The Sin Bin
Untouchable and unmissable
ESPN Staff
February 15, 2013
England's Mike Brown, Brad Barritt and Alex Goode struggle to get to grips with Strictly Come Dancing star Flavia Cacace © Getty Images
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Welcome to the latest edition of The Sin Bin - our regular feature offering you some of the quirkier stories to emanate from the game we love.

There's not a ruck we will not delve into or a hospital pass we will avoid in a bid to bring you some of the more bizarre, humorous and downright daft stories, videos, pictures and soundbites from around the rugby globe. Got anything you think warrants a mention? Let us know.

Swapping the rhumba for rugby

We're not quite sure what Strictly Come Dancing star Flavia Cacace has to do with rugby but The Daily Mail lapped it up earlier this week and offered such gems as: "Rather than opt for a sensible pair of shorts and trainers, Flavia Cacace decided to take to the field at London's Truman Brewery wearing just a skimpy peplum minidress and heels." It was all in aid of O2 Touch campaign designed to get the country playing touch rugby - but we prefer this slick ad.

'Rugby is a bridge; it doesn't know politics'

Rugby is breaking new ground yet again - this time in Libya. The Guardian reports: "Banned under Gaddafi for being too violent, rugby is flourishing and helping build bridges in a polarised country." It continues: "Rugby in the north African country has had a rocky history. For any sport to succeed in the Libya of Muammar Gaddafi, one of his sons needed to take an interest. None did. The dictator's eldest son, Muhammad Gaddafi, president of Libya's Olympic committee, did turn up at a game in 2001 - only to declare it a "violent sport". Like boxing in 1979, it was then banned by his father's idiosyncratic green book." But it is on the comeback trail now...

'There's sand instead of snow and the sherpas wear bikinis'

Australian tourism chief have struck viral gold with their re-hashing of Jim Telfer's 'Everest' speech from the 1997 British & Irish Lions' tour to South Africa. In the clip, that is racking up the views on YouTube, the former Lions coach gives a pep-talk to a group of men who need to persuade their wives and girlfriends to let them go on the upcoming Australia tour. "Convincing your mates to jump on the Lions tour to Australia is the easy bit. Now comes the hard bit, convincing your wives to let you go," Telfer tells the blokes. "This is your f***ing Everest boys, where there's sand instead of snow and where the sherpas wear bikinis."

One and done

Reds and Wallabies playmaker Quade Cooper followed his friend and management stablemate Sonny Bill Williams into the boxing ring last weekend. The target of Cooper's venom was not SBW but insurance salesman Barry Dunnett who barely made it through a round. Cooper was straight back to Super Rugby duty but a return to the ring looks likely. Trainer Shannon King said. "I have never had a fighter who listens like him and I think he has a huge future. We are talking about a second fight in seven months, or in his off-season, but rugby's his priority."

What happens in Vegas...

Las Vegas lived up to its show-stopping reputation last weekend when the HSBC Sevens World Series rolled into town. Organisers had arranged for a skydiver to drop into the Sam Boyd Stadium with the ball ahead of the final only for the third-place play-off game between Samoa and Fiji to go to sudden death extra time and throw the timings out. The skydiver, who had clearly exited his plane hoping to land in time for the finale, landing in the middle of a game.

Hilarious high-five fail

You may have spotted this elsewhere on the site but well worth a re-run. It would appear it's been so long since Wales had something to cheer about that they have forgotten how to carry out the most basic of celebrations - the high-five. Wales caretaker coach Rob Howley and his assistant Shaun Edwards understandably got a little excited when winger George North went over in the dying moments of their Six Nations victory over France last weekend. But their celebration didn't quite go to plan - cue epic high-five fail.

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