“At least people need a laugh right now,” the Scottish joker Kevin Bridges sighs when asked why he chose now to make his North American debut.
“I always considered coming over,” Bridges continues. “I even joked about it a bit on stage on the timing of coming to the US. But usually, I think comedy thrives in times like this when people need some escapism. I give my take as an outsider, and it seems to be well received, so it is fertile ground for comedy with everything that is going on in your country.”
After 20 years in the business of joke telling, the 38-year-old Bridges has truly reached high highs in the comedy industry of his native United Kingdom.
“Part of why I came to the state is I’m not that known here,” the warm-voiced comic explains, hyping up his single night at Cullen Performance Hall on Saturday, Nov 8. “So in a way it is quite good to not have immense pressure, where as in the UK, I’m playing in arenas with 10,000 or 11,000 people. It can be hard to improvise. But over here, the venues can be like 800 to 1000.”
“So for me,” he continues, “it’s a bit like going back in time. But what is good is I have the experience and I can go back to enjoying these slightly smaller rooms, and the show is much more live because I’m trying things out and experimenting. I’m enjoying the fresh crowds and the challenge of being in a brand new country with my own take on everything.”
While Bridges has proven to be a smash on social media, he prepares the audience to prepare for his thick accent and rapid fire delivery. “The audience is probably initially taken aback by my accent,” he admits. “I’ve tried to soften it a little bit, but not be a fraud. The Scottish people are probably like, ‘why is he talking like that – is he taking elocution lessons?’
“The challenges have made me, forgive the cliché, really appreciate stand up again: the idea of getting an idea during the day and trying it out at night. American audiences have been very enthusiastic and receptive.”
Describing his perspective is tough for the young comic, but he essentially breaks his act along the lines of two types of bits. “My comic style, I try to keep it fairly topical, fairly current – and also personal stuff. I’m always talking about whatever is going on in the world, and also my own life. I started at 17, and I used to talk about being a teenager and being overweight. I lost weight, and my whole life has been documented through stand up. I’m a father to a 4-year-old, and I’m a husband approaching 40.“
While many U.K. comics approach their stand-up specials from the foundations closer to the one-person show, Bridges sets expectations that this show at least will be closer to traditional stand-up, with bits on all subjects open to him. “I try to find funny angles, I don’t say I need to have a comedy routine about this subject,” he explains. ”Instead, I have this joke about deodorant, so that finds it way into the show. I have a funny joke about my son. So I find the jokes, and I place them. Certainly a theme or overarching narrative begins, [but] it’s trial and error where I work it out in comedy clubs, and there’s an hour or so of stuff coming together, a fairly organic product.”
One unique distinction that 90 percent of touring headliners might envy, but Bridges has the rare distinction of having had his filmed stand-up specials released in movie theaters. “That’s right, seeing your face up in the cinemas was pretty exciting,” he says of the thrill that few American comics beyond Eddie Murphy or Kevin Hart have had in America. “It was pretty well received, and it was totally different rather than just release it as a [streaming] special.
“I think it’s only when you are going to the cinema do you remember how fun going to the cinema is. We’re so saturated by all these streaming services, last night me and my wife say down and are just browsing and browsing for hours – but don’t watch anything! There’s something about going to the cinema and somebody else has decided what you are watching for the night that takes the pressure off!”
An underrated element too is how much funnier a comic play in a room full of people, be they at a live concert or in the cinema. “People who went, some admitted to being a little anxious since COVID to be going to live events, but they really enjoyed this kind of happy medium where they are still with people, but much smaller setting to see it in this communal experience.”
In some ways, this return to smaller venues for Bridges has been like a wish-fulfillment. With the pressure lifted, he discovered his perfect environment for stand up comedy. “When you’re on the way up and you’re playing venues that size, there is a lot of pressure. But as you say, looking back, I don’t know if I enjoyed that stage in my career. So getting back to that experience and actually taking it in? I think between 1,000 and 2,000 is actually the perfect size for stand up. When it gets bigger, it can still be good – but 1,000-2,000 is really that sweet spot.”
While this North American leg has taken the Scott all over, he’s doing more than bringing laughs – he’s checking off American bucket list items left and right.
Here’s Bridges Top 4 To-Dos:
1. Texas-Sized Meal: “I have done BBQ in Austin, Texas and it was 91 degrees. So before the show, I think I gave myself sunstroke and gout in one go.”
2. Meet an American Icon: “The other [night], there was Steve Van Zandt, from Bruce Springsteen’s band and The Sopranos. My agent has seen them 3 or 4 times, so I would like to walk over and say hello and what a huge fan I am. So meeting Steve Van Zandt was immediately on the bucket list.”
3. Witness an American Past Time Up Close: “I would quite like to see any American sport, go and watch something live. Basketball? Baseball?”
4. Test His Endurance: “The Hollywood sign! I don’t know if I can put up with the traffic just to see something. But [if I hike it], I’ll just collapse onstage. Pretty hard to balance being a good tourist and being there for the audience.”
Bridges performs on Saturday, November 8 at 7:30 p.m. at Cullen Performance Hall, 4300 University. For more information, visit cph.evenue.net. $46-69
The Sacramento Republic FC will have the chance to raise a cup before the season ends.The club will compete in the final of the USL Jägermeister Cup against the Hartford Athletic at Cal Expo’s Heart Health Park on Oct. 4. Tickets went on sale on Tuesday. The USL Cup began in 2024, featuring USL League One teams, which is a division below the Republic’s USL Championship. This year, all USL Championship teams joined the inter-league competition. For the Republic, the final will represent the first championship opportunity in Sacramento since the team won its league cup a decade ago in its inaugural season. Sacramento also made the final of another inter-season tournament, the U.S. Open Cup in 2022. That tournament featured the Republic besting three higher division Major League Soccer teams before losing in Orlando in the final. Captain Rodrigo “RoRo” López has been with Sacramento Republic FC for all three milestone moments. “We have the best fans in the league,” he said. “This is the best organization in the league and to be able to host the cup final is just very special for me, in particular. I’ve been here since the beginning and I was able to lift the cup and so many years have gone by and this club deserves more.” The Republic’s run in the USL Jägermeister Cup this year has succeeded in large part due to the performance of backup goalkeeper Jared Mazzola, who provided key saves in the last two matches, including when both went to penalties. “It’s been really, really fun being able to step into the role that is laid out for me,” Mazzola said. “So being able to do my part and help the team get to the final is really important and something that I hold in a high regard.” Meanwhile, the Republic remain in second place in their Western Conference in league play with just seven matches left in the regular season.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
The Sacramento Republic FC will have the chance to raise a cup before the season ends.
The club will compete in the final of the USL Jägermeister Cup against the Hartford Athletic at Cal Expo’s Heart Health Park on Oct. 4. Tickets went on sale on Tuesday.
The USL Cup began in 2024, featuring USL League One teams, which is a division below the Republic’s USL Championship. This year, all USL Championship teams joined the inter-league competition.
For the Republic, the final will represent the first championship opportunity in Sacramento since the team won its league cup a decade ago in its inaugural season.
Sacramento also made the final of another inter-season tournament, the U.S. Open Cup in 2022. That tournament featured the Republic besting three higher division Major League Soccer teams before losing in Orlando in the final.
Captain Rodrigo “RoRo” López has been with Sacramento Republic FC for all three milestone moments.
“We have the best fans in the league,” he said. “This is the best organization in the league and to be able to host the cup final is just very special for me, in particular. I’ve been here since the beginning and I was able to lift the cup and so many years have gone by and this club deserves more.”
The Republic’s run in the USL Jägermeister Cup this year has succeeded in large part due to the performance of backup goalkeeper Jared Mazzola, who provided key saves in the last two matches, including when both went to penalties.
“It’s been really, really fun being able to step into the role that is laid out for me,” Mazzola said. “So being able to do my part and help the team get to the final is really important and something that I hold in a high regard.”
Meanwhile, the Republic remain in second place in their Western Conference in league play with just seven matches left in the regular season.
The Southern California grocery brand that has become synonymous with luxury and wellness is taking its first steps into New York City.
Erewhon said it plans to open a tonic bar within an exclusive West Village members’ club later this fall.
The tonic bar will serve members at Kith Ivy, a lifestyle and fitness club from Ronnie Fieg, chief executive of the popular streetwear brand Kith.
Kith Ivy will open to an “extremely limited” number of members this fall, the Kith website said.
The miniature Erewhon will be tucked away near cold plunge pools and a sauna at 120 Leroy Street in New York City, according to blueprints Fieg posted on Instagram.
The members’ club, which will also feature rooftop padel courts and dining from Cafe Mogador, reportedly comes with a hefty initiation fee of $36,000 and an annual fee of $7,000.
The price and exclusivity of Kith Ivy aligns with Erewhon’s own high-end reputation. In Los Angeles, the grocer is known for expensive specialty goods and celebrity-inspired drinks, like the $20 Hailey Bieber strawberry smoothie.
“Erewhon is going after those really premium customers,” said Jeff Wells, lead editor of the trade publication Grocery Dive. “If you’re succeeding in Southern California, New York would be the next logical place to go.”
Erewhon’s new tonic bar will offer a limited selection of drinks and smoothies, a company spokesperson said Wednesday. Only Kith Ivy members will be able to order in-person, but other New Yorkers within a select radius of the club can order drinks for delivery through Postmates and Uber Eats.
Erewhon has a loyal following in the Los Angeles area, where the company operates 11 locations and plans to open three more in West Hollywood, Glendale and Thousand Oaks. The company got its start in the 1960s as a health foods store in Boston before relocating to the West Coast.
The grocer’s foray into New York comes as other supermarket chains have cut back on costs. Kroger, the parent company of Ralphs and Food 4 Less, is in the midst of closing locations and recently laid off nearly 1,000 corporate employees.
Unlike Ralphs, Erewhon has established itself as a luxury destination that caters largely to wealthy customers.
“Erewhon is all about being at the cutting edge of food and beverage, for a premium price,” Wells said. “Your average middle-class shopper can’t afford to shop there.”
It’s the end of an era in River North as the Underground, where locals would text their friends late at night with photos of Justin Bieber, Chance the Rapper, or Katy Perry has closed. Opened in 2007, along with Rockit Bar & Grill, located around the corner on Hubbard Street, the two venues helped further co-owner Billy Dec as a household name in Chicago.
But after Dec split with partners, Brad Young and Arturo Gomez, Rockit closed in 2019 ending a 15-year run. That was before the pandemic, which hurt the world of music venues and bars with folks focusing on social distancing. Even in a post-vaccine world where Chicago’s tourists are returning, some businesses may have endured too much to survive. Last week, Dec announced the Underground, 56 W. Illinois Street, would close and convert into a private event space. That’s a move Chicago is bound to see more of, with the biggest example being in October 2023 when Boka Restaurant Group closed its French restaurant, the 10-month-old Le Select — led by acclaimed chef Daniel Rose — turning that River North space into the Wellsley.
The Underground, at 17 years old, has a more storied history versus Le Select. Dec, a Chicago native and graduate of the Latin School of Chicago, moved to Nashville where in 2018 he opened a location of his River North restaurant, Sunda. He also opened a Sunda in Tampa, Florida. Along those lines, he’s bringing the Underground brand to Tennessee, opening the Underground Cocktail Club at the end of the month or early June: “We are so humbled, honored, excited, and proud to be able to share a piece of our Chicago original in new markets to come,” a statement shared via social media from Dec reads. The project was announced in 2022.
At one point, Dec also said he wanted to open Rockit locations in other cities. While that didn’t happen, Dec did win local Emmys and was an Obama appointee in 2014 to the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
Dec hasn’t abandoned Chicago — he opened the fourth outpost of Sunda in February, inside a new Fulton Market — but the once mighty Rockit Ranch Productions has shrunk. In 2017, as he geared up to leave Chicago, he said there would be an increased focus on moneymakers. That happened as Otto Mezzo (formerly Ay Chiwowa), his venture with chef Kevin Hickey, closed along Chicago Avenue in River North. Hickey has since brought James Beard attention to his South Side restaurant, the Duck Inn.
But the two Sundas are all that remains of Dec’s once thriving empire in Chicago, one that included the Underground, and Le Passage, the latter of which closed in 2011. Gomez, who was roommates with Dec in a Wicker Park apartment, last year partnered with Nader, Fadi, and Rafid Hindo — the brothers behind Celeste. The quartet formed Celeste Group, which includes Whiskey Bar, Deco Supper Club, DISCO, and the rooftop Garden at 111. W. Hubbard Street). They’ll soon open Vela this summer at 352 W. Hubbard Street.
Dec declined further comment to Block Club Chicago, which first reported the news. The story discusses the changing landscape of Chicago’s social scene. Celebrities and social media influencers are looking for something different, or perhaps newer. River North lost Paris Club in 2016 but survived. Chicago still has plenty of places for that — especially during music festival season.
Ned’s Club, a members-only club that’s operated by Soho House, will be coming to the District this winter.
Rooftop views include the U.S. Treasury and the White House.
(Courtesy Ned’s Club)
Courtesy Ned’s Club
The conservatory room inside the members-only club.
(Courtesy Ned’s Club)
Courtesy Ned’s Club
The events space inside Ned’s Club.
(Courtesy Ned’s Club)
Courtesy Ned’s Club
Members will pay thousands of dollars a year to socialize in its libraries, lounges and restaurants.
(Courtesy Ned’s Club)
Courtesy Ned’s Club
Floors go by names, such as “The Library,” “The Drawing Room,” and “The Conservatory.”
(Courtesy Ned’s Club)
Courtesy Ned’s Club
The newest members-only club in D.C. has a London pedigree and a curious name. And members will pay thousands of dollars a year to socialize in its libraries, lounges and restaurants.
The Ned opens this winter in the upper floors of The Walker Building, previously home to D.C. institutions including Riggs Bank and the American Security and Trust Company, on 724 15th Street in Northwest. It will occupy the top three floors and a roof deck of the 12-story Walker Building, an Art Deco building constructed in the 1930s.
The original Ned’s opened in 2017 in London’s former Midland Bank headquarters, and gets its name from the building’s 1920s designer Sir Edwin Ned Lutyens. There are also Ned’s Clubs in New York City and Doha, Qatar.
Soho House, which operates the clubs, has not announced membership prices for the D.C. club, though its New York club, at 1170 Broadway near the Empire State Building and Herald Square, charges $5,000 a year for a membership. For the D.C. club, Soho House simply said membership applications open May 20, and prospective members can “register their interest” online.
Ned’s DC is leaning into “the glamour of the roaring twenties,” and D.C.’s Art Deco era, and renderings of the opulent-looking spaces back that claim up.
Rooftop views include the U.S. Treasury and the White House.
Floors go by names, such as “The Library,” “The Drawing Room,” and “The Conservatory.”
