Latest news with #sports
BreakingNews.ie
19 minutes ago
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Community cricket event to be rescheduled after complaint over GAA involvement
A plan has been announced to reschedule a cross-community sports event after it was cancelled when an Orange lodge raised concern at the involvement of the GAA. The North's First Minister, Michelle O'Neill, was among the political representatives who expressed dismay following the cancellation of the event which had been due to take place in Comber, Co Down, on Friday. Advertisement North Down Cricket Club had planned the sport summer camp for young people from different backgrounds, including the involvement of 10 different groups, one of which was the East Belfast GAA. But a local Orange Order lodge said there were concerns among local residents about the 'perceived move of the GAA into the local community'. Children should be allowed to play together at summer camp without facing intolerance. These developments are deeply worrying and unacceptable. Sport has the power to unify. Political representatives must call this out. We need to send a clear message that we will continue… — Michelle O'Neill (@moneillsf) July 15, 2025 In a statement on social media, the North Down Cricket Club said it cancelled the event because it felt the spirit of the camp was at risk of being lost. Responding to commentary on social media, the club said it welcomes people from all walks of life. Advertisement It said the camp had been planned to involve 10 different local sports and community groups — including organisations supporting ethnic minority communities — with the aim of building friendships through shared activity. On Wednesday afternoon, Cricket Ireland announced it plans to step in to arrange a similar sports camp at Stormont. Brian MacNeice, chair of Cricket Ireland (CI), said they are calling on all community leaders to show leadership and actively support this initiative. 'Cricket Ireland and the Northern Cricket Union (NCU) are dismayed and disappointed at the events which have led to the cancellation of the youth sports camp at North Down Cricket Club,' he said. Advertisement 'North Down has been at the forefront of youth development in recent times. Participation in multiple sports by young people has been recognised as having considerable benefits both in sporting terms and mental wellbeing. It can only be to the detriment of the children concerned that this cancellation has occurred. 'Cricket is a sport for all and both CI and NCU actively encourage diversity, inclusion and equality in our game. Working with other sports in the sharing of facilities and the creation of opportunities for young people is a key aspect of this strategy.' Mr MacNeice said Cricket Ireland applauded North Down Cricket Club's initiative in planning the sports camp. 'We are committed to following through on the initiative and Cricket Ireland and the Northern Cricket Union are making plans to run a similar sports camp at Stormont,' he said. Advertisement 'We have therefore approached East Belfast GAA and offered an opportunity to participate in this alternative sports camp which will also include other sports clubs. 'We look forward to further engagement with the GAA, and other governing bodies, for the benefit of all. 'We call on all community leaders to show leadership and actively support this initiative. Sport can bring communities together and we must all act in partnership to ensure this is the case.' Earlier, Ms O'Neill said: 'Children should be allowed to play together at summer camp without facing intolerance. Advertisement 'These developments are deeply worrying and unacceptable. Sport has the power to unify. 'Political representatives must call this out. We need to send a clear message that we will continue moving forward together to build a brighter society and overcome such unacceptable intolerance.' Alliance MLA Kellie Armstrong said children were losing out. 'It sends a signal to those who have been doing the intimidating that somehow they were right – they are not, they're wrong,' she told the BBC. 'The majority of people from Comber and people I've spoken to are very angry about this minority, and I think that Comber would rather turn around and say, 'no, everyone's welcome here'.' UUP MLA Doug Beattie also expressed disappointment. 'People may have concerns but we need to put this in perspective, this is about children and we should allow children to be children, and if that's playing sport, then playing sport,' he told the BBC. 'If you've got an issue with the GAA, lets raise it with the GAA, lets not focus on kids.'
