Commonwealth Games England has today revealed its bespoke kit, designed by Kukri Sports, for the next Commonwealth Games on Australia’s Gold Coast in April 2018.

Kukri will be kitting out England’s largest team to ever represent the nation in an overseas sporting event with over 400 athletes and around 200 officials attending the Games.

Team England’s kit design has been given a modern and fresh re-brand since the last Commonwealth Games in Glasgow 2014 with new tones of charcoal grey and neon red added to the traditional red and white of England.

The unique designs were created with the athletes in mind and at the very centre of the process. A number of kit panels were held with representatives and athletes from the 18 different sports that Team England will compete in, sharing their opinions on what they felt would heighten their performance and experience at the Games.

Paul Brown, Team England ambassador and para lawn bowls player, was part of the athlete panel. He said:

“I was sent the colours and designs through and was looking at them picking out the good bits and there were a lot of them. It was a really good process from the start. It’s hard to judge it on paper but when you actually see it in real life it really does look absolutely fantastic as a finished article.

“It’s a lovely kit, I like the colours and it’s really comfortable to wear. If you look good and you feel good then you’re going to be in a good state of mind to head into the Games.”

Over 36,000 items of kit will be produced by the international sportswear brand across 10 manufacturers. An extensive product creation process, has resulted in 259 bespoke product designs, incorporating the unique needs of 18 sports.

Triple Commonwealth Games gold medallist and Olympic champion in gymnastics, Max Whitlock, said:

“Putting on a kit to represent your country is a huge honour. What I love most about the kit is that you’ve got the big lion representing England in the best way possible.

“When you put on a kit that is so strong and really patriotic and you know that you’re going to go out there feeling like one team, it’s very important. Everyone is going to feel united and part of the team and we will all go out and perform together.”

After extensive planning over a two year period, Kukri has ensured that over 400 elite athletes will be wearing their bespoke sportswear with pride across delegation, competition and ceremonial wear. Team England’s partnership with Kukri clearly underlines their desire to be known as the number one multisport brand.

Sarah Winckless, Chef de Mission at Commonwealth Games England, said:

“The kit creates an identity for the team to draw on - something magical happens when you have over 600 individuals dressed in the same theme, though appropriate for their roles, it joins us and makes us stronger. This is a hugely important and complex project, and I’m very proud to see the hard work that the team has put in coming together in this launch.

“The athletes are always at the heart of what we do at Commonwealth Games England so it has been great to have them as part of the design process through the kit panels. It has been fantastic to be able to take on their feedback so we can produce kit that aligns with what they need in order to perform at their best.”

Andrew Ronnie, Group Executive Chairman of Kukri Sports said:

“Being able to supply bespoke sportswear across multiple sports is an unmissable opportunity for Kukri. Our experience over the last few years in supplying Team England with performance kit and meeting the demands of national athletes has ensured we have a great relationship with them. It’s great to have a shared passion for improving the athlete experience.”

“We pride ourselves on ensuring the Team England athletes look and feel their very best. We feel this will enable them to concentrate on performing to the best of their ability and we can’t wait to see them achieving more gold medals on the podium at the Gold Coast in 2018.”

Specialist swimwear brand Arena Water Instinct designed and produced the aquatics wear for the swimming and diving teams. Representatives from Arena flew over from Italy to be part of the kit panels and to ensure the design was consistent across the whole team.

Arena’s Team England product range blends high quality materials with state-of-the-art technology to maximize performance in both competition and training. Its cutting edge design blends tradition and innovation in a new vision, with a creative fusion of bold colors and touch of gold that catches the eye against the charcoal base.

Team England swimmer and Glasgow 2014 bronze medallist, Ellie Faulkner, said:

“I was lucky enough to see the last Team England kit at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and this is a completely different take on it. It’s so nice and I’m really looking forward to wearing it. We will wear it proud and will be happy to be there and looking to do our best. Wearing the kit is an honour.

“It’s the athletes who are wearing the kit so it’s really important that we’re happy with it. When we’re feeling good we’re going to swim fast and feel the best we can be to do the best we can do.”

