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Telegraph
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Joe Marler interview: Men's rugby players should do TikTok dances too
As a conversation that began by discussing greyhounds finishes on the merits of TikTok in rugby, Joe Marler offers a final pearl of wisdom. 'I think there are certain levels of disrespect and I've often got those levels wrong,' he admits. 'But until you get them wrong, you don't know where the right levels are.' His point being that the furore around Jasmine Joyce-Butchers's decision to participate in a TikTok with Sarah Bern, after Wales were recently hammered by England in the Women's Six Nations, is all a bit silly. Or, as he puts it, 'f------ hell, is this for real?' Marler acknowledges that 'social media allows everyone to be heard, which is fine'. That is the diplomacy out of the way. 'Some of the opinions on there… 'oh, you wouldn't see this in a men's game'. Well, it's not a f------ men's game. And maybe, it would be nice if you did see it in a men's game,' Marler tells Telegraph Sport. Here was a question put to Marler after he gave Joyce-Butchers some public backing for taking part in Bern's TikTok. Would he have been in the mood to film a 'chicken banana challenge' live on air immediately after being knocked out of the 2015 World Cup by Wales? Sarah Bern 🤝 Jasmine Joyce-Butchers Enemies on the field, TikTok dancing after the final whistle! 👯♀️ #BBCRugby #W6N — BBC Sport (@BBCSport) March 29, 2025 'In my head I replied 'well, TikTok wasn't around then, mate. If it had been, I might have considered it'. Maybe the men need to take a leaf out of the women's book, but the problem is it's not the same game. It's different demographics and fan bases. 'I was all for it. If the girls want to express themselves, then express themselves. And if the boys want to do the same, f------ get on board with it. But I think the people who do it must have a thick skin, and no matter what you do or how you do it, you're going to get some heat for it. Go forth and be whoever you want to be as long as it's not hurting and upsetting other people.' Yes, this is the same Marler whose disciplinary record after the final ban of his career – for making comments about the mother of Bristol Bears player Jake Heenan – was politely described by the disciplinary panel as 'poor'. But Marler, more than anyone, knows he has not been perfect. Plus, any time spent with him is rarely wasted. If you are still wondering about the greyhounds, Marler is an ambassador for the Greyhound Board of Great Britain's 'Adopt a Sporting Legend' campaign, helping to find new homes for former racing greyhounds. Life since retiring in November has certainly not been quiet. There are four children and three dogs to look after at home, as well as Marler's Things People Do podcast. And importantly his work with Team England Rugby which, as we approach the back end of the season, seems to be focused on managing the escalating workloads of England's players who, ideally, will be British and Irish Lions this summer. Tommy Freeman (26 games) and Maro Itoje (24 games) are two of several players set to soar past the 30-games-a-season welfare guideline, which is part of the latest Professional Game Agreement signed last year between the Rugby Football Union, Premiership Rugby and Rugby Players' Association. Marler's job is to make sure those players get the best care possible, but the 30-game guideline already feels a bit like hot air. 'Potentially five or six will get closer to that 40 number. So you go right, what's in place to look after these players? Technically, nothing is in place, because nothing is mandated,' Marler explains. 'It is about working out and discussing with the RFU, PRL and RPA what can be put in place to protect these players from a) not going over it and b) if we're accepting they are, what are we doing to protect them? Are we adjusting their training weeks? They have the 10-week stand-down after this season, so they won't have any pre-season games or anything. But we're currently looking at different ways [as well]. What more can we do to look after these players long term?' 'Everyone wants their pound of flesh from their top stars' One option under consideration is to copy a system used in National Rugby League in Australia, where the more professional seasons you play, the longer your off-season. Team England Rugby is not signatories on the PGP, merely there to advise. But its voice will be heard. 'We're looking to see what we can do without upsetting everyone,' Marler adds. 'Everyone wants their pound of flesh from their top stars of the game and it's up to us to say 'I know you want them to play, but what is in their best interests?'' There are, of course, some variations to consider and figure out. Will Stuart may have played 25 matches so far but his actual minutes played – around 1,100 – are considerably lower than Freeman's. While Marler can appreciate this is new territory for everyone, he also issues a warning. 'We are of the position that we accept this is new and everyone is still trying to work it out. But it cannot be at the expense of the players. They are not guinea pigs. How do we keep on top of it while we are still learning?' So often the jester during his career, for Marler the risks that come with player burnout are no laughing matter. Unsurprisingly, Marler will always be a Harlequins supporter. Yet he freely admits that he has not seen many of their games since retiring. 'I don't think I could be classed as a Quins spectator because I'm not sure how much I've actually seen. I keep my toe in rugby through the Team England stuff and in contact with the boys there, but I have sort of just been trying to find my way in the world. I haven't had a lot of time to sit down and watch the games,' he says. 'People ask if I miss it. I miss that big-game adrenalin, but I don't miss it. I think I dragged it out longer than I should have anyway. I'm proud and happy with the ups and downs that I experienced during my career, but now it's time to find out what the next job is for the next 40 years. I will always be a Quins supporter and keep an eye on the results.'
