
Chester appointed Castleford director of rugby
Castleford Tigers have appointed Chris Chester as their director of rugby.The former Hull KR and Wakefield Trinity head coach had held the same role at Leigh Leopards since 2021.Chester's appointment comes after Martin Jepson completed his takeover of Tigers, who lie 10th in Super League, on Saturday."I am delighted to welcome Chris to the club. His pedigree speaks for itself, and I look forward to working with him in the coming years," Jepson told the club website., external
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Telegraph
34 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Pictured: Bath's celebrations prove that rugby union still has characters
There is a perception that rugby union no longer has the characters of yesteryear, stifled by the advent of professionalism. It is fair to say that Bath 's players, and owner, sought to put that notion to bed on a raucous Sunday night in the West Country. This was a celebration featuring budgie smugglers, wadges of £20 notes and copious amounts of alcohol, and it was very well deserved. It had been 29 years since Bath had last been English domestic champions but they ended that dismal run with a 23-21 victory over Leicester Tigers at Allianz Stadium on Saturday, putting the seal on one of the all-time great seasons. The Gallagher Premiership victory completed a treble, with the Premiership Rugby Cup and European Challenge Cup already in the trophy cabinet. And, with the silverware secure, Bath were determined to party in style – and they did, with a couple of well-known figures to the fore. Barbeary puts it all on show It is difficult to start with anyone other than Alfie Barbeary. The former Wasp is clearly not short on confidence, and having been at the centre of celebrations at Twickenham on Saturday he continued in similar fashion on Sunday. The Bath-branded budgie smugglers may be the stocking filler fans did not know they needed, but it feels particularly unusual to have paired the swimwear with white socks and smart black shoes. Everyone – including team-mate Tom de Glanville and assorted fans – wanted pictures taken with Barbeary, and frankly who can blame them? Russell gets his payment direct from Craig Fly-half Finn Russell is believed to earn £1 million a year, but no-one in Bath would argue he is not worth every penny after his display in Saturday's final. That would no doubt include owner Bruce Craig, who finally got his hands on the reward he deserved after years of bankrolling Bath without winning major trophies. And the money men did not seem short of cash on Sunday afternoon, with Russell happily waving around a wadge of £20 notes in front of Craig on the bus around town. Either way, it certainly seemed money well spent. Obano gets stuck in Along with high spirits there were alcoholic spirits on show, with prop Beno Obano holding what appeared to be a nearly finished bottle of cognac on the pitch at the Recreation Ground during the celebrations. No wonder he was celebrating; Obano was sent-off in last year's Premiership final, though that nightmare has now been exorcised. Bath comes alive Is there a more picturesque city in England for a victory parade than Bath? Probably not, particularly on a gorgeous sunny day with thousands on the streets. The open-top bus parade looked quite the picture, with captain Ben Spencer and Johann van Graan, the head coach, leading the well-deserved celebrations that showed Bath's characters off to the full.

Rhyl Journal
43 minutes ago
- Rhyl Journal
England Under-21s held to goalless stalemate by Slovenia
Lee Carsley's side were frustrated in the first half against a Slovenia side who threatened at times themselves, but Ethan Nwaneri and Harvey Elliott spurned golden opportunities. Goalkeeper James Beadle played his part in keeping England level with decent saves to deny Svit Seslar. Another point on the board at the #U21EURO finals, as our #YoungLions draw with Slovenia on matchday two. — England (@England) June 15, 2025 England moved to the top of the group, for the time being at least, but will have to wait to secure their qualification against Germany when they meet in Nitra on Wednesday, while Slovenia kept their slim hopes of progressing alive. Slovenia started brightly and came close when Seslar's whipped free-kick deflected inches wide of the target and Beadle was then called into action for the first time to stop Seslar's drilled effort with his legs. England's first chance came in the 20th minute. Captain James McAtee will have been disappointed to drag his close-range effort harmlessly wide. England should have been ahead just before the half-hour when Jonathan Rowe showed great feet to get past his marker and put the ball on a plate for Nwaneri, but with the goal at his mercy he somehow missed an easy tap-in. Slovenia started to threat again, with Seslar proving a menace as he let rip with a ferocious effort from outside the box which Beadle did well to tip over the crossbar. England again came close to an opener before the break. Elliot Anderson superbly picked out the run of Elliott and he lifted his effort over goalkeeper Martin Turk only to see the ball bounce off the upright and away from danger. Another glorious chance went begging when Tino Livramento hooked the ball into the six-yard area and McAtee directed a shot on goal but Turk was in the right place to save. Slovenia almost made England pay for those missed chances as another chance fell to Seslar, but he saw a curling strike saved by Beadle. Substitute Omari Hutchinson injected some pace into England's attack and his cross found Elliott who could not direct his header on target. England were denied in stoppage time as Brooke Norton-Cuffy's pinpoint cross picked out Jack Hinshelwood who directed a powerful header on target but Turk tipped the ball behind and secured an important point.


Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Hollywood meets the WAGs as Julia Roberts and glam Coleen Rooney lead celeb supporters at Soccer Aid at Old Trafford
Soccer Aid is kicking off tonight at Manchester's Old Trafford - and all the stars have come together to support. Coleen Rooney, Julia Roberts, Alex Scott and Robbie Williams are some of the celebs who were seen arriving at the stadium on Sunday evening. Alex, 40, is one of the presenters for this year's game, alongside This Morning's Dermot O'Leary. WAG Coleen, 39, meanwhile was spotted with one of her four sons, looking in good spirits as they headed to support husband and dad Wayne Rooney. Coleen looked every-inch the glamorous mum as she stepped out in high-waisted jeans, a white knit jumper and tailored cream blazer. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. She paired her classy look with stiletto heels and a silver sparkling Chanel classic flap bag. Meanwhile her son walked beside her, carrying a boxing glove in one hand as he wore a football shirt which supported Unicef. Alex looked unbelievable in a dark burgundy leather two-piece, which had subtle Soccer Aid branding for her big night. The former footballer added a pair of heels for extra glam, looking excited as she headed onto the pitch with a microphone in hand. Actress Julia Roberts, 57, sported a red blazer which featured a snazzy football print. She wore a simple plain black outfit underneath as she waved to fans outside of the stadium. Singer and Soccer Aid alum Robbie Williams, 51, was also in attendance, wearing a stylish bright blue Adidas jacket. Elsewhere at the event, Zara McDermott's ex Sam Thompson has come face-to-face once again with Louis Tomlinson ahead of their match today. The pair were pictured in the reception of their hotel with their teammates before heading to Old Trafford for the much-anticipated charity match. Donning their pre-match outfits, Sam and Louis were just feet from each other, though appeared to be engrossed in separate conversations. It was recently revealed how Louis and Sam held a 'peace dinner' before their match to ease any tensions over Zara. The dinner reportedly took place at Champneys in Tring, Herts with their other teammates in a bid to keep the peace ahead of the big game. A source told The Sun: 'There is no beef between the pair and they're both going to ensure their love lives don't distract from such a big charity spectacle. 'They are fully aware that their every move is being scrutinised and they've broken bread with their teammates, so it'll be smooth sailing on the day.'