CNA
an hour ago
- Business
- CNA
EF team happy to be underdogs in battle of cycling's big beasts
TOULOUSE, France :While World Tour giants like UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Visma-Lease a Bike flex their financial muscle at the Tour de France, EF Education-EasyPost team boss Jonathan Vaughters is happy to be chasing in a different kind of pack. "I would laugh if we called ourselves the wolf pack," Vaughters told Reuters, in reference to rival team Soudal Quick-Step's famously aggressive branding. "Maybe we're like the dachshund pack," he added, pointing to his rider Ben Healy's "sausage dog" by the team bus before the start of Wednesday's 11th stage. The metaphor is a light-hearted one, but the economic truth is brutal. EF Education-EasyPost have a budget estimated at less than $25 million, which puts them in the bottom third of the 2025 Tour teams, dominated by defending champion Tadej Pogacar's UAE Team Emirates-XRG (around $65 million). Vaughters said competing against cycling's financial behemoths is a constant battle in a sport that lacks regulatory parity. "Professional cycling is one of the few high-level professional sports left in the world that does not have some sort of financial fairness regulation," he said. "And that makes it exceptionally difficult for the middle or the smaller teams to exist." Still, EF has managed to do more than just exist. Helped by their bright pink jerseys, they've been visible, creative, and successful. The team claimed a stage win and won the King of the Mountains (polka dot) jersey last year. This year, they won a stage through Healy, who snatched the overall leader's yellow jersey after Monday's 10th stage. "Last year we won the polka dot jersey. Last year was good, too. People forget we had the yellow jersey one day last year, too. They forget about it. I don't know why," Vaughters said. "But actually, that's an example that those two, three really big teams kind of overshadow everything." STRATEGIC APPROACH EF Education-EasyPost are accountable to a sponsor that views cycling as a measurable marketing tool, not just a passion project. "EF isn't the sponsor that is just here because the owner likes cycling and writes the cheque or whatever," Vaughters said. "EF is here because they view it as more efficient marketing than if they purchased other forms of marketing, okay? So we're actually held to a very high standard when it comes to marketing metrics." That drives the team's strategic approach with EF often avoiding the general classification and sprint battles dominated by big-budget squads, opting instead for opportunistic breakaways and high-impact moments. "What we try to do... is we basically have to come in and think, okay, well, how can we create (a moment)," Vaughters said. "You can't do the same thing every single year. You can't say, 'well, what worked when we were Garmin (more than 10 years ago) will work now'. There are certain cultural things that we keep intact, sort of the lighthearted spirit - the fact that we take the work very seriously, but we don't take ourselves that seriously." It's a culture EF prides itself on — a contrast to the hyper-serious image of other teams. "We take our work every bit as seriously as Soudal," Vaughters said. "But I would laugh if we called ourselves the wolf pack."
Reuters
an hour ago
- Sport
- Reuters
Abrahamsen wins Tour de France stage 11 as Pogacar crashes
TOULOUSE, France, July 16 (Reuters) - Jonas Abrahamsen of Switzerland won the 11th stage of the Tour de France, a 156.8-km ride around Toulouse, as defending champion Tadej Pogacar hit the deck in the finale on Wednesday. Slovenian Pogacar crashed about five kilometres from the finish but was quickly back on his bike and did not seem hurt.
Reuters
an hour ago
- Business
- Reuters
EF team happy to be underdogs in battle of cycling's big beasts
TOULOUSE, France, July 16 (Reuters) - While World Tour giants like UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Visma-Lease a Bike flex their financial muscle at the Tour de France, EF Education-EasyPost team boss Jonathan Vaughters is happy to be chasing in a different kind of pack. "I would laugh if we called ourselves the wolf pack," Vaughters told Reuters, in reference to rival team Soudal Quick-Step's famously aggressive branding. "Maybe we're like the dachshund pack," he added, pointing to his rider Ben Healy's "sausage dog" by the team bus before the start of Wednesday's 11th stage. The metaphor is a light-hearted one, but the economic truth is brutal. EF Education-EasyPost have a budget estimated at less than $25 million, which puts them in the bottom third of the 2025 Tour teams, dominated by defending champion Tadej Pogacar's UAE Team Emirates-XRG (around $65 million). Vaughters said competing against cycling's financial behemoths is a constant battle in a sport that lacks regulatory parity. "Professional cycling is one of the few high-level professional sports left in the world that does not have some sort of financial fairness regulation," he said. "And that makes it exceptionally difficult for the middle or the smaller teams to exist." Still, EF has managed to do more than just exist. Helped by their bright pink jerseys, they've been visible, creative, and successful. The team claimed a stage win and won the King of the Mountains (polka dot) jersey last year. This year, they won a stage through Healy, who snatched the overall leader's yellow jersey after Monday's 10th stage. "Last year we won the polka dot jersey. Last year was good, too. People forget we had the yellow jersey one day last year, too. They forget about it. I don't know why," Vaughters said. "But actually, that's an example that those two, three really big teams kind of overshadow everything." EF Education-EasyPost are accountable to a sponsor that views cycling as a measurable marketing tool, not just a passion project. "EF isn't the sponsor that is just here because the owner likes cycling and writes the cheque or whatever," Vaughters said. "EF is here because they view it as more efficient marketing than if they purchased other forms of marketing, okay? So we're actually held to a very high standard when it comes to marketing metrics." That drives the team's strategic approach with EF often avoiding the general classification and sprint battles dominated by big-budget squads, opting instead for opportunistic breakaways and high-impact moments. "What we try to do... is we basically have to come in and think, okay, well, how can we create (a moment)," Vaughters said. "You can't do the same thing every single year. You can't say, 'well, what worked when we were Garmin (more than 10 years ago) will work now'. There are certain cultural things that we keep intact, sort of the lighthearted spirit - the fact that we take the work very seriously, but we don't take ourselves that seriously." It's a culture EF prides itself on — a contrast to the hyper-serious image of other teams. "We take our work every bit as seriously as Soudal," Vaughters said. "But I would laugh if we called ourselves the wolf pack."
