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Irish Times
27-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Irish Times
Trash-talk and rough sleeping: following the 2001 Lions' tour of Australia
June 2001. I'm on an overnight Greyhound bus from Cairns to Townsville. A typical post-university year travelling in Australia and New Zealand has taken an unwelcome turn after an equally typical relationship breakup. Initially there had been no plans to follow that year's British & Irish Lions tour, even though I had been enthralled by the classic encounter against the Springboks four years earlier. With my newfound freedom it seemed logical to head south, a couple of hundred miles down the coast, to see the legendary tourists in action. Unbeknown to me I was on the way to witness the birth of a new star in rugby union's galaxy. The next day Jason Robinson, freshly converted from rugby league, scored five tries in an 83-6 victory against the Queensland Presidents' XV. Robinson had been an unknown quantity in his new code, but no longer. 'The only real question now,' wrote Robert Kitson, 'is just how the Wallabies will deal with him when the Test series starts.' As the Australian media increasingly placed itself on a war footing it was Robinson – along with a budding Brian O'Driscoll – they were most concerned about. READ MORE After a taste of the unique Lions atmosphere, I was hooked. Itineraries were changed, flights booked, tickets rustled up. Sourcing a first-Test ticket proved impossible, so I settled for watching in a packed bar on Magnetic Island. Cue Robinson burning past Chris Latham, the Wallabies full-back, for that exhilarating first try at the Gabba. Cue utter pandemonium. A little later, the celebrations that met O'Driscoll's second-half breakaway try, one of the great Lions moments, remain imprinted in my memory. So does the local fan who told me after the match: 'Mate, it's the All Blacks we really want to beat. The Lions doesn't matter.' Jason Robinson celebrates a try for the Lions during the third test in 2001. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho Not on the evidence of the coming weeks. 'Threat of a rout hangs in the air,' read one rueful headline as Australia came to terms with the Lions' first-Test supremacy. Martin Johnson's side had been dominant and Rod Macqueen, Australia's coach, had some thinking to do. On and off the pitch the Lions had been in the ascendancy. An inquest was held as to how so many foreign fans secured tickets for the Gabba. Australian gold T-shirts and flags were produced and distributed to home supporters in a desperate attempt to redress the balance. I was taken aback by the Australian media's tactics as defeat loomed into view. As far as they were concerned this was all-out war. Journalists saw themselves as the Wallabies' 16th man, and every opportunity to take a potshot at the tourists was enthusiastically seized. To Melbourne for round two, where Nathan Grey put the fearsome England blindside flanker, Richard Hill, out of the series. Graham Henry's side had looked on course for a series-sealing victory – they led 11-6 at half-time after Neil Back's try. A couple of big chances were missed – a break by Dafydd James, the Wales wing, lingers in the mind. Hill's enforced departure, and a momentum-turning Joe Roff intercept from a looping Jonny Wilkinson pass culminated in a 35-14 home win. Matthew Burke kicked six penalties and a conversion, Roff crossed twice. Game on. Richard Hill and Keith Wood of the Lions burst through the Queensland defence in 2001 - Hill's injury in the second test would be a major controversy. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho 'The management insist it was an unpunished act of thuggery,' Kitson wrote of Grey v Hill. 'It is fair to say we are very disappointed,' said Donal Lenihan, the tourists' manager, after the Wallabies centre – who subsequently said the incident was accidental – escaped punishment. The Lions won three halves of rugby with Hill, and lost the next three without him. But perhaps some of the Lions' problems were self-inflicted. There were rumblings of discontent within camp about how hard the players were being worked. (Peaking in Brisbane before fading in Melbourne and Sydney would ultimately point to fatigue being a factor.) Austin Healey, meanwhile, caused a furore before the final Test when he labelled the Australia lock Justin Harrison an 'ape' and a 'plank'. The Australian media needed no further invitation to give Healey and the Lions both barrels. Tickets for that Sydney decider were like gold dust. Securing one involved a night in a sleeping bag on the pavement outside a branch of Ticketek. My girlfriend – we were back together by then – bravely joined me on the concrete. My personal life may have been mended temporarily, but a sporting calamity beckoned. Rob Henderson and Jonny Wilkinson in action for the Lions during the first test against