Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited on Wednesday announced a three-year partnership with Royal Challengers Bengaluru, coming on board as the franchise’s principal sponsor and health partner starting from IPL 2026. The agreement marks Sun Pharma’s first-ever entry into cricket sponsorship and a major step in expanding its corporate brand presence through sport.
Jersey presence and stadium visibility
As part of the association, Sun Pharma’s logo will feature on the front of RCB’s playing jersey, the official green kit and training apparel. The partnership also includes prominent branding across the stadium during RCB’s home matches, ensuring year-long visibility throughout the IPL season.
Brand connect through cricket
Sun Pharma Managing Director Kirti Ganorkar said the partnership reflects the shared values of leadership, consistency and innovation between the two brands. He added that cricket’s unmatched reach in India offers an opportunity to bring fans closer to the company behind medicines used by millions every day.
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Focus beyond on-field branding
RCB COO Rajesh Menon noted that the collaboration is designed to go beyond logo placement, with plans for fan engagement across digital platforms and match-day experiences. He said Sun Pharma’s entry as principal sponsor strengthens RCB’s efforts to build meaningful, impact-driven partnerships.
Linked to corporate campaign
The sponsorship aligns with Sun Pharma’s recent corporate brand campaign highlighting its patient-centric mission of touching 1,000 lives every minute. Through its association with RCB, the company aims to translate that message to a wider audience during the IPL.
Sun Pharma operates across specialty generics, innovative medicines and consumer healthcare, with a global manufacturing footprint, while RCB competes in India’s premier T20 league and remains one of the tournament’s most-followed franchises.
Preparing for Hong Kong, Ethan Brown kept his rich vein of form alive with a repeat Caulfield double inside three days, contrasting his successes on two on-money shots at Monday’s Super Bowl program held on the Heath circuit.
The rider dominated with untapped gelding Yes Yoshi ($1.65) in the third contest before a photo-finish triumph astride She’s A Hustler ($1.50) two events hence.
Brown’s pair of engagements were Yes Yoshi and She’s A Hustler, his premiere raceday encounters with each.
Ciaron Maher’s She’s A Hustler shrugged off three short-priced disappointments from her prep’s outset, hampered early according to Brown, who felt the slim margin understated her performance around the tight track.
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“It’s hard being back and wide around this track and I know she’s only won by the barest of margins, but there was a lot more merit (to the win) than it looked,” he said.
“She’s on the way up. She’s a very nice horse going forward and (there’s) no better way to kick off your prep.”
She’s An Artist, a Trapeze Artist filly with a 50% strike rate from six goes, repelled Excess ($13) in a short half-head thriller at 1100m BM78 level, Along The River ($6) one length back in the minor placing.
Yes Yoshi provided Brown a cruise, the Yes Yes Yes youngster sealing back-to-back wins via a decisive 1-1/4 length routing of Savitri in the 1200m Class 1, impressing post his Sale debut heroics.
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Trained by Charlotte Littlefield, the immature three-year-old’s display drew this observation from Brown:
“He’s a big baby at the minute, but for him to win like that and show that sort of sort of ability as immature as he is is quite exciting going forward,” Brown said.
Mirroring his Saturday conquests aboard Observer and Light Infantry Man, Brown’s haul tied him for second on 29 with Craig Williamson on the Victorian jockeys’ metro premiership, seven adrift of hurt leader Mark Zahra.
Yet the 26-year-old’s confirmed Hong Kong deal for the final quarter-season spells limited local time left.
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Doubles were also recorded by Jamie Mott and Logan Bates amid the seven-race slate.
Leading online bookmakers offer enhanced prices on Caulfield feature clashes.
Nov 1, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy (13) runs after hitting a home run against the Toronto Blue Jays in the eighth inning during game seven of the 2025 MLB World Series at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
The Los Angeles Dodgers announced a one-year, $10 million extension with veteran third baseman Max Muncy on Thursday.
