Latest news with #LesBleus
News24
31 minutes ago
- Sport
- News24
Talks ‘progressing' for France to tackle British & Irish Lions
The French Rugby Federation's vice-president Abdelatif Benazzi said on Thursday informal talks are 'progressing' about a game between France and the British & Irish Lions. The teams last met in 1989 with former Les Bleus captain Benazzi eyeing a possible fixture before the invitational touring side head to New Zealand in four years' time. READ | Veteran Wallabies scrumhalf Nic White to retire after final Lions Test The Lions are currently in Australia, and clinched the series last weekend with one Test to go, on Saturday in Sydney, with a reported 40 000 fans having travelled for the tour. Before this year's series, the Lions played Argentina in Dublin. 'It's progressing, but nothing formal,' Bennazzi told AFP. 'Every four years we see the wave of people and enthusiasm it generates in all countries. 'A collaboration with our neighbours, remains something conceivable,' the 56-year-old added. Rugby already has a busy schedule but financial problems exist in the sport across the planet with a Nations Cup competition set to begin next July, replacing traditional Test matches between countries. 'We have to find a new approach to be able to energise a bit of world rugby's global image,' Benazzi said. 'We want to find a model that satisfies everyone. 'We have to reform because there's the Nations Cup that starts next year. 'All of that will be in coordination with all bodies, the players' union in France, the French national league, and the global players' union,' the 78-time international added. The Lions won the 1989 game against France 29-27 in Paris.
France 24
17 hours ago
- Sport
- France 24
Talks over France, Lions game 'progressing': Benazzi
The teams last met in 1989 with former Les Bleus captain Benazzi eyeing a possible fixture before the invitational touring side head to New Zealand in four years' time. The Lions are currently in Australia, and clinched the series last weekend with one Test to go, on Saturday in Sydney, with a reported 40,000 fans having travelled for the tour. Before this year's series, the Lions played Argentina in Dublin. "It's progressing, but nothing formal," Bennazzi told AFP. "Every four years we see the wave of people and enthusiasm it generates in all countries. "A collaboration with our neighbours, remains something conceivable," the 56-year-old added. Rugby already has a busy schedule but financial problems exist in the sport across the planet with a Nations Cup competition set to begin next July, replacing traditional Test matches between countries. "We have to find a new approach to be able to energise a bit of world rugby's global image," Benazzi said. "We want to find a model that satisfies everyone. "We have to reform because there's the Nations Cup that starts next year. "All of that will be in coordination with all bodies, the players' union in France, the French national league, and the global players' union," the 78-time international added.
NZ Herald
3 days ago
- Sport
- NZ Herald
All Blacks midfielder Anton Lienert-Brown ruled out of season-opening NPC clash with shoulder injury
Veteran All Blacks midfielder Anton Lienert-Brown has been ruled out of the NPC's season-opening clash with an injury sustained during the French test series. Lienert-Brown is one of eight All Blacks, who featured in the 3-0 whitewash of Les Bleus this month, who have been released to play in the
Hamilton Spectator
20-07-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger stars for Germany at the Women's European Championship
BASEL, Switzerland (AP) — She had the save of the tournament so far, two stops in the penalty shootout and a successful spot kick of her own. Ann-Katrin Berger pulled out all the heroics for Germany on Saturday. Germany recovered from going a player and a goal down early on to hold France to a 1-1 draw in their Women's European Championship quarterfinal and triumph on penalties . A stunning team performance saw Germany stifle the France onslaught and when Les Bleus did get through they came up against the impassable Berger. The Gotham FC goalkeeper was — unsurprisingly — named player of the match but Berger was quick to deflect the praise for her display onto her teammates. 'I was not happy that we had to go to a penalty shootout … but I think, I did my part of the game now,' Berger said. 'Because the team, in 120 minutes, they worked incredibly hard and I think that all the credit should go to the team, not me. 'Maybe it was the decisive moment in the penalty shootout, but everyone here should talk about the performance of the team because that was amazing and incredible.' 'Amazing' and 'incredible' could also be used to describe Berger's performance. The 34-year-old saved nine of the 10 shots she faced, with her best of the night — and possibly of the whole tournament — coming in extra time when a backward header from Germany captain Janina Minge had Berger scrambling back to scoop it off the line with an astonishing one-handed stop to spare her teammate's blushes. Stars in shootout Then came her heroics in the shootout. Berger saved the first penalty she faced, from Amel Majri, and clinched a 6-5 victory in the shootout when she dove to her left to deny Alice Sombath and spark Germany's celebrations. That secured a spot in Wednesday's semifinal against Spain in Zurich. Berger was part of the Germany squad that lost to England in the final of Euro 2022, although she was an unused substitute. She revealed afterward that she had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer for a second time during that tournament. Berger managed to beat the disease again and the only outward sign is a tattoo on her neck with the phrase 'All we have is now' that she got done to cover the scars. 'I feel like I'm not a really emotional person,' Berger said. 'I am glad I'm here and I am glad that I have the team I have. 'Obviously the time here just makes me proud to be here and whatever happened in 2022 is in the past and I am looking forward now to the future and, for me now, I live my best life and I am in the semifinal.' ___ AP soccer:
San Francisco Chronicle
20-07-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger stars for Germany at the Women's European Championship
BASEL, Switzerland (AP) — She had the save of the tournament so far, two stops in the penalty shootout and a successful spot kick of her own. Ann-Katrin Berger pulled out all the heroics for Germany on Saturday. Germany recovered from going a player and a goal down early on to hold France to a 1-1 draw in their Women's European Championship quarterfinal and triumph on penalties. A stunning team performance saw Germany stifle the France onslaught and when Les Bleus did get through they came up against the impassable Berger. The Gotham FC goalkeeper was — unsurprisingly — named player of the match but Berger was quick to deflect the praise for her display onto her teammates. 'I was not happy that we had to go to a penalty shootout … but I think, I did my part of the game now,' Berger said. 'Because the team, in 120 minutes, they worked incredibly hard and I think that all the credit should go to the team, not me. 'Maybe it was the decisive moment in the penalty shootout, but everyone here should talk about the performance of the team because that was amazing and incredible.' 'Amazing' and 'incredible' could also be used to describe Berger's performance. The 34-year-old saved nine of the 10 shots she faced, with her best of the night — and possibly of the whole tournament — coming in extra time when a backward header from Germany captain Janina Minge had Berger scrambling back to scoop it off the line with an astonishing one-handed stop to spare her teammate's blushes. Stars in shootout Then came her heroics in the shootout. Berger saved the first penalty she faced, from Amel Majri, and clinched a 6-5 victory in the shootout when she dove to her left to deny Alice Sombath and spark Germany's celebrations. That secured a spot in Wednesday's semifinal against Spain in Zurich. Berger was part of the Germany squad that lost to England in the final of Euro 2022, although she was an unused substitute. She revealed afterward that she had been diagnosed with thyroid cancer for a second time during that tournament. Berger managed to beat the disease again and the only outward sign is a tattoo on her neck with the phrase 'All we have is now' that she got done to cover the scars. 'I feel like I'm not a really emotional person,' Berger said. 'I am glad I'm here and I am glad that I have the team I have. 'Obviously the time here just makes me proud to be here and whatever happened in 2022 is in the past and I am looking forward now to the future and, for me now, I live my best life and I am in the semifinal.'
