Record numbers in England playing sport, report finds
Record numbers of people in England are playing sport or taking part in physical activity, a Sport England report has found. The findings by the grassroots sport funding body,, external which covers the period from November 2023 to November 2024, revealed 67% of the adult population are meeting the chief medical officers' recommended guidelines , externalfor weekly physical activity. The number of inactive adults also fell by 121,000 in the past 12 months. Sport England's chief executive Tim Hollingsworth said the results are a "major milestone" but there is "still much to do". "Black and Asian people are still less likely to be active than white people, while women are less likely to be active than men," said Hollingsworth. "It also remains grossly unfair that where a person lives, and the size of their bank balance, can have such a negative impact on whether a person is physically active or not." Sport England has also seen growth in activity levels for older adults and adults with disabilities.
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South Wales Guardian
an hour ago
- South Wales Guardian
Uriah Rennie remembered as ‘epitome of a role model' after death at 65
Rennie was born in Jamaica before moving to Sheffield aged six with his family and went on to oversee more than 300 games between 1997 and 2008, including 175 in the English top flight. Once described as the 'fittest' match official in world football, Rennie recently revealed he was learning to walk again after a rare neurological condition left him paralysed from the waist down. After his death was announced on Sunday, Howard Webb, the Professional Game Match Officials Board Limited (PGMOL) chief refereeing officer, paid tribute to his former colleague. Webb said in a statement: 'Uri was not only a trailblazer who paved the way for many others after becoming the first black referee in the Premier League, he was a great person and a great referee who cared deeply about his community and helping people fulfil their potential. 'He was a strong influence on our refereeing group too, offering a calming presence and we shared many good times together. 'An epitome of a role model, Uri was a valued member of the football family who has been taken from us too soon. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time. He will be sorely missed by us all but his legacy will live on.' We are deeply saddened to hear the heartbreaking news about Uriah Rennie. A trailblazer in every sense, he will always be a Premier League legend by becoming its first Black referee, providing leadership, talent and visibility that proved inspirational to many. Uriah played a… — Kick It Out (@kickitout) June 9, 2025 Rennie started refereeing locally in 1979 before making history in 1997 when taking charge of his first Premier League match between Derby and Wimbledon, which he had to abandon because of a floodlight failure at Pride Park. The Premier League said on X: 'Uriah was a pioneering trailblazer whose legacy will live on, continuing to inspire future generations.' Rennie became a FIFA-listed referee in 2000 and joined the select group of professionals one year later before retiring in 2008. Anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out said on X: 'We are deeply saddened to hear the heartbreaking news about Uriah Rennie. The Premier League is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Uriah Rennie. As the first black referee in the Premier League, Uriah was a pioneering trailblazer whose legacy will live on, continuing to inspire future generations. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. — Premier League (@premierleague) June 9, 2025 'A trailblazer in every sense, he will always be a Premier League legend by becoming its first black referee, providing leadership, talent and visibility that proved inspirational to many. 'Uriah played a massive role in shaping the game as we know it today. Football should always be grateful to him.' In November 2023 martial arts expert Rennie was awarded an honorary doctorate by Sheffield Hallam University for his distinguished contributions to sport and his work with South Yorkshire communities. He was last month installed as the chancellor of the university and was labelled by former Premier League referee Chris Foy as a 'real community hero in that part of the world'. In an emotional interview with talkSPORT, Foy said: 'He was a gentleman, a gentle giant. He was a friend to me, a mentor to me, he was just a special person who put everybody first before himself. 'He was a real presence on the field and he was a real presence off the field, a true gentleman. If it was difficult for him, he never showed it because he was always grounded. He loved refereeing.' Another former Premier League referee, Dermot Gallagher, told Sky Sports: 'As a person he was humble, he was quiet, he was unassuming. But most importantly, he was kind.'