New York Times
02-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Women's sport: How a seven-second viral video encapsulates how sport has changed
Bring the carnations. The lilies, too. Lay them at the headstone of The Game. Which is now apparently gone. The culprit? TikTok. And, oh, Wales rugby international Jasmine Joyce-Butchers, and England rugby international Sarah Bern, and the entire institution of influencing and choreographed footwork and something called the 'Chicken, Banana' dance in which participants mimic chickens and, wait for it, bananas. Advertisement If you missed last Saturday's events, a summary: Joyce-Butchers apparently committed a sporting sin following England's 67-12 demolition job of Wales in the Six Nations — an annual European international rugby tournament — when she accepted Bern's post-match invitation to participate in a TikTok dance under the lights of BBC's television cameras. Because, according to custom, losing by 11 tries to your ultimate nemesis in front of 21,000 people (a record crowd for Wales) begets only one, appropriate response. And that is inconsolable remorse. Public misery. Hard, ugly tears into the cameras. So, as the full-time whistle blew inside Cardiff's Principality Stadium, consigning Wales to a decade-long losing streak to England, why wasn't Joyce-Butchers locking herself into a dark room and flogging herself with a stick made of shame? Why was she on the pitch where she and her team-mates had just been dragged around like bags of flour, still in her match kit, smiling and performing a dance alongside one of the players who had executed that dragging? As the video of Joyce-Butchers and Bern went viral, spiralling through social media's black hole after full time, these questions were worked into an online froth. People were angry, demanding decorum. Others were angry that people were angry. Social media became a familiar fault line of angry people exchanging their angriness across the void. When the post-match interview gets interrupted for a TikTok dance 🤣#BBCRugby #W6N — BBC Sport (@BBCSport) March 29, 2025 This week, Joyce-Butchers defended her decision to dance. 'If we don't love what we do, then why do it?' she posted on her Instagram, which has more than 21,000 followers. 'Yes I am upset, gutted, sad and disappointed with the result, but that doesn't mean I can't be happy, excited and smiling to see such an amazing crowd supporting us. Remember to be kind people and put your energy and effort into people who want and accept you for who you are.' Advertisement Her club, Bristol Bears Women, also posted a supportive message. 'We are committed to growing rugby by encouraging players to show their personalities and celebrate their contributions to our sport,' the Instagram post said. Meanwhile, BBC presenter Gabby Logan said on Tuesday in her podcast The Sports Agents that women's rugby players were simply 'taking their sport by the scruff of the neck'. Arguably, Joyce-Butchers is asking a lot of her audience: believe in two truths simultaneously, choose grey in a world increasingly contoured black and white. Athletes can be both devastated and continue with normal life. The seven-second video was not a one-off event, rather a function of the times. Modern life has become an endless pursuit of relevance through clicks. Sport is no different, but cutting through the white noise of men's football and conventional sport requires unconventional thinking. Cue social media, a place where players are not rewarded only on pure sporting ability but on branding that ability to go viral. 'I'm amazing at rugby, but realistically I'm maybe not the best at it, which is fine,' American rugby union star Ilona Maher, who boasts more followers (8.4million) across Instagram and TikTok than any other rugby player in the world, told Rugby Union Weekly in December 2024. 