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BBC News
6 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Cardiff Hyrox competition brings extreme fitness craze to Wales
Tens of thousands of people are expected in Cardiff for a gruelling fitness challenge to be held over three days at the Principality is a "fitness racing" event that has become a craze, going viral on social media since the first competition in Germany eight years ago. There are now 200,000 competitors worldwide according to organisers, with the first ever event in Wales starting on Friday. The event is set to include the oldest known participant in the gruelling indoor race of eight 1km (0.62 mile) runs followed by different fitness exercises. "Age doesn't have to be a barrier," said Prof Peter Herbert, 80, from Carmarthen. "Vitality is something we can choose to nurture every day."As the Hyrox craze descends on the capital, roads in the town centre are expected to be busy until after the final on Sunday. Competitors - either professional or everyday fitness enthusiasts - perform eight runs and eight workouts, including 1km on a standing ski machine, 50m sled push and 80m burpee Dylan Jones Evans previously said "tens of thousands" could visit the Welsh capital to take part in the event."What we saw with Hyrox when they went to Glasgow recently was 40,000 people going to the city who wouldn't have gone to Glasgow," he said. Prof Herbert, from University of Wales Trinity Saint David, is a world-renowned fitness expert, academic, and life-long athlete. Undeterred by a knee replacement, he is aiming to be the oldest known competitor to complete the full event. "If I'm able to complete this challenge, I hope it sends a clear message," he said. "Through a commitment to a healthy lifestyle and staying physically active, it's absolutely possible to have the energy, strength, and resilience to enjoy activities that many believe are out of reach after 50. "Whether it's surfing, mountain biking, rowing, swimming, or anything else that brings you joy, age doesn't have to be a barrier." What is Hyrox? Founded in 2017 as an indoor discipline, athletes take part in eight legs, each a 1km run, followed by a fitness exercises competitors are put through include 1km on a standing ski machine, 50m sled push, 50m sled pull, 80m burpee jumps, 1km indoor rowing, carrying a kettlebell 200m, 100m lunges carrying a sandbag, and finally 100 throws and catches of a medicine ball off a wall. World championships are held every year, with contestants taking part in singles and doubles races. The 2024 world championships in France featured a new relay event by sport is closely related to CrossFit, but has different, simpler exercises and prioritises endurance over raw popularity is primarily put down to two things: accessibility and visibility. Hyrox has been designed with the intention of going viral, whether by giving contestants patches instead of medals to wear on their gym bags, or by pushing "training club Tuesdays", getting people to tag gyms that offer top athletes in the sport are doing the event in under an hour. But Hyrox competitor and former Wales rugby player Laura Payne said the race could be geared to all abilities, with some using lower weights, walking the sprints and taking up to three hours to finish."It's quite open and inclusive," said the co-owner of Penarth gym Arth Strength. "If you've not done much fitness you could get by if you did it with a pair," Ms Payne, who has done Hyrox events in Birmingham and London, added."There is 8km of running but spread out a little bit and some of the stations can be made harder or easier." According to Ms Payne, it is a mass participation event like a half marathon, but "less boring" because running is not the only event. The training is mainly around endurance, with hour-long sessions, she said.
Wales Online
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Morning Live star enjoys fitness class in Cardiff
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info One of the BBC Morning Live presenters has enjoyed a viral fitness class in Cardiff. Justine Jones, who is from Merthyr Tydfil, went along to a fitness class that has taken social media by storm. Lagree classes, which are loved by celebrities around the globe including Meghan Markle and Kim Kardashian, uses a megaformer, which works using spring-based resistance so you get a very intense workout, which is very low impact on your joints. Cardiff is home to lagree studio, Love Lagree, where Justine did her workout. Justine posted a photo of the Love Lagree studio to her Instagram story. Earlier this year Justine posted a cryptic message to her Instagram. For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter . Justine has appeared on Morning Live for different segments from scaling the Principality Stadium to opening up about her panic attacks. She posted a very cryptic message to Instagram as she says she is "starting over". Sharing a quote that reads: "Don't be afraid to start all over again. You may like your new story better." Justine tagged Cardiff as the location and captioned the post "Starting Over" with a purple heart. The post was liked by different celebrities including fellow Morning Live star Dr Punam Krishan and Ruth Langsford. Love Lagree has been open in Cardiff Bay for nearly two years and is run by Lorraine Jenkins, who has another lagree studio in Cowbridge. Our reporter Steph Colderick went along to try a lagree class at Love Lagree in October 2024. She said: "The workout itself was incredibly intense - this is no walk in the park. "All of the muscles in my body felt like they were being used, particularly my core and lower back, as we did core, arms and legs and soon I was shaking from the effort. "I was squatting, stretching, lunging, planking, all into different positions and attached to the machine in different ways, and it was pretty rapid with little to no break in between exercises. "Lorraine was brilliant, helping position me exactly where I needed to be and providing clear and concise instructions." You can read more here.
