Sportshour

As the Rugby World comes to an end, we look at the high-profile injuries in the tournament and whether it’s time for all players wear scrum caps. We have been to the British Standard Institution’s testing facility to see what difference they can make.The Best of Enemies So who will come out on top in the battle of the Antipodeans? We look at what binds and divides these two nations with Australian comedian Marty Wilson and New Zealand funnyman Jarred Christmas.The Big Sleep Why tossing and turning the night before the World Cup final might actually improve the performance of any Australian or All Black insomniac players.Scary Sport On Halloween, we hear some of the remarkable ghost stories that make baseball the scariest sport around. From A-rod to Babe Ruth, “Field of Screams” documents more than 140 separate supernatural baseball stories. We hear from the author Mickey Bradley.Walking Back from the Dead Six time Olympic gold medal swimmer Amy Van Dyken was told 18 months ago she would never walk again after

Former boxing world champion Mark Prince steps back into the ring on Friday despite having initially retired in 1999. However he continues to fight in memory of his son, Kiyan Prince a former QPR youth team player, who was murdered outside his school in 2006. Mark has vowed to continue to fight both in the ring and knife crime outside it, but at 47 how long can he keep going? Chinese Follow Wenger Way As the Chinese President enjoys a visit to Manchester City’s training ground we join the first of 5000 trainee coaches who have been paid by the Chinese government to study football at 3 French Universities. One of which was the institution Arsene Wenger studied at.Amazing Grace One hundred years ago, on October 23rd 1915, WG Grace, one of the legends of cricket died aged 67. At the time of his death World War One was raging and despite a career facing up to fast bowling on dangerous wickets he is reported to have been terrified by the threat of German air raids in the area. But just how much of an impact did th

Baltimore Ravens' John Urschel explains how he juggles being a maths genius and NFL star.Athlete Abuse Should romantic relationships between athletes and coaches be banned? That is the view of Safe4athletes founder, former British Olympic swimmer and abuse survivor Katherine Starr. We discuss that issue and others around athlete safety with Katherine and Canadian Olympic gold medalist Jenn HeilProfessor Klopp Before his playing days were over Jürgen Klopp was eyeing up management by completing a degree in sports science including a diploma in walking. We speak to professor Klaus Bös who taught Klopp everything he knows about walking.The Alternative Rugby World Cup One hundred children from some of the poorest parts of the world have been in England to play an alternative rugby tournament. Joe Wilson has been to see The Tour Aid Cup, Its belief is rugby can narrow the divide between the world’s wealthy and those who live close to poverty.Sporting Witness We speak to Tanya Streeter who in 2012 set a new world

We hear from business, political and sporting leaders all so we can offer Liverpool's new manager Jürgen Klopp a guaranteed blueprint for managerial success. We also preview this weekend's Ironman World Championship in Hawaii with 6 time winner and triathlon legend Mark Allen. After revelations emerged that Wayne Rooney was a secret poet we hear from football's only poet in resident. Thomas Clark of Selkrik FC. Plus on the 30th anniversary of Marita Koch setting the Woman's 400 m world record, we investigates one of the most controversial world leading times, that still stands today. Sporting Witness… Goes back to the 1980's when Argentina won their first victory over one of rugby union's top teams such. Argentina were led by fly-half Hugo Porta, now considered one of the greatest players of all time. Porta discusses rugby, his diplomatic career in South Africa and why he decided not to become a footballer in a soccer-mad nation.Jürgen Klopp (Credit: Matthias Hangst/Bongarts/Getty Images)

Ultimate Fighting Championship fighter Soa Palelei has been asked not to attend a charity event at a children’s hospital in Perth, Australia. Although the sport of Mixed Martial Art is not banned in Western Australia, UFC is, because of the use of a cage in bouts. As such Palelei’s attendance was not seen as having a suitable influence on the children. We hear from the fighter and explore if cage fighting should be banned.From Wickets and Wides to Tackles and Tries Meet Rudie van Vuuren, the only man to play in a Cricket and Rugby World Cup. That was in 2003, when he turned out for Namibia in both tournaments. There were highs and lows. On the cricket field, he took the scalp of Sachin Tendulkar but got hit for 28 in one over by Darren Lehman. On the rugby pitch, he was sitting on the bench injured as Namibia were crushed 142-0 by Australia in a group game.What Links Cricket and Tennis to the Humble Egg? It is the last part of our series looking at the language of sport. Amongst other things we find out wh

