“Look at Lamine Yamal over at Barcelona,” said Pollock. “He is only 18.

“We need to spotlight those young stars, those coming through the grassroots, and ultimately the game will grow through that.”

Rugby success spawning mainstream breakthrough names has been patchy.

After skittling tacklers as a 20-year-old at the 1995 Rugby World Cup, Jonah Lomu was linked to the NFL, starred in his own video game and became famous around the world.

Jonny Wilkinson, the steely calm at the centre of England’s success at the tournament eight years later, was similarly stratospheric.

Dan Carter, Siya Kolisi, Brian O’Driscoll, Richie McCaw, Gavin Henson, Sebastien Chabal and Danny Cipriani have also, to varying degrees and for differing reasons, cut through in the modern era.

But they are few and far between.

Chris Thompson is the founder of We Know Rugby, an agency that advises brands on the personalities and commercial properties within the sport.

“There is the perennial challenge of getting big names in people’s eyeballs all year round – and that’s for any sport,” he told BBC Sport.

“International and club rugby are two distinct products each with its own audience and experience and the more they can collaborate, particularly in relation to content, the stronger the sport will become.”

Thompson is hopeful that Pollock and the like will soon have the year-round publicity they need to burn bright.

England’s top flight has pulled in several big investors in the past year, with Red Bull buying Newcastle, Sir James Dyson becoming co-owner of Bath and an offer on the table from a US investor group for Exeter.

A reorganised international calendar has begun with the Nations Championship, a season-long north v south-themed series that culminates in a finals weekend at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium, aiming to weave a narrative that tempts in more casual fans.

A free-to-air deal for the first two editions of that tournament has been struck with ITV, who also share the Six Nations rights with BBC Sport, maximising audience.

A Club World Cup is in the pipeline for 2028, bringing global stars up against each other in club colours.

As well as a tweak in formats, Thompson sees a change in culture as well.

“I think the response from fans in rugby to Henry Pollock has been genuinely really positive,” he says.

“No-one’s telling him ‘don’t do that’. As long as his performance stays at a high level, people want him to go and express himself and show everyone how he feels.”

Earlier this season, Pollock played away against Bordeaux-Begles.

Northampton’s previous meeting with the French side – in the final of last year’s Champions Cup – had been marked by bad blood and a scuffle, centred on Pollock, after the final whistle.

Pollock was jeered throughout but at the final whistle, as he applauded the Stade Chaban-Delmas, those same fans chanted his name in a show of respect, external.

Pollock’s fame has been supercharged by viral moments.

His gurning response to the haka in November, external, his pulse-check try celebration against Leinster last season, his sock-pulling and his try-scoring England debut against Wales – the constant in each is an unabashed enjoyment of the game and his own proficiency at it.

At just 22, Coco Gauff has already earned U.S. Open and French Open Grand Slam titles. 

But earlier this week, the American star exited the Madrid Open well before the final, falling short in her bid for another tournament victory.

Linda Nosková defeated Gauff Monday in the Round of 16. After her Madrid Open run ended, Gauff said she faced backlash from “angry” gamblers upset their wagers did not pay off.

“@ the angry gamblers saying racist things in my IG comments/dms hiding behind anonymous accounts,” Gauff said in a post to her TikTok account Wednesday.

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Coco Gauff reacts against Sorana Cîrstea during the Madrid Open 2026 at La Caja Magica on April 26, 2026, in Madrid, Spain.  (Dennis Agyeman/Europa Press via Getty Images)

Gauff also referenced a Young M.A. song, sharing lyrics that read: “Yeah they hate, but they broke though (But they broke though) / And when it’s time to pop, they a no-show (Where they at?)”

The sports betting industry continues to surge in the U.S., generating a record $16.96 billion in revenue in 2025, the American Gaming Association said. Prediction markets have increased competition but have not significantly slowed the industry’s growth.