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Metallica fans face paying £324 to share a dormitory bunk bed in Cardiff after gig announced
Huge fees are being charged for accommodation at hotels, hostels and apartments in Cardiff after Metallica announced they would play at the Principality Stadium next year. The legendary rock band will bring their M72 World Tour to the home of Welsh rugby on Sunday, June 28, 2026. Following the big announcement, some venues located close to the stadium have already set eye-watering rates, should you wish to stay there. We searched for available locations within 300 yards of the stadium, based on the cost of two adults. On the Radisson Blu Hotel in Cardiff is currently charging a £600 rate for a standard room, whilst a three-bedroom apartment at Taff Penfro Cardiff Apartment will set you back £1,140. From superstar gigs to cosy pubs, find out What's On in Wales by signing up to our newsletter here. Hafan y Ddinas Cardiff Apartment is charging £1,400 for a night in a three-bedroom apartment. To reserve a bunk bed in a large mixed dormitory room at BunkHouse, located 200 yards away, it will cost you £324, or £162 per person. If you choose to stay three miles from the venue, rates get cheaper, including the Glendale Hotel in Penarth, which is charging £125 a night for a double room. It will cost £200 to book a one-bedroom apartment at Greenfield Studio. There is still some hope of a more affordable rate for those attending the gig, however. Rooms at leading UK hoteliers, Marriott, Holiday Inn, Premier Inn and Travelodge, are so far not available to book for the date of the gig. Hilton said rooms were sold out in Cardiff on the night. Metallica's world tour itinerary will continue with their revered No Repeat Weekend tradition, in which each night of the two-show stands will feature entirely different setlists and support line-ups. The band will begin their world tour in Athens in Greece, before heading to Bucharest in Romania and travelling to Chorzów in Poland, Frankfurt in Germany and other European cities. Here in the UK, the band will be heading to Glasgow, Cardiff and London. The band performed in the Welsh capital's former Cardiff International Arena in October, 1996. As per usual, a share of the proceeds from each ticket sold will be donated to local charities through the band's All Within My Hands foundation. Presale tickets will go on sale for the event on Thursday, May 29, while general onsale tickets will go on sale the following day at 10am on Friday, May 30. Tickets will be available through Live Nation, which you can find out more about here, and Ticketmaster, which you can check out here. But fan club members will get a head start with pre-sale starting from 11am on Tuesday, May 27, which you can find out more about here. Get Cardiff news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here. We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions, and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice.
The Guardian
26-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
World Club Cup launch tosses away decades of European rugby history
Some people are never satisfied. They firmly believe that if things are constantly tweaked there is a better chance of staying relevant. In certain areas of retail they are right. Years ago, on a dusty pavement in India, I once encountered a man selling second-hand false teeth from a small wooden table. I think of him whenever people lament the size of their annual bonus or their boss's failure to appreciate them. Sport, though, is rarely that simple. While you don't want to end up miles behind the curve, retaining an element of familiarity is crucial. Supporters love the comfort blanket of their favourite local team, the club colours their parents wore, the same time-honoured songs and competitions. It rarely pays to confuse your existing audience or, worse, to announce that things that should matter hugely are now as sexy as 30-year-old dentures. Which is pretty much the conundrum rugby union is facing. If you had been beamed down from Mars on Saturday afternoon you would have sat in the Principality Stadium watching the Champions Cup final and assumed club rugby was in fabulous shape. A throbbing spectacle, two sets of passionate but good-humoured fans, 70,000 paying punters in the stands. There was even a spot of post‑match niggle to underline how much everyone cared. And once it was all over the players of Bordeaux Bègles celebrated as if they had just won the World Cup itself, conga‑ing into the after-game press conference and spraying beer over their captain and coach. And why not? Never before has the biggest trophy in club rugby ended up in the hands of a team who did not even exist before 2006, when two rival city clubs merged. If that sounds like progress, it most certainly is. Bordeaux will now hope that, like Toulouse and Leinster and Saracens before them, they can make a regular habit of it and turn their city into Europe's capital of rugby in addition to wine. If ever there was a local population well equipped to pop a celebratory cork, it is surely the Bordelais. Except that, come 2028, beating the rest of Europe and a handful of South African provinces will no longer be deemed quite enough. The board of European Professional Club Rugby – having been embarrassingly bounced into making the announcement earlier than intended – has just confirmed that, every four years, a World Club Cup will replace the knockout stages of its flagship men's competition. The eight Champions Cup quarter-finalists will be joined by seven teams from Super Rugby Pacific and one Japanese participant. Just stop and think about that for a moment. It's basically the equivalent of the Champions League in football being halted after the group phase and sides from South America, the US, Japan and China being parachuted in for the business end. There would be no actual Champions League winner that year because, well, that is seen as less glossy than crowning a world club champion. And, of course, there will be more broadcasting bucks in it. Never mind that, at a