Latest news with #AustraliaTour
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Ed Sheeran accidentally confirms return to Australia as fans brace for another record-breaking tour
Ed Sheeran has accidentally let slip that he'll be returning to Australia in early 2026 - three years after his record breaking tour Down Under. The British hitmaker, 34, made the casual revelation in a TikTok comment this week, setting off a frenzy among fans already preparing for the next stadium spectacular. The tour bombshell was picked up by Nova 96.9 radio host Smallzy who shared the exchange to his Instagram Story with the hilarious caption: 'BRB selling organs to buy concert tickets'. In the now-viral TikTok, a fan asked the singer: 'How does coming back to Australia soon sound to you?' Ed, without skipping a beat, replied: 'Start of 2026'. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. While no official announcement has been made, Daily Mail Australia reached out to the star's management team - who didn't deny the claim but teased that something major is coming. 'We aren't in the habit of pre-announcing announcements – but there will be news on our plans for 26 later this summer,' a spokesperson said. It comes as Sheeran continues to trek across Europe on his Mathematics Tour, which first kicked off in Dublin in 2022 and is currently selling out stadiums in Madrid and beyond. The multi-platinum artist last performed in Australia in 2023, where he made headlines for smashing attendance records. Since then, the father-of-two has continued to drop new music, including the emotional tracks Azizam and Old Phone, rumoured to be featured on his eighth studio album. With smash hits like Shape of You, Perfect and Photograph each pulling in more than two billion Spotify streams, Sheeran remains one of the most successful artists of his generation. He currently boasts 90 million monthly listeners on the platform, making him the third-most followed artist globally. Over the years, the former busker-turned-global superstar has collaborated with music royalty including Adele, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and Beyoncé - cementing his place in pop history. It comes after last week Ed shared a series of throwback snaps to Instagram, including a fun selfie with Taylor Swift, while also reflecting on his copyright trial. The star launched a new Instagram account to celebrate his 'emotional' new single Old Phone. The account featured a number of never-before-seen pictures, texts, and lyric notes, and came ahead of the release of his new single on Thursday April 29. Ed was inspired to write the new song when revisiting his old phone during the copyright lawsuit around his hit single Thinking Out Loud. At the time, Ed denied he had ripped off Marvin Gaye's soul classic Let's Get it On for his 2014 hit song, and in 2023 was cleared in court. Explaining the new account, Ed penned in a new Instagram post: 'Put the sound on and have a listen. I got rid of my phone 2015, and moved onto email full time. I just turned my phone off December '15 and that was it. 'When I got sued, the judge ordered me to give up my old devices to the other sides lawyers, to look through messages, emails, voice notes, videos, etc, to see if there was anything on there to help their case. In the process, I switched on my old phone. It comes after last week Ed shared a series of throwback snaps to Instagram while also reflecting on his copyright trial 'The first message was from my friend Jamal Edwards, who had recently passed away. The second was from my ex girlfriend who I hadn't been in contact with for years. The third was a family member I haven't spoken to in a decade. And so on.' Ed shared pictures with pals including Taylor and the late Jamal Edwards, with the musician admitting looking through the phone made him emotional for a number of reasons. Ed continued: 'It felt like a time capsule, a time of life that I was in, and living at that time in 2015. Turning it on really spun me out, I found myself scrolling messages and conversations with people who are no longer here. 'I found myself crying at messages to friends who are now dead, who I won't get to speak to again. I found old photos of me with people I was so close to then, but we've lost touch since. 'The whole experience was such an emotional journey. I wrote the song Old Phone on my own at 2am whilst jet lagged in India finishing the album, and recorded it that morning. It feels like a song that should've been on my debut album, but also a song I couldn't have written until I experienced real life things happening to me.' Speaking on the meaningful new song, Ed added: 'It makes me emotional to sing, I hope it finds some emotion in you too.'
