Scottish Rugby to get £45m

The confirmation of the long-awaited partnership deal between the Six Nations and private equity group CVC could provide a windfall of nearly £45 million to Scottish Rugby.

After negotiations lasting well over a year which were complicated by delays due to the pandemic, CVC have ploughed in £365m for a seventh-share in rugby’s most historic and popular annual tournament.

Scotland’s share of the investment is estimated at £44.5m. England get the lion’s share at £95m.

Liverpool midfielder Thiago Alcantara admits the players could not imagine in their “worst nightmares” how badly their Premier League title defence could get.

However, he thinks that progress to the Champions League quarter-finals can help turn things around after a 2-0 second-leg win over Leipzig in Budapest gave them a 4-0 aggregate win.

That is in stark contrast to their domestic form, where an unprecedented six successive home defeats have contributed to a run of just 12 points from the last 42.

Liverpool currently sit eighth, behind

Chelsea.

But Thiago said: “It’s been a tough period for all of us because we didn’t expect in our worst nightmares we would be in this position in the Premier League but we try to perform as best we can and try to get better,” he told LFCTV.

“After this performance it is positive for all of us.”

Manager Jurgen Klopp has his eyes back on the league.

“It will help,’’ he said. ‘‘That’s how it is. It will help but we know that Monday at Wolves is a different kind of game.” seven points fourth-placed