At the launch of a report on the social impact of the upcoming Rugby League World Cup, Nadine Dorries - the UK secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport - made one of the most cringeworthy mistakes she could have made in that setting.
Dorries mixed up rugby league with rugby union, saying that her favourite league moment was watching Jonny Wilkinson's 2003 drop goal to win the World Cup. That was, of course, the rugby union 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.
Nadine Dorries: 'Like Jason Robinson I may have switched codes in my speech'
"I have heard that it's - and I know from my limited watching - I'm not going to say I'm an expert who watches it all the time - that it's increasingly physical and sometimes brutal sport and it often ends up in a scrum which actually reminds me very much of politics.
"I think we have a lot in common and given a lot of the media like to call me the prime minister's attack dog I wonder sometimes if I should give rugby a go."
AUDIO of gaffe by Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries during speech at a Rugby League World Cup social impact event in St Helens earlier.
“I’ve always quite liked the idea of rugby league - my long-standing memory is that 2003 drop-goal… Wow, what a moment that was.” Listen 👇 pic.twitter.com/wD1FPJaK1e— Dan Roan (@danroan) June 30, 2022
The Rugby League World Cup will be played in England between October 15th and November 19th.
Dorries later compared herself to Jason Robinson in a tweet.
"Like Jason Robinson I may have switched codes in my speech..." she wrote.
"Both league & union have a rich heritage in the UK. Obviously I've followed rugby league much less in my lifetime, but I'm looking forward to watching England (& all the home nations) in the RL World Cup this Autumn."
Like Jason Robinson I may have switched codes in my speech... Both league & union have a rich heritage in the UK. Obviously I've followed rugby league much less in my lifetime, but I'm looking forward to watching England (& all the home nations) in the RL World Cup this Autumn
— Nadine Dorries (@NadineDorries) June 30, 2022
See Also: Vital Learnings The Ireland U20s Must Take From South Africa Defeat
