Latest news with #Marler
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Marler explains love for padel in rugby retirement
Joe Marler says padel has been the "perfect sport" for him since retiring from rugby [Robin Grey / BBC] Former England rugby union star Joe Marler has described his new found love for the racket sport padel since retiring last year. After calling time on his playing career in November 2024, the former Harlequins prop said he picked it up during the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Advertisement Marler, from Heathfield in East Sussex, claimed he was "no good" at it but wanted to "spread the padel gospel" in retirement. Speaking during a celebrity tournament, he said: "There's that one point, that one rally that you get and you feel good at it. I chase that moment." He said: "People think I'm really good, they book me to spread the Padel gospel, then they realise I'm not good at it!" Padel tennis is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, thanks to its basic skill level and social nature. Marler said: "It's going crazy, everyone and everywhere is padel mad. It's great for me!" Advertisement He now takes part in the Pro Am Padel Tour, a tournament which sees celebrities and professional padel players team together. His team, including former Aston Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor, came up against others including comedian Jason Manford, with the tour also featuring players like Great Britain number one padel player Aimee Gibson. The Traitors Team Manford emerged victorious and secured a £10,000 contribution to the Captain's Fund, a new charitable initiative where each captain selects a charity to support. Manford added: "Joe is good actually, for a big man he's got some delicate shots, he's a good laugh. I'm sure he's storming around now we've beaten him." Advertisement As England Rugby's player welfare manager, Marler said his life has not slowed down since finishing his playing career. "It doesn't feel like retirement, I'm so busy. I'm trying my hand at several things and hoping something sticks," he said. He has also been announced as part of the line-up for the celebrity version of hit BBC One show The Traitors, which airs this autumn. Marler will appear alongside the likes of comedians Stephen Fry and Alan Carr, chat show host Jonathan Ross and Olympic diver Tom Daley. Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. More on this story Related internet links
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Montana governor vetoes bill that would phase out styrofoam use in food industry
Top view of a stack of polystyrene containers (number 6 plastic). Gov. Greg Gianforte went beyond the regular duties of his office — sending a letter to lawmakers informing them of the reasons he vetoed a bill — and shared a video on social media explaining why he didn't sign a measure that would have phased out the use of styrofoam in the food industry. 'This bill would create a new government program costing $300,000,' said Republican Gianforte in the video on May 5, the day he vetoed the bill. 'The state banning styrofoam is costly government overreach, and like many Montanans, I enjoy hot coffee in a styrofoam cup, because it keeps it hot. And this bill is a hot mess.' But the sponsor of House Bill 477, Rep. Marilyn Marler, D-Missoula, said she didn't think the governor understood what the law actually intended — protecting human health and the environment. 'What he said was wrong. He was trying to be bombastic,' Marler told the Daily Montanan. 'He put more effort into his silly video than in trying to understand the bill.' House Bill 477 would have created a five-year phaseout of expanded polystyrene foam — commonly called 'styrofoam' — containers used in serving or packaging food from restaurants and food establishments. The phase out, which would have applied to roughly 7,500 establishments in Montana, would have included coffee cups, plates, trays and other food and drink containers. It would not have applied to other industries, such as packaging and shipping products, which the bill sponsor and other proponents said was intended to address some of the direct harms of styrofoam. Studies have shown that hot, fatty and acidic conditions — for example a takeout container of pork carnitas — can cause styrofoam to leach chemicals into food, increasing the amount ingested and contributing to the growing number of microplastics found throughout human bodies. Styrene and other chemicals found in food packaging have been linked to cancer, hormone disruption and other chronic health conditions, a fact that created a diverse coalition of supporters for HB 477. Sen. Daniel Zolnikov, R-Billings, carried the bill through the Senate and described himself as a 'Make America Healthy Again Republican.' 'I don't think people realize the fact that it leaches into food,' he told the Daily Montanan. 'Change is hard, but children have these chemicals leaching into their food, and we just know more about that than we used to. It seemed like a logical thing since we've realized how unhealthy it is.' Zolnikov said it was worth getting the bill through the Legislature, but that the governor's veto was 'probably to be expected.' House lawmakers passed the bill 56-44 in March, and the Senate passed the bill 26-24 in April. All Democrats and a total 26 Republicans voted for the bill, and Marler said many businesses had supported the bill. But Gianforte, in his veto letter, said that styrofoam bans and 'hyper-regulation' are features found in progressive blue states — such as Oregon, Washington California and New York — and don't belong in Montana. Calling it 'textbook government overreach,' Gianforte said banning styrofoam would increase costs for restaurants and consumers and create a new government program at the Department of Environmental Quality. 'I'd prefer to keep government limited, not grow it unnecessarily,' he wrote. Marler also said Gianforte misrepresented the cost of the bill, which would not have come from taxpayer funds. Instead, it would have come from an existing Solid Waste Management Account funded by fees paid by businesses seeking exemption from the phase-out, or by fines levied by DEQ. Roughly $75,000 a year would have paid for a part-time employee to oversee parts of the program. Gianforte's veto letter also questioned why the legislation was aimed at only the food industry, which 'seems inconsistent with the purported purpose of House BIll 477.' Marler said she tried to set up a meeting with the Governor to help talk about the bill after it passed the Legislature, but never heard anything back. 'I just feel that if he had looked at the vote count and seen the variety of people who voted for it and asked just one question, he would have heard that people were really concerned about the health effects,' Marler said. In addition to House Bill 477, Gianforte has vetoed one other bill as of Tuesday afternoon, House Bill 607, sponsored by Democrat Paul Tuss, to expand insurance coverage for hearing loss. OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
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.'
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Yahoo
Woman killed in fiery central Alabama crash identified
AUTAUGA COUNTY, Ala. (WIAT) — A 35-year-old woman has been identified after she was killed in a fiery crash Feb. 12, according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency on Saturday. Jaime Marler, of Deatsville, was fatally injured when the Buick Enclave she was operating left the roadway, hit a tree and became engulfed in flames. The crash happened on Autauga County 39 by Autauga County 87 around 8:15 p.m. that Wednesday. Selma teenager dead after pickup truck crash Marler's body was transported to an Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences facility, where her identity was confirmed. Troopers with the ALEA Highway Patrol Agency are investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Yahoo
Deatsville woman identified as victim in Feb. 12 fatal crash in Autauga County
A Deatsville woman's remains have been identified after a fatal fiery crash three weeks ago in Autauga County. On Saturday, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency released the victim's identity as Jamie E. Marler, 35. Marler was fatally injured Feb. 12 in a single-vehicle crash at 8:15 p.m. on Autauga County 39, near Autauga County 87 — about five miles west of Millbrook. According to ALEA, the 2016 Buick Enclave she was driving left the road, struck a tree and caught on fire. Marler's body was taken to the Alabama Department of Forensic Science, where her identity was later confirmed. The crash is under investigation by state troopers. Montgomery Advertiser reporter Shannon Heupel can be reached at sheupel@ This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Deatsville woman's remains identified after fiery crash, troopers say
