Latest news with #Twickenham
BBC News
6 hours ago
- Business
- BBC News
Prem season to open with Thursday night game
The 2025-26 Prem rugby season will begin with a Thursday night fixture for the first time in its history when Sale Sharks take on match will kick-off at 19:45 BST on Thursday, 25 September at the Salford Stadium, opening the first of 18 champions Bath will travel to Harlequins for their first game of the campaign the following day, with runners-up Leicester Tigers playing Bristol Bears away on Sunday, 28 top flight of English domestic rugby union has been rebranded as the 'Prem' for the upcoming season with the aim of giving it a more informal, less corporate feel and also drawing in more younger fans. Newcastle host Saracens on Friday, 26 September and Exeter travel to Northampton on Sunday afternoon in the two other fixtures across the opening will be no Saturday match, to avoid a clash with the Women's Rugby World Cup final at Twickenham on 27 last of the 18 rounds will conclude on the weekend of 6 June, 2026, with the Prem final title decider at Twickenham on Saturday, 21 June move to a midweek night fixture follows news that the men's Six Nations will open with a Thursday night game for the first time in February 2026."Kicking off the campaign with a Thursday night opener brings a fresh twist to our traditional curtain-raiser, and we're looking forward to seeing Sale Sharks and Gloucester Rugby set the tone in style," said chief executive Simon Massie-Taylor. Marquee weekend at Villa, Spurs & Cardiff in March Three fixtures will be played at Premier League or international football stadiums on the final weekend of March (27-29).Gloucester face Leicester Tigers in The Slater Cup - named after Ed Slater, former captain of both teams, who retired in 2022 after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease - at Aston Villa's Villa Park on Saturday, 28 Bears face Harlequins at Principality Stadium, while Saracens take on Northampton Saints at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium."Marquee fixtures remain a key pillar of our strategy to broaden rugby's reach," Massie-Taylor added."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." Premiership opening weekend fixtures Thursday, 25 SeptemberSale v Gloucester (19:45 BST)Friday, 26 SeptemberHarlequins v Bath (19:45 BST)Newcastle v Saracens (19:45 BST)Sunday, 28 SeptemberNorthampton v Exeter (13:00 BST)Bristol v Leicester (15:30 BST)
BBC News
9 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Athlete's challenge to deliver Women's Rugby World Cup whistle
A wheelchair athlete is attempting to set a brand new world record by completing 10 ultramarathons in 10 Chambers, from Exeter, will use her standard everyday wheelchair to travel from Twickenham to Sunderland and deliver the match whistle for the opening game of the Women's Rugby World Cup on the 22 said: "It's quite overwhelming for a huge women's rugby fan. There couldn't be a bigger honour and I'm just absolutely completely gobsmacked that they chose me to do it... I just hope I do them proud."She said she was "having to start a new world record" as no-one had set it before. 'Never give up' Ms Chambers said: "An ultra marathon is anything over a marathon distance. "The general accepted distance is about 50km (31 miles), so I'm actually going to be doing just over 50km every single day."Ms Chambers has fibromyalgia and complex regional pain syndrome - with the latter resulting in her leg being amputated."You do get tough days when you're in pain all the time, you get days when you're low. If you remember 'never give up' it gets you through."She said when completed this would be her sixth world record."They [the records] are amazing... they do mean quite a lot to me. "They help me show people what they can achieve too." A Guinness World Records spokesperson said: "Lexi's the only woman we know of who has hit such incredible milestones using a non-racing wheelchair."During the challenges, Ms Chambers said: "Everything hurts to be honest, even though I don't use my legs obviously, even they hurt, which is quite bizarre. "I think the obvious places are things like my shoulders, my chest actually gets a lot of work because you're leaning forward quite a lot."But yeah, my whole body ends up hurting after 50km. But you don't stop, you just want to keep doing more." 'Close to my heart' The Guinness spokesperson added: "There's no existing record under the title "most ultramarathon distances completed in a non-racing wheelchair in one week". "It's not a category we've monitored previously, but the application has been submitted to be processed [by Lexi].Ms Chambers said: "Although I'm doing 10 ultramarathons in 10 days, they actually have certain time frames that you're allowed to do a record in. "So for the actual record purpose it's going to be most completed in seven days."Ms Chambers is raising money for the ChildFund Rugby said the charity was "really close to my heart" and helps children get into rugby and provides them with life skills.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
