Nadine Dorries, the secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport, stunned a rugby league audience by confusing the 13-man game with the rival code.
Speaking in St Helens at the launch of a report into the social impact made by the upcoming Rugby League World Cup, Dorries opened her address with a reference to Jonny Wilkinson’s match-winning drop goal for England in union’s 2003 Rugby World Cup. “I’ve always quite liked the idea of rugby league,” she said. “My long-standing memory is that 2003 drop goal.
I’ll let you into a secret. I think we were drinking bloody marys at the time. It was 11 o’clock in the morning but wow what a moment that was.” The predictable reaction led to Dorries tweeting on the matter.
She stated: “Like Jason Robinson I may have switched codes in my speech … Both league & union have a rich heritage in the UK.