2-time national Motocross champion Adrianne Cooper has at the age of just 27 had her career ended after losing a kidney. However the loss of that kidney was deliberate. She made a conscious decision to gift the organ to 10 year old Logan Carson saving his life and in the process having her career terminated early.The Medieval Maul Whilst listening to the Rugby World Cup the Sportshour team were struck by the language used. It turns out that 'ruck' and 'maul' have entomological roots dating back way before the game was invented. Simon Horobin, Professor of English at Oxford University explains all.How to Be a Record Breaker in Berlin The men's marathon world record has been broken on seven separate occasions in Berlin. So what is it about this particular race that enables the shortest times in the longest race? Ed Harry Investigates.Inside the scrum We ‘crouch, bind and set' to find out exactly what goes on inside a scrum."Remembering Terry" We hear from Anna, just one of thousands of people who'll be putti

A mix of some of the Rugby World Cup's biggest characters, important issues and global stories. We’re with the Japanese team as they acclimatise to new surroundings with the help of some food, especially shipped in from home. We join the Italian squad as they test out some of the state-of-the-art technology that allows players to recover quicker. Plus we delve in to the history of the sport and the cultural differences between rugby and other popular sports. Iranian Pioneer Football in Iran is hugely popular, and since the sports governing body FIFA changed it's rules on the wearing of headscarfs whilst playing, more and more women are being attracted to take up the game. The growth of the sport is all the more notable because the Islamic republic bans women from attending men's matches. Katayoun Khosrowyar now a veteran of the Iranian national women's squad was part of the very first team to represent the country. She tells us about being a pioneer of the sport.Tri- A little Harder Although the Olympic disc

Meet the man determined to make every football stadium in England and Scotland out of Lego. Death, Deafness and Dominating the World When his father was murdered in 2000 the career of England rugby union star Ben Cohen fell away. He lost his international place, and couldn't even make the starting fifteen for his club. Three years later he was a World Cup winner. With the 2015 tournament starting on Friday we hear from Ben about that 2003 success, about lip reading on the pitch to overcome deafness, on being an icon for the gay community and how that family tragedy spurred him on to be the best in the world.Tyres in Tyre This week the Rally of Lebanon came to an end against a backdrop of protests. Many have been demanding change from a government they say is corrupt and ineffective and that has been without a president for over a year.Commonwealth Youth Games Former England footballer Danny Mills visits the 5th Youth Commonwealth Games in Samoa. He’s been watching his son compete in the competition and soaki

Germany, Europe's biggest economy, is often the preferred destination for those fleeing conflict. Whilst the debate continues in countries that make up the European Union, German football fans have been expressing their feelings by unfurling banners at many matches that simply read "Refugees Welcome". So what has caused this open support in stadia? We hear from German football experts Ronald Reng and Raphael HonigsteinPremier League Winners 2015/16 Revealed! What difference will all those transfers make to the coming months? Are we any closer to knowing who will be the champions? Can we do away with months of anguish, weeks of worry and days of uncertainty? One man says yes! Well, maybe... We give you Doctor Raffaele Poli from the CIES Football Observatory a statistical research group in Switzerland. Settled in Seattle The new American football season is nearly upon us as the 32 teams of the National Football League bid for a place at the Super Bowl. The Seattle Seahawks, champions in 2014 and runners up i

The killing of Cameroon footballer Albert Ebosse moments after a match he played in for his team in Algeria, shocked the world of football. Exactly a year on we ask why so many questions about his death have remained unanswered and why no one has been brought to justice. John Bennett has been speaking to Albert’s brother, as well as looking at the mounting evidence that counters the claims made by authorities in Algeria to what actually happenedSub 2-hour marathon The first medal awarded at the World Athletic Championships in Beijing on Saturday will be for the marathon. Whilst the focus on this occasion will be gold, regardless of the time, the discipline is dominated by a seemingly impossible goal of running a sub 2 hour marathon. So can it be done and if so when? We hear from the athlete, the scientist and the author of a new book "Two Hours: The Quest to Run the Impossible Marathon"Uganda: Needing A Sporting Chance The power of sport and its ability to inspire and improve lives is no better evidenced tha