Ned’s DC will host events including CEO-led workshops, whiskey tastings, panel discussions, and live music and entertainment.
D.C. members also get access to The Ned London, The Ned NoMad New York and The Ned Doha.
The Financial Times reported the Ned’s development in D.C. is a partnership between Soho House and Michael Milken, the “junk bond king,” who served prison time in the 1980s after pleading guilty to securities fraud, who collaborated with billionaire Ron Burkle, majority shareholder of Soho House. Milken was pardoned by then-President Donald Trump in 2020.
It’s time for a jam-packed episode of House of R! Mal and Jo break down the electrifying trailer for the new Star Wars show, The Acolyte (06:12). Then they dive into their first episode of House of Reads as they enter da book club and talk about The Three-Body Problem (41:53). Later they bring on Zach Kram to discuss all of the spoiler-filled goodness that might come in the new TV adaptation (63:27).
Hosts: Mallory Rubin and Joanna Robinson Guest: Zach Kram Senior Producer: Steve Ahlman Additional Production: Arjuna Ramgopal Social: Jomi Adeniran
Police are searching for two men, including the accused gunman.
Getty Images/iStockphoto
Four people were shot when a man kicked out of a club for fighting opened fire from an SUV, Texas authorities say.
The incident began at 11:30 p.m. Saturday, March 2, when two men in their 20s were involved in a fight at the club, Houston Police Department Assistant Chief Wyatt Martin said in a news briefing streamed by KHOU.
They were asked to leave, and when they got outside, they began arguing with off-duty sheriff’s deputies who were working as part of the security detail, according to Martin.
One of the men entered a black SUV, while the other man kept trying to get back into the club, police said. A woman eventually convinced him to get into the vehicle.
That’s when the driver — the first man who was kicked out — began firing at the security personnel with a handgun, Martin said. Four people, including security officers, were struck by the gunfire.
The Harris County deputies working security were not among the injured victims, police said.
“The fact that they would shoot indiscriminately at a club crowded with people just because they were asked to leave, whether they were intoxicated or whatever, shows that they really have very little regard for the safety of the people around them,” Martin said in the news briefing.
Two of the victims were taken to a hospital for surgery but were expected to be OK, according to police. The other two victims were treated at the scene.
Police are now searching for the two men, who fled in the SUV.
Martin said the deputies did not return gunfire due to “fear of hitting innocent bystanders.”
Mike Stunson covers real-time news for McClatchy. He is a 2011 Western Kentucky University graduate who has previously worked at the Paducah Sun and Madisonville Messenger as a sports reporter and the Lexington Herald-Leader as a breaking news reporter. Support my work with a digital subscription
Rugby elation to rugby heartache, a footballing managerial merry-go-round, golfing greatness, boxing blockbusters and so much more. The 2023 Irish sporting landscape had a little bit of everything. Here, Sky Sports takes a look back at the highs and lows of the year.
It was a year in Irish rugby that saw historical success, huge expectation, unprecedented hope, and ultimately, heartbreak perhaps worse than ever before.
Towards the start of the year, Andy Farrell’s Ireland – ranked world No 1 since July 2022 – secured a sensational Six Nations Grand Slam.
Wales were blown away 34-10 on the opening weekend in Cardiff to sour Warren Gatland’s homecoming, while Round 2 saw one of the best contests in the history of the championship as Ireland put in a near-perfect display to beat reigning champions France 32-19 in Dublin.
From then, Farrell’s charges were favourites for the title, seeing off Italy in Rome, Scotland at Murrayfield despite a raft of injuries, and finally, England in Dublin to lift the Six Nations trophy and Triple Crown.
Ireland beat England on the last day of the Six Nations to clinch the Grand Slam on home soil for the first time
The warm glow continued during the pool stages of the Rugby World Cup as Ireland won all four matches, beating eventual champions South Africa in a Paris epic, and a ruthless dismantling of Scotland clinched top spot in Pool B and extended their winning streak to 17 matches.
Ireland’s quarter-final opponents were New Zealand due to a brutally lopsided draw, but the nation was now convinced this was their greatest chance for World Cup glory and to break their awful record of never having won a quarter-final.
Although Ireland had beaten the All Blacks in three of the previous four meetings, they didn’t perform to anywhere near their peak levels, while New Zealand produced their best performance in years.
Ireland fought back from 13-0 down to narrow the half-time gap to a single point at 18-17, but as the game ebbed and flowed on a knife’s edge, their inability to strike in the 22 enough proved a major factor as the All Blacks inflicted yet another agonising last-eight exit.
Ireland’s 2023 ended in devastating fashion with another quarter-final exit at the World Cup, at the hands of New Zealand for the second-straight tournament
Skipper Johnny Sexton and Keith Earls retired in the aftermath, bringing to an end stellar careers, but also a sense Ireland’s true time to become world champions had been lost.
Farrell has committed to Ireland until after the 2027 World Cup and is odds-on to lead to the British and Irish Lions in Australia in 2027. The rebuild starts now and the big question is who dons the No 10 shirt in Marseille on February 2.
