Latest news with #GrandFinal
The South African
5 hours ago
- Sport
- The South African
URC: Kick off times for semi-finals
The Bulls and Sharks kept the South African flag flying in a drama-filled knockout round of the URC this past weekend, and they will now face off in an all-South African semi-final in Pretoria this Saturday. To qualify for the final four, the the Bulls had to deliver under pressure in a competitive encounter against Edinburgh in Pretoria on Saturday to register a 42-33 victory. Meanwhile, there was drama in Durban, where the Sharks and Munster drew 24-24 after 80 minutes, which forced the match into extra time, and then a penalty shootout, which the hosts won 6-4. Log-leaders Leinster will face the Glasgow Warriors in the first semi-final, at 15:45 (SA time) at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin this Saturday after they defeated the Scarlets 33-21 in the other quarter-final. The Bulls and Sharks will then clash from 18:15 at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria for a place in the Grand Final. Both home teams will be regarded as favourites going into the penultimate round of the competition, and both the Bulls and Sharks will certainly be determined to produce vastly improved performances. 'We didn't play particularly well in the first 20-30 minutes of the game, but then we got on top,' Sharks coach John Plumtree commented after the quarter-final. 'We had a couple of bad moments when they got to 21-10 and then we just clawed our way back in [to the game]. 'And going down to the kickers like that, I was just so proud of them.' Meanwhile, Bulls coach Jake White said that at least the team was consistently showing a fighting spirit. 'People think the team placed seventh must lose to the team that finishes second,' he said. 'But look at Leinster – they lost to Scarlets and us during the league phase and only just got through their quarter-final. 'We were down but got a [winning] result. Whereas the last time we played them [Edinburgh], we didn't.' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
New Straits Times
9 hours ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Stormie stars as Selangor Red Giants storm into MPL MY Grand Final
KUALA LUMPUR: Selangor Red Giants ( are on track for a third straight Mobile Legends: Bang Bang (MLBB) Professional League Malaysia (MPL MY) title after sealing their spot in the Season 15 Grand Final at Juara Stadium on Sunday. The two-time defending champions brushed aside Aero eSports 3-1 in the upper bracket semi-finals to set up a blockbuster clash with Homebois, who edged DX Soul 3-2 surged to a 2-0 lead in the upper bracket final before Homebois clawed their way back to force a decider. But Hazziq Danish "Stormie" Rizwan stepped up in Game Five, delivering a masterclass on the mage hero Odette. His inspired showing proved the difference, dealing devastating area damage that left Homebois reeling. At the 16-minute mark, with leading 19-12 in kills, Stormie unleashed a triple kill that wiped out all five Homebois players, clearing the path to a swift final push and victory. The result not only booked place in the Grand Final but also made them the first Malaysian team this season to qualify for the prestigious Mid Season Cup x eSports World Cup (MSC x EWC) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, next month. coach Michael Angelo "Arcadia" Bocado admitted his team lost their way mid-match. "We got greedy in Games Three and Four. We strayed from our comfort zone and tried high-risk compositions, and Homebois punished us," said the Filipino coach. "I'm proud the team stayed composed and closed it out. The Odette pick was key in Game Five. Their draft suggested they wanted to brawl, but Odette gave us the control we needed to counter that." will now have to wait two weeks to learn their Grand Final opponents. The second phase of the playoffs resumes on July 14-15, with Aero Esports facing DX Soul. The winner will meet Homebois in the lower bracket final, and the victor there will challenge for the title, and Malaysia's second and final MSC x EWC slot. Arcadia, however, is wary of the break. "For us, the gap is a double-edged sword," he said.
