England: 'Wags' to Have Limited Access

Ah, one of the great issues of our time, and now England coach Fabio Capello has spoken to it.

"Wags" will have very limited access to England's players during the 2010 World Cup.

We had been worried about that. Whatever it is.

What are "Wags"? To read this story you would think the entire English-speaking world already knows. But we had to look it up in the "urban dictionary."

And what does it mean?

According to the definition, Wags are "Wives and Girlfriends" of players, a term coined by the English media during the 2006 World Cup. And Wags apparently got lots and lots of attention during Germany 2006, perhaps to the detriment of England's team. But to the merriment of England's intrusive tabloid newspapers.

Now that England has qualified, Capello says things will be different, when it comes to Wags and their English swain, at South Africa next year.

Capello says Wags will have access to players only on the day after a match. The end.

He also seems to suggest wives and girlfriends should just stay home, given that the lads won't be made available, aside from the days after -- which could be as few as three days over the course of, say, three weeks, if the English team goes to South Africa 10-14 days early -- and then goes out in the first round.

We're relieved this has been decided. Though we wonder what the English tabloids will do to fill their news columns, if the Wags stay home.