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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Louise Taylor, Barney Ronay, Jonathan Liew, Tanya Aldred, Robert Kitson, Lyndsey Winship, Arifa Akbar, Alexis Petridis and Flora Willson

‘I’ve stumbled deep into alien territory’: our sportswriters and arts critics swap jobs

She stands with two men in colourful masks and jerseys, smiling, one with fried chicken
Theatre writer Arifa Akbar meets the fans at Wembley before an American football game. Photograph: Sophia Evans/The Observer

Plenty unites the Guardian’s sports reporters and cultural critics. Both make a living observing the apex of physicality. They have to make sense of what they’ve seen at lightning speed to meet deadlines. So why not swap gigs for the day? The sports team were delighted to be working in warm venues; the critics unabashed about their disregard for the rules of the game. But more importantly, genuinely striking insights ensued, whether about Elton John’s appearance at Dua Lipa’s gig being the equivalent of Aston Villa making a Hail Mary sub of Jhon Durán, or the rugby ball being like a black hole sucking the players into its orbit. Perhaps we need to open transfer season between desks more often. Laura Snapes

You don’t get this at Exeter v Sale. Rock’n’roll, baby!

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