Rhyl Journal
2 hours ago
- Rhyl Journal
Uriah Rennie remembered as ‘epitome of a role model' after death at 65
Rennie was born in Jamaica before moving to Sheffield aged six with his family and went on to oversee more than 300 games between 1997 and 2008, including 175 in the English top flight. Once described as the 'fittest' match official in world football, Rennie recently revealed he was learning to walk again after a rare neurological condition left him paralysed from the waist down. After his death was announced on Sunday, Howard Webb, the Professional Game Match Officials Board Limited (PGMOL) chief refereeing officer, paid tribute to his former colleague. Webb said in a statement: 'Uri was not only a trailblazer who paved the way for many others after becoming the first black referee in the Premier League, he was a great person and a great referee who cared deeply about his community and helping people fulfil their potential. 'He was a strong influence on our refereeing group too, offering a calming presence and we shared many good times together. 'An epitome of a role model, Uri was a valued member of the football family who has been taken from us too soon. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time. He will be sorely missed by us all but his legacy will live on.' We are deeply saddened to hear the heartbreaking news about Uriah Rennie. A trailblazer in every sense, he will always be a Premier League legend by becoming its first Black referee, providing leadership, talent and visibility that proved inspirational to many. Uriah played a… — Kick It Out (@kickitout) June 9, 2025 Rennie started refereeing locally in 1979 before making history in 1997 when taking charge of his first Premier League match between Derby and Wimbledon, which he had to abandon because of a floodlight failure at Pride Park. The Premier League said on X: 'Uriah was a pioneering trailblazer whose legacy will live on, continuing to inspire future generations.' Rennie became a FIFA-listed referee in 2000 and joined the select group of professionals one year later before retiring in 2008. Anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out said on X: 'We are deeply saddened to hear the heartbreaking news about Uriah Rennie. The Premier League is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Uriah Rennie. As the first black referee in the Premier League, Uriah was a pioneering trailblazer whose legacy will live on, continuing to inspire future generations. Our thoughts are with his family and friends. — Premier League (@premierleague) June 9, 2025 'A trailblazer in every sense, he will always be a Premier League legend by becoming its first black referee, providing leadership, talent and visibility that proved inspirational to many. 'Uriah played a massive role in shaping the game as we know it today. Football should always be grateful to him.' In November 2023 martial arts expert Rennie was awarded an honorary doctorate by Sheffield Hallam University for his distinguished contributions to sport and his work with South Yorkshire communities. He was last month installed as the chancellor of the university and was labelled by former Premier League referee Chris Foy as a 'real community hero in that part of the world'. In an emotional interview with talkSPORT, Foy said: 'He was a gentleman, a gentle giant. He was a friend to me, a mentor to me, he was just a special person who put everybody first before himself. 'He was a real presence on the field and he was a real presence off the field, a true gentleman. If it was difficult for him, he never showed it because he was always grounded. He loved refereeing.' Another former Premier League referee, Dermot Gallagher, told Sky Sports: 'As a person he was humble, he was quiet, he was unassuming. But most importantly, he was kind.'
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
DARREN LEWIS - Premier League must honour Uriah Rennie and address glaring issue
Here's a truth about Uriah Rennie. He hated the spotlight. He hated the glitz, the glamour and the fascination that came with being the Premier League's first Black referee. He refused repeated requests for media interviews during and after his career, saving his life story for his memoir, Your Show, by the excellent Ashley Hickson-Lovence. Rennie was a pioneer. A trailblazer. All of the other adjectives you'd associate with an icon courageous to get to the top of the English game. Knowing what we do about the closed ranks of an un-diverse refereeing fraternity, it was some achievement for him to make it to the very top of his profession in the domestic game in the late nineties. The reason why you haven't heard more tributes from top flight referees of colour is because Rennie was one of just two in over three decades of Premier League football. After his final top flight game on the last day of the 2007-08 season, the only other Black man take change of a game in the competition was Sam Allison - 15 years later. Allison's first game, two years ago, was described as 'a pivotal moment' for English football. Now you barely see him in the Premier League. In the top seven divisions of English football - so from the Premier League to the National League, just four referees are Black or Asian - Allison, Joel Mannix, Aji Ajibola and Sunny Singh Gill. BAMRef, the Black, Asian and Mixed heritage Referees Association, was formed in order to do what English football couldn't - or wouldn't - until a few performative attempts a couple of years ago: support, develop and push for more Black referees. Because they are out there. Four and a half thousand of them in fact. Many of them having taken the same courses as some of the officials you see right now in the top two divisions. This year's annual BAMRef conference, beginning on July 19 in Nottingham, will be more emotional that usual. Rennie had been the body's north star before his passing, aged just 65. Some officials of colour knew him. Many didn't. But all of them wanted to emulate his success at breaking through that seemingly impenetrable glass ceiling. Even then, you can only imagine what Rennie went through during the days when even the supposedly forward-thinking English game developed selective hearing or looked the other way rather than confront the racist abuse accompanying criticism of his decisions. Many a time I'd be in the press box as a young reporter, listening to it. Acutely attuned to it. He was 'the Black referee', a rarity. I wanted him to do well. I grew frustrated that he had to put up with it. Some critics dismissed him as a celebrity ref during the early to mid-noughties. They didn't like the fact that he had a life away from the game within which he practised kick-boxing and aikido. They certainly didn't like the fact that he took no bits from any player, regardless of their status within the game. This is a man who sent off hugely-respected, iconic figures such as Roy Keane and Alan Shearer and managed the likes of Ian Wright. A man described as one of the fittest officials the top flight had ever seen. But even that feels as though it perpetuates a trope that Rennie was so much more than. His drive, determination and effective decision-making under pressure enabled him to make that breakthrough. His skill as a fantastic communicator enabled him to make that breakthrough. His calm authority in a flashpoint enabled him to make that breakthrough. Much has been made of the 300-plus games he managed between 1997 and 2008, including 175 Premier League games. But he'd already been added to the Fifa international list in 2000. The promotion to the PGMOL's Select Group of professional referees came the following year. Rennie was so good they simply couldn't ignore him. Now he will never be forgotten. Sky has slashed the price of its bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more. Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
