Fiji's Dakuwaqa joins third-tier Nice after bite sentence
FORMER Olympic rugby sevens champion Masivesi Dakuwaqa will join French third-tier club Nice for next season, a week after being handed a suspended prison sentence for biting a team-mate, a club source told AFP.
In January, Rio 2016 gold medallist Dakuwaqa bit Pierre Pages' cheek during a night out when they were both at second-tier outfit Biarritz.
Last week, Fijian 31-year-old Dakuwaqa was handed an eight-month suspended sentence and a 300 euros ($342) fine for the incident.
The back-rower, who can also feature at centre and on the wing was sacked by the Basque side and joined third division Perigueux on a short-term deal.
Nice finished bottom of ProD2 this season after just one campaign in the second division and will be coached by Gareth Baber, who was Fiji sevens coach between 2016 and 2021, next season.
They have also signed Fiji captain Waisea Nayacalevu and ex-South Africa back-rower Uzair Cassiem for the coming campaign.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
Tennis-Fit and firing Boisson dares to dream as stunning French Open run rolls on
Tennis - French Open - Roland Garros, Paris, France - June 4, 2025 France's Lois Boisson in action during her quarter final match against Russia's Mirra Andreeva REUTERS/Lisi Niesner PARIS (Reuters) -At Roland Garros, a venue that has crushed generations of French players, world number 361 Lois Boisson is daring to dream of an improbable triumph after she stormed into the French Open semi-finals on Wednesday to continue her magnificent run. The 22-year-old, in a Grand Slam main draw for the first time, beat Russian prodigy Mirra Andreeva in the quarter-finals having knocked out world number three Jessica Pegula in the previous round. Her WTA ranking belies the true level of Boisson, who was hovering around the 150th place when she sustained a serious knee injury a year ago. Now that she's fit, she is firing and has her eyes firmly fixed on the biggest prize. "For sure, every tennis player dreams of winning a Slam - and for a French player, Roland Garros even more so. I'll go for it because my dream is to win the final, not the semi-final,' Boisson, who will at least break into the world's top 70 next week, told a press conference. The daughter of a former professional basketball player, she has lit up the clay courts in Paris with her gutsy performances and calm demeanour under pressure — a far cry from how she used to be. "When I started tennis, I was very nervous, very emotional on court," Boisson, who faces world number two Coco Gauff on Thursday, told reporters. "It was hurting me too much. I realised I wouldn't go far if I stayed like that. I learned to control it." Boisson, who overcame Andreeva in a tense quarter-final, spoke of how her preparation remains constant whether she is facing a top-10 player or a qualifier. "The preparation is pretty much the same, whether it's against a number 300 or a top 10,' she said. "We analyse the opponent, then I focus on what I have to do with my gameplan.' GOOSEBUMPS Asked about the growing attention on her following her unexpected run, Boisson, who will pocket at least a 690,000 euro ($788,532) cheque for her participation in the semi-finals and can expect almost as much in endorsements and sponsorships, said: 'I don't really think about what's next. I just try to stay focused on this tournament. I'm enjoying what I receive on court and outside the court - it's incredible." The support from the French crowd has been electric, with chants and La Marseillaise ringing around Court Philippe Chatrier on Wednesday. 'At the warm-up, when they played La Marseillaise, I wasn't expecting it - it gave me goosebumps,' she said. 'Having the public behind me like this, it's a real boost.' Boisson said she had learned to embrace the pressure of playing at home - a prospect that has frozen generations of French players at Roland Garros. "Every player feels pressure, maybe more so for a French player at Roland Garros. But you have to deal with it, otherwise you can't win any matches," she said. "I can deal with it — it's okay." Her form has not improved by chance, she stressed. 'It's not a miracle. Maybe a little bit of luck, yes, but it's a lot of hard work too — especially after last year and my rehab.' Boisson, whose varied game has unsettled opponents throughout the tournament, said her natural style has always been one of variety and flair. "My game has always been like that, with a lot of variation. The more I train, the more I can fine-tune it. Maybe my forehand ball is a little different from the other girls'." ($1 = 0.8750 euros) (Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Toby Davis)
The Star
5 hours ago
- The Star
Deadly stampede at India cricket celebrations
