Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
BIG MASOE IS HUMBLED BY SUPPORT FOR FAMILY
MOSE MASOE is
“humbled and overwhelmed” by the rugby league community’s support after over £100,000 was raised on the first weekend of a new foundation in his name.
Super League dedicated its Easter round to supporting the Samoan international after his career-ending and lifechanging spinal injury at the start of last year.
Australia’s NRL also launched a “We Stand With Mose” campaign following his time with Sydney Roosters, Penrith Panthers and St George Illawarra.
All proceeds have gone to the recently-launched Mose Masoe Foundation, which will firstly support the Hull KR forward, 31, and his family, and then other players in similar situations.
Masoe said: “What has happened with the forming of the foundation and now over these past few days, has been truly overwhelming.
“It is really humbling to see so many people, from former playing colleagues and opponents to fans of all clubs showing their love to our family.
“We are truly thankful to each and every person who has supported us. It is something we’ll never forget.”
Masoe’s injury led to him being diagnosed tetraplegic – one of the worst forms of paralysis.
PHIL TAYLOR decided to make a stunning comeback to competitive darts at 60 after discovering that, in retirement, you never get a day off.
The Power has signed up to play in the inaugural World Seniors Darts Championship for over-50s in February 2022.
If the 16-time world champion recaptures his old magic, Taylor says he will enter the UK Open next year – setting him on a potential collision course with old rival Michael van Gerwen and other PDC big guns.
Already 14 former world champions – including Andy ‘The Viking’ Fordham, Martin ‘Wolfie’ Adams, John Lowe, Keith Deller, Bob Anderson, Richie Burnett and Les Wallace – have been invited to the World Seniors.
Taylor, the greatest purveyor of arrows since William Tell, said: “Why am I doing this? Because this is the first project that really made me want to pick up my darts again.
“For the last few months, there has been a picture on my living room wall where there used to be a dartboard, and my oche has been stored underneath the sofa.
“But that’s all going to change now – the board and the oche are back and I mean business. To be honest, when I retired, and then Covid put a stop to the exhibition nights, I thought that was it – Phil Taylor, darts career, the end.
“Most people probably start thinking about winding down when they reach 60, but the chance to become a world champion again has given me a new lease of life.
“I’m not saying I was becoming bored with life, because I’ve always kept myself busy, but this has given me a new reason to get up in the morning, something to aim for, a new focus.
“Jimmy White and Stephen Hendry are still playing competitive snooker at senior level, so why shouldn’t we have
a senior darts circuit for old fogeys like me? It works well in snooker and golf, so why not darts?
“There is a whole crop of younger players out there who are taking darts to a new level, but some of the world’s best players are over 50 – Gary Anderson, Peter Wright, Barney, Simon Whitlock – and the field at the Seniors will be world class. “I’ll be back on the practice board, taking it dead serious and taking them all on.
“And if it goes well, and I get back to anywhere near my old standard, I will probably enter the UK Open next year. It would be great to rattle a few
cages among the PDC boys again. I would love to see the look on a few people’s faces if they landed me in the draw.”
Alexandra Palace – where Taylor won the last of his world titles, aged 52, in 2013 when he beat Van Gerwen (left) 7-4 in a classic final – is among the venues under consideration to host the World Seniors.
Taylor, who retired in January 2018 after a 7-2 defeat by Rob Cross in his 21st world championship final, would jump at the chance of an encore at Ally Pally.
“It’s where I enjoyed one of the happiest nights of my life and where I took the final curtain as a professional darts player,” he added.