Latest news with #IrishLions
Scotsman
4 hours ago
- Business
- Scotsman
New whisky bottling venture close to home of golf has ‘boutique' distillery in sights
'As an independent bottler, the company is uniquely positioned to blend, finish and release special expressions from a variety of sources.' Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A new whisky bottling venture has outlined bold plans for expansion including a 'boutique distillery' close to the home of golf after scoring a major win with its first collaboration. Patron Saint, which has been set up near St Andrews in Fife, is promising to offer 'something truly different' in the world of Scotch whisky and premium spirits in general. Despite a challenging global backdrop for the drinks sector, its founders believe there is 'plenty of opportunity' as consumers move to drinking 'less but better'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The fledgling venture's first collaboration has been as the official supplier for the British and Irish Lions tour to Australia this year. David Hamilton, Campbell Archibald and Aidan Muir of Patron Saint. Patron Saint is led by David Hamilton, a serial entrepreneur and philanthropist across a range of local enterprises; Campbell Archibald, founder of Angus Alchemy; Michael Johnston, developer and owner of Avalon Business Park; and Aidan Muir, described as a 'passionate whisky industry professional'. As the business grows, the founders plan to expand their team, with the aim of creating ten full-time equivalent jobs by 2027. There is also the potential for a small boutique distillery, which would involve a multi-million-pound investment. The firm pointed to an increasing number of 'exciting innovative new distilleries' and increases in whisky production levels over the past few years, noting that it was well placed to take advantage of this 'high end growth opportunity'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It said: 'While Fife and Tayside are already home to several outstanding new distilleries, Patron Saint sets itself apart as primarily a curator and developer of exceptional whisky originally initiated by others. As an independent bottler, the company is uniquely positioned to blend, finish and release special expressions from a variety of sources. 'The current collaboration whisky with the British and Irish Lions and Fife in Independent Bottlers is a great example of collaboration across six distilleries and producers.' The plans envisage a small-scale distillery onsite within the next two years, producing around five casks per week. Patron Saint said those micro-batches would reflect the 'same care, quality and originality that defines the brand'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad An initial investment will be in the region of £3 million for a mixture of 'state of the art' cask management systems, whisky stock, bottling and technical equipment. Future distillery investment is likely to be of a similar level. The company's founders noted: 'A whisky experience unlike any other is what Patron Saint aims to offer visitors. Something personal and immersive and far beyond the standard tour. With exclusive access, guided tastings and a behind the scenes look at the craft, the experience will be tailored for the curious, the connoisseur, and those looking for something truly special. 'We hope to take the whisky visitor experience to a new level for whisky lovers. We prefer to think of it as a bespoke, memorable journey for the discerning and adventurous.
RTÉ News
4 hours ago
- Sport
- RTÉ News
'This year it's gone very well'- Italian call a distant memory for new Lion Thomas Clarkson
As Thomas Clarkson stood in Melbourne's Marvel Stadium, clutching his newly minted British and Irish Lions cap, he reflected on a sliding doors moment from two years earlier. Fun fact: The 25-year-old's full name is actually Tommaso Clarkson, with his mother Nina Cafolla coming from a small town between Rome and Naples. At the start of the 2023/24 season, the Italians came calling. Clarkson turned down the offer, but with the tighthead prop yet to get his full break at Leinster, his qualification to play for Italy was kept in his back pocket, just in case. "They came looking for me, but I'd just signed a new contract with Leinster," he said, after making his Lions debut against the First Nations and Pasifika XV on Tuesday night. "I didn't end it. I thought it could be open at some point down the line, but obviously, this year it's gone very well." It's been a fast 12 months for Clarkson. A run of games to start the season, and injuries elsewhere, saw him brought into the Ireland squad for the first time in November as a training panellist, before he was retained after the training camp and impressed in two appearances off the bench against Argentina and Fiji. More big appearances came in the Champions Cup, and four more Irish caps followed in the Six Nations, before he produced arguably his best Leinster