'But I have something else I can bring, which is personality.' Maher is a walking, talking case study in the power of projection and branding in sport. These days, players drive their own marketing ship, flaying their lives in seemingly unedited, unscripted flashes directly into our pockets. The degree of separation between athlete and fan is now a single pane of fibreglass. This isn't exclusive to women's sport. The UK's new Baller League, an influencer-led six-a-side tournament, and World Sevens Football (W7F), a women's seven-a-side competition being held for the first time next month, are built on the tenets of virality and easily digestible entertainment. Advertisement Elite men's sport regularly baptises itself in TikTok waters. See: The Griddy, Lamine Yamal's celebratory dances for Barcelona, Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen and chocolate muffins, any NFL celebration, Tottenham Hotspur and British diver Tom Daley's knitting. Of course, a recurring and fair question in the debris from Saturday is whether the intricacies — a defeated player dancing merrily with her vanquisher — would occur in men's sport. The short answer? No, probably not, albeit World Cup 2026 is just a year and a bit away, arguably the first major men's soccer tournament of this new TikTok-dance era. The long answer? A common refrain when it comes to discussing modern women's sport is its inherent contrast to its male counterpart and its requirement to do things differently. So, rather than asking if this incident would have occurred in the men's game, it's more educational to ask: why wouldn't a male player be asked to perform a TikTok dance after a heavy defeat? Is it a question of respect or a sign that women athletes feel the need to perform in a dual capacity, as sports and social media stars, to break through the crowd and build an audience? The BBC's video on X has had more than three million views. Comparatively, an interview with England's Abi Burton – who returned to the international setup for the first time in three years after having to re-learn how to walk and talk due to a rare brain illness and scored two tries against Wales – had 94,000 views on BBC Sport's account. The upshot for players is clear. Joyce-Butchers, 29, and Bern, 27, are two of the most high-profile names in women's rugby union. Yet, only in 2022 did the Wales Rugby Union (WRU), the country's governing body, announce professional contracts for Joyce-Butchers and her compatriots. Premiership Women's Rugby (PWR), England's elite league for women's 15-a-side rugby union, is semi-professional. In an interview with the BBC, Maher said as a female player she had to do '10 times as much off the field' to boost her earnings. 'I can't just play the sport I love. I'm not going to make millions playing rugby, I'm not even going to make six figures playing rugby — that's the sad truth,' she said. Bern told The Athletic in March of Maher: 'She has made us feel really confident in front of the camera and just being able to show our silly personalities. That is what is drawing fans to our games. You can meet players, you can interact with players, and they are exactly what you see on social media.' Advertisement Critically, it's not only players capitalising on the new formula but broadcast companies, too. Saturday night's dance was not spontaneous improv, rather a carefully choreographed idea by a producer to achieve virality. Women's sport is attempting to play catch-up in arenas in which it was historically not permitted entry, so attracting audiences remains the top priority. Teasing out the balance between deferring to pure entertainment and maintaining high standards is an ongoing battle. Undeniably, the landscape of sport has changed, as it does. The earth spins and culture evolves and generations hiss at each other from different storeys of life's high-rise. Once, England's men's soccer players drinking heavily in a dentist's chair was disgraceful insolence. Over 30 years later, it's nostalgia. Now, TikTok activates gag reflexes. It is also asking an important question: When exactly does something become the new normal?
Telegraph
25-02-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Watch: Gloucester mock Maro Itoje penalty – but what is the actual law?
