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Time of India
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Indore to host five matches of ICC Women's World Cup
Indore: After a gap of 28 years, women's international cricket is set to make a historic return to Madhya Pradesh. Indore's Holkar Stadium will host five matches of the ICC Women's World Cup 2025. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The city's Holkar Stadium has been officially selected as one of the venues for the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 and will host five crucial matches of the tournament. The World Cup, scheduled to take place from September 30 to November 2, will see Holkar Stadium hosting its first-ever women's international matches. The fixtures lined up for Indore include Australia vs New Zealand on October 1, New Zealand vs South Africa on October 6, India vs England on October 19, Australia vs England on October 22, and Australia vs South Africa on October 25. "This is a proud and historic moment for MPCA and Indore. Women's international cricket is returning to Madhya Pradesh after 28 years, and Holkar Stadium is hosting five high-profile matches one after the other for the first time," Abhilash Khandekar, President of Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association, told TOI. "We were hopeful of this development, especially after ICC officials hinted at the possibility during the IPL final in Ahmedabad. It will also act as a big boost for women's cricket in Madhya Pradesh and inspire young girls to take up the sport," he added. Earlier, MPCA hosted only two women's international matches, including one during the 1997 Women's World Cup at Nehru Stadium in Indore. With the announcement of these five matches, Holkar Stadium is now making its debut as a World Cup venue, as it never hosted any match of a World Cup event until now. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now MPCA officials are optimistic about the preparations and promise a world-class experience for both players and fans. "Holkar Stadium is a top-tier venue suited for all formats of the game. We successfully hosted Tests, ODIs, and IPL matches, and are confident of hosting the Women's World Cup with equal efficiency. A detailed meeting will soon be held to finalise the preparations," added Khandekar. This announcement also comes as a welcome boost for Indore, which was overlooked for the 2024 T20 World Cup and the last two IPL seasons. The last international match held here was a T20 between India and Afghanistan on January 14, 2024. Prior to that, India played an ODI against Australia on September 24, 2023, in Indore. So far, India played six ODIs at Holkar Stadium and won all of them, defeating teams like England (twice), West Indies, Australia, South Africa, and New Zealand. Further strengthening its calendar, Indore has also been announced as the host for the final ODI of the India-New Zealand white-ball series on January 18, 2026. The series will include three ODIs and five T20Is and is scheduled as part of the lead-up to the ICC T20 World Cup 2026.
The Hindu
a day ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Women's ODI World Cup 2025: Full list of India matches, venues, details
The ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2025 is set to kickstart with host India taking on Sri Lanka at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on September 30. The tournament will be played in a hybrid manner, with Pakistan's games being played in Colombo. ALSO READ | Full schedule of the 2025 Women's ODI World Cup ALSO READ | India vs Pakistan date confirmed for Women's World Cup 2025 — Venue, date, details During the impasse around the Champions Trophy and India's reluctance to travel to Pakistan, a compromise was arrived at for all parties to agree upon the hybrid hosting model of the event. India alone played its matches in Dubai while the rest of the tournament went on as scheduled in Lahore and Karachi. ICC said then in a release: India and Pakistan matches hosted by either country at ICC Events during the 2024-2027 rights cycle will be played at a neutral venue. Political tensions between the two countries have prevented bilateral cricket outside major tournaments since 2008, with India last visiting Pakistan 16 years ago. However, Pakistan did travel to India for the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup. The top four sides from the round-robin stage in this tournament will progress to the semifinals with first place playing fourth and second taking on third. Australia enters the tournament as defending champion, having won the 2022 edition in New Zealand | Photo Credit: AFP Here is a look at the full list of matches India will play in the tournament: Tuesday, September 30—India vs Sri Lanka—Bengaluru—3pm Sunday, October 5—India vs Pakistan—Colombo—3pm Thursday, October 9—India vs South Africa—Vizag—3pm Sunday, October 19—India vs England—Indore—3pm Thursday, October 23—India vs New Zealand—Guwahati—3pm Sunday, October 26—India vs Bangladesh—Bengaluru—3pm Women's ODI World Cup knockouts Wednesday, October 29—Semifinal 1—Guwahati/Colombo—3pm Thursday, October 30—Semifinal 2—Bengaluru—3pm Sunday, 2 November—Final—Colombo/Bengaluru—3pm Related Topics ODI Women's World Cup
The Guardian
18-02-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
From menstrual tracking to mental health: how a uni-based initiative is helping young women excel in rugby
