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Irish Daily Mirror
04-07-2025
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
What time and TV channel is Waratahs vs British and Irish Lions on?
The British and Irish Lions tour continues with its third game in-country, against Super Rugby franchise 2025 tour may have got off to a poor start with defeat to Argentina in Dublin but the ship was steadied to some extent with comprehensive wins over Western Force in Perth and Reds in and Ireland's Hugo Keenan, who was suffering from a bug, and Toulouse and Scotland's Blair Kinghorn, who delayed as he was playing in the Top 14 final, will make their Lions starting XV for the game features six Ireland players Keenan, Mack Hansen, Finlay Bealham, Tadhg Beirne as captain, James Ryan and Josh van der are a further three on the bench Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong and Joe star Elliot Daly suffered a Tour-ending injury in Wednesday's win and has been replaced by England's Owen finished eighth of eleven teams and outside the playoff zone in the 2025 Super Rugby tournament. Their season comprised six wins and eight defeats with five of those losses coming in their last six is what you need to know about the match:Where and when is it?The match takes place at the Alliance Stadium, Sydney, Saturday morning, July 5thWhat time is kick-off?The action gets under way at 11am Irish are the match officials?Referee: Paul Williams (New Zealand)Assistant Referee 1: James Doleman (New Zealand)Assistant Referee 2: Angus Mabey (New Zealand)TMO: Richard Kelly (New Zealand)Foul Play Review Officer (FPRO): Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)Tell me some Waratahs stuff?Joe Schmidt's Wallabies have released two key squad members for the game, tighthead prop Taniela Tupou and outside back Andrew Matt Philip will make a long-awaited debut should be used from the bench after returning to Australia from was named after being released by the Wallabies wider training group, as was Darby Lancaster who will start on the left wing and out-half Tane Edmed on the CORNERAndy Farrell, Lions Head Coach: 'Congratulations to Tadhg who will lead the side on Saturday night - and also to Blair, Hugo and Ben who will all make their Lions debuts. The games are coming thick and fast now as we face a Waratahs side who will want to make their mark."Tadhg Beirne, Lions Captain on Owen Farrell's arrival: "He's only going to bring some serious quality to the squad, so we're looking forward to inviting him in here and getting to hang out with him," said Beirne."Any type of leadership is only going to enhance the squad. Playing with him four years ago, I've seen all the leadership qualities that he brings, the quality of his talent as well. It's going to do nothing but boost the squad, for sure."Dan McKellar, Waratahs Head Coach: 'Nela (Tupou) at scrum-time and Kells' (Kellaway) experience on both sides of the ball will be invaluable. To go out there in set-piece first and foremost, back that up with physicality and show the ability to repeat it, they are the three things I talk to tight forwards about every day.'I want him to be really good around scrums, lineout, maul and then impose himself on the game as we know he can do with ball in hand and without just have to put them under pressure. They're a quality side, and as I've said to the players all week … this is a Test match.'We are not playing Super Rugby or anything else. We are playing a high-quality Test team but they've got two arms and two legs, and you just have to put them under pressure.'The Force and the Reds have been able to do that and sustain it for long periods of time is the challenge. They bring on eight high quality Test players off the bench, it's a fair challenge but as has been proven in the past, it's certainly doable. You just have to be very good.'DID YOU KNOW: Twelve years ago the Lions beat the Waratahs 47-17 with Leigh Halfpenny contributing 30 of the Lions' points. BETTING ODDSWaratahs win: 45/1Lions win: 1/100Draw: 50/1What TV CHANNEL IS IT ON?The match will be shown on Sky SportsTEAMSWaratahs: 15 Lawson Creighton; 14 Andrew Kellaway, 13 Lalakai Foketi, 12 Joey Walton, 11 Darby Lancaster; 10 Jack Bowen, 9 Teddy Wilson; 1 Tom Lambert, 2 Ethan Dobbins, 3 Taniela Tupou, 4 Fergus Lee-Warner, 5 Miles Amatosero, 6 Rob Leota, 7 Charlie Gamble, 8 Hugh Sinclair (capt)Replacements: 16 Mahe Vailanu, 17 Jack Barrett, 18 Daniel Botha, 19 Matt Philip, 20 Jamie Adamson, 21 Jack Grant, 22 Tane Edmed, 23 Henry O'DonnellLions15. Hugo Keenan (Leinster Rugby/ Ireland)14. Mack Hansen (Connacht Rugby/ Ireland) #86713. Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors/ Scotland) #87812. Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors/ Scotland) #86311. Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse/ Scotland)10. Fin Smith (Northampton Saints/ England) #8629. Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints/ England) #8601. Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby/ Scotland) #8682. Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks/ England) #8513. Finlay Bealham (Connacht Rugby/ Ireland) #8564. Tadhg Beirne (Munster Rugby/ Ireland) #838 (c)5. James Ryan (Leinster Rugby/ Ireland) #8806. Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints/ England) #8657. Josh van der Flier (Leinster Rugby/ Ireland) #8748. Ben Earl (Saracens/ England) #857Replacements:16. Dan Sheehan (Leinster Rugby/ Ireland) #87317. Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears/ England) #85918. Tadhg Furlong (Leinster Rugby/ Ireland) #81819. Joe McCarthy (Leinster Rugby/ Ireland) #87120. Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors/ Scotland) #86921. Jac Morgan (Ospreys/ Wales) #86122. Ben White (Toulon/ Scotland)23. Marcus Smith (Harlequins/ England) #855
