Latest news with #Isa
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Topless hakas and wild celebrations – how rugby legend is bringing winning culture to Chelsea's billion pound youngsters
FROM doing a topless haka in the Chelsea dressing room to punching the dugout in celebration of the Club World Cup win, you can see the passion that Willie Isa brings to the Blues. The former world champion rugby league star, 36, started in the Advertisement 8 Willie Isa was named Chelsea's player support and development officer earlier this year - and is already very much at the heart of what's going on at Stamford Bridge Credit: Getty 8 Isa is a world championship-winning legend of rugby league Credit: Getty 8 Isa has gone viral in recent months for his hilarious antics at the Blues - including performing the haka in the dressing room Yet the viral videos of the Samoan demonstrate Isa is already very much at the heart of what is going on at Stamford Bridge. It comes as no surprise to Isa's former boss at Wigan Warriors that he has become so popular, so quickly in his new life in a new sport. In February 2024, head coach Matt Peet led Wigan to victory in the World Club Challenge. And Isa, who had been at the club since 2016, was the 'cultural architect' who set the standards on and off the field that underpinned the triumph. Advertisement READ MORE SPORT STORIES Peet told SunSport: 'It can sound vague I think, like wishy-washy words, when you talk about culture and standards. 'But it comes back to what are you willing to accept and what are you not willing to accept. 'And who's going to set where the line is and acknowledge when things fall below standard. 'Willie was someone who would be driving the cultural side of the environment, standards, behaviours, attitude, just 24/7. Those people are so important. Advertisement Most read in Football CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS 'We all knew he'd be an addition to any environment. So it's just fair play to Just weeks after Isa became a world champion with Wigan in February last year, he suffered an horrific injury. Simons wants Chelsea move as Villa block Rogers exit | Transfers Exposed A fractured fibula and dislocated ankle put him out for months, but even then - especially then - he made sure he continued to contribute. Advertisement In the autumn, after Wigan had lifted the Challenge Cup and Super League without him on the field, Isa said: 'I was elevated a few years back as a leader and, with the injury, I wanted to play a part in the team in some other way. 'The one-to-one stuff I love but also leading in the group. I make sure our principles stay intact as a club in performance and as people.' Isa returned to training but never to matches before Chelsea offered him the chance to show his off-field skills were transferable to a different sport. You could say Isa was to Wigan what James Milner was to Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp, with the former Kop boss saying Milner was absolutely vital in setting the tone and standards which propelled the Reds back to the top. Advertisement It is a comparison which Peet agrees with and Isa would appreciate. Because, after joining Widnes Vikings in 2012, he became a committed Liverpool fan. He was in Madrid to watch Klopp's side win the Champions League in 2019 and long-term partner Gemma Bonner plays for the Reds' ladies side. 8 Isa was spotted pounding on the dugout in celebration at the Club World Cup 8 Isa is in a relationship with Liverpool Women's star Gemma Bonner, left Credit: Getty Advertisement But now Isa finds himself working for one of Liverpool's big rivals. The average age of a Chelsea starter last season - 24 years and 36 days - was the youngest in Premier League history. And Peet believes Isa is the perfect role model, mentor and confidant for Peet said: 'Any young player, they want to be challenged to improve. They want to be shown the way to lead your life as a professional, in high performance. Advertisement 'But first and foremost, they want to know that there's a genuine care there. 'That's what Willie will be good at. He'll put his arm around those that need it, but it won't be a softly, softly approach. 'It'll be driving them to be the best they can be. 'Whatever age group, whatever walk of life these players and staff are from, Willie will have a good way of engaging with people, building relationships and trust with everyone really.' Advertisement That was certainly the case at Wigan, as Peet recalled: 'The story I like telling about Willie is we were having a team culture discussion one morning. 'We asked all the players to talk about something that a team-mate had done for them which no one else knew about. 'There were 25 people in the meeting that shared and probably over half of the people mentioned Willie. 'Giving them a lift to training. Borrowing them some money. Allowing them to stay at his house rent free when things had gone wrong for them... Advertisement 'Or when they had moved over from another country, just catching up with the lads for a coffee or doing things for their families. 'You would think, in a meeting like that after a while, certain people would be friends with some groups more than others. 'But it was really evident that Willie was a good team-mate to a cross-section of the team.' 8 Isa has swapped the oval ball for the round ball Credit: Getty Advertisement 8 Isa has brought his Samoan haka from the rugby pitch to Chelsea's dressing room Behind his strapping physique and competitiveness, Isa really is a man for all seasons. Peet said: 'He's interested in his sport, no doubt. When he was in the rugby club he was 100 per cent rugby league, but then at the weekend he'd go watch Gemma or Liverpool. 