Nic White immediately reverses Australia retirement after impressive Lions performance
The 35-year-old White had declared the third and final British and Irish Lions Test in Sydney last weekend would be his final international match but, on Thursday, he was included in Joe Schmidt 's 35-man squad for the opening games of the Rugby Championship in South Africa.
An injury to regular No 9 Jake Gordon threw a spanner into Schmidt's plans and White has duly answered the SOS call after producing such an impressive performance in the Wallabies' 22-12 success to avoid a series clean sweep against the best of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.
'White (is) putting his hand up to help the group again due to Gordon's injury, just a week after announcing his plans to retire,' Rugby Australia confirmed.
Uncapped scrum half Ryan Lonergan will join 73-Test White in the squad for next week's clash (16 August) against the world-champion Springboks in Johannesburg, before another Test in Cape Town on 23 August.
Fly half Tom Lynagh will miss the tour, though, after being struck high by Lions hooker Dan Sheehan during the Sydney triumph and subsequently failing a head injury assessment.
Playmaker Tane Edmed, who has one previous cap to his name, replaces Lynagh in the squad, joining Ben Donaldson and James O'Connor among the fly half options.
Edmed's call-up caps a rollercoaster year for the 24-year-old whose Test debut against Ireland last November lasted three minutes before being forced off field with concussion.
He had a miserable Super Rugby season with the Waratahs, falling down the fly half pecking order under coach Dan McKellar before announcing a switch to the ACT Brumbies for next year.
For all that, Edmed said he had not lost faith he would eventually find his way back to the Wallabies.
'I've been in close contact with Joe (Schmidt) and the coaches, and they've always said 'stay ready',' he revealed to reporters on Thursday. 'And despite the Super competition probably not going the way I would have liked, I always felt like I was a chance.'
With Allan Alaalatoa injured, uncapped prop Aidan Ross gets a chance, while Schmidt also recalls uncapped winger Corey Toole and adds the Queensland trio of centre Josh Flook, hooker Josh Nasser and lock Lukhan Salakaia-Loto.
Prop Taniela Tupou and hooker Brandon Paenga-Amosa, a late inclusion for the third Lions Test, have also been retained.
Australia squad for Rugby Championship matches against South Africa:
Forwards: Angus Bell, Nick Champion De Crespigny, Billy Pollard, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, Carlo Tizzano, Fraser McReight, Harry Wilson, James Slipper, Jeremy Williams, Josh Nasser, Langi Gleeson, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Nick Frost, Rob Valetini, Taniela Tupou, Tom Hooper, Tom Robertson, Will Skelton, Zane Nonggorr, Aidan Ross
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
24 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
How Snoop Dogg revealed which AFL team he barracks for almost a DECADE ago - as footy fans are divided over his gig at this year's grand final
Rap icon Snoop Dogg isn't known for being an AFL fan, but he actually revealed which team he barracks for back in 2016. Naturally, it's the Western Bulldogs, with the 53-year-old posting a meme to Instagram in 2016 featuring his face superimposed over a number of the club's players with the caption 'Western Snoopdoggs'. It comes as the Drop It Like It's Hot singer was confirmed on Tuesday as the headline pre-match entertainment ahead of the AFL Grand Final on September 27 at the MCG. 'It's an absolute honour, it's one of the biggest events on the Aussie calendar,' Snoop said. 'I can't wait to bring the energy and celebrate with the fans.' Snoop performed at the 2022 Super Bowl halftime show and also headlined the 2024 Paris Olympics closing ceremony. 'The AFL grand final is the biggest event on the Australian sporting calendar — and this year, it just got a whole lot bigger,' AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon said following the development. Naturally, it is the Western Bulldogs, with the 53-year-old posting the above meme to Instagram in 2016 The reaction from footy fans following the development about Snoop Dogg was mixed, with some fans seeing the lighter side of the star's reputation for smoking weed (pictured) 'Snoop Dogg is a pioneer, a performer, and a true entertainer. He's played to packed stadiums around the world — but we think 100,000 fans at the MCG might just be his most iconic crowd yet. 'We want grand final day to be an unforgettable celebration of footy — and beyond the four quarters of the match, a celebration of culture, energy and entertainment. 'Snoop fits that brief better than anyone.' Despite Dillon's enthusiasm for securing the services of Snoop Dogg, the reaction from footy fans online was mixed. 'Like Snoop, but don't think he's suitable for Grand Final entertainment,' posted one in response on X. 'Hope he sings the Menulog song, absolute banger,' joked another. 'Meatloaf version two,' blasted a third, referencing the woeful performance from the late rock singer in 2011. A fourth pointed to Snoop Dogg's playlist, with the lyrics - and song titles - explicit to say the least. The AFL has welcomed some huge names to the MCG for the pre-match Grand Final entertainment in recent years. Katy Perry took to the stage in 2024, performing her smash hits including Roar, Teenage Dream and California Gurls, while Robbie Williams impressed when he took to the stage in a bright pink blazer in 2022.
