Arctic scrum for record breaking rugby match
CHARITY fundraisers gave new meaning to the term Arctic roll last week, when they set a Guinness World Record for playing the northernmost rugby match in history – at the North Pole.
A team of 11 intrepid explorers, including the boss of LMAX Exchange, David Mercer, took to the field – or glacier, as it were – in a bid to raise £300,000 for Wooden Spoon, the children’s charity of rugby.
Ex-England 7’s captain Ollie Phillips led a team out against ex-England and Leicester Tigers player Tim Stimpson – with the latter team winning 17-14. The match must have been light relief for the hard-wearing group after a trek of more than 60 miles to the North Pole.
“I feel very privileged to have been part of such a great group of people completing the challenge and expecting to set a Guinness World Record to boot,” Mercer said. “It was a once-in-a- lifetime experience, made all the sweeter by creating greater awareness of such a fantastic charity and raising a substantial sum of money.”
If elections make you hunger for your chosen leader in pizza toppings, pop into Pizza Express. David Cameron (right) is in black olives, Ed Miliband hot red chillies, Nick Clegg multi-coloured peppers, Nigel Farage has a pepperoni pint and Nicola Sturgeon cherry tomatoes. Sadly, as is often the case when eating pizza, no mention of the Greens.
■ BG Group chief executive Helge Lund, just over three months into the job, told shareholders at the annual meeting yesterday that it was with mixed emotions he welcomed the $70bn cash and shares takeover from Shell. The former Statoil boss said he was looking forward to turning BG around. Some shareholders were unimpressed with the multi-millions they were to have paid him for that privilege. Eighteen per cent of them voted against the board’s remuneration report and 14 per cent protested the re-election of John Hood, who signs off on BG pay levels. Shell is offering a 50 per cent deal premium for BG. Lund is due to wave goodbye with £32m.