Australia. Photograph: Billy Stickland/Inpho Wilkinson, a major injury doubt for the third Test, recovered and performed with customary grit. Home fans around us at Stadium Australia endlessly insisted he was about to 'choke', but a personal haul of 18 points would suggest otherwise. Still the Lions trailed in the dying minutes. They won a lineout in the corner. With Wilkinson kicking metronomically, even a pushover score out wide would surely be converted? But Harrison didn't need to think too hard about who the tourists would look for in the all-important lineout. He snaffled a throw intended for Johnson, and with it the series. Order restored, as the Aussies saw it, the Lions' threat safely seen off. But the conflict continued. Wearing a Lions shirt around Sydney attracted some trash-talk in the following days, often from children: the life of a sporting tourist in Australia. Those formative memories of 2001 – almost a generation ago, or what can feel like the blink of an eye – will last for ever, but some things never change. Maro Itoje and co be warned: the Aussies still hate losing, and are sure to indulge in a spot of Lions-baiting, too. — Guardian
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
Trash-talk and rough sleeping: following the 2001 Lions' tour of Australia
Jason Robinson scored five tries for the British & Irish Lions in their emphatic victory against the Queensland Presidents' XV in 2001. Jason Robinson scored five tries for the British & Irish Lions in their emphatic victory against the Queensland Presidents' XV in 2001. Photograph:June 2001. I'm on an overnight Greyhound bus from Cairns to Townsville. A typical post-university year travelling in Australia and New Zealand has taken an unwelcome turn after an equally typical relationship breakup. Initially there had been no plans to follow that year's British & Irish Lions tour, even though I had been enthralled by the classic encounter against the Springboks four years earlier. With my newfound freedom it seemed logical to head south, a couple of hundred miles down the coast, to see the legendary tourists in action. Advertisement Unbeknown to me I was on the way to witness the birth of a new star in rugby union's galaxy. The next day Jason Robinson, freshly converted from rugby league, scored five tries in an 83-6 victory against the Queensland Presidents' XV. Robinson had been an unknown quantity in his new code, but no longer. 'The only real question now,' wrote Robert Kitson, 'is just how the Wallabies will deal with him when the Test series starts.' As the Australian media increasingly placed itself on a war footing it was Robinson – along with a budding Brian O'Driscoll – they were most concerned about. After a taste of the unique Lions atmosphere, I was hooked. Itineraries were changed, flights booked, tickets rustled up. Sourcing a first-Test ticket proved impossible, so I settled for watching in a packed bar on Magnetic Island. Cue Robinson burning past Chris Latham, the Wallabies full-back, for that exhilarating first try at the Gabba. Cue utter pandemonium. A little later, the celebrations that met O'Driscoll's second-half breakaway try, one of the great Lions moments, remain imprinted in my memory. So does the local fan who told me after the match: 'Mate, it's the All Blacks we really want to beat. The Lions doesn't matter.' Advertisement Not on the evidence of the coming weeks. 'Threat of a rout hangs in the air,' read one rueful headline as Australia came to terms with the Lions' first-Test supremacy. Martin Johnson's side had been dominant and Rod Macqueen, Australia's coach, had some thinking to do. On and off the pitch the Lions had been in the ascendancy. An inquest was held as to how so many foreign fans secured tickets for the Gabba. Australian gold T-shirts and flags were produced and distributed to home supporters in a desperate attempt to redress the balance. As an English cricket fan, I was accustomed to Australia's Ashes tourists being received by largely upbeat media coverage, a smattering of polite applause, perhaps even a word or two of encouragement. I was taken aback by the Australian media's tactics as defeat loomed into view. As far as they were concerned this was all-out war. Journalists saw themselves as the Wallabies' 16th man, and every opportunity to take a potshot at the tourists was enthusiastically seized. Advertisement To Melbourne for round two, where Nathan Grey put the fearsome England blindside flanker, Richard Hill, out of the series. Graham Henry's side had looked on course for a series-sealing victory – they led 11-6 at half-time after Neil Back's try. A couple of big chances were missed – a break by Dafydd James, the Wales wing, lingers in the mind. Hill's enforced departure, and a momentum-turning Joe Roff intercept from a looping Jonny Wilkinson pass culminated in a 35-14 home win. Matthew Burke kicked six penalties and a conversion, Roff crossed twice. Game on. 