Latest news with #Rugby
BBC News
14 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Poetry in motion
Four nations, one very wild crew with dream stitched deep in red, gold, white, green and dark fight for fans, for mums and mates, for childhood fields and heavy, heavy plates. No fancy flair, just grit and grind. A killer edge with heart raise a glass, the Lions are here, with boots and laughs and no damn came as men from different shores to go into Test week, let's hear the Red Sea roar.A corking episode of The Ultimate Test – the British and Irish Lions' in-house documentary – has been released., externalAs well as prop Pierre Schoeman composing the verse above to inspire his team-mates, there is Tom Curry showing off a framed photo of his dog, Duhan van der Merwe regretting not taking a wetsuit to the Great Barrier Reef, Ellis Genge revving up hearts and Sione Tuipulotu rolling the dice.
BBC News
14 minutes ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Farrell's selection options for second Test
The British and Irish Lions' team for Saturday's second Test against Australia will be named on Lions won the first Test 27-19 in Brisbane on 19 July and will take an unassailable lead in the three-match series if they are victorious at the Melbourne Cricket Andy Farrell elect to make changes or go with the same again? Here are four things to keep an eye on:Will Joe McCarthy be fit? The Ireland lock is the Lions' main fitness concern, having not trained this week since limping off in Brisbane with a foot problem. England's Ollie Chessum could be a straight swap if McCarthy is unable to feature, while Tadhg Beirne - who started in the back row in the first Test - could be moved into the second Keenan or Blair Kinghorn at full-back? Ireland's Keenan started in Brisbane, but did Scotland's Kinghorn do enough against First Nations and Pasifika to dislodge Keenan in the starting Test XV?Who starts at centre? Scotland duo Huw Jones and Sione Tuipulotu got the nod in Brisbane, but Ireland's Garry Ringrose - who missed the first Test with concussion - came off the bench against First Nations and Pasifika and is available for Owen Farrell be included on the bench? The former England captain led the Lions on Tuesday, playing the full 80 minutes of a game for the first time since more from Tom English on the Lions' selection options
Telegraph
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Telegraph
New Premiership season to start with Thursday night match
The 2025-26 Premiership season will begin on a Thursday night for the first time as Sale Sharks welcome Gloucester to Salford on September 25. Much later in the campaign, in March, Gloucester will take on Leicester Tigers for the Slater Cup at Villa Park on the same weekend that Bristol Bears take over Principality Stadium in Cardiff to host Harlequins and Saracens tussle with Northampton Saints at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. These games will take place a fortnight after the end of the Six Nations, which should ensure the availability of as many internationals as possible. Rebranded as Gallagher PREM, the English top tier will not feature Saturday matches in its opening round to avoid a clash with the final of the Women's World Cup on September 27 at Twickenham. As well as Sale facing Gloucester on the Thursday night, reigning champions Bath travel to Harlequins and Newcastle Falcons meet Saracens the following evening. Sunday will see Northampton take on Exeter Chiefs as Bristol bid to beat Leicester Tigers. Derby weekend is slated for round three between October 10-12 and Harlequins have the 17th iteration of their Christmas game at Twickenham, against Bristol, on December 20. The final round of the regular season is set for June 6, with the play-offs over the weekend of June 12-14 and the final on June 20. Three things to look out for Out of the blocks on a Thursday This is a far happier return to midweek matches than the attempt to mash two seasons into one during the Covid pandemic. It is understood that the Premiership will remain open-minded and could return to Thursday-night action if this first foray is successful, as difficult as that may prove with tight turnarounds and player-welfare commitments. The Women's Rugby World Cup is the main reason for an early start, but Sale Sharks are apt hosts. They enjoy the Friday-night lights and any curious locals may be used to rugby league games on a Thursday anyway. Mixing up the marquee games… Villa Park in Birmingham, with its capacity of just over 42,000, joins the Premiership's stable of marquee grounds to host the Slater Cup between Gloucester and Leicester next March. Interestingly, it is a home game for the Cherry and Whites, despite the venue being just over 20 miles closer to Welford Road than Kingsholm. This is partially explained by the fact that Birmingham now falls under the jurisdiction of Gloucester after the academy boundaries were redrawn, but the club is also eager to have as many eyeballs on the occasion as possible in order to maximise fundraising for motor-neurone-disease charity 4Ed in the name of Ed Slater. Elsewhere, Bristol are hosting Harlequins in Cardiff rather than Bath as they did last term and Saracens have switched up their showdown opponents from Harlequins to Northampton Saints. These decisions are ratified after discussions with the Premiership and it probably helps the league to keep local dust-ups separate to leverage those designated derby rounds. … with one happy coincidence Coaches, players and league executives will all tell you that there is no let-up in intensity over the course of a Premiership campaign, and that there are no easy matches. But despite the reduction to 10 clubs lessening fixture clashes, teams must still navigate the fall-out of the Six Nations and reintegrate their internationals. This coming season, there is a handy buffer – round 11 – between the end of the Six Nations and the weekend that will stage three marquee matches in Birmingham, London and Cardiff. That should mean that line-ups are loaded with the highest-profile players, which can only be a good thing. Telegraph Sport understands this is chiefly to do with the availability of Premier League venues, yet it has worked out well.