Within provincial rugby, there were contrasting fortunes for Leinster and Munster. The men in blue dominated the majority of the season, only to lose late on to their arch-rivals in Dublin in the URC semi-finals, and then in the Champions Cup final again a week later to La Rochelle – this time after sprinting out to 17-0 and 23-7 leads at the Aviva Stadium. The loss was Leinster’s third in succession in European Cup finals.
Munster began the season terribly, losing five from their first seven fixtures under new head coach Graham Rowntree, but though much of the campaign was spent worrying about qualification for Europe, a remarkable final season run away from home of four wins and a draw saw them all the way to the URC final against the Stormers in Cape Town, and a superb 19-14 success – the province’s first silverware since 2011.
Like previous campaigns, Leinster have made a strong start to the season both on the domestic and European front, but it has been a mixed bag so far for the other three, with inconsistency a common theme.
Women’s rugby at lowest ebb
While men’s rugby in Ireland is in a good place, the women’s game endured one of the worst years in its history.
Ireland finished a gruesome 2023 Women’s Six Nations dead last with the Wooden Spoon after losing all five matches by an average margin of over 30 points.
They were then placed into the third tier of the new WXV tournament during October, the result of which meant they played Kazakhstan, Colombia and Spain – beating the latter only due to a try with five minutes to play.
The side has gone from Six Nations champions in 2015 to bottom of the pile in 2023, having failed to qualify for the last World Cup in 2022 too.
Captain Nicola Fryday retired from international rugby at the age of just 28 – the second captain of the women’s side to do so in two years after Claire Molly in late 2021, who still plays for Bristol in Premiership Women’s Rugby.
Ireland came last in the 2023 Women’s Six Nations, losing all five of their matches
All the while, the IRFU has come under huge scrutiny for their running of the women’s game. While France, England, Wales and Scotland have all professionalised their women’s teams, the same cannot be said of Ireland.
In April, an unnamed player expressed concerns of sexism in a Telegraph report, with the IRFU likened to an “old boys club”, with allegations players were denied protein supplements as they prepared for a summer tour to Japan and that the switch from white to blue shorts over period concerns was done without proper consultation with the squad.
The anonymous player also alleged squad members learnt they were dropped via email, with some omitted from mailing lists, while the IRFU are also said to have refused to explore the option of a “hybrid contracts” – a specific request from players – with the union instead favouring a “full-time or nothing attitude.”
The IRFU disputed all the claims in a statement, but as high performance director David Nucifora’s impending exit was confirmed – David Humphreys will replace him in 2024 – it was noteworthy there was no response from anyone in the women’s game.
Football: Republic of Ireland’s World Cup odyssey ends in management change
It was, for reasons good and bad, a landmark year for the Republic of Ireland women’s team.
All roads led to Australia and New Zealand, where Ireland made their maiden major tournament bow at the World Cup. In itself a historic achievement, but performances on the pitch struggled to catch fire while off-field issues overshadowed the build-up and conclusion.
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Vera Pauw strongly denied allegations against her of body-shaming and inappropriate behaviour during her time at Houston Dash
Vera Pauw strongly denied allegations against her of body-shaming and inappropriate behaviour during her time at Houston Dash
Just weeks before the tournament began, allegations of body shaming were made against Ireland manager Vera Pauw, relating to her time in charge of Houston Dash in the USA’s National Women’s Soccer League. Pauw strongly denied the allegations, but they undeniably cast a shadow over Ireland’s preparations.
Captain Katie McCabe’s wonder goal in their second game against Canada was the highlight of a tournament which ended for Ireland after the group stage, having lost to Australia and Canada before drawing with Nigeria.
Pauw departed upon conclusion of the World Cup, with the FAI opting not to extend her contract.
Captain Katie McCabe scored directly from a corner to put Ireland ahead against Canada, but they could not hold on to the lead
Eileen Gleeson, assistant under Pauw, was appointed interim manager and guided the team through an outstanding Nations League campaign. Ireland won all six of their games, scoring 20 goals and conceding just two – ensuring they will be in League A for the Euro 2025 qualifiers.
That success no doubt informed the FAI’s decision to hand Gleeson the reins on a permanent basis on December 18, with the Dubliner now tasked with leading their Euro 2025 qualifying campaign.
It was also a year of change for Northern Ireland, who themselves were on a managerial hunt after Kenny Shiels departed in January following a four-year stint which saw the team reach their first major tournament at Euro 2022.
Former Chelsea assistant coach Tanya Oxtoby took up the reins in August, and oversaw a Nations League campaign in which Northern Ireland recorded two wins, a draw and three losses.
A third-placed finish in their group means they face a two-legged play-off with Montenegro in February, where they must win to avoid dropping into League C for the upcoming Euro 2025 qualifiers.
Time runs out for Kenny and O’Neill’s return fails to spark NI response
Like their female counterparts, the Republic of Ireland men’s team opted for a change of manager.
After three and a half years in charge, Stephen Kenny left upon expiry of his contract after a disappointing Euro 2024 qualifying campaign.
