Joe Marler was a self-confessed 's***house' during his rugby heyday, now he could be using the dark arts in hit TV show The Traitors as he reveals his first summer plans post-retirement
In his first off-season since retiring, he will be bashing his way around padel courts, holidaying with his family in Italy and getting familiar with a mansion where turncoats and murderers lurk in the shadows.
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Daily Mail
11 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
The reason why Oasis fans who splashed out on £85 merchandise could be sitting on a GOLDMINE
Every year, one fashion brand manages to grab the attention of the nation and become the summer's must have look. This year, the winner is perhaps a surprise. Fresh off the phenomenal success of their reunion tour, Oasis' Liam and Noel Gallagher have turned their hand to fast fashion through a collaboration with Adidas which has proved almost as popular as their sell out shows. The new Adidas range is inspired by styles that Oasis wore in the Nineties and features everything from the iconic three-stripe T-shirts to matching tracksuits and jackets. Upon release the collection sold out almost immediately with particular interest being directed towards the twin £85 football shirts. Indeed, if you were in Manchester last week, you would be hard-pressed to find anyone wearing anything else. In photos taken at gigs and in the pubs and clubs of Cardiff, it is not uncommon to see multiple beer-soaked punters with the number 25 emblazoned on their back in tribute to the Gallagher's historic come back. The shirts, made from Adidas' 'Jacquard jersey' - a well known high quality fabric, are touted as a 'world tour essential that you'll keep coming back to', which 'helps keep you comfortable all day long'. And people certainly seem to believe it, they are now rarer than Prada - such is the phenomenal demand. This is no doubt music to the Gallagher's ears, who are both set to millions through the deal. But as with all fashion, there runs the risk that these pricey purchases are just a fad destined to fade with the time. When MailOnline donned the range on a night-out in London, reaction to the costume was mixed. As our reporters entered the Admiral Duncan, a well known LGBT pub in Soho, there was a cry of 'full kit w*****' from an unknown fashionista on the street. Once inside, the reaction was more muted with some punters saying they liked the kit and others saying it was giving 'sexy chav.' Many people we spoke to questioned the value of the football shirts, which at £85 are priced higher than some premier league football teams options. 'Oasis are like a football team I suppose', proffered our reporter Jack when asked if he had ever been to a football game, 'but no I haven't and I haven't seen them live either.' Overall the consensus was that it was ironically unoriginal to be wearing the Adidas original range considering how omnipresent it had suddenly become in street culture. But is a savvy investment? The fashion experts seem to think so. Stylist Rochelle White, told us: 'The Oasis and Adidas collaboration has captured attention that I feel that many didn't expect, would be so popular. The range has sold out almost instantly and the standout pieces are the £85 football shirts, which I feel blend 90s nostalgia with a fresh, streetwear culture driven trend. 'I believe it's not just a nod to Oasis's legacy, but a clever reworking of the vintage football aesthetic that's currently having a major revival across menswear and youth culture. 'It is blending nostalgic Britpop culture that taps into a growing appetite for items that combine music heritage with iconic sportswear branding. 'I feel what makes this collaboration particularly popular and a must have, is the rarity and potential long-term value it will provide. Consumers love a Limited-edition, there is something about and creates a must have attitude. It often gains cult status and becomes increasingly scarce, so resale values can no doubt soar well above original price. 'Drops like this often grow in value over time, not just financially, but in terms of cultural currency. The scarcity of the collaboration, combined with its connection to the band and an iconic sportswear brand, means these shirts could become collectors' items. 'We've seen similar patterns with other brands such as Supreme's collaborations with The North Face and similar trends have been observed with previous collaborations, which include Adidas's link-ups with Kanye West's Yeezy line or Palace Skateboards, where in some cases scarcity, brand legacy and cultural resonance have driven demand in secondary markets which fuels long-term demand.' Fashion trendist Louise Duncan agreed, telling us: 'What makes this collection so powerful is the emotional connection. Oasis are a quintessentially British band, with a legacy that spans generations. 'Their recent comeback tour sold out instantly, so it's no coincidence that the football shirts flew off the shelves just as fast. 'They represent more than fashion, they are a symbol of identity, memory, and belonging. 'Adidas is the perfect partner in this, with a heritage rooted in music, football and British streetwear. For many fans, these pieces aren't even worn, they're framed as memorabilia and hung on walls like treasured artwork. 'That rarity, combined with the cultural relevance of both the band and brand, is what gives these shirts their long term value. We're not just seeing a Summer trend, we're witnessing the making of a modern collectable, that is bound to increase in value over time.'
