Three lessons from the World Cup
This tumultuous 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup has ended and thoughts inevitably turn to what it all might have meant. Millions of words have...
Game changers: how soccer’s mega‑money era was sparked by a little‑known Belgian athlete
When famous soccer players come to mind, it is usually revered pioneers such as Pelé, Bobby Charlton and Diego Maradona.Later came Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel...
Why Trump and FIFA are perfect bedfellows as the World Cup heads to the US
The 2026 FIFA men’s World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico is almost upon us.This sporting spectacle – the largest ever World...
Waltzing Matildas
Three years after co-hosting an epic FIFA Women’s World Cup, Australia is sole host of the Asian Football Confederation’s AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026. ...
Politics on the piste: Sports diplomacy & the Winter Olympics & Paralympics
As the Winter Olympics & Paralympics take place in Italy this month, David Rowe considers the history of sports diplomacy surrounding mega sporting events...
Did the ancient Greeks seek to trash their opponents on skis?
I gather they will soon start distributing ‘Olympic’ medals somewhere in northern Italy, not far from the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula where...
HYROX: CrossFit’s Less Complicated and More Approachable Cousin?
You’ve heard about middle-aged, White, affluent men joining CrossFit gyms. You saw them buying padel rackets. And if you’re my age — 32 —...
How baseball (fiction) explains Trump
We now know that the current (and greatest, according to him) president of the United States of America is not only a great golf...
Beyond Bazball: What the Ashes defeat tells us about class in Britain
Despite England’s first Ashes Test victory in Australia since the 2010/11 tour ‘down under’, English cricket – and the playing style known as ‘Bazball’...
Retired and Rebranded: The Commodification of Post-Athletic Femininity
Over decades, Serena Williams was known and praised for her resilience and hard work. For years, she has been celebrated for her muscular and...