Associated Press
6 days ago
- Business
- Associated Press
A rugby tour 12 years in the making: Australia awaits the British and Irish Lions
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — A huge economic boost, 40,000 British and Irish visitors in a swathe of red supporter gear, and the combined rugby might of four countries set to take on Australia. The 10-match British and Irish Lions tour — a once-every-12-year occasion for Australia — kicks off next month and local organizers are already primed for the influx of rugby-loving visitors from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The first of three test matches is 50 days away, in Brisbane on July 19. The second test is scheduled for July 26 in Melbourne and the third in Sydney on Aug. 2. 'The Lions is something that tends to reach beyond just the rugby union fans,' Australia head coach Joe Schmidt said during a visit Friday to Suncorp Stadium, 'because it's such an infrequent tour, people just get interested and we'd love to earn the support of all those folk by being really competitive. 'I'd love to think we're in the hunt.' Who are the Lions? The first Lions tour in 1888 comprised mostly English players and included matches in Australia and New Zealand. The tradition grew and since 1989, a Lions squad featuring Irish, England, Scottish and Welsh players has toured every four years on a rotational basis to Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Andy Farrell is head coach of a 38-man squad for the 2025 tour, with England lock Maro Itoje selected as captain. Recent history Australian rugby has declined since its historic 2001 series victory over the Lions. The 1999 Rugby World Cup champions recovered to clinch that series with back-to-back wins in Melbourne and Sydney after a first-test loss in Brisbane, when the Wallabies were stunned by a crowd overwhelmingly dominated by visiting fans. In 2013, the Lions — coming off a mid-week loss to the Canberra-based Brumbies in a tour game — edged Australia 23-21 in the first test in Brisbane and then, after losing 16-15 in Melbourne, rallied for a comprehensive 41-6 victory in Sydney. Wallabies resurgence After failing to make the Rugby World Cup quarterfinals in 2023, Australia has been in a rebuilding phase under New Zealand-born Schmidt, a former Ireland coach. The Wallabies had six wins in 13 tests in a 2024 season that ended in a 22-19 loss to Ireland in Dublin, but an influx of new players and some improved performances have increased expectations for 2025. Schmidt, who will start assembling his squad next month as domestic teams bow out of the Super Rugby Pacific championship, knows that the Wallabies need to start being more consistent to win back the support of an Australian public which has a vast number of sporting choices. The Wallabies are No. 8 in the World Rugby rankings for men's international teams and need to improve quickly to get a good seeding for the 2027 World Cup, which Australia is hosting. We 'need a series of really good performances and, and it's something that we're aspirational about and we work really hard behind the scenes to try to get into the mix,' Schmidt said. 'I think some of the promising signs, the way the Wallabies finished off last year, the way the Super Rugby teams have competed this year, and so it's our challenge to try to continue that.' Seeing red James Horwill, Australia's captain in the 2013 series, has seen enough red when it comes to Lions tours. His enduring memory of the 2001 series, when he was a teenager watching the first test on TV? 'It felt like a home game for the British and Irish Lions just with just with the red shirts and the crowd,' he said. He said there was more obvious support for Australia 12 years ago with more fans in gold, but the red of the Lions still stood out. 'You walk out of the hotel, there was red everywhere. It's almost like the British and Irish Lions fans don't bring anything else other than red t-shirts,' he said. 'They wear it everywhere, so we need our fans here to step up to the mark because we know they're coming in droves from the U.K.' ___ AP rugby:
NDTV
25-05-2025
- Sport
- NDTV
"Families should be traveling": Cheteshwar Pujara Puts BCCI's Diktat Under The Scanner Again
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) diktat on having restricted access of family members to team hotel during Tour has been widely criticised. After the Australia Tour, where India lost 1-3, the BCCI released released a 10-point guideline restricted the time families were allowed to spend with the players during any foreign tour. However, recently, Virat Kohli has expressed his disappointment and stressed on the importance of players having their loved ones close to them during high-pressure situations - particularly during overseas tours. Cheteshwar Pujara also supports Kohli in this regard. "I would say that families should be traveling. They should be with the players, the window. I mean, there are times where the families are there throughout the series. You as a player, you know, professionally, you want to be attending your practice sessions. So there has to be a window," Pujara said on Firstpost. "Normally what most of the teams do is they have a window of two or three weeks in a long tour. So if you are going away from home for 40 days, there are three weeks where families can travel. So that's the best way to balance it out, because there are times where coaching staff or the management feels that if the families are traveling, then players are not focused enough, which may not be the case," he added. "But just to balance it out, I think if you have a proper window where families can travel and at the same time, if you are going there early for preparation, then players are just focusing on the preparation part. And then when it starts you have to three weeks window where families can travel," Pujara said. During the recently-concluded Champions Trophy, players like Virat Kohli, Ravindra Jadeja, and Mohammed Shami had their families with them in Dubai but did not stay at the team hotel. The expenses for their stay were borne by the players, not the BCCI.
