All Entries Tagged With: "world"
England extends O2 deal until after World Cup 2015
LONDON (AP)—English rugby retained its biggest sponsor on Monday despite the national team’s disgraced World Cup campaign in New Zealand, extending its long-standing deal with telecommunications giant O2 by four years. The Rugby Football Union said the partnership that began in 1995 will continue “beyond the 2015 World Cup,” retaining O2’s presence on the kit of the national teams. No financial details were disclosed, but O2 chief executive Ronan Dunne described the renewal as an “enhanced deal, bigger than previously,” which could reportedly earn the RFU more than 4 million pounds ($6.3 million) a year.
Rugby Sevens: Halai all fine by Tietjens
Super Rugby outfits might not want Frank Halai but New Zealand sevens coach Gordon Tietjens is happy to have the Waikato wing.
Rout of Santos reaffirms Barcelona’s reputation (Yahoo! Sports)
Barcelona was officially crowned the best club team on the planet Sunday, but we already knew that. Securing the Club World Cup title with a 4-0 thrashing of Santos in Yokohama was mere confirmation of a widely accepted fact, and leaves Barca running out of trophies to claim. Likewise, as further proof that this is not just a great team of this era but perhaps one of the best ever, the soccer world is running out of platitudes to anoint Barca with.
Rugby in the summer just won’t work, warns Cotton
By Ian Stafford Last updated at 9:06 PM on 17th December 2011 Fran Cotton, whose mud-caked face became one of the defining images of rugby as a winter pursuit, last night kicked plans to convert the game in England into a summer sport into touch. Cotton, the former England, Coventry and Sale prop who is now a powerful voice within the game, insisted that instead of trying to rearrange the global calendar and play English domestic rugby primarily during the summer months, the Aviva Premiership clubs should instead be focusing on trying to get their own house in order
On Baseball — Astros’ Jeff Luhnow Took Short Walk to New Job
By TYLER KEPNER Published: December 17, 2011 It was like a trade in which the player leaves one clubhouse, crosses a stadium hallway, enters the other team’s clubhouse and starts a new life. That is what happened to Jeff Luhnow on the last night of the winter meetings this month at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas
Rugby not the only winner
In a stellar rugby season for New Zealand, and with a nod in the direction of the official rugby awards, Gregor Paul makes his own decisions about the best of the best (and the worst) of 2011 Best Decision To keep the selection door open for Cory Jane. The Hurricanes wing was in horrible form throughout Super Rugby. His head was scrambled by the birth of his third child; the difficulty of deciding whether to shift overseas in 2012 and the civil war raging in his franchise between new coach Mark Hammett and the senior players.
Rugby in the summer just won’t work, warns Fran Cotton
By Ian Stafford Last updated at 9:06 PM on 17th December 2011 Fran Cotton, whose mud-caked face became one of the defining images of rugby as a winter pursuit, last night kicked plans to convert the game in England into a summer sport into touch. Cotton, the former England, Coventry and Sale prop who is now a powerful voice within the game, insisted that instead of trying to rearrange the global calendar and play English domestic rugby primarily during the summer months, the Aviva Premiership clubs should instead be focusing on trying to get their own house in order
Top Baseball New Year’s Resolutions in 2012: A Fan’s Analysis
With the new year approaching and the latest baseball season beginning to fade away, a lot of players are starting to see next season on the horizon. Here are five ideal potential resolutions that some big stars can make so that New Year’s 2012 will be even happier: Ryan Howard: No more green lights Ryan Howard’s last two at-bats in 2011 were horrific, starting with when he flied out at a 3-0 pitch in the seventh inning of the NLDS Game 5, even though the Phillies really needed a base runner after barely getting any all night. Swinging the bat caused Howard nothing but pain in his last two at-bats—and caused literal pain in his last one.
Movie to tell story of Torres’ ADHD struggles (AP)
NEW YORK – New Mets center fielder Andres Torres knows about struggles. An injury-plagued 2011 season was difficult.
Wimbledon CEO Ritchie leaves to head English rugby
LONDON (AP)—Wimbledon chief executive Ian Ritchie is leaving the All England Club after six years to head English rugby’s rebuilding job after a dismal World Cup. Ritchie was hired on Wednesday as the new chief executive of the Rugby Football Union, which has been in turmoil for much of this year following the organization’s botched attempt to hire a new performance director