Associated Press
03-06-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Tesonet invests in Lithuanian SportsTech startup FPRO
Tesonet is investing €2 million in the Lithuanian SportsTech startup FPRO. This is FPRO's first round of outside investment, marking a new phase in its development. The funds will help the startup to leverage smart tech solutions to expand professional training opportunities in youth football worldwide. A made-in-Lithuania solution for the global football market FPRO is a SportsTech startup that is developing innovative football training solutions for children. Working in collaboration with UEFA-certified coaches and experts in sports science, FPRO has devised a unique interactive app for children ages 6 through 12. The app is designed to improve their technique, coordination and ball control skills. Having founded the Football Pro Academy back in 2018, founders Ernestas Pilypas, Darius Jankauskas, and Vilius Petkevičius were forced to move operations online during the pandemic. This was the impetus behind the development of their digital product, which was released in 2022. The platform's user base currently consists of 140,000+ children from the UK, Germany, the US, and other countries. Most of the company's revenue comes from sales outside of their home market. 'Football is the most popular sport in the world, but the market is currently short on qualified coaches. We wanted to create a solution that would be accessible to everyone, regardless of their financial means or location. FPRO fills this gap by offering young athletes an accessible, tech-driven method geared towards raising their physical fitness and developing their personalities in a comprehensive way. It helps to build their self-confidence, discipline, and passion for football through a focused and personalised coaching process. We see Tesonet's investment as confirmation that we're on the right track,' said Vilius Petkevičius, co-founder of FPRO. Ambitious partnership for innovation in children's sports 'The sports technology market has enormous potential, and football unites billions of people worldwide. Given our substantial experience with SportsTech, the latest investment reflects our strategy to expand the sports innovation ecosystem while strengthening the community both in Lithuania and globally. This is a profitable and growing startup with a broad user base, an unstoppable team, and founders who are experts in their field. It's a perfect combination, and one that mirrors our own values,' commented Tomas Okmanas, co-founder of Tesonet. Tesonet co-founder Eimantas Sabaliauskas added: 'When making a decision to invest, we consider not only market potential, but also a given team's vision and ability to solve real problems on a global scale. FPRO has created a strong product, and our goal as investors is to help them not just financially but also in terms of strategy. We see clear synergies where our contribution could help them optimise business processes, develop new revenue streams, expand their user base, and further accelerate growth internationally.' Another SportsTech investment in Tesonet's portfolio This is not our first venture in the sports vertical. In 2022, we acquired shares in BC Žalgiris Kaunas, helping the basketball club with its digital transformation and commercial expansion. Then in 2024, we invested in basketball club BC London Lions, aiming to promote the development of young talent and bolster the club's competitiveness internationally. ABOUT TESONET: Tesonet is one of the largest venture builders and investors in the Baltic States. It houses globally recognized companies such as joint cybersecurity powerhouse Nord Security and Surfshark, a market-leading web intelligence collection platform Oxylabs, the fastest-growing brand among hosting providers Hostinger, - an AI orchestration platform, and others. With over 3,500 in-house talents and a fully developed infrastructure, Tesonet supports, funds, and scales businesses globally. Since 2018, Tesonet has extended its reach by investing in successful ventures like Hostinger, Cast AI, Eneba, BC Žalgiris, London Lions, Artea, Zapp, Turing College, and others. Tesonet is known for its innovative ecosystem and strong infrastructure, which support product development, testing, and global growth. The company is dedicated to advancing technological innovation and helping grow the broader ecosystem. ABOUT FPRO: FPRO is a sports technology startup dedicated to developing innovative training solutions for children's football. Collaborating with UEFA-certified coaches and sports university experts, FPRO has created a unique interactive mobile app designed to help children aged 6–12 improve their technique, coordination, and ball control the platform is being used by over 140,000 children across the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, and other countries.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tesonet invests in Lithuanian SportsTech startup FPRO