Reuters
34 minutes ago
- Reuters
Too much too young? China's 12-year-old phenom Yu sparks wonder and concern
MELBOURNE, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Beating a 12-year-old rival was once child's play for an elite swimmer but it has become an unlikely badge of honour when China's Yu Zidi is in the race. Only the very best in women's swimming were able to beat Yu at the world championships where the prodigy became the youngest medallist in the global meet's 52-year history. Yet even as the swimming world marvelled at Yu's talent, her age raised questions about the ethics of someone so young competing at the highest level. In a sport where the mental and physical toll can prove overwhelming for adults, Yu's success at the world championships was viewed dimly by some child protection advocates. "Twelve-years-old is incredibly young in swimming," author Linda Flanagan, a vocal opponent of children competing in elite sport, told Reuters. "A 12-year-old does not train like an 18 or 20-year-old because their bodies aren't equipped to handle the work involved. "And also emotionally, it's not in their best interest. "It flies in the face of what psychologists say about what's healthy for kids, which is not to put all your eggs in one basket, to spread your interests so you don't become this narrow person." Adolescents are hardly rare in swimming, particularly in women's competition where athletes tend to reach peak performance earlier than men. Dane Inge Sorensen was 12 when she won the 200 metres breaststroke bronze at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. She remains the youngest Games medallist in individual events. Sharron Davies swam for Britain at 11 and made her Olympic debut at the 1976 Montreal Games at 13. Far from being concerned about Yu's wellbeing, Davies said the Chinese wunderkind, who won a relay bronze and came fourth in three individual events on her world championships debut, would have found it a thrill. "It is a total misconception that that young girl would have been extremely nervous. It would have been the opposite," Davies told Reuters in an interview. "(When) I made that Olympic Games, I was just on cloud nine. "There was nothing for me to lose and everything to gain. And it would have been the same for her: she had nothing to lose and everything to gain." There was little sign of Yu being overawed as she recorded personal bests in the 200m and 400m individual medley (IM), and 200 butterfly. Her time of 4:33.76 in the 400 IM final would have taken the Paris Olympic bronze medal away from 23-year-old American Emma Weyant. Yu told Chinese media the Singapore meet was more intense than she had imagined but the atmosphere was great. "This relay bronze motivates me to keep working hard," Yu told Xinhua. "Right after the race, I talked to my family. I want to bring back the medal .... to share the joy with them." Yu's may be the last world swimming medal won by a 12-year-old pending a World Aquatics review. Although the global swimming body has a minimum age of 14 for Olympics and world championships, its by-laws allow younger swimmers with qualifying times to compete. Yu qualified at the national championships in May. World Aquatics Executive Director Brent Nowicki said the governing body would have to take a look at the age rule. "I didn't think I'd have this conversation, but now I think we have to go back and say, 'Is this appropriate?'" Nowicki told reporters in Singapore. "Do we need to do other things? Put other guard-rails up? Do we allow it under certain conditions? I don't know the answer." An International Olympic Committee consensus statement on elite youth athletes published last year noted adolescent athletes are more susceptible to "musculoskeletal injuries" while the intense physical and mental demands of sport can bring "psychosocial strain" and mental health challenges. China's state broadcaster CCTV reported that Yu nearly quit swimming last year when she was 11 because she felt pressure before the national championships. "I was just overwhelmed with emotion and didn't want to train anymore," Yu said in comments published by the broadcaster in May. But "patient encouragement" from her coach and family helped her persevere. The Chinese Swimming Association and China's General Administration of Sport did not respond to requests from Reuters to interview Yu or her coaches, or for comment on the national swim team's safeguarding protocols for child athletes. Australia head coach Rohan Taylor said he would be cautious about selecting a 12-year-old for open competition at a major global meet -- but would not rule it out. "I would go through a process to make sure everything was in place to support that athlete and that we felt we weren't putting any expectation or pressure," he told Reuters. "There's a lot of hurdles before we put (athletes) in that situation." Three years out from the Los Angeles Olympics, rivals and pundits see a big future for Yu. But predictions of super-stardom may not bear out, according to Michael Bergeron, co-author of the IOC's consensus statement on youth athletes and a sport science expert with the Women's Tennis Association. Citing IOC data, Bergeron said just over 30% of under-18 athletes who competed at Olympics returned as adults. "Maybe she is going to be a superstar down the road but the ones that usually excel at a young age are rarely the ones to excel as an older adolescent, never mind as an adult," he said.