Drawn in a group with France and the Netherlands, a top-two finish was always a tall order, but Ireland never gave themselves a chance of reaching next summer’s tournament. They won just two of their eight games, both against minnows Gibraltar, and there was little clamour for Kenny to be given another bite at the cherry as Ireland seek a fresh start.
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Former Ireland international Stephen Kelly admits he wasn’t surprised to hear that the Football Association of Ireland won’t be renewing Stephen Kenny’s contract
Former Ireland international Stephen Kelly admits he wasn’t surprised to hear that the Football Association of Ireland won’t be renewing Stephen Kenny’s contract
As for Northern Ireland, hope abounded as Michael O’Neill – back for a second stint as manager having previously taken the side to Euro 2016 – returned to guide them through what looked on paper to be a very favourable Euro 2024 qualifying group.
However, disappointing early home losses to Finland and Kazakhstan, coupled by a defeat by Denmark in Copenhagen, realistically ended NI’s hopes of qualification after only four games.
A 2-0 win over Denmark in their final qualifier in November did however see Northern Ireland bow out with a spring in their step.
Having struggled with injuries, O’Neill will hope to have some key faces back to pair with his young players in 2024.
Golf: McIlroy and Maguire bring it home for Europe
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Relive Rory McIlroy’s two wins, which saw him claim a fifth Race to Dubai title, and his starring role in Europe’s Ryder Cup triumph.
Relive Rory McIlroy’s two wins, which saw him claim a fifth Race to Dubai title, and his starring role in Europe’s Ryder Cup triumph.
It was another year to remember for Ireland’s golfers with Rory McIlroy once again leading the charge.
A Scottish Open win took his tally of PGA Tour titles to 24, before the world No 2 claimed the Race to Dubai title for the fifth time. However, McIlroy’s 2023 peaked in the early autumn heat of Rome.
After a poor display at Whistling Straights in 2021 ended in tears, McIlroy turned the page on his own Ryder Cup story to claim four points from a possible five at Marco Simone to finish as the highest individual scorer in the 2023 competition. Leading the charge both on the course and off it, when he became involved in a heated car-park confrontation with Team USA caddy Joe LaCava, as Europe regained the trophy.
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Andrew Coltart provided his thoughts on one of the moments of the golfing year, where Rory McIlroy had a dispute with caddie Joe LaCava at the Ryder Cup. You can listen to the Sky Sports Golf Podcast now
Andrew Coltart provided his thoughts on one of the moments of the golfing year, where Rory McIlroy had a dispute with caddie Joe LaCava at the Ryder Cup. You can listen to the Sky Sports Golf Podcast now
Despite the successes, the hunt for the elusive fifth major goes into another year after some more near-misses at the flagship events.
McIlroy came second at the US Open behind Wyndham Clark, while there were top-10 finishes at the PGA Championship and The Open. He remains one of the game’s leading lights, and the Holywood man now enters 2024 hoping to claim a major title for the first time in a decade.
His compatriot Shane Lowry also played his part in Europe’s Ryder Cup redemption, winning 1.5 points from three matches while also claiming three top-20 finishes in 2023’s majors.
It was a breakthrough year for 20-year-old Tom McKibbin, who became Irish golf’s youngest tour winner since McIlroy (who hails from the same town in County Down) when he won the DP World Tour’s European Open in June.
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Maguire claimed three crucial points as Europe retained the Solheim Cup having lost the opening day foursomes 4-0
Maguire claimed three crucial points as Europe retained the Solheim Cup having lost the opening day foursomes 4-0
Meanwhile, Cavan’s Leona Maguire enjoyed another fruitful year, the highlight of which came at the Solheim Cup.
Maguire shone, as she did on tournament debut in 2021, winning three points including a crucial 4&3 win over Rose Zhang as Europe retained the cup after a 14-14 draw.
Maguire also claimed her second LGPA Tour title as a spectacular final round saw her clinch a two-shot win at the Meijer LPGA Classic.
A good year could have been a great one, with Maguire taking a one-shot lead into the final round of the Women’s PGA Championship, before shooting a disappointing 74 on the final day with China’s Ruoning Yin winning the major. Maguire’s compatriot Stephanie Meadow impressed at the tournament, finishing tied for third.
Boxing: Revenge for Taylor after first pro defeat as five qualify for Olympics
The main headline from an Irish boxing perspective this year saw Olympic legend Katie Taylor suffer the first defeat of her professional career at the 23rd attempt, losing to England’s Chantelle Cameron in Dublin by majority decision in May.
Seeking revenge, Taylor fought Cameron again on November 25 in Dublin, becoming a two-weight undisputed world champion when she showed her mettle to win by majority decision. Taylor has since said she would fight Cameron again, and has made no secret of her desire to do so at Croke Park.
Elsewhere in the Irish boxing world, Belfast’s Michael Conlan suffered two defeats in 2023, having only previously lost once in 19 professional bouts. The 32-year-old lost to Mexico’s Luis Alberto Lopez by TKO in the fifth round of their fight in May for the IBF featherweight title, and then lost to Englishman Jordan Gill by TKO in the seventh round on December 2 for the vacant WBA International super-featherweight title.