'He also had a diverse range of interests. What he'd read about, what he'd talk about, politics, social issues. Advertisement 'I know that weekly he'd visit homeless shelters. Not as an appearance, they wouldn't even know he was a professional athlete. He'd just go and do it off his own bat. 'He's just an interesting guy. He's happy to have a conversation about a range of subjects. 'It'll be seen as a team role that he has, linked to culture and environment. But it's really built on individual connections and that's where Willie will excel.' By all accounts, Isa is really making an impression at Chelsea. Advertisement He is a daily presence at the club's training ground in Cobham and part of the backroom staff for every match. A popular figure. A leader of men. And, just months after swapping an oval ball for a round one, part of a world championship-winning team again. 8
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Topless hakas and wild celebrations – how rugby legend is bringing winning culture to Chelsea's billion pound youngsters
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) FROM doing a topless haka in the Chelsea dressing room to punching the dugout in celebration of the Club World Cup win, you can see the passion that Willie Isa brings to the Blues. The former world champion rugby league star, 36, started in the brand new role of player support and development officer for the Premier League club only in February. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 8 Willie Isa was named Chelsea's player support and development officer earlier this year - and is already very much at the heart of what's going on at Stamford Bridge Credit: Getty 8 Isa is a world championship-winning legend of rugby league Credit: Getty 8 Isa has gone viral in recent months for his hilarious antics at the Blues - including performing the haka in the dressing room Yet the viral videos of the Samoan demonstrate Isa is already very much at the heart of what is going on at Stamford Bridge. It comes as no surprise to Isa's former boss at Wigan Warriors that he has become so popular, so quickly in his new life in a new sport. In February 2024, head coach Matt Peet led Wigan to victory in the World Club Challenge. And Isa, who had been at the club since 2016, was the 'cultural architect' who set the standards on and off the field that underpinned the triumph. READ MORE SPORT STORIES Gotta be kitting Fans baffled at bizarre kit quirk during Lionesses semi-final with Italy Peet told SunSport: 'It can sound vague I think, like wishy-washy words, when you talk about culture and standards. 'But it comes back to what are you willing to accept and what are you not willing to accept. 'And who's going to set where the line is and acknowledge when things fall below standard. 'Willie was someone who would be driving the cultural side of the environment, standards, behaviours, attitude, just 24/7. Those people are so important. CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS 'We all knew he'd be an addition to any environment. So it's just fair play to Chelsea for identifying him. They had obviously done their homework.' Just weeks after Isa became a world champion with Wigan in February last year, he suffered an horrific injury. Simons wants Chelsea move as Villa block Rogers exit | Transfers Exposed A fractured fibula and dislocated ankle put him out for months, but even then - especially then - he made sure he continued to contribute. In the autumn, after Wigan had lifted the Challenge Cup and Super League without him on the field, Isa said: 'I was elevated a few years back as a leader and, with the injury, I wanted to play a part in the team in some other way. 'The one-to-one stuff I love but also leading in the group. I make sure our principles stay intact as a club in performance and as people.' Isa returned to training but never to matches before Chelsea offered him the chance to show his off-field skills were transferable to a different sport. You could say Isa was to Wigan what James Milner was to Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp, with the former Kop boss saying Milner was absolutely vital in setting the tone and standards which propelled the Reds back to the top. It is a comparison which Peet agrees with and Isa would appreciate. Because, after joining Widnes Vikings in 2012, he became a committed Liverpool fan. He was in Madrid to watch Klopp's side win the Champions League in 2019 and long-term partner Gemma Bonner plays for the Reds' ladies side. 8 Isa was spotted pounding on the dugout in celebration at the Club World Cup 8 Isa is in a relationship with Liverpool Women's star Gemma Bonner, left Credit: Getty But now Isa finds himself working for one of Liverpool's big rivals. The average age of a Chelsea starter last season - 24 years and 36 days - was the youngest in Premier League history. And Peet believes Isa is the perfect role model, mentor and confidant for Enzo Maresca's youthful squad. Peet said: 'Any young player, they want to be challenged to improve. They want to be shown the way to lead your life as a professional, in high performance. 'But first and foremost, they want to know that there's a genuine care there. 'That's what Willie will be good at. He'll put his arm around those that need it, but it won't be a softly, softly approach. 'It'll be driving them to be the best they can be. 'Whatever age group, whatever walk of life these players and staff are from, Willie will have a good way of engaging with people, building relationships and trust with everyone really.' That was certainly the case at Wigan, as Peet recalled: 'The story I like telling about Willie is we were having a team culture discussion one morning. 