'The management insist it was an unpunished act of thuggery,' Kitson wrote of Grey v Hill. 'It is fair to say we are very disappointed,' said Donal Lenihan, the tourists' manager, after the Wallabies centre – who subsequently said the incident was accidental – escaped punishment. The Lions won three halves of rugby with Hill, and lost the next three without him. But perhaps some of the Lions' problems were self-inflicted. There were rumblings of discontent within camp about how hard the players were being worked. (Peaking in Brisbane before fading in Melbourne and Sydney would ultimately point to fatigue being a factor.) Advertisement Austin Healey's Observer column, meanwhile, caused a furore before the final Test when he labelled the Australia lock Justin Harrison an 'ape' and a 'plank'. The Australian media needed no further invitation to give Healey and the Lions both barrels. Tickets for that Sydney decider were like gold dust. Securing one involved a night in a sleeping bag on the pavement outside a branch of Ticketek. My girlfriend – we were back together by then – bravely joined me on the concrete. My personal life may have been mended temporarily, but a sporting calamity beckoned. Wilkinson, a major injury doubt for the third Test, recovered and performed with customary grit. Home fans around us at Stadium Australia endlessly insisted he was about to 'choke', but a personal haul of 18 points would suggest otherwise. Still the Lions trailed in the dying minutes. They won a lineout in the corner. With Wilkinson kicking metronomically, even a pushover score out wide would surely be converted? But Harrison didn't need to think too hard about who the tourists would look for in the all-important lineout. He snaffled a throw intended for Johnson, and with it the series. Advertisement Order restored, as the Aussies saw it, the Lions' threat safely seen off. But the conflict continued. Wearing a Lions shirt around Sydney attracted some trash-talk in the following days, often from children: the life of a sporting tourist in Australia. Those formative memories of 2001 – almost a generation ago, or what can feel like the blink of an eye – will last for ever, but some things never change. Maro Itoje and co be warned: the Aussies still hate losing, and are sure to indulge in a spot of Lions-baiting, too. This is an extract taken from our weekly rugby union email, the Breakdown. To sign up, just visit this page and follow the instructions.
The Guardian
27-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- The Guardian
A flashback to following the 2001 Lions' tour in Australia
June 2001. I'm on an overnight Greyhound bus from Cairns to Townsville. A typical post-university year travelling in Australia and New Zealand has taken an unwelcome turn after an equally typical relationship breakup. Initially there had been no plans to follow that year's British & Irish Lions tour, even though I had been enthralled by the classic encounter against the Springboks four years before. With my newfound freedom it seemed logical to head south, a couple of hundred miles down the coast, to see the legendary tourists in action. Unbeknownst to me I was on the way to witness the birth of a new star in rugby union's galaxy. The next day Jason Robinson, freshly converted from rugby league, scored five tries in an 83-6 victory against the Queensland Presidents' XV. Robinson had been an unknown quantity in his new code, but no longer. 'The only real question now,' wrote Robert Kitson, 'is just how the Wallabies will deal with him when the Test series starts.' As the Australian media increasingly placed itself on a war footing it was Robinson – along with a budding Brian O'Driscoll – they were most concerned about. After a taste of the unique Lions atmosphere, I was hooked. Itineraries were changed, flights booked, tickets rustled up. Sourcing a first-Test ticket proved impossible, so I settled for watching in a packed bar on Magnetic Island. Cue Robinson burning past Chris Latham, the Wallabies full-back, for that exhilarating first try at the Gabba. Cue utter pandemonium. A little later, the celebrations that met O'Driscoll's second-half breakaway try, one of the great Lions moments, remain imprinted in my memory. So does the local fan who told me after the match: 'Mate, it's the All Blacks we really want to beat. The Lions doesn't matter.' Not on the evidence of the coming weeks. 