Dakuwaqa Signs with Nice After Biting Incident Suspension
FORMER Olympic rugby sevens champion Masivesi Dakuwaqa will join French third-tier club Nice for next season, a week after being handed a suspended prison sentence for biting a team-mate, a club source told AFP.
In January, Rio 2016 gold medallist Dakuwaqa bit Pierre Pages' cheek during a night out when they were both at second-tier outfit Biarritz.
Last week, Fijian 31-year-old Dakuwaqa was handed an eight-month suspended sentence and a 300 euros ($342) fine for the incident.
The back-rower, who can also feature at centre and on the wing was sacked by the Basque side and joined third division Perigueux on a short-term deal.
Nice finished bottom of ProD2 this season after just one campaign in the second division and will be coached by Gareth Baber, who was Fiji sevens coach between 2016 and 2021, next season.
They have also signed Fiji captain Waisea Nayacalevu and ex-South Africa back-rower Uzair Cassiem for the coming campaign.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
2 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Casualties in stampede at India cricket celebrations: Indian media
BENGALURU: A stampede broke out as a tightly packed crowd celebrated the sporting win of their home cricket team in the Indian city of Bengaluru, resulting in multiple deaths, local media reported on Wednesday. AFP could not immediately confirm the death toll, which India's NDTV broadcaster reported to have left at least 11 people dead. The Times of India newspaper reported seven dead. An AFP photographer saw an intense crush of crowds as a sea of people crammed the streets. Featured Videos Broadcasters showed police carrying young children in their arms rushing away from crowds, who had seemingly fainted. One unattended young man was sitting in an ambulance struggling to breathe. Karnataka state's Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said he was not able to immediately confirm deaths. "This is not a controllable crowd," he said, speaking to reporters. "The police were finding it very difficult." "I apologise to the people of Karnataka and Bengaluru," he said. "We wanted to take a procession, but the crowd was very uncontrollable... the crowd was so much." Cricket fans had come out to celebrate and welcome home their heroes, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, after they beat Punjab Kings in a roller-coaster Indian Premier League cricket final on Tuesday night.
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Soccer-OL Lyonnes sign France forward Katoto from PSG
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Women's Nations League - League A - France v Iceland - Marie Marvingt Stadium, Le Mans, France - February 25, 2025 France's Marie-Antoinette Katoto celebrates scoring their second goal REUTERS/Stephane Mahe/File Photo (Reuters) -OL Lyonnes have signed France forward Marie-Antoinette Katoto from Paris St Germain on a four-year contract, the French women's league champions said on Wednesday. Katoto came up through PSG's academy and became the club's leading goalscorer with 180 goals in 223 games, winning the Premiere Ligue in 2021 as well as three Coupe de France titles. The 26-year-old has made 53 appearances for France's national team, scoring 37 goals. She becomes the first signing under new coach Jonatan Giraldez, who was appointed on Monday to replace the Australia-bound Joe Montemurro. Lyonnes, formerly known as Olympique Lyonnais Feminin, are widely regarded as the most successful women's soccer club in the world and have won a record eight Women's Champions League titles. They were crowned Premiere Ligue champions for the 18th time in the 2024-25 season and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League. (Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
Sinar Daily
6 hours ago
- Sinar Daily
Son Heung-min: The boy from Chuncheon who conquered Europe
