Gatland will not be the next All Blacks coachYou could be forgiven for thinking there was no winner in the British & Irish Lions’ recent showdown with New Zealand given that the enthralling Test series was drawn. However surprisingly this was not the case as Graham Jenkins explains one person emerged with their reputation greatly enhanced.
What is the currency of the British & Irish Lions after New Zealand 2017?The simple answer to the question in the title of the article is $69 million NZ dollars. That is the monetary amount that educated estimates suggest will be generated by the Lions cycle (every four years) for the host union. Analyst Nick Bishop outlines who benefits most from the tours and ways it could be improved for all involved.
