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The 42
a day ago
- General
- The 42
Family connection makes Lions call all the sweeter for James Ryan
WHILE IT'S SOMETHING they are all eagerly anticipating, one member of James Ryan's family has a very special reason to be excited about the British & Irish Lions' forthcoming Tour of Australia. A number of years ago – the Leinster and Ireland second row reckons it was the 1980s – Ryan's mother Clare made the journey over to the southern hemisphere nation with her cousin Paula. Whereas Clare subsequently returned home to these shores, Paula made the decision to remain in Australia on a full-time basis. It was in Sydney that she started a family with her Italian husband Mario Sindone and with Ireland set to play their third and final Test against the Wallabies in the city's Accor Stadium on 2 August – there will be also be a warm-up against New South Wales Waratahs in Sydney Football Stadium on 5 July – there will be a perfect opportunity for Clare to take a trip down memory lane. 'They [Ryan's family] will go. I have family over in Australia as well. My mum, she went over to Australia a long time ago with her cousin Paula. Then she met someone over there and she ended up staying in Australia, settling with him there and the kids there are all my cousins,' Ryan explained. Ryan will be part of Andy Farrell's Lions squad this summer. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO 'They're all Australian. She's been talking about going over for years to sort of reconnect with them. So it'd be nice for my family to go over and do that.' Advertisement Ryan himself got a chance to meet Paula, Mario and their children (all of whom are now adults) when he was part of the Ireland squad for a three-Test series in Australia during the summer of 2018. Although there was no doubting Paula's allegiance, Ryan admitted the rest of her family weren't sure who to back in Ireland's showdowns with the Wallabies. 'I think Paula was wearing an Ireland jersey, the rest of them were probably somewhere in between. The kids actually, they've moved over to London more recently. I'm able to see them a bit more often. They were over in November for the Aussie game [in the Aviva Stadium] as well, the kids. Well they're not kids anymore, but it was good to see them.' Although he ultimately was one of 15 Ireland players to make the cut for the Lions, Ryan acknowledges he was 'nervous for weeks' in the lead-up to Andy Farrell's squad announcement for the Australian Tour. This is perhaps due to the fact he was sidelined with a calf injury for several weeks and missed out on five consecutive games for Leinster, including the Champions Cup semi-final loss to Northampton Saints just days before the Lions squad announcement. Despite his frustration at having another injury lay-off – he has had his fair share of spells on the treatment table in recent years – Ryan felt fresh when he eventually returned to competitive action off the bench in a URC encounter with Zebre Parma at the Aviva Stadium on 10 May. 'It's never ideal timing wise. It was a bit frustrating to miss the block that I did, but it is what it is. It happens and I got back in good time. I was able to work with the physios at Leinster, they did a great job. 'So I felt like I came back and there wasn't a big leap, between what we did in terms of our S&C and then the actual match intensity. So I came back, basically, and I felt like I was fit and good to go.' Even though the roll of honour shows they have a record eight titles in the competition, Leinster are yet to win the URC since it was rebranded in 2021. Ryan had a frustrating time with injury earlier this year. Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO Ryan and Leinster had won the competition for four years in succession under its previous guise as the Guinness Pro14, but the past three seasons have seen them exiting the URC at the semi-final stage on each occasion. While he didn't feature when Munster defeated their arch rivals at the penultimate phase of the 2022/23 league season, Ryan was a starter when Leinster lost out to the Bulls in URC semi-finals either side of it. Since the Pretoria outfit joined along with fellow South Africans the Stormers, the Sharks and the Lions, Ryan believes the standard of the league has increased substantially. A final showdown against either the Bulls or the Sharks awaits Leinster in Croke Park on 14 June if they manage to get past the challenge of Glasgow Warriors at Aviva Stadium this Saturday [KO 2.45pm], though that is Ryan's main concern for the time being. 'I think it is a much tougher competition to win since the big four South African teams have come in. It would be amazing to win it. For us in here, we don't want to start talking about winning things and get side tracked by that. Our biggest game of the season for me is this week against Glasgow. We've got to take care of that first,' Ryan added.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Katy Perry stuns onlookers as she's spotted browsing at shopping centre in Sydney's western suburbs before kicking off Aussie tour
Katy Perry left onlookers stunned as she took a very casual shopping trip in Sydney's western suburbs on Tuesday. The American pop star was seen wandering around Lidcombe Shopping Centre ahead of kicking off her tour Down Under on Wednesday. The 40-year-old had daughter Daisy Dove on her hip as she stopped into a series of stores. Katy strolled by the Aldi supermarket and discount department store Kmart with her small entourage. She blended in with the locals in a low key ensemble including a grey Celine tracksuit, cap and sunglasses. 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. Katy is embarking on her mammoth Australian tour this week. With tickets to the expanding tour selling like hotcakes, the Roar hitmaker announced two extra shows in February. Taking to Instagram, Katy revealed that she has added an extra show at Sydney 's Qudos Bank Arena on June 4, which will kick off the Australian leg. Katy will also play an extra Melbourne show at Rod Laver Arena on June 7. The Grammy-nominated superstar revealed that she had been humbled with the success of her Australian tour, with all previous dates now sold out. Captioning the announcement, Katy said: 'I am so blown away by the incredible demand for THE LIFETIMES TOUR that I will be adding a final show in Sydney and a final show in Melbourne to make sure all my Australian fans have a chance to experience the incredible show I am bringing.' With the new dates locked in, the hitmaker will play a hefty 15 Australian shows. The pop star announced the Australian Lifetimes tour just prior to her turn at the AFL Grand Final. The American pop star was seen wandering around Lidcombe Shopping Centre (pictured) ahead of kicking off her tour Down Under on Wednesday The original run included just one show each for Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth however, fan demand dictated Katy needed to add two extra Sydney and Brisbane shows. Crestfallen Adelaide fans issued their sorrow over missing out on their chance to see Katy in the flesh however, but they were not left out in the cold for too long. Listening to fan protests, Katy eventually added a run of four shows in the City of Churches. 'I heard you loud and clear Adelaide, I got you!' Katy wrote on Instagram. Extra shows were also added to Melbourne and Perth as demand for the Teenage Dream hitmaker continued to rise. Speaking to the Daily Telegraph promoter Paul Dainty said there was an 'overwhelming demand' for Katy Down Under. 'The fact that we're adding two more shows in Sydney and Melbourne to an already sold-out tour is huge.,' he said. 'This is a testament to Katy's incredible connection with her Australian fans.' Despite the singer's last album 143 being savaged by critics, the harsh words fell on deaf ears Down Under with the album debuting at Number 2 on the ARIA charts. The singer released the lead single from 143 in July, but the track - Woman's World - billed as an empowering feminist anthem - was quickly dismissed as ' unoriginal, hypocritical and formulaic.' The Teenage Dream hitmaker also faced criticism for the sexualised nature of the accompanying video. She was also criticised for her decision to work with music producer Dr. Luke after his highly publicised legal battle with Tick Tock singer Kesha. However, Antipodean love for Katy was no doubt buoyed by her stellar turn at the AFL Grand Final in September. Her 20-minute set included two tracks from her latest album 143, Lifetimes and Gorgeous, her collaboration with Kim Petras, after reports she had been restricted to just one new song by AFL bosses. Despite slipping the new songs in, it was the hits that got the crowd pumping with Katy kicking of with a rendition of Roar before ripping into Teenage Dream, Dark Horse and Firework. Katy also belted out I Kissed A Girl with Tina Arena before the pair moved into a rendition of the Aussie pop star's hit Chains. But she caused surprise with her setlist by not singing Hot n Cold, despite it famously being the theme tune to MasterChef Australia and jokingly regarded by many as Aussie's true 'national anthem '. She was reportedly paid a staggering $5million to put on a pre-game performance at the final.
The Sun
16-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Speedy Tigers to tour South Korea ahead of Nations Cup
KUALA LUMPUR: The Speedy Tigers will be testing their mettle before the Nations Cup this June as they are scheduled for a short playing tour in South Korea starting on Sunday until May 19. More interestingly, team manager for the national men's squad Datuk Ahmad Najmi Abdul Razak said the tour would be fully sponsored by the South Korean Sports Ministry which invited the Malaysian team under head coach Sarjit Singh to visit the country. Ahmad Najmi said the campaign would be the final preparation before the Speedy Tigers get off the blocks for the Nations Cup scheduled to be hosted in Kuala Lumpur from June 15-21. 'We will bring 22 players (to Korea), there are a few changes to the team compared to the one that went on a playing tour of Australia (last month). After South Korea, coach Sarjit will announce the line-up for the Nations Cup,' he said during a press conference at the Bukit Jalil National Hockey Stadium here today. Meanwhile, Sarjit hopes that his players will be able to improve on their fitness and discipline since South Korea have the advantage in both elements. '(The) Korea game is more about discipline and fitness, and also in Korea we need to have man-to-man marking which we are very weak at. So this will be a very good test for our boys. For the Nations Cup, we already have enough tournaments for the run-up. Our target is long term,' he said. In April, the Speedy Tigers travelled Down Under to play six friendly matches in the Australian Tour series. The Speedy Tigers are slated to compete in several tournaments this year, including the Asia Cup, which offers an automatic slot to the 2026 FIH men's World Cup (in Netherlands and Belgium) for the winning team. The Asia Cup is scheduled to take place in India from Aug 27 to Sept 7. The generosity of South Korea to sponsor Malaysia to cross swords in a short friendly tour is a mutually-profitable experience as Korea are also playing in the June Nations Cup. In addition, the Speedy Tigers will also participate in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup from Nov 22-29 and the Thailand SEA Games from Dec 9-20.
