Sport Comment: For Milner and England, see Michalak and French rugby June 8, 2014 CONSUMED by optimism, most of you reading this will be in front of a television next Saturday evening, believing that a combination of Steven Gerrard’s drive, Gary Cahill’s determination and the odd flash of brilliance from Wayne Rooney and/or Daniel Sturridge will upset Italy and kick-start England’s World Cup challenge in style. However, if things [...]
Sinfield seeks vast improvement in semi-final November 17, 2013 HOSTS England must make dramatic improvements or risk being embarrassed by New Zealand in next week’s rugby league World Cup semi-final, captain Kevin Sinfield has warned. England beat France 34-6 at Wigan on Saturday to set up a last-four clash with the holders. But Sinfield was unimpressed by his side’s quarter-final display and knows a [...]
From Melrose to Hong Kong and now Rio May 5, 2014 1883: Sevens rugby was first played at Melrose rugby club in the Scottish Borders, thanks to a creative fundraising ploy by Ned Haig, a local butcher and player 1921: Buenos Aires becomes the first sevens tournament outside of Scotland, followed by one south of the border at Percy Park in North Shields 1968: Hong Kong [...]
O’Connor completes Irish switch and hopes to bury colourful past October 29, 2013 NEW London Irish back James O’Connor feels ready to put his controversial past behind him and take the Premiership by storm. The 23-year-old had his contract terminated by the Australian Rugby Union earlier this month following a string of off-field misdemeanors and was also released by Super Rugby side Melbourne Rebels. But O’Connor, who has [...]
World Cup fever: Why an England loss will wipe billions off the stock market June 10, 2014 THE WORLD Cup, which starts tomorrow, will spark a huge range of human emotions, from the excitement of victory to the despair of defeat. The effect of football results on national mood is so strong that it can spill over into the stock market and cause swings of billions of pounds. Why? While the World [...]
World Cup fever: Why an England loss will wipe billions off the stock market June 10, 2014 THE WORLD Cup, which starts tomorrow, will spark a huge range of human emotions, from the excitement of victory to the despair of defeat. The effect of football results on national mood is so strong that it can spill over into the stock market and cause swings of billions of pounds. Why? While the World [...]
Mourning the father of a rainbow nation December 5, 2013 ONE OF my earliest memories is of a primary teacher encouraging my class to pray every day for the release of Nelson Mandela. “Your prayers will pile up like leaves, until their weight forces open his prison.” That would have been in the early 1980s, by which time Mandela had already spent two decades in [...]
World Cup winner Johnson hit with ban for speeding at 107mph October 8, 2013 FORMER England rugby union head coach and captain Martin Johnson has been banned from the road and fined after he was caught driving at 107mph. The 2003 World Cup winner admitted speeding when stopped in his Range Rover on the M5 in Somerset as he returned to Leicestershire from his holiday home in Devon around [...]
Harlequins boss plans Saracens play-off upset May 11, 2014 HARLEQUINS director of rugby Conor O’Shea insists it will be their greatest ever achievement if his side go on to lift the Aviva Premiership trophy this season after they secured the final play-off spot. Mike Brown’s first-half score and 14 points from Nick Evans saw Quins secure a 19-16 win over Bath Rugby at the [...]
World Championships set for London September 25, 2013 CYCLING: The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park velodrome is to stage the five-day Track World Championships in February 2016. Team GB won nine medals in the venue at London 2012 and will stage the final leg of the Olympic qualification process for the next Games in Rio. The Park is also set to hold Rugby World [...]