Rugby
Could two great managers bring us two World Cup wins?
Maybe it’s the time of the year, or maybe it’s down to my sad little life, but surely I can’t…
Ben Stokes’s run-in with Aggers
There’s tetchy, and then there’s Ben Stokes ‘tetchy’ – pulling out his mic and stomping off cursing, or so I’m…
The maverick magnificence of Henry Pollock
‘Gosh he seems full of himself’ was how my friend’s wife reacted when she came in to see Henry Pollock…
From South Africa to Saracens, two rugby stars are born
Moments when a 24-carat superstar bursts on the scene are few and far between, but always something to cherish. And…
Good riddance to the traditional sports bar
They used to be places that reeked of testosterone, sweat and male egos, their floors sticky with lager spilled by…
The glorious sporting spectacle of snooker
I’m not sure quite what Sir G. Boycott would have made of it, but the People’s Republic of Yorkshire was…
The real reason for Scotland’s Six Nations defeat
The confused world of Duhan van der Merwe must seem more confused than usual after last weekend. The Scotland winger…
Emperor Trump and the spectacle of the Super Bowl
It’s easy to not quite get the Super Bowl. What exactly is it: a sporting event, a music show, a…
Can anyone stop France in the Six Nations?
Winter’s almost done and spring’s on the way. We can tell because the Six Nations is about to muscle into…
The problem with rugby union
Rugby union has always attracted a certain type, the ‘play hard, party hard’ sort. I remember a former teammate –…
The towering talent of Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii
When it comes to dishing out God’s gifts, you feel the Almighty could be a little more even-handed. Take Joseph-Aukuso…
Sorry, but you’ve got to love the Springboks
There may still be some poor benighted souls who regard the Springboks as the bane of rugby union. If you…
How sport helped shape the British character
David Horspool connects different sports to our historical experience: cricket with class, golf with property rights, tennis with female emancipation and boxing with ethnicity
Who’s more useless – the Tories or the England rugby team?
In a curious way the decline of English rugby mirrors that of the Conservative party. Four years ago there was…
State of the union
Dear oh dear, as exasperated kings are known to murmur – just look at the state of rugby union. But…
English rugby needs rescuing
Make no mistake: the game of rugby, which many of us love so much, is in serious trouble: it will…
Another supremo comes in to bat
Well alleluia, English cricket doesn’t seem able to put a foot wrong these days. After hitting three cherries with Rob…
I’ve seen the future of motor racing, and it’s quiet
Are petrolheads’ days numbered? I only ask because having just been introduced to the quiet, petrol-less world of Formula E,…
How Kyrgios saved Wimbledon
What separates this year’s ‘empty seats on centre court’ scandal from every other year’s ‘empty seats on centre court’ scandal?…
Mountains to climb
That great Frenchman the Marquis de Sade would have been justly proud of the Tour de France had he lived…
Rob Burrow is in a league of his own
What a privilege the other night to see Rob Burrow, the Rugby League legend, win Autobiography of the Year at…
Where Eddie Jones is going wrong
Rugby Union, bloody hell. We’ve got to talk about Eddie, but before that, what about something much cheerier? Just when…
