Latest news with #Twickenham
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
S Club Seven star Hannah Spearritt QUITS major Channel 4 show on the first day of filming
S Club Seven star, Hannah Spearritt, sensationally walked out of the upcoming Celebrity SAS on the first day, MailOnline can reveal. The latest series of the Channel 4 show is expected to air in October and viewers will see Hannah, 44, fail miserable during the first few hours of the show before quitting at the end of the day. She was due to take part in the show alongside Strictly's Tasha Ghouri, 26, the Love Islander, Chloe Burrows, 29, and the former X-Factor contestant, Lucy Spraggan, 34. A source said: 'Hannah had pretty much exhausted all of her connections within the industry before she left for Costa Rica. 'She no longer speaks to her band mates and has now completely shut herself off from that world. 'The final straw came last summer when she took part in Celebrity SAS. 'Hannah truly believed that a stint on one of the hardest and most gruelling shows could turn things around for her. 'But sadly she just couldn't hack it and walked on the first day. It was all rather embarrassing.' Hannah - whose band raked in £50million during the early noughties -was due to open a hollistic cafe, Earth & Fire, in Twickenham in 2022 but the venture never got off the ground. She then quit the UK with her daughters Taya, five, and Tora, four, and her fitness instructor partner of 12 years Adam Thomas back in January, with the family now enjoying an exotic new home. The pop star was said to be seeking a fresh start after quitting the band that made her famous in the wake of ex Paul Cattermole's tragic death in 2023. The singer, who has suffered from an autoimmune condition since 2013, had been set to join her former band on their comeback tour but pulled out following a feud over contracts. Following the row, the other members - Rachel Stevens, Jo O'Meara, Jon Lee, Bradley McIntosh and Tina Barrett – announced that they would continue as a five-piece. She is said to have been blindsided but the announcement, with her left on bad terms with the band in which she rose to fame in the early 2000s. The mother of two then reportedly drafted in lawyers and made the bold move to release her autobiography on the same day they will take to the stage. All seven members of the chart-topping band initially confirmed they were reuniting for a landmark 25th anniversary tour. Hannah initially refusing to join the lineup, citing a lack of childcare and only agreed to join when music manager Simon Fuller offered to pay for nannies to come along. Two months later, band member Paul Cattermole died, Hannah then accepted a five-figure sum to tell her story, which left a bitter taste in the remaining band member's mouths. Hannah apologised to S Club's fans for deciding to leave but said she had to do what was best for herself and her family. Hannah claimed she hadn't been in touch with her former bandmates since she left the band, admitting she is sad not to be but insisted she wishes them 'all the best'. In 2023 the family had to move into an office after losing their house just before Christmas, despite S Club 7, raking £50million as a brand. But Hannah insisted they weren't paid a good wage in comparison with the millions the band was earning. She has now found herself with nowhere to live after her landlord sold their rented home in London at short notice. Hannah had to seek refuge in a friend's office after not wanting to pay 'crazy' rental prices upfront.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Bath Rugby finances revealed following Gallagher Premiership win as sport faces 'crisis'
Bath Rugby is facing mounting financial pressure, along with all the clubs in the Gallagher Premiership, as experts warn over the future of the sport. Despite a historic win for Bath in June, which saw the South West side take its first title in 29 years, off the pitch there is less to celebrate. Bath Rugby Limited - the operating company behind the club - is millions of pounds in debt. The company turned over £20.8m for the financial year ending June 30, 2024. This was up on the £19.7m the year before, but it still made a loss of £3.6m, while its net debt stood at £17.2m. Rugby has long been reliant on owners and benefactors to cover ever-mounting debt burdens. Three major clubs - Wasps, Worcester Warriors and London Irish - have already disappeared from the Premiership after collapsing in