Tesonet is investing €2 million in the Lithuanian SportsTech startup FPRO. This is FPRO's first round of outside investment, marking a new phase in its development. The funds will help the startup to leverage smart tech solutions to expand professional training opportunities in youth football worldwide. A made-in-Lithuania solution for the global football market FPRO is a SportsTech startup that is developing innovative football training solutions for children. Working in collaboration with UEFA-certified coaches and experts in sports science, FPRO has devised a unique interactive app for children ages 6 through 12. The app is designed to improve their technique, coordination and ball control skills. Having founded the Football Pro Academy back in 2018, founders Ernestas Pilypas, Darius Jankauskas, and Vilius Petkevičius were forced to move operations online during the pandemic. This was the impetus behind the development of their digital product, which was released in 2022. The platform's user base currently consists of 140,000+ children from the UK, Germany, the US, and other countries. Most of the company's revenue comes from sales outside of their home market. 'Football is the most popular sport in the world, but the market is currently short on qualified coaches. We wanted to create a solution that would be accessible to everyone, regardless of their financial means or location. FPRO fills this gap by offering young athletes an accessible, tech-driven method geared towards raising their physical fitness and developing their personalities in a comprehensive way. It helps to build their self-confidence, discipline, and passion for football through a focused and personalised coaching process. We see Tesonet's investment as confirmation that we're on the right track,' said Vilius Petkevičius, co-founder of FPRO. Ambitious partnership for innovation in children's sports 'The sports technology market has enormous potential, and football unites billions of people worldwide. Given our substantial experience with SportsTech, the latest investment reflects our strategy to expand the sports innovation ecosystem while strengthening the community both in Lithuania and globally. This is a profitable and growing startup with a broad user base, an unstoppable team, and founders who are experts in their field. It's a perfect combination, and one that mirrors our own values,' commented Tomas Okmanas, co-founder of Tesonet. Tesonet co-founder Eimantas Sabaliauskas added: 'When making a decision to invest, we consider not only market potential, but also a given team's vision and ability to solve real problems on a global scale. FPRO has created a strong product, and our goal as investors is to help them not just financially but also in terms of strategy. We see clear synergies where our contribution could help them optimise business processes, develop new revenue streams, expand their user base, and further accelerate growth internationally.' Another SportsTech investment in Tesonet's portfolio This is not our first venture in the sports vertical. In 2022, we acquired shares in BC Žalgiris Kaunas, helping the basketball club with its digital transformation and commercial expansion. Then in 2024, we invested in basketball club BC London Lions, aiming to promote the development of young talent and bolster the club's competitiveness internationally. ABOUT TESONET: Tesonet is one of the largest venture builders and investors in the Baltic States. It houses globally recognized companies such as joint cybersecurity powerhouse Nord Security and Surfshark, a market-leading web intelligence collection platform Oxylabs, the fastest-growing brand among hosting providers Hostinger, - an AI orchestration platform, and others. With over 3,500 in-house talents and a fully developed infrastructure, Tesonet supports, funds, and scales businesses globally. Since 2018, Tesonet has extended its reach by investing in successful ventures like Hostinger, Cast AI, Eneba, BC Žalgiris, London Lions, Artea, Zapp, Turing College, and others. Tesonet is known for its innovative ecosystem and strong infrastructure, which support product development, testing, and global growth. The company is dedicated to advancing technological innovation and helping grow the broader ecosystem. ABOUT FPRO: FPRO is a sports technology startup dedicated to developing innovative training solutions for children's football. Collaborating with UEFA-certified coaches and sports university experts, FPRO has created a unique interactive mobile app designed to help children aged 6–12 improve their technique, coordination, and ball control the platform is being used by over 140,000 children across the United Kingdom, Germany, the United States, and other countries.
