Sports In Brief


Three comedians are set to entertain Worcester on Friday, 3 February, when the Official Comedy Club returns to Sixways, home of Premiership Worcester Warriors. The evening will be hosted by


Kevin McCarthy, who is a regular warm-up act on Later with Jools Holland and previously supported Lee Evans during his 2014 tour. The opening comedian will be


Gerry K, who has performed on FHM Comedy Heroes on Channel 4. And the evening will step up


L-R: comedian Jamie Sutherland, master of ceremonies and former England rugby international, Tim Stimpson, the Wooden Spoon’s Phil Pemble and guest speaker Phil Vickery


Eventmasters support rugby charity luncheon


The upcoming Six Nations is going to be fabulous as players battle for a place on the Lions tour to New Zealand. That was the prediction from


former England captain Phil Vickery speaking at a Midlands Sportsman’s Luncheon organised by Birmingham-based corporate hospitality specialists Eventmasters. The competition, which begins


with England v France at Twickenham on 4 February, was always difficult to call, declared the Cornish farmer’s son who won 73 caps for his country between 1998 and 2010. Grand Slam winners England


were strong, so were Ireland, the French were showing signs of stirring, while Scotland had come close without getting the results. “The Celtic nations always


perform brilliantly in a Lions year,” he cautioned. And Vickery knows a thing or


two about playing at the highest level given his pedigree – he was a member of the British and Irish Lions squad during the 2001 tour to Australia and the 2009 tour to South Africa, winning five caps. He is a World Cup winner being part of the 2003 England team and captained England in the 2007 World Cup Final. He said: “Northern hemisphere


rugby is on an upward curve. “England have been brilliant.


After the World Cup it was all doom and gloom. But Eddie Jones has come in and England have been Grand Slam winners, we won 3-0 in the Australian Test series, and there were victories over


Argentina, South Africa, Fiji, and Australia again in the autumn internationals. English rugby is in a fantastic place.” Replacing Dylan Hartley as guest


speaker after the England captain stood down following his red card and ban, Vickery was cautious about how the Lions might fare. He commented: “We are capable


of winning – we have the players and the coaches. Can we win – yes we can. Are we going to win – I just don’t know. The thing about New Zealand is that they perform at a higher level for longer periods of time. It will take a monumental effort to beat them. The Lions can certainly expect a difficult time.” Vickery, who played for


Gloucester and Wasps, said the game was “in good hands” though there were issues at the grass roots level plus concern over concussions. Admitting to have been knocked


out more than 20 times in his career, and with an eight-year-old son now learning the sport, he insisted: “Sometimes we suffer as a game for being too honest about things like concussion. “It has been brought to the


forefront and rightly so. But the authorities are doing a great deal to make it safe for kids.” From the lunch and other fund


raising activities throughout the year, a total of £6,355 was presented to Wooden Spoon, rugby’s children’s charity. It followed the generosity of


those attending the Sportsman’s Luncheon A cheque was presented to Wooden Spoon’s local representative Phil Pemble.


February 2017 CHAMBERLINK 57


another level when headline comedian Phil Butler takes to the stage. Phil has performed all over the world and has also appeared in Hotel Babylon. Doors for the event open at


Sector Focus


Kevin McCarthy Gerry K


7pm, with the show starting at 8.30pm and tickets cost just £7 for Season Ticket holders and £10 for others. You can also enjoy a one- course meal and a ticket for the show for £20 (Season Ticket holders £17). Tickets are available by calling 01905 459351.


Phil Butler


Sport Birmingham is running another of its ‘get fit at work’ initiatives during the first two months of the year. The initiative is the ‘Active 8-Week Challenge’, part of the charity’s


‘Workplace Challenge’ programme. The purpose of the challenge is to encourage employees fit in ‘bite


size’ chunks of activity during the working day, which could range from standing up at meetings to using the stairs instead of the lift.


Picture by Steve Fisher


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