Gloucester have poked fun at the controversial turnover that Maro Itoje won for England in the 16-15 Calcutta Cup victory against Scotland. In a clip posted to social media by prop Jamal Ford Robinson, entitled 'taking some inspiration from the weekend', Lewis Ludlow is shown mimicking Itoje by acrobatically diving off his feet over several tackle bags at Gloucester 's training ground. The incident occurred just before 60 minutes with Scotland attacking inside the England 22 when Itoje appeared to go off his feet to jackal Blair Kinghorn. However, French referee Pierre Brousset, taking charge of his first Six Nations match, allowed the turnover to stand despite the protests of several Scotland players. Alex Mitchell subsequently relieved the pressure that had been building on England with a box kick clearance. Incredible acrobatics from Maro Itoje! 😲 #BBCRugby #SixNations — BBC Sport (@BBCSport) February 22, 2025 That was one of several decisions that did not go Scotland's way from Brousset instantly awarding a try to Tommy Freeman, when he appeared to be held up, to the incorrect placement of Finn Russell's final conversion which the Scotland fly-half missed. As Telegraph Sport revealed on Monday, Scotland have decided not to lodge a complaint to the Six Nations over Brousset's performance which contributed to their elimination from the Championship hunt. What is the law and was Brousset wrong? There were 192 rucks in England's victory and if you look hard enough I am sure you would find something wrong with a fair proportion of them. However, Itoje's turnover appears to be particularly egregious at first glance. Russell bursts into the England 22 and arguably should pass to his right with Kinghorn and Kyle Rowe offering a two-on-one opportunity. However, Russell is dragged down and, a few phases later, Kinghorn is tackled by Elliot Daly which is where Itoje goes for the turnover. Almost instantly the second row's feet leave the floor as he gets his hands on the ball, which would appear to be in violation of law 15.12 which states: 'Players must endeavour to remain on their feet throughout the ruck.' However, Itoje could argue that his feet were on the floor when he started to jackal, only to be lifted by Russell who again could be interpreted as sealing off. Perhaps Scotland's biggest grievance is that a ruck was formed by the presence of Russell, which means Itoje would not be allowed to jackal for the ball according to law 15.11: 'Once a ruck has formed, no player may handle the ball unless they were able to get their hands on the ball before the ruck formed and stay on their feet.' Again there is a counter-argument to say the ball was rolling out of the ruck and therefore it was fair game for Itoje to claim possession whether he was on his feet or not. On the referee's microphone, Brousset was heard telling Russell that Itoje was the 'first man' so a ruck has not been formed when he gets his hands on the ball. The verdict
Telegraph
22-02-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
I left Twickenham deflated. England just play no rugby
By the width of a post, England's championship hopes march on. Never… in… doubt? That is two weeks on the trot now where missed conversions have saved English bacon, but the mood at full-time was less of elation or relief and more of frustration. Fans were passing me in the Twickenham press box, grabbing my attention, and saying 'rubbish'. With the ball in hand, it is tough to argue. England were outscored by three tries to one, at home, with a wonderful scrum and line-out, in the best conditions you will ever experience for a February rugby match. Sixteen paltry points. They simply play no rugby. I'm all for kicking for territory and playing in the right areas but this was overkill. The first instinct is to kick – twice with an overlap, on turnover ball – rather than look to play. The try tally was a damning indictment of the attacking capabilities of this England side. I was part of a side that beat France at Twickenham in the 2003 Six Nations and it was the boot of Jonny Wilkinson that bailed us out. We were also outscored by three tries to one that day but the difference between the two was that for us it was not a performance to be celebrated. Conservatism and attacking clunkiness are becoming hallmarks of this English side. Compare that to the way Scotland moved the ball. Yes, I know that ultimately they lost, but if Finn Russell brings his kicking boots then they win. You never blame the goal-kicker – and Russell was majestic ball in hand – but on Saturday at Twickenham I believe that 21 points would have been too many for England to chase. Scotland are brilliant to watch. They look like they enjoy it. Hell, I enjoyed it! Scotland stretch defences, Scotland move the ball, Scotland get people excited. England seem obsessed with arm-wrestles. That is all well and good but when the score is tight you can get stung, which has been happening frequently and almost happened again on Saturday evening thanks to you know who, Duhan van der Merwe. Finn Russell missed this 79th-minute conversion for Scotland against England... ... and England went on to win by a point 😳 #BBCRugby #SixNations — BBC Sport (@BBCSport) February 22, 