Georgia on my mind: The business of rugby November 22, 2021 Fans back packing stands, pints flowing, and roofs being raised. International rugby’s back and, as the inaugural Autumn Nations Series draws to a close, the on-pitch balance of power between the hemispheres seems delicately poised. Away from the pitch though, tensions exist as to the direction the sport should take post-pandemic. A tough 2020 for [...]
Hamilton narrows the gap with silky Sunday drive in Qatar November 22, 2021 It may not be a location top of the list to entice the taste buds of humanitarians and fans alike, but Qatar is here to stay in F1, for the best part of the next decade, so we might as well get used to it. In its inaugural season as host, however, Qatar has given [...]
Solskjaer: Was it ever meant to be for the United legend? November 21, 2021 The writing has seemingly been on the wall for quite a while, and yesterday morning the Manchester United board made the final move in a game of managerial chess that, until recently, was at a stalemate. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is synonymous with Old Trafford. Over 200 appearances as a player for the Red Devils spanning [...]
United part ways with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer following Watford defeat November 21, 2021 Manchester United have this morning confirmed that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has left his role as manager. Norwegian Solskjaer took over at Old Trafford in 2018 as caretaker before signing a permanent deal with the Red Devil’s in March 2019. The news comes after United’s 4-1 loss at the hands of Watford yesterday. In a club [...]
Lilian Thuram: Gareth Southgate sets a good example of what white people can do November 20, 2021 A bespectacled Lilian Thuram reaches for a map of the world and turns it upside down to illustrate his point. France’s most capped footballer is sitting at the desk of his office for this video interview, his studious appearance and the shelf full of books behind him indicating the direction he has taken since retiring [...]
Chimp-trekking and clifftop archery in Rwanda November 19, 2021 I’m on my hands and knees, mud-caked and scratched to pieces, while a sticky-legged insect is meandering its way down the back of my neck. Somewhere in front of me I can hear the gentle snick snick of machetes slicing through corkscrew ferns and above me murky sunlight bleeds through the thick forest canopy. I [...]
King Richard review: Will Smith swings for an Oscar in Williams sisters biopic November 19, 2021 Will Smith dominated the 90s box office, creating a public persona that still commands the loyalty of millions. Bad Boys For Life was the last pre-pandemic smash hit, coming 17 years after the last instalment. One thing he hasn’t been able to manifest, however, is an Oscar. Every few years, the one time nominee releases [...]
Ghostbusters: Afterlife is a hit of nostalgia with a modern twist November 19, 2021 Like so many things in 2016, Paul Feig’s Ghostbusters drew people into unedifying online wars. The all-female reboot was far from spectacular, but neither was it the childhood-ruining disaster others claimed. The debate became toxic, the film tanked, but that didn’t stop a franchise-hungry studio from forging ahead. This week sees the release of Ghostbusters: [...]
Royal Court’s Rare Earth Mettle tarnished by antisemitism controversy November 19, 2021 There may be no such thing as bad publicity, but casually offending the Jewish community in a play that counts cultural sensitivity among its themes must come pretty close. Ambitious satire Rare Earth Mettle centres on the megalomaniac billionaire previously known as Hershel Fink, a man with no apparent ties to the Jewish community apart [...]
Ollie Phillips: The Boks play simple, boring rugby, but winning is winning November 19, 2021 In tomorrow’s match with South Africa, England have their hardest test. Why? Because they know exactly what they’ll be coming up against. The Springboks don’t often play exciting rugby – it’s simple, boring rugby. They try to bully you, outmuscle you and, when in doubt, send the ball skyward and harass the catcher. It’s not [...]