Sky News
an hour ago
- Sky News
This sport has a self-confessed safety problem - could flashing mouthguards be the answer?
Rugby chiefs have admitted to Sky News their sport is not "incredibly safe" due to the "high risk of injuries", while insisting players should be encouraged they are prioritising addressing concussion concerns. The candour on the dangers from head collisions comes ahead of the Women's Rugby World Cup starting in England next week. At that tournament, for the first time at a World Cup, smart mouthguards will flash red if they detect potential concussions that require further assessment by measuring the force and movement from a head impact. "We could stick our head in the sand and pretend something doesn't exist, but that's not going to help anybody," World Rugby science and medical manager Dr Lindsay Starling told Sky News. "It is a sport that has a high risk of injuries and that comes from the physical contact nature of the game, which is also what we all love about watching it. And so that can't be ignored. "We can't pretend that the sport is incredibly safe and there's no risk of injury. And so by creating more awareness when there has been a substantial head knock, that's important to educate people." There is an expectation one player per match could be removed due to potential head injury at the World Cup, which opens with England playing the US in Sunderland next Friday. Players would then leave the pitch for a head injury assessment. Footage is then analysed to see how steady players are after the impact. Then they would be asked a series of questions to test memory and concentration. Players are asked to remember words from a list read out and to repeat numbers in a different sequence. A critical time for rugby Rugby being so candid about the potential risks from head injuries comes as the sport is facing legal action from more than 700 mostly male former players who claim leaders were negligent in failing to take reasonable action to protect them from brain injuries. The case is progressing slowly with challenges, including around historic medical records. "Concussion is obviously incredibly serious," Dr Starling said at the England team HQ at Twickenham. "It's absolutely our number one priority in terms of understanding why they happen and doing what we can to reduce that. "The other side of that argument, though, is that we know this information. It would be more scary or more of a worry if we didn't know that." World Rugby believes female players are more susceptible to being concussed than their male counterparts but at "much lower magnitudes". They are still exploring why. It could be due to physical differences in neck strength and blood flow metabolic rates, or it could combine with female players accessing more technical training later on. Parental concern over women's game But how does the spectre of brain injuries chime with the mission of the World Cup to super-charge the women's game in England, by expanding the audience and encouraging youngsters to play? Especially with those flashing mouthguards warning of potential concussions. Dr Starling admits it creates a concern. But to parents doubting whether their children should take up rugby, there's an attempt to offer some reassurances from those overseeing safety, citing enhanced technology. "We've never been in a situation where we know more about what the risk is," World Rugby chief medical officer Dr Eanna Falvey told Sky News. "That will improve over time, so our job is to give parents the autonomy to make a decision that they can about their daughter's playing. Ferocity at the heart of rugby "If their daughter wants to play, we want to help them arrive at a decision that they're happy with the level of exposure the daughter has and what they can do about it. "There's a lot of health dangers from not being involved in sport. Physical inactivity is the biggest health concern in the Western world right now. "So being involved with team sport has huge benefits." And Prof Falvey emphasised the essence of rugby is, at times, the ferocity. "It's a contact sport," he said. "Nobody shies away from that fact. I think people who play the game play it because they want to play contact sports. Our job is to make that game as safe as we can."
