Sporting chance

Those of you who know me even a little tiny bit will know I'm not exactly a sports fan. Sit me in front of Wimbledon for a few hours, and I'll be happy enough, or if there's a particuarly good one-day cricket match at Lord's, I'll be entertained for the duration, so long as the weather's good, but generally I'm just Not That Fussed. I used the football World Cup to go shopping or sit in largely-empty parks.

So you can imagine my delight today on entering our office sweepstake for the Rugby World Cup. My knowledge of rugby goes as follows: there are hookers. This makes me giggle. Even when rugby players succeed in scoring points, it's still called a "try", like they didn't quite manage it. Rugby players have funny-shaped ears. Any game that has a blood bin is probably a bit too violent for me. I think someone plays at Twickenham because I was on a train through it once with some rugby fans. Until three weeks ago, I didn't know Scotland played rugby, even though I'd been to a conference at Murrayfield.

So let's just wrap all that up by saying my knowledge of the sport is somewhat lacking. But, if not sporting in actual physical ability, or indeed particularly competitive by nature, I am - I hope - up for joining in with merriment at work, so I paid my £2 and drew one of the two remaining folded up pieces of paper from the pot.

So ladies and gentlemen (announcement coming), it would be much appreciated if you could send all of your very best thoughts and wishes for the Rugby World Cup to my chosen team... fucking Canada.