The 10 Year Anniversay of Englands Rugby World Cup Win

Can you believe it’s a full ten years since England won the Rugby World Cup?

England celebrated a glorious victory, taking the glory with a breathtaking Jonny Wilkinson drop goal, just 26 seconds from the final whistle of a thrilling final in Sydney.

A TV audience of millions, in the UK and around the world, watched as captain Martin Johnson became the first to lead a northern hemisphere team to the world title.

After a dramatic match, in which extra time could not separate the teams, it was Wilkinson’s last gasp effort that separated the sides. The closeness of the game was testament to Australia's battling performance, but in the end they fell just short. The final win represented four years of improvement from the England team and could provide a blueprint for this rapidly improving side heading into the next world cup in 2015.

The battling display in Sydney saw England wrestled the cup away from an Aussie side who fought tooth and nail to become the first team to retain the trophy.

The match started with Australia in the ascendency as Tuqiri out-jumped Jason Robinson to a huge Stephen Larkham kick with just six minutes on the clock. Australia deserved their initial lead and it was three Wilkinson penalties that brought England back into contention.

Other notable performances included Martin Johnson, who led from the front with a towering performance and Dallaglio and flanker Richard Hill caused numerous problems down the middle of the pitch.
Just as England looked set to establish themselves and cruise to victory, two sloppy penalties allowed Australia to claw back into contention.

Referee Andre Watson prepared to blow for full time and Flatley converted his third kick of the half to push the match into extra time.

The players looked understandably exhausted after giving their all to this amazing encounter.

But nothing could deny this England team and Wilkinson sealed a deserved victory, which has gone down as the most memorable result in English rugby history. Can the class of 2015 repeat this feat?

To commemorate England’s historic win we are offering 10% OFF photos from the final, find them here.

After England's defeat to New Zealand, what are their chances leading up to World Cup 2015.

It may have been a slightly subdued end to the autumn series compared to last years fantastic victory, but England’s defeat to New Zealand on Saturday still gave us plenty of reasons to be optimistic. We were left feeling that amongst the short term pain of a defeat, a long term gain looks like a distinct possibility.

If you talk to head coach Stuart Lancaster, he is adamant progress has been achieved.

"We are definitely better than when met up four weeks ago," he said. "The players have worked hard to get to the level we expect of them. We can't allow those standards to slip now."

We are now two years away from the next World Cup in 2015, fifty percent of the journey is still to go and a lot of room for greater progress is available. England’s victory over Australia and Argentina provided encouragement, but their performance against the world champions gave real hope.  England have further chances to test themselves against New Zealand next year in a three test series and we should know if England really are closer to usurping the best team in the world.

So what have England shown over the Autumn internationals and where do they need to improve moving forward to the World Cup in 2015?

Pack to the Future Its the return of the pack for this England team, in 2003 their success was built on a ferocious and effective pack, and there are signs of the traditional strength and power associated with team coming back in 2013.

Hooker Dylan Hartley provides a hard edge, and his leadership has seen him move ahead of Tom Youngs. Lock Courtney Lawes finally looks like the international player it was assumed he would become after bursting onto the scene in 2009 and Joe Launchbury is building on the potential he has shown in his first season.

Top Class Competition

In top class international sport the aim is to have as many high quality option as possible. In rugby with the World Cup approaching it is ideal to build a squad with at least two or three players of genuine Test quality fighting for every spot.

Lock Geoff Parling was a Lions Test player in the summer, but now finds himself facing an uphill battle for a start in his own national side, such has been the growing competition within the team.

It is a similar story throughout with many headaches popping up for the coach.

Missing in Midfield

England have shown that they require more power and guile in midfield, many players were missing because of the Lions tour and no one was missed more than Manu Tuilagi. His ability to breach the defensive line is unparalleled within the rest of the squad. England also often lacked the precision in their passing and will require more fluency if they are to have more of a cutting edge.

Outflanked by New Zealand

England's wingers have not been up to scratch recently and there has been little threat from wide positions. Chris Ashton has yet to regain his form and the comparison between England and New Zealand’s wingers couldn't be starker. New Zealand brought their two wingers into play at every opportunity, whether swiftly moving the ball wide to give them space to work in, or sending up inviting kicks for them to chase.

England fans have hope going into 2014…

England may never be able match the All Blacks’ mastery of the basics when it comes to creating and seizing a try-scoring chance.

However, considering they were under the pump for large parts of the second and third quarters, it was New Zealand's ability to come up with the big play when it counts that set them apart. Overall England did enough to suggest they are catching up fast and the fans can hold up hope of a very competitive England team at the 2015 World Cup.

4000th and counting! Tony McCoy a Horse Racing Legend...

