STILL OFFSIDE
As told to (or by) Peter FitzSimons in the Sydney Morning Herald, a chap called Bob, proper Aussie rugby lover, living in Christchurch New Zealand. “I literally bumped into Richie McCaw at the supermarket tonight,” Bob emailed to his brother Chris just after it happened. “In NZ you have to remain two metres from each person. He was a metre from me! Even after all these years he’s still offside ...”
RUGBY FOOTBALL
Could one of the most famed trophies in rugby, not have anything to do with rugby at all? Turns out the Ranfurly Shield, New Zealand’s most prized domestic trophy may not have been created for rugby. Website, stuff.co.nz reports that: “It’s not exactly clear what miscommunication occurred - it may have had something to do with an interpretation of the word ‘football.’
However when the New Zealand Rugby Union took possession of a shield in 1902 which the Earl of Ranfurly had made for competition between New Zealand provinces, it was discovered that its centre-piece clearly displayed a match being played; only it was a game of soccer, not rugby.”
Yikes.
“This sacrilegious error to those on the national committee was rectified by an engraver hurriedly adding two extra lines to convert the soccer goal frame to rugby posts.
However, the ball in the middle still remains as it was originally depicted.
The result being if you stare close enough into the dead-centre of the fabled ‘Log o’Wood’, you’ll see a hybrid game going on - with a soccer ball and a set of rugby posts.
Which, crazily enough, is not unlike a game of Gaelic Football!”
Can someone go and take a closer look at the Currie Cup please?
ELITE PERSPECTIVE
Australia’s men’s cricket team went to No 1 in the Test and T20 rankings last week.
This gave heir coach Justin Langer the opportunity to properly ‘Langerise’ the achievement.
Though not as much of a ‘Langerism’ as “elite honesty,”
Langer’s point about Australia’s ranking is pretty good ‘Langerising.’
“We have earned some respect back from other teams around the world but also from Australia,” he said.
“When we started on this journey there had been a lot of talk about Australia wanting to be No 1 in the world in all three forms of the game. We took a different approach. Not once did we talk about being No 1 ranked in the world, we wanted to be No 1 in our values and process. That is what I am most proud of.”
SEXY TIMES
A tale for our lockdown times and how some websites reckon attempt to get the money rolling. This is a loaf called clickbait
It goes like this: throw in the name of a well-known footballer, a big club add a bit of sex and voila, CLICKS. From football365.com Headline Daily Star for this doozy: ‘Jadon Sancho and Bundesliga stars face sex ban as rules for return are uncovered’
Sex? Tick.
Manchester United target? Tick.
“Bundesliga stars - including Man Utd target Jadon Sancho - face a SEX ban if they or their partner show coronavirus symptoms when football resumes.”
It’s safe to assume pretty much anyone would face a SEX ban if we or our partner show coronavirus symptoms. What you have described there is common sense health advice.
But still, SEX, Jadon Sancho, Man Utd etc etc. Phwoar. CLICKS.