performance in their URC final win against the Bulls, a game he says was the moment where he believes he arrived. "It all kind of just clicked [that day] and then kept that momentum going," he said. "That was the first game when I was like, 'that was a proper performance'." He thought he finished the season with two more Irish caps against Georgia and Portugal, scoring a try in the second of those wins, and it was while celebrating that win with a few beers in the early hours of the morning in Lisbon that he received an urgent message from Andy Farrell. "It was like: 'ring me when you're awake', so I said 'oh yeah, grand'. Then Paulie [Paul O'Connell] rang me and was like, 'ring him right now!' "So yeah, I had to just compose myself and go outside. "I told Jack Boyle and then just legged it." His dream Lions call-up wasn't met with universal warmth outside of Ireland, mainly due to the him being the 18th Ireland international drafted in by Farrell on this tour, and the third tighthead prop. Farrell made a point of namechecking Clarkson (above) after last night's game, insisting he was very much the "next cab on the rank" when he was called into the group, and the player says that message has been drilled into him by the coaching staff. "It wasn't a kind of 'nepo' selection if you'd call it that," Clarkson added. "It was just nice to hear going into it. We were bouncing into the game. "I benefited from Tadhg [Furlong] being injured at the end of the season, definitely benefited from that. "But I'd like to think I took the opportunity. "I've been kind of understudied to Tadhg for a good few years now. He's consistently been probably the best tighthead in the world over the last few years. "It's been unbelievable being there, just around him. "Rabah's [Rabah Slimani] come in, probably offered something a bit different, where he's 100% scrum. "Tadhg obviously has an array of different stuff that he brings to it. Whereas Rabah, when you're scrumming against him in training, it's all or nothing against him." While the breaks have fallen his way this season, he served a long apprenticeship at the province, in large part down to playing behind Furlong, as well as Michael Ala'alatoa in previous years. Remarkably, he was lining out for Blackrock College in Division 1B of the Energia All-Ireland League as recently as January 2024. Asked if he though playing for the Lions was on the cards even six months ago, he admitted "not a hope!". "I made my Leinster debut five years ago now, so I've been waiting a long time," he said. "The fact that when it has come, it's all come at once is a bit crazy. Because I went through a good few years of not getting a sniff in at all really. So yeah, it's mad. "I put a lot of work into getting it, so any time I did get a shot, there was a whole lot of work behind it. So it felt like it just kind of rolled into another. "Once I got a foot in the door, I think I was trying to open it fully." Barring a couple of injuries, it's likely Clarkson has now finally finished his gruelling, 27-game season, and will head home with something to remember it by. "It's crazy, 886," he says, repeating the number stitched into his red and gold Lions cap after Tuesday's win. "I didn't even know they did caps if you don't play in the Test. It's some energy."
Sydney Morning Herald
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
Wallabies to double down on halves combination as Schmidt eyes wet-weather warfare
The Wallabies will persist with Jake Gordon and Tom Lynagh in the halves for the second Test against the British and Irish Lions, as coach Joe Schmidt prepares to roll out a powerful 6-2 bench split in anticipation of wet weather at the MCG. There is no sense of panic in the Wallabies camp following last week's 27-19 defeat in Brisbane, but with the series on the line, Schmidt is doubling down on the players who helped restore some credibility during a spirited second-half showing at Suncorp Stadium. Despite calls for halfback Tate McDermott to be paired with his Queensland Reds teammate in Lynagh, Gordon is set to retain the No.9 jersey — a move welcomed by former Wallabies halfback Nick Phipps. 'I think at the moment, Tate's ability to unlock that defence at the back-end of a game is stronger than him starting and Jake trying to do that later,' Phipps said on Stan Sport's Inside Lion show. 'It's always romantic to see a good 30 minutes at the back-end of a game and demand changes. I know Tate would be constantly working to get that start, so would Jake and Nic White.' Former Wallabies captain Michael Hooper added: 'I don't think he's going to [make sweeping changes]. That team he's rolled out I think he'll back them again. I'd keep Jake at nine.' Schmidt will confirm his matchday 23 on Thursday in Melbourne ahead of Saturday's clash at the MCG. The Wallabies are expected to retain their centre pairing of Len Ikitau and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii in a back line that grew as the game wore on.
