Latest news with #WorldCups
Irish Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Daily Mirror
Ireland boss hopes to head off World Cup club v country row
Ireland Under-17 head coach Colin O'Brien says he will be 'in communication' with clubs over the coming months in a bid to bring as strong a squad as possible to the World Cup in November. Several members of his latest squad are currently playing senior football in the League of Ireland, including Shamrock Rovers duo Michael Noonan and Victor Ozhianvuna. Rovers are in League of Ireland action until November 1, with the FAI Cup taking place a week later. And last year they were still in Europe going into November and December. With the World Cup falling outside of an official FIFA international window - O'Brien will have to rely on the goodwill of club managers to release their players for the tournament. 'It's one we've got to manage and just watch as time unfolds over the summer,' said O'Brien. 'Certain teams might have leagues wrapped up, might be in or out of cups, but look, the World Cup, you want your best players. 'What an opportunity to showcase individuals from our clubs in this country as well. For me, you won't get a better stage for young players. But it's something I'm very aware of and I will be in communication with clubs. At the end of the day, the players are contracted to the clubs. But we'll want our best players for the World Cup. 'Hopefully when you're asking me that question in late September, early October, we have more clarity on it.' O'Brien hopes club bosses see the bigger picture when it comes to the World Cup. 'It's historic for this age group, absolutely,' he said, of Ireland's first ever qualification at this level. 'I saw those teams that qualified under Brian Kerr and got to those World Cups, and it can really absolutely kick a player's career on. 'They are on the world stage. You are going to have every confederation, every scout, not just from Europe but from all over the world, looking at all these kids, and we are right in there. 'Of course it can have a bounce for the players, for their career. But as a head coach you have to make sure that it is very important about their player development. 'But any player that comes into our Under-17 set up has to understand that the team is the biggest star, and they all have to come on board with that. 'Of course the player can get a big bounce for their future, and the country as a whole.'
Daily Record
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Record
Eye-watering earnings of darts duo Luke Humphries and Luke Littler revealed
The English pair have raked in an incredible amount of cash over the past two trophy-laden years Big-earners Luke Humphries and Luke Littler has raked in more than £3million in ranking prize money over two incredible years. And the remarkable English duo have pocketed even more in terms of winning non-ranking cash as they storm through the game. Humphries and Littler are headed to London's O2 looking to capture the BetMGM Premier League crown for 2025 and the chance to add more to their pots with £275,000 on offer to the winner of the showpiece which also includes Gerwyn Price and Nathan Aspinall. The World Cup-bound pair have scooped the game's major prizes through a stunning run with Humphries taking the crown as the highest-earning player over the past two years, securing over £1.6 million in ranking prize money. Cool Hand also has monies to be added from non-ranking events such as Premier League nights, World Cups and World Series events. Littler can smash through the £1 million mark for 2025 alone in total earnings if he wins at the O2 with £60,000 secured for six nightly wins already added to his pot. Humphries has three nightly wins for £30,000 and both also have sets of £30,000 gold darts for hitting nine-darters. WDF Professional and OLBG Darts Editor Matt Edgar commented: 'Thousands of darts fans will descend on London's O2 Arena on Thursday as the Premier League Finals take place. Fans are in for an enthralling night, as Luke Littler takes on Gerywn Price, while Luke Humphries faces a showdown against Nathan Aspinall, with all four players setting their sights on the lucrative prize money.' 'As a reward for making it to Thursday's final, all four semi-finalists are guaranteed to walk away with £85,000. However, the prize on offer for the winner is much more attractive. Thursday's prize purse will see the runner up take home £125,000, while the winner will scoop £275,000, which for Humphries and Littler, would add to their already impressive earnings over the past two years.' 'Both Humphries and Littler have been the standout players over recent years and both of their impeccable performances have made them the highest-earning players. Between the two, over £3 million in earnings have been secured combined, which goes to show how lucrative darts is becoming as its popularity continues to surge.'
