All Black Frizell among first names for Aus/NZ combined side
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Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
College football star breaks down in tears after being caught off-guard by reporter's question at press conference
Nebraska freshman Archie Wilson was overcome with emotion when asked about leaving his family in Australia to chase his football dreams. The punter arrived in Nebraska over the summer, having grown up nearly 10,000 miles away in Frankston South in the state of Victoria. Wilson grew up playing Australian Rules football for Haileybury College before moving to the United States to join the Huskers. On Tuesday, the 18-year-old broke down as he discussed the difficulty of leaving his family behind Down Under. 'That part is hard... I'm sorry,' Wilson said before bending over the podium and starting to cry. 'Yeah I love them a lot,' he continued, his voice breaking as tears streamed down his face. 'I have two little brothers and a mom and a dad and that's the tough part about being here. I love them a lot and I miss them. 'But they know this is what's best for me and it's good I can still talk to them plenty over the phone. They're coming here to see the first few games so I am looking forward to that.' The punter arrived in Nebraska over the summer, having grown up nearly 10,000 miles away Wilson ended up in Nebraska after joining 'Prokick Australia,' a program that has produced dozens of professional football punters. The Australian is already making a name for himself due to his ability to kick with both feet - and throw the ball. 'That guy is special, he truly is,' special teams coordinator Mike Ekeler said. 'He's 18 years old, leaves home for the first time, goes to a different country, and leaves his family which he's extremely close to... his teammates love him because of the energy he brings in the building, not just because of what he can do with the football.' Nebraska will kick off the 2025 season with a night game against the Cincinnati Bearcats at Arrowhead Stadium - the home of the Kansas City Chiefs. Travis Kelce, who played college for Cincinnati before joining the Chiefs, is set to be among the crowd on August 28. So is his brother Jason, who also played for the Bearcats. 'We're gonna go to Arrowhead Stadium and play at eight o'clock at night with a kicker who can kick with both feet and kick all the kicks,' Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule said. 'He has never played in a game before; it will be his first-ever football game. He left his country and left his family to play a sport he's never played before. He's one of the coolest guys around.'
Reuters
3 hours ago
- Reuters
Australia look to dogs of war in Ellis Park battle against Springboks
JOHANNESBURG, Aug 12 (Reuters) - Australia know they will be in for a fierce fight when they face South Africa at Ellis Park in their Rugby Championship opener on Saturday, but will have power and experience to call on for the showdown in Johannesburg. World champions South Africa, who are also Rugby Championship holders, will be favourites in the fixture but Australia, buoyed by a 22-12 victory over the British & Irish Lions last time out, are fired up for the challenge. They should have the key trio of loose-forward Rob Valetini, lock Will Skelton and prop Taniela Tupou fit for Saturday, while experienced scrumhalf Nic White has postponed his international retirement to answer an SOS and tour. "You've got the Great Dane, Will Skelton, and then you've got the little Jack Russell (White)," Australia loose forward Tom Hooper told reporters on Tuesday. "Jack Russell is sometimes a little bit more fiery and he's nipping at the heels of those boys. He loves not taking a backward step. And whoever's picked in that gold jersey, that's the kind of spirit that we want to play with going forward. You can see it inspires a 23 on the field. "We've got to make sure that the 23 blokes (in the match-day squad) are looking after each other and we can't take a backwards step." South Africa have powerful forwards, even if they are using their electric backs more and more these days, and the giant Skelton will be a big boost in standing up to the physical challenge. "Anyone who's picked in the jersey alongside him will follow him into battle, that's for sure," Hooper added. "He's an enforcer. That's what he's been doing for a long time. "For want of a better word, he loves being that grub. He loves taking it to teams physically. Making the gentlemen's game a little bit more exciting. We love playing with him. He's just a physical presence."
South Wales Argus
5 hours ago
- South Wales Argus
Cold War bunker helping women's rugby on the road to parity
A Cold War bunker in Oxfordshire is helping the Women's Rugby World Cup achieve parity with the men's game. While World Rugby have a target of achieving equality at men's and women's World Cups by 2033, the 2025 tournament in England will see the medical services match those at the men's editions. That includes investing in state-of-the-art equipment, with portable X-rays set to be used for the first time in the women's game in England, having first been brought in for the men's World Cup in France in 2023. The medical equipment is now making its way to the match venues and teams as they arrive in the country for the tournament. Previously, it was all stored at an 'eerie' airbase near Bicester. 'Until I turned up, I didn't know it was a Cold War bunker,' tournament medical director Dr Jo Larkin said. 'There is this place called Upper Heyford, it is a bit like a random purpose-built town, and it feels eerie or like you are in a movie. 'You drive through and you turn into a Cold War bunker, and there are loads of them. It is a great space, it is quite unique. 'That is where we have got all of our kit, and the kit has taken up over a third of space in there. It is a huge amount. 'We have got rows and rows of kit, and every kit goes on a roadshow around the country. We have got four kits moving around, but we've also agreed to provide the teams with their medical kit, their trauma kit. 'It has been a lot of packing, three and a bit days in total, with lots of audit checks. This will be going around the whole country.' Larkin is returning to women's rugby, having started her career working with the then-amateur Red Roses side. She moved into the men's game and has since worked in tennis and sailing, as well as practising clinically. Larkin added: 'It is all about prioritising player care and management. 'When I started off in the women's game, and was flicking between the men's and women's, I used to really struggle because this is a person, a human being. I don't care what their genetics are, they should get the same medical care. Lexi Chambers' journey to #RWC2025 is remarkable 🙌 You won't want to miss their incredible challenge with @ChildFundRugby — Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) August 11, 2025 'They finally are, which is amazing because when I first started off my journey, I would have a different experience from when I was working with the men's and the women's. 'I am proud to say we are prioritising player welfare, and we are prioritising both male and female players the same way.' The commitment to equal treatment for male and female players comes as World Rugby Chief Medical Officer Professor Éanna Falvey revealed that women in rugby are much more proactive in engaging with medical insight. The take-up for the new smart mouthguards with LED lights, which detect head impacts, is almost universal, with the only players at the Rugby World Cup not set to wear them having braces. Meanwhile, the take-up rate for male players wearing smart mouthguards is around 85 per cent. Falvey said: 'I have to take my hat off to the women's players. If men were as forethinking and as accepting of change and research as women, we would be a lot further along the road in the men's game as well. 'The women's game has been phenomenal in grabbing any information they can get, grabbing any opportunity they can get to advance their game, and it has been brilliant to work with the game as a whole. 'It sounds like a generalisation, but it is a fact that anybody who has been in the game has seen.' With more than 330,000 tickets already sold, and prices starting at just £5 for children and £10 for adults, fans are encouraged to secure their tickets now via
