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Field of Gold pulls ahead in the final stretch to earn a thrilling victory in the Group 1 St. James's Palace Stakes at the 2025 Royal Ascot.
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27 minutes ago
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Botterman ready for Maher showdown as Red Roses prepare for opener
By James Toney Hannah Botterman has started the bidding for Ilona Maher's World Cup shirt – but it's not exactly generous. Prop Botterman has become a core part of John Mitchell's Red Roses side, who take on Maher's USA in the opening match of the Rugby World Cup in Sunderland on Friday. She saw the impact of the sport's most-followed social media star when she joined Bristol Bears for the conclusion of the recent PWR season. But she's not the sort to be star-struck. 'I said I'd give her a fiver for her shirt but she's probably had a higher bid, I imagine,' she joked. Mitchell's squad is unchanged from the team that swept past France 40–6 in their final warm-up match. Captain Zoe Aldcroft will lead her side out from blindside flanker, while Loughborough Lightning's Sadia Kabeya starts at openside ahead of former captain Marlie Packer, who misses out despite serving her one-match ban. Vice-captain Megan Jones is alongside established midfield partner Tatyana Heard, while Natasha Hunt and Zoe Harrison are retained as the preferred half-back pairing. Jess Breach, Abby Dow and Ellie Kildunne – who scored a combined 18 tries during England's Six Nations Grand Slam – form a lethal back three, while replacement Emily Scarratt is set to feature in her fifth World Cup. Officials from the Football Association and Rugby Football Union have worked hard to draw Lionesses fans across to the Red Roses. Leah Williamson even stopped off at Twickenham just hours after lifting the Euros trophy again in Switzerland. However, unlike Sarina Wiegman's team – who entered their Euro defence after far-from-flawless preparation – Botterman knows the Red Roses, unbeaten in 27 matches since their final defeat in 2022, carry a much heavier weight of expectation. 'You look at what they did in the Euros and what that did for women's sport, not just women's football,' she added. 'We want to have a similar effect. For women's rugby, it would be unbelievable to see a boom in participation. Hopefully we can get to the final and reproduce what the football girls did. 'We've got real confidence in the camp but we can't get too far ahead of ourselves. We need to be where our feet are. We know what we're about, we know we're a very good team, but we know we need to perform. We know we have the ability.' Bristol team-mate Abbie Ward, who only returned to action last year after giving birth to her daughter Hallie, is making her third appearance at a World Cup and knows first-hand that even the best-laid plans can go awry. For all the recent Grand Slam glory, final defeats to New Zealand in Belfast and Auckland in the last two editions still sting. England may be strong favourites on home soil, but they have lost five of the last six finals. 'I don't know a time when the Red Roses haven't been under pressure. I've been part of two World Cups when we've gone in as favourites and we haven't won,' she said. 'The day the Red Roses don't have that pressure will feel weird. I think we enjoy it, we thrive on it. It's something we can use in our favour. It's a home World Cup so that's an advantage – all that extra noise, having our friends and family there. The girls will harness it and hopefully we'll see that in the performances.' Ward remembers a time when she couldn't give away tickets for England games, but with a record 40,000-plus crowd expected at the Stadium of Light – and the Allianz Stadium final now a sell-out – those days are long gone. 'When I was coming through as a junior, I didn't know any England players, I didn't even know there was a World Cup in England back in 2010,' she added. 'We talk about 'see it to be it' – girls can aspire to be where we are, there's a genuine pathway and they can be professional rugby players. 'There's been so much growth. Regardless of results, the momentum that's been building for the last decade has been huge. I was lucky to be part of the cohort that saw the change from amateur to professional. It's unbelievable for the game and for women's sport, be it cricket, netball or football. We want to be part of that.' Ward doesn't shy away from the fact the Red Roses need to win battles both on and off the field – and Maher shows that personality and performance need not be mutually exclusive. 'I think it's important that we share stuff; women's rugby is doing it differently,' she said. 'We are showing individual characters. That's what people want to see. The beauty of a rugby team is that everyone is a different personality. What would be amazing is if, off the back of this World Cup, we've got more household names among the Red Roses. 'Ilona taught the Bristol Bears a lot about how she interacted with the fan base. She has a huge online presence, but she has earned it and it's all very genuine. I've only played alongside her, so I'm looking forward to playing against her.'
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an hour ago
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School mom reveals rare peek into Kate Middleton's parenting and private life: "I do see her a lot..."
It's a side of the Princess of Wales we rarely get to see. Kate Middleton might be the future queen of England, but when it comes to parenting, she's just like any other mom on the sidelines. At the premiere of The Real Housewives of London, cast member Panthea Parker shared a rare glimpse into the Princess of Wales' life as a school mom, revealing that Kate is a constant presence at her children's sports games. 'I see her quite a few times because my son's school plays against her son's school,' Parker told Hello!. 'So they play rugby and football against each other so we're always at her school or my school. I do see her a lot but not to talk to, just from afar. So classy, so lovely, and she never misses any of her children's matches, so really amazing.' A hands-on royal mom Kate, 43, and Prince William are raising Prince George, 12, Princess Charlotte, 10, and Prince Louis, 7, with a focus on family life despite their packed royal schedules. Kate has previously spoken about the challenges of balancing motherhood with duty. On the Happy Mum, Happy Baby podcast in 2020, she admitted to feeling 'mum guilt' when she couldn't do the school run. 'Even this morning, coming to the nursery visit here – George and Charlotte were like, 'Mummy how could you possibly not be dropping us off at school this morning?'' she said with a laugh. A family that loves sports The Wales family is known to be 'sport-mad,' as royal biographer Robert Jobson has put it. From rugby and football to their annual Wimbledon outings, the family embraces both playing and spectating. Jobson noted that George and Charlotte's appearances at big sporting events show not only their parents' enthusiasm but also a way to connect with the public. With summer holidays underway, the royal kids might be off the field for now — but according to Parker, fans can count on spotting their mom cheering from the sidelines once the school season kicks back in. Solve the daily Crossword
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an hour ago
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Kate Middleton's mom strategy at her kids' sporting events is very relatable for exhausted parents anywhere
As parents, we don't always have the time; but we make the time. Panthea Parker of 'The Real Housewives of London' comes in contact with the Princess of Wales from time to time, as her son's school often plays sports against Lambrook School (where all three Wales children attend), and she has shared that Princess Catherine (who much of the world still calls Kate Middleton), is always present whenever a sports or school activity is happening. 'I see her quite a few times because my son's school plays against her son's school,' she told Hello! Magazine. 'So they play rugby and football against each other so we're always at her school or my school.' The two women aren't very well acquainted, but Parker is aware that Middleton is a constant fixture supporting her kids. "So classy, so lovely, and she never misses any of her children's matches, so really amazing. And nor do I, otherwise how do I know that?" she said in the interview. The Princess of Wales is famously a very hands-on parent, always present at all her kids' activities and sporting events (as referenced by royal expert Ingrid Seward in The Sun in a previous story). There's no doubt the future Queen of England has a lot on her plate, but she always makes the time to be present for her kids, and that's something we can all appreciate and relate to (or aspire to!). Solve the daily Crossword
