Rugby League

DAVID COVERDALE: If England go on to win the World Cup, they can thank a 30-pint binge in Manchester for putting them on the path to glory. Before the tournament, much was made of Shaun Wane’s selection of Victor Radley, who was born and brought up in Sydney, where he still plays for the Roosters in the NRL. But if Radley had any fears about how he would be received by his new team-mates, his skipper Sam Tomkins soon made him feel welcome – and in true English style. ‘He was the first to send me a message and said, ‘Come down for a coffee’, which turned into about 30 pints!’ smiles Radley, who qualified for England through his Sheffield-born father.