Earlier this year, Kellie Harrington, Ireland’s Tokyo Olympic gold medallist, and four other Irish boxers qualified for the Paris Olympics: Aoife O’Rourke, Jack Marley, Michaela Walsh, Dean Clancy. Roscommon’s O’Rourke and Dublin’s Marley are considered exciting medal prospects.
GAA: Dublin at the double as Limerick continue dominance
Dublin captain Carla Rowe (left) and Leah Caffrey lift the Brendan Martin Cup after their All-Ireland final victory over Kerry
Just when you thought the Dubs were in a downturn.
After a three-year absence, the Sam Maguire and Brendan Martin Cups are back residing in the capital. Their previous stays were lengthy ones, six and four years respectively, but football is a much more competitive environment these days.
The Dublin’s women’s team will attest to that, having watched neighbours Meath rise from the intermediate ranks and win back-to-back All-Irelands at senior level. Plenty of motivation, then, and Dublin lay down a marker by twice beating the defending champions in the Leinster Championship.
A two-point home loss to Kerry in the All-Ireland group stages proved a momentary setback. Dublin’s winning margin across the next three games was over 15 points as they booked a return date with a Kingdom side chasing a league and championship double.
A first final in the women’s code between these two footballing heavyweights was all but over by the interval, Dublin leading by seven after former Ireland rugby international Hannah Tyrrell kicked eight first-half points. With Mick Bohan on board for an eighth season as manager, they will again be among the frontrunners in 2024.
James McCarthy, Stephen Cluxton and Michael Fitzsimons are no strangers to getting their hands on the Sam Maguire Cup
The Dublin men’s team timed their run to perfection as they became the first non-Division One team to win the All-Ireland since Armagh in 2002.
Dessie Farrell’s side began the year in the unfamiliar surrounds of the league’s second tier, which allowed them to stay under the radar and slowly build up a head of steam.
After yet another cakewalk in Leinster – it’s now 13 provincial titles in a row and 18 in 19 seasons – a below-par draw with Roscommon in the All-Ireland group stages provided Dublin with a timely shot in the arm. They powered to a mouth-watering final with defending champions Kerry, for whom David Clifford was shooting the lights out all summer. However, the Kingdom talisman was unable to hit his usual high standards in the decider, and a late scoring burst saw Dublin home.
Captain James McCarthy has committed to another season as he chases a record-equalling 10th All-Ireland medal, while Stephen Cluxton could follow suit as the Boys in Blue look to retain their crown.
Derry, with Mickey Harte at the helm, will have something to say about that, as will the likes of Armagh, Galway and Kerry. However, Gaelic football remains a sport in crisis, blighted by packed defences and incessant handpassing. Armagh and Crossmaglen great Aaron Kernan described the sport in its current guise as “boring” and “monotonous” and warned it could get even worse before it gets better, while the split season continues to divide.
Aaron Gillane was Limerick’s leading scorer with 3-47 in seven championship matches
No such concerns in hurling, split season aside, as Limerick head into 2024 bidding to become the first county to win five All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championships in a row.
They recovered from a loss to Clare in the Munster Championship group stages, their first championship defeat since 2019, to book a rematch with their neighbours in the final, where a one-point success secured a fifth consecutive provincial title.
Limerick reinforced their reputation as a second-half team with devastating performances at Croke Park, overturning half-time deficits against both Galway and Kilkenny in the semi-finals and final respectively. John Kiely’s men saved their best performance for the final, outscoring the Cats by 0-19 to 0-5 in a majestic final half-hour. Can anyone stop their drive for five?
Cork captain Amy O’Connor completes her incredible hat-trick against Waterford
Speaking of majestic, Amy O’Connor was Cork’s hero as they ended their five-year wait for an All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship.
O’Connor produced one of the moments of the year when she smashed a hat-trick in less than two minutes during their dominant victory over a Waterford side appearing in their first All-Ireland final since 1945.
Olympics: Record medal haul should be target in Paris
The sky is the limit for 21-year-old sensation Rhasidat Adeleke
Ireland record medal tally at an Olympics came in 2012 when they won six in London, and hopes are high they can match or perhaps even better that in Paris this summer.
Tallaght sensation Rhasidat Adeleke has enjoyed a record-breaking 12 months and her upward curve will continue after deciding to turn professional. Rhys McClenaghan (pommel horse) is a back-to-back world champion while freestyle swimmer Daniel Wiffen will be targeting a medal in Paris after smashing the 800m world record.
Daniel Wiffen smashed the 800m freestyle world record by almost three seconds
In Ciara Mageean and Sarah Healy Ireland possess two serious competitors in the 1500m. Mageean finished fourth in world-class company at the World Championships last August, with Healy joining the Down athlete and Sonia O’Sullivan as the only Irishwomen to run the 1500m in under four minutes.
