Menu
Download the app

SBJ subscribers – Enhance your experience with the revamped iOS app

Facilities

ManU's Old Trafford Scraped From 2015 Rugby World Cup Stadium Shortlist

ManU has "pulled out of the running to host matches at Old Trafford during the 2015 Rugby World Cup owing to scheduling concerns and worries there would be serious damage to the pitch," according to James Riach of the London GUARDIAN. Man City's Etihad Stadium "is expected to replace it on the stadium shortlist." It is "a major blow" for Rugby World Cup Ltd., which needs to sell 2.9 million tickets in order to meet the £80M ($120.9M) guarantee it made to the Int'l Rugby Board before being awarded the tournament. Old Trafford "was expected to stage games during the competition in England and Wales," but ManU has requested that it be withdrawn because of its commitments to hosting rugby league. The Rugby World Cup "will take place in September and October 2015," and United is keen "to avoid any scheduling complications as the club could be competing in the group stages of the Champions League at that time of the season." RWCL "is keen for the competition to be spread evenly across the country and hosting matches in Manchester is crucial" to its tournament blueprint (GUARDIAN, 4/2).

FINDING A HOME: In London, Ashling O'Connor reported the choice of venues for the World Cup "has been beset by problems and delays." After securing more time from the IRB to accommodate the Olympic Stadium, tournament organiszers "promise that the match schedule will be finalised before the end of the month." Although West Ham United is confirmed as the winter tenants of the Olympic Stadium from the '16-17 season, it is "still unclear if it would be possible to halt substantial conversion work to stage World Cup games." Also, there is "uncertainty over the use of Premier League grounds because the fixture list will not be finalised until July 4, 2015, meaning, the Premier League can only offer likely dates." The situation is "complicated further by the police, who could veto dates" (LONDON TIMES, 4/3).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Global/Issues/2013/04/03/Facilities/ManU-Rugby-World-Cup.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Global/Issues/2013/04/03/Facilities/ManU-Rugby-World-Cup.aspx

CLOSE