2025 In the first half, Russell threw a quick throw-in to Blair Kinghorn on the Scottish 22. Scotland almost got themselves in trouble but Ben Earl went slightly off his feet in the jackal and the visitors survived. Ten minutes earlier, at the start of the match, Ollie Sleightholme – bizarrely hooked after barely receiving a pass – was in a similar position for England. The wing just watched the ball sail into touch, happy to take the line-out. Where is the ambition? Where is the attacking adventure and energy? We are desperate to see England play. How often do they offload? It is a key part of attacking threat. I don't want to seem all doom and gloom after an English Six Nations victory, the first in five matches against Scotland. There were positives. The scrum was phenomenal – Will Stuart will be a Lion – as was the line-out and the breakdown work. Ben Curry's impact off the bench was staggering, although Tom Willis was having a pretty decent game himself before his failed Head Injury Assessment. The way that England won the match – an ugly choke tackle – was a microcosm of the contest. In the tight exchanges, England conquered but when it got looser they floundered. Still, with Italy and Wales to come, the coaches will be pleased that the pressure has subsided – even with the Welsh resurgence – and that their title hopes remain alive. In the big battle at fly-half, a rerun of last season's Premiership final, I'm not sure I can pass too much judgment on the performance of Fin Smith. Russell distributed with poise and panache but Smith simply never got enough quality, quick ball to get England clicking. There is also the midfield issue; Ollie Lawrence punched holes and put shots in but the combination with Henry Slade lacks pace. Scotland exposed them numerous times, with Tommy Freeman forced to bite in – which he should not have done. Perhaps it is time to try Freeman at No 13 against Italy in place of Slade. Who knows, maybe Freeman could be England's answer to New Zealand's Rieko Ioane? In terms of Lions selection, England's backline had a massive opportunity today to lay down a marker. Instead, it was the losers who now look more assured of spots on the plane. Kinghorn, Russell, Kyle Rowe and Tom Jordan all shone. Van der Merwe will go. Ben White got the better of Alex Mitchell. Freeman is probably the only near-certain English tourist and even then his defensive frailties could harm his cause. It is a curious sensation, leaving Twickenham deflated after an England win against a rival – but I am. This was a missed opportunity. And that is not to be disrespectful to Scotland – I love them – but England's victory was thanks to belligerence and a bit of luck. This is a team that kicks, bends over, pushes, jumps and scavenges. They do that well; the problem is, they don't do much else.
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Watch: Duhan van der Merwe produces one of finest finishes in Six Nations history
After a half in which Scotland had been comfortably second best – the hosts trailed Ireland 17-0 with half-time approaching – they pulled a rabbit out of the hat thanks to Duhan van der Merwe, the hulking wing who crossed for one of the most acrobatic and balletic finishes this famous championship has seen. Scotland had already lost both Finn Russell and Darcy Graham to failed HIAs and were staring down the barrel, after scores from Calvin Nash and Caelan Doris, of entering the half-time break scoreless. That was until Van der Merwe popped up with his Superman impersonation on the left wing. It all began when Bundee Aki and Robbie Henshaw were penalised for sealing off on their own five-metre line, after Doris had tried to drive his side out of trouble. Duhan van der Merwe with an outrageous finish for Scotland!Could the home side complete an unlikely comeback against Ireland?#BBCRugby #BBCSixNations — BBC Sport (@BBCSport) February 9, 2025 From there, hooker Dave Cherry tapped and launched himself towards the Irish line, stopped by James Lowe. Scotland recycle and No 8 Jack Dempsey surges before the hosts spot space out wide. Ben White fizzes a pass to Tom Jordan – at fly-half in the absence of Russell – who locates Stafford McDowall fading outside of Josh van der Flier. The replacement gets just far enough outside of the Irish flanker to force Hugo Keenan to bite in, leaving Van der Merwe free on the touchline. McDowall manages to get his arms free before the arrival of Keenan and flings a sumptuous offload out to Van der Merwe. At that point, Scotland's left wing still had plenty to do, even five metres out with the line at his mercy. Sam Prendergast and James Ryan are tracking across to try to force Van der Merwe into touch, but he uses the touchline to his advantage. Van der Merwe runs directly at the corner flag and leaps early, knowing that while he is airborne he can still touch the ball down and not be in touch. The flag is not in touch, remember. Van der Merwe jumps for the corner, positioning his body out of the field of play – but, crucially, in the air – allowing him to touch the ball down with his right hand just in the field of play for one of the greatest finishes in Six Nations history. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