'We asked all the players to talk about something that a team-mate had done for them which no one else knew about. 'There were 25 people in the meeting that shared and probably over half of the people mentioned Willie. 'Giving them a lift to training. Borrowing them some money. Allowing them to stay at his house rent free when things had gone wrong for them... 'Or when they had moved over from another country, just catching up with the lads for a coffee or doing things for their families. 'You would think, in a meeting like that after a while, certain people would be friends with some groups more than others. 'But it was really evident that Willie was a good team-mate to a cross-section of the team.' 8 Isa has swapped the oval ball for the round ball Credit: Getty 8 Isa has brought his Samoan haka from the rugby pitch to Chelsea's dressing room Behind his strapping physique and competitiveness, Isa really is a man for all seasons. Peet said: 'He's interested in his sport, no doubt. When he was in the rugby club he was 100 per cent rugby league, but then at the weekend he'd go watch Gemma or Liverpool. 'He also had a diverse range of interests. What he'd read about, what he'd talk about, politics, social issues. 'I know that weekly he'd visit homeless shelters. Not as an appearance, they wouldn't even know he was a professional athlete. He'd just go and do it off his own bat. 'He's just an interesting guy. He's happy to have a conversation about a range of subjects. 'It'll be seen as a team role that he has, linked to culture and environment. But it's really built on individual connections and that's where Willie will excel.' By all accounts, Isa is really making an impression at Chelsea. He is a daily presence at the club's training ground in Cobham and part of the backroom staff for every match. A popular figure. A leader of men. And, just months after swapping an oval ball for a round one, part of a world championship-winning team again.
Spectator
16-07-2025
- Business
- Spectator
Why wealth taxes don't work
The nation owes the former Labour leader Neil Kinnock an eternal debt for losing the 1992 general election when he was clear favourite to win it, thereby sparing us whatever socialist folly he might have brought to Downing Street. I salute him again for popping up to propose a 2 per cent wealth tax on fortunes above £10 million that might raise a supposed £11 billion for the hard-pressed Chancellor – thereby bringing into sharp focus the vague threat that several cabinet ministers have studiously refused to rule out. Pressure is building on Rachel Reeves from backbenchers, unions and anti-poverty campaign groups to mount a raid on the rich in her autumn Budget. But Kinnock of all people, a firebrand backbencher at the time, should remember that Labour's 1974 manifesto included the promise of 'an annual Wealth Tax on the Rich [and] a new tax on major transfers of personal wealth' – which was dead within two years. Why? Because of concerns in the Treasury, and among worldly Labour voices such as the (millionaire) cabinet fixer Harold Lever, that at a time of dire UK economic performance, such a confiscatory measure would provoke an exodus of capital and a crisis of business confidence. Sound familiar? Once upon a time, wealth taxes were in fashion in a dozen OECD countries, as bien pensants bought Thomas Piketty's thesis, in his absurdly bestselling tome Capital, that a global levy was the moral solution to the fact that the rich were getting richer even while ordinary folks' real incomes were squeezed. But one by one, most of those taxes were scrapped as being difficult to collect, economically counter-productive and an incentive to entrepreneur flight. In Europe, only Norway, Spain and Switzerland still have them – and further afield, Colombia, presumably in pursuit of cocaine loot. Spain is reckoned to have lost 10,000 of its richest since the higher rate was raised to 3.5 per cent in 2022. In short, the tired old wealth tax concept is a classic red flag of envy politics – and we must thank Lord Kinnock for waving it. Not with a bang Meanwhile, Reeves's 'Leeds reforms' ahead of her Mansion House speech on Tuesday made great play of slashing City red tape. But after a backlash from the sector she has U-turned on her well-advertised plan to cut the £20,000 tax-free cash Isa limit in the hope of pushing savings towards UK equities. Spin ahead of the day's speeches talked of a new 'Big Bang'. But until there's a tidal shift of capital towards high-growth UK companies – and valuations rise accordingly, driven by a revival of international confidence in UK prospects generally – all other City reforms risk being dismissed (to misquote T.S. Eliot) not as bangs but as whimpers. Rose among clowns Congratulations and an overdue apology to Cindy Rose, the senior London-based Microsoft executive who has been headhunted to revive WPP, the advertising and PR conglomerate that has never fully recovered from the acrimonious departure of its creator Sir Martin Sorrell in 2018. One of the few world-scale businesses built in Britain in the past 40 years and a long-time constituent of the FTSE 100 index, WPP stands accused of running adrift in the era of social media marketing. Torn by internal strife, it has lost clients and seen its shares plunge; another sharp fall followed the resignation of the current chief executive Mark Read and a profits warning last week. Some analysts say the best hope is a break-up into its constituent agencies, while Sorrell himself declares unhelpfully that WPP may be 'too far gone' to be turned around, even by Rose. Who is she? A New York-trained