Times
31 minutes ago
- Times
Bundee Aki: My wife gave birth on day of first Test, now I can meet baby
Bundee Aki has an extra special reason for wanting to get home after the British & Irish Lions tour — so he can see the three-week old daughter he is yet to meet. The Ireland centre was about to get on the Lions team bus to the first Test of the series against Australia in Brisbane when he received some panicked messages from his wife, Kayla, who was in New Zealand. 'I knew we were overdue,' Aki said. 'The missus calls me and she's like, 'Water hasn't broken, but I'm going to the hospital, I'm feeling contractions'. 'She goes to the hospital, we're getting ready for the team meeting pre-match, and then she calls me and says she's on the way to the hospital, so I said, 'Fine, be safe'. Five minutes later, she sends a photo, her water broke. I was like, 'Cool, OK, are you almost there?' 'She is like 30 or 40 minutes away from the hospital, so I said, 'You'll be alright, Mum is there'. 'Then ten minutes later, she video calls me and I was like, 'Shit, what's going on?' I saw a baby on the video call, so she had it in the car on the way to the hospital. They're both strong and healthy, so happy days. Credit to my wife. She's a powerful woman, a strong woman.' All of Aki's children's names begin with an A. So new arrival Aine joined Armani-Jade, Adrianna, Andronicus and Ailbhe. When Aki knew his wife and daughter were safe, he knew it was a good omen for him and the Lions, on their way to the Suncorp Stadium. He came off the bench as the Lions won 27-19. 'I knew it was good juju. So I knew we were going to have a good day,' he said. Despite the 22-12 defeat in the final Test in Sydney, a day Aki may choose to forget, he has had a memorable tour. At 35, it will be his second and last with the Lions, having toured South Africa in 2021 too. He rates it as his best experience in rugby, and would love Andy Farrell, the head coach, to lead the touring side again in New Zealand. 'Obviously there's quite a few up there, Six Nations at home, grand slam, the New Zealand tour [in 2022, in which Ireland won the All Blacks series 2-1],' Aki said, rating this 2025 Lions tour against his other career highlights. 'The Lions is every four years, coming to Australia, being the first team to go back-to-back to win the series against Australia — it's up there. You could ask anybody in this team, not just the players, the staff. They have enjoyed every single moment and they can see why us Irish people love having Faz [Andy Farrell] as our coach. There's no better man to be able to do it [coach the Lions in 2029]. 'He just made everyone feel themselves so they can enjoy this tour and this campaign. It's not just the players he made feel comfortable. It's the whole staff, everyone enjoyed each other's company. You only wish you could be in that group of people. It's been unbelievable. 'He was exactly the same person as he is with us [Ireland]. Most of the boys were always asking, 'What's Faz like?'. And I go, 'I'm telling you, he's such a good coach, he's such a good person, he brings the best out of people, and you're going to enjoy your time'. 'Only so many people can say they've been on two tours or have won a series. We won the series and that's all we got here for and we'd have loved a clean sweep but it didn't happen.' For Aki, though, there will be more gifts waiting for him when he heads home.