Crowds of cricket fans had come out to celebrate and welcome home their heroes, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, after they beat Punjab Kings in a roller-coaster IPL cricket final on Tuesday night. - Photo: AFP BENGALURU, (India): A stampede broke out Wednesday (June 4) as a tightly packed crowd celebrated the victory of their home cricket team in the Indian city of Bengaluru, resulting in deaths, a senior government official said. India media reported as many as 11 people had been crushed to death, but Karnataka state's Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said he was not able to immediately confirm the exact number who had been killed. "The tragedy and death have brought deep pain and shock", Shivakumar said in a statement. "My condolences to the deceased. My condolences to their family." An AFP photographer saw vast crowds as a sea of people crammed the streets and police waved sticks. At least ten people died in a stampede outside Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru. - Photo: X Shivakumar said "hundreds of thousands of people" had flocked onto the streets. "I have spoken to the police commissioner and everyone, I will also go to the hospital later -- I do not want to disturb the doctors who are taking care of the patients", he told reporters. "The exact number cannot be told now. We appeal to the people to remain calm." Broadcasters showed police rushing away from crowds carrying young children in their arms, who had seemingly fainted. One unattended young man was sitting in an ambulance struggling to breathe. India's NDTV broadcaster said at least 11 people were killed, while The Times of India newspaper reported seven dead. "This is not a controllable crowd," Shivakumar said, speaking to reporters. "The police were finding it very difficult." "I apologise to the people of Karnataka and Bengaluru," he said. "We wanted to take a procession, but the crowd was very uncontrollable... the crowd was so much." A stampede among crowds celebrating Royal Challengers Bengaluru's win in the IPL cricket final has left several dead, Indian media reported. - Photo: AFP - 'Heartfelt condolences - Cricket fans had come out to celebrate and welcome home their heroes, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, after they beat Punjab Kings in a roller-coaster Indian Premier League cricket final on Tuesday night. Organisers pressed ahead with the ceremony, with the team's social media account posting a video of cheering crowds as the bus full of the players -- including batting legend Virat Kohli -- waved back. "This welcome is what pure love looks like", the club's social media posted on X. But IPL chairman Arun Dhumal, speaking to NDTV, said organisers in the stadium had not been told about the stampede. "At the time of the celebrations inside the stadium officials there did not know what had happened... I would like to send my heartfelt condolences", Dhumal said. Shivakumar said cricket organisers had "shortened the programme". "This is a very sad incident," Rajeev Shukla, vice president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the national governing body, told India Today news outlet. "No one imagined that such a huge crowd would turn up." Deadly crowd incidents are a frequent occurrence at Indian mass events such as religious festivals due to poor crowd management and safety lapses. In July last year, 121 people were killed in northern Uttar Pradesh state during a Hindu religious gathering. - AFP
The Star
5 hours ago
- The Star
Kluivert confident Indonesia will edge China in World Cup qualifier
Coach Patrick Kluivert says he is 'very confident' Indonesia will get a positive result against China on Thursday (June 5, 2025) to move closer to a historic World Cup spot. - Photo: AFP JAKARTA: Patrick Kluivert said he is "very confident" Indonesia will get a positive result against China in front of a sell-out crowd in Jakarta on Thursday (June 5) to move closer to a historic World Cup spot. Barcelona and Dutch great Kluivert saw his team thrashed 5-1 by Australia in his first game in March but they recovered to beat Bahrain 1-0 on home soil days later to leave their World Cup hopes in their own hands. "I'm very confident, and counting on my players that they will execute the things that we trained," the coach told reporters Wednesday (June 4) ahead of the clash in Jakarta. Kluivert took his squad to a training camp on the resort island of Bali to prepare for the crucial match. "The things we want to see tomorrow, I saw very clearly. We know the importance of the game," he said. Japan top Asian qualifying Group C and have already punched their ticket to North America in 2026, with Australia in a distant second in the other automatic qualifying place on 13 points. With two rounds of matches to go, Saudi Arabia are third on 10 points, one point ahead of Indonesia in fourth who have won two games and drawn three. Bahrain and China are both on six points. Teams finishing third and fourth will go into another round of qualifying -- Indonesia's most likely route to their first World Cup since gaining independence as a country in 1945. Indonesia has embarked on a recruitment drive of Dutch-born players overseen by coaches from the country's former colonial ruler to bring better results. Around 76,000 are expected to attend Thursday's match at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, with Kluivert hoping the raucous crowd can push his team to victory. "I hope that we can show them a good result," he said. FIFA ranks Indonesia 123rd in the world. - AFP
