Rooney, Hart and Richards row down Hudson River

What the report says

BBC Sport reported that Wayne Rooney followed through on an on-air World Cup pledge by rowing on the Hudson River in New York with fellow BBC pundits Joe Hart and Micah Richards. The former England striker had earlier said he would row down the River Mersey if Norway defeated Brazil in the last 16 of the 2026 World Cup. After Norway won 2-1, Rooney confirmed during BBC coverage that he would honour the spirit of the promise while in the United States.

According to the BBC, the stunt was linked to the popularity of Norway supporters’ “viking row” celebration during the tournament. Norway striker Erling Haaland was also shown encouraging Rooney to take part. Rooney, Hart and Richards temporarily traded their studio roles for oars, with the BBC describing the outing as taking place on the Hudson rather than the Mersey.

Rooney told the broadcaster he enjoyed the experience and said it was done out of respect for the fans. The article noted that Norway’s World Cup run ended when England knocked them out in the quarter-finals.

The BBC also used the feature to point viewers to its remaining World Cup coverage. Rooney, Hart and Richards were expected to return to punditry duties alongside Gabby Logan for the World Cup final between Spain and Argentina on Sunday, 19 July, at 20:00 BST on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. England’s third-place match against France was scheduled for Saturday at 22:00, also on BBC platforms.