The Independent
41 minutes ago
- The Independent
Miyu Yamashita seals Women's Open title as Lottie Woad continues meteoric rise
Japan's Miyu Yamashita secured victory in the AIG Women's Open at Royal Porthcawl with an assured performance that mocked the golf's world scant knowledge of her previous achievements and abundant potential. Her triumph was built around a second round of 7-under-par 65 played in the calmest conditions of the week. Half the field had the opportunity to make such a decisive move yet only Yamashita did so. Heading into the weekend with a three-shot advantage over her compatriot Rio Takeda, she was seven strokes clear of everyone else in the field and the buffer proved vital. Only England's Charley Hull, who was a distant 11 shots back at halfway, mounted a concerted bid for the title, twice getting with a shot of the champion. Ultimately, however, she recorded a fourth second place finish in the major championships – her first victory remains elusive. Yamashita completed an 11-under par total of 277 to land her first win on the LPGA and while some viewed the result as a shock she was ranked 15th in the world at the start of the week off the back of 13 wins in her homeland since turning professional in 2020. It would be no surprise if this major win was the first of many. Early in Sunday's final round, England's Mimi Rhodes, who finished T19th, completed a remarkable hole-in-one at the 184-yard par-3 fifth. Her partner, Australia's Stephanie Kyriacou, had made an ace of her own at the eighth hole in the second round and on this occasion knocked her tee shot to within inches of the hole. Rhodes's effort then went in-off Kyriacou's ball. If Yamashita was the champion, England's Lottie Woad was the golfer who drove most conversations through the week. The 21-year-old can't remember what she was doing on the first day of July, but essentially she was a student on her summer break. On the last day of the month, in contrast, she started the first round of the final major championship of the year as the clear bookies favourite. It goes without saying that in between she didn't go Interrailing or work in a coffee shop. Instead, she won the Ladies European Tour 's Irish Open by six shots and the LPGA's Scottish Open by three strokes – the former as an amateur, the latter as a professional. It was an astounding spell of golf, possibly the greatest farewell to the amateur game, and hello to the professional ranks, in British golf history. That she was disappointed with her performance at Royal Porthcawl, and still finished tied eighth, says everything about both her talent and desire. It's not the first time that an Englishwoman has announced herself to British golf in spectacular fashion on the shores of the Bristol Channel. In 1933, at Royal North Devon, Gloria Minoprio wowed her peers when contesting the English Ladies Championship with nothing more than a 2-iron. Onlookers, meanwhile, were agog that she stepped straight from a Rolls Royce to the first tee wearing a blue-black pair of trousers. Albeit briefly, she became a nationwide sensation for being the first women golfer to compete in something other than a skirt. Minoprio and Woad are significantly different characters. Where Minoprio was flashy and, indeed, a flash in the pan, Woad is unfussy and likely to be around for a very long time. Nigel Edwards, who worked with Woad in his role as England Golf's Performance Director, is cautious and yet cannot hide his admiration of her straightforward nature and the quality of her driving which, he says, 'Consistently provides her with the opportunity to score.' 'Her potential is immense,' said BBC golf correspondent Iain Carter. 'She is great from the tee, makes very few unforced errors, her chipping is extraordinary, and her putting under pressure is first rate. 'Most significantly of all, she has the temperament, the determination and the competitiveness to make the most of her talents and to enjoy doing so. She appear to have a genuine appetite for winning at the top level.' Woad was not the only youngster to enjoy a stellar July. The Australian Grace Kim went eagle-birdie-eagle to win the Evian Championship, her first LPGA title. The 24-year-old's compatriot, Minjee Lee, is something of an older sister figure to her and understands that both Kim and Woad are yet to fully appreciate the extent to which their lives have changed. 'It's probably too close to the wins and they're still on a high,' she said. 'When they've had a little time off it will begin to sink in.' Now a three-time major championship winner, Lee was a phenomenon herself, winning twice on the LPGA before her 20th birthday. She remembers that time as 'something of a blur' and expects Woad may feel the same. She also remembers riding the wave. 'It felt like go, go, go,' she said and encouraged Woad to take a similar approach. There's a palpable sense that British golf is engaged in a tricky balancing act, weighing giddy excitement against unreasonable expectations. Alison Nicholas, the 1997 US Women's Open champion and two-time winning Solheim Cup captain, is confident of Woad's ability to cope with the inevitable off-the-course duties. 'She's pretty measured and you can only control your own expectations,' she said. 'You can't control anybody else's. She just has to stick to her own bubble and ignore the world a little bit.' Woad is yet to complete her studies at Florida State University in Tallahassee. She will continue to use her apartment there as a base while slowly taking the remaining classes required to graduate (it might take up to three years but she's in no rush). 'I don't feel too different,' she said after five weeks that had changed her life. 'Everyone's been really nice. It's been great.' Those words reveal the true Woad. As special as she is on the golf course, she is utterly normal off it.