BBC News
an hour ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Major champions on Scheffler's 'what's the point' soliloquy
When Scottie Scheffler arrived at The Open earlier this week, he started an existential debate about nagging unfulfillment, the fleeting euphoria of sporting victories and the point of being good at golf. Last week, the world number one attracted praise for his eloquent response to a question about the various challenges of links week, his musings in the media tent were far more philosophical. Towards the end of an otherwise unremarkable news conference on Tuesday, Scheffler began to question why he even plays a sport which does not give him "fulfilment from a sense of the deepest places of your heart". He said: "There are a lot of people that make it to what they thought was going to fulfil them in life, and you get there, you get to number one in the world, and they're like, 'what's the point?' "I really do believe that because, what is the point? Why do I want to win this tournament so bad? That's something that I wrestle with on a daily basis." Given his standing in the game and the perception that he takes everything in his Texan stride, Scheffler entangling himself with the great imponderable of his existence has naturally caused a stir around Royal Portrush. First up in the media tent on Wednesday was JJ Spaun. Just 31 days removed from winning the US Open, the 34-year-old was well-placed to offer his view on Scheffler's comments on the ephemeral sensation of winning. "I believe there's some truth behind Scottie's words," said Spaun. "Yeah, you do have these high aspirations, these dreams to accomplish things in golf at the highest level, and then you do and it happens so quick. You're so elated, and then all of a sudden it's like, now what?"I tried to sink it in as much as possible, and it did, but it's a weird feeling. I never thought I would win a major. A few years ago I was just trying to get in them. So I think, yeah, there's some testament to that." Justin Rose was the next player into the news conference room. Like Scheffler, the Englishman has been the world's leading player, has won a major and an Olympic gold medal. In his 27 years on tour, Rose has developed a reputation as one of golf's most compelling talkers, and when asked about Scheffler's perspective, he said he could certainly relate. "I've been in that similar situation in terms of getting to world number one," said the 44-year-old who won the US Open in 2013 and the Olympic title in 2016. "It's something you strive and strive and strive and strive for, and you achieve it and you're like, oh OK, it's not necessarily what you imagine it to be, but the work and the journey to get there is the thrill. That's the exciting part."What keeps me going is just be better tomorrow as a person and as a golfer than I am today and that's enough. "You want it to manifest into tournament wins and ticking off your goals and your dreams, but really the journey and the process of getting there is where you have to try to find the enjoyment." Padraig Harrington has been around even longer than Rose. What, then, did the three-time major winner make of the Scheffler soliloquy? "I don't want to compare myself to him, but I genuinely still have a real love for this game and enjoy every bit," he said. "It brings me tremendous satisfaction and I don't think I have to shy away from that. "Just because I love golf doesn't make me a bad father or bad parent. They're separate entities, you can enjoy everything there is about golf and still be good elsewhere. I just love playing pressed about still feeling fulfilled on the course, 30 years after turning pro, he said he still "loves practising, hitting shots and dreaming of what can be". Going back to Scheffler, two-time Open champion Harrington added: "He was being honest, but those people are going to ask him about that for a long time."He obviously loves to practice, I just don't think he loves the grind of it. I don't think he needs to separate it. "I've often said this later on in my life, I wish I'd spent more time enjoying my wins when they happened."Whoever takes the Claret Jug home from Portrush on Sunday, maybe they will have Scheffler's words ringing in their ears. Maybe it will allow them to enjoy an Open win that bit longer.
