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BBC News
43 minutes ago
- BBC News
How Rees-Zammit can become a rugby star again
San Francisco 49ers have been scrubbed out and Leicester Tigers have been pencilled in on 28 September in Louis Rees-Zammit's 24-year-old is a rugby player again after a failed bid to crack the was confirmed as the Wales winger's chosen destination on Thursday after his exit from Jacksonville Lam's men are working towards their Prem Rugby opener against Leicester at Ashton Gate in six weeks' time - 20 months since his last game rugby or, in fact, any form of competitive will only heighten the focus on his what can we expect from the prodigal son's return? Bristol a 'perfect match' When Rees-Zammit announced his intention to return to rugby it sparked a transfer Bristol had finances available despite the salary cap and spaces to fill in the back three."He's a very talented player and there were a lot of clubs from Japan, France and England chasing him [so] we're chuffed he signed," said head of recruitment Gethin Watts, formerly of Ospreys, Cardiff and the Welsh Rugby expansive style helped with the sales pitch to Rees-Zammit's brother and agent champions Bath scored more than their 95 league tries as Bristol only twice missed out on a try-bonus and wing Gabriel Ibitoye finishing joint top scorer by crossing 13 times."The way we play the game, and the way he wants to play the game – it's a perfect match," said Bristol and Ospreys coach Sean Holley believes that the move can help the rapid Rees-Zammit add to his game."I do see Pat using him as a versatile back-three player," he said to BBC Radio Wales Breakfast."Bristol use their wingers really well and bring them off the wing and like to give them the ball in hand."They want to get the ball quickly and shift it wide but Louis will be encouraged to get involved elsewhere."There is a lot of kicking in rugby now, particularly in England, so we might even see him at full-back, which will be good because we want him to develop his kicking skills."Bristol have stressed they have not broken the bank to sign Rees-Zammit for the 2025-26 season but a switch to the breakaway R360 league is mooted for next year. Treading carefully Bristol's squad members not involved in summer Test rugby checked back in for duty on 16 is a month behind the majority of his new teammates but will be well-conditioned, albeit for different was shifted from running back to wide receiver in American football - even acting as kicker in one practice game - but his only defensive work would have come in special teams was in a sport of short bursts. Bristol's stunning end-to-end try in their breathless semi-final against Bath in June showed just what he is returning to."Physically he's in a good place, but there's a responsibility on us to integrate him back into rugby carefully," said Watts."We're not going to rush him in straight away. We need to assess him. Training [in the NFL] is completely different to how we do things over here."Time will tell whether adding muscle for the NFL has impacted Rees-Zammit's top-end speed, in the short-term at least, but first it will be about the basics."Pat and his coaching team will need to get him back passing, kicking, catching," said Holley."All the physical attributes are there with Louis Rees-Zammit and he will have honed them even more in America. Muscle memory is a strange thing and it won't take him that long." A rapid Test return? A Six Nations winner and a British and Irish Lions tourist, Rees-Zammit stunned rugby - including Warren Gatland - by revealing his shock NFL switch on the morning the Wales head coach was naming his Six Nations 32 caps mean he is still eligible to play for Wales under the cap rule despite not signing for a Welsh new Wales head coach Steve Tandy has already hinted at a possible return as early as this autumn."You wouldn't rule anything out. Zammo [Rees-Zammit] brings a big effect and excitement by coming back," said his absence Wales have fielded Josh Adams, Tom Rogers, Blair Murray, Rio Dyer, Ellis Mee, Josh Hathaway, Mason Grady and Keelan Giles but none have the star quality with a strike rate of 14 tries in 32 Tests."He's a fantastic athlete with strength, speed, pace, he's an X-factor player," said former Wales fly-half James Hook."He has the attributes to compete with the best players in the world in his position."It doesn't help that he would be coming into a Wales team struggling but he has that x-factor and stardust. I just hope he can live up to that."Payers like Henry Pollock, Marcus Smith, Finn Russell, Antoine Dupont, Cheslin Kolbe generate enthusiasm and a buzz around any team they play in."Louis fits into that category and if he had been available he would have been in with a shout for a starting Lions berth this summer. He is that good." Box office hit With a record low of just two Lions tourists, Wales is desperate for a if November is deemed too early for a Test return, his comeback could still generate excitement - and funds - in will also be rubbing their hands together as the wing could pull more fans to their Champions Cup clash against Bristol in the 24-year-old is sure to be used as a major marketing tool when Bears return to Cardiff's Principality Stadium where they will again host a Prem Rugby fixture, against Harlequins on 28 March.
