‘Peaky Blinders’ inspires Rugby star’s World Cup whiskers

Australia scrum-half Nic White has revealed the inspiration behind one of the most magnificent moustaches ever seen at the Rugby World Cup — the British crime drama “Peaky Blinders”.

Like a privet hedge fanning out into classic 1970s handle-bars, White’s splendid whiskers have been turning heads in Japan and on Tuesday, the bristly Wallaby said he was modelling his look on hard-man character Arthur Shelby.

“I started growing it a little while ago,” he told reporters near Tokyo Disneyland, where Australia are preparing for Saturday’s Pool D game with Uruguay.

“I’m into Peaky Blinders at the moment and Arthur Shelby has got a pretty good one,” added White, who started in Australia’s 39–21 win over Fiji and came off the bench in last weekend’s 29-25 defeat by Wales.

“I happen to think I suit it.”

Asked if he had the same qualities as tough nut Shelby, White paused before replying: “Maybe I’m not everything like Arthur Shelby — maybe just the moustache.”

White, who did admit to twirling his glorious creation “on special occasions”, offered kind words to hulking winger Marika Koroibete, brooding silently beside him and sporting a bushy beard of his own.

“You’ve got a great beard as well, mate,” he said before returning to the topic of rugby, insisting the Wallabies would give no quarter against an “unpredictable” Uruguay side who stunned Fiji in their opening game.

“It’s a do-or-die game for us,” added the Exeter player. “They’ve got some serious passion and it’s going to be very physical in terms of what they throw at us.