'Threat of a rout hangs in the air,' read one rueful headline as Australia came to terms with the Lions' first-Test supremacy. Martin Johnson's side had been dominant and Rod Macqueen, Australia's coach, had some thinking to do. On and off the pitch the Lions had been in the ascendancy. An inquest was held as to how so many foreign fans secured tickets for the Gabba. Australian gold T-shirts and flags were produced and distributed to home supporters in a desperate attempt to redress the balance. As an English cricket fan, I was accustomed to Australia's Ashes tourists being received by largely upbeat media coverage, a smattering of polite applause, perhaps even a word or two of encouragement. I was taken aback by the Australian media's tactics as defeat loomed into view. As far as they were concerned this was all-out war. Journalists saw themselves as the Wallabies' 16th man, and every opportunity to take a potshot at the tourists was enthusiastically seized. To Melbourne for round two, where Nathan Grey put the fearsome England blindside flanker, Richard Hill, out of the series. Graham Henry's side had looked on course for a series-sealing victory – they led 11-6 at half time after Neil Back's try. A couple of big chances were missed – a break by Dafydd James, the Wales wing, lingers in the mind. Hill's enforced departure, and a momentum-turning Joe Roff intercept from a looping Jonny Wilkinson pass culminated in a 35-14 home win. Matthew Burke kicked six penalties and a conversion, Roff crossed twice. Game on. 'The management insist it was an unpunished act of thuggery,' Kitson wrote of Grey v Hill. 'It is fair to say we are very disappointed,' said Donal Lenihan, the tourists' manager, after the Wallabies centre – who subsequently said the incident was accidental – escaped punishment. The Lions won three halves of rugby with Hill, and lost the next three without him. But perhaps some of the Lions' problems were self-inflicted. There were rumblings of discontent within camp about how hard the players were being worked. (Peaking in Brisbane before fading in Melbourne and Sydney would ultimately point to fatigue being a factor.) Austin Healey's Observer column, meanwhile, caused a furore before the final Test when he labelled the Australia lock Justin Harrison an 'ape' and a 'plank'. The Australian media needed no further invitation to give Healey and the Lions both barrels. Tickets for that Sydney decider were like gold dust. Securing one involved a night in a sleeping bag on the pavement outside a branch of Ticketek. My girlfriend – we were back together by then – bravely joined me on the concrete. My personal life may have been mended temporarily, but a sporting calamity beckoned. Wilkinson, a major injury doubt for the third Test, recovered and performed with customary grit. Home fans around us at Stadium Australia endlessly insisted he was about to 'choke', but a personal haul of 18 points would suggest otherwise. Still the Lions trailed in the dying minutes. They won a lineout in the corner. With Wilkinson kicking metronomically, even a pushover score out wide would surely be converted? But Harrison didn't need to think too hard about who the tourists would look for in the all-important lineout. He snaffled a throw intended for Johnson, and with it the series. Order restored, as the Aussies saw it, the Lions' threat safely seen off. But the conflict continued. Wearing a Lions shirt around Sydney attracted some trash-talk in the following days, often from children: the life of a sporting tourist in Australia. Those formative memories of 2001 – almost a generation ago, or what can feel like the blink of an eye – will last for ever, but some things never change. Maro Itoje and co. be warned: the Aussies still hate losing, and are sure to indulge in a spot of Lions-baiting, too. There were a number of award winners last week at the Rugby Union Writers' Club lunch at the Oval, none more deserving than Sedgley Park's Matt Riley, recently retired from playing after 457 appearances for the National League 1 club. The 38-year-old former Sale centre represented the Lancashire side for 19 years, captaining them for the last decade, and holds the professional-era record for appearances at a single club across England and France. Riley plans to stay involved in a support role – training, video analysis and working alongside his successor as captain. 'There were a lot of sacrifices. I don't know how but I managed to balance work, family and rugby,' Riley said, having bowed out with a 63-24 home victory against Darlington Mowden Park last month. 'I honestly don't know how when I look back, but I got the best out of everything.' Perhaps some of the well-paid suits also present might have paused to reflect on what a career of selfless service to rugby looks like. Paul Turner, who left Ampthill on Sunday after 14 years as head coach having taken them from Midlands Three to a seemingly perennial Championship side, starred for Bedford during their victory against Rotherham in October 1996. Robert Kitson explains why rugby really doesn't need a Club World Cup. Michael Aylwin was at the Champions Cup final to witness colour and passion win out over exhausted Northampton. And Rob was also in Cardiff the previous evening to see Spencer's sparkle help Bath to glory over Lyon. To subscribe to the Breakdown, just visit this page and follow the instructions. And sign up for The Recap, the best of our sports writing from the past seven days.