BBC News
5 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Wales boost fitness in hunt for Lynn's first win
Women's summer series: Australia v WalesVenue: Ballymore, Brisbane Date: Saturday, 26 July Kick-off: 05:00 BSTCoverage: Watch on BBC Sport online and BBC iPlayer, listen on Radio Wales, Radio Cymru and BBC Sounds Georgia Evans says she and her Wales team-mates are the fittest they have ever been after being pushed to their limits in coach Sean Lynn said a lack of strength and conditioning was a concern after Wales finished bottom of the 2025 Women's Six Nations, his first campaign in the summer, Lynn's players trained in army boot camps and also spent time running up Wales' largest sand dune in preparation for a two-Test tour of Australia and next month's Rugby World Cup in England. "He (Lynn) wasn't lying when he said he was going to put us in a dark place, he definitely did that," said back-rower Evans."He set us standards before we left for off-season of what he expected when he came back in, so the work didn't stop, it was about grinding away." Evans thinks the hard work will pay off as Wales go in search of a first win under Lynn during their trip to take on the Wallaroos in Brisbane on Saturday before a repeat fixture in Sydney on Friday, 1 August - the day before the third British and Irish Lions Test in the same recorded their first victory over Australia at Rodney Parade last September, but suffered a sobering defeat when the two sides met again in South Africa at WXV2."It (pre-season) has been really tough, but looking to your left and looking to your right, you're seeing PBs (personal bests) week-in, week-out. We're getting fitter," said Evans."I think everyone is glad to see the back of block one purely because now we're into more rugby."We've got the ball in our hands way more than we did before. Just getting around the park, it makes life a lot easier when you can breathe a bit better. The tour of Australia will show us where we are rather than just training against each other." On a personal note, Evans will be hoping to hit the same levels which made her a standout player in the Six Nations in terms of tackle count and ball carrying. The 27-year-old Saracens star can play in the second row but is hoping to make the number eight jersey her own amid some stiff competition."I felt I did myself justice in the Six Nations but it's about building - the job is never done," Evans said."Wales have some world-class players. Unfortunately all of them play in my position, so it's all about that competition and making sure they're pushing you for your shirt and making you're a better player."I'm looking forward to it and hopefully I'll get my chance."
RNZ News
10 hours ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Niue's Sidney Lui re-elected to Oceania Rugby Board, vows to be 'voice' of Tier 3 nations
Sidney Lui, second right, was among the attendees of the Oceania Growth Conference week, taking part in the Tier 1 Rugby and Rugby Rising play-based learning and engaging practical activities, acquiring valuable knowledge to share within their respective unions. Photo: Facebook / Oceania Rugby Tier 3 rugby nations in Oceania will continue to have their voices heard within Oceania Rugby, following the re-election of Niue's Sidney Lui as a Board member of the regional governing body of the sport. Lui was re-elected at Oceania Rugby annual general meeting in Nadi last week. Lui, the secretary-general of the Niue Rugby Union, gets to serve her second consecutive term on the board, reinforcing her role as a key advocate for Tier 3 rugby nations. Speaking to RNZ Pacific, she said she has consistently championed the inclusion, development, and visibility of emerging rugby nations within Oceania's wider strategic priorities. "I was the voice of our Tier 3 nations who are underdeveloped in the game of rugby," she said. "This vote is not just about me, it's about the collective progress of the smaller unions who have so much untapped potential. "People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it," Lui said following her re-election. She said he was grateful for the confidence in her leadership, particularly from the Tier 3 unions who have rallied behind her advocacy over the past four years. During her first term, she was instrumental in pushing for inclusive development pathways, capacity building support, and greater boardroom representation for smaller Pacific Island unions, including Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Niue, Tuvalu and Nauru. She expressed her gratitude to the Niue Rugby Union for their continued trust and support. "I humbly acknowledge the President and the Niue Rugby Union for endorsing my candidacy again, and I especially thank the Tier 3 nations for their faith in me," she said. "I'm proud to carry your voices for another four years." The Oceania Rugby board make up has Richard Sapias, Steven Lancaster, Dr Jane Wilson, Taylah Johnson, Kieran Keke, Ant Hearne, 'Aisea Aholelei and Lui. Sydney Lui Photo: Supplied Meanwhile, Tonga Rugby Union (TRU) chief executive 'Aisea Aholelei was also re-elected. 'Aholelei managed to get ahead of candidates from Fiji and Samoa for a seat on the board. He said he was grateful for the support he received to serve on the Oceania board again and was looking forward to having inputs into the development plans for Oceania rugby. "It's good that we have input and insights into what is best implemented for the region as a whole," he said. "And where nations can look for support in development from stakeholders and sponsors." 'Aholelei has been part of Tonga Rugby's alignment with World Rugby systems and structures in the past five years. Oceania Rugby President Richard Sapias said the meeting had opened the door to new international partnerships, including a potential French-supported regional competition. "We're excited by the possibility of launching a new competition that the French are keen to support, potentially hosted in Fiji," Sapias said. Fiji and France this week discussed more partnership for rugby between the two countries. Former French international Abdelatif Benazzi, the vice‑president of the French Rugby Federation and chairman of the Six Nations Rugby Championship, was also in Fiji, discussing possible partnerships with Oceania. The meeting in Nadi also presented the opportunity for World Rugby to go through plans for the region. Sapias said the importance of regional collaboration and closer ties with World Rugby is critical for Pacific island unions. He said this would help the unions continue to navigate both opportunities and challenges in player retention, development funding, and local competition structures.
