As an Ex England International and current Chairman of European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR), Simon has a unique insight into the world of rugby on and off the field. His blog discusses the big issues of the moment and offers frank opinions – within reason!
Last weekend, Sporting Wine Club was once again displaying Drew Bledsoe’s wonderful wines from Walla Walla Valley. This time the Doubleback, Flying B and Elizabeth Chardonnay were enjoyed at Wembley for the Houston Texans/Jacksonville Jaguars game. On this occasion, Houston ran away with the game but it was all about quality – as with the […]
Gut-wrenching it is to lose a Rugby World Cup Final anywhere at all, but Twickenham 1991 wasn’t much fun when our hopes evaporated on a deliberate Campese try-saving knock on, as well as a phenomenal defensive performance by an Aussie team which contained some of the best names who ever pulled on the jersey. Throw […]
As you know we have a wonderful relationship with M Restaurant, and many of you have spent time in their venues in the city, Victoria and also Twickenham. If you are wondering where you can watch the RWC final with an amazing atmosphere and then move on into town, hopefully to celebrate a great wine, […]
As an Englishman who played in a winning Rugby World Cup Semi-Final (1991 v Scotland ), the overall feeling then was relief and then excitement. Twickenham awaited us after beating the Auld Enemy to avenge the 1990 defeat. In Yokohama, you can add supreme satisfaction I would imagine although this England squad will try to […]
Although we await a possible double act by the England Rugby team we cannot forget the cricketing triumphs of a few months ago. Some members and friends of SWC came together at the Chinese Cricket Club Restaurant last week to reminisce and taste some wine. We had former England Captain Adam Hollioake visiting from Australia […]
England v France World Cup Quarter Final 1991 au Parc des Princes, the near impregnable citadel of French Rugby. Brian Moore fixed everyone with a glare before the match – ‘we lose this and it’s back to work on Monday – or else there’s another week off. A dramatic win in a cauldron of emotion was […]
The match that nearly wasn’t, prompting a social media and legal protest almost unrivalled in rugby, the backdrop of a deadly storm and finally a national sporting drama which played on all the emotions in front of a 60m audience. Tamura and Nagare, names to conjure with – if there are two more electrifying half […]
Was it really 6 weeks ago that Saracens took their game to new levels by shutting out Leinster in the Heineken Champions Cup Final. It was a ruthless show of how to close out a pressure game from behind – a true International game in club jerseys. All played out in a sporting hotbed that […]
As the denouement of the Six Nations, Heineken Champions Cup, Challenge Cup and domestic leagues have played out over the last few weeks, it was tempting to look off-field as well as on-field for all the rugby stories. Here are a selection of some which caught my eye and my theme is the business of […]
It was said that England lost the Rugby World Cup Final of 1991 against Australia through inflexibility. Our narrative was that we felt our strategy was going to work, and then it didn’t! The Campese deliberate knock down hardly helped but we didn’t mix up our game enough to keep the Aussies guessing when the […]
