What the papers said about ..Geoff Cooke
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.'England rugby union skipper Will Carling was 'gutted' at the decision of manager Geoff Cooke to quit. 'It's as though a castle has been pulled out of the sky,' he said.' Express
'Carling was the darling . . . Will crisis as Cooke quits.' Sun
'Rugby's quaint notion that the honorary team manager does the job as a jolly nice hobby in his spare time is more and more ludicrous set against the harsh commercial realities of a sport only too happy to embrace big business. When it got to the stage that he had to work until 4.30 in the morning at his real job to find the spare time for his unpaid one, something clearly had to give.' Mail
'Under Cooke's intelligent, articulate and usually vigorous regime, England went from under-achieving also-rans and even occasional laughing stocks to champions . . . but committee backwoodsmen who pined for a more authoritarian and amateur era never forgave him for consistently taking his players' part.' Independent
'Their previous ham-handed attempts to get rid of Cooke failed, though presumably they, and their media lackeys, are preparing to dance on the funeral pyre. Mind you, if they thought Cooke was not an easy person to mould to outdated points of view, a couple of possible successors have enviable reputations for speaking their minds.' Telegraph
'England chief steps down . . . Will's goose is cooked.' Mirror
'Sadly those RFU members who attempted to plunge a dagger into Cooke's back can hardly be relied upon to grant his successor a fair working salary, not to mention a genrous vote of confidence when the chips are down.' Guardian
'Too many miles on Cooke's tour.' Mail
'If teams reflect the nature of the manager, perhaps laws reflect the sport's governing body. Is rugby union the only sport in the world with laws that are designed to reward the negative and the stick-in-the- mud at the expense of forward movement and initiative?' Times
'What a shabby way to treat the Sir Alf of rugby.' Express
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments