Latest news with #Burke
Scotsman
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Scotsman
'It's a weird one': Scotland's latest cap ready to head home
Burke has been on song - on and off the pitch Sign up to our Rugby Union newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... There weren't too many positives to take from Scotland's tour loss to Fiji in Suva but the performance of Fergus Burke at stand-off was certainly one of them. The Saracens 10 found himself making a few more tackles than he had anticipated on his Test debut but he acquitted himself well in what was a relentlessly physical encounter. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad He was in good voice too, by all accounts, with a rendition of the Fijian gospel tune 'E Da Sa Qaqa' at the post-match dinner to mark his first cap. Fergus Burke made his full Scotland debut against Fiji. | SNS Group / SRU 'I went for a Fijian song so the Fijian community could all join in and help me out,' he said. 'So I think I did about the first line of the song and then let them take over.' Scotland hope to be back on song on Friday when they take on Samoa in the final match of their tour at Eden Park. It is a venue at which the Scots have never won but one that is familiar to New Zealand-born Burke who will have family and friends supporting him in the stands. Burke, who hails from Gisborne on North Island, around 300 miles south-east of Auckland, qualifies for Scotland through his Edinburgh-born grandfather and now finds himself returning home to make his international breakthrough. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Burke: 'Almost like it was meant to be' 'It's a weird one, it's almost like it was meant to be,' he said. 'I was in the Six Nations squad and didn't get a crack so it was almost like this is where I was meant to get my first opportunity so my family could actually be here and things like that. So it is pretty cool and I'm definitely not taking it for granted and soaking it all up.' Defensively sound, with good hands and an eye for putting players into space, Burke impressed against the Fijians on an afternoon when Scotland were second best. He played in Tom Jordan for the Scots' second try but they were on the backfoot for the most of the game. 'I spent a bit more time on defence than I would have liked, and probably ended up making a few more tackles than I would have liked,' said Burke. 'I probably would have liked to spend a bit more time on attack but I guess that's something we can look forward to this week. Fergus Burke was part of Scotland's Six Nations squad. | SNS Group / SRU 'I think we can expect a similar challenge to Fiji and I think for parts of that Fiji game we showed how good we are as a team when we get it right. But when we get our discipline wrong we end up making a lot more tackles than we need to and we're tiring ourselves out against big sides like Fiji and Samoa. So we need to get the discipline side of our game right and that way we can be a bit better.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Burke has played Super Rugby at Eden Park with Crusaders, scoring a try there against the Blues in 2023, and is looking forward to returning to one the sport's most storied venues.
The Age
15 hours ago
- Politics
- The Age
Government slams conservative group after donation by antisemitism envoy's husband
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has slammed conservative campaigning group Advance and its donors after it emerged that antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal's husband's family trust gave $50,000 to the controversial organisation. But Burke defended Segal, a lawyer and businesswoman with a long career of high-profile roles, saying that claims she should be held responsible for her husband's actions were outdated and misogynistic. Australian Electoral Commission donation records lodged on behalf of a trust called Henroth, which is named for the father of Segal's husband John Roth, show it gave $50,000 to Advance – formerly Advance Australia – in 2023-24, making it one of the group's largest donors. 'Advance is an appalling organisation, and those who fund it are not acting in the cause of social cohesion,' Burke said. 'But another of the forms of bigotry that we are fighting is misogyny, and there is no way I am going back to the 1950s and blaming a woman for the actions of her husband.' Segal distanced herself from the donation on Sunday, saying she had no involvement. 'No one would tolerate or accept my husband dictating my politics, and I certainly won't dictate his,' Segal said in a brief statement. 'I have had no involvement in his donations, nor will I.' This masthead does not suggest otherwise. Segal delivered a plan last week to tackle rising antisemitism in Australia, which called for widespread education on the issue, monitoring of media reporting and funding cuts to organisations that fail to tackle hatred of Jews. In media interviews, Segal described it as a good-faith proposal to advance social cohesion. Advance, a conservative campaigning group, has previously accused left-leaning politicians of being 'mostly on the same side as Hamas' and compared Labor to the Chinese Communist Party while advertising against the Voice to parliament referendum and immigration.
Sydney Morning Herald
2 days ago
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Government slams Advance after antisemitism envoy's husband's donation
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has slammed conservative campaigning group Advance and its donors after it emerged that antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal's husband's family trust gave $50,000 to the controversial organisation. But Burke defended Segal, a lawyer and businesswoman with a long career of high-profile roles, saying that claims she should be held responsible for her husband's actions were outdated and misogynistic. Australian Electoral Commission donation records lodged on behalf of a trust called Henroth, which is named for the father of Segal's husband John Roth, show it gave $50,000 to Advance – formerly Advance Australia – in 2023-24, making it one of the group's largest donors. 'Advance is an appalling organisation, and those who fund it are not acting in the cause of social cohesion,' Burke said. 'But another of the forms of bigotry that we are fighting is misogyny, and there is no way I am going back to the 1950s and blaming a woman for the actions of her husband.' Segal distanced herself from the donation on Sunday, saying she had no involvement. 'No one would tolerate or accept my husband dictating my politics, and I certainly won't dictate his,' Segal said in a brief statement. 'I have had no involvement in his donations, nor will I.' This masthead does not suggest otherwise. Segal delivered a plan last week to tackle rising antisemitism in Australia, which called for widespread education on the issue, monitoring of media reporting and funding cuts to organisations that fail to tackle hatred of Jews. In media interviews, Segal described it as a good-faith proposal to advance social cohesion. Advance, a conservative campaigning group, has previously accused left-leaning politicians of being 'mostly on the same side as Hamas' and compared Labor to the Chinese Communist Party while advertising against the Voice to parliament referendum and immigration.
The Age
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Age
Government slams Advance after antisemitism envoy's husband's donation
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke has slammed conservative campaigning group Advance and its donors after it emerged that antisemitism envoy Jillian Segal's husband's family trust gave $50,000 to the controversial organisation. But Burke defended Segal, a lawyer and businesswoman with a long career of high-profile roles, saying that claims she should be held responsible for her husband's actions were outdated and misogynistic. Australian Electoral Commission donation records lodged on behalf of a trust called Henroth, which is named for the father of Segal's husband John Roth, show it gave $50,000 to Advance – formerly Advance Australia – in 2023-24, making it one of the group's largest donors. 'Advance is an appalling organisation, and those who fund it are not acting in the cause of social cohesion,' Burke said. 'But another of the forms of bigotry that we are fighting is misogyny, and there is no way I am going back to the 1950s and blaming a woman for the actions of her husband.' Segal distanced herself from the donation on Sunday, saying she had no involvement. 'No one would tolerate or accept my husband dictating my politics, and I certainly won't dictate his,' Segal said in a brief statement. 'I have had no involvement in his donations, nor will I.' This masthead does not suggest otherwise. Segal delivered a plan last week to tackle rising antisemitism in Australia, which called for widespread education on the issue, monitoring of media reporting and funding cuts to organisations that fail to tackle hatred of Jews. In media interviews, Segal described it as a good-faith proposal to advance social cohesion. Advance, a conservative campaigning group, has previously accused left-leaning politicians of being 'mostly on the same side as Hamas' and compared Labor to the Chinese Communist Party while advertising against the Voice to parliament referendum and immigration.