Northern Ireland has its fair share of sporting greats. In boxing and snooker they have had world champions, a number one golfer and one of the greatest footballers to ever kick a ball. However, none of them remained at the top of their sport for as long as Tony McCoy.

Tony McCoy, was born on 4 May 1974 and grew up in the village of Moneyglass, County Antrim.

A 20 year career has seen him win every major trophy in UK horseracing, some titles he has claimed on several occasions and is widely seen as the best National Hunt Jockey of all time.

As a teenager, he learned his craft in Ireland, as an apprentice to County Kilkenny racehorse trainer, Jim Bolger.

Chickabiddy was the name of his first horse, which he rode to victory in 1994 at Exeter.

Few would have predicted that since that first race, he would go on to go over 4,000 career wins. With his nearest rival Richard Johnston, sitting on 2,500 victories this makes his tally even more remarkable.

For 18 Consecutive seasons McCoy has been crowned the Champion Jockey, the award given annually to UK horseracings leading rider.

Even with all this success there was always one prize that alluded the multiple champion, the Grand National. It was a nagging feeling that this was the one missing trophy from his cabinet and he rectified this in April 2010 at his 15th attempt to win the UK’s most watched race.

Later that year he won BBC sports personality of the year, the only jockey to do so.

His continued success is perhaps all the more impressive considering horseracing is one of the world's most dangerous sports around, McCoy has not escaped lightly, breaking almost every bone in his body. Including his leg, arm, ankle, both wrists, shoulder, blades, collar bones, cheekbones and all of his ribs.

"From the first day I've been riding, I've convinced myself I'm unbreakable, the amount of times I've been in the ambulance it is obviously not true. I kind of think I'm like a cat with nine lives sometimes," he told reporters.

In 2011 McCoy was in the ballroom of Buckingham Palace, where he was presented with a OBE from the Queen. Another massive achievement from a true champion.

So is this the finishing post for McCoy? Don't bet on it, as he is still looking over his shoulder at the competition, even if they are very far down the track.

"No matter how successful you are in any sport, and no matter how good you think you are or anyone else thinks you are, there will always be someone who will do better, that is something that I think of every day I go out, in that, I know how ever much I'm lucky enough to keep winning, I know that someone's going to win more than me and that's what motivates me.

"And obviously I love doing what I do."

The fall of Roger Federer?

Roger Federer has won everything there is to win in the world of tennis. He is no longer playing for the money or the glory, but an undoubted love of the game that defines true sporting greats.

I don’t think anyone is calling for the retirement of a tennis legend, but for his fans it is tough seeing Federer being beaten in straight sets by players of inferior talent to the great man. One may wonder whether he is still enjoying playing, but there is no other reason for him to remain playing.

There comes a point in a successful sporting careers where their run of dominance starts to slip, opponents no longer feel an impending sense of dread when they face you  and the belief they can win makes them psychologically stronger. People now regard the chance of beating Federer as a fantastic scalp and if they’re relatively unknown, a sign that they have arrived.

If you’re Federer the idea of retirement has to be a consideration, losing all the time cannot be fun for one of the most prolific champions the sport has ever produced.  However, I think he still genuinely does love it: he’s never been the hardest trainer in the world and hasn't needed to be, but he loves the competition. Only he knows if it is worth it.

The idea of him winning another Grand Slam at this stage does seem far fetched, but then again who would have though Pete Sampras would have won his last Slam at Wimbledon after all that time had passed. If Federer is to win another, he probably only has a chance of winning Wimbledon as it is best suited to where his game is at now.

Many of Federer’s fans just want to see more of him and even if he loses it quite often a great sporting spectacle. He is that good, that even when he isn't at his best it is still marvellous to watch.

Recently he was talking about the presses reaction to Nadal’s decline in form, stating ‘You guys write off players a bit too quick’ – and maybe he’s right.

Over the last few weeks he has been talking about next year being a big year. Maybe there will be a renaissance next year – but how big that renaissance will be remains to be seen.

Federer’s claim to being the greatest of all time shouldn't be affected by a slow fade anyway. Let’s say Federer retired after winning Wimbledon. Why would that make his legacy any better than if he spends the next two years hovering around the top 20 without any more major wins? Everything that happened before is still on his résumé and will remain there forever.

To be honest I just feel It is fantastic that we have witnessed one of sports true greats in his prime.

Could a Super Tax Ruin the French Football League?

French President François Hollande's plans for a 75% super-tax on the mega-rich, is causing major controversy after French football clubs said they would cancel all matches scheduled for the final weekend in November to protest at the levy.

The symbolic tax will last for only 2 years, aiming to claim 75% on income exceeding €1m (£850,000) a year. This has caused a headache for the Socialist government since it has been ruled un-constitutional by the French courts. In an attempt to avoid further embarrassment of a major policy U-turn, ministers redrafted the tax earlier this year to shift the burden from individuals to employers – this change in emphasis has spooked football clubs, which famously pay vast salaries even to bit-part players.

The clubs have argued that they are under intense financial pressures and are already losing money. It is believed the tax would results in a massive exodus of top players to rival leagues, effectively killing the domestic game. However, despite of the likely effect on the top French football leagues, 85% of the population are in favour of the tax and it being applied to football clubs.

Jean-Pierre Louvel, president of the Union of Professional Football Clubs (UCPF), announced on Thursday that the round of matches scheduled from 29 November to 2 December would not be played. He said: "It's a historic moment for French football. We're talking about the death of French football."

Football bosses estimate the tax would cost League 1 clubs €44m in the two years it would be in place. "How can you tax businesses that have been in difficulty over the last three or four years?" Louvel asked. "And why have they been [in difficulty]? Because the taxes we've been paying are too high. And people ask why we're not competitive with other leagues."

Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain - the biggest spending club owned by Qatari Billionaires - would be the worst hit with 21 salaries over 1 Million Euros, including the highest paid player in French football Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The other big clubs would also struggle including Lyon and Marseille.

French clubs have argued that the payroll taxes they pay were already the highest in Europe and that players' wages cost a third more than in Germany, England, Spain or Italy.

"Most of the clubs don't make money, they lose money, so how is it possible for the clubs to pay taxes when they don't have money left?" Saint-Etienne president Bernard Caizzo told the Associated Press.

Ligue 1 clubs combined registered a loss of €108m at the end of the 2011-12 season. Last year, French clubs paid about €700m in social charges and image rights, which was more than they received in television rights, the UCPF said.

Despite all this the 75% super-tax – a temporary measure aimed at forcing the wealthy to help drag France out of its economic crisis – remains popular with voters. Talks are due to continue with the clubs and the French government, the clubs hope to come to an arrangement before they lose all their top talent if they cannot afford to pay them.

England have made it to World Cup 2014 in Brazil!!

After a nervy 2-0 victory over Poland at Wembley last night, England have guaranteed their place at the World Cup in Brazil next year by topping group H with 6 wins and 4 draws. This is England's fifth successive World Cup finals appearance and overall Roy Hodgson can look back at a qualification job well done.

Now that qualification is over, we can look forward to the main event kicking off next summer. We decided to put together an essential guide to next years World Cup with all the information you will need:

Pre-Tournament Friendlies

Although England have avoided the play-offs, that November international break could be used so that Hodgson can test his players further. Friendlies with potential World Cup opponents Germany and Australia have been lined up.

England then have their last mid-season outing against Denmark pencilled in for Wednesday 5th March. This will by Roy’s last chance to assess the players before naming his 23 man squad on June 2nd, this is three weeks after the end of the Premier league season. After this the FA will no doubt have a host of pre-tournament games lined up, in a bid to get England adjusted to the climate and ready for the World Cup.

When will we find out the Draw?

The 6th December is the date England will find out their opponents in Brazil, will it be the group of death or a relatively easy route to the next round? However we all know that, if the past is anything to go by, a favourable draw is no guarantee of easy England victories.

At the last few tournaments England have been amongst the top seeds, meaning they avoided a lot of the bigger teams in the draw, this time due to being placed 17th in the Fifa world rankings they will have to face one of the world's best sides.

There will be four pots of eight teams, with pot one comprising Brazil and the top seven qualifiers from the Fifa world rankings.  Geography also plays a part in the whole process. Pots two, three and four will be split by regions, keeping teams from the same qualifying areas apart during the group stage.

The seeding will be announced on October 17th and the final draw will be screened worldwide on the 6th December.

Who’s there already?

Brazil have qualified as hosts, and will be joined by a total of 13 teams from Europe, five from Africa, four from South America, four from Asia, three from North and Central America and the Caribbean, with the remaining two places decided by inter-confederation play-offs.

The European teams  who have already  qualified include some who are likely to be among the favourites to progress in the tournament. Including Belgium, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, England and Spain. Plus the like of Russia, Switzerland, Bosnia-Hercegovina will be joining them. The final four places will be decided by play-off's in November.

Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador and Chile are the South American teams to have booked their places in Brazil, while Australia, Iran, Japan and South Korea have qualified from Asia. Costa Rica, United States and Honduras are through from North and Central America and the Caribbean federation.

When does it start?

The tournament open in Sao Paulo on 12th June and the group stages run until 26th June. That is 15 Consecutive days of football without a break, and then day three is the first in World Cup history to have four games running back to back!