the 2022-23 season, but it is 'not impossible' that more could go under if changes are not made, one sports finance expert has warned. READ MORE: Police enforce 48-hour ban in Bath city centre READ MORE: Bath Rugby's 2025/26 Gallagher Prem fixtures in full Analysis of Companies House documents by our sister site Business Live reveals that each of the teams in the Gallagher Premiership was in the red for the financial year ended June 30, 2024. Runners up Leicester Tigers, who were defeated by Bath at the Allianz Stadium in Twickenham by just two points (23-21), did not fare much better. The club's operating company Leicester Football Club Plc made a loss of £3.5m for the period - up from £1.4m the year previously - despite turnover increasing to £21m from £19.4m the year before. According to a rugby finance report published by Leonard Curtis last year, while some teams may break even or turn a small profit in the next couple of years, the prospect of the current overall loss-making trend being reversed looks slim. Dr Ellie Nesbitt, a senior lecturer in sports management at Nottingham Trent University, says rugby is not operating in the capacity it needs to. "Rugby clubs need to be operating as businesses," she said. "It's about commercialising and hospitality is key. Some clubs are much better with big events, and they can thrive, but you also have clubs that don't have the facilities to do that. "The sport is going to have to change it's approach. It's a short-term fix having owners and benefactors responsible for funding - and debts. These individuals clearly love the sport or the team - and you see that all the way through the structure, not just the Premiership. [But] it's not sustainable and over time we will see that play out even more." Many of the Premiership clubs would, in fact, be 'defunct' if they were 'normal businesses', says Christina Philippou, associate professor in accounting and sport finance in the School of Accounting, Economics and Finance at the University of Portsmouth. 'Rugby at the very basics is a loss-making industry and 60 per cent [of clubs] are technically insolvent,' she told Business Live. Professor Philippou says broadcasting deals and competition from countries like France, drawing top players out of the league with tax incentives, has proved challenging for the sport. 'Rugby is [also] shooting itself in the foot by going behind a paywall with broadcasting deals. People need to be able to watch it. 'You can do that by splitting broadcasting agreements or being clever with digital content to get people interested in the club game, and then that can pull through into actual money.' But she says clubs losing money does not necessarily sound "the death knell' for the Premiership, and that rugby could learn some lessons from cricket. 'Tapping into other formats might be a way forward for the sport,' she explained. 'That is how cricket is rejuvenating itself as it had a similar issue.' 'There is a crisis' Rob Wilson, a professor of applied sport finance and director of specialist sports consultancy Play it Forward, believes the salary cap - the limit on the total amount of money clubs can spend on players' wages each season - is still too high. For the 2025-26 season, the Premiership has confirmed the salary cap is £6.4m, with a number of credits and exclusions, meaning that clubs can spend at least £7.8m plus an excluded player salary. 'A lot of clubs see it as a target rather than a limit and then they overspend,' Professor Wilson told Business Live. 'Clubs need to start spending less than they earn on a cost basis.' He added: 'There is a crisis with three teams going out of business and a shortening of the league. I think they should close off the league for a while and focus on the top 10 clubs. It wouldn't be a popular decision but it would be a sensible one." All the clubs were contacted for comment, but no statements were provided. Financial status of England's Premiership rugby clubs Bath Rugby Year ended June 30, 2024 Operating company: Bath Rugby Limited Turnover: £20.8m Loss for financial year: £3.6m Bristol Bears Year ended June 30, 2024 Operating company: Bristol Rugby Club Limited Turnover: £11.9m Loss for the financial year: £4.8m Gloucester Rugby Year ended June 30, 2024 Operating company: Gloucester Rugby Limited Turnover: £14.9m Loss for the financial year: £516,355 Leicester Tigers Year ended June 30, 2024 Operating company: Leicester Football Club Plc Turnover: £21m Loss for the