The deal includes a $7 million salary for the 2027 season and a $10 million club option for 2028 that includes a $3 million buyout. He will earn $10 million in 2026.
Also on Thursday, free-agent utility man Enrique Hernandez broke some news of his own by referencing his expected return to the Dodgers on Instagram.
“What else did you expect?!!! 3 in a row has a nice ring to it! #WeBack,” Hernandez wrote along with posting a picture of himself wearing a Dodgers’ World Series champions T-shirt.
The Dodgers have yet to confirm the news on Hernandez, however The Athletic reported the contract is for one year and $4.5 million. He played last season on a one-year, $6.5 million deal.
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Muncy, 35, is a two-time All-Star and three-time World Series champion entering his ninth season with L.A. in 2026.
He batted .243 with 19 homers and 67 RBIs in 100 games last season and added three homers in the playoffs.
Muncy’s World Series Game 7 homer against the Toronto Blue Jays was his 16th in the postseason, a team record.
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He is a career .229 hitter with 214 homers and 604 RBIs in 1,020 games for the Oakland A’s (2015-16) and Dodgers.
Hernandez, 34, batted .203 with 10 home runs and 35 RBIs in 92 games last season. He spent nearly two months on the injured list with elbow discomfort and returned Aug. 26 after fears his season was done because of the injury.
He ended up having left elbow surgery last November and his status for the start of the 2026 season is uncertain.
In 12 major league seasons, nine of which have been with the Dodgers over two separate stints, Hernandez is a career .236 hitter with 130 home runs and 470 RBIs in 1,275 games.
Elena Rybakina beats Zheng to reach Doha Quarterfinals
Elena Rybakina moved into the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open after defeating Qinwen Zheng 4–6, 6–2, 7–5.
Rybakina dropped the first set but responded in the second. In the deciding set, she built a 5–2 lead before Zheng fought back to level the score. Rybakina stayed composed and closed out the match to secure the win.
The result sends Rybakina into her third straight Doha quarterfinal. It is also her ninth consecutive victory and her 22nd win in her last 23 matches.
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Speaking after the match, Rybakina praised Zheng’s performance.
“She played really well. In some moments incredible shots. Serve also. It’s nice to see her back. I’m super happy I managed to win. I was leading in the third set and couldn’t get my opportunities. But happy in the end it went my way.”
Rybakina will next face Victoria Mboko in the quarterfinals. She leads their head to head 2–1 and won their most recent meeting in Tokyo last season.
The City of Preston Gymnastics Club collected the 2026 British Gymnastics Foundation, Transforming Lives Through Gymnastics Award.
A Lancashire-based gymnastics club has won a prestigious title at the British Gymnastics Awards.
The City of Preston Gymnastics Club collected the 2026 British Gymnastics Foundation, Transforming Lives Through Gymnastics Award.
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This award recognises an outstanding person or organisation who/that has done most to help the British Gymnastics Foundation to transform lives through gymnastics.
It is anticipated that the nominated person or organisation will have transformed lives through gymnastics, using one of the British Gymnastics Foundation’s charitable programmes.
City of Preston Gymnastics Club consistently goes above and beyond in supporting gymnastics families and the wider community. Their caring ethos shines through in everything they do, from offering funding assistance and fee reductions to organizing fundraising initiatives that ease financial pressures for families when they are going through difficult times.
The club’s commitment to transforming lives was powerfully demonstrated last year, when they rallied local people and tradesmen to help renovate the home of one of their gymnasts.
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The gymnast’s mother was receiving treatment for a stage 4 diagnosis, and the family’s kitchen renovation had been left unfinished. The club not only ensured the kitchen was completed but also arranged for other rooms to be decorated and for the garden to be brightened with plants donated by the community.
A spokesperson from the club said: “We’re truly honoured to receive this award. It’s actually quite emotional, because everything we do as a club is rooted in care and community. Supporting our families through both the joyful moments and the most difficult times is simply what we believe a club should do. This award really belongs to our members, families, volunteers, coaches and supporters – we’re just so proud and grateful to be part of such an incredible community at City of Preston Gymnastics.”
