Haskell warns club rugby is heading off a cliff ‘like Thelma and Louise’ as £34m losses revealed

The former England flanker James Haskell has likened English rugby to “Thelma and Louise heading off a cliff” after an independent report found Prem clubs made a combined loss of £34m last season.The report by Leonard Curtis, a leading UK corporate recovery and insolvency firm, suggests the game should consider adopting a franchise model, which it says would help Prem clubs to save up to £1.9m a year.Its recommendation comes after its financial audit of the English game found that six of the 10 Prem clubs were balance-sheet insolvent – albeit one fewer than a year ago – and had net debts of £342.5m, up from £329

The Spin | Why the first ball of the Ashes is both an end and a beginning

You always remember the first. Senses heightened, clammy palms, not quite knowing where to look or what to focus on. It is OK to be nervous … but is it normal to be this nervous? Castanet heart and goosebumped skin as the moment gets nearer. Just get this one out of the way, don’t put too much pressure on it. Calm down

British & Irish Lions plan ban on R360 players to stop Red Roses jumping ship

The British & Irish Lions are planning to follow the example of the biggest unions by banning players who join R360 in a move designed primarily to prevent an exodus of England’s Red Roses stars to the rebel league.Eight of the 12 tier-one unions, led by England and New Zealand, announced last month that they would not select R360 players, and the Guardian has learned that the Lions will follow suit. Ireland, Scotland, France, Italy, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa also came out in support of a ban, but Wales and Argentina did not due to smaller player pools and weaker domestic leagues.A number of England’s World Cup winners are leading targets for R360, with the full-back Ellie Kildunne saying last month that she is “open to anything”. With the next tournament four years away, there are concerns at the Rugby Football Union in particular that salaries of up to £270,000 in the franchise competition will be too good to turn down, despite the prospect of an international ban

Susie Wolff: ‘I can be very punchy and pragmatic. If I have to fight for something, I’ll fight’

Head of F1 Academy explains how close she came to a grand prix debut, her quest to produce female drivers, and a frightening knock on her hotel room door by a powerful man in the sport“There was a deep loneliness to karting, and then definitely in single‑seaters, because no one else was going through the same thing as me,” says Susie Wolff as she remembers her long struggle in motor sport, from racing as a teenager against Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg to her determined, but unfulfilled, quest to become a Formula One driver.“After the whole #MeToo movement, we forget what it was like before. But the way I heard boys talking about girls in the paddock made me think: ‘I never want to be spoken about in that way.’ I realised I’d have to be whiter than white to get through it unscathed.”The 42-year-old says: “I couldn’t open up to anyone until I met [her husband] Toto

Ben Stokes hits back at England ‘has-beens’ over criticism of Ashes preparations

Ben Stokes has warned England’s players to be wary of an Australian media desperate to pounce on any indiscretion or hint of scandal, saying the Ashes tourists have already been the subject of some “unbelievable journalism” and that such treatment is “part of being in Australia … it’s not just stuff out on the field that can get you, it’s also the off-field stuff”.The England captain’s disgruntlement with his side’s treatment in the press extends to recent criticism of their preparations, with Stokes hitting out at the “has-beens” who have been leading the chorus of complaint and insisting “leave no stone unturned” and “have prepared incredibly well”.Stokes’s arrival in Perth last week prompted the West Australian newspaper to launch an attack on “England’s cocky captain complainer” over a front‑page photograph of the 34‑year‑old pushing his bags through the airport, while Joe Root was subjected to similar treatment on Monday.“I was a bit gutted when they turned their attention to Rooty because I was waiting to see what the next headline about me was,” Stokes said. “But it’s expected

Trump pardons trail runner convicted after taking shortcut during record run

Donald Trump has pardoned a trail runner who briefly took a closed trail on his way to a record time on the tallest peak in the Teton Range of western Wyoming.The pardon for Michelino Sunseri, unlike recent ones for Trump allies, appeared apolitical.“Michelino is pleased, of course, but nobody expects a pardon,” Sunseri’s attorney, Michael Poon, told Outside. “He shouldn’t have had to go through this ordeal to begin with. It’s not a case that should have ever been brought to trial

Ollie Pope poised to stay at No 3 as England focus on continuity for Ashes

England may stand accused of not taking their Ashes preparations seriously but with only three days against the Lions to hone their players’ cutting edge they have promised to approach the solitary game of their pared‑down warm-up with as much intensity as they can muster.The assistant coach Marcus Trescothick said the focus would be on making the game “as competitive as we can”, as they prepare to effectively unveil their first-choice Ashes XI.While every member of the Ashes squad will be involved in the match, with some turning out for the Lions against their own teammates, the England side is expected to be at full strength. Every player trained in an intensive session on Tuesday – Ben Stokes doing one session in the nets against spin, one against seam, and another bowling – with no fitness issues reported.This means that while the debate about England’s preparation will rumble on, the one over the identity of their first-choice No 3 may soon be settled, with Trescothick strongly hinting that Ollie Pope has seen off the challenge of Jacob Bethell to keep his place, where he has batted in 32 of England’s 35 innings since the start of 2024

Advantage England? Emma Raducanu gives tips to squad for All Blacks clash

England’s preparations for their clash with the All Blacks on Saturday have been boosted by some words of wisdom from the former US Open tennis champion Emma Raducanu, who visited their Bagshot training base on Tuesday.Raducanu took to the training field with Steve Borthwick’s squad, taking part in lineout practice and kicking drills with Marcus Smith before sharing insights with the captain, Maro Itoje. Borthwick also invited the Brighton manager, Fabian Hürzeler, to address the squad this week.Eddie Jones was vilified in 2021 when he appeared to criticise the British No 1 women’s tennis player, using the 22-year-old to illustrate the pitfalls of off-field distractions when saying: “There’s a reason why the young girl who won the US Open hasn’t done so well afterwards.” As revealed by the Guardian, Raducanu then skipped an invitation from the Rugby Football Union to attend a match at Twickenham later that autumn

England play Generation Game against All Blacks with overhaul of traditional order of selection | Robert Kitson

Selecting your best XV to start a big rugby match feels increasingly quaint these days, as redolent of a different era as the Generation Game or Starsky & Hutch. To the point where you half expect to find the home teamsheet to face New Zealand this weekend has D‑N‑A‑L‑G‑N‑E printed at the top of it. Even with the All Blacks in town, the traditional order of selection no longer applies.Instead it is all about the endgame. On this occasion Steve Borthwick has picked six British & Irish Lions on his bench compared with only four in his starting lineup