Rugby star faces long ban for head-stomp ‘thuggery' against Australia
USA star Alev Kelter is facing a massive suspension after getting sent off for stamping on the head of Wallaroos centre Georgie Friedrichs on Saturday - and the act of 'thuggery' could prove decisive in Australia's bid to play in the finals of the Rugby World Cup later this year.
Kelter, a three-time Olympian in sevens and bronze medallist in Paris, was shown a permanent red card in the 79th minute of the Wallaroos' 27-19 win at GIO Stadium in Canberra, in the second round of the Pacific Four tournament.
The 29-cap centre was tackled by Friedrichs and as the Wallaroo hung onto her left leg, Kelter stamped her right boot down five times in a bid to get rid of the Australian defender. At least two made contact with Friedrichs' head and two more connected with her arms and upper body, but the Wallaroo was lucky to escape without a serious facial injury.
Referee Aimee Barrett-Theron immediately blew up play and after reviewing the incident on the big screen, was quick to give Kelter her marching orders - but elected not to use a 20-minute red card because of the deliberate foul play.
'Twelve blue (Kelter) is going to get a permanent red card,' Barrett-Theron said.
'Because this is thuggery, it is deliberate and it is very dangerous foul play. She's clearly stamped on the head of the Australian player. That's reckless, that's dangerous and she's going off.'
The stamping incident capped an ill-tempered night from Kelter, a former college ice hockey and soccer star, who was also involved in other skirmishes throughout the game.
Kelter was later said to be distraught but left USA coach Sione Fukofuka, a former Wallaroos assistant coach, to visit the Australian sheds to check on Friedrichs.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
'Incredible atmosphere': Australia gears up for 'historic, brutal and thrilling' rugby union showdown as British and Irish Lions face off Wallabies, other teams in six-week tour
The British and Irish Lions will roar into Australia next month to bring drama and excitement for rugby fans while delivering a tourism windfall in excess of $150 million. Thousands of Australians have already bought tickets to cheer the Wallabies in what is a historic, brutal and thrilling football series. The Lions tour Australia every 12 years. Their first tour Down Under was in 1888 - before Australia was officially a nation. Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh said this year the visitors will be heading here with a cheer squad of 40,000 fans from the UK. Phillipa Harrison, the managing director of Tourism Australia said the tourism benefits of the six-week tour should not be underestimated. She said the 2013 tour by the British and Irish Lions supporters pumped $150 million to the Australian economy. 'The upcoming tour offers significant opportunities for Australian tourism with the nine-game tour being played across six cities, delivering significant economic impacts to both the host destinations and Australia more broadly,' Ms Harrison said. 'While British and Irish rugby fans will be focused on what's happening on the rugby pitch, we also want to remind them of what Australia has to offer as a world-class holiday destination.' The Lions are bringing a squad of 38 players skippered by Maro Itoje, a rugby superstar who will be a major drawcard. The elusive lock was born Oghenemaro Miles Itoje in London to Nigerian parents and grew up playing many sports. He was an under 17 England shot-put champion. The Lions will play a warm-up match against Argentina in Dublin on June 20 before they fly to Australia. Tim Mander, the Queensland Minister for Sport and Racing and the Olympics said the first test against the Wallabies starts at Lang Park in Brisbane on July 19. He added the Qatar Airways British and Irish Lions Tour to Australia is expected to inject around $55.5 million into the Queensland economy alone. Mr Mander, a former rugby league referee who controlled 12 test matches, expects the series will attract 38,000 visitors to Queensland from interstate and overseas. He said the Queensland Reds will play the tourists in a warm-up game at Suncorp Stadium on July 2. 'We can't wait for the incredible atmosphere that the British and Irish Lions fans guarantee: the chants, comradery and fanfare make for an unforgettable night,' Mr Mander said. 'And where better than the world's best football stadium? 