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Tag: England
45 Days of Rugby
Here’s a little mini-project and challenge I have set myself for the next month and a half during the Rugby World Cup of which I hope you will follow too.
Continue reading “45 Days of Rugby”
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#RWC2015 – Hate to say it…
Three games into their own World Cup, England are out.
Saturday night’s defeat to Australia means 16 days into the tournament England are no longer involved.
And I hate to say it – and I’m no Rugby expert or analyst by any stretch, but I could see it coming.
If the previous week’s loss also at Twickenham to Wales wasn’t bad enough, defeat to Australia in Saturday’s ‘do or die’ encounter just about sums things up from a nervy campaign.
The air of expectation for England to do well and be up there to win the tournament on home soil has been nothing short of immense. That’s what comes with ‘home’ advantage and being hosts and the hopes of a nation on your shoulders.
And there was perhaps a hint of arrogance – by England fans and followers alike, thinking their team just had to turn up to win the Webb Ellis trophy as it was on their home patch.
However, right from the opening game of the tournament against Fiji it seems the burden of expectation has probably got the better of the team.
First there was a nervous performance over the Fijians – albeit a winning one, which you can perhaps understand with it being the first game of the competition.
(you only have to look at South Africa’s first game against Japan, and to an extent the performances of the All Blacks in their opening game – everyone wants to get the first game out of the way and get their tournament started)
But from there, any excuses end.
Ever since it was drawn, the game against Wales was always going to be close, let alone emotionally charged.
And there was that expectancy that 1. England would win, 2. England would qualify for the knockout stages most likely at Wales’ expense.
And with a lead to the good and victory in sight, that seemed the case.
However, nerves it seems got the better of England. Mistakes crept in, were punished and it all started to unravel.
Perhaps the shock, nerves, panic (?) and anxiety also attributed to clouded thinking and judgement in the final minutes when they opted to go for a try when a kick at goal may have salvaged a draw.
From there, the added pressure – effectively put upon themselves, by losing to the Welsh meant they had to beat Australia to survive.
And with so much riding on the game, England just didn’t turn up and deliver when it mattered.
Australia, well, quite frankly they did a thorough professional job on Stuart Lancaster’s side.
I did call it though.
Australia have had a useful summer (or winter in their case) in the Southern hemisphere winning the Rugby Championship over New Zealand and South Africa.
And perhaps omens were there for revenge in the 2003 World Cup Final in Australia!
These things have a habit of coming back on themselves don’t they!
So, England have the unwanted tag of being the first host nation to go out of a Rugby World Cup in the group stages.
And it is also the earliest England have ever exited the tournament.
So whilst they lick their wounds, and reports and post mortems on everything from their performances to preparations to the state of rugby at grassroots level (always a good excuse) are unveiled, there is still the small matter of who will go onto win the Rugby World Cup now the hosts are no longer in the picture.
The next few weeks will be interesting – regardless of England not being involved.
And I’m still favouring an All Black success.
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Rugby on Visit England’s Home of Sport shortlist
After three months and 2,000 public nominations, VisitEngland’s Home of Sport shortlist has been revealed with six top English sporting destinations open to public vote today .
And Rugby, the market town in Warwickshire which lays claim to being the birthplace of the game, has been nominated!
The search to establish England’s ultimate sporting capital began in June when VisitEngland asked the public to nominate their top sporting experiences and venues across the country.
Over the following weeks, more than 2,000 submissions came in from across the country, and spanned everything from favourite running routes and personal fitness challenges to stadia holding tens of thousands of fans and even choice pubs for watching the action.
A VisitEngland panel then selected the leading destinations according to their offering of sporting venues and attractions, the breadth of their sporting experiences, diverse and beautiful backdrops, and sporting trivia or claims to fame.
So, who are the shortlist of England’s top sporting destinations.
They are:
- The people’s choice (most nominations) – Nottingham
Historic cricket ground Trent Bridge was recently the site of our glorious Ashes win, while the Aegon Open returned to the city this summer for the first time since 2008. Robin Hood fans can try their hand at archery in Sherwood Forest or take the ultimate fitness test in the Outlaw Triathlon, a gruelling Ironman-distance course. Nottingham’s other assets include the historic Notts County FC and Nottingham Forest, which famously took the European Cup under Brian Clough. The number and diversity of nominations received for Nottingham made it our People’s Choice.
- Yorkshire
The rolling hills, expansive moors and untouched coastline makes Yorkshire a veritable sporting playground. Last year’s Tour de France, which took the peloton through beautiful Yorkshire scenery and the iconic towns of Leeds, Harrogate, York and Sheffield, paved the way for this year’s inaugural Tour de Yorkshire, and this vast county is now globally recognised for its cycling offering. With its network of caves, towering peaks and beautiful coastline, the countryside is awash with space for cavers, climbers and kayakers.
