BY DOMINIC WIGHTMAN “Welcome to Ukraine,” joked one of the dads from the visiting team. His son’s U14 rugby team was on a tour to Devon from wealthy, rural Berkshire. From the mobile breeze block seats—yes, literally—where we were perched under a leaky corrugated iron roof, looking out across the sodden pitch towards the building in front of us with a massive hole in its … Continue reading English Regional Rugby Needs Help
BY DOMINIC WIGHTMAN Rugby is a beastly game played by gentlemen. Everyone knows the great sport teaches so many life lessons from bravery to team work to stoicism. Rugby is a fantastic sport for youngsters, building their confidence and character and introducing them to values that will help them in rugby and throughout life. Which is why – as my father did for me – … Continue reading Sporting Bruises with Pride
BY DOMINIC WIGHTMAN Twenty yards from the end of the pitch there stands the tree where I paid my respects. On the branches of this tree used to hang tied up shopping bags full of dressings, pins, bandages, eye pads and tape. In the cracks in its trunk there’d be a rusty pair of scissors, an old tobacco tin filled with waterproof plasters and that … Continue reading The Healing Tree
BY NICK PEARCE With two Heineken Cups, four Six Nations Championships, three Triple Crowns, a Grand Slam and a World Cup to his name, the man is an out and out winner. His ferocious tackling was courageous. His metronomic goal-kicking the result of many hours of practice – well after his teammates had returned home. Jonny Wilkinson was one of the greatest ever rugby players. … Continue reading Sir Jonny
BY SEAN FLYNN “The next two months for Ireland will be gruelling – and unforgettable” writes Keith Duggan in the Irish Times. The Republic of Ireland faces meltdown after October 31st if the UK leaves the EU on WTO terms. Ireland faces food and medicine shortages and 110,000 job losses if there’s a No Deal Brexit, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar warned on August 1st. Meanwhile the … Continue reading Boris’ Feet
BY HENRY LORD With Wales losing to the English at the Principality Stadium two weekends ago and the Kiwis desperately worried about both the rise of the English National Rugby team under Eddie Jones and the imminent British Lions tour to New Zealand (and the boss in hospital having yet another knee op), the brains trust here at Country Squire Magazine – empathetic as ever – decided … Continue reading For the Love of Sheep
BY NICK PEARCE The Autumn Rugby Internationals this year look tasty. For those of you who don’t know who’s playing who, here’s the schedule for you (I’ve marked England in blue – if you’re a heathen from another country then sorry, you’ll have to search through the list along with the Saffers and Aussies): Saturday 5th November 2016 Wales v Australia at Principality Stadium, Cardiff … Continue reading 2016 Autumn Rugby Internationals
