The English team might have banned theirs, but the footballers' 'Wags' still offer some entertainment, writes ROSEMARY MCCABE
CHANCES ARE, a lot of memories of the last World Cup are limited to the players’ wives and girlfriends (Wags) and their sideline scenes. Scenes of anger, scenes of passion – Cheryl Cole in a policeman’s cap; Victoria Beckham, lips pursed.
So following on from the 2006 performances, England manager Fabio Capello – in an attempt to put the spotlight back on the pitch – banned the English Wags from attending this World Cup. In any case, with Cheryl and Victoria out of the picture this year (due to their other halves’ infidelity and injury, respectively), there’s not much to look at.
Meaning the focus is firmly on the “other” Wags – you know, the ones who don’t have to resort to fake tan and are not obsessed with the high-end Liverpool boutique Cricket.
Take Sarah Brandner, 21-year-old girlfriend of Germany’s Bastian Schweinsteiger. She cuts a fabulous figure in body paint, but has no Wikipedia page – a few short weeks in South Africa should remedy that.
Andrea Rajacic, 24, girlfriend (soon to be wife, according to reports) of France’s He Who Shall Not Be Named, is an easy target for Irish scorn. If you need help, know that she is of Bosnian plastic surgeon descent (really). Failing that, insert an obvious handball joke.
But all eyes should be on Sylvie van der Vaart, 32-year-old wife of Netherlands’ Rafael van der Vaart. Not only do reports suggest the team’s likely endurance will afford plenty of outfit opportunities, Sylvie is a celeb in her own right – TV presenter, model and all-round good sport (coming second in Germany’s Let’s Dance!).
The most compelling reason to love Sylvie is that in 2009 she was diagnosed with cancer, went through chemotherapy and got the all-clear – without a tell-all OK! magazine interview in sight.
See, you can’t teach an old Wag new tricks – but ban them from attending and you’ll soon forget all about them.