Latest news with #BillSweeney
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Heat wave, road closures, MAX delays: Portland weekend could be a mess
PORTLAND, Ore. () — A is set to bake the Portland metro area this weekend just as drivers and transit riders face a minefield of closures, delays and detours. Highs are expected to by Sunday, potentially tying a 70-year-old record. But it's not just the sun that could bring the burn. City to pay $7.5M to 'displaced' Black Portlanders Highway 217 southbound will be fully closed from Canyon Road to OR-99W starting Friday night through early Monday as part of a recurring summer construction project. At the same time, westbound I-84 will shut down between I-205 and I-5 from midnight Saturday until 4 p.m. Sunday. Crews will be doing maintenance and graffiti cleanup, forcing TriMet to pause MAX service in the area. Shuttle buses will fill the gaps. Expect another shutdown at Northeast 82nd Avenue, where TriMet crews are building a temporary MAX platform as part of a station overhaul set to last through the end of the year. 'A lot of safety improvements are going to be part of the refurbishment of the station,' said TriMet spokesperson Tyler Graf. 'Just to give it a fresher look to give our riders a better experience.' On Saturday morning, Southwest Naito Parkway and surrounding downtown streets will close for the Grand Floral Parade. Some neighbors are taking it in stride. 'I might go for a hike on Saturday and go to church on Sunday like normal,' said Portlander Bill Sweeney. Victims in Battle Ground double homicide identified Others, like visitor Zane McGee, are playing it safe. 'Staying inside, really,' McGee said. 'Especially being a redhead. I have to make sure to wear sunscreen when I go out.' And for drivers? The forecast isn't just hot—it's potentially heated. 'When it gets too hot, people get angry, disoriented… it's chaos,' said Sandra Kitanga. 'You've got to have patience.' Despite the heat, Multnomah County does not plan to open emergency cooling centers since temperatures aren't forecasted to reach the established threshold. Officials recommend visiting libraries, malls, or other public indoor spaces. Residents can call 2-1-1 for help finding a place to cool off. Kitanga's advice for the weekend? 'It's never that serious. You're gonna have more hot days this summer.' Grocer accused of deceptive prices in Oregon stores The Oregon Health Authority has about preventing heat-related illnesses, including staying hydrated, visiting air-conditioned places and using cool compresses and misting and taking cool showers or baths. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Guardian
15-05-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
English rugby's second tier gets Champ rebrand in new 14-club league
English rugby union's second tier will be rebranded as the Champ from next season in a move designed to raise standards and add greater aspiration and jeopardy for clubs. Beneath the glitzy launch, however, many questions still remain. Simon Gillham, the Tier 2 chair, said that the new-look league of 14 clubs would bring a 'gripping conclusion to the season' – with the top six entering a playoff tournament for the right to face the bottom-placed Premiership club for a promotion place. However, Gillham confirmed that discussions have not yet concluded on terms for promotion, with minimum operating standards still to be agreed. The thorny issue of whether a promoted club will have to purchase a P-share, allowing them to participate in the Premiership's financial benefits and governance, has also not been decided. Ealing Trailfinders did not meet the minimum standards for promotion this season despite winning the Championship, and Gillham refused to speculate on the chances of a club from the Champ going up next year. However he insisted: 'We will do everything to be at the table and to make sure that there's proper aspiration and there's proper jeopardy. That is absolutely what we are determined to do.' Another complicating factor is that Rugby Football Union chief executive, Bill Sweeney, recently warned that promotion and relegation 'does not work', while Premiership clubs are angling for a ringfenced league based on franchises. But Conor O'Shea, who sits on the Tier 2 board as well as being the RFU executive director of performance rugby, said that 'grown-up conversations' would take place to ensure the dream of promotion remained a possibility. 'As it stands, at the end of next season there will be a promotion/relegation playoff based on minimum standards,' said O'Shea. 'We know that only Doncaster met them this year. The discussions are, how do we improve that? How do you make it accessible without breaking clubs?' 'There is a heck of a lot of work to do,' he added. 'Our focus is the step change we want to make in the Champ. It's already a great competition, but we want all the standards across the board to grow.' Sign up to The Breakdown The latest rugby union news and analysis, plus all the week's action reviewed after newsletter promotion Organisers are yet to announce a title sponsor. However with the bottom club being relegated, and the 13th placed club facing a relegation playoff against the National League One runner-up, the hope is that more matches will matter, leading to greater interest and bigger crowds to raise revenue. As part of England Rugby's strategy to attract new audiences, the launch video is voiced by the rugby influencer and YouTuber Max Brown. 'This is where we raise the bar,' Brown says as pounding music plays. 'Where standards are set. Where mettle is tested. Where stars rise. And where hype is realised. We build players who refuse to back down and clubs that demand respect. Communities fuelled by passion. Rivalries played out on a national stage. 'We live for the good of the game. Pushing it further. Driving English Rugby forwards. Match by match, moment by moment. This is the ultimate test. Welcome to the proving ground. This is Champ Rugby.'