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Is South Africa vs Australia on TV? Kick-off time, channel and how to watch Rugby Championship clash
South Africa and Australia kickstart the 2025 Rugby Championship as the pair clash in Johannesburg in the first of back-to-back meetings. Ellis Park is the venue for the opening clash of a tournament that could be highly competitive with the defending champion Springboks searching for more success but facing a battle-hardened Wallabies side. Joe Schmidt's Australia arrive fresh from salvaging pride with third Test victory against the British and Irish Lions in a series that proved more hard-fought than some feared, and will hope to carry some momentum into this event. South Africa, meanwhile, went unbeaten in their July international business though face a step up in intensity as they look to get their title defence off to a strong start. Here's everything you need to know. When is South Africa vs Australia? South Africa vs Australia is due to kick off at 4.10pm BST on Saturday 16 August at Ellis Park in Johannesburg. How can I watch it? Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on Sky Sports Action, with coverage on the channel from 4pm BST. A live stream will be available via Sky Go and NOW. Team news South Africa are without a couple of regular starters in centre Damian de Allende and wing Cheslin Kolbe, who could have played but has been held back by Rassie Erasmus. The Springboks director of rugby mixes and matches in places as he continues to develop depth, with skipper Siya Kolisi given a new international role at No 8 in a back row that also includes Marco van Staden and Pieter-Steph du Toit. Manie Libook is given a go at fly half ahead of Handre Pollard and Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu, while Wilco Louw wins a similarly competitive chase for a starting place on the tighthead. As per usual, there is plenty of power lurking on the bench. Veteran fly half James O'Connor starts for Australia in the lone change to the starting side that beat the Lions in the third Test. O'Connor replaces Tom Lynagh, who sustained a concussion in that Sydney clash. Joe Schmidt resists the urge to freshen the side up elsewhere, though has had to make tweaks to his bench - Ben Donaldson had been due to provide fly half cover to O'Connor before an injury in training ruled him out. Nick Champion de Crespigny was then initially named as one of six replacement forwards having made his debut during the Lions series, but the flanker drops out to allow one-cap playmaker Tane Edmed to come in. Line-ups South Africa XV: 1 Ox Nche, 2 Malcolm Marx, 3 Wilco Louw; 4 Eben Etzebeth, 5 Lood de Jager; 6 Marco van Staden, 7 Pieter-Steph du Toit, 8 Siya Kolisi (capt.); 9 Grant Williams, 10 Manie Libbok; 11 Kurt-Lee Arendse, 12 Andre Esterhuizen, 13 Jesse Kriel, 14 Edwill van der Merwe; 15 Aphelele Fassi. Replacements: 16 Bongi Mbonambi, 17 Boan Venter, 18 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 19 Franco Mostert, 20 Kwagga Smith; 21 Cobus Reinach, 22 Canan Moodie, 23 Damian Willemse. Australia XV: 1 James Slipper, 2 Billy Pollard, 3 Taniela Tupou; 4 Nick Frost, 5 Will Skelton; 6 Tom Hooper, 7 Fraser McReight, 8 Harry Wilson (capt.); 9 Nic White, 10 James O'Connor; 11 Dylan Pietsch, 12 Len Ikitau, 13 Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, 14 Max Jorgensen; 15 Tom Wright.
BBC News
2 hours ago
- BBC News
Being tased made me UFC world champion
This article contains descriptions of violent activity which could be imitatedDricus du Plessis is nonchalant but firm when asked if he has been punished with a Taser-like implement during his training camp before facing Khamzat Chimaev."Absolutely, multiple times," the South African tells BBC Sport. "I get tased every fight camp."That's how it is. If you make mistakes constantly - if you repeatedly make the same mistake - you're getting tased, and that's it."It was revealed last year that Du Plessis' coach Morne Visser uses the Taser-like tool on the fighters he trains as punishment for mistakes they make in the showed Du Plessis lying face down on his stomach, with Visser tasing the soles of his is an unorthodox and controversial training method - and potentially very dangerous - but Du Plessis credits it with helping him become a UFC Saturday, the 31-year-old will make the third defence of his middleweight title against Russia's Chimaev at UFC 319 in Chicago, Illinois."I always say this - I'm South African and we are built different. We do whatever it takes to become a champion and this is my coach's method," says Du Plessis."Do I like it? No. But that's his method and if I don't like it I can leave that gym any time."Did it make me a world champion? Yes, it did. You can't expect different results doing the same thing as everybody else, it's not going to work."Du Plessis gives a wry smile before taking a sip of his drink after revealing what it feels like to be tased."It feels absolutely terrible," he says. "It's like touching an electric fence - you just know it's going to be terrible. But it does make that mental note stick." It is legal to own and carry a Taser in South Africa for self-defence some ways, Du Plessis' training methods mirror his fighting style, with the South African questioned throughout his UFC career for an unconventional is known for blitzing forward and looping punches in a manner which appears reckless, but one which works to devastating Plessis is on a nine-fight winning streak at middleweight - the current longest in the division - and returning to the octagon six months after outpointing Sean his past four fights, he has two wins over Strickland and has stopped Israel Adesanya and Robert Whittaker - all of whom are former UFC Plessis says his record speaks for itself."Since the day I started doing this I didn't care about money, I didn't care about fame. I just wanted to be the greatest that has ever done it," he explains."The people that do doubt, what do they know about fighting? Where's their world title?" In 31-year-old Chimaev, Du Plessis is facing one of the UFC's most exciting talents and long predicted to become a is unbeaten, winning the first 14 fights of his career, but his momentum in the UFC has been stifled over the past two fought just once in 2023 and once again in 2024 after illness and injuries led to a number of cancelled also suffered visa issues, due to his ties to controversial Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, which prevented him from fighting in the United returns to America for the first time since 2022 to face Du Plessis with the Russian crediting president Donald Trump for securing his Du Plessis' confidence is unwavering as he predicts a 24th win in 26 bouts."If I go 100%, my opponent has to go 100% or I will finish you," he says."Which means we are going to a place of who has the biggest heart and who is not willing to give up, and that fight I win, 10 times out of 10."
