Alexandra Rosenfeld is one of the most famous WAGs at RWC 2011

Date: 2011.10.13 | Category: Sports News, Wags | Response: 0

by Dave Green

Former Miss France is married to current captain of the Italian national rugby union team, Sergio Parisse.

24-year-old Alexandra Rosenfeld is a French beauty from Beziers, who on December 2005 became the 52^nd Miss France, and one year later elected as Miss Europe 2006. In 2006 she also turned into Italian rugby star Sergio Parisse’s wife, reason why her name has ever since been linked to this sport.

Parisse is a member of the Italian national rugby union team that participated in the Rugby World Cup 2011, where they fell eliminated in the group stage. Despite this, with two victories and two losses, they clinched the third place in Pool C, which qualifies them for the 2015 Rugby World Cup hosted by England.

The seventh edition of the Rugby World Cup is currently being disputed in New Zealand. It started on September 9 and will run until October 23, when the final will be held at Eden Park. 20 nations from the five continents make up this worldwide event: Namibia and defending champion South Africa from Africa; Argentina, Canada and United States from America; Japan from Asia, from Europe: England, France, Ireland, the already mentioned Italy, Romania, Scotland, Georgia, Russia and Wales; as for Oceania their representatives are Australia, Fiji, hosts New Zealand, Samoa and Tonga.

There will be a new champion after Australia defeated South Africa in the quarterfinals last Monday by 11-9, making their way into the semifinals where they will face New Zealand on October 16. The other ticket at stake for the grand finale will be disputed between Wales and France one day before.

In some countries like Wales the expectations are very high, reason why the Millennium Stadium located in its capital city, Cardiff, will be equipped with big screens, where 75,000 fans will have the chance to support their team. Their highest achievement at a RWC was the third place clinched in the inaugural tournament in 1987, which they would automatically improve with a victory against France.

France is one of the countries where rugby has grown considerably, as it is no longer only a regional sport according to TV stats that showed a peak of 9.5 million people following 19-12 victory of their nation in the Quarterfinals against England, despite being played at 9am local time.

About how the Australians and New Zealanders will live their showdown there isn’t much that can be added to a 122-year rivalry, other than the obvious: it just keeps getting stronger confrontation after confrontation. Since 1903 they have disputed 166 games, with a strong dominance from the New Zealand reflected in 119 victories.

With Italy eliminated and her country still with chances of making it into the finals, there are no doubts that Alexandra will be cheering for France. A victory against Wales would give the French the third chance of winning the championship, after the disappointments against New Zealand in 1987 and Australia in 1999.

As for us, well…we will most likely cheer for her and just read the recap.

Hope Solo & Naked

Date: 2011.10.07 | Category: Soccer News, Sports News, Wags | Response: 0

by Dave Green

Her participation on “Dancing with the Stars” and skills as goalkeeper aren’t the only things that are giving something to talk about, as you’ll find out here.

United States women’s national team star, Hope Solo, is very popular now days as a “Dancing with the Stars” contender and her photo shoot for ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue. In her new role Solo has found consolation for the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup final, which the U.S. lost to Japan, leaving her brokenhearted. Not even having been awarded as the Golden Glove of the tournament, distinction given to the No. 1 goalkeeper of the competition, served her as consolation, but good news are that she is smiling again.

With time Solo has began to understand and accept that loss as part of “a journey” where “winning isn’t everything, she said. A good example that she is getting over that final was seen on the latest “Dancing with the Stars” show, where she cha-chaed along with her partner, Maksim Chmerkovsky, the 2011 World Cup team song: Tonight by Enrique Iglesias.

Their routine was worth them the best score yet on the show with 24 points, as well as some compliments from the judges, like Bruno Tonioli, who enthusiastically yelled at her “Hope, the sexy minx is out of the cage!”

About her photo shoots for ESPN Body Issue, where she appears nude, Solo explained that she doesn’t “buy the idea that I’m a sex symbol.” Reality is that for many she is, and a good example of it are the marriage proposal and invitations that she was been receiving ever since. Solo also shared with her over 266,000 Tweeter followers that being naked outdoors had been “very liberating.”

She is one of four nude covers featuring in the third annual edition of the magazine, were readers will also find New York Mets shortstop Jose Reyes, Olympic snowboarder Gretchen Bleiler and Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin on the cover.

18 other athletes are also part of the “Bodies We Want” section: LPGA rookie Belen Mozo; Olympic gymnast Alicia Sacramone; Sylvia Fowles of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky; track and field star Natasha Hastings; roller derby skater Suzy Hotrod; tennis player Vera Zvonareva; hockey player Julie Chu; surfer Steph Gilmore; bowler Kelly Kulick; St. Louis Rams Steven Jackson; speedskater Apolo Ohno; hockey player Ryan Kesler of the NHL’s Vancouver Canucks; UFC fighter Jon Jones; snowboarder Louie Vito; IndyCar racer Helio Castroneves; boxer Sergio Martinez; Paralympian Jeremy Campbell and marathoner Ryan Hall.

