Careers are short and we got a chance to take care of our future MAKO VUNIPOLA ON WHY HE HAS NO REGRETS ABOUT BUSINESS VENTURE THAT HELPED TO SINK SARACENS
RADCLIFFE FEARS FOR THE FUTURE
PAULA RADCLIFFE has voiced concern for the future of athletics unless more kids take up the sport.
World champion heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Laura Muir headline today’s Glasgow Indoor Grand Prix.
Also in action will be Jemma Reekie, the 21-year-old Scottish middle distance runner who recently broke three British indoor records in eight days. With Britain failing to hit its medal target at theWorld Championships in October and the governing body in turmoil, former CEO of England Netball, Joanna Adams, was named as UK Athletics’ new chief executive on Thursday.
UK Sport also announced a major review into UK Athletics and there are reports that the BBC may seek to renegotiate its television rights deal on reduced terms. Marathon legend Radcliffe, above, said: “It’s harder and harder to get kids and parents to put their screens down.We’ve got to do something to grab that attention.
“If we’re not attracting people at that level, you worry a little bit about the future of the sport.”
MAKO VUNIPOLA insists he and brother Billy have no regrets about the salary cap-busting joint investment scheme they entered into with former Saracens chairman Nigel Wray because it has helped secure their future after rugby.
The Vunipolas were named in the report into the disgraced English champions’ off-the-books payments as having benefited from a £450,000 contribution from Wray into a shared property company.
But despite the fines, points deductions and relegation which have followed, Vunipola is unrepentant.
“For us there’s no regrets at all. If I had the choice to do it again I would do it again even knowing what has happened,” said England prop Mako.
“That’s no slight at not caring about what has happened to the club but more the fact that I know rugby is important but our careers are short and I want to look ahead a bit.”
Vunipola confirmed that Vunprop Ltd, which according to its latest accounts has £1.5million in investment property, is still in operation.
“It’s business as usual. Nigel’s still there and backs us,” he said. “He kind of presented the opportunity to us and as rugby players our careers aren’t that long.
“Any opportunity that can help or sort out a little bit of our future after rugby, we’re more than willing to look into it. That was our thinking when we first invested with Nigel and that’s not changed.” Vunipola, at 29 two years older than Billy, has yet to make his mind whether to stay Saracens next season.
“I don’t really know,” he said. “Some things need to happen before I can say I’m definitely staying. There’s things that aren’t in my control but hopefully it gets sorted sooner rather than later.”
He will make his decision after the Six Nations which, for England, resumes a week tomorrow at home to Ireland.
Vunipola has warned the visitors their card will be marked as the up at last team to beat England at Twickenham. Ireland won 24-15 to clinch the Grand Slam two years ago, a game that is scarred in his memory.
“It wasn’t just the Grand Slam they won there at Twickenham. We lost in the performance, we let ourselves down. We want to put that right,” he said.
“Whenever you play Ireland it is always a tough Test and as a team we want to be up for it.We want to prove we are still one of the best teams in the world.”