The round of 16 matches take place from 28 June to 1 July, with two fixtures each day. The quarter-finals are on 4 and 5 July, also two a day, and the semi-finals on 8 and 9 July.

The World Cup final will be in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday 13 July.

What about Tickets?

There has been over 6 Million requests for tickets, almost double the total available. Some 96,780 requests were made from England. Tickets not allocated will be available on a first-come, first-served basis from 5 November. There will be further sets of tickets on sales on the 8th December and two more times in 2014.

What time do the games Kick-Off?

This World Cup is perfect for the working football fan, with three games per evening to take up your time. The early games kick off at 17:00 BST, followed by games at 20:00 BST and 23:00 BST. This could be one of the best World Cup’s yet for the European football fan.

What about Brazil?

Brazil are hosting their first world cup for over 50 years and the first one in South America since 1978. It almost seems ridiculous that one of the most passionate and dedicated football countries in the world has not hosted a World Cup for so long. The atmosphere is likely to be electric and one of the most memorable tournaments yet.

Brazil is the fifth biggest country in the world, so weather and conditions will vary greatly. However, this tournament takes place in Brazil's winter. Despite this humidity will still be a key factor, with that becoming less of a problem the further south you travel. Generally the tournament should not be as hot as people expect.

Six of the of twelve stadiums hosting the tournament are still being build. Brazils Maracana in Rio which will host the final, is one of the most iconic stadiums in the world up there with Wembley and the Nou Camp.

Crickets ‘Little Master’ Sachin Tendulkar Retires

Sachin Tendulkar has ended weeks of speculation regarding his Test retirement, by calling it quits and announcing that the 40-years old's 200th test in Indian colours will be his last. He will walk out to bat for India one last time, against the West Indies in November, which is likely to be held in Mumbai next month.

Tendulkar's retirement had seemed more likely after quitting limited overs cricket in December 2012 and facing increased pressure following poor batting performances. Tendulkar a man who has scored a record 51 test centuries, last recorded a century against South Africa in January 2011. It seems inconceivable that a batsman regarded as the best of his generation could face a dip in form. Tendulkar scored 15837 runs, hitting 67 fifties and even recorded an unbeaten 248. So it seems now is the perfect time to draw to a close one of the legendary sporting careers. 

In an emotional statement, Tendulkar said: "All my life, I have had a dream of playing cricket for India. I have been living this dream every day for the last 24 years. It's hard for me to imagine a life without playing cricket because it's all I have ever done since I was 11 years old. It's been a huge honour to have represented my country and played all over the world. I look forward to playing my 200th Test Match on home soil, as I call it a day. 

"I thank the BCCI for everything over the years and for permitting me to move on when my heart feels it's time! I thank my family for their patience and understanding. Most of all, I thank my fans and well-wishers who through their prayers and wishes have given me the strength to go out and perform at my best."

Tendulkar nicknamed the "God of Cricket" will be extremely hard to replace, former Test captain and opening batsman Sunil Gavaskar said : "It will not be easy to fill the gap left by Sachin. The No. 4 position will be a slot that will invite a huge amount of pressure. It will be a litmus test for anyone batting there. All big Test sides have had the best of batsmen batting at No. 4. For India, the position has been occupied by Tendulkar for almost two decades and it will be impossible to replace him overnight." Tendulkar’s first Test came against Pakistan at Karachi in November 1989. 

Even with his form and run scoring capabilities being called into question recently, Tendulkar is still breaking records. In a T20 Champions League match against Trinidad and Tobago in Delhi last weekend, Tendulkar reached a landmark 50,000 runs across all formats of competition cricket. Tendulkar was popular across the world, and in 1992 became the first overseas player to sign for Yorkshire, scoring more than 1,000 runs in the summer. 

The president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, N Srinivasan, said: "He is without doubt the greatest cricketer India has produced. 

"In fact, one should really say he ranks among the top of all-time great sports persons in the world. No one has served Indian cricket as Sachin has. Tendulkar had a very important role within the Indian team, alongside fellow legends Dravid and Ganguly, providing a comforting air of experience and composure. Aiding the development of the often hot headed youngster fresh in to the team, with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni stating the ‘little master’ knew how to handle the young guns. 

As the curtain falls on an amazing Test career, Tendulkar can be satisfied by his contribution to his sport, the esteem his colleagues hold him in and the respect he received from his opponents. Any sportsman would be proud of that legacy.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan tweeted:  "One of the greatest ever Sachin Tendulkar is retiring. One of my heroes and an absolute joy to play against."

England batsman Kevin Pietersen also took to Twitter  to dub Tendulkar: "Undisputed Champion of Cricket!"

And Shane Warne, the second-highest Test wicket-taker said: "Sachin Tendulkar is, in my time, the best player without a doubt - daylight second, Brian Lara third."