financial year: £3.5m Sale Sharks Year ended June 30, 2024 Operating company: Manchester Sale Rugby Club Limited Turnover: £9.1m Loss for the financial year: £7m Saracens Year ended June 30, 2024 Operating company: Saracens Limited Turnover: £22.7m Loss for the financial year: £7.5m Northampton Saints Year ended June 30, 2024 Operating company: Northampton Saints Plc Turnover: £21.9m Loss for the financial year: £826,024 Harlequins Year ended June 30, 2024 Operating company: Harlequin Football Club Limited Turnover: £29.3m Loss for the financial year: £1.86m Exeter Chiefs Year ended June 30, 2024 Operating company: Exeter Rugby Club Limited Turnover: £21.6m Loss for the financial year: £876,112 Newcastle Falcons Accounts currently overdue for the year ended June 30, 2024. Last accounts available made up to June 30, 2023 Operating company: Newcastle Rugby Limited Turnover: £11.2m Loss for the financial year: £2.3m
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Newlyweds fined £150 by council for putting the bins out early to go on their honeymoon have had fine scrapped
A pair of newlyweds were hit with a £150 fine after putting their bins out early so they could head to the airport to catch a flight for their honeymoon. Leon Wright, 40, and his wife Amy, 34, returned home from their Athens cruise to find an enforcement notice had been posted through the letterbox of their flat in Twickenham, southwest London. Their property falls under the jurisdiction of Richmond Council, who say residents should leave their bins on the pavement in colour-coded bags from 8pm the night before collection. Mr Wright admits he put his rubbish out at 3:25pm - some four-and-a-half hours before the advised time - but says the fine was unjust as he had to leave for Heathrow Airport and had no other option. The marketing manager decided to challenge the fine, and his efforts have ultimately proved successful, as Richmond Council has now cancelled the notice. 'It's such a relief to have the fine cancelled,' Mr Wright said. 'I only put [the bins] out a few hours before and it was the last thing I did before we left for holiday. 'I came back from my honeymoon with a fixed penalty notice from Richmond Council. 'It said that we had to pay it within ten days, but we couldn't because we weren't even there.' He added that it was 'very surprising' to receive the fine as the couple 'had never had any problems with the council before'. Mr Wright continued: 'It's definitely not what you want to see when you come back from holiday. Especially when you are trying to do your best. 'I do my best to follow the rules but it was literally just a few hours before the collection window so I never thought they would send fines straight away. 'My neighbours couldn't believe it. They were all shocked.' Mr Wright says the fine was issued by WISE (Waste Investigations, Support and Enforcement), who are partnered with Richmond Council as a third-party enforcement agency. Initially, he carried out all communications through them - but was consistently told the fine would be 'upheld'. This was despite Mr Wright finding guidance that stated residents should only be fined if bins were put out before 2pm. Eventually, he contacted Richmond Council directly, who agreed he should not have been fined and cancelled the notice. Mr Wright said: 'WISE weren't listening to any of my complaints or legal arguments. They just stonewalled me and said the fine was upheld. 'So I complained directly through Richmond Council who said their policy means that if someone has put their bins out after 2pm they cannot be fined. 'If it had been before that, the fine would have been upheld. But it wasn't so they cancelled it.' Mr Wright put his bins out on May 27 before leaving to get a 7:10pm flight from Heathrow Airport for his honeymoon cruise from Athens. Ten days later, he and Amy returned from the trip to find the fine on their doorstep. Richmond Council said: 'We are committed to ensuring the borough's streets are kept clean. 'If it is discovered that there has been a littering offence, we may take enforcement action where appropriate. 'Residents can request a review of issued fines if they feel they have been fined unfairly or incorrectly.' Previously, a spokesperson confirmed that waste should only be put out between 8pm the night before and 6am on the day of collection. They added that enforcement action 'may be taken' when these rules are not followed. WISE have been contacted for comment.
