Widdowson in his first major part with Bern-Ballett last Thursday night (photo©2011, Stadttheater/Philipp Zinniker)
Family and police press conference Tuesday evening 8 November
BERN, SWITZERLAND -A 23-year-old man was arrested Wednesday in Broadway, Roath, Cardiff and charged with assault and robbery following an incident in the early hours of Saturday 4 November that left a 19-year-old in critical condition.
Jack Widdowson, a member of Bern:Ballett which performs at the city’s Stadttheatre, is in critical condition, possibly with a broken neck, following the brutal attack in Cardiff city centre in Wales. The attack occurred about 00:45 Saturday and appears to have happened after a man befriended him in the docks area and suggested a shortcut. Widdowson’s iPhone and other possessions were stolen and have not been recovered, according to Cardiff police.
“Police believe Mr Widdowson was targeted during a night out in the city centre with his brother, a former semi-professional rugby player who is now studying at Cardiff University,” Walesonline reports. “It is believed his attacker befriended him as he walked in the vicinity of Bute Terrace around 00.45am, before leading him to a canal-side footpath where he was brutally mugged and assaulted.”
Police continue to ask the public for help in the investigation (details and contact).
The young dancer had recovered three years earlier from a severe case of meningitis, according to the news site, and had danced with a London company before joining Bern:Ballett. His family lives in Bath, England.
His father, Dr Julian Widdowson, is head of sports medicine at Premiership Rugby Club in Bath.
He told the Daily Mail that Jack was able to use dancing, which he had started in his early teens, to control one weakness left over from the bacterial meningitis attack, a tremor in his upper limbs.
He had recovered from the illness through what his father told the Daily Mail was a “punishing programme of rehab”, noting that Jack had always been active in sports, representing his school in hockey and in rugby, playing as a prop.
International sports, Six Nations rugby
Millenium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales (GenevaLunch) - England started their quest for the Six Nations trophy with a win in Cardiff Friday evening 4 February. Two tries by Chris Ashton and a masterful performance by stand-off Toby Flood set up a 19-26 victory that could have been greater had England maintained the pressure. In the Saturday games Ireland needed a late drop-goal by Ronan O’Gara to edge past Italy 11-13. France showed some style as they fought off a late challenge by Scotland to win 34-21. The next matches will be played on 11th and 12th February, and feature England-Italy, Scotland-Wales and Ireland-France.
Links to other sites: Six Nations, Telegraph, Guardian
Twickenham, London, England and Cardiff, Wales (GenevaLunch) - England lost to the Wallabies 9-18 despite the return of Jonny Wilkinson and a much improved performance in the line-outs. Wilkinson scored all the England points and put in some crunching defensive tackles but the England team was short of offensive ideas and was dominated in the second half. The star player for the Australians was their young scrum-half Will Genia.
In the other big rugby union match the New Zealand All Blacks extended their undefeated record against Wales, who last beat the New Zealanders in 1953.
London, England (GenevaLunch) – England won their first Ashes Test at Lords since 1934 when Andrew Flintoff claimed five wickets to end the Australian resistance. The match was over before lunch as England won by 115 runs. The First Test at Cardiff ended in a draw so England lead 1-0 in the five Test series. Details, Times, UK
Cardiff, Wales, UK (GenevaLunch) – England just survived to seize a draw in the First Test of the series, and the first to be played in Wales. Australia dominated most of the match with a massive 674-6 in response to England’s 435.
Cardiff, Wales, UK (GenevaLunch) – Leicester beat the Cardiff Blues in rugby’s first penalty shoot-out in the semi-finals of the Heineken Cup.