- Biggest claim to fame – Rugby
It was on the playing field at Rugby School that, nearly 200 years ago, the game of rugby was born. Here in 1823 William Webb Ellis picked up the ball during a football match and ran with it, changing the game forever. Rugby School is also accredited with many of the words associated with the sport – from ‘try’ to ‘goal line’ – as well as giving the England team its defining white shirt and with inventing ‘caps’, originally given to the school boys deemed good enough to play for the main teams. Rugby became the winter sport of the British Empire, spreading to France, Argentina, Japan and the rest of the world, and today international teams still battle for the ‘Webb Ellis’ trophy in the World Cup. All thanks to this Warwickshire market town.
- Best sporting attractions – Manchester
Manchester’s cityscape is full of iconic and ambitious sporting venues. The city is home to the National Cycling Centre, the world’s busiest velodrome and BMX track which is open to the public. The National Squash Centre and Manchester Aquatics Centre were both specifically built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games hosted by the city. Manchester is renowned of course for its football, and Old Trafford and Etihad Stadium are two of the most iconic venues for our national sport. There’s also the National Football Museum, and now Hotel Football, so fans can really make a break of it.
- Quirkiest sports – Gloucestershire
Home to several of our nation’s quirkiest sports and pastimes, Gloucestershire earned its place in VisitEngland’s Home of Sport shortlist with such nominations as River Football in Bourton-on-the-Water, an annual match played in the trickling River Windrush, and the Cotswolds Olympicks, an unusual spectacular now over 400 years old. Tetbury’s Wacky Races sees competitors building their own vehicles for the annual Soapbox Derby, while visitors to the River Severn can try their hand at river surfing in spring and autumn and the fearless can hurl themselves down Cooper’s Hill in pursuit of cheese in the county’s annual cheese-rolling competition.
- Iconic venues and events – London
London’s skyline is peppered with iconic sporting venues. The enduring legacy of hosting the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games has included such splendid structures as Lee Valley Velopark, Lee Valley White Water Centre, and the Aquatics Centre. South West London’s Twickenham Stadium and Wimbledon All England Tennis Club are recognisable worldwide; while the history of venues such as Lords, the Oval and Royal Blackheath Golf Club make them a must-see. Take a tour of one of many leading football club stadiums including Tottenham,, Chelsea and Arsenal, or hone your sporting trivia with a visit to the national museum for tennis (Wimbledon), rugby (Twickenham) or cricket (Lords).
To vote for your favourite destination, visit www.englandhomeofsport.com
Voting will close on 19th October, and England’s Home of Sport will be announced on 23rd October 2015.
Footnote: from a personal perspective, I have divided loyalties. Born and bred in Rugby, but huge follower of Nottingham Forest and Notts CCC from an early age.
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Rugby on Visit England's Home of Sport shortlist
After three months and 2,000 public nominations, VisitEngland’s Home of Sport shortlist has been revealed with six top English sporting destinations open to public vote today .
And Rugby, the market town in Warwickshire which lays claim to being the birthplace of the game, has been nominated!
The search to establish England’s ultimate sporting capital began in June when VisitEngland asked the public to nominate their top sporting experiences and venues across the country.
Over the following weeks, more than 2,000 submissions came in from across the country, and spanned everything from favourite running routes and personal fitness challenges to stadia holding tens of thousands of fans and even choice pubs for watching the action.
A VisitEngland panel then selected the leading destinations according to their offering of sporting venues and attractions, the breadth of their sporting experiences, diverse and beautiful backdrops, and sporting trivia or claims to fame.
So, who are the shortlist of England’s top sporting destinations.
They are:
- The people’s choice (most nominations) – Nottingham
Historic cricket ground Trent Bridge was recently the site of our glorious Ashes win, while the Aegon Open returned to the city this summer for the first time since 2008. Robin Hood fans can try their hand at archery in Sherwood Forest or take the ultimate fitness test in the Outlaw Triathlon, a gruelling Ironman-distance course. Nottingham’s other assets include the historic Notts County FC and Nottingham Forest, which famously took the European Cup under Brian Clough. The number and diversity of nominations received for Nottingham made it our People’s Choice.
- Yorkshire
The rolling hills, expansive moors and untouched coastline makes Yorkshire a veritable sporting playground. Last year’s Tour de France, which took the peloton through beautiful Yorkshire scenery and the iconic towns of Leeds, Harrogate, York and Sheffield, paved the way for this year’s inaugural Tour de Yorkshire, and this vast county is now globally recognised for its cycling offering. With its network of caves, towering peaks and beautiful coastline, the countryside is awash with space for cavers, climbers and kayakers.