lawyer, she has also worked for Vodafone and Virgin and been called 'the most powerful woman in UK tech'. And I'd guess she's well skilled at deflating the overblown male egos that tend to disrupt 'talent-led' firms such as WPP – which takes me neatly to my apology, for an episode long ago when Rose, newly arrived to work for a top London law firm, found herself among Englishmen behaving riotously at a dinner party that might have been a rejected scene from Laura Wade's play Posh. This being the pre-internet age, an exchange of barbed letters followed, mine on crudely faked US Supreme Court letterhead purporting to offer consoling advice from Justice Clarence Thomas. While I guffawed at my own ungallant wit, she evidently concluded that if this drunken 'peanut gallery' (I think that was her phrase) was the best an expensive British education could produce, she'd have no difficulty overtaking us to build a top-level corporate career on this side of the pond. As indeed she has: so not only is moral victory hers but I suspect our buffoonery hardened her ambition. And I'll happily offer her tea at the Ritz to celebrate that positive outcome. Korea from here? How do we achieve a revaluation not just of London-listed stocks but of the UK as a whole in the eyes of the world? The question came to mind twice this week. First, contemplating (but not actually ordering) a 'Korean Crunch Burger' on the room-service menu of a Premier Inn, I wondered how the austere industrial powerhouse of South Korea I knew in the 1980s became so fashionable in fast food, pop music and cinema that the prefix 'K-' will these days sell almost any gimmick. Next, enjoying pierogi and vodka at the Ognisko restaurant in South Kensington's Polish Hearth Club, I recalled the downbeat post-communist Poland of the early 1990s, now a rising star of European diplomacy, tourism and even Wimbledon tennis. In both cases, a generation-long release of creativity and animal spirits has wrought startling transformation. How do we get there from here? Certainly not by following the flickering torch of Reeves and our visionless Prime Minister. But still the question should be writ large on every Westminster whiteboard.
Powys County Times
11-07-2025
- Business
- Powys County Times
Cash Isa limits set to be left untouched at next week's Mansion House speech
Cash Isas will be left untouched at next week's Mansion House speech, in a move that has been welcomed by savings experts. Speculation had been mounting that plans to cut the annual tax-free cash Isa allowance could be announced in Chancellor Rachel Reeves's Mansion House speech on July 15. But the PA news agency understands that Ms Reeves will instead focus on new plans to provide consumers with the information and support they need to invest. The Government is expected to continue talking to industry members and others about the options for reform, with a broad consensus that the UK's savings and investment culture needs to be encouraged. Harriet Guevara, chief savings officer at Nottingham Building Society, said: 'This is positive news for savers and for lenders. 'We've consistently made the case, alongside others across the mutual and building society sector, for maintaining the full allowance, and welcome any decision to consult further with industry rather than rush through damaging reform that would disincentivise saving. 'Cash Isas remain a vital tool for millions to build financial resilience over time, particularly in the current economic climate. 'Our data shows more than half of our fixed Isa customers used the full £20,000 allowance last year, rising to 65% among those who save in-branch, underlining just how important this option is to those trying to get ahead financially.' Some building societies reported seeing a jump in cash Isa applications last week, as speculation intensified over the future of the allowance. Mutuals also warned that mortgages could become more costly and harder to access if the cash Isa limit was cut, with retail deposits being needed to fund mortgage lending. The Government has been looking at how to help put more money in people's pockets. Earning stronger returns on savings by encouraging investing could be one way to do this, although the value of investments can go down as well as up. The aim of a potential cut in the cash Isa allowance could have encouraged more investment in stocks and shares, some parts of the industry argued. But some savings providers also argued that any cut to the cash Isa may simply encourage savers to park their money in taxable savings accounts, rather than the stock market. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has recently outlined plans to reduce the 'advice gap' with proposals to enable firms to offer a new type of help called 'targeted support' and make suggestions to groups of consumers with common characteristics. Sarah Coles, head of personal finance, Hargreaves Lansdown, said that 'rushing into a change' would have been 'a real blow for savers and may not get more people to invest anyway'. She said: 'Changing the boundary on advice and guidance will be truly transformational. Once companies can offer targeted support to their clients, it will help more people build their understanding and confidence, so they choose to branch out into investment because they know it's right for them – rather than feeling pushed into it to retain their Isa allowance.' Ms Coles added: 'There is a real opportunity to simplify choice and open up investment opportunities. Dropping the 'stocks and shares' language and updating the Isa to call it an investment Isa would help overcome needless confusion.' A Treasury spokesperson said: 'Our ambition is to ensure people's hard-earned savings are delivering the best returns and driving more investment into the UK economy.' Matthew Carter, head of savings and mortgages at Coventry Building Society, said: 'Slashing the cash Isa allowance would be all stick and no carrot. 