The Age
6 hours ago
- Sport
- The Age
Wallabies to double down on halves combination as Schmidt eyes wet-weather warfare
The Wallabies will persist with Jake Gordon and Tom Lynagh in the halves for the second Test against the British and Irish Lions, as coach Joe Schmidt prepares to roll out a powerful 6-2 bench split in anticipation of wet weather at the MCG. There is no sense of panic in the Wallabies camp following last week's 27-19 defeat in Brisbane, but with the series on the line, Schmidt is doubling down on the players who helped restore some credibility during a spirited second-half showing at Suncorp Stadium. Despite calls for halfback Tate McDermott to be paired with his Queensland Reds teammate in Lynagh, Gordon is set to retain the No.9 jersey — a move welcomed by former Wallabies halfback Nick Phipps. 'I think at the moment, Tate's ability to unlock that defence at the back-end of a game is stronger than him starting and Jake trying to do that later,' Phipps said on Stan Sport's Inside Lion show. 'It's always romantic to see a good 30 minutes at the back-end of a game and demand changes. I know Tate would be constantly working to get that start, so would Jake and Nic White.' Former Wallabies captain Michael Hooper added: 'I don't think he's going to [make sweeping changes]. That team he's rolled out I think he'll back them again. I'd keep Jake at nine.' Schmidt will confirm his matchday 23 on Thursday in Melbourne ahead of Saturday's clash at the MCG. The Wallabies are expected to retain their centre pairing of Len Ikitau and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii in a back line that grew as the game wore on.
Irish Examiner
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
If Lions complete Australia rout, clamour for tour of France will grow
It may be too early to start asking existential questions about the British & Irish Lions but, sitting in Melbourne's Southbank, slap bang in the middle of Aussie rules territory, where union makes barely a ripple, you begin to wonder. The sea of red will roll in at the weekend but, for now, Melbourne is pretty much oblivious. 'Some kind of carnival on I think,' was one taxi driver's assessment. None of this is to criticise Australia. It is a wonderful country, sports mad and as the loosehead prop James Slipper says of the locals: 'They're still Australian, so they'll be there. I know they'll be there. It's one thing about this country, regardless of the sport, they'll get behind the national colours.' If you assess the key criteria of a Lions tour, however, it is hard to argue that they are all being met at the moment. The beauty of Lions tours is the notion of four disparate unions coming together, travelling to take on southern hemisphere powerhouses against the odds. With the Lions clear favourites for the first Test, this tour has already deviated from that premise and so there is an understandable argument to seek out other powerhouses. That, in turn, brings us to France's interest in joining the party. The number one reason to entertain a Lions tour of France is, to be frank, the bottom line. The 2023 World Cup proved costly for France – an expected net loss of €13m, according to a damning report over mismanagement released in April by the French court of audit – but for World Rugby it generated record-breaking revenues of €500m. Evidently the ground is fertile. Second is the prospect of a competitive series. The current one may well turn out to be a one-sided affair and the impetus for change will be greater. To paraphrase George Berkeley, if a Lion mauls a Wallaby in the forest, does it make a sound? There is a stark contrast with the idea of warm-up matches against, say, Toulouse, Bordeaux, La Rochelle, Racing 92, one of Bayonne, Biarritz and Perpignan in the Basque region, and maybe even Vannes, whose club song is to the same tune as the Welsh national anthem. It is a mouthwatering prospect, the potential for competitive matches from the word go, as was the case in New Zealand eight years ago. The French clubs would be without some of their overseas internationals should they be selected for their countries' summer tours but it is hard to envisage blowouts. France have the depth to ensure they do not need to worry about resting all of their stars. They may have lost their series 3-0 in New Zealand but their C team gave the All Blacks an almighty scare in the opener in Dunedin. 'Fabien Galthié looks for 42 key players and works with them together,' Abdel Benazzi, the French federation vice-president, told the Guardian. 