The Sun
16-05-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Korea to host whistle-stop tour for Speedy Tigers before Nations Cup
KUALA LUMPUR: The Speedy Tigers will be testing their mettle before the Nations Cup this June as they are scheduled for a short playing tour in South Korea starting on Sunday until May 19. More interestingly, team manager for the national men's squad Datuk Ahmad Najmi Abdul Razak said the tour would be fully sponsored by the South Korean Sports Ministry which invited the Malaysian team under head coach Sarjit Singh to visit the country. Ahmad Najmi said the campaign would be the final preparation before the Speedy Tigers get off the blocks for the Nations Cup scheduled to be hosted in Kuala Lumpur from June 15-21. 'We will bring 22 players (to Korea), there are a few changes to the team compared to the one that went on a playing tour of Australia (last month). After South Korea, coach Sarjit will announce the line-up for the Nations Cup,' he said during a press conference at the Bukit Jalil National Hockey Stadium here today. Meanwhile, Sarjit hopes that his players will be able to improve on their fitness and discipline since South Korea have the advantage in both elements. '(The) Korea game is more about discipline and fitness, and also in Korea we need to have man-to-man marking which we are very weak at. So this will be a very good test for our boys. For the Nations Cup, we already have enough tournaments for the run-up. Our target is long term,' he said. In April, the Speedy Tigers travelled Down Under to play six friendly matches in the Australian Tour series. The Speedy Tigers are slated to compete in several tournaments this year, including the Asia Cup, which offers an automatic slot to the 2026 FIH men's World Cup (in Netherlands and Belgium) for the winning team. The Asia Cup is scheduled to take place in India from Aug 27 to Sept 7. The generosity of South Korea to sponsor Malaysia to cross swords in a short friendly tour is a mutually-profitable experience as Korea are also playing in the June Nations Cup. In addition, the Speedy Tigers will also participate in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup from Nov 22-29 and the Thailand SEA Games from Dec 9-20.
Daily Mail
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Anastacia reveals the terrifying menopause symptoms that she thought were caused by a brain tumour
US pop star Anastacia has revealed the terrifying moment she thought she had a brain tumour. Speaking on The Project on Monday night, the singer, 56, said she was shocked to discover she was actually experiencing menopausal migraines. Anastacia went on to explain she had been self-diagnosing and had 'no idea' that her symptoms, which included exhaustion and brain fog, were 'hormone-related'. 'It was really really scary, but I'm not scared to talk about it... Menopause has not been easy,' the noughties icon told The Project hosts Waleed Aly and Sarah Harris on Monday. 'What's been the hardest thing?' Harris asked. 'Everything. I had every side effect that I had no idea that I had. I didn't really know what was wrong. My SVT (supraventricular tachycardia) came back. My heart palpitations,' she explained. The singer, 56, said she had no idea she was actually experiencing menopausal migraines 'I thought I had a brain tumour. I was not in a good place towards the end and then realised that I had no numbers. 'So I was like "Oh, okay. Well give me some numbers kids. Give me progastrin".' Anastasia joined the program to promote the upcoming Australian leg of her 25th anniversary tour of her debut album, Not That Kind. 'I am wearing my low rise jeans on tour,' Anastacia said as she explained her enduring commitment to Y2K fashion staples. 'You never know with my age and the mesopause situation, we might fluctuate between sizes on the tour. 'I went through a period of wanting to eat everything in the refrigerator and now I'm on bioidenticals girl, so you know how it is,' she told Sarah. Bioidentical hormone therapy (BHRT) for menopause involves using hormones that are chemically identical to those naturally produced by the body. Sarah praised the singer's 'good attitude' about her health struggles, to which Anastacia replied: 'I don't like the side of winging and moaning.' Anastasia has previously suffered from an abnormal heart rhythm, and was diagnosed with Crohn's disease at 13. The pop icon was also diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003, aged 34, and then again a decade later. Last month, Loose Women fans were left moved by Anastacia's two-word verdict on her cancer battle that involved 16 surgeries. While chatting to Christine Lampard, Brenda Edwards, Coleen Nolan and Jane Moore, her health came up. Anastacia said: 'When I got it the second time I decided to do the mastectomy, that means it's all gone. 'I made a very, very hard choice early and the minute the surgery was complete, I never worried about it again. 'I did have 15 more surgeries after that surgery to get to where I was complete, but who cares?' She poignantly signed off: 'I won!' Anastacia is heading Down Under for the time in a decade as part of a world tour celebrating 25 years of her hit debut album, Not That Kind. The noughties hitmaker will play shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane in September, and advance tickets for the gigs will go on sale from March 28. Anastacia last toured Australia in 2015 as part of her Resurrection Tour.