Times
07-05-2025
- Business
- Times
Phil Dowson: Make Premiership a franchise league or clubs face oblivion
The Northampton Saints director of rugby, Phil Dowson, has warned that English clubs will 'sleepwalk' into financial oblivion unless the Premiership is relaunched as a ring-fenced franchise league. The Times revealed last week how the radical plan to split the Premiership from the rest of the rugby pyramid would trigger the biggest change to professional rugby in England since the introduction of the league system in 1987. Bill Sweeney, the RFU chief executive, has endorsed the proposal by stating that promotion and relegation 'doesn't currently work' in the English game. Bruce Craig, the Bath owner, said that removing the threat of relegation would attract new investors to the league. Sweeney's comment triggered an angry reaction in the Championship. One club's source said Sweeney had 'crossed
Daily Mirror
06-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
‘I've been at Twickenham for matches and this is exactly what Chelsea fans could experience'
Chelsea are deciding over a temporary switch to the home of English rugby at Twickenham as they discuss plans for a new stadium to replace the iconic Stamford Bridge The idea of Chelsea moving to Twickenham makes a lot of sense. Yes, the Range Rovers, picnic hampers and tweed jackets would be nowhere in sight. Instead, they'd be replaced with a uniform of designer gear and a copious amounts of lager, rather than champagne. Twickenham's anthem of 'Swing Low, Sweet Chariot' would likely morph into something less palatable. However, one constant would be a sports team having the privilege of calling a world-class stadium their home. It seems like a logical move for both the football club and the Rugby Football Union (RFU). The proposal has been suggested because Chelsea wants to either redevelop Stamford Bridge or build a new stadium near Earls Court, and would need somewhere to host their home games in the meantime. Meanwhile, the RFU is in desperate need of additional income, due to the ongoing struggle with record losses. If Chelsea did relocate to England HQ, as it's known in rugby circles, we would get to see if the London club is as big as it believes it is. Twickenham, when full, is one of the finest stadiums in the UK. It can hold 82,000 spectators and is capable of creating a thrilling atmosphere. But could Chelsea fill it? That remains to be seen, but what Twickenham is also good at is retaining spectators long after the final whistle. The vast space surrounding the ground is filled with places to eat and drink, albeit at steep prices. Rugby fans seem to linger around the stadium after a match, and perhaps Chelsea could find ways to keep their own fans outside following games. However, it's worth mentioning that commuting to and from Twickenham can be a nightmare. The traffic is unbearable, there's no direct underground link, and the overland trains pack commuters like sardines in a tin. RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney has hinted that Richmond Council might be hesitant to let Chelsea become new tenants of Twickenham. Twickenham sits right in the heart of one of London's wealthiest boroughs, and local residents have strong objections to the number of events held there. So, the idea of thousands of Chelsea fans flooding their tranquil suburban streets is likely to fill them with dread. However, London Mayor Sadiq Khan is open to discussions. "My message to Chelsea is come and speak to us in relation to what you want to do," he said (via the Daily Star). "Chelsea are victims of their own success, and Stamford Bridge is now too small for them. After all, this is a team that has twice won the Champions League. We work closely with all seven of our Premier League clubs but I'm sure Chelsea look with some envy at the stadiums some of their rivals in London have." Despite Khan's comments, Chelsea haven't clinched the league title since 2017. Their popularity as the biggest club in the capital is also an ongoing competition, which puts the potential move to Twickenham as a real test of their stature in football. Because if this venue turns out to be impractical, Wembley could then be a potential alternative, but that would present an entirely new set of challenges.
