The game on the pitch has never been better, yet rugby union's finances leave the game with an uncertain and precarious future. Rarely has the gap between how the sport would like to be perceived and the unvarnished reality felt wider. Nearly 30 years since the sport went professional, why is it struggling so badly to sustain itself and grow?

The numbers involved are alarming. According to the last set of accounts (2023/24) for each of the home unions, they posted a combined loss in the last financial year of £72m.

The financially picture is equally as bleak for the 10 Premiership clubs, who collectively lost £30.5m in the financial year 2022/23 and have net debts of over £300m.

So how does rugby union put itself back on a more sustainable financial footing against a backdrop of spiralling player salaries, a downward trend in the cost of TV rights, and a crowded sporting marketplace when it comes to attracting new fans? Sonja McLaughlan, Sara Orchard and rugby union correspondent for the Times, Alex Lowe are joined by former Saracens and Harlequins CEO Mark Evans, RFU CEO Bill Sweeney and Gloucester owner Martin St Quinton to discuss what needs to change for rugby union to thrive.

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5 Live's golf correspondent Iain Carter and 2-time Solheim Cup winner Trish Johnson look ahead to the 2025 majors’ season, all coming to a thrilling climax in September with the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, New York. Iain speaks to Team Europe's Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, 4-time major winner Rory McIlroy and 2023 Masters winner John Rahm.

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Sportspeople featured prominently in the immediate aftermath of Donald Trump's re-election on November 5th, with golfer Bryson DeChambeau and UFC president Dana White making appearances on stage during his victory speech in Florida.

And Dana White was back again, alongside FIFA president Gianni Infantino, at Trump’s inauguration.

It was a reminder of Trump's sporting connections ahead of his second term in office, during which time, the United States will host this year’s inaugural expanded FIFA Club World Cup, next year’s FIFA World Cup, and the Olympics in Los Angeles in 2028, with Trump set to be a highly visible presence at them all.

Mark Chapman is joined by Christine Brennan, sports columnist for USA Today, and Simon Evans, US sports correspondent for AFP, to discuss what impact Trump and some of his policies could have on the sporting landscape over the next four years, including hearing from the likes of two-time golf major champion Jon Rahm, and the president of World Athletics, Lord Sebastian Coe, who could be the president of the International Olympic Committee when Trump’s America hosts the LA games.

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01:45 - President Trump’s relationship with sport

We look to answer the key questions regarding Saudi Arabia’s ever-expanding and evolving sporting revolution.

We discuss the origins of the Kingdom’s involvement in global sport and look at its growing influence in football, tennis, boxing and golf, against a backdrop of criticism regarding Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, as well as asking if there’s any ceiling to the country’s sporting ambitions.

Eleanor Oldroyd is joined by BBC sports editor Dan Roan and BBC sports news correspondent Laura Scott, who have both witnessed, first hand, the development of sport in Saudi Arabia over the past 12 months.

We hear at length from Saudi Arabia's sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal about the reasons behind his country's huge investment in sport, and from the president of the Saudi Tennis Federation, Arij Mutabagani - the first woman to be elected as the president of a Saudi Arabian sports federation - on how bringing the WTA Finals to Saudi Arabia will aid the development of women's sport and women's sport in the country.

We also hear from BBC boxing reporter Kal Sajad and BBC golf correspondent Iain Carter about Saudi Arabia's ever-increasing influence over boxing and golf.

22 Grand Slam titles, 92 Tour titles, 1080 Tour match wins, 4 Davis Cups and Olympic Gold medals in both singles and doubles - but now it's all over for Rafael Nadal. The Spaniard retires from tennis as one of the greatest to have ever taken to the court.

Steve Crossman is joined by the BBC's tennis correspondent Russell Fuller, former world number five Tommy Robredo and author Christopher Clarey(who's currently writing a Nadal biography ‘The Warrior’) - they reflect on Nadal's extraordinary career, including the role of his family, his dominance at Roland Garros, his epic rivalry with Roger Federer and what might come next for Rafa. Plus we hear from Pat Cash, Billie-Jean King, Feliciano Lopez and Iga Swiatek, as well as Nadal himself.

The WTA Finals - the season-ending finale to the 2024 women’s tennis season - are taking place in Saudi Arabia for the first time this week. The world’s best eight singles players and eight doubles teams are competing for the titles in Riyadh, as well as a share of a record prize pot of $15.25 million. But the decision to hold the crown jewel of the women's game in the Kingdom has been mixed. The WTA has been criticised for holding the tournament in Saudi Arabia due to issues over women’s rights and the treatment of the LGBT community, with world number three Coco Gauff saying she had “reservations” about travelling to the country. But the Saudi Tennis Federation says people should come to the Kingdom before passing judgement - with an ambition of getting one million Saudis engaged in tennis by 2030.

Mark Chapman is joined by BBC tennis correspondent Russell Fuller, BBC sports news correspondent Laura Scott, and Egyptian tennis journalist Reem Abulleil to discuss how the finals have been received in Saudi Arabia. Plus, we hear from the key people involved in bringing the WTA Finals to Saudi Arabia, including the President of the Saudi Tennis Federation, Arij Mutabagani, and WTA Ambassador, Judy Murray.

A Gladiator, a trip around the world, a fight for funding & a Superbowl winner. Deaf athletes share stories of a parallel world that none of them want to leave.

Watch the signed version of this podcast here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0jkqvq3

And read a full transcript here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5jwd8CBFMY01X3xF0gDF2fM/the-quiet-place-full-transcript

Mark Chapman sits down with sprint legend Michael Johnson ahead of the athletics at Paris 2024.

Michael joins Mark in Paris at our Olympic base to preview the track events coming up at the Games. They also chat about issues in the athletics calendar, changes that need to be made, and the highly anticipated 100m final.

Also hear Michael’s thoughts on Team GB’s medal hopefuls in the track and field events.

Team GB Olympic swimming champion Adam Peaty talks to celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay about everything, from food to fame.

In this in-depth interview, Peaty opens up about his difficult journey to the Games, his return to form and how he has found happiness away from the pool.

Sebastian Coe looks back on his days as an Olympian, including his rivalry with Steve Ovett and training on Christmas Day. He talks about his role at the London 2012 Olympic Games and the pleasure in awarding Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill her heptathlon gold medal. Also, as the current president of World Athletics, he discusses the biggest challenges ahead for the sport.