BBC expand Premiership Women's Rugby coverage
BBC Sport will expand its women's rugby union coverage with a new deal to broadcast Premiership Women's Rugby matches for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons. A match will be streamed every week, with one semi-final and the final being shown live on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app. In May, Gloucester-Hartpury beat Saracens at StoneX Stadium to win their third PWR title in a row. Next month England host the Women's Rugby World Cup, with John Mitchell's side the favourites to win the tournament. BBC Sport have confirmed exclusive rights to broadcast every game of the tournament. Select matches will be shown on the BBC's linear channels, while every game will be available to watch live on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app. BBC Radio 5 Live and 5 Sports Extra will also broadcast radio commentary on the tournament. Sunderland's Stadium of Light will host the opening game 22 August, while Twickenham will stage the final on 27 September. "This deal is another big step in BBC Sport's commitment to women's sport," said BBC head of sport Alex Kay-Jelski. "Premiership Women's Rugby is fast, physical and full of elite talent, and we're proud to bring that to audiences across the UK on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app. "With the Women's Rugby World Cup exclusively on the BBC this summer, 2025 is a landmark year for women's sport, and we're right at the heart of it." In 2023, English rugby union's top-tier women's domestic league was rebranded as Premiership Women's Rugby and it has continued to grow. The nine-team league includes some of the sport's biggest stars, including World Rugby's women's player of the year Ellie Kildunne, who plays at full-back for Harlequins and England. The league contains all of Mitchell's Red Roses, but also includes oversea stars such as Canada and Saracens number eight Sophie de Goede, with social media sensation Ilona Maher featuring last season on a short-term deal with Bristol Bears. "Today marks another important step forward for Premiership Women's Rugby," PWR executive chair Genevieve Shore added. "In partnership with the BBC we intend to give our incredible athletes the biggest platform possible, to show off the elite rugby talent that exists in this country. "The Rugby World Cup later this year will be a breakthrough moment in our sport, but the story won't end there. "The world's best players play their rugby every week in the PWR, and I am excited to say that now they'll also be shown every week on the BBC." BBC Sport to show 2025 Women's Rugby World Cup World Cup 2025 final in line for record crowd
BBC News
2 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
BBC expand Premiership Women's Rugby coverage
BBC Sport will expand its women's rugby union coverage with a new deal to broadcast Premiership Women's Rugby matches for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons.A match will be streamed every week, with the semi-finals and final being shown live on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and May, Gloucester-Hartpury beat Saracens at StoneX Stadium to win their third PWR title in a month England host the Women's Rugby World Cup, with John Mitchell's side the favourites to win the Sport have confirmed exclusive rights to broadcast every game of the matches will be shown on the BBC's linear channels, while every game will be available to watch live on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and Radio 5 Live and 5 Sports Extra will also broadcast radio commentary on the Stadium of Light will host the opening game 22 August, while Twickenham will stage the final on 27 September."This deal is another big step in BBC Sport's commitment to women's sport," said BBC head of sport Alex Kay-Jelski."Premiership Women's Rugby is fast, physical and full of elite talent, and we're proud to bring that to audiences across the UK on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app."With the Women's Rugby World Cup exclusively on the BBC this summer, 2025 is a landmark year for women's sport, and we're right at the heart of it." In 2023, English rugby union's top-tier women's domestic league was rebranded as Premiership Women's Rugby and it has continued to nine-team league includes some of the sport's biggest stars, including World Rugby's women's player of the year Ellie Kildunne, who plays at full-back for Harlequins and league contains all of Mitchell's Red Roses, but also includes oversea stars such as Canada and Saracens number eight Sophie de Goede, with social media sensation Ilona Maher featuring last season on a short-term deal with Bristol Bears. "Today marks another important step forward for Premiership Women's Rugby," PWR executive chair Genevieve Shore added."In partnership with the BBC we intend to give our incredible athletes the biggest platform possible, to show off the elite rugby talent that exists in this country."The Rugby World Cup later this year will be a breakthrough moment in our sport, but the story won't end there."The world's best players play their rugby every week in the PWR, and I am excited to say that now they'll also be shown every week on the BBC."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
