Sports

Fewer jeers, more cheers: How to improve the chances of a home-town triumph

Written by Michael Wallace on 16 June 2016.

With Euro 2016 and the Copa América providing ample entertainment for soccer lovers the world over, you may be forgiven for missing the culmination of two of North America's 'big four' sports this week. On Sunday the Pittsburgh Penguins overcame the San Jose Sharks to win the National Hockey League's (NHL) Stanley Cup, while basketball's Golden State Warriors can clinch their second national title in two years with a win in Friday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Should Wayne Rooney play in Euro 2016?

Written by Ian McHale on 01 June 2016.

Just as quickly as the English Premier League came and went, the European Championship in France approaches. In the build up it is likely that there will be a long and hard debate over whether the captain of the England team, Wayne Rooney, should actually be in the starting eleven.

Overachievers and underachievers at the last three Rugby World Cups

Written by Ray Stefani on 23 February 2016.

It doesn’t take a sophisticated analysis to conclude that the England team was a disappointment at the 2015 Rugby World Cup. No other host nation had failed to survive the group stage, as England did. At the opposite extreme, New Zealand won both of the last two World Cups, certainly giving the All Blacks top marks in achievement. However, a more comprehensive look at the last three World Cups reveals the real overachievers, underachievers and spot-on achievers compared to the team ratings just before each tournament.

Will England's rugby team redeem itself at the Six Nations Championship?

Written by Niven Winchester on 04 February 2016.

This weekend sees the start of the 2016 Six Nations Championship, in which rugby teams from England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales compete. For England fans, who saw their team crash-out unceremoniously in the group stages of last year’s Rugby World Cup (RWC), this latest contest offers the chance for redemption. And it would seem that they have cause to be hopeful.

Who will win the Rugby World Cup? The (semi) final reckoning

Written by Niven Winchester on 22 October 2015.

It’s the semi-final weekend in the Rugby World Cup (RWC), with South Africa, New Zealand, Argentina and Australia still in the running. While fans of England, Wales, Scotland or any of the other defeated nations will be feeling despondent, your correspondent remains upbeat. Through my website, rugbyvision.com, I’ve been forecasting match outcomes for the competition, and to date we have achieved an 84% success rate.