Eric de Turckheim's French Nivelt-Muratet 54 Teasing Machine is the overall winner of the 2017 RORC Transatlantic Race. Whilst many of the record 23 yacht fleet are still racing, none of them can better Teasing Machine's corrected time under IRC. Teasing Machine is the smallest yacht to win the RORC Transatlantic Trophy which has been previously won by yachts in the Maxi Class.

"To win the RORC Transatlantic Race is just fantastic," commented Eric de Turckheim. "It is not just a personal achievement to win my first ever transatlantic race because it has been such a massive team effort. Teasing Machine was only taking part in its second offshore race and to build a team to that performance level within four months has required a huge commitment from everyone, but especially Laurent Pages."

Teasing Machine tactician Laurent Pagès and Navigator Jean-Luc Nélias form a formidable partnership. The Frenchman took the same roles for skipper Franck Cammas, winning the 2011-12 Volvo Ocean Race, and Nélias won this year's Transat Jacques Vabre on Sodebo Ultim with Thomas Colville, smashing the race record.

RORC Chief Executive Eddie Warden Owen was very pleased with the result and the race: "It has been no easy task for the Teasing Machine team to win this race and they have been pushed hard by a number of very competitive boats. Eric and his team showed their determination and expertise, setting a strong pace from day one and never letting up. This race marks the start of the 2018 RORC Season's Points Championship and Teasing Machine has set the standard required for the rest of the fleet who have their eyes on this prestigious prize."

47 year old Jamie Weller from Nottingham, who recently brought home four bronze medals from this year’s Invictus Games, is taking on a new challenge. The former Navy Aircraft Engineer trekked for 13 days across Nepal on this extreme and once in a life time challenge to reach the base of Mount Everest. The challenge was organised by and raised money for Help for Heroes (H4H).

When Jamie lost his central vision he lost more than just the majority of his eyesight. He lost the ability to pursue his dream of a life in the military. As Jamie tried to rebuild his life and adjust to his disability anxiety and depression set in. He was determined to not let it beat him though and used his love of sport to regain his positive outlook on life.

Jamie, who competed in running and cycling, said: “At the Invictus Games in Toronto I met lots of athletes with different injuries; some who had lost limbs. It makes you appreciate what you’ve got as I can still run and cycle. I don’t like to use the word ‘disability’ but instead focus on the ability that we have. I always see my sight loss as an inconvenience.  It challenges me to solve the problems and then I get on with my life.  But for me it’s really important to help educate people to see the ability and not the disability in people.

Jamie Weller is a real Force for Good as he continues to empower other wounded, injured and sick veterans to unleash their potential: “I was devastated when I lost my sight but I’ve set out to not let it beat me. I hope that the way I’ve approached the loss of my sight, which is still an everyday challenge, helps inspire others”.

The trek started out from Lukla with the route taking the group to Phakding and Namche where they had their first glimpse of Mount Everest. After a day’s acclimatisation they walked from Dingboche via Tengboche to the base of the world’s highest mountain. After returning to Gorak Shep the group made their way back to Lukla finishing up in Kathmandu. The trek supplied endless epic panoramas.

Jamie said about the trek: “It was one hell of a tough trek, one hell of a life experience. We climbed to over 5500m to the magic of Mount Everest. You should not under estimate the danger of being at altitude. This place is horrid yet so magical. I take my hat off to anyone who climbs to the top. I am so proud that I made it up and back down as the terrain and altitude was so tough for me and I am so exhausted now”.

“As I’m visually impaired my brain and muscles were working extra hard to stop me from falling over.  Having no central vision, I have no perception of depth so I had to feel my way across the tough rocky terrain using my walking sticks, feet and help from friends on the trek with me.  This meant that my level of concentration while trekking was working overtime to make sure I did not fall and injure myself.  This had a cumulative effect and I was exhausted after the trek but I kept pressing on and did not give up”.

He continued: “Everyone around me really helped though; not just guiding me but explaining some of the wonderous sights. Another Band of Brother, Toney Boylce from Durham, was particularly helpful. I really ached and became quite fatigued at one point. The doctor advised me to rest but instead of getting a helicopter out the locals hired a horse for me to use for a few days. I think they were just as determined as I was to complete the trek! I got a little altitude sickness but I was able to control it with painkillers”.