American tennis player Coco Gauff looks dejected as she leaves the court after losing to Linda Nosková of Czechia in the women’s singles fourth round at the Madrid Open in Madrid, Spain, on April 27, 2026. (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

The surge in revenue also translated into hundreds of billions in losses for Americans who legally placed wagers in 2025, an increase of roughly 11% from the previous year, according to the association’s figures.

Gauff battled an apparent illness during the Madrid Open, even taking a medical timeout in the Round of 32 over the weekend. She vomited on the court and later said she was dealing with digestive issues.

Coco Gauff of the United States reacts during a women’s singles fourth-round match against Linda Nosková of Czechia at the Madrid Open April 27, 2026, in Madrid, Spain. (Alberto Gardin/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)

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“I don’t know how I got it done,” Gauff told Sky Sports. “Just dealing with a lot of trying to keep my food down. But once I threw up — and I was able to throw up after the first set — I felt a bit better.

“It was just a tough match. I think I got the Madrid stomach virus that’s going around. I’m usually someone who doesn’t get sick. My luck today just wasn’t good.”

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Second-round matches will conclude on Day 4 (Thursday, April 30) of the ATP Challenger Cagliari 2026. Fifth seed Lorenzo Sonego has been the only notable casualty so far, going down to Mattia Bellucci in three sets in the first round.

Former top 10 players Matteo Berrettini and Hubert Hurkacz headline Thursday’s order of play. Here are the predictions for all the singles matches set for Day 4 of the ATP Challenger Cagliari:

#1. Matteo Berrettini vs Mariano Navone

Berrettini fought past Patrick Kypson to reach the second round of the ATP Challenger Cagliari. He improved his record on clay to 6-6 with the win. Defending champion Navone received a first-round bye. He won the title in Bucharest at the start of the clay swing, and has an 8-5 record on the surface.

Berrettini leads their rivalry 2-0. Both of their previous matches were on clay. He won their recent encounter at the Monte-Carlo Masters 2025 in straight sets. His record in this rivalry makes him the favorite to win this match despite Navone having better results on clay than him this year.

Winner: Matteo Berrettini

#2. Marcos Giron vs Aleksandar Kovacevic

Giron kicked off his ATP Challenger Cagliari campaign with a 6-4, 1-6, 6-1 win over Aleksandar Vukic. Kovacevic beat Luca Potenza 6-3, 7-6 (3) in the first round. This marked the first win of the clay swing for both players.

Giron won their previous and only encounter at the Indian Wells Masters 2023 in straight sets. His 13-9 record for the season outshines Kovacevic’s 10-12 record by a slim margin, thus making him the slight favorite to win this duel.

Winner: Marcos Giron

#3. Hubert Hurkacz vs Emilio Nava

Hurkacz has a 4-2 record on clay, and he made the third-round of the Monte-Carlo Masters. He beat Zachary Svajda 6-2, 7-6 (6) in the first round of the ATP Challenger Cagliari. Nava has gone 11-8 on clay this year, and advanced to the second round here following Damir Dzumhur’s mid-match retirement.

This will be the first meeting between them. Nava has challenged the likes of Ben Shelton and Jiri Lehecka on clay this year, pushing them to three sets before coming up short. He could one-up Hurkacz, who hasn’t been as successful as him on clay this year.

Winner: Emilio Nava

#4. Juan Manuel Cerundolo vs Matteo Arnaldi

Arnaldi and Cerundolo needed three sets to beat Federico Arnaboldi and Federico Cina respectively in the first round. Arnaldi snapped his four-match losing skid and improved his record on clay to 2-4.

Cerundolo tallied his 12th win on clay this year, against eight losses. This will be his first meeting with Arnaldi. The Italian’s shaky form on clay makes him the underdog in this contest.

Winner: Juan Manuel Cerundolo

#5. Roman Andres Burruchaga vs Andrea Pellegrino

Winner: Roman Andres Burruchaga

#6. Nuno Borges vs Cristian Garin

Winner: Nuno Borges

#7. Adrian Mannarino vs Jesper de Jong

Winner: Jesper de Jong

#8. Mattia Bellucci vs Gianluca Cadenasso

Winner: Mattia Bellucci