logo
Scottish prop Fagerson out of Lions tour with injury, Bealham called up

Scottish prop Fagerson out of Lions tour with injury, Bealham called up

Straits Times4 hours ago

Scotland prop Zander Fagerson has been ruled out of the British & Irish Lions upcoming tour to Australia on Monday, having failed to recover from a calf injury, and Ireland's Finlay Bealham has been added to the squad.
Fagerson started all five of Scotland's Six Nations matches this year, but suffered the injury during training with his club Glasgow Warriors in April and the 29-year-old tighthead has not played since.
"It's tough on Zander to miss out so close to the Tour, but now Finlay gets an opportunity to come in and add to the group," Lions head coach Andy Farrell said.
"This is unfortunately part and parcel of the game, so we always have to be prepared for that."
The Lions squad gathered in Dublin on Monday ahead of a six-day training camp in Portugal with England's Jamie George and Asher Opoku-Fordjour also travelling to train with the squad.
Players involved in the Premiership and United Rugby Championship finals will join up next week in Ireland where the Lions begin with a game against Argentina on June 20.
The Lions will have five tour games before the first test in Brisbane on July 19. The second and third tests are on July 26 and August 2. REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Pulisic's dad fires back at Donovan
Pulisic's dad fires back at Donovan

Straits Times

time37 minutes ago

  • Straits Times

Pulisic's dad fires back at Donovan

Christian Pulisic's dad Mark hit back at Landon Donovan on Monday after the U.S. soccer great appeared to criticize the midfielder for his decision to sit out the upcoming Gold Cup to rest after wrapping up his season with AC Milan. On Sunday, Donovan was a pundit for the UEFA Nations League final, in which Portugal beat Spain on penalties, for Fox Sports and made it clear he was unhappy with Pulisic's decision to ask U.S. head coach Mauricio Pochettino to leave him out of the Gold Cup squad. "This is what it means to represent your country," Donovan said on the broadcast while watching Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo. "This is what it means. And if you don't want to take this as a professional soccer player, as someone who gets the opportunity to wear that jersey and take it seriously and responsibly, then don't come in. This is what it means. "He's (Ronaldo) 40-years-old. He's played a long ass season. He's tired. He's out there grinding. Hurt himself in the process, and I can't help but think about some of our guys on vacation, not wanting to play in the Gold Cup. It's pissing me off." While Donovan did not mention Pulisic by name, it was clear he was referring to him as well as Yunus Musah and Antonee Robinson, who are also skipping the tournament for rest despite not being injured, according to USA Today. By way of response, Mark Pulisic asked ChatGPT to explain Donovan's sabbatical from soccer in 2012-2013, which ultimately led to him being left out of the 2014 World Cup squad. "Landon Donovan took his sabbatical because he was feeling both physically and mentally exhausted after years of intense competition and the pressure that comes with being a top athlete," the AI programme said in a response to the prompt. "He'd been playing professionally from a young age and had participated in multiple World Cups, so he felt the need to step back and take some time for himself. This break allowed him to rest, travel, and ultimately return to the game with a refreshed mindset." Mark Pulisic posted a screenshot of the ChatGPT reply on Instagram and Christian liked it. Donovan is not alone in being critical of Pulisic's decision with former U.S. great Alexi Lalas levelling similar criticisms, saying the team needs as much playing time together as they can get with the World Cup coming to the U.S., Mexico and Canada next year. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Man City sign Ait-Nouri from Wolves on five-year deal
Man City sign Ait-Nouri from Wolves on five-year deal

Straits Times

time4 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Man City sign Ait-Nouri from Wolves on five-year deal

MANCHESTER, England - Algeria defender Rayan Ait-Nouri has joined Manchester City from Wolverhampton Wanderers on a five-year deal ahead of this month's Club World Cup, City announced on Monday. Financial details were not disclosed but British media reported City paid a fee of around 33.7 million pounds ($45.69 million) to sign the 24-year-old, who had one year left on his Wolves contract. Ait-Nouri initially joined Wolves on loan from Ligue 1 side Angers in 2020, before making the move permanent the following year. He leaves Wolves after five seasons, having made 157 appearances with 12 goals and 19 assists. Wolves are now without two of their key players from last season, after Brazil forward Matheus Cunha's transfer to Manchester United on June 1. City finished third in the 2024-25 Premier League season and only secured a Champions League berth on the final day of the campaign. Pep Guardiola's side are next in action at the Club World Cup in the United States. They face Wydad AC in their opening game on June 18, before taking on Al-Ain and Juventus in their other Group G fixtures. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

Scottish prop Fagerson out of Lions tour with injury, Bealham called up
Scottish prop Fagerson out of Lions tour with injury, Bealham called up

Straits Times

time4 hours ago

  • Straits Times

Scottish prop Fagerson out of Lions tour with injury, Bealham called up

Scotland prop Zander Fagerson has been ruled out of the British & Irish Lions upcoming tour to Australia on Monday, having failed to recover from a calf injury, and Ireland's Finlay Bealham has been added to the squad. Fagerson started all five of Scotland's Six Nations matches this year, but suffered the injury during training with his club Glasgow Warriors in April and the 29-year-old tighthead has not played since. "It's tough on Zander to miss out so close to the Tour, but now Finlay gets an opportunity to come in and add to the group," Lions head coach Andy Farrell said. "This is unfortunately part and parcel of the game, so we always have to be prepared for that." The Lions squad gathered in Dublin on Monday ahead of a six-day training camp in Portugal with England's Jamie George and Asher Opoku-Fordjour also travelling to train with the squad. Players involved in the Premiership and United Rugby Championship finals will join up next week in Ireland where the Lions begin with a game against Argentina on June 20. The Lions will have five tour games before the first test in Brisbane on July 19. The second and third tests are on July 26 and August 2. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store