This act of compassion reflects the club’s true spirit: they are more than a place for sport, they are a hub of kindness, resilience, and support. City of Preston Gymnastics Club embodies what it means to transform lives, showing that their heart extends far beyond the gym floor.
British Gymnastics CEO Sarah Powell said: “The 2026 British Gymnastics Awards recognise and celebrate the exceptional people, delivering, participating, or supporting the wonderful sport of gymnastics. This year’s finalists embody the passion, dedication, and care that ensure gymnastics stays enjoyable, safe, and accessible for all, creating positive change for individuals and communities.
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“To all our finalists and winners, congratulations on this outstanding achievement. Your commitment inspires us every day, and you should feel incredibly proud of the impact you’ve made. Thank you for everything you do.”
The 2026 British Gymnastics Awards recognise exceptional people and organisations that help keep gymnastics enjoyable, safe, and open to everyone, making a positive contribution to individuals, local communities, and wider society. Visit British Gymnastics Awards for more information.
Cleveland Browns star edge rusher Myles Garrett dominated the NFL this season, winning Defensive Player of the Year unanimously, and now hopes his girlfriend, Chloe Kim, dominates the Olympics.
The 25-year-old completed her qualification run in the women’s halfpipe on Wednesday, and Garrett made sure to capture it all. The 30-year-old was pictured with a camera bag and was snapping photos throughout Kim’s run.
Kim tore her labrum in her left shoulder just a month before the Olympic Games in January after falling in a training session, but is competing. She had the best qualifying run of the day on Wednesday with a score of 90.25.
Chloe Kim of Team United States competes in run two of the women’s snowboard halfpipe qualification on day five of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at Livigno Snow Park in Livigno, Italy, on Feb. 11, 2026.(Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Kim is seeking a third consecutive gold medal in the women’s halfpipe, and would be the first snowboarder to ever do it. Shaun White, the legendary American snowboarder, won three gold medals in the event, but not in consecutive Olympics.
“I’m just going to do what I came here to do, and if they decide to give it to me, then awesome,” Kim said this week, via NBC News.
“But I’m really just grateful to be in the position where I’ve won all these events multiple times. The fact that I’m able to be here and riding and being confident is all I can ask for.”
Cleveland Browns’ Myles Garrett, left, and United States’ Chloe Kim smile after the women’s snowboard halfpipe qualifications at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Livigno, Italy, on Feb. 11, 2026.(Lindsey Wasson/AP Photo)
Garrett, who set the NFL’s single-season sack record this season with 23, said that Kim had been a rock for him during the football season and that he wants to be the same for her.
Read More About The 2026 Winter Olympics
“We’re both just so supportive of one another,” Garrett told People.
United States’ Chloe Kim reacts during the women’s snowboard halfpipe qualifications at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Livigno, Italy, on Feb. 11, 2026.(Lindsey Wasson/AP Photo)
“She’s always texting, she’s always calling to see how I’m doing during the year and I’m doing the same right now, checking on her, seeing how she’s feeling, emotionally and physically.”
The couple have been linked since May 2025 and seemed to make their romance official in November 2025 when they shared a pregame kiss.
In his first 15 seasons as head coach of the Oregon men’s basketball program, Dana Altman strung together 15-straight 20+ win seasons, never missing a postseason appearance.
Those streaks have come tumbling down in Season 16, a campaign in which many expected the Ducks (8-16, 1-12) to compete for a Big Ten title and make a run in the NCAA Tournament.
The expectations were largely predicated on the health and play of Altman’s top two players, Jackson Shelstad and Nate Bittle, both of whom have struggled through injuries.
Here’s a look at the season no one saw coming.
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Oregon’s 2025-26 season took a hit before the first preseason game, when Jackson Shelstad broke his right hand in October.
He returned after missing only a few contests, and hopes remained high—but not for long.