SHAH ALAM – For 15 long years, Son Heung-min pursued trophies across Europe's premier leagues, enduring heartbreaks, injuries and close calls. His journey finally came full circle on a dazzling night in Bilbao, Spain. Tottenham Hotspur's South Korean forward Son Heung-min is challenged by Manchester United's Ivorian forward #16 Amad Diallo during the UEFA Europa League final football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at San Mames stadium in Bilbao on May 21, 2025. (Photo by CESAR MANSO / AFP) The South Korean superstar, wrapped in the Taegeukgi and roaring with joy, finally stood tall, not just as Tottenham Hotspur's captain, but as a champion. There is a quiet poetry in how football writes its stories. For Son Heung-min, the script was long and winding, stitched with near-glories and personal battles. But under the floodlights of San Mames Stadium, with a gold medal around his neck and a glittering UEFA Europa League trophy in his hands, Son finally rewrote his ending. Tottenham Hotspur edged past Manchester United 1-0 on Wednesday night to clinch their first major title in 17 years and their first European silverware since 1984. The night belonged to Welshman Brennan Johnson, who netted the only goal of the match in the 42nd minute, capitalising on a cross from Pape Sarr that deflected off Luke Shaw. It was a tense, dramatic affair where Spurs had to survive wave after wave of Manchester United attacks. Micky van de Ven made a goal-line clearance in the 68th minute that left hearts in mouths, and goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario pulled off a miraculous stop in the dying seconds to preserve the victory. Even as the match itself raged with tactical tension, all eyes were inevitably drawn to one man: Son Heung-min. After being sidelined with a foot injury for most of the Europa League knockout stages, including the quarterfinals and semifinals, Son was deemed physically ready ahead of the final by BBC Sport. Yet manager Ange Postecoglou made a strategic call to keep him on the bench. 'He is fit enough to make the squad, but not quite sharp enough to make the lineup,' Postecoglou said. That did not stop Son from making a profound impact. Substituted in for Richarlison in the 67th minute, he brought calm and leadership to a Spurs side desperate to hold on. When the final whistle blew, it was Son who had the honour of receiving the trophy from UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin. Tottenham Hotspur's South Korean forward Son Heung-min raises the trophy as he celebrates with teammates winning the UEFA Europa League final football match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at San Mames stadium in Bilbao on May 21. (Photo by Thomas COEX / AFP) With the South Korean flag draped around his waist and tears brimming in his eyes, Son raised the trophy skyward, completing a personal quest that began in Germany with Hamburger SV in 2010 and continued through years of loyalty at Tottenham, whom he joined in 2015. Fans had long cried out for silverware to match Son's stellar stats and selfless service. He had come close before the 2019 UEFA Champions League final, the 2021 EFL Cup final, and a second-place Premier League finish in 2016-17—but trophies always seemed to elude him. Now, at 32, Son becomes the first South Korean captain to lift a major European trophy and only the fourth South Korean player to win the UEFA Cup or Europa League. He follows legends like Cha Bum-kun, who triumphed with Eintracht Frankfurt in 1980 and Bayer Leverkusen in 1988, and Kim Dong-jin and Lee Ho, who lifted the trophy with Zenit Saint Petersburg in 2008. For Spurs, the victory means more than a trophy; it secures them a place in the UEFA Champions League for the 2025-2026 season, an opportunity to return to Europe's grandest stage. For Son, this is not just about a medal. It is about validation, vindication and legacy. 'Legend' is a word tossed around too often in football, but when it comes to Son Heung-min, it finally fits just right. With a career marked by countless goals, assists and remarkable humility, he is far more than just a Tottenham legend. He has firmly secured his place among the greatest Asian footballers of all time, standing proudly alongside his mentor and senior, former South Korean captain and Manchester United icon Park Ji-sung—the most decorated Asian player with 19 trophies—Cha Bum-kun and Malaysia's very own 'Super Mokh,' the late Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Dahari. Mokhtar Dahari ranks as the fourth-highest scorer in international men's football history, trailing only Cristiano Ronaldo, Ali Daei and Lionel Messi with 89 goals in 142 appearances. Remarkably, he turned down an offer to join arguably one of the greatest clubs ever, Real Madrid, choosing instead to remain loyal to his beloved Selangor FC. While others may have accumulated more trophies, Son's exceptional talent, unwavering loyalty and his role as a cultural ambassador for Asian football place him in a league entirely his own. The boy from Chuncheon who dreamed big and played with heart now has his crowning moment. It was worth every step.