'If [Antoine] Dupont is not fit, we have another player and we use the players as we've seen in New Zealand.' None of that is to say Australia should be stripped of future Lions tours, rather that their existing formats could do with updating. That Australia are not as competitive as hoped is down to the relative strength of the four home nations and the Wallabies' long-term decline. But to take a tour away from them would be financially ruinous – Rugby Australia made a $37m (£17.9m) loss last year but the Lions are expected to wipe the debt. It feels as if this has been a Test series against Australia rather than a tour, however. The warm-up matches and the constant travel provide headaches but such is the professionalism in dealing with logistics among the backroom staff that they no longer pose the challenges they once did. Lions tours are said to be a glorious anachronism but Tuesday's match against the First Nations & Pasifika XV offers evidence to the contrary. It should be that the Lions squad must negotiate that fixture with players who at least have half a chance of making the Test side. Instead, a handful of players have been seconded for this fixture only – such is their temporary status that they may even head home before the tour has ended. Australia are not entirely innocent here either. Just as his former right-hand man Andy Farrell has done, Joe Schmidt has prioritised the series at the expense of the wider tour, letting an opportunity to spread the union gospel around the country pass by in refusing to release his senior players to play in the warm-up matches. You could argue they would not have made enough of a difference to stop the Lions juggernaut from arriving in Brisbane for the first Test with five wins from five in Australia, but there is something special about watching rivalries blossom in the warm-up matches before they are renewed in the Test arena. While a tour of France may be a shot in the eye for nostalgia, for romance, we are already experiencing plenty. Remaining in Europe opens the door to so many supporters priced out of the southern hemisphere trips. 'In rugby we need something new,' adds Benazzi. 'Thinking about what the youngsters want, what a new public want. We have our legacy with the Six Nations and the World Cup but we have to be thinking about what we can do within our hands. The Lions and France have the same destiny, we cannot live apart, we have to build something new.' The cons of a tour of France include the fact that player release may be a problem given how late the Top 14 season runs, but Benazzi anticipates buy-in from the clubs and the French players and public alike. The Top 14 has shown itself to be more malleable than it often appears by agreeing to bring forward the end of the domestic season in 2028 when the Club World Cup launches. The second and perhaps more significant problem is that a tour of France would leave the Lions facing accusations of parochialism. It is effectively five of the Six Nations countries competing in a different guise and it does little to broaden rugby's horizons beyond the elite, even if a Test match in Barcelona would be an enticing prospect. The alternatives? A series against Argentina ticks the box of taking the Lions to the southern hemisphere, a new territory that could put on a stunning show. But, on the evidence of England's summer tour, the Pumas are too capricious to guarantee a heavyweight contest. The US remains the holy grail for executives but the Eagles are far too lightweight to warrant anything beyond a warm-up fixture. Chile could be early opposition too but a South American tour would not leave the Lions competing against the odds. How about the Pacific Islands? Certainly it seems a mistake that the Lions have not played Fiji, Tonga or Samoa at any point in this series and that should be remedied on future tours of Australia or New Zealand. Fiji offered to step in to face the Lions when the Melbourne Rebels went bust but it was decided that there needed to be 'an Australian opportunity'. That is not to disparage the First Nations and Pasifika XV, more to question why the Lions and Rugby Australia did not seek to include the Pacific Islands in the first place. 'I think realistically everyone knows it's a do-or-die,' said Slipper. He was referring to the Wallabies' series hopes but if the Lions complete the whitewash they are so ruthlessly targeting, the clamour for change will grow ever louder. Guardian