'Rugby isn't just about rugby,' says Shira Kilgallon, executive producer at the women's rugby podcast The Good, The Scaz and The Rugby (GSR) – where discussions range from body image and confidence to self-belief and the sport itself. Having picked up the ball aged 12, she recalls the sense of belonging she felt as a girl among teammates who also prized being 'strong' rather than 'small'. 'I discovered rugby was as much about what I took off the field, as what I did on it,' she says, of how the sport can help forge identity and friendship, as well as a powerful body. It is the far-reaching impact of rugby that sits at the core of Vodafone's EmpowHER programme – a team effort by Vodafone and GSR that gives young female players at university the tools to thrive in an elite arena. The partnership kicked off at Durham University, Cardiff University and the University of Edinburgh in the 2023-24 season, and has expanded to Cardiff Metropolitan University, Loughborough University, Hartpury University and the University of Exeter. This means that all seven teams playing in the top league of university rugby – BUCS Super Rugby – are now benefiting from targeted mentoring, tech-based insight and mental health support designed to raise their game. 'We've already seen an increase in participation in women's rugby, and we're hoping Vodafone's EmpowHER can build on the exciting momentum happening right now,' says Kilgallon, of the buzz ahead of the Women's World Cup 2025, being hosted in England this August and September. The main way the programme is helping young female players fulfil their dreams of a career in the sport is to give them one-to-one mentoring with experts from the world of rugby, including podcast hosts and England stars Emily Scarratt and Mo Hunt, and their fellow broadcaster Elma Smit. 'Some mentees dream of playing professionally – with ambitions for Premiership Women's Rugby, the Celtic Challenge and international sides – while others are keen to go into coaching, team management or media,' says Kilgallon, of the pathways that Vodafone's EmpowHER programme is able to highlight to young players. The initiative has grown from an initial 16 participants across three universities in its first year to 70 from the seven universities now – and its impact is already being felt. Scarratt's mentee Nicole Flynn and her teammate Cieron Bell from the University of Edinburgh were selected as part of the Scotland women's matchday squad during the 2024 Women's Six Nations, having been given personalised feedback on how they could realise their potential. Meanwhile, Ella Merefield, who had been Durham University women's rugby club captain, was offered the team manager role at Sale Sharks Women after impressing mentor Katy Daley-Mclean – who captained England to victory in the 2014 Women's World Cup and is now Sale Sharks women's performance lead. 'It wasn't always the case that you could make a career out of rugby,' says Kilgallon. This was a hurdle that Natalie Goodall, now account manager at GSR, had to overcome, saying that 'as the sport is growing, it's also opening so many job roles that didn't exist before'. Vodafone's EmpowHER programme is also investing in the future of the women's game through the Vodafone performance dashboard. 'The platform facilitates the easy collection of data about athletes' performance and recovery,' says Alex Skelton, director of the Sport Science Agency, which first worked with the company on putting the technology into action with the British & Irish Lions in 2021, and has now rolled it out to the Vodafone EmpowHER programme. 'Previously, it took staff time to analyse player data to form practical insights, but now the feedback to coaches, nutritionists and physiotherapists is immediate.' Vodafone takes a firmly holistic approach. 'It's a first of its kind,' says Skelton, of the way players input information about aspects such as sleep, mood, energy levels and nutrition, which are then monitored along with their menstrual cycle. 'It provides a greater understanding of how female athletes can be better supported,' he says. Put into practice, monitoring player wellbeing alongside their menstrual cycle helps coaches identify players who might be over training and as a result are suffering from amenorrhea (lack of periods). It has even enabled team doctors to identify the signs of endometriosis in some players, resulting in early diagnosis and treatment. 'At different phases in the menstrual cycle, players can be more susceptible to soft tissue injuries, so coaching staff and physios may recommended additional activation exercises to off-set that risk,' he says. What's more, Vodafone's EmpowHER programme is also tackling another common problem that student athletes can face, by helping manage the impact on mental health of balancing rugby with university studies. 'Vodafone is able to flag if a player seems to be struggling, encouraging check-in conversations to happen sooner before low mood becomes chronic,' says Skelton. 'If players report that they are struggling with workload, low energy or mood, or the stresses of being a student athlete then the coaching staff can work with them to ensure they get the support that they need.' As part of the EmpowHER programme, students will be offered support from another Vodafone partner, the rugby mental health charity, LooseHeadz. 'Through the programme, we help players develop a deeper understanding of mental health,' explains Rob Shotton, co-founder of LooseHeadz. 'We roll out in-person university-specific mental health training modules, which aim to ensure players have the right tools to look after their wellbeing and also spot the signs they may be struggling. We're encouraging students to check in on themselves and their teammates, tackle the stigma and help create an open, supportive environment for everyone.' Further still, Shotton points out that rugby itself offers numerous positives for young women's mental wellbeing. 'The sport helps develop resilience, confidence, collaboration and community – qualities that can help build mental strength,' he says. 'All of these factors are particularly vital in dealing with the challenges of university life, which can sometimes feel isolating and overwhelming. It is a time when students are navigating so many changes, including managing academic work and newfound independence with building and maintaining relationships and living away from home – but we want to empower them.' Find out how Vodafone is committed to growing rugby at all levels