Sydney Morning Herald
5 days ago
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
How adversity and pool noodles helped Max Jorgensen become a Wallabies leading man
You can imagine all the sports science and hi-tech equipment used to prepare a finely-tuned athlete. Suitcases full of GPS monitors, lactate tests, altitude tents, virtual reality simulators, a vast array of gym equipment … you name it, a sports team has used it. And, of course, there's the pool noodle. Yes, the same humble pool noodle you probably have wedged into your shed; a long, thin styrofoam toy used by kids when swimming and, every now and then, to help train Test rugby wingers to fly through the air and successfully catch a towering kick. Max Jorgensen's spectacular try last week against the Lions at Suncorp Stadium? Shoutout to the $2 pool noodle. 'Obviously, it's something you have to practice a lot, but I think there's a lot more technique than people think,' Jorgensen says about the art of winning an aerial contest. 'It's not just jumping up for it and catching a ball. It's a lot of reps in training, and pretty much doing it every day. 'And there are techniques we will use to train. Sometimes they get out the pool noodles, and as you go up to catch you get hit in the face, hit on the arms and on the body, to try and distract you and train you to stay focused on the ball. And you get a lot of pad work as well, trying to stay big into the contact, and win that space. 'That aerial contest, obviously it's massive in rugby now. With that new rule, where you're not allowed to obstruct chasers to protect the catcher, ultimately, it's a 50-50. You don't know who's going to come down with the ball.' In the 29th minute at Suncorp Stadium, and with the Lions leading 10-0 and getting on top, Jorgensen stayed big in the contact and scored a memorable try to rally the Australian cause. With the Wallabies, like most other Test teams, employing a contestable kick strategy, Jorgensen chased a Jake Gordon box kick and the youngster leapt into the night sky to compete with Lions fullback Hugo Keenan. The pair both latched onto the ball, but Jorgensen ripped the ball away from Keenan upon landing, and raced 25 metres upfield to score in the corner made famous by Israel Folau in the 2013 Lions series. 'A big one for me is just looking at the ball all the time, and you have just got to be confident into the space and get your timing right,' Jorgensen said. 'And the other guys are coming on to it, so also getting ready for that contact, because you're hitting each other pretty hard in the air. It's just being courageous, I guess, into that contact. 'It was a bit of a weird one [with Keenan]. We both caught it at the same time but then he hit the ground and I ripped it off him, and I think the difference was, if you look at it, me staying on my feet helped massively.' Continuing a trend he began at Twickenham last year, Jorgensen then set sail for the line and scored a nerveless try on a massive global stage, against some of the world's best players. Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt marvelled after the game that it's easy to forget Jorgensen is still only 20 years old, such is his capacity to not only handle the pressure of Test rugby, but thrive in it. 'Sometimes even I forget, it [leaving school] was only three years ago,' Jorgensen said. 'It feels like it's been way longer, to be honest. It feels like it's more been five years. But yeah, sometimes I look back and you go, 'It's a bit crazy where I'm at now'. 'When we ran out and the stadium was all dark and the flashlights were on, and how loud it was, that's really when it hit me. I was like, yeah, this is something special.' There are many remarkable parts to Jorgensen's swift rise, which began in 2022 when he was the subject of a recruitment war between league and union while still at school, and ultimately saw him sign – and later extend – with RA and the Waratahs. Jorgensen was playing for NSW in 2023, and was a bolter in the Rugby World Cup squad at the end of the year. He made his Test debut last year against the Springboks in Perth, and played in all four Tests on the Wallabies' Spring Tour. He was a starter for Schmidt against Fiji earlier this month, and then for the Lions Test series. At each step, Jorgensen has not just looked right at home, he's put his feet on the couch. He has almost effortlessly elevated his game to suit the occasion. But what's perhaps most remarkable – and easily forgotten – is that Jorgensen has done it all while battling consistent bad luck with injury. In three Super Rugby seasons, Jorgensen is yet to finish one. In 2023, he missed the end of the Waratahs season with a knee injury, returned and then broke his leg at the World Cup. In 2024, he again didn't finish the Super season after badly tearing his hamstring, and in 2025, Jorgensen was on fire until he suffered a syndesmosis injury that required surgery via a hip-drop tackle in round seven. 'Looking back at it, I definitely struggled a lot to begin with, in those early injuries, especially in my first year and being so young,' Jorgensen said. 'But looking back at it now, as bad as the injuries were and as much as they suck, I think they actually helped me as a player and as a person. 