'It would raise the tax bill for savers, penalising them for doing the responsible thing, and nudge them toward taking greater risk with their money in stocks and shares. 'The ambition to encourage more investment in UK equities is a good one. 'But taking extra risk with the hope of greater longer-term reward isn't always the appropriate choice. 'Many people, especially those already in retirement or saving for a house deposit, don't need or want the uncertainty of the stock market.' Jason Hollands, managing director of Bestinvest by Evelyn Partners, the online investment platform, said: 'Cutting the cash Isa allowance now when saving rates remain relatively high and the meagre annual personal savings allowance has remained frozen since inception, would have amounted to little more than a tax grab.' Victor Trokoudes, chief executive and founder of Isa provider Plum, said: 'The FCA's recent announcement about 'targeted support' has massive potential to give people the guidance and information they need to make more informed financial decisions that are best for their circumstances.' Cecilia Mourain, chief homebuying and savings officer at Moneybox, said: 'Cash Isas aren't a blocker to investing – they're a gateway. 'Saving and investing go hand in hand, and both are crucial to achieving financial goals at every stage of life.' Alex Sitaras, head of savings at Skipton Building Society, said: 'We back the goal of getting more people to invest, absolutely. But not at the expense of those who rely on low-risk, flexible savings. Cash Isas work. Undermining them doesn't. 'What we'd like to see now is a Government-backed, industry-led campaign focused on education, awareness, and better financial decision-making.' Tom Selby, director of public policy at AJ Bell, said: 'Allowing more time for consulting industry is a sensible move, as is the focus on encouraging savers to invest using improved financial guidance through 'targeted support'.'
North Wales Chronicle
11-07-2025
- Business
- North Wales Chronicle
Cash Isa limits set to be left untouched at next week's Mansion House speech
Speculation had been mounting that plans to cut the annual tax-free cash Isa allowance could be announced in Chancellor Rachel Reeves's Mansion House speech on July 15. But the PA news agency understands that Ms Reeves will instead focus on new plans to provide consumers with the information and support they need to invest. The Government is expected to continue talking to industry members and others about the options for reform, with a broad consensus that the UK's savings and investment culture needs to be encouraged. Harriet Guevara, chief savings officer at Nottingham Building Society, said: 'This is positive news for savers and for lenders. 'We've consistently made the case, alongside others across the mutual and building society sector, for maintaining the full allowance, and welcome any decision to consult further with industry rather than rush through damaging reform that would disincentivise saving. 'Cash Isas remain a vital tool for millions to build financial resilience over time, particularly in the current economic climate. 'Our data shows more than half of our fixed Isa customers used the full £20,000 allowance last year, rising to 65% among those who save in-branch, underlining just how important this option is to those trying to get ahead financially.' Some building societies reported seeing a jump in cash Isa applications last week, as speculation intensified over the future of the allowance. Mutuals also warned that mortgages could become more costly and harder to access if the cash Isa limit was cut, with retail deposits being needed to fund mortgage lending. The Government has been looking at how to help put more money in people's pockets. Earning stronger returns on savings by encouraging investing could be one way to do this, although the value of investments can go down as well as up. The aim of a potential cut in the cash Isa allowance could have encouraged more investment in stocks and shares, some parts of the industry argued. But some savings providers also argued that any cut to the cash Isa may simply encourage savers to park their money in taxable savings accounts, rather than the stock market. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has recently outlined plans to reduce the 'advice gap' with proposals to enable firms to offer a new type of help called 'targeted support' and make suggestions to groups of consumers with common characteristics. Sarah Coles, head of personal finance, Hargreaves Lansdown, said that 'rushing into a change' would have been 'a real blow for savers and may not get more people to invest anyway'. She said: 'Changing the boundary on advice and guidance will be truly transformational. Once companies can offer targeted support to their clients, it will help more people build their understanding and confidence, so they choose to branch out into investment because they know it's right for them – rather than feeling pushed into it to retain their Isa allowance.' Ms Coles added: 'There is a real opportunity to simplify choice and open up investment opportunities. Dropping the 'stocks and shares' language and updating the Isa to call it an investment Isa would help overcome needless confusion.' A Treasury spokesperson said: 'Our ambition is to ensure people's hard-earned savings are delivering the best returns and driving more investment into the UK economy.'
