Who is Joe Marler? From hair-raising rugby antics to breakout star of Celebrity Traitors

Viewers have been won over by the quick-witted and quirky former England international. But do they all know about the groin-grabbing and that ‘horse’ of his?It’s difficult to know where to begin with a not-so-quick guide to Celebrity Traitors’ breakout star, Joe Marler. The BBC series has introduced a wider public to the tattooed, 18-stone-plus former England rugby union player – fans won over by his quick-witted humour, allied to a direct, confrontational form of questioning and an uncanny knack for detective work.Not all viewers, though, will be au fait with his backstory; the 35-year-old dungaree-wearing ex-prop forward admitted he was mistaken for a sound technician by his fellow celebrities when first on set, and then asked whether he played rugby league when he revealed his previous 15-year career. For those who know rugby union, however, Marler’s style on the show has come as little surprise, save it being slightly toned down for a wider public audience

Fast-rising Fiji carry a nation’s pride in redemption match with England

True, they are the lowest-ranked team England will play this month, but it would be highly dangerous to underestimate Fiji. Coming between an opening victory against Australia and a box‑office encounter with the All Blacks, it might be easy to regard the Twickenham game on Saturday as a relatively straightforward assignment. Easy, but foolish.You don’t have to go back far – two years or so, to an autumn afternoon in Marseille and England’s 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-final – to remember how potent Fiji can be.Picture the scene: with 10 minutes to play at Stade Vélodrome, Vilimoni Botitu’s attractive try has levelled the score at 24-24

Squad ratings: how much each Australia player can influence the Ashes series | Martin Pegan

The time for pre-Ashes barbs and selection speculation is almost over after Australia named a 15-player squad to take on England in the Perth Test. The extended lineup for the series opener hints at the need for cool heads in the heat of an Ashes series with Jake Weatherald included for the first time at the expense of firebrand opener Sam Konstas.But with Marnus Labuschange surging back into form, and the only other uncapped players being a pair of fast bowling backups, there is a familiarity to the squad even without injured captain Pat Cummins. Here is how each player (in alphabetical order) will stare down the Bazball bravado, with a star rating out of five indicating their potential influence on the series starting on 21 November.The experienced fast bowler is again trusted as a back-up after being a regular in the white-ball sides in recent years

NFL trade deadline: did the bumbling Jets just fleece Jerry Jones and the Cowboys?

New York traded away two of their best players in an extraordinary few hours. But they could finally have made a decision that makes senseIt’s rare to see a franchise accept what everyone else already knows – that what they’ve built isn’t working. The Jets didn’t just tweak their roster at the deadline; they detonated it. In a dizzying few hours, they dealt cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Colts and defensive lineman Quinnen Williams to the Cowboys.Moving two All-Pros at the deadline is unprecedented

The Spin | Times are bleak for Pakistan cricket but Test game offers hope of salvation

Pakistan have a new captain. This, admittedly, evokes the same response as learning Watford have hired another manager. A lack of surprise to go with, um, wait, hasn’t he done this before? And so it goes that Shaheen Afridi, the left-arm quick now in charge of the 50-over side, was sacked as their Twenty20 captain last year after only one series at the helm.Pakistani cricket being volatile is just another Tuesday. Go back 15 years and you’ll find a spot-fixing scandal that sent three star players to prison, unfolding while they were unable to host international matches, the exile prompted by a terrorist attack on the Sri Lanka men’s team in Lahore

Mountain bike world champion Kate Courtney: ‘In pushing your edge, you find you’re capable of more’

A broken wrist and time away from the sport helped Kate Courtney find new purpose – and the freedom that led to another world titleIn early September, Kate Courtney lined up at the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships for the 12th time in her career, but the first time targeting the marathon distance. A figure at the front of the pack in the shorter cross country and short track distances, Courtney would surprise everyone by winning the 77-mile race, claiming the second rainbow jersey of her nearly decade-long career.“The competition at the sharp end is so high and the course was brutal, so I was productively intimidated,” said the 30-year-old Courtney, “I didn’t think much about the pressure of winning, which let me just focus on myself.”Despite a final climb that took an agonizing hour, a 20-minute hiking section over a boulder field, and flat tire on the final descent that could have ended her race, Courtney stayed calm, thanks to a different mental approach this season.“In the past, I felt like I had to be on every podium to feel success,” said Courtney