THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2015 SPORTS Charteris to leave Dinamo Zagreb chief David Beckham is Racing at end of season executive arrested Sexiest Man Alive LE PLESSIS-ROBINSON: Wales second-row forward Luke Charteris confirmed ZAGREB: Zdravko Mamic, the chief executive of Croatian soccer team LOS ANGELES: David Beckham was declared “sexiest man alive” by People maga- yesterday that he will leave Racing 92 at the end of the season, when he is out Dinamo Zagreb, was arrested yesterday for inflicting financial damage zine Tuesday, joining an elite club including last year’s winner, Chris Hemsworth, and of contract, in order to better pursue his international career. “I love Paris and on the club through dubious transfers, according to Croatian state tele- a handful of other above-average men. The announcement was made on ABC’s late- Racing 92, but I have to leave next year because if I want to play for the vision and a police source. State television said Mamic was arrested over night TV show “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” where the magazine cover sporting Beckham’s national team, I must be playing in Wales or England,” said the 32-year-old, 80-million-kuna ($11-million) worth of damage suffered by the club face was revealed. “It’s the best moment of my career, I can’t believe it,” Beckham capped 62 times by Wales. Charteris arrived at Racing in the sum- related to suspect player transfers. A police source confirmed the rea- joked to the crowd, speaking remotely by video. “I would obviously mer of 2014 after two years at Perpignan, having previously son for the arrest and said several other people were also detained. like to thank my parents for bringing me into this world. I would like played nine seasons at Newport-Gwent Dragons. Welsh play- State TV said four other people were held. Mamic’s lawyer declined to to thank my hairdresser, my stylist, Photoshop,” he said. The 40-year- ers do not need to necessarily play in Wales to be eligible for comment on the matter. Dinamo Zagreb said on its website that an old retired football legend’s identity was only revealed after host the nation team, but coach Warren Gatland has encouraged anti-corruption police unit had entered the club premises early on Jimmy Kimmel made his audience guess this year’s winner. “Has Taylor Swift ever made a song about you?” one person demanded. expatriated Welsh players to return home on dual contracts Wednesday. The Croatian soccer federation (HNS) said on its website partly funded by the Welsh Rugby Union. Flanker Dan Lydiate “Have you ever had a man bun?” another asked. By the time that police had also raided its premises. State news agency Hina report- returned from a sojourn at Racing on such a contract with Beckham’s identity was divined, the audience knew he was a married Ospreys, while centre Jonathan Davies was the latest to cross ed that HNS’s Chief Executive and former Dinamo official Damir athlete with children, had an accent and two tattoos, had never the channel, re-signing for Scarlets from Clermont. Other Vrbanovic had been arrested at Zagreb airport as he returned from been to jail, and yes, formerly sported a man bun. Beckham targets for a dual contract are winger George North, Russia where Croatia played a friendly on Tuesday. Neither the HNS was given a small facial mirror as his reward. “I never out of contract at Northampton at the end of the spokesperson nor Vrbanovic’s lawyer were immediately reachable for feel that I’m an attractive, sexy person,” Beckham told season, as well as other England-based players comment. Zdravko Mamic and his brother Zoran, who is Dinamo’s People magazine. “I mean I like to wear nice clothes including Jamie Roberts, Bradley Davies, James coach, were previously detained in July for questioning over embezzle- and nice suits and look and feel good, but I don’t Hook and Matthew Morgan. ment and tax evasion, before being released. — Reuters ever think of myself that way.” —AFP Jonny Wilkinson tells England to ‘reset bar’ LONDON: England great Jonny Wilkinson said on Tuesday the “bar had to be reset at all levels” if the national side were once again to become a global force. Last week saw Stuart Lancaster stepped down as England coach after the team became the first World Cup host nation to be knocked out of the tournament in the initial group phase last month. Lancaster’s exit led England’s Rugby Football Union to initiate a worldwide search for a new head coach. But Wilkinson, the drop-goal hero of England’s extra- time World Cup final win over Australia in Sydney back in 2003, said there was more to making the national side successful again than just a change of coach. Former fly-half Wilkinson said current England squad members