ITV News
a day ago
- Sport
- ITV News
Rugby League fans remember Rob Burrow at MND awareness match
Rugby league fans have been remembering Rob Burrow on the eve of the anniversary of his death from Motor Neurone Disease. Rob's old team Leeds Rhinos welcomed local rivals Wakefield Trinity to Headingley for the MND Awareness game - made all the more poignant coming just 48 hours before the first anniversary of his passing last year on June 2. Rhinos players wore a unique kit for the game, with £10 from the sale of every replica shirt donated to the MND Association. They also paid tribute on the pitch before the game highlighting all the work Rob Burrow and his family have done to raise awareness of the disease. The kit for 2025, which has been approved by the Burrow family, features the iconic image of Rob from the 2011 Grand Final when he scored the greatest Old Trafford try of all time to help the Rhinos to Super League glory. However, the image is made up of the names of the 196 players that Rob played with for club and country during his illustrious career and is completed by the names of Rob's three children and his wife Lindsey for a total of 200 names. Leeds Rhinos Head of Media & PR Phil Daly said, 'Rob had so many incredible qualities but one thing that has really stood out over the last year is what a brilliant team mate he was. His former team mates have shared so many wonderful memories of times that Rob was central to, whether that was in the Rhinos squad or on representative duty with Yorkshire, England or Great Britain. 'After his MND diagnosis in December 2019, he became an inspirational team mate once again, this time to everyone in the MND community and put the spotlight on the disease to aid funding and awareness that has changed the future for those impacted by the disease.`' "We are so proud of Rob and the inspiration he gave us. On the field, he may have been small in stature, but on the field he was a giant and if anything when he got his diagnosis he went to a different level and what people probably don't realise is that he was a very private man, his family were very private but he knew that by opening his doors, and showing what living with MND was about, it would show people what needed to be done for this disease and he's done that and we will continue to do that, that's our promise to Rob and the Burrow family, we will continue to fright the cause for the MND community - until we've got a cure we will keep doing that." Rob's father, Geoff thanks the club for their unwavering support. "I cant put into words what the club has done for us, I've always supported Leeds, Rob's always played for Leeds, they've always been a top club but what they have done for Rob is off the scale." The match ended 22-18 to the Rhinos, putting them in third place in the Super League.
The Herald Scotland
a day ago
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Celtic outcast Odin Holm could feature at Club World Cup
The Liga Mx outfit looked to be heading for qualification as they led 1-0 through substitute Brian Rodríguez who struck against his former club in the 64th minute. But a late header from Igor Jesus, his first goal for LA, forced extra-time. And it was the Americans who found the breakthrough, winger Denis Bouanga finding the net with a deflected strike on the 115th minute, assisted by former Arsenal and Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud. Read more: A day that changed Celtic: Martin O'Neill on emotion, legacy & success 25 years later Celtic loanee to return to Glasgow as a champion after Grand Final triumph Holm joined LA on loan from Celtic in January but hasn't featured as much as he would like as he struggles with injury. His latest, a leg injury, kept him out of the matchday squad for the crunch qualification match and it remains to be seen if he will feature at the Club World Cup. If he does, he could play against Chelsea who are in Group D along with Brazil's Flamengo, Tunisian club Esperánce de Tunis. LA's first game is against the English Premier League giants on June 16. They'll then face Espérance de Tunis on June 20 and Flamengo on 24 June. The playoff was held to decide the 32nd team in the Club World Cup after Club Leon were kicked out of the tournament in March due to an ownership rule breach.
The National
a day ago
- Sport
- The National
Celtic outcast Odin Holm could feature at Club World Cup
LAFC took on Mexicans Club America with a place in the tournament up for grabs and it was the MLS side who made it through with a 2-1 victory after extra-time. The Liga Mx outfit looked to be heading for qualification as they led 1-0 through substitute Brian Rodríguez who struck against his former club in the 64th minute. But a late header from Igor Jesus, his first goal for LA, forced extra-time. And it was the Americans who found the breakthrough, winger Denis Bouanga finding the net with a deflected strike on the 115th minute, assisted by former Arsenal and Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud. Read more: A day that changed Celtic: Martin O'Neill on emotion, legacy & success 25 years later Celtic loanee to return to Glasgow as a champion after Grand Final triumph Holm joined LA on loan from Celtic in January but hasn't featured as much as he would like as he struggles with injury. His latest, a leg injury, kept him out of the matchday squad for the crunch qualification match and it remains to be seen if he will feature at the Club World Cup. If he does, he could play against Chelsea who are in Group D along with Brazil's Flamengo, Tunisian club Esperánce de Tunis. LA's first game is against the English Premier League giants on June 16. They'll then face Espérance de Tunis on June 20 and Flamengo on 24 June. The playoff was held to decide the 32nd team in the Club World Cup after Club Leon were kicked out of the tournament in March due to an ownership rule breach.