Irish Examiner
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Former England prop Dan Cole announces he will retire at end of season
Former England prop Dan Cole has announced he is to retire at the end of the season. The 38-year-old, who is the country's second-most capped men's player with 118, will hang up his boots at the conclusion of Leicester's campaign. Cole featured in four World Cups with England, reaching the final in 2019, and has won four Premiership titles with the Tigers. He also toured twice with the British and Irish Lions. The veteran said his decision was partly influenced by that of Ben Youngs, his long-time team-mate for club and country, who is also retiring. Cole told Leicester's website: 'It has not been an easy decision at all. I have been to-ing and fro-ing – however, I think this is the best time for me to finish playing. 'I believe with Ben Youngs, Julian Montoya and others that are in and around my age ending their time at the club at the end of the season, plus the new chapter next season with Geoff Parling coming in as head coach, it's time for the club to kick on and the right time for me to go. 'As you get older, physically, it's definitely harder to carry on and, looking around the changing room, I am 10 years older than most of the guys in there with me and that's challenging as well. Cole was selected for two Lions tours (David Davies/PA) 'I don't want to be the old guy, just sat around and hanging on to something for too long.' Cole, a graduate of the Tigers' academy, has made 340 senior appearances for the club since his debut in October 2007. He had loan spells at Bedford Blues and Nottingham early in his career before establishing himself as a regular in the Leicester side in the 2008-09 campaign. His first England cap came in 2010 and he went on to win three Six Nations titles, in 2011, 2016 and 2017. He's not only a brilliant team player, but also a rare talent England head coach Steve Borthwick paid tribute to his former team-mate. Borthwick said: 'It was a privilege to play alongside Dan at the start of his Test career and later to coach him. 'He's not only a brilliant team player, but also a rare talent. His loyalty and service to both England and Leicester Tigers have been truly outstanding. 'While his retirement marks the end of a remarkable playing career, I've no doubt he'll continue to make a meaningful impact in whatever comes next. We all wish him the very best for the future.' 118 appearances in an England Rugby jersey 🌹 Thank you, Dan 👏 — England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) May 27, 2025 Cole played all three Lions Tests against Australia in 2013 and also toured New Zealand four years later. And he has a chance to bow out with another title with Leicester currently second in the Gallagher Premiership ahead of the final round of regular-season fixtures. He said: 'It's clear it is not over yet. This is about finishing my career at the end of our season. There is still hopefully a few more games left for me to play.'
France 24
a day ago
- Health
- France 24
Ex-Wales flanker Popham wants his day in court with rugby authorities
The former Wales flanker, who won 33 caps between 2003 and 2008 and played in two World Cups, was diagnosed in 2020 with probable chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) at the age of 40. CTE is a progressive brain condition that is thought to be caused by repeated blows to the head and episodes of concussion. The basis of the legal case is that rugby's governing bodies failed to provide sufficient protection from the risks caused by concussion. "The press are talking about 500 players, but I can tell you by the end of May, which is the deadline to join the suit, it will be double that," Popham told AFP in a phone interview. "Everyone is in a different situation. However, I want to go to court and eyeball some of the people still involved in the game, who are part of the reason why we are in the mess we are in. "Over the past six years what I have read and the evidence we have got needs to be public and go on the record. "It is very powerful." The sport's governing body World Rugby said the ongoing legal action prevented them from engaging with players "concerned in this story." However, in a statement to AFP, they said: "We would want them to know that we listen, we care and we never stand still on player welfare." 'Measures in place' Popham, who realised something was seriously wrong when in 2019 he got lost on a bike ride close to his home and had to use an app to find his way back, is not just investing his time in the lawsuit. He has also been going to schools and spreading the word about the risks involved. He hopes the Brainsafe programme -- which is the "baby" of Popham, his wife Mel and two others and endorsed by the charity Head for Change -- will be rolled out nationally in September. "We have seen 350 children, coaches and parents since January and are tweaking it now," he said. "It is not all about doom and gloom, it is sports-specific as any child can have brain traumatic injury. "We inform them of the signs and symptoms." Popham, who is in training for an ironman event later this year, said the lack of knowledge about the risks had astonished him. "Around 90 percent of parents, player and coaches still do not understand that every contact is causing damage," said the 45-year-old. "Key rugby schools do but others less so, and some of the parents unfortunately are not interested." Participation in rugby in schools in England is on the decline. In the 2022-23 school year, 8.3 percent of children aged five to 16 played rugby, down from 9.7 percent four years earlier. The decline was highlighted in last October's Review of Rugby in Schools which said the RFU, which commissioned the report, faced "an urgent issue approaching crisis point." As a result the RFU invested £5 million ($6.8 million) into TI, a version of touch rugby that replicates scrums, lineouts and other technical aspects of the 15-a-side game. On the other hand there are those who argue that in the contact format it is better that youngsters learn how to tackle aged nine rather than 14 when they are physically bigger. Popham strongly disagrees. He said it was "easy to say about nine-year-olds the younger they learn the technique the better it is," but equated it to encouraging young children to smoke. "It is better to put measures in place to protect them," he said. In terms of warning about the risks, he believes public health advertisements are the way forward. "Like those used in the past to advocate how bad smoking is for your health or how you can save your life by using seat belts," he said.