would need to demonstrate “a desire which is almost impossible to keep down”. The 36-year-old was speaking at Buckingham Palace after he was formally upgraded to a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) — one rank below a knighthood in the British honours system. Wilkinson, who received his latest honour from Prince William, the second in line to the British throne, added that closing the gap between Europe’s elite and the southern hemisphere teams who filled all four semi- final places at the World Cup would require “resetting the bar at all levels, from grass roots up”. He added: “But that bar has to be high, and then you have got to ensure that the enjoyment that goes with it is even higher too, so that kids want to go out there and do it, so kids see this as normal. “So, ‘normal’ for kids, and for players in the Premiership league, ‘normal’ becomes what we used to see as ‘exceptional’,” explained Wilkinson, England’s record points scorer, who retired from all professional rugby union last year after helping club side Toulon complete a French Top 14 and European Cup double. Wilkinson, now a kicking coach at Toulon and a media pundit, said he had no definite ideas on who should succeed Lancaster. “I still look at it from a player’s perspective,” explained Wilkinson, who quit Test rugby in 2011. “I don’t see myself as a coach, I see myself as a player who doesn’t play any more.” — AFP VITROLLES: In this Nov. 22, 2009 file photo, New Zealand rugby legend Jonah Lomu, center, former All Blacks winger, runs with the ball as Montmelian’s Sylvain Maulet, left, and Kevin Zhakata try to stop him during their Federale One rugby union match between Marseille-Vitrolles and Montmelian in Vitrolles, southern France. New Zealand European Cup Rugby Union said yesterday All Blacks great Jonah Lomu has died. He was 40. — AP organisers vow postponed matches All Blacks legend to go ahead PARIS: European Cup organisers moved yester- day to appease fears over the re-scheduling of Lomu dies aged 40 pool games postponed in the wake of the Paris terror attacks after some club owners voiced doubts that the matches could be squeezed into WELLINGTON: New Zealand rugby legend ILLNESS game the coach wanted to play. He proved World Cup squad and scored eight tries. He an already-congested fixture list. Jonah Lomu, who revolutionised wing play to Born to Tongan parents in South Auckland, almost unstoppable at the tournament, how- played his last test against Wales in 2002. The Toulon-Bath match was one of those post- become the sport’s first global superstar, died Lomu spent some of his childhood back in the ever, electrifying the rugby world with seven Lomu’s health deteriorated from that point poned last weekend, and the English club’s chair- yesterday in Auckland at the age of 40, Pacific Island nation after a cousin was hacked tries-four in the semi-final against England and he had a transplant in 2004 when a friend man, Bruce Craig, suggested that the match prompting a global outpouring of grief. Lomu to death in a street attack. alone, including one when he trampled over donated one of his own kidneys for the proce- might never be played, ruling out a Wednesday had suffered from kidney disease for two He was then sent to Wesley College where fullback Mike Catt that left many speechless. dure. By the time of the 2011 Rugby World Cup fixture. decades and had a transplant in 2004 but for- he quickly found his niche on the sports field The pace and power displayed by the 1.95m in New Zealand, when Lomu featured heavily His counterpart at reigning three-time cham- mer All Blacks doctor John Mayhew said his and was timed running under 11 seconds in tall and 119kg Lomu changed the wing posi- in the opening ceremony, the kidney had pions Toulon, Mourad Boudjellal, also struggled death was a complete shock. “It was totally the 100 metres. All Blacks coach Laurie Mains tion forever, with the traditional lightweight begun to fail and he was forced back onto dial- to find an obvious window. unexpected,” Mayhew said. “Jonah and his plucked him out of sevens rugby in 1994 but flyer gradually all but disappearing from the ysis. “Jonah Lomu was a player who changed The most opportune time could be during the family arrived back from the United Kingdom Lomu found his transition from the loose for- test game. The impact he made at the tourna- the face of modern rugby,” the International Six Nations, but both teams would be stripped of last night and he suddenly died this morning.” ward position he played at secondary school ment catapulted the quietly-spoken Lomu to Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach a raft of players on international duty for what Lomu, who was awaiting another trans- to the wing a challenge.