News18
19-05-2025
- Sport
- News18
India Test Squad Announcement For England Tour Live Updates: Jasprit Bumrah, Shubman Gill Top Captaincy Contenders
Last Updated: India Test Squad Announcement Live Updates: Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee will pick the team for the upcoming five-match series in England. Follow for latest updates. India Test Squad Announcement Live Updates: With the BCCI selectors revealing the squad for India A tour of England beginning later this month, the focus now shifts on the senior team. The Ajit Agarkar headed panel will meet to finalise the members of the touring party that will face England across five Tests starting June 20. Among the major decisions that they are set to make is the appointment of new Test captain. There are multiple candidates who can potentially succeed the retired Rohit Sharma. Jasprit Bumrah, the current Test vice-captain, is among the leading contenders followed by Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant. Former India cricketers feel the selectors should also not shy away from thinking beyond the obvious names with Ravichandran Ashwin suggesting Ravindra Jadeja's name while Sanjay Bangar arguing the case for KL Rahul. May 19, 2025 14:25 IST India Test Squad Announcement Live: India A Squad For England Tour Abhimanyu Easwaran (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Karun Nair, Dhruv Jurel (vice-captain and wicketkeeper), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shardul Thakur, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Manav Suthar, Tanush Kotian, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Harshit Rana, Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sarfaraz Khan, Tushar Deshpande, Harsh Dubey May 19, 2025 13:56 IST India Test Squad Announcement Live: Ishant Sharma Back Jasprit Bumrah India fast bowler Ishant Sharma thinks that if fully fit, Jasprit Bumrah should be the first choice for Test captaincy. 'If Bumrah is fit, I would say Bumrah. That's the first choice. He is the only one who has so much experience. But if he won't play all five Test matches, then obviously Shubman,' Ishant said. May 19, 2025 13:30 IST India Test Squad Announcement Live: Bangar Wants KL Rahul As Captain Former India allrounder Sanjay Bangar thinks that the selectors should go for KL Rahul as captain who is a 'guaranteed starter' in Tests. 'He (Rahul) has captained India in the past when Virat (Kohli) gave up captaincy in South Africa. I think he captained one of the best matches, and he's a guaranteed starter at the top of the order,' Bangar said on ESPNcricinfo. May 19, 2025 12:47 IST IND Test Squad Announcement Live: Here's India's Last Test Squad (Australia Tour) Rohit Sharma (captain), Jasprit Bumrah (vice-captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (wicketkeeper), Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (wicketkeeper), R Ashwin, R Jadeja, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Prasidh Krishna, Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Tanush Kotian, Devdutt Padikkal May 19, 2025 12:42 IST India Squad Announcement Live: Team Gears Up For A New Era Hello everyone! Welcome to our live coverage of India's squad announcement for the upcoming five-match Test series in England. With the retirement of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the selectors have the big task of naming their worthy successors. They will need to appoint a new captain too. The tour starts from June 20. Stick with us for all the latest updates.