stroke, you're tossing away decades of history and heritage for a game or two against the Chiefs – the Waikato-based version – or Toshiba Brave Lupus in a neutral European city where nobody even knows what a brave lupus is (if you're wondering, it's derived from the Latin word for 'wolf'). But it'll be new and shiny, so that's fine. There is every chance of it proving an ill-judged turkey. It is not a massive leap to predict that at least four of the eight European participants will be from France's Top 14, the game's wealthiest domestic league, along with two South African sides plus Leinster. That potentially leaves one spot for the rest of Ireland, England, Scotland, Wales and Italy combined. Let alone all the other wannabe emerging nations out there. Sign up to The Breakdown The latest rugby union news and analysis, plus all the week's action reviewed after newsletter promotion Yes, the final should generate more revenue but, for example, Bordeaux v Bulls in Barcelona would not float everybody's glass-bottomed boat. In that scenario, at short notice, you would struggle to attract many Bulls fans and the global festival of rugby vibe would be tough to stoke. Even the absolute top-drawer scenario – Toulouse versus the Crusaders, say – would fall short of the tradition, passion and romance that almost every Champions Cup final delivers. And even if the primary rationale is to head off a breakaway rebel franchise circus or stave off financial oblivion closer to home, the wider cost threatens to be significant. With the existing pool stage having already been ruinously chopped and changed since the halcyon days of the old Heineken Cup, there is a risk again of the baby being thrown out with the sponsored bathwater. You could not have wished for a better game than Northampton's semi-final victory against Leinster in Dublin. The final on Saturday, which Saints lost 28-20 after a pulsating first half, was another glorious sporting occasion generally and truly vintage one in Bordeaux. Yet in 2028 – even the final scoreline in Cardiff reads like a subliminal plug – there is every chance of wine being turned into water for the sake of a few extra dollars. Be careful what you wish for. Opting to remove a healthy front tooth in the name of innovation is not necessarily progress.
BreakingNews.ie
24-05-2025
- Sport
- BreakingNews.ie
Heartache for Northampton as Bordeaux-Begles secure Champions Cup glory
Northampton suffered Investec Champions Cup final heartache as Bordeaux-Begles claimed an epic 28-20 victory at the Principality Stadium. A pulsating contest saw the French club record their first Champions Cup success, but Saints gave it everything after losing backs George Furbank and James Ramm to injuries inside the opening five minutes. Advertisement Seeking a first Champions Cup title for 25 years, Northampton went toe to toe with their opponents as flanker Alex Coles' try double underpinned an outstanding Saints display. Fly-half Fin Smith added two penalties and two conversions, but Bordeaux's superior finishing power delivered two tries for wing Damian Penaud, while locks Adam Coleman and Cyril Cazeaux also touched down. Matthieu Jalibert booted a penalty and conversion, and captain Maxime Lucu also kicked a penalty as Bordeaux made it five years in a row for French clubs to win the tournament. But Northampton could not have done much more, going the distance and making their opponents work for everything. Advertisement Alex Coles scored the first try just 107 seconds into the game (Adam Davy/PA) Saints made a lightning-quick start, going ahead after just 107 seconds as they kept possession from kick-off and Coles crashed over from close range, with Smith adding the extras. That score was tempered, though, by an immediate injury blow when wing Ramm had to be helped off as England international Ollie Sleightholme replaced him for a first club appearance since December. Furbank's exit followed shortly afterwards after he took an accidental knee to his face from Bordeaux full-back Romain Buros, continuing a horrible run for him after playing just 57 minutes of rugby this year because of a broken arm and then aggravating that injury. Tom Litchfield took over from Furbank, and Bordeaux immediately scored an equalising try as Penaud crossed for his 13th try in this season's competition. Advertisement Damian Penaud scored twice for Bordeaux (Andrew Matthews/PA) Bordeaux should have gone ahead in the 15th minute, but Louis Bielle-Biarrey's pass to Penaud was ruled forward and the disallowed score meant Saints enjoyed a huge let-off. But Bordeaux continued to press, and some magical footwork from Jalibert – which he followed with a superb floated pass – sent Coleman over in the corner, and the fly-half's conversion left Northampton five points behind. Smith quickly cut the gap with a long-range penalty, yet that was soon cancelled out by a Jalibert strike as Bordeaux led 15-10 midway through the second quarter. The French side had flanker Mahamadou Diaby yellow-carded following head on head contact with Saints lock Temo Mayanavanua, and Northampton looked to make their temporary one-man advantage count. Advertisement A second Smith penalty kept his team firmly in contention, but Saints then saw wing Tommy Freeman receive a yellow card after an aerial challenge, and Penaud pounced for his second try, but Coles then claimed his own double. Alex Coles runs in his second try (Adam Davy/PA) Smith's conversion made it 20-20 at the interval – a pulsating 40 minutes that produced the most first-half points scored in a Champions Cup final. Henry Pollock had a try disallowed within two minutes of the restart, and Saints briefly went down to 13 players when replacement lock Ed Prowse collected a yellow card, before Lucu's 44th-minute penalty edged Bordeaux back in front. Northampton continued to give it everything, but they could not halt Bordeaux's power game from close range, and Cazeaux went over to open up an eight-point gap. Advertisement And that proved enough to thwart Northampton's brave bid, with Bordeaux closing out the contest and sparking wild scenes of celebration.
