The Week Unwrapped: Used goods, rugby at risk and global cheats

published 21 October 2022

Olly Mann and The Week delve behind the headlines and debate what really matters from the past seven days.

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The market for used goods, currently worth £6.5bn per year, is expected to double in the next five years. A combination of factors seems to be responsible: environmental concerns, increasing interest in vintage fashion – and, of course, the cost-of-living crisis. Should we welcome the trend, or is it a just sign that people are feeling poorer. And will it go into reverse when the economy improves?

This week Wasps rugby club went into administration with the loss of hundreds of jobs, following close on the heels of Worcester Warriors, another top-division side that collapsed earlier this month. The loss of two top-tier clubs is a terrible blow for a sport which has been struggling to secure its financial future. How has it got into this predicament – and is it the beginning of the end for professional rugby union?

Pastimes as diverse as fishing, chess, poker, irish dancing and Fat Bear Week – an American competition to identify the bear that “best exemplifies fatness” – have been beset by allegations of cheating in recent weeks. In some cases, the motive is financial, but in many others the stakes are much lower. What’s behind these outbreaks of dishonesty, and what do they tell us about ourselves?