The election of the new president of the IAAF, athletics world governing body, will take place next week against the backdrop of more allegations of doping. So what is wrong with the IAAF? In his only BBC interview, Olympic champion Robert Harting speaks to Sportshour about how he has lost faith in the organisation, and Don Catlin, one of the world’s most famous anti-doping testers, gives his views on what the IAAF needs to do to regain the sport’s integrity. We also hear from both presidential candidates, Lord Sebastian Coe and Sergey Bubka. Costly Kit Conflict: “They said it was MY decision not to go. That’s absolute bull! I did everything required of me.” In his only BBC interview American 800m runner Nick Symmonds has told Sportshour about his conflict with USA Track and Field over what kit he can wear and when. As a result the 2013 silver medalist has been dropped by the USA for the World Athletics Championships in Beijing.World’s Toughest Horse Race: The Mongol Derby is billed as the longest and toughes

This week the Aborigine Australian Rules star Adam Goodes, decided against walking away from the game he loves, having endured weeks of racial abuse at the hands of some opposing fans. It’s not the first time that the sport has been at the forefront of the countries debate on integration. In 1993, whilst playing for St Kilda, Nicky Winmar responded to similar racial abuse by raising his shirt and pointing to his skin. The photograph is an iconic image in Australian sporting history. But has anything really changed in those 22 years?Don’t Ban Drugs… Embrace Them! With more allegations and strenuous denials dominating the world of athletics, we ask if sport would be better off if performance enhancing drugs were regulated, as opposed to banned.Remembering Natalia Natalia Molchanova, widely regarded as the greatest free diver in history is feared to have died diving off the coast of Spain. We speak to William Truebridge, the current world champion and double world record holder, about Natalia’s life and legacy.S

$2,000,000 in prize money, cowboy hats as far as the eye can see and a sport that has more than a touch of the Wild West... Welcome to what's known as "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth" Caroline Rigby travels to Alberta, Canada to discover if rodeo at Calgary Stampede is a celebration of athletic endeavour and cultural heritage or outdated and cruel to animalsBeyond Boxing Ahead of defending his Lightweight belt this weekend against Anthony Crolla, Colombian Darley Perez tells the BBC’s Azi Farni how boxing saved him. Perez grew up with a normal life until war started between the military and the rebels. His town was taken over by the paramilitaries and eventually, with few options, the friends he grew up with joined the paramilitaries. Many, including his brother, met with a violent death. Boxing became a way out for him.Being Fran Whether the Women’s World Cup was a “watershed moment” for women’s football is still to be seen. What is certain is that it has changed the life’s of some of the players, non

The story of Harry Manson is not just about the pioneering career of Canada’s first aboriginal football player to be inducted into the National Hall of Fame. It is not just about how his life was tragically cut short. The story of Harry Manson is also a microcosm of what life was like for Canada’s indigenous population in the late 19th Century and for subsequent generations. We tell Harry’s story through the words of his grandson Gary. Gary was a product of the residential school system that the government set up and which was described by Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s report of June 2015, as a “cultural genocide” perpetrated on the indigenous population. We hear about Gary’s experience and how the recent discovery of his grandfather’s footballing exploits is giving his family and wider community a huge sense of pride and integral part of a nations healing process. We also hear about Harry’s footballing legacy as we spend time with the women’s football team who are preparing to take part in t

On Ladies Final day at Wimbledon, surprise finalist Garbine Murgurza tells Sportshour how baking helps her to unwind after a hard day on the grass courts. Why do tennis player's grunt? - Dr Scott Sinnett tells about his study into the practice. And two years after being given a three percent change of survival after a fall, we're with jockey Brian Toomey at his stables as he prepares to return to the saddle.(Picture: Wimbledon Trophies, Credit: Getty Images)

The Copa America is taking place in Chile, and it is inspiring a host of novel and inventive ways for activists to protest about governmental proposals over education reform. In a world where sportsmen shy away from engaging in politics, the public expect Chile’s national team players to engage, and they do. We look at how this soccer mad nation has put a footballing spin on demonstrations of civil disobedience to highlight an issue that has brought previous governments down. What They Did Next: Wimbledon Special American David Wheaton reached number 12 in the world, he won over $5 million in prize money and at Wimbledon in 1991 he beat Andre Agassi and Ivan Lendl on the way to a semi-final appearance. In the latest in our series "What they did Next!?" He speaks to us from his home in Minnesota on a new career as an author and Christian Radio show host. The Rabbit that’s the Talk of the Tour What do the Tour De France, the city of Utrecht in Netherlands and Miffy a small cartoon rabbit have in common? Quite a