Rugby Union

The Japanese government today (Friday) approved guidelines for Tokyo’s new National Stadium for the 2020 Olympic Games, pledging to develop an athlete-friendly venue as cost-effectively as possible ahead of a targeted completion date of March 2020.

The Hawk-Eye technology system is to undergo an enhanced trial during this Saturday’s rugby union game between England and France at Twickenham, ahead of further testing at this year’s Rugby World Cup.

The Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) governing body has reported record turnover of £44.2m (€62.2m/$68.6m) for the 2014-15 financial year.

The Pro12 pan-European rugby union club competition has appointed Martin Anayi to the newly created role of managing director.

World Rugby has given itself a one-month window to reschedule matches at its 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan after Tokyo’s new National Stadium project was taken back to the drawing board.

Some sports properties will travel miles away from home in order to benefit from non-sports revenues, as recently seen with Wasps, the Aviva Premiership Rugby Union club, which last year made the move to the Ricoh Arena in Coventry, England, 90 miles from its previous base.

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) has entered into a strategic partnership with USA Rugby through which it will seek to aid the commercial growth of rugby union in the United States.

World Rugby has said that an increased ticket capacity for its 2015 Rugby World Cup could result in the biggest edition of the national team event to date.

The Japanese government today (Tuesday) outlined a new timeline for the development of Tokyo’s National Stadium as Yoichi Masuzoe, Governor of the capital city, hit out at the role of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s cabinet in the original failed project.

Audience ratings and trends for major events in 2014-15 including the Fifa World Cup, Winter Olympics, Tour de France and more, with data from Eurodata TV Worldwide.The Fifa World Cup 2014 generated the largest average audience for a major international sports event (as opposed to domestic leagues and competitions) in four of the five major European markets in 2014-15. 

World Rugby has called for urgent talks with the local organising committee for the 2019 Rugby World Cup after Japan’s Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe, today (Friday) announced that the main venue for the tournament will not be completed in time.

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has today (Friday) ordered a complete review of plans for Tokyo’s National Stadium project in a major about-turn on the development which is set to see it shelved as the main venue for the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

World Rugby has announced better than projected financial results for 2014 and has revealed a record investment programme for 2015 as it prepares for its showpiece event, the Rugby World Cup.

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has appointed Martyn Phillips as its new chief executive.

The list of candidates to host the 2023 Rugby World Cup will remain at four after World Rugby today (Friday) said that the United States has elected not to follow-up initial interest in staging its showpiece national team tournament.

Owen Evans spoke to Jonathan First, president of United World Sports, about plans to launch the United States’ first professional rugby sevens league next season.