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Daily Mail
18 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
New Gallagher Premiership season to kick-off with Thursday night match... while Villa Park will also be a new venue for the 2025/26 campaign
The 2025/26 Gallagher Premiership season will begin with a Thursday night fixture while the league will also host a match at the home of Aston Villa. On the back of a record-breaking campaign in terms of attendances and television viewership, English rugby's top division is hoping to go to new heights once again. Round one will kick-off with Sale hosting Gloucester on Thursday, September 25 – the first time the Premiership, now officially known as Gallagher PREM, will host a match outside its traditional weekend slot. Thursday night matches are not set to become common. But there is one to start the new season. There are no Saturday matches in round one to avoid a clash with the final of the Women's World Cup which is being hosted by England. In a bid to attract bigger crowds, PREM matches have regularly taken place at larger stadiums including numerous football grounds in recent years. But Aston Villa's Villa Park will be a new venue for English club rugby this season, with Gloucester facing Leicester Tigers at the iconic Premier League ground on Saturday, March 28. Saracens will again play at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium while Bristol will return to Cardiff's Principality Stadium after debuting there last term. After beating Leicester in last season's final and sealing an historic treble, Bath will be favourites to seal the league title for a second straight season. Simon Massie-Taylor, chief executive of PREM Rugby, said: 'We are incredibly excited for the return of the Gallagher PREM and fans have plenty to look forward to with a number of appetising new additions to the fixture list for 2025/26. 'Kicking off the campaign with a Thursday night opener brings a fresh twist to our traditional curtain-raiser. Marquee fixtures remain a key pillar of our strategy to broaden rugby's reach. 'We're thrilled to see Villa Park host The Slater Cup for the first time and to witness the continued growth of Bristol Bears' Big Day Out in its second year. Last season was a landmark one. 'Viewership on TNT Sports rose by 28 per cent, attendances continued their upward trend and the league has never been more competitive as we saw a sixth different champion in six years, with Bath edging Leicester. 'Now with the official launch of the new look Gallagher PREM, the 2025/26 season marks the beginning of a groundbreaking and transformative new era for the sport.'
Daily Mail
20 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
NRL grand final hero faces long ban for alleged heated incident with a referee during a footy match
An NRL Grand Final hero has landed in hot water after he allegedly swore at a referee during a footy match. Andrew Fifita was playing for De La Salle during a clash against the Gymea Gorillas last weekend when the incident took place. Fifita made 213 appearances for Cronulla Sharks and was a part of the team that won their maiden premiership title in 2016, notably scoring a try that led to the game-winning conversion. According to The Daily Telegraph, the 36-year-old is alleged to have called a referee a '****' during the first half of the match. He is now facing a five-match suspension over the matter, having been slapped with a Grade Two offensive language charge. 'He has pleaded not guilty and will face a judiciary hearing tomorrow night,' an NSWRL spokesperson said. Fifita, pictured with his wife Nikitia, denied that he had directed the comment toward the referee 'The NSWRL will make no further comment until the judicial matter is complete.' It also now means that Cronulla will be under the spotlight to sack the former footy star, should he be found guilty, who is the coach of their Tarsha Gale women's junior representative side. The prop forward is also employed by the Sharks as part of its culture and welfare team. 'It's an awkward situation because of his profile and the coaching position,' sources close to the club said to Nine's Wide World of Sports. Cronulla executive Dino Mezzatesta revealed that he has spoken with Fifita about the incident, with the forward insisting that he had not made the alleged comment towards the referee. 'Andrew was sent off for swearing, but he has advised the club he didn't direct it at the referee it was directed at an opposing player, who has also confirmed that the comment was directed at him,' Mezzatesta said. 'He has also acknowledged that the language was inappropriate all the same. 'Andrew is waiting for a date from NSWRL for his hearing, where he will be contesting the charge. 'The Cronulla Sharks will wait for this process to be completed.' It's not the first time that the footy player has found himself in front of a rugby league tribunal after he and his brother, David, were once stood down from playing junior rugby league games in Penrith for 12 months. Fifita had been accused of physically threatening a referee, following a match between Penrith Juniors and St Patricks in 2015. His brother, David, was also accused of swearing at the referee, telling the official 'you're a f***ing disgrace mate.'
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
🎧 Rugby Union Weekly - The Nations Pod previews second Test
In the latest episode of the Rugby Union Weekly podcast, Chris Jones, Tom English and Lauren Jenkins look ahead to the second Test between Australia and the British and Irish Lions in Melbourne on Andy Farrell make big changes? Will the fitness of Joe McCarthy force his hand? Has Wales' Jac Morgan done enough to force his way into the 23?Listen now on BBC Sounds