BBC News
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Beatrix Potter Tailor of Gloucester clock to return to shopping centre
Parts of a Beatrix Potter-inspired storybook clock will return to a city shopping centre after an absence of 12 Tailor of Gloucester Clock, which was a popular sight at the Eastgate Shopping Centre, Gloucester, was dismantled in 2013 when replacement parts needed to repair it could not be Pied Piper Appeal has been looking after the clock and taking its parts to special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) schools since then, but the charity will return the clock parts on Friday, ahead of it going back on display on 12 April."The response has been absolutely fantastic, we can't believe how much love there was for the clock," said Jason Robinson, centre manager. When it was in use, the colourful clock would chime on the hour and characters from Beatrix Potter's book, The Tailor of Gloucester, would Eastgate Shopping Centre's announcement on social media has sparked excitement, the entire clock will not be Robinson said characters from the clock design would go on display at the top of the escalator on the first floor."We've got six of the essential, really iconic parts that are going to be coming back to us," he told BBC Radio Gloucestershire. Mr Robinson said that lots of people had already been in touch saying they would enjoy coming to see the clock display will also include images showing what the clock looked like in its heyday and an explanation of its history."Just having those bits back with us will be really nice and we can look to the future and maybe try and get them on a permanent exhibition somewhere," Mr Robinson added.
CNN
04-03-2025
- CNN
When severe weather hits, the public turns to this site mapping power outages
Growing up, whenever there was a hurricane or a big storm, Jason Robinson enjoyed looking at maps from electric utilities' websites that showed power outages. But there was one problem: The United States has so many electric utilities, each with their own website and map, that he had to open a bunch of different websites to see what was going on in one area. So in 2016, he set out on what he called a 'side project' to build his own site consolidating all the outage maps into one place, combining his personal interest with his desire to learn more about cloud computing. 'I started building it out, and one thing led to another, and it just grew and grew,' Robinson, who goes by the nickname 'Chachi,' told CNN. 'Turned out a lot of people found it interesting.' Now, nearly a decade since its launch, his side project has become one of the foremost resources during severe weather, giving the public, media and businesses the tools to quickly understand the extent of a storm's impact on electric power. The site's power outage maps are updated nearly in real time and combine data from about 950 electric utilities serving more than 150 million customers in the United States, turning America's sprawling, decentralized power grid into a simple color-coded map. Users can also drill down further to see the total number of outages by state, county and company. Altogether, the map illustrates in bright colors the path of destruction left behind by a hurricane, tornado or other severe weather. When storms strike, millions of users visit it hit a peak of 1.8 million site requests per hour October 9 when Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida. While it's main map is free, some companies, government agencies and media outlets such as CNN pay for detailed and historical outage data. The site is one of a number of free online outlets utilizing Big Data that have become key sources of information for news sites and the public. Think FlightRadar24, which tracks every aircraft in the sky, or the Gun Violence Archive, which tracks shootings in the US. The straightforward design of is nothing to write home about. However, aggregating all that data in one place is 'not trivial,' explained Santiago Carlos Grivalja, a Georgia Tech professor of electrical engineering who studies the US power grid. 'It's very substantial, right, because it's very difficult to integrate all that data, to contact (the power companies), to partner with them. It's an interesting effort,' he explained. For Robinson, a goateed 32-year-old resident of South Portland, Maine, the growth of remains a bit of a surprise. Even now, he gets a thrill out of seeing the site's name mentioned in his local Maine newspaper, on NPR or on TV news. 'It's always like, 'Holy sh*t, there's my thing. I did that, I built that,'' he said. That growth has also turned this side project into a much bigger undertaking. In November, he sold the site for a 'good amount' to a startup that provides electricity and energy data to consumers. He intends to focus more on the data and less on other aspects of the business. Matt Hope, the co-founder of FindEnergy, said he wants to build out the site's US, Canada and United Kingdom databases and even expand into mapping Europe's power system. He feels 'a lot of pressure' in taking the reins of a website so important in emergency situations, he said. 