Telegraph
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
In move to modernise English rugby, RFU has poked the bear
Nothing, it seems, is certain except death, taxes, and an RFU revolt. The guns may still be only cooling from the last confrontation, the special general meeting held at the end of March with the aim of forcing out the governing body's chief executive, Bill Sweeney. Sweeney prevailed, yet it seems that hopes of a permanent peace remain faint, judging by the reaction to the Rugby Football Union's revelation on Wednesday of radical proposals to overhaul the organisation's governance, including axing of its 63-strong council. The RFU was quick to insist that the review had been led by an independent group set up by the council, and the board and executive, including Sweeney, had not been involved 'apart from being part of general consultation so far in some cases'. It is also true that the 'Governance and Representation Review' was not a result of the SGM but had been ongoing since September 2023. Yet the perception of a land grab to dismantle the body that has harboured fierce critics of both Sweeney and the board – a revolt before Christmas culminated in the resignation of former chairman Tom Ilube over the bonus scandal – did not take long to take root. The fact that the RFU only released the papers to the council via a Zoom call at noon was interpreted as an indication of the lack of trust and an alarming sign of dysfunctionality between the executive and the council. 'These proposals are a blatant attempt to reduce the influence of members and scrutiny of the board and executive,' said one source. 'It is like the government trying to abolish parliament.' Within hours, the Whole Game Union, the organisation representing around 250 clubs that led the call for the SGM in March, had been sparked back to life, issuing a statement that while the role and composition of the council was 'sorely in need of reform ... the proposals would reduce the scrutiny of the Board and executive, two bodies that have brought the RFU to its knees'. The phoney peace looks to be over, at least for another few months until the RFU's annual general meeting on June 30. A counter proposal to the RFU's plan, which has been signed by Chichester RFC and Nottingham RFC, has already been lodged and calls for 11 rule changes to make council members more accountable but also calling for key decisions, such as the RFU's strategic plan, to be approved by the council, not just the board. 'The objective is to ensure that members regain a meaningful role in shaping the union's strategic direction and provides a platform that enables the RFU to be restructured into a well-led, well-governed, and high-performing National Governing Body (NGB) that serves the needs of all its members,' the letter states. The RFU proposal in contrast wants to replace the council with 'a smaller national advisory group' or replacing those members with game representatives who would be embedded within all the decision-making bodies, 'including in suggested regional growth boards'. It has now begun a nationwide consultation 'seeking views from across the rugby community'. Proposals also include 'accelerating ideas to develop a genuinely devolved regional system so those in the game can feel closer to and can influence the decisions which impact them directly'. Emboldened by the feedback from the roadshows held in the run-up to the SGM, and by winning a second vote promising a governance review, including devolution of powers to the regions, by an 80 per cent majority, the RFU clearly see this as a moment to press ahead with a new structure. But the concern is that by being too radical, it has merely poked the bear. The WGU, in reaction to the vote at the SGM, said that it would hold off calling another one only if the RFU delivered reform. With two governance proposals now set to go to a vote of the clubs in June, the concern for the RFU is that it will not meet the 66 per cent threshold needed for its proposal to be accepted. And that is before the issue is addressed of council members voting like turkeys for Christmas. Those with long memories will know that we have been here before, several times. The last major revolt at the top of the RFU in 2011 resulted in a review, carried out by Slaughter and May, that proposed reducing the council to just 25 members. That even had the support of the then sports minister, Hugh Robertson, but was ultimately kicked into the long grass. The hope must be that a way forward can be settled upon, for what is certain is that the status quo cannot remain, something at least the two parties agree on. The game is still hurting from the traumatic months that followed the disclosure of the RFU's annual report last November revealing the extent of the largesse of salaries and bonuses. It cannot afford another public squabble. What is also clear is that those who see the dismantling of the council as a move that will strengthen Sweeney's hand are misplaced. The wounds from the last battle revolt are still too fresh.
