Gerard Stokes, former New Zealand rugby player and father of England all-rounder Ben Stokes, passed aw??ay on Tuesday, after a prolonged ??battle with brain cancer.

Gerard, 65 was diagnosed with the illness in January and spent five weeks seriously ill in a Johannesburg hospital earlier this year. Stokes senior had returned home in Christchurch, where he was living with his wife Deborah at the tim?e of death.

In the wake of his father’s illness, Ben was granted indefinite leave during England’s Test series against Pakistan in August.

“It is with great sadness that we learn our former player and coach Ged Stokes has passed away,”? the Workington Town, a rugby club for which Ged had played for in 1982-83 season, wrote in a tribute on Twitter.

“Ged is written into the rich fabric of Town history and will be greatly missed.

“Our thoughts are with Deb, Ben and James. Ged still has many, many friends here in West Cumbria and we send our thoughts to them too. RIP Marra.”

Sad news. RIP Ged. pic.twitter.com/KmEDFuLRUd

— Workington Town (@WorkingtonTown) December 8, 2020

Ben’s IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals (RR) also took to Twitter to express their heartfelt condolences. “RIP Ged Stokes. One of the greatest characters in our special cricket family. We’re with you Ben. Strength to you and your family,” tweeted RR.

RIP Ged Stokes. One of the greate??st characters in our special cricket famil??y.

We're with you Ben. Strength to you and your family 💗🙏 pic.twitter.com/jA2EA0DVIk

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) December 8, 2020

Ear??lier, in a column on Daily Mirror, Stokes had expressed the importance of his family to him.

“Saying goodbye to my dad, my mum and my brother in Christchurch was tough,” he wrote in October. “It has been a difficult time for us as a family, but we’ve pulled together and supported each other as best we can. And I was able to get on the plane with my parents’ love and blessing after we reached the decision, for me to get back playing, as a family with no external influences.”

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Candice Falzon, wife Australian cricketer David Warner, has finally opened up on her regret over the infamous ‘toilet tryst’ with Rugby star Sonny Bill Williams.

The former Ironwoman Candice was filmed by a member of the public at a Sydney hotel with Sonny in 2007. Mrs Warner is currently a contestant of a reality TV show ‘SAS Australia’ where yet again she was questioned about the 13-year-old incident. This time, she admitted that it has “brought embarrassment and shame” to her family.

“It is something I am not proud of but something I can never take back,” Candice was quoted as saying by The Sun.

“I put myself in a situation where I shouldn’t have and because of that I brought embarrassment (and) shame to my family.”

She continued: “A long time ago when I was young, I got myself in a compromising position, which I regret.

“It had a huge impact on my family. Huge.”

When pushed to share more details, Candice said: “So.. it was just a personal situation. Too many drinks.

“Living with that and having to explain to my kids in the future is going to be very difficult… especially when you’ve got three girls.

“I remember sitting on the side of the street and not being able to take it anymore.

“I was just thinking, ‘If this is what life’s about then I can’t take it any more’.”

Candice has repeatedly been asked about the infamous ‘toilet tryst’ in the past.

During Australia’s tour of South Africa in 2018, the home crowd even mocked David by wearing Sonny’s masks.

“There were incidents in South Africa where people were trying to make fun of me, mock me,” recalled Candice.

“They belittled me in front of my family because of an incident that happened in the past. And they think it’s funny.”

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