The National's Adam Workman writes below about the peculiarities of the rules dictating rugby union transfer.
Rugby union has, to date and to its credit, refused to implement an official mid-season transfer window. The player turnover between clubs is admittedly nowhere near as widespread or lucrative as in football, for example, yet that hasn't stopped a similarly disruptive trend from emerging.
Players who are out of contract at the end of a season cannot be formally approached until January 1 of the same campaign. But while that rule is designed to protect clubs from losing key talent halfway through a league season, this year has seen several high-profile internationals at the centre of situations that can be almost as damaging.
The majority of outgoing players who, in January, announce intentions to switch clubs will then continue to represent their current employers for another five months. And Friday's Aviva Premiership action brought such a flawed system into focus, with two would-be England No 10s taking to the field while fully aware that they won't be pulling on the same shirts come the 2014/15 season. Broadly speaking, it's akin to going through the motions in a marriage after the ink has already dried on divorce papers.
There was a point while watching the reigning champions Leicester Tigers narrowly squeak past the basement boys Worcester Warriors where the Tigers' fly-half Toby Flood badly miscued a long-range penalty. While there can be no doubting his professionalism – he did, after all, rack up 13 of his side's 23 points, including landing the decisive penalty from a tricky angle – on a subconscious level, it must be difficult to deliver for a side every week for several months after you've confirmed your exit. (Flood's expected move to the French Top 14 side Toulouse has already cost him his place in the England squad, thanks to a policy of only selecting home-based players to represent the country, although that's another minefield of controversy entirely.)
Flood's likely replacement at Welford Road has found himself in a comparable spot. After five years at the club, the Gloucester Rugby fly-half Freddie Burns has announced that he will be departing Kingsholm. Once again, we're not questioning the professionalism: Burns booted a hat-trick of penalties for his side in an away defeat to the Sale Sharks on Friday night. But when Gloucester travel to Leicester next weekend, Burns will be lining up against his probable future employers. The Heineken Cup draw, meanwhile, leaves open the possibility that Flood's Tigers could meet Toulouse in the final in Cardiff on May 24.
It's a position that these players shouldn't be in to start with. With the Aviva Premiership running from September to the end of May, the three-month close season is longer than in most sports this side of the NFL. Surely there's sufficient time to conduct all transfer business during that period?
As a relatively young professional sport – the switch from amateur status occurred in 1995 – it's inevitable that rugby union's development will continue to necessitate fine-tuning. Alongside the Aviva Premiership's devaluing play-off system, its lawmakers would do well to make a start by tackling this transfer faux pas this summer.
Adam Workman
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Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
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Something of a fashion anomaly, normcore is essentially a celebration of the unremarkable. The term was first popularised by an article in New York magazine in 2014 and has been dubbed “ugly”, “bland’ and "anti-style" by fashion writers. It’s hallmarks are comfort, a lack of pretentiousness and neutrality – it is a trend for those who would rather not stand out from the crowd. For the most part, the style is unisex, favouring loose silhouettes, thrift-shop threads, baseball caps and boyish trainers. It is important to note that normcore is not synonymous with cheapness or low quality; there are high-fashion brands, including Parisian label Vetements, that specialise in this style. Embraced by fashion-forward street-style stars around the globe, it’s uptake in the UAE has been relatively slow.
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'The worst thing you can eat'
Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.
Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines:
Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.
Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.
Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.
Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.
Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.
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