Sports Direct has appointed RSM UK as its auditors with immediate effect. The appointment follows the recent split with Grant Thornton, which withdrew from the role at Sports Direct's AGM in September. Grant Thornton had been the company's auditor since 2007. As a listed company, the sporting goods retailer must have an auditor in place by the time of its full-year results. Sports Direct had publicly stated that it wanted an auditor from the so-called “Big Four” of accounting firms – PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Deloitte, KPMG and Ernst & Young (EY) – but they all rejected the invitation after Sports Direct faced criticism over its governance from analysts and investors.

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