Rugby Union Weekly Women's Six Nations: The Twickenham showdown
Only France stand in the way of England securing a fourth consecutive Grand Slam. Sara Orchard and Philippa Tuttiett preview the final weekend of the Six Nations, including the big showdown at Twickenham. Red Roses head coach John Mitchell talks about the connection he has formed with his players and how he is still assessing his options at fly-half. French rugby expert Paul Eddison joins the pod to give us the lowdown on their championship, and why they are struggling to keep pace with England. We also look ahead to a huge game for Wales in Italy as Sean Lynn warns his players their World Cup hopes could be in jeopardy if performances don't improve.
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Daily Record
11 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Phil Mickelson shows his true colours at US Open with generous act as last day goes from sunglasses to security
Lefty may never grace the tournament again after he agonisingly missed cut Phil Mickelson's last acts at a US Open may have been to talk sunglasses and hand out gifts to security officers before departing Oakmont with no fanfare. The golf icon and LIV star looks to leave the tournament for good having never won it and, with that, not getting a career Grand Slam. Mickelson's final misery at the US Open came when he missed a putt in the rain on the final green of his second round which would have saved him from missing the cut. The star, who turns 55 on Monday, will need to qualify in the future or be handed a special invite from USGA chiefs to participate. Mickelson's knows it might be his last appearance at the Major that always eluded him, but, before getting in his car and getting out of the place, he dished out goodies to officers who had walked the 18 holes with him around Oakmont. Before he got going for the last time, he spoke spectacles with Ben Griffin as the recent Charles Schwab Challenge winner said: 'He was wearing a different pair of sunglasses, but was getting ready to put on the same models that I wear, the Uswing Mojing sunglasses. "He started wearing them four or five years ago. I think his first week might have been when he won the PGA Championship. "The sunglasses are designed for golf and he pointed them out and I was like: Yeah, where are yours at? "He was getting ready to put his on. He was wearing some flashy Raybans or whatever to warm up in. "But, yeah, Phil is a great guy, it was good to talk to him.' Griffin knows it might be Mickelson's last and added: 'Yeah, unfortunately my memories of him are not winning because I know he needs it for the Grand Slam. Growing up as a kid watching him and Tiger [Woods] battle it out and some other big names was really cool. 'Phil is a guy that I definitely watched throughout my junior golf and throughout childhood and was a good guy to kind of follow and be inspired by. "I think Tiger kind of stole the show for most of my childhood, just the way he was so dominant and winning majors. It was pretty inspiring. 'I think that's why the talent level is so good nowadays, especially with kids coming out because we're kind of the first generation of guys that grew up watching Tiger and he made golf really cool and there's why there's such a huge influx of new golfers and the talent pool is getting bigger. "Whereas when Tiger first came on Tour, there was a lot of golfers still and a lot of high-quality golfers, but I think nowadays the pool of people that play competitive golf is just way higher. 'Because of that, it's way more difficult, and you're not seeing too many dominant players, except for maybe Scottie Scheffler.'
Daily Mirror
15 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Club World Cup's importance is clear as Man City and Chelsea chase £97m jackpot
Pep Guardiola joked he will be taking his golf clubs to the Club World Cup. But no-one should be fooled about the importance of FIFA's new-look competition in the United States this summer. Manchester City, Chelsea, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and the rest have their eyes on a £97m jackpot for the winners as part of the overall £775m prize money. And it is not just the cash on offer which is motivating the clubs even though it is a major factor. The likes of Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe will be among the star-studded cast list but it will also be huge show bigger than just a dress rehearsal 12 months before the US jointly hosts the next World Cup. And if you are in any doubt about the clubs wanting to win the Club World Cup then you only need to look at the 'mini transfer window' ahead of the tournament. City boss Guardiola went on another spending spree to make sure they are competitive as they have spent over £100m on new signings for the tournament. Big-spending City have brought in AC Milan midfielder Tijjani Reijnders for £46.5m, plus there signed Rayan Ait-Nouri, Marcus Bettinelli and Rayan Cherki in another massive purge. Perhaps just as significantly, Real Madrid spent around £10m just to have Trent Alexander-Arnold available for the Club World Cup. Alexander-Arnold had already agreed to join Real Madrid on a free transfer this summer but the Spanish giants paid out to be able to register the England right back before his contract was due to expire