The culture secretary Nadine Dorries made an embarrassing gaffe during a speech at a Rugby League World Cup event in St Helens on Thursday as she reminisced about her favourite memory from the sport – Jonny Wilkinson’s iconic drop-goal in 2003 to win the rugby union World Cup.
Dorries – the secretary of state for digital, culture, media, and sport – appeared to confuse the two rugby codes as she told her audience: “I’ve always quite liked the idea of rugby league. My long-standing memory is that 2003 drop-goal. I’ll let you into a secret, we were drinking Bloody Marys at the time; it was 11 o’clock in the morning. But wow, what a moment that was.”