'This is the beginning of our golden runway of rugby for Queensland, as we get ready to host the Men's World Cup in 2027 and the Women's World Cup in 2029.' Victoria's Minister for Sport Steve Dimopoulos believes a crowd in excess of 100,000 may turn out to the MCG. 'Melbourne is Australia's sporting capital, and we can't wait to see the MCG packed to the rafters with what could be a record-breaking crowd,' he said. Steve Kamper, the NSW Minister for Sport, was also claiming bragging rights. 'Sydney is the heartland of rugby in Australia, boasting the nation's strongest fan base,' he said. 'Accor Stadium is one of the finest rugby venues in the country and is a fitting stage for what promises to be the most crucial match of the series against the old foe.' It will also be a packed house in Perth when 61,000 fans turn out to see the Lions go into battle with the Western Force at the Optus Stadium on Saturday June 28. The Lions will also play the NSW Waratahs and the ACT Brumbies. Tourism Australia said there will be another rugby invasion in 2027 when Australia hosts the Rugby World Cup. Matches will be played in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Newcastle, and Townsville between October 1 and November 13. Where to see the British and Irish Lions: Saturday June 28 - Lions v Western Force, Perth (Optus Stadium) Wednesday July 2 - Lions v Queensland Reds, Brisbane (Suncorp Stadium) Saturday July 5 - Lions v NSW Waratahs, Sydney (Allianz Stadium) Wednesday July 9 - Lions v ACT Brumbies, Canberra (GIO Stadium) Saturday July 12 - Lions v Invitational AU & NZ, Adelaide (Adelaide Oval) Saturday July 19 - Lions v Australia, first Test, Brisbane (Lang Park's Suncorp Stadium) Tuesday July 22 - Lions v First Nations & Pasifika XV, Melbourne (Marvel Stadium) Saturday July 26 - Lions v Australia, second Test, Melbourne (MCG) Saturday August 2 - Lions v Australia, third Test, Sydney (Accor Stadium)
Sydney Morning Herald
2 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Perfectly imperfect: Unlikely hero takes Socceroos to brink of another World Cup
In the fair dinkum department, however, you can start booking your tickets to North America because the Socceroos have a goal difference buffer of +10 over Saudi Arabia, the team they'll face in next week's final World Cup qualifier in Jeddah, and there's no universe in which that gets erased and Australia loses second spot in Group C. So rejoice – and prepare to rejoice again on Wednesday morning (AEST). In the meantime, Aziz Behich, please step forward and take your place in the pantheon of Australian heroes – right next to John Aloisi, Josh Kennedy and Andrew Redmayne, other Socceroo icons who have emerged from troubled times as qualification heroes. Though the rest of the match will be quickly forgotten, Behich's 90th-minute goal will be forever remembered. It came from nowhere: an inboard pass from the right from Jason Geria to fellow substitute Riley McGree, who turned beautifully and broke into space in Australia's penalty area. But his touch seemed too heavy, and the ball seemed destined to roll out for a goal kick. So he chased it, and cut the ball back to the penalty spot, picking out … well, nobody initially, but Behich went after it, beat a Japanese defender to it, and curled it in with his right foot. 'It was just about getting myself in a position into the box,' Behich said post-match. Loading 'One thing that the boss said at half-time was, we've still got to work hard, it'll be tough to break down, but we'll get our opportunity if we stick to our structure and get numbers into the box - and we'll get one opportunity, and we'll take it. 'I just tried to get myself into that back post area, and as soon as it sat and came off my foot, I felt I hit it pretty nicely. I actually didn't see the ball hit the net, I just saw the crowd erupt and players start running everywhere, and that's when I looked at the goal and was like – let's go. It's a beautiful moment. I'm grateful that I was the one to hit the back of the net, but the boys out there tonight had to work so hard.' Behich is one of Australia's most underappreciated players. He has spent most of his career trying to escape the memory of the 2010 A-League grand final, when he missed an open goal that could have won it for Melbourne Victory. Capped 80 times for the Socceroos, he is hardly the kind of guy who sells tickets or customised jerseys, and for a few years now, it's as if a good section of fans have been waiting for Jordan Bos or someone else to take his spot on the left side of defence so he can be forgotten. But Behich, 34, has a surplus of ticker, which is why teammates and coaches love him, why he never gives up, and why he is still such an important part of the national team. On Saturday night, he captained Melbourne City to an A-League championship, but that was just the entrée to the main dish: his first international goal since 2012, which sealed Australia's first win over Japan since 2009. 