at the end of June. The controversy surrounding the workload, the lack of a proper summer holiday and also too many games is impossible to ignore. As have been reports of slow ticket sales for the major games. Plus FIFA took some time to find a TV deal and, back in the United Kingdom, it is being shown on DAZN who have struck an agreement with Channel 5 to also share coverage. Chelsea and City provide Premier League interest and four of their combined six Group matches kick off in the afternoon or evening UK time. It means Chelsea's first game in Atlanta next Tuesday could be scorching hot in the stadium - but a good watch for viewers back home. That will be key for the tournament to catch light and capture the imagination of the football-loving masses in Europe. And when it comes to kick off, Chelsea won the previous incarnation of this tournament in Abu Dhabi in 2022. City lifted in December 2023. It feels like FIFA have engineered the qualification process for the Club World Cup to get their pick of 32 teams but it will throw up big matches, good clashes and huge interest. Why on earth they had to put in an extra round - the last 16 - ahead of the quarter finals is anyone's guess. But it does mean it will last a month, finally finishing in the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, on July 13. That will put extra strain on the players. But big players and big managers are winners by nature and that means that they will give everything this summer. They will end up with a hangover for next season rather than go easy this summer. That is the reality. Players want to play - and then complain afterwards. And rightly so. We will also get a glimpse of the set-up in the United States. England boss Thomas Tuchel is spending time there to look at base camps, training facilities and also getting his head around how it will all work. The whole thing is designed to deliver stardust. It will be a dress rehearsal for next summer. And it promises to be spectacular. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. The FIFA Club World Cup will see 32 of the world's best club teams including Man City, Chelsea, Real Madrid, PSG and Bayern Munich play across 63 games from June 14-July 13. Fans can watch every match live and for free by signing up to DAZN.
Glasgow Times
an hour ago
- Glasgow Times
Pop star Robbie Williams named as new Fifa Music Ambassador
The singer, best known for songs such as Rock DJ, Angels and Candy, has been appointed to the role to 'deepen fan connection' and 'elevate' the emotion of the game by bringing music and football together on the world stage. He has co-written a new song, Desire, which will be played before Fifa tournaments and matches worldwide to accompany players as they walk on to the pitch. The 2022 World Cup final at Lusail Stadium, Qatar (Adam Davy/PA) The song will debut at the Club World Cup's opening match being held in Miami on Saturday, before being used in all upcoming tournaments including the 2026 World Cup. Williams said: 'Music and football bring people together like nothing else — each with their own universal language of connection, emotion, spirit and community. 'When those worlds come together, there's nothing like it — and I'm beyond honoured to be the Fifa Music Ambassador. 'Football and music have both been part of my life for as long as I can remember, so this means a lot to me on a personal level. The new anthem was co-written with Karl Brazil, Owen Parker and Erik Jan Grob, and features Italian singer Laura Pausini. The track will be accompanied by a new video which will be shown for the first time at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium. Williams added: 'I've grown up watching the walk-outs, the anthems, the drama – so writing and recording the official Fifa anthem is a real privilege. 'I wanted to create something that captures all of it — the passion, the nerves, the pride and the majesty of that feeling just before kick-off. 'Football and music have always meant the world to me, and bringing them together on this kind of stage gives me goosebumps. 'I know I'll get to perform this song at some of my favourite tournaments in the coming years, which fills me with excitement. It's a real honour that Laura Pausini accepted my invitation to feature on the song – she's an incredible artist with the perfect voice.' Robbie Williams and Laura Pausini (Leo Baron/PA) Pausini, 51, rose to fame after winning the 1993 newcomer artists' section of the Sanremo Music Festival, one of the biggest and longest running song contests in Italy, with her song, La Solitudine. The singer, who has released Italian and Spanish albums, won a Grammy in 2006 for Best Latin Pop Album and was also nominated for an Oscar in 2020 for best original song with Io si/Seen. She added: 'The song is amazing, really touching. It's a dream to be with him for the Fifa Club World Cup. Since I was a little girl growing up in Italy I remember the thrill and passion for football in my home country. 'To be able to perform live with Robbie Williams in front of passionate football fans and to be heard by music fans around the world will be truly amazing.' It comes as Williams completes the UK leg of his tour which will then continue with concerts in Ireland, Spain and Italy. His new album Britpop is due to be released this autumn.