The star guard not only showed signs of rust but also sustained ligament damage to the same hand on December 28 against Omaha, sidelining him for the season.
Nate Bittle has faced significant setbacks as well, including an ankle injury in late November 2025 and a more serious foot injury on January 13, 2026, against Nebraska.
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As if the Ducks haven’t been banged up enough, Bittle’s backup, Ege Demir, has missed the last five games, while Devon Pryor has dealt with a groin injury for the last two weeks.
In short, the Oregon roster has been beaten up all season.
Bittle returned to the floor last weekend against Purdue after missing the better part of the last month, leading the team with 23 points in 34 minutes as UO nearly upset the 13th-ranked Boilermakers.
Despite the promising outing at Purdue, the Ducks followed the close loss with a blowout defeat at Indiana two days later, stretching their losing streak to 10 games.
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Currently the fifth-longest skid in the nation—and the longest among all Power Five programs—it marks the first time in Dana Altman’s 37-year career that his troops have dropped 10 straight.
It is also Oregon’s longest losing streak since the 2008-09 season, before Altman’s arrival, when the Ducks lost 14 in a row en route to dropping 17 of their last 19 games.
Jackson Shelstad vs. Omaha | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard
The bugaboo for Oregon all season long has been their struggles from the floor. The Ducks rank 309th in the nation in shooting percentage at 42.5%.
That was an issue again on the most recent road trip.
Against Purdue, they lit it up in the first half, only to connect on just 37% of their shots after halftime, allowing the game to slip away in the end.
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Their shooting woes continued for much of Monday night as they shot just 40% against Indiana in the first half.
In the second half, they managed to knock down 50% from the floor, but it’s little help when you allow the opposition to connect on 81.8% of their shots.
And that brings us to another recurring problem this season: The Ducks have struggled to protect the hoop.
Oregon has allowed opponents to shoot 49.2% from the floor during their 10-game slide. On the season, they are 239th nationally in FG defense.
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Again, a big reason for that has been injuries and the loss of their All-Big Ten-caliber defender for a significant time. Bittle has not been playing at the all-conference level on that side of the ball.
But who can blame him?
He is playing on not one, but two bad ankles at the moment, and he just doesn’t have the lift he needs to contest shots. He has been plagued by a foot injury of some kind all season.
Credit the fifth-year senior for continuing to battle. It would have been easy for him to pack it in for the season.
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Nate Bittle vs. Purdue | Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images
Missing a pair of All-Big Ten-caliber performers is never easy to overcome; add in the numerous other injuries and missed time in the lineup, and the result has been predictably disastrous.
It has certainly shown on the offensive end of the floor. The Ducks just don’t have the firepower to keep up when the defense gets away from them.
This figures to be the first time in Altman’s tenure in Eugene that his Ducks fail to win at least 20 games.
Yet, much like Bittle, the team is still playing hard and battling, as was evident in taking Purdue to the wire in West Lafayette.
The Schedule will ease up slightly with four of the last seven games at home and only two away from the West Coast.
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Over the next month of the season, Altman can hope the effort remains steady, enabling his squad to climb out of the league’s cellar.
That would allow Oregon to build some momentum to carry into the offseason.
The opportunity for a positive result is there for the taking on Saturday as fellow Big Ten bottom-dweller Penn State (11-14, 2-12) visits Matthew Knight Arena.
That outcome could signal the start of a strong finish, or signify a new low in a season full of valleys.
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writes about various topics for SuperWest sports, including stats and records, college sports, and motorsports. He also founded and runs the Sports and Entertainment Research Center (SERC).
In early December, when I arrived in Carlsbad, California — home to (most) of the best golf club manufacturers in the world — it felt a bit like those first few days of college.