Jamie has set up a Just Giving page and has so far raised £4,257 for H4H. He explained why he wanted to support the Charity: “Help for Heroes has been part of my recovery journey since I joined the Band of Brothers fellowship network in 2014. The opportunities they’ve given me through their sports recovery programme has led to me skiing with the Armed Forces Para Snow Sports Team and representing Great Britain at the Invictus Games. It’s really helped me to regain my confidence and experience the benefits of being around other like-minded people. More important to me though is that I’m hoping that the challenges I have had in dealing with sight loss will benefit them in their personal recovery journeys. I strongly believe that it’s not always about what you have achieved but how you have helped others achieve in life. For me I’m super proud to be part of this trek and raising funds for a great charity that changes people’s lives.

Heritage Golf Club won the title of "Best Indian Ocean Golf Course" for the fourth consecutive year (2014,2015,2016,2017) at the 2017 World Golf Awards. This award highlights the constant efforts and hard work of the teams to stay on top. Whether it's management, course maintenance, Club House or the Academy, Heritage Golf Club is a course that is constantly questioning itself and which seeks to innovate in order to offer an ever improving experience to its clientele.

A pledge of quality and excellence that allows Heritage Resorts to organize and host the third edition of the prestigious AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, the world's first tournament jointly sanctioned by the European, Sunshine and Asian tours, at Heritage Golf Club. Appointment

World Golf Awards, excellence in golf tourism

The World Golf Awards ceremony celebrates and rewards excellence in golf tourism, including international standard courses and golf destinations. The goal is also to help improve and enrich the golfers' experience in order to stimulate the international market. The 2017 World Golf Awards focused on the 130 major countries that are shaping the future of this dynamic industry.

Votes were cast by professionals working in the golf travel and tourism industry, including senior executives, tour operators, travel agencies and media professionals. The public also has the right to vote. Votes are cast on a first past the post system to ensure impartiality and independence and are submitted online on the World Golf Awards website. The winners of each national category face the winners from other countries before the international winners are announced.

Sloe gin makers from across the world gathered at a village pub on the Kent/Sussex border to vie for the 'Sloe Gin World Champion' title on Sunday 10th December.

An annual event, hosted by The George Inn in Frant, near Tunbridge Wells, this was the 9th such competition, it attracted 36 entries from as far afield as Canada, Germany and Scotland, raising over £2,000 for charity. Over 200 people attended, most making a small donation to sample the gins.

Last year's runner-up, London-based Mother's Ruin, scooped the top prize in the commercial category, with local Anno Distillery of Marden in Kent, being awarded the silver medal.

There were also notable entries from The Lakes Sloe Gin in Cumbria, Devine Vineyards in British Columbia in Canada, Raisthorpe Manor Fine Foods of Malton, in North Yorkshire, Addingham Fruit Liqueurs in West Yorkshire, and Demijohn from Edinburgh, who were all Highly Commended.

On the winning sloe gin, judges noted: “intensely flavoured with delicious rich notes of plum and almond, balanced perfectly with the gin botanicals. It is made gin using a recipe handed down from the owner Becky Griffith's own mother. She employs an old school approach of cold infusion over a very long period of time, which is hand-made, hand filtered and hand bottled.

“We cut no corners, our sloe gin takes at least a year to become ready for sipping,” said Becky, adding, “We forage our sloes from all over Essex and the eastern fringes of the City, with the Essex sloes being particularly fine and full of flavour.”

The homemade category, which attracted more than 30 artisan entries, a record number, was won by pub regular George Shaw, a restaurant marketing consultant, who attributed the success of his winning concoction to the use of demerara, sugar, cinnamon, almonds and dried apple, measured in traditional Imperial, rather than metric, units.

“With two German contestants this year, I'm just glad it didn't come down to penalties,” said Shaw.

The runner-up was Liz Rayner from Mark Cross in East Sussex.

