England Rugby team hunt electronic bugs

Rugger buggers

England's Rugby World Cup team is screening team hotel rooms and dressing rooms for electronic bugs.

The Australian media have pointed to the security measure as a sign of England' supposed "paranoia". England's security stance is more Austin Powers than James Bond, according to the Ozzies.

But England coach Clive Woodward said the procedure was a sensible security precaution necessary to exclude any risk of the team's game-plan falling into opposition hands.

"We have a machine that anyone can buy in the shops that checks for bugs," Woodward told sports site Planet Rugby.

"We have this little device and it is no bigger than a matchbox and Tony Biscombe, who is our IT man, goes round the hotel rooms and the team rooms and makes sure there are no devices."

The Sun-Herald reports that the England had to ask for mobile phone relay equipment to be turned off because it sent anti-bugging equipment haywire.

Woodward said the England team has been checking for bugs for two years following concern that the British Lions may have been spied on during a 2001 tour Down Under.

Following victories in semi-final fixtures last weekend, England face Australia in the final of the competition this Saturday in Sydney.

In other tangentially-related IT/sports news, IT company QinetiQ has devised a formulae to explain the kicking prowess of Jonny Wilkinson, England's star player.

Yes the reason England have reached their second World Cup final is:

KP = CSP - (EnC(s+w+r+yⁿ) + PsS( cr+sc+mt+xⁿ) + PhS(c x t x w)

No we're not doing the explaining. Go to QinetiQ.

Now if only QinetiQ had as much ingenuity in keeping up the 1901 Census site.

Just an idea. ®

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