My future was spelled out — a week bopping around Southern California, from company to company, getting “Fully Fit” for new golf clubs at each spot. And I was as froshy as 7-handicaps get — anxiously interested in being there, in much the same way my 18-year-old self was anxiously interested in going to the University of Wisconsin. I understood my game upon arrival, but I also knew this experience would be very good for me. I knew I would learn a ton, would have a bunch of people looking after me, and that I’d probably make some friends along the way. These collegial vibes made sense, I would soon learn, because like many things in golf, an equipment journey can feel a lot like college. There are entry-level classes, courses mandatory for a major, and 700-level things like Spin Loft waiting to trip you up.
You can be lazy about it and not care, electing for the bliss of ignorance. Someone else may pay for your equipment, just as many parents pay for their children’s schooling. You can declare your intentions for a major just like you can declare your commitment to one manufacturer. Maybe your friend declared the same way, and you wanted to be like them. That can be a costly decision when you suddenly change things up years later.
Of course, another option is … leaning all the way in to an equipment education, seizing on the opportunity and coming out on the other side feeling like a graduate. (Knowing, of course, that there’s always a deeper version of golfy graduate school if you want to press on.) This stuff is costly, too! Just like higher ed. You want to get it right. That’s why I was there. I wanted to get it right.
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To keep this analogy going, we’ll say I had dropped out of my equipment education years ago. Cobra gave me a great opportunity in 2016, asking me to claim whatever set of sticks I wanted. I didn’t know what I didn’t know, so I asked for a set of forged blades — the ones Rickie Fowler used to win the 2015 Players Championship — and told myself, You’ll learn how to hit them.
This sent me down a bad path, in part because I did learn. My ball-striking improved from sheer practice alone, and my handicap improved alongside it. But was I ever meant to play those blades? I ditched the Cobras for a set of unforgiving Mizunos a few years later, obsessed with how they looked, and then played a set of Titleist blades after that.
It was probably never meant to be that way. Between my action, my commitment to the game and my age, it has become clear that playing a set of butterknife irons — besides boosting my ego — led to gapping issues and extreme inconsistency toward the long end of the bag. And what my trip to California validated, day after day, was that there’s a promised land somewhere just outside of Bladesville.
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TDay 1 was at TaylorMade’s Kingdom, where the difference between P770s, PTWs, P790s and P7CBs finally registered for me — much more than the letters and numbers in those names ever did before. My TaylorMade fitter waffled between putting me into Project X 6.5 (extra-stiff) and 6.0 (stiff) shafts, to match my Tour-average swing speed.
“Why are you swinging a telephone pole?” he asked. My eyes wide, my mind racing, I hoped he was joking. “That’s what Rory McIlroy uses,” he continued, chuckling. “You don’t swing like Rory McIlroy.”
And he was right. But as the fitting went on, I warmed up and felt comfort in those 6.5-stiffness shafts because, well, I had grooved a swing to match them over the years, and that swing wasn’t producing horrible results. So we actually stuck with them.
The author learned a ton about his golf equipment.
Adam Christensen/GOLF
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A day later, at Titleist, we learned even more. The gamers I arrived with were Titleist T100s, made for the very consistent ball-striker who has no problem hitting trajectory heights consistently. I can groove a nice, high flight with everything from 7-iron through pitching wedge, which made those clubs a fine fit. But it was 4i, 5i and 6i that were always a bit fickle. Any of my strikes toward the heel or toe always failed to fly the distance I needed, and often spun a lot more, too. But as we worked through different iron heads, we found something:
T150s and their extra forgiveness just outside the sweet spot — right in my typical strike zone — had a much tighter dispersion and carry distance. In simple terms, they were predictable. And when it came to getting those long irons off the ground, a higher-launching T250 5-iron was going to reach that 80-foot peak height a lot more often.
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On the third day, at Cobra, the knowledge of three consecutive fittings was washing over me like the second semester of a foreign language. Was I fully fluent? Not quite. But I could understand what others in class were saying. I understood what it meant when my fitters kept adjusting my irons two degrees upright, and I could really start to communicate what I was feeling. After some time, it wasn’t so daunting to speak up in class. It helped that my coworkers — many of whom could qualify as teaching assistants — stepped in and interrupted my fittings, pressing the teachers for more info specific to ME. (That may not help you, the amateur at home, who will likely go through fittings alone. But it is a reminder to study up on some club terminology before you get baptized in a hitting bay.)
