UK News
Insights from the UK and beyond
from Photographers Blog:
Shooting the Rugby World Cup
In the third installment, Sydney-based photographer Tim Wimborne describes what is necessary to keep the file fresh throughout the tournament and to satisfy different client needs.
In the second of a series of multimedia pieces, Bucharest-based photographer Bogdan Cristel talks about the focus required to cover the Rugby World Cup.
In the first of a series of multimedia pieces, London-based photographer Stefan Wermuth talks about the challenges he anticipates at the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.
from Left field:
Don’t discount Ireland for the Six Nations
By James Illingworth
The 2011 Six Nations kicks off shortly in Cardiff with much of the pre-tournament hype suggesting a two-horse race between France and England.
England's favourites tag among English bookmakers looks unjustified if it is based on one decent performance in November against Australia, with the 2010 grand slam winners France surely still the team to beat.
from Reuters Soccer Blog:
Football still offside in attitude to women
The British media furore over two television presenters’ sexist comments over a lineswoman at a Premier League match at the weekend has thrown the spotlight on the subject of women in soccer – be it on the pitch or off.
Sky Sports duo Richard Keys and Andy Gray have apologised for saying female officials “don’t know the offside rule” when they were talking about lineswoman Sian Massey at Saturday’s match between Wolves and Liverpool when they thought their microphones were switched off.
from Left field:
Tri-Nations stranglehold a potential problem for rugby
Northern hemisphere hopes are raised at the start of every November but by the end of the month it has usually become crystal clear that the Tri-Nations' stranglehold on world rugby remains as tight as ever.
Already, after the opening exchanges produced a 3-0 sweep for the south last Saturday, the imbalance is there for all to see.
from Left field:
The myth of rugby’s Jonny Wilkinson
A rugby writer, with tongue only half in cheek, once said it was possible to gauge an Englishman's entire outlook on life by ascertaining whether he was a Stuart Barnes or a Rob Andrew fan in the years between 1985 and 1993.
Barnes, a cavalier among flyhalves who passionately embraced the running game, played only a handful of matches for the national team. Andrew, an accomplished all-rounder but with a game based increasingly on kicking, became an England institution.
from Left field:
What are the odds on getting the Six Nations winner right?
![RTR29J26[1]SIXNATIONS](http://blogs.reuters.com/sport/files/2010/02/RTR29J261SIXNATIONS.jpg "RTR29J26[1]SIXNATIONS")
Picking the winner of the Six Nations championship is always a tricky task as the vagaries of form and the fixture list ensure that no two seasons are the same.
France, who finished third last season, are rated 6/4 favourites by Ladbrokes while grand slam champions Ireland are only second-best at 9/4.
from Left field:
Players, fans unite behind the Lions
All professional sportsmen talk about how important their supporters are but when it comes to the British and Irish Lions there really is a special bond.
Defying the credit crunch, up to 30,000 fans are expected to travel to South Africa to follow the Lions in their three-test series against the world champions.
Haka attack
When the All Blacks take on England at Twickenham on Saturday there will be almost as much attention paid to the ceremonial pre-match haka as to the match itself.
Rugby crowds love the aggressive Maori challenge but many purists call it offensive, intimidating and out of date. Especially if their teams are the ones having to face it.
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The Wall