It will be the second cover of the year for Solo on a sports magazine, since she had appeared on Sports Illustrated cover for July 2011, with the big difference that she was wearing her uniform back then.

Despite her rising popularity Solo sees herself as a soccer player first, and she takes it very seriously, otherwise she wouldn’t be considered one of the best goalies in the world.

About her career retirement isn’t something going through her head as her 30’s, and right now she is just focused in living “large while I have the opportunity.”

Shakira becomes FC Barcelona ambassador at Rock in Rio

Date: 2011.10.06 | Category: Soccer News, Sports News, Wags | Response: 0

by Dave Green

She didn’t miss her chance to declare her love for her boyfriend’s team during the famous music festival.

In 2010 a romance between Shakira and football began to flourish when she was chosen to interpret the official song of the World Cup held that year in South Africa: the famous hit “Waka Waka.” With the end of the tournament her relationship with the sport was going to become even stronger since she began secretly dating FC Barcelona and Spain International Gerard Pique.

This year their relationship went public, and it seems that the couple has grown such a strong bond that the Colombian diva has grown a big interests for football, or maybe she is just being supportive with Pique.

After winning the Champions League at midyear Pique took several of her teammates to a show that Shakira was giving in Barcelona, whom she invited on stage to dance and sing along her. It was evident that she wanted to share more than her love with him; she also wanted to share his success.

This past weekend at the land of football, Brazil, she made it very to the fans present at Rock in Rio, where she sang “I am from Barca, I am cule.”

At Barcelona they couldn’t be happier; getting free advertising from a diva is not something that every team in the world enjoys of.

Angela Rypien follows her father’s steps

Date: 2011.10.06 | Category: Football News, Sports News, Wags | Response: 0

by Dave Green

The former Washington Redskins quarterback’s daughter made her debut this weekend in the Lingerie Football League.

If you are a big football fan probably one of the first things that comes to mind when someone mentions Mark Rypien are the Washington Redskins wining Super Bowl XXVI with the Canadian-born quarterback as the MVP of the game. But once you take a glance at his daughter Angela we are sure that your mind will have something else to associate Mark with.

Like her father Angela is also a quarterback, who plays in the Lingerie Football League for the Seattle Mist.  Her debut took place on Sunday against the Green Bay Chill, and it couldn’t have gone better as her squad won the game 42-8. Besides playing in the same position as her father, she also wears No. 11 just like he used to.

She has always received the support from her father, Angela said, who must be very proud of her debut since she threw three touchdowns passes.

About the critics that question why girls have to play in lingerie Angela avoids discussions, and simply refers to it as “another sport” that otherwise wouldn’t “drag people in.”

In our opinion, she couldn’t have said it better.

Adriano waits for his come back in Luana Kisner’s arms

Date: 2011.10.01 | Category: Soccer News, Sports News, Uncategorized, Wags | Response: 0

by Dave Green

‘The Emperor’ has found himself an empress that has helped him overcome his injury, which has kept him out of the pitch for 6 months.

Corinthians fans have received two good news this week about their idol Adriano: he has joined the team practices after 6 months after going through surgery in his left Achilles tendon, and he was also confirmed the rumors about his relationship with Luana Kisner, a 22-year-old Physical Education student and entrepreneur, who has also appeared on several Brazilian TV shows. Let’s go over the details.

Joaquim Grava, Corinthians medical consultant, has explained the process involving Adriano’s come back: “In addition to the stages of surgical repair and regeneration, we have a time of strengthening, rehabilitation, functional training… then he can do those workouts that all the players do.” This week Adriano has began the last stage of his rehabilitation process, and if no setbacks are suffered he is expected to make his debut with Timao on October 9^th against Atletico-GO, at home.

Corinthians is doing well so far in the 2011 Brasileirao, where after 26 rounds out of 38 they march in second place with 47 points, just two less than Vasco da Gama, the solo leader of the championship. But having Adriano could make them even better to confront the last match days, since “The Emperor’s” already knows how to lead a team to a title, like he did two seasons ago with Flamengo. That time he was also the top scorer of the tournament with 19 goals, and goals are precisely what Timao fans are anxious about.

Now let’s focus on his private life. Well known for being a ladies’ man, Adriano has been away from the pitch, but not away from women during his injury. In fact his most recent romance has been given much to talk about, especially now that it is official. Early this week Luana unveiled through her Twitter account that the person that she had been secretly dating for two months was no other than Adriano. The former Big Brother Brasil star could have gotten the 29-year-old into trouble already, since last week Adriano came 3 hours late into training -which cost him a call of attention and 10% salary fine- and a part of the media maker her responsible for it.

The news about their romance where also confirmed by the footballer, who also admitted to have given Luana two rings: one for her and another copy that will go into auction, to then donate the money to charity. Before this happens the jewel will be in exhibition at Luana’s restaurant in Sao Paulo.

Accused for being extremely jealous by his former girlfriend Joana Machado, who even called him a “psychopath” and claims to have been tied to a tree by the player on rage attack, it will be up to time and Luana to tell if Adriano is really the person that Joana claims he is, or if that was just the speech of a woman with her broken heart.