My final two fittings tended to blend together, but not in a bad way. They featured a bunch of time spent just beyond the irons. In that zone between 3-wood and 5-iron, where you should still be able to see 10- to 15-yard gaps between clubs. My gapping had mostly been flattened to something almost nonexistent. Everything seemed to go roughly 220 yards.
At Callaway, I had my first experience with a 7-wood — their Quantum Max — which very nearly went into my bag (and still might, the more I experiment with it).
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At Srixon, I hit more 5-woods than I probably have at any other time in my life. The ball just … went … in a way 4-irons never seemed to. That, more than anything, was the biggest learning of my week in equipment academia. The aspects of my experience, my action, my strength, my skills, my hand-eye coordination, my brain — it all makes a helluva lot more sense with fairway woods than it does with cute, tiny, aesthetically pleasing long irons.
The clubs we went with — built from comfort, performance and appearance — are all listed below, including a driver and 3-wood that I just can’t quit. What I need to do now — metaphorically moving the tassel of my ball cap from one side to the other — is apply all the lessons of the equipment degree I earned to the real world, as they say. You know, on the golf course.
Brad Widdup relishes the prospect of facing elite filly Apocalyptic once more, as Savvy Hallie heads into the Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) at Randwick this coming Saturday.
During her two-year-old days, Savvy Hallie shone brightly among her peers, securing seconds behind Nepotism and Tempted, bouncing back in spring with an impressive maiden triumph and later the Group 2 Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m).
A third placing to Apocalyptic in the Group 2 Furious Stakes (1200m) marked the end of Savvy Hallie’s previous campaign, with her resuming in the $3 million The Sunlight (1100m) on Sunshine Coast January 10th, running fourth to Grafterburners.
Widdup explained that the furious 1100m speed simply had Savvy Hallie fully extended, and campaigning over 1200m and upwards should see her reach new heights.
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“That sort of race, they ran 1.02, it was a quick, high pressure sprint race,” Widdup said.
“I think she’s looking for 1200 (metres) or further possibly now.
“She’s come through that really well though, she had a jump out last week, had a gallop Tuesday morning and seems to be in really good order.”
Flipping the script on Flight Stakes winner Apocalyptic is a big ask, though Widdup is optimistic about Savvy Hallie’s chances ahead of a tilt at the Group 1 Surround Stakes (1400m) on February 28th.
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“I think she’ll be better suited to the sort of speed over 1400 (metres), and she can race up on the speed,” Widdup said.
“Look, Apocalyptic is very good, there’s no two ways about it, and she seems to have trialled really well, but my filly has done nothing wrong.
“Circumstances in The Sunlight just didn’t suit her at all so out to 1200 metres, against her own sex, she should be competitive.”
Betting enthusiasts should check the racing betting markets for the Light Fingers Stakes to find the top prices. In all-in Light Fingers Stakes wagering, Savvy Hallie is at $3.20, Apocalyptic $1.65.
For Gregor Townsend, it has been the Calcutta Cup of life; now, a meeting with the Auld Enemy could hasten his end. When Steve Borthwick leapt to the defence of his embattled opposite number earlier this week, suggesting that Scottish fans should be more focused on supporting their side against England than calling for the head coach to go, it betrayed a strange truth about Townsend’s tenure.
The former fly-half has transformed the narrative in this fixture, taking over a side that had failed to win any of their last nine meetings with England, and losing just twice in eight Calcutta Cups since. It is a striking and significant turnaround. But the frustration – of which there is much, particularly after a wretched defeat to Italy – stems from the fact that it has failed to be a part of something larger.