- Biggest claim to fame – Rugby
It was on the playing field at Rugby School that, nearly 200 years ago, the game of rugby was born. Here in 1823 William Webb Ellis picked up the ball during a football match and ran with it, changing the game forever. Rugby School is also accredited with many of the words associated with the sport – from ‘try’ to ‘goal line’ – as well as giving the England team its defining white shirt and with inventing ‘caps’, originally given to the school boys deemed good enough to play for the main teams. Rugby became the winter sport of the British Empire, spreading to France, Argentina, Japan and the rest of the world, and today international teams still battle for the ‘Webb Ellis’ trophy in the World Cup. All thanks to this Warwickshire market town.
- Best sporting attractions – Manchester
Manchester’s cityscape is full of iconic and ambitious sporting venues. The city is home to the National Cycling Centre, the world’s busiest velodrome and BMX track which is open to the public. The National Squash Centre and Manchester Aquatics Centre were both specifically built for the 2002 Commonwealth Games hosted by the city. Manchester is renowned of course for its football, and Old Trafford and Etihad Stadium are two of the most iconic venues for our national sport. There’s also the National Football Museum, and now Hotel Football, so fans can really make a break of it.
- Quirkiest sports – Gloucestershire
Home to several of our nation’s quirkiest sports and pastimes, Gloucestershire earned its place in VisitEngland’s Home of Sport shortlist with such nominations as River Football in Bourton-on-the-Water, an annual match played in the trickling River Windrush, and the Cotswolds Olympicks, an unusual spectacular now over 400 years old. Tetbury’s Wacky Races sees competitors building their own vehicles for the annual Soapbox Derby, while visitors to the River Severn can try their hand at river surfing in spring and autumn and the fearless can hurl themselves down Cooper’s Hill in pursuit of cheese in the county’s annual cheese-rolling competition.
- Iconic venues and events – London
London’s skyline is peppered with iconic sporting venues. The enduring legacy of hosting the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games has included such splendid structures as Lee Valley Velopark, Lee Valley White Water Centre, and the Aquatics Centre. South West London’s Twickenham Stadium and Wimbledon All England Tennis Club are recognisable worldwide; while the history of venues such as Lords, the Oval and Royal Blackheath Golf Club make them a must-see. Take a tour of one of many leading football club stadiums including Tottenham,, Chelsea and Arsenal, or hone your sporting trivia with a visit to the national museum for tennis (Wimbledon), rugby (Twickenham) or cricket (Lords).
To vote for your favourite destination, visit www.englandhomeofsport.com
Voting will close on 19th October, and England’s Home of Sport will be announced on 23rd October 2015.
Footnote: from a personal perspective, I have divided loyalties. Born and bred in Rugby, but huge follower of Nottingham Forest and Notts CCC from an early age.
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Worrying decline in days out by the coast
Worrying decline in days out by the coast.
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20 years of opening the doors to local and national heritage
September signals the once-a-year chance to explore the world on your doorstep, unlocked and completely free of charge.
Today signals the start of Heritage Open Days which celebrates England’s wide array of culture and architecture by offering free access to places that are usually closed to the public or normally charge for admission.
Every year on four days in September, buildings, visitor attractions and other ‘hidden gems’ of a cultural significance of every age, style and function throw open their doors, for a once-a-year chance to discover architectural treasures and enjoy a wide range of tours, events and activities that bring local history and culture to life.
Local heritage – some of which you had probably forgotten about or taken for granted, or not even known was there, open and right on your doorstep.
And it goes further as September is a month of open days across Europe.
Heritage Open Days was established in 1994 as England’s contribution to the European Heritage Days, so 2014 marks the 20th anniversary.
The scheme was initiated in 1991 by the Council of Europe to raise appreciation for Europe’s rich and diverse cultural assets and their need for care and protection.
The principle behind it all was to simply throw open the doors to historic monuments and buildings, in particular those normally closed to the public. One of the key requirements was to offer free access to all properties taking part in the European Heritage Days.
In the UK, there are five open day schemes that are part of the wider European Heritage Days scheme across the continent, those being:
- England: Heritage Open Days (11-14 September 2014)
- London: Open House London (20-21 September 2014)
- Scotland: Doors Open Days (every weekend in September)
- Wales: Open Doors (every weekend in September)
- Northern Ireland: European Heritage Open Days (13-14 September 2014)
To find out more about what is on offer ‘on your doorstep’ so to speak, check out the Directory Map or get a printable guide list
As travel writer, and Editor and writer for a UK publisher with two magazines that focus on UK tourism (Discover Britain’s Gardens magazine, and Discover Britain for Groups magazine), this is right up my street.