'Earlier in my career, with those first couple of injuries, I had the attitude, 'This is bullshit. Why is it always me? There's 30 other guys on the field at that time. Why couldn't it happen to anyone else? It's always happening to me'. And I was sort of looking at it like that. 'But as time went on and with the help of guys at the Tahs, I started looking at it as like, 'OK, it is what it is. It's part of the game. It's what I do for a living.' You have to just focus on the next steps, recover and get back. You can't change it, so it doesn't help anyone to mope around. You or your teammates. 'Going through all that has really helped me mature, and I think mature quicker. It has helped me learn to overcome adversity whenever I face it, however small or however big.' Another reminder: Jorgensen's try against England last year was in his fourth game back from injury, and his strong showing against Fiji earlier this month his first game in 100 days. Which begs the question – how? How does Jorgensen appear to return to footy, and Test footy no less, without looking like he's missed a day? 'Obviously you get set back physically, but you don't lose any game knowledge or anything like that. That's how I look at it. You can tell some people are injured, but that's probably just because their body's still not right,' Jorgensen said. 'So the main thing is first getting your body right and getting your injury right, so you're feeling back to normal. And then when I get back out there, I'll look back and I go, 'I've done this before. I'll just go out there and do it again. It's not like anything's changed.' That's sort of the way I look at it.' After an early stint in the 'next big thing' spotlight in his first year, Jorgensen is now happily off to the side in a darker part of the stage, with his NSW teammate Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii out front and centre. He'd be happy if the Lions overlook him on Saturday night at the MCG. It wouldn't be the first time. By virtue of him being born in England in 2004 while father Peter was playing for Rotherham, Jorgensen has a British passport. He keeps it quiet. Loading Had they done their homework, however, a rich English club might have also been in the fight for the teenage Jorgensen back in 2022, and, theoretically at least, there might have been one more Aussie-raised Lion in the red jersey. 'Ha, no, that was never on the table for me,' Jorgensen laughs. 'I don't think many people know I was born there and have a passport. Anytime I tell someone they're always surprised.
The Age
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Age
How adversity and pool noodles helped Max Jorgensen become a Wallabies leading man
You can imagine all the sports science and hi-tech equipment used to prepare a finely-tuned athlete. Suitcases full of GPS monitors, lactate tests, altitude tents, virtual reality simulators, a vast array of gym equipment … you name it, a sports team has used it. And, of course, there's the pool noodle. Yes, the same humble pool noodle you probably have wedged into your shed; a long, thin styrofoam toy used by kids when swimming and, every now and then, to help train Test rugby wingers to fly through the air and successfully catch a towering kick. Max Jorgensen's spectacular try last week against the Lions at Suncorp Stadium? Shoutout to the $2 pool noodle. 'Obviously, it's something you have to practice a lot, but I think there's a lot more technique than people think,' Jorgensen says about the art of winning an aerial contest. 'It's not just jumping up for it and catching a ball. It's a lot of reps in training, and pretty much doing it every day. 'And there are techniques we will use to train. Sometimes they get out the pool noodles, and as you go up to catch you get hit in the face, hit on the arms and on the body, to try and distract you and train you to stay focused on the ball. And you get a lot of pad work as well, trying to stay big into the contact, and win that space. 'That aerial contest, obviously it's massive in rugby now. With that new rule, where you're not allowed to obstruct chasers to protect the catcher, ultimately, it's a 50-50. You don't know who's going to come down with the ball.' In the 29th minute at Suncorp Stadium, and with the Lions leading 10-0 and getting on top, Jorgensen stayed big in the contact and scored a memorable try to rally the Australian cause. With the Wallabies, like most other Test teams, employing a contestable kick strategy, Jorgensen chased a Jake Gordon box kick and the youngster leapt into the night sky to compete with Lions fullback Hugo Keenan. The pair both latched onto the ball, but Jorgensen ripped the ball away from Keenan upon landing, and raced 25 metres upfield to score in the corner made famous by Israel Folau in the 2013 Lions series. 'A big one for me is just looking at the ball all the time, and you have just got to be confident into the space and get your timing right,' Jorgensen said. 'And the other guys are coming on to it, so also getting ready for that contact, because you're hitting each other pretty hard in the air. It's just being courageous, I guess, into that contact. 