Int'l Business Times
a day ago
- Sport
- Int'l Business Times
Ex-Wales Flanker Popham Wants His Day In Court With Rugby Authorities
Alix Popham, one of hundreds of former rugby players to bring a lawsuit against the sport's authorities for head injuries, told AFP he wants his day in court so he can look in the face some of the officials "who are part of the reason why we are in the mess we are in." The former Wales flanker, who won 33 caps between 2003 and 2008 and played in two World Cups, was diagnosed in 2020 with probable chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) at the age of 40. CTE is a progressive brain condition that is thought to be caused by repeated blows to the head and episodes of concussion. The basis of the legal case is that rugby's governing bodies failed to provide sufficient protection from the risks caused by concussion. "The press are talking about 500 players, but I can tell you by the end of May, which is the deadline to join the suit, it will be double that," Popham told AFP in a phone interview. "Everyone is in a different situation. However, I want to go to court and eyeball some of the people still involved in the game, who are part of the reason why we are in the mess we are in. "Over the past six years what I have read and the evidence we have got needs to be public and go on the record. "It is very powerful." The sport's governing body World Rugby said the ongoing legal action prevented them from engaging with players "concerned in this story." However, in a statement to AFP, they said: "We would want them to know that we listen, we care and we never stand still on player welfare." Popham, who realised something was seriously wrong when in 2019 he got lost on a bike ride close to his home and had to use an app to find his way back, is not just investing his time in the lawsuit. He has also been going to schools and spreading the word about the risks involved. He hopes the Brainsafe programme -- which is the "baby" of Popham, his wife Mel and two others and endorsed by the charity Head for Change -- will be rolled out nationally in September. "We have seen 350 children, coaches and parents since January and are tweaking it now," he said. "It is not all about doom and gloom, it is sports-specific as any child can have brain traumatic injury. "We inform them of the signs and symptoms." Popham, who is in training for an ironman event later this year, said the lack of knowledge about the risks had astonished him. "Around 90 percent of parents, player and coaches still do not understand that every contact is causing damage," said the 45-year-old. "Key rugby schools do but others less so, and some of the parents unfortunately are not interested." Participation in rugby in schools in England is on the decline. In the 2022-23 school year, 8.3 percent of children aged five to 16 played rugby, down from 9.7 percent four years earlier. The decline was highlighted in last October's Review of Rugby in Schools which said the RFU, which commissioned the report, faced "an urgent issue approaching crisis point." As a result the RFU invested GBP5 million ($6.8 million) into TI, a version of touch rugby that replicates scrums, lineouts and other technical aspects of the 15-a-side game. On the other hand there are those who argue that in the contact format it is better that youngsters learn how to tackle aged nine rather than 14 when they are physically bigger. Popham strongly disagrees. He said it was "easy to say about nine-year-olds the younger they learn the technique the better it is," but equated it to encouraging young children to smoke. "It is better to put measures in place to protect them," he said. In terms of warning about the risks, he believes public health advertisements are the way forward. "Like those used in the past to advocate how bad smoking is for your health or how you can save your life by using seat belts," he said. "That is what needs to happen -- to disabuse people of the attitude of 'oh it won't happen to me'." Alix and Mel Popham are taking their Brainsafe programme into schools to warn people about the risks of rugby AFP