However, the offering on my very own doorstep (Rugby, in Warwickshire) is slightly disappointing.
There are some great places to visit, don’t get me wrong such as Brownsover Hall, the Marton Museum of Country Bygones to name a couple.
but for the town which heralds as being the birthplace of the game, one would have thought this would [again] be a great opportunity to capitalise on this unique claim to fame, and offer local and visitors/tourists alike a chance to go behind-the-scenes.
Still, with the Rugby World Cup on these shores next year, you never know…
In the meantime, wherever you are, get out, enjoy and explore what’s on your doorstep whilst you have the chance to.
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The Ashes: closer than many predict?
For cricketers, cricket fans and followers, the excitement and anticipation is over as the long-awaited day has arrived.
The start of another Ashes Test Series is here.
Yes, one of the world’s fiercest sporting rivalries – between England and Australia resumes battle this morning, all for the sake of a tiny brown urn.
Well, in part anyway.
But the five-match test series that kicks off at Trent Bridge in Nottingham today is more than that. National pride at stake, bragging rights (as such), and to a lesser extent Test rankings and a bit of prize money – the latter two are really lesser considerations it has to be said.
For once, England go into the Ashes series as favourites (and as many of us know it was not like that for many a year or series in the last few decades), however am I the only one who thinks that Australia are proverbial dark horses to take back the urn and will offer up a few unpleasant surprises to rock England’s boat?
Ok, Australia have had their problems. A few off-the-field dramas with one of their upcoming stars David Warner making his feelings known to one of England’s young talented stars Joe Root in a bar in Birmingham (Warner subsequently served a ban from all pre-series warm-ups).
Then Australia coach Micky Arthur was given the chop to unsettle things even more and in stepped former Test player Darren Lehmann (which was not a bad call). All this on top of what on paper looks an inexperienced Australia squad which has suffered some less-than-impressive results in their more recent Test series against India and then beaten by England in the last two Ashes series.
But never take anything for granted. In times of adversity, people pull together, none more so than those with a weight of expectation on their shoulders.
In his short time with the squad, Lehmann’s qualities as a leader looked to have not only stabilised matters but also galvanised the Aussies just at the right time. Plus he has international experience as a player (and Ashes winner) and has developed quietly into a useful coach, so knows what it is all about, what to expect and can translate that to some of his less-experienced charges.
And alongside skipper Michael Clarke (whose superb recent form if it continues may go some way to determining how well the Aussies will perform), you have a leader on-the-field growing in stature, even if team performances haven’t necessary earn the credit he is perhaps due.
And of course there is the Ashes effect, when recent form can count for nothing and it boils down to who can keep their individual collective nerve when it matters most as pride, passion and personality take over.
It all makes for an interesting seven weeks.
Just don’t write off Australia just yet though.
Ashes Test Schedule – Summer 2013
Wed 10-14 July – 1st Investec Ashes Test,Trent Bridge
Thu 18-22 July – 2nd Investec Ashes Test, Lord’s
Thu 1-5 Aug – 3rd Investec Ashes Test, Old Trafford
Fri 9-13 Aug – 4th Investec Ashes Test, Emirates Durham ICG
Wed 21-25 Aug – 5th Investec Ashes Test, The Kia Oval
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Things I’ve learnt in the last 7 days
It’s been an interesting seven days. Here’s a few comments and observations from the news that has broken and what I’ve seen and heard around me.
1. Football at all levels needs to sort its game out. Greed, arrogance, racism, you name it
2. Roy Hodgson & the FA can learn a lot from Stuart Lancaster’s plans for developing the game & players from grassroots & regional levels upwards. Sensible refreshing stuff.
3. Tesco staff and managers in Rugby must have too much time on their hands, judging that it took 6 of them to stack cereal and jam whilst discussing the life of Darth Vader
Darth: a key and influential topic of importance among supervisers at Tesco Rugby
- Tesco Rugby, or known internally as the Death Star
4. Some people really do just take the p!$$ and don’t have a clue
5. £8 to watch Southern League Midland/Central Division football – for what is glorified Sunday morning football, is laughable. See point 1 + 4
6. if my kids had 10p for every conker we collected on Sunday, they would have a lot of money. A new seasonal pop-up shop – The Conker Shop, opens later in the week for half term.
Note: apparently there is a conker shortage in Warwickshire. Really? You just have to look in the right places.
7. Christmas is not that far away really
8. The forces of good are pulling me towards a new, fresh opportunity and challenge for 2013 – more on that in due course.
The Landlocked Traveller 