Why I Think Capello Should Look To Rugby League for WAGS Protocol

Before the FIFA World Cup began I was undecided about whether Fabio Capello's WAGS (wives and girlfriends) ban for the tournament was a good idea. One part of me thought the partners of the players deserved to share in the event while another understood why it wasn't a positive thing for them to appear in the papers dancing on tables and buying up the stock of South Africa's premium shopping outlets.

But now that we have seen two substandard and grey performances form the English national team I have made a decision. I believe they should get the wives, girlfriends, children and extended families of Steven Gerrard and co. out there quick sharp.

To me (and I am no expert on football, but am an on supporting sportsmen) the camp has been turned into an office; the players into businessmen. It is ALL about football. Work, work, work.

I can only comment on the professional rugby league teams I have been involved with over the last 11 years, Huddersfield Giants, Leeds Rhinos and England, although I believe that the protocol is similar for all clubs in the Superleague. My husband has been into camp with all of these teams in the run-up to Challenge Cup matches, the Superleague Grand Final, the Northern Ford Premiership Promotion Grand Final (showing my age) and England's World Cup and Four Nations campaigns.

For all of these events the rules have been as follows: families are encouraged to share in the excitement, supports the team, enjoy the event, but at no time are they wanted at the team hotel, the players should only have time with their families when it is agreed in the schedule and at no time should they be showing themselves up. I can't think of a single rugby league WAG that I know who would even want to break with this arrangement. All we want is for our loved ones to achieve their dreams and win the match!

The families will often have a meal together before setting off to a big fixture, travel together, sit together and rejoice together in victory. If we lose there is no need for words, we just do a shruggy shouldered, miserable faced, defeated look at each other.

If the England 11 is bored, lacklustre on the pitch and disjointed looking perhaps I can offer a suggestion to at least give them passion and team spirit?

Let Wayne Rooney catch a glimpse of Coleen and Kai in the stand as the National Anthem plays and try and stop him dreaming of scoring that goal for his first son. Let Frank Lampard cross that ball knowing that Frank Snr, the driving force behind his career, is watching from the posh seats. Let the wives and the kids and the mums and the dads enjoy the tournament together and create their own camaraderie because it does rub off.

My WAG friends and I are off to Wimbledon for the day tomorrow. We've been looking forward to it for six months and have spent the last one of them FB-ing each other about dresses, bags and shoes for the occasion. We, Leeds Rhinos, are Superleague Champions and our camp is a happy one. Take a leaf?

The Nightmare of The World Cup 2008 - Heading For Disaster

As it is now pretty much nailed on that Jason will be off down under again this year, for England's Four Nations campaign, I think it is time I put down in writing the personal hell that was 'The World Cup' in 2008. Who knows? It may act as therapy. I may get some sort of closure on the whole nightmare.

When the team left for Australia, on October 13th, I was 28 and had a nine-month old baby. I was on my own at home for three weeks before I went to Australia. My daughter, Evangeline, woke up in the night, every night, for about three hours. It was horrible.

We got to grips with Skype especially for the trip so that was nice, although some of the places where the team was staying didn't have a very reliable internet connection! In Townsville the boys were warned about the crocodiles outside and the lizards inside their rooms. It was quite an eye opener I hear.

When the team went to the World Cup they really believed that they had the potential to win this competition. It was an exciting time. England won their first match against Papua New Guinea, but were getting criticised for the performance despite the result.

As I was going to be away from home for three and a half weeks I decided to have a new burglar alarm fitted. The day before we set off I popped out, set the alarm, did whatever, came home, did whatever... Do you see the problem here? Fifteen minutes after I returned home I realised I'd forgotten to turn the alarm off yet it wasn't going off! Shoot. The alarm is not working and I am heading to the other side of the world for nearly a month in about 20 hours.

The alarm people had to come and fix it while I was doing last minute packing the next day.

While that was going on I had to take, and make, a number of very long phone calls to do with a sensitive issue surrounding one of the players. The least said about that the better. All's well that ends well. But it certainly ate into my packing/panicking time.

We arrived at the airport on Nov 1st in good time for our flight and, as I had a baby and was with my mum who uses a wheelchair, we were bumped to the front of the check-in queue. Things seem to be looking up hey? No. Two of the four Visas we had applied for weeks before were invalid because my dad and me were careless. On the forms I had got my passport number wrong and my dad got my mum's date of birth wrong. We seriously thought for a second that our across the world trip was about to end in Manchester.

As it turned out a reasonably quick phone call to immigration in Australia sorted it. I wouldn't advise sorting your visas in this way though as it was quite nerve wracking for a while.

So that's that. Checked in. Time to buy my P20 sunscreen and eat a ham and cheese croissant as I ALWAYS do at the duty free. Evangeline wore her hat that I made.

In the next installment I will write about why our flight was only slightly more chill-axed than that last one Samuel L Jackson caught. You know, the one with all the snakes on it.

My Husband Went to Catalans and All He Bought Me Was This...

My husband and I don't spend much time apart. So much so that the first time he went abroad to warm weather training I was absolutely distraught. He went to Portugal with Huddersfield Giants and a week seemed like all eternity. I told him that there was no way I wanted him to bring me a present back from the trip as I would never want reminding of the trauma.

He is very caring and thoughtful and bought me a present anyway, in case I was bluffing. I was not and five years later that gift is still in its airport carrier bag in a cupboard in our spare room. I have never opened it. (It is a pink watch;-))

This is the only time I have cut off my nose in such a spiteful manner towards my face!

Jason has always tried to bring me, our dog and now our daughter something nice back. If the poker on the trip has gone his way the gift gets an upgrade!

So here are the highlights:

The Good: The loveliest gift I've had was a Swarovski necklace brought back from the England v France friendly in Paris last year. I love it. It came off the back of a good week of poker for my husband, and possibly a bad one for Kris Radlinski. Sorry Mrs Radlinski. Oh but congrats as you've just had a baby boy.

The Bad: I guess I had been spoilt over the last couple of years with Leeds going to Florida for training camp. I've had a couple of nice Abercrombie bits from these trips. But this year they went to Whitehaven. Jason brought me back a bar of Kendal Mint Cake. He didn't realise it was just a mint flavoured sugar block favoured by stranded mountaineers.

The Ugly: Maybe ugly is a bit harsh. Not so much ugly but more unusual. From the England trip to France in 2008 I got a farmyard made out of luxury dark chocolate. The grass was green, the pig was pink and there was a delicate little fence around it! It tasted gorgeous and as I was still breastfeeding I felt no guilt about ramming the lot down.

Earlier you may have picked up on the fact that I mentioned gifts for the dog. She has had a leprechaun from Ireland, a Goofy from Florida and a monster from Loch Ness.

Our daughter has had some lovely gifts. She was seven days old when her daddy went to Florida for training camp. She got a Minnie Mouse toy and half a case full of dirt cheap clothes.

At the time of going to press (or clicking 'post') it seems Jason will be going away next week with England. Unfortunately this year's England v France tie takes place in Leigh. I wonder what souvenirs you can pick up there? You'll be the first to know!