'With what's on the line for us, what we've had to go through this campaign, and obviously playing against a nation that we haven't beaten I don't know how many years … we're always the underdog and always expected to lose, but we always have belief within those four walls,' he said. 'This is right up there in my green and gold career.' So to the performance. The good thing is it doesn't matter – but it wasn't great. Having already qualified, Japan fielded a second-string team but still utterly dominated the first half, and mostly dominated the second half. Physically, at times, they monstered Australia. In terms of technique, the gulf was frightening. But for all their possession and territory, they managed just one shot on target for the whole match. The Socceroos did what Popovic teams tend to do, particularly in Asia: defend well, remain disciplined and focused, and strike when the opportunity is there. Loading Popovic now has over 12 months to find the missing pieces to Australia's game. There are more than a few, and they are very much needed for them to be competitive at a World Cup. In full context, though, he has done a wonderful job. When he was parachuted in as Graham Arnold's replacement, this team was in crisis, in shambles, and direct qualification looked in serious danger. He has achieved it – well, 'all but', for now – while also restoring pride in the jersey, regenerating his squad with new faces and ideas, and laying down a sturdy foundation which he and his players can now build upon.
West Australian
2 hours ago
- West Australian
PCYC boxer Eric Kyanga returns home with Australian Club Championship title around his waist
Geraldton boxing star Eric Kyanga is now a title-holder after a stunning performance at the Australian Club Championships in South Australia last month. The PCYC boxer flew home from South Australia with a title belt around his waist after beating his opponent in the final after the very first round. The 20-year-old fought arguably the best fighter in WA in the semifinal, to whom he lost by decision. With the tournament looking as though it had wrapped up for Kyanga, luck prevailed, with his semifinal opponent pulling out of the final. The tournament organisers let Kyanga fight in the final, with the Geraldton resident jumping at the opportunity to have a crack at bringing home the Australian Club Championships title. Kyanga excelled in the final, dominating the first round of the bout, with the fight coming to an end after the first round as Kyanga's hand was raised. Kyanga's coach at PCYC, Jake Peacock, said he was immensely proud of the efforts put forward by his young fighter. 'Look, I am very proud of him to do what he did,' he said. 'To bounce back from a tough loss in the semi to then jump at the chance to fight in the final and do as well as he did was unreal. 'He showed a lot of character to stand up and do what he did.' Peacock said the ever-improving Kyanga continued to impress and shine in the ring at training, and at bouts across Australia. 'He (Kyanga) is a star. He is always looking on how to improve,' Peacock said. 'Like I say, that's just a big improvement, because Eric fought that guy probably four to six weeks earlier, and Eric won a split decision, which is close, but Eric just totally dominated this time and came away with the title.' Kyanga travelled to the Institute of Sport in Canberra last year and was able to train with some world-class athletes in boxing — among them Commonwealth Games silver medallist and Olympian Callum Peters. Peters and Kyanga hit it off, with Peters becoming a mentor to Kyanga. On that weekend in South Australia, Peters was in attendance as Kyanga's hand was raised. Peacock said Peters had been a massive influence on Kyanga's boxing career and it was a nice moment to see the two together with their titles. 'It was cool to see him there to see Eric after his fight,' Peacock said. 'Callum has been huge for Eric, and proved that in South Australia. 'It all went right for Eric and all played out nicely when he was given the chance to fight in the final. 'They say in boxing you need three things: hard work, talent, and a bit of luck along the way.' Kyanga now prepares to fight in Perth on Saturday, June 14 at Boxing WA's 5RD Pound 4 Pound Champions Show.
