Preparations for France’s World Cup final appearance vs Argentina have been seemingly hit by an outbreak of illness amongst the squad. Prior to their semi-final, reports started to emerge that players were unwell. Dayot Upamecano and Adrien Rabiot missed the 2-0 victory over Morocco with the France Football Federation (FFF) confirming the reason both players were absent was due to illness. 

Preparations for England’s first test in Pakistan have been hit by an outbreak of illness amongst the touring party. Talks are being held over the possibility of delaying the start of the series by a day as 14 members of the England team and staff have been affected.

Jimmy Anderson will once again lead England’s pace attack as they take on South Africa at Lords. This is his first Test match since his 40th birthday, yet despite his advancing years, the end of his career doesn’t seem to be coming any time soon.

The signing, by Manchester United, of Cristiano Ronaldo, created considerable media coverage. The nature of the transfer, with the Red Devils seemingly snatching him from under the noses of cross-city rivals Manchester City only heightened the intrigue. In modern football, signing a player with a global reach and appeal such as Ronaldo heightens any club’s commercial opportunities. Ronaldo is the most followed person on Instagram meaning club partners are set to benefit from increased exposure and value across numerous metrics.

The current health pandemic has focused many minds on protecting themselves, their families, their neighbours and for those serving in government, their country. At an individual level, everyone has been called to play their part. The advice issued here in the UK, as with much of the world centres around social distancing in order to “flatten the curve”. It is hoped this will reduce the speed of viral spread so our health system is able to protect those most vulnerable.

Handshaking hit the Premier League headlines this weekend. A number of managers told the media that players have been instructed to stop shaking hands in light of continued concern about coronavirus.

Even the most disciplined athlete might be forgiven for reaching for a chocolate egg or two at this time of year. Whatever your preference, it is hard to avoid the plethora of treats available over Easter. But is this such a bad thing? Could athletes actually see some benefit from indulging in a little chocolate over the Easter holiday?

Beer companies have a long history of sports sponsorship. Beer remains a fixture within the top ten spending categories across the sponsorship industry. Major deals exist across high profile sporting properties such as the Football, Basketball and Rugby World Cups, which are synonymous with hospitality and fan engagement programmes.