The four judges who awarded marks for character, sweetness, clarity and were Michael Voigt, General Manager of L'Oscar Hotel, a 5* boutique hotel opening in London in April, Alan Beauseigneur, a Master Mixologist from the luxury tea and fine food purveyor, The East India Company and Simon Brewster, Senior Private Client Manager, Buyer from Fine & Rare wine merchants and  Henrietta Green, food writer.

Commenting on the awards, judge Henrietta Green said; “It was a great day and fascinating to taste this typically British drink. The standard was interestingly high and a perfect winter's treat.”

All proceeds of the event were donated to the MS Society which supports people with Multiple Sclerosis.  One of the Sloe Gin World Championships founder, 'Merlot' Mike Matthews, who died suddenly in September this year, had suffered from Multiple Sclerosis. The 'Merlot' Mike Matthews Memorial Trophy will be now presented each year to the winner of the home-made category.

Carlisle golfer Mike Kelly put 11 years of frustration behind him to bag his first ace and join his son in the exclusive 'hole-in-one-club' after playing the popular Million Dollar Hole in One (MDHIO) competition in Portugal.

Kelly, 51, who plays off a seven handicap at Carlisle Golf Club, made his mark at Vale do Lobo's Royal Course, in the Algarve – one of MDHIO's 40 associated courses across Europe – to book his place in the grand final where competitors get the chance to shoot for a whopping $1m.

The MDHIO par-three challenge allows competitors to win a selection of golf-related prizes, from balls to pitch-mark repairers, for landing on the green.

If a competitor gets a hole-in-one they win an expenses-paid trip to the USA to play for a $1m prize if they can repeat the feat. And, from 2019, the winner also gets the choice of a trip to either the USA or Europe.

Kelly, a retired police officer who is now a British Red Cross volunteer coordinator, said: “My son Adam is 23 and had a hole-in-one when he was 12, so it's always been a goal of mine to match him. When I messaged him from Portugal, to tell him I had done it, he simply replied 'welcome to the hole-in-one club'.

“When Adam struck his hole-in-one, I was immensely proud but also very envious having never done it myself. It has taken a long time. I have been playing golf for 40 years, so it is fantastic to have finally done it. I was delighted.

“We are a competitive family. Over the years we've competed in our own Kelly Challenge competition, involving brothers and cousins – but not another hole-in-one from any of us. Adam would often remind us of that …”

Kelly was among a group of 24 golfers on the trip to play Vale do Lobo's two courses when he paid just €10 to enter the MDHIO game. His feat took place on the temporarily shortened 105-yard seventh hole on the Royal Course.

He added: “I hit it as sweet as I could; it landed six feet past the hole and slowly spun back. We all watched it go in and jumped for joy. It did cost a few bob as I was part of a large group, so there was a hefty bar bill.

“It was a great weekend, though. I have played MDHIO twice before. It is great fun and €10 well spent. You can also win prizes for landing on the green and I previously won a pair of sunglasses and a towel. I'm so pleased I paid my €10 … I mean why would you not? Imagine if you hadn't paid and you holed it!

“I'm now looking forward to the finals event in Las Vegas; yes, there's a chance to win $1m, but let's be realistic, it's taken me 40 years to get my first hole-in-one,” he smiled.

MDHIO, which has been running since 1990 in the USA and since 2000 in Europe, has steadily grown in popularity over the years with more than 50,000 people each year trying their luck at the various par-three holes at courses across Portugal, mainland Spain, Mallorca and the UK. Almost 50 golfers have achieved their ace while playing MDHIO in Europe, while more than twice that number missed out by not entering and acing the hole.

The annual final is held at a host of top venues in the USA and Europe, where finalists enjoy an all-expenses-paid trip and the chance to shoot for $1m, with this year's showdown held at the prestigious Golf & Spa Resort Grand Tirolia Kitzbühel, in Austria, which was attended by former England and Newcastle United football ace Alan Shearer.

MDHIO also offered golfers another chance to scoop $1m this year, after teaming up with American Golf. The retailer ran a simulator challenge at participating stores across the country with anyone who netted an ace – or the 10 nearest to the pin – going through to a final shootout at the Belfry.