New York Post
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Kennedy Burke's blossoming offensive game providing Liberty extra firepower
We've got you covered on the Liberty beat Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Madeline Kenney about all things Liberty and WNBA. tRY IT NOW Kennedy Burke noticed the shift two weeks ago, when the Liberty last played the Dream on June 29 and Atlanta — predictably — started doing whatever it could to take away her 3-point shot. She knew it would happen at some point. It was inevitable. Burke's 3-point shooting, head coach Sandy Brondello said, has been 'off the charts,' allowing her to turn a season-opening tear into a breakout campaign with the Liberty, and at some point, defenses would make the next move in the chess match and force her to respond. It happened that day at Gateway Center Arena when Burke went 1-for-6 from beyond the arc. Her Sixth Player of the Year case still remains intact entering the Liberty's next game against the Dream, this time at Barclays Center on Sunday. Burke leads the WNBA in 3-point percentage (48.6), though her 70 shots are only a fraction of what the most frequent shooters in the league attempt — such as Atlanta star Rhyne Howard's 185 and Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu's 145. Burke's 3-point percentage has jumped from 25.9 percent to 48.6 between 2024 and 2025 and her increase in attempts from beyond the arc (1.5 to 3.7, respectively) has remained notable, too. But Burke, to end the first half of a season where multiple Liberty absences allowed her to log more minutes, has relied on attacking the basket off the dribble as the counter to defensive adjustments, while also using her own defense — including six steals Tuesday against Las Vegas — to create opportunities at the offensive end as she searches for ways to prevent her career year from eventually stalling. 'Knowing if my 3-point shot is not open, I can attack because I know I have a quick first step,' Burke said after practice Saturday, 'so just realizing like the defense is gonna be different now. So just doing whatever it takes to get to the basket and be aggressive.' The breakout for Burke dated back to the winter months, when she took shot after shot from behind the arc in both catch-and-shoot and off-the-dribble situations. She also worked with her trainer on attacking the basket, too, in preparation for when teams tried to take those 3s away. 3 Kennedy Burke shoots a 3-pointer during the Liberty's win over the Aces on July 8, 2025. NBAE via Getty Images And early on in season, it became clear that defenses would need to eliminate that layer of her skill set. Burke hit all four of her 3s during the second game of the season — one of four times this year where she has hit four shots from beyond the arc — and watched as those repetitive drills from the offseason started to pay off. For most of the 2024 season, which marked her first with the Liberty, Burke struggled to settle into a consistent role on a superteam with a mostly rigid rotation, though. A second-round pick in 2019, Burke averaged just 12.1 minutes and 3.4 points per game in her first season in New York while trying to figure out where she fit in around the Liberty's collection of stars, and that can be 'hard,' Breanna Stewart — her Seattle Storm teammate in 2021 — said. 3 Kennedy Burke drives to the rim during the Liberty's win over the Aces . NBAE via Getty Images But Burke has 'really embraced the role' now, Stewart said. She has created an expectation of consistency, of production, of the Liberty knowing exactly what they'll get from her in each game. At most points this season, that involved 3-pointers. But recently, it has expanded to shots inside the arc, too. It evolved to include games such as Tuesday, when she compiled those steals against the Aces — including four in the third quarter that directly led to seven Liberty points at the other end. 'Obviously she's not getting as open,' Brondello said, 'but she still gets her shots up. But look, she's more than just a 3-point shooter.' Covering the Liberty like never before Sign up for Madeline Kenney's Inside the Liberty, a weekly Sports+ newsletter. Thank you Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Enjoy this Post Sports+ exclusive newsletter! Check out more newsletters Burke has been one of the players to take on increased minutes with 2024 WNBA Finals MVP Jonquel Jones out after re-injuring her right ankle. Even though Jones participated in some five-on-five work Saturday and continues to progress, Burke has likely carved out a role that will last even after Jones returns and the Liberty get back to full strength. Burke will likely earn a chance to demonstrate that these strides aren't fleeting glimpses of her potential. The Liberty could use taller lineup combinations at times, Brondello said. They can move everyone around a bit, too. And they can incorporate all of Burke's versatile skill set, one that, finally, has translated across a WNBA season consistently. 3 Kennedy Burke drives to the rim during the Liberty's win over the aces on July 8, 2025. NBAE via Getty Images 'Whatever look they give her,' Stewart said, 'she just takes the other one.'
