Sports

Belgium to win Euro 2016? A Q&A on probabilistic predictions

Written by Brian Tarran on 30 June 2016.

England fans might have been disappointed to see their football team crash out of the Euro 2016 tournament earlier this week, but they never stood much chance of winning. According to the statisticians at the Norwegian Computing Center (NCC), the probability of England lifting the trophy never got above 5%. Spain is perhaps the biggest surprise: at certain points in the tournament, the probability of the team finishing first was 20% or more.

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.