Steve Deane scours global media for an offbeat look at rugby's biggest show.
BIG GUNS
The Royal Navy is rolling out its big guns for RWC 2015 ceremonial duties, royalnavy.mod.uk proudly reports. Veteran flag bearer able seaman Harnish Patel got the flag-bearing nod for the USA v Samoa match, alongside the less experienced but no less able reservist Ben Roberts.
"For me itis an honour to represent the Royal Navy Reserve at such a high-profile event," said Patel.
It's also nothing new. AB Patel was "mobilised" for the Paralympics in 2012, raising the Union Flag in the opening ceremony. He gained more experience while undertaking ceremonial duties at an NFL match at Wembley in 2013. Since joining the Reserve Forces Harnish has also spent time training at sea with the RN minehunter HMS Grimsby, apparently.
A homework exercise in punctuation turned into a brush with global fame for Hollyfast Primary student Jack Redhead, reports the Coventry Telegraph. Asked to write a couple of sentences using a semi-colon, Jack decided to pen a missive about his favourite player Tom Wood. Jack sent Wood his work and next thing you know it was re-tweeted to 500,000 followers and bunged up on the side of Twickenham Stadium on a huge electronic display.
"Jack was so excited and he is now a hero at Barkers Butts (see note)," his dad Clayton said.
TASTE OF BRITAIN
Official RWC2015 partner Land Rover will host a whopping 5000 guests during the tournament, reports industry staple Conference and Meetings World. "Land Rover has 25 extended programmes for its stakeholder partners taking place in eight locations across Britain, from Brighton to Scotland. The programmes last between one and 10 days and are designed around RWC matches and activities to deliver a true taste of Britain." Land Rover, whose brands include iconic luxury Brit mobile Jaguar, is owned by Indian company Tata Motors.
WINDHOEK CALLING
Time to check in with Namibia's press ahead of the big match against the ABs. Coach Phil Davies explained the intricacies of his selection policy to the The Namibian.
"We want to start building momentum with the rest of the tournament in mind and for each match we will use a 23-man strategy in order to sustain an 80-minute performance required at this level," Davies said. "We have also looked at the World Cup as a four-match program and we have full confidence in our 31-man squad to reach our goals."
Meanwhile at the Namibian Sun, the top sports story sees Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers challenging his players to turn home ground Anfield into a fortress after another disappointing display saw his side draw 1-1 with promoted Norwich City.