Daily Mail
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Flat whites in the car park, a team social and a kit giveaway... Inside the British & Irish Lions' first get together ahead of summer tour of Australia
The coffee van in the car park of the Richmond Hill Hotel did a roaring trade on Sunday morning. The venue's clientele was certainly different to normal. Flat whites were the order of the day as the British & Irish Lions squad for this summer's tour of Australia met for the first time. The sight of Sale and England's Tom Curry sipping coffee with Glasgow and Scotland's Sione Tuipulotu summed up everything that is great about the Lions concept. Usually on-field rivals, in the months to come Curry and Tuipulotu will be brothers in arms as Andy Farrell's travelling party attempt to take down Joe Schmidt 's Wallabies in their own backyard. 'It's like a first day of school,' Leicester and England lock Ollie Chessum said of the 2025 Lions' initial get together in London. 'I've chatted to a few of the boys over a coffee but not spoken to everyone. 'It's a little bit awkward. I'm sure everyone will settle in soon. We've got a team get together tonight, so that'll be nice to get to know everyone better.' This was the first time many of Farrell's squad had met and it did, inevitably, have a slightly uncomfortable feeling. But if there is one way to bring modern rugby players together, it is through coffee. Soon enough, national allegiances began to dissipate. Scottish and Irish players, many of whom had been involved in the Leinster-Glasgow United Rugby Championship clash on Saturday, arrived in the same minibus. Unsurprisingly, it was superstar fly-half Finn Russell who was stopped first for a picture. The slightly off-white nature of the Lions official socks was discussed. Maverick England prop Will Stuart had gambled on receiving new trainers. When he realised a set wasn't part of the arrival pack, he was left to partner his training gear with an unusual pair of brogues. 'This is the pinnacle of rugby for a UK and Irish-based player,' said Chessum, one of 13 Englishmen in the 38-man squad. 'But when you're here, you want to be involved in those Test matches and perform on the biggest stage. 'When you make your international debut, you want to keep building to the next step. 'But making my international debut, I thought 'I am so out of my depth here. How do lads go from international rugby to being the best of that bunch?' That's what this is. 'Four years ago, I would probably have laughed in your face if you told me I would be here.' Head coach Farrell confirmed his Lions party on May 8. The next step was a two-day camp which began on Sunday at which all 38 players were present at one point or another. The squad took part in head shots for commercial and television purposes, got to know each other, and received some of their Lions kit for the first time. A team social was planned for Sunday night. 'I haven't got one yet, but apparently there are a few goodies in there,' Ireland wing James Lowe said of the hotly-anticipated stash of Lions clothing. 'Someone said we get an iPad, so if we can make sure there is one of those in every bag that would be great!' With Farrell's players involved in domestic games all over Europe and even further afield this weekend, the squad arrived in dribs and drabs. Marcus Smith hotfooted it across West London on Sunday evening, making the short trip from Twickenham to Richmond after Harlequins sealed a thrilling win over Exeter at The Stoop in the Gallagher Premiership. Jac Morgan, one of only two Welsh players in the squad alongside Tomos Williams, was a late arrival on Sunday after flying in from club duty with the Ospreys in South Africa. Farrell, his assistant coaches and the whole Lions backroom team were all present too. There might be minimal Welsh playing representation on the tour. But there are Wales members in Farrell's staff. Analyst Rhodri Bown, doctor Geoff Davies and physiotherapist John Miles all have previous experience of past Lions tours. 'It's awesome to come together with the guys from different clubs and unions,' Lowe said. 'We've come from similar backgrounds and understandings of the game. There's no one you're avoiding. We're definitely going to do our best to socialise with other people. 'Tommy Freeman is an exceptional winger. We've played against each other a few times now and it'll be interesting to chat to him and get to know him on a personal level. 'It's the same with Duhan van der Merwe and Elliot Daly. It's his (Daly's) third Lions tour and he's been around the block and understands how these things work. He has a wealth of knowledge and is a left-footer, so I'll be picking his brains.' Lowe also welcomed the presence of his former Leinster and Ireland team-mate Johnny Sexton who will be an assistant coach to Farrell on this Lions tour. The Lions' first game before flying to Australia is against Argentina in Dublin on June 20. 'He's so intense. He's scary as anything, still,' Lowe said of ex-fly-half Sexton who was a Lions Test regular as a player in 2013 and 2017. 'I've never met a man who's constantly so intense. It's funny because Manchester United aren't so flash at the moment and he's United till he dies. 'You can sledge him about that. He's a great lad with a wealth of knowledge and a few tours under his belt. He's so harsh in how he tries to prepare you for a game. 'He's got an aura about him and it's not nice when he's screaming at you. 'You try to get on his good side!'
