Sports and the City
THE Square Mile is positively basking in sporting glory these days.
For a start, five giant rugby balls, one to represent each competing nation, were planted in Lime Street to mark the launch of the QBE Internationals taking place in November.
In further sporting City news, Devonshire Square was turfed over on Friday, ahead of yesterday’s NFL American football game between the St Louis Rams and New England Patriots at Wembley Stadium.
Mayor Boris Johnson greeted the UK’s American football fans to the stadium last night in classic style, showing his patriotic allegiance by welcoming them to “this glorious descendent of rugby union football”.
Aon, the insurance and reinsurance brokerage, has just become the sponsor for the NFL in the UK, and what better way to celebrate than by painting the City green with a temporary football pitch?
Though former NFL giant Cecil Martin was on hand to play ball, The Capitalist hears that the Rams’ cheerleaders received the warmest reception.
■ ROYAL weddings bells are soon to be ringing as the future nuptials between Princess Madeleine of Sweden, 30, and financier Christopher O’Neill, 38, have now been officially announced and accompanying engagement photographs (right) posed for. London-born O’Neill has worked at NM Rothschild & Sons and is currently a partner at investment firm Noster Capital. Reflecting on his marriage into Scandinavian royalty, O’Neill said: “l hope I will have the opportunity to visit Sweden a little more often now”.