England overcome weather delays and disruption to clinch USA triumph
By Will Jennings in Washington DC England battled delays and disruption to round off a summer tour clean sweep with a commanding 40-5 win over the USA in Washington DC. In a match that kicked off an hour later than scheduled owing to lightning strikes in the American capital, Curtis Langdon, Luke Northmore, Cadan Murley, Jack van Poortvliet, Harry Randall and debutant Gabriel Oghre all scored to make it three transatlantic wins from three following their impressive 2-0 victory in Argentina. The clash was also delayed by a subsequent half an hour when the players were marched off after a second strike but Steve Borthwick's side, who did concede late on when Shilo Klein crashed over for the hosts, kept their composure to stroll to a comfortable triumph. The result stretches England's current winning run to seven matches, their longest since back in 2020 ahead of upcoming autumn internationals against the likes of Australia and New Zealand at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham. The Saturday night encounter was the second of an Audi Field double header after USA had battled past Fiji 31-24 in front of a US women's record 15,198 fans earlier in the afternoon. That initially gave both sides just under an hour to gear up for the men's encounter as centre Max Ojomoh, full-back Joe Carpenter and second row Arthur Clark all prepared for their England debuts. Exeter Chiefs flyer Immanuel Feyi-Waboso was also making his hotly-anticipated return after missing the Argentinian leg of the tour while serving a two-match ban for a high tackle in a pre-tour warm-up match against a France XV. But a weather alert just 15 minutes before kick-off meant the match was delayed by an hour as the players were evacuated after a lightning strike. With proceedings eventually getting underway at 6:05pm local time, both sets of players emerged to another packed-out crowd as the flashes in the sky were replaced by a pyrotechnics display to greet their arrival from the tunnel. The encounter started scrappily but England could have grabbed an early breakthrough when debutant Clark was set free only for a penalty to be awarded for a forward pass from Van Poortvliet, matchwinner in the second Test against Argentina last weekend, in the build-up. The Eagles were dealt a blow shortly after when fly-half Chris Hilsenbeck received a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on – and England took full advantage when Langdon bundled over after a rolling maul just two minutes later. And they doubled their lead moments after when Ojomoh deftly put centre partner Northmore in to cross under the posts. George Ford, fresh off the back of his 100th cap in South America and a celebratory visit to the British Embassy in DC earlier this week, converted once again to fire England into a 14-0 lead. England thought they had a third when Alex Dombrandt crossed following an efficient-looking line-out routine but the try was disallowed for obstruction from the Harlequins No.8. And just seconds after that, both sets of players were marched off the pitch once again following more lightning within 10 miles from the stadium. Official rules dictate that there has to be 30 minutes without a lightning strike before play can resume, with players therefore eventually emerging for a 7:10pm restart time. The Red Rose thought they'd grabbed a third once again shortly after the stoppage but Carpenter was denied a debut try after a knock-on by Murley. But the Harlequins winger made amends just moments later when he weaved in from the left to dot down and finally stretch England's lead to 19-0. Borthwick's players continued their ruthless mood immediately after the break when Northmore played in Van Poortvliet for the scrum-half to grab his second try in as many matches. The England chief begun to ring the changes as the second half progressed, bringing on Randall, Fin Baxter and Ben Curry just after the 50th minute. And scrum-half Randall got in on the act 10 minutes after entering the fray, crossing after being played in by Feyi-Waboso following a brilliant break to extend England's lead to over 30 points. Borthwick then handed debuts to hooker Oghre and fly-half Charlie Atkinson as the game headed towards a conclusion. And both wasted no time in marking the occasion in style, with Oghre bundling over from close range before Atkinson's conversion hauled England's lead to 40 points. USA grabbed a late consolation through Klein to give the home fans who remained something to cheer about but England's work was done as they ended their triumphant tour in style.