Townsend poses with the Six Nations trophy (Getty Images)
As Borthwick pointed out, Townsend boasts the best winning percentage of any Scottish coach of the modern era. But that is not championship-winning form, and this has not been a championship-winning Scottish side, despite their success against England. Indeed, they’ve not even managed to mount a true title challenge – a so-called golden generation of players has not yet even settled for silver.
“It’s only really on days like this where you have to experience it because it’s such a busy job,” Townsend said of the outside noise on Thursday, admitting he understood the frustration of the fans. “You fill every minute of the day with reviewing what we could have done better, going into selection, going into training.
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“It’s part of the job, part of losing. The feeling of losing is worse than the distraction around what people are giving their opinions to the group or to me as a coach.”
The missteps of the autumn, with a position of relative strength squandered against New Zealand before one of overwhelming ascendancy tossed away against Argentina, had already left Townsend under pressure coming into this campaign. If the fact that they occupied winning positions left positives to take, there could be no such solace in the Rome deluge. Off the field, too, Townsend is under increased scrutiny after dismissing a report in The Telegraph about a move to Newcastle after the 2027 World Cup as “pure speculation”, and suggesting it was written to unsettle his side ahead of the Calcutta Cup.
Scotland have come to dominate the Calcutta Cup rivalry of late (PA Wire)
It was a strange reaction for several reasons. Firstly, an attempt to paint it as some sort of English plot suggested that Townsend’s focus was already elsewhere, rather than the task at hand in Italy, besides being entirely incorrect. Secondly, there are plenty in rugby who are discussing the Scotland head coach ending up at Newcastle as almost a fait accompli, given he already consults with Red Bull and close lieutenant Gavin Vaughan is heading to Kingston Park after this tournament. Townsend was careful, too, in his wording, not ruling out the possibility of ending up at the Prem club but saying that no contract had been signed.
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It would be entirely understandable for the coach to be exploring his options beyond a World Cup that many feel he would be lucky to make. There are some who would have been happy for him to go after the last tournament in France brought a second pool-stage exit in successive editions. Many more may have felt that a contract due to expire this summer would have been a natural end. But Townsend, who it should be said has largely done a good job, was given a contract extension in September to encompass the trip to Australia next year – a decision that now appears misguided.
Glasgow boss Franco Smith lurks as an option to replace Gregor Townsend (PA Wire)
He has not been helped, necessarily, by the success of Franco Smith at Glasgow Warriors, the South African not so much a king across the water but along the M8. The extension of Smith’s deal at the United Rugby Championship (URC) club was announced at the same time as Townsend’s; while his side have since kicked on to finish as second seeds in Europe and push Leinster for top spot in the table, the national team have stumbled. Townsend has experienced an inverse of such a situation before, with the Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) moving Vern Cotter aside to promote him to the top job originally amid overtures from Harlequins.
Would the SRU repeat such a move so close to the World Cup? It is perhaps fair to question if anyone at the union has the clout, command or confidence to make such a move. David Nucifora, the performance director, is not full-time, spent last summer with the British and Irish Lions and on an expiring two-year advisory deal. He is not the only part-timer – the highly regarded defence coach Lee Radford is currently job-sharing with Northampton, having stepped in for Steve Tandy in October.
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It would, perhaps, be very Scotland to pull out another big Calcutta Cup showing just as deep cracks start to really show. This remains a highly talented, and generally well-coached side, even if front-five depth and player development remain areas of significant concern. But another defeat to turn up the heat could yet bubble Townsend’s cauldron towards boiling point.
“If we take Tonga out, the last two performances or last two results against Italy and Argentina have been disappointing,” he admitted. “It opens up opportunities for criticising the team, criticising the coach. I get that. It’s not good enough from our perspective. We didn’t win those games and we’re hugely disappointed for our supporters. That’s what we’re working to rectify.”
Those streaks have come tumbling down in Season 16, a campaign in which many expected the Ducks (8-16, 1-12) to compete for a Big Ten title and make a run in the NCAA Tournament.
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