'There definitely is a level of responsibility because the data matters in those events when people are in danger potentially,' Hope said. To understand how the site works, you first have to grasp the US electric grid. Unlike some other countries, the US electrical system is largely decentralized and made up of about 3,000 individual electric utilities, according to the US Energy Information Administration. There are private investor-owned utilities such as Pacific Gas and Electric in California; public utilities such as the Tennessee Valley Authority; co-ops such as Pedernales Electric Cooperative in Texas; and smaller utilities that dot more rural areas. '(There's a) wide variety of players,' Grijalva said. 'It's very diverse.' In launching in 2016, Robinson started by putting together Maine's leading power companies. He then expanded to the New England region, and after Hurricane Matthew in 2016, moved to add the southeastern United States. He set up the site to automatically go to power company websites, pull in data on outages, aggregate it with other outage data and make it available to the public. States with high numbers of outages are color coded as yellow, orange or red, and users can click into a state to see the outages in more detail. The site first started getting picked up by the news media, he said, when Hurricane Irma hit Florida in 2017, knocking out power to swaths of the region and sending the public to his site to understand the extent of the damage. In the middle of 2017, a telecom company reached out to request access to the underlying data and offered to pay. Robinson built out an API for the company that provided access to the data, and he drew up a contract for payment. 'I still have that first check I got from that company,' he said. In the years since, this paid part of the business has grown and sustains the free map. Robinson said he left his regular job to focus full time on in 2021. As of this month, tracks about 943 utilities, according to its website, a total that Robinson says accounts for about 94% or 95% of US customers. While most large utilities provide data to the site, some do not, including two large utilities in Arizona. The technology that allows to work is based in part on the rise of so-called 'smart meters' over the past two decades, according to Jay Apt, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University's Tepper School of Business, who has researched the reliability of the electric power grid. Smart meters are devices that measure power usage and report remotely to both the power customer and utility, a development from the days when utilities sent out 'meter readers' once a month to visually check customers' electricity use. With smart meters, power companies can, in real time, spot on a system map where an outage is and try to determine its likely cause. Their growing use as part of a 'smart grid' was spurred by billions of dollars in federal grants included in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2009. 'That was a huge advance in the ability of power companies to respond to outages,' Apt said. 'It was the smart meters that allowed the data that you see on Robinson said the site is mutually beneficial for customers, power companies and third parties that pay for detailed data. For customers, it allows them to quickly see whether their own power outage is part of a broader issue. For the power companies, the site enables their employees to focus on fixing the outage rather than answering customer calls, and it can help them coordinate and share resources with nearby power companies during a major event. A large utility that owned several smaller utility companies even came to Robinson with an unusual request. 'We have a parent company who has come to us for data because it's easier to get the aggregated data from us than it was to go to all their children companies and get the data,' he said. In addition, large companies with stores or equipment across the country use to track how a storm is affecting their business, while other businesses can use it to find a market for portable generators or solar equipment. Hope said he noticed some financial institutions even used their data for trading. With a modest demeanor, Robinson told CNN he was proud of the site's growth and excited that the sale of the company will allow him to go back to focusing on the data – what he called his 'bread and butter.' 'I built this little thing and it became super useful to all kinds of people,' he said. 'It's just satisfying to know that I've helped in some way improve data access and data accuracy that it's been useful for all kinds of people.'