'It was a bit of a weird one [with Keenan]. We both caught it at the same time but then he hit the ground and I ripped it off him, and I think the difference was, if you look at it, me staying on my feet helped massively.' Continuing a trend he began at Twickenham last year, Jorgensen then set sail for the line and scored a nerveless try on a massive global stage, against some of the world's best players. Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt marvelled after the game that it's easy to forget Jorgensen is still only 20 years old, such is his capacity to not only handle the pressure of Test rugby, but thrive in it. 'Sometimes even I forget, it [leaving school] was only three years ago,' Jorgensen said. 'It feels like it's been way longer, to be honest. It feels like it's more been five years. But yeah, sometimes I look back and you go, 'It's a bit crazy where I'm at now'. 'When we ran out and the stadium was all dark and the flashlights were on, and how loud it was, that's really when it hit me. I was like, yeah, this is something special.' There are many remarkable parts to Jorgensen's swift rise, which began in 2022 when he was the subject of a recruitment war between league and union while still at school, and ultimately saw him sign – and later extend – with RA and the Waratahs. Jorgensen was playing for NSW in 2023, and was a bolter in the Rugby World Cup squad at the end of the year. He made his Test debut last year against the Springboks in Perth, and played in all four Tests on the Wallabies' Spring Tour. He was a starter for Schmidt against Fiji earlier this month, and then for the Lions Test series. At each step, Jorgensen has not just looked right at home, he's put his feet on the couch. He has almost effortlessly elevated his game to suit the occasion. But what's perhaps most remarkable – and easily forgotten – is that Jorgensen has done it all while battling consistent bad luck with injury. In three Super Rugby seasons, Jorgensen is yet to finish one. In 2023, he missed the end of the Waratahs season with a knee injury, returned and then broke his leg at the World Cup. In 2024, he again didn't finish the Super season after badly tearing his hamstring, and in 2025, Jorgensen was on fire until he suffered a syndesmosis injury that required surgery via a hip-drop tackle in round seven. 'Looking back at it, I definitely struggled a lot to begin with, in those early injuries, especially in my first year and being so young,' Jorgensen said. 'But looking back at it now, as bad as the injuries were and as much as they suck, I think they actually helped me as a player and as a person. 'Earlier in my career, with those first couple of injuries, I had the attitude, 'This is bullshit. Why is it always me? There's 30 other guys on the field at that time. Why couldn't it happen to anyone else? It's always happening to me'. And I was sort of looking at it like that. 'But as time went on and with the help of guys at the Tahs, I started looking at it as like, 'OK, it is what it is. It's part of the game. It's what I do for a living.' You have to just focus on the next steps, recover and get back. You can't change it, so it doesn't help anyone to mope around. You or your teammates. 'Going through all that has really helped me mature, and I think mature quicker. It has helped me learn to overcome adversity whenever I face it, however small or however big.' Another reminder: Jorgensen's try against England last year was in his fourth game back from injury, and his strong showing against Fiji earlier this month his first game in 100 days. Which begs the question – how? How does Jorgensen appear to return to footy, and Test footy no less, without looking like he's missed a day? 'Obviously you get set back physically, but you don't lose any game knowledge or anything like that. That's how I look at it. You can tell some people are injured, but that's probably just because their body's still not right,' Jorgensen said. 'So the main thing is first getting your body right and getting your injury right, so you're feeling back to normal. And then when I get back out there, I'll look back and I go, 'I've done this before. I'll just go out there and do it again. It's not like anything's changed.' That's sort of the way I look at it.' After an early stint in the 'next big thing' spotlight in his first year, Jorgensen is now happily off to the side in a darker part of the stage, with his NSW teammate Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii out front and centre. He'd be happy if the Lions overlook him on Saturday night at the MCG. It wouldn't be the first time. By virtue of him being born in England in 2004 while father Peter was playing for Rotherham, Jorgensen has a British passport. He keeps it quiet. Loading Had they done their homework, however, a rich English club might have also been in the fight for the teenage Jorgensen back in 2022, and, theoretically at least, there might have been one more Aussie-raised Lion in the red jersey. 'Ha, no, that was never on the table for me,' Jorgensen laughs. 'I don't think many people know I was born there and have a passport. Anytime I tell someone they're always surprised.