Throw in Ireland’s rowing stars – Olympic gold medallists Fintan McCarthy and Paul O’Donovan claimed their third World Championship in September – and the long list of boxing contenders headed by Kellie Harrington, and this has the potential to be a ground-breaking Games.
Maddy Montiel and Brad Butterfield marveled at the community they found this semester at Cal Poly Humboldt.
Montiel, an environmental science major, and Butterfield, a journalism major, had lived in their vehicles for several years, the only way, they said, that they could afford to attend college. They usually found parking in campus lots or on nearby streets.
But the pair and about 15 others like them — students living in sedans, aging campers, a converted bus, who could afford a $315 annual parking permit but not rent — found one another on campus parking lot G11. They started parking together in a row of spaces and named their community “the line.” They shared resources: propane tanks to heat their living quarters, ovens to cook meals. They helped one another seal leaky roofs and formed an official campus club aiming to secure a mailing address.
They felt safe.
Students Brad Butterfield and Maddie Montiel embrace next to a pair of parking tickets she received from Cal Poly Humboldt police.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
“None of us have ever had something like that before,” said Montiel, 27. “People who live like this don’t really congregate, and try to stay out of view.”
Then the notices arrived late last month. The university was going to enforce a campus policy, written into parking regulations, that prohibits overnight camping. Remove vehicles by noon on Nov. 12, or they could be towed and students could face disciplinary action, the letter said.
Montiel and Butterfield moved their vehicles to another campus parking lot, hoping the university would back down if they became less visible. They found two spots under redwood trees at the edge of campus. Others from G11 scattered, driven back into hiding.
On the morning of Nov. 13, several students who stayed at G11 and other campus lots awoke to discover parking violations on their windshields, a $53 fine for living overnight in their vehicles, $40 for those whose vehicles were too large for one spot.
The actions by Humboldt — defended by university officials as necessary for health and safety — provide an up-close look at how low-income California State University students determined to earn a college degree struggle to meet their basic needs amid the state’s student affordable housing crisis.
Cal Poly Humbolt student Caleb Chen eats noodles in his van in campus parking lot G11.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
“We’re putting everything we have into our education in order to be here,” Montiel said. “For them to just keep putting all of this added pressure onto us just seems really unnecessarily cruel.”
The campus-wide email landed at the end of October: The university would soon prohibit students from sleeping in cars.
“Overnight camping in University parking lots creates unsanitary and unsafe conditions for both those encamped and for our campus community at large,” the email said. “The University Police Department and other campus offices have taken calls from concerned members of the campus community expressing fear and frustration about the situation.”
Days later, three administrators visited students parked in G11 to share details about the enforcement, said Butterfield, 26.
“This is a direct response to the public health and safety concerns that have stemmed from overnight activity in University parking lots,” said a letter given to students. The university would provide temporary emergency housing to students through the end of the semester, which ends in December, or would help students identify campsites or other locations where they could park off campus.
Tom Jackson, Cal Poly Humboldt’s president, declined an interview request through spokesperson Aileen Yoo, who said university staff is also available to help students find longer-term housing solutions.
“These aren’t evictions. The University is enforcing a long-standing parking policy,” Yoo said in an email.
Two people walk through the lobby of a building at Cal Poly Humboldt.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
In response, faculty in the sociology department wrote a letter to university officials, condemning them for upholding a policy that “criminalizes” the students. The message to the campus community “framed our houseless students as a group of people who are feared, clearly intimidating them to get them off campus,” the letter said.
“There are ways that we can address this in a way that best serves our students and community,” said Tony Silvaggio, chair of the sociology department and vice president of the Humboldt chapter of the California Faculty Assn. “And it’s not just kicking them off campus to live on the streets somewhere else.”
The University Senate, a campus governing body, passed a resolution urging the university to suspend its enforcement of the parking policy until the end of the academic year, include students in decision-making and explore “safe parking” options on campus.
The students of G11 started an online petition, pushing back against the characterization that they are unsanitary or create danger. The students said they went out of their way to pick up trash and to maintain a clean environment.
The campus-wide email was “an attempt to shame, humiliate, and isolate the houseless community on campus,” the petition said. “We are living in our vehicles and are legally homeless because, quite simply, we cannot afford rent.”
After the uproar, the university sent a second campus-wide email that said, “The challenges of affordable housing can be particularly acute for students, and the University is invested in supporting them.” But the university did not reverse its decision.
Butterfield and Montiel raced to persuade officials to reconsider, meeting with administrators, including campus police and the dean of students.
They tried to schedule a meeting with Mark Johnson, the university’s chief of staff, and Cris Koczera, director of risk management and safety services. But an email from a campus ombudsman told the students the administrators would not meet with them. The university’s decision and the options it presented were clear, the email said, and “no constructive discussion is to be had.”
For Montiel, Humboldt was a world away from San Bernardino, her hometown. She first visited the university in high school, tagging along on a road trip with a friend.
Students Brad Butterfield and Maddy Montiel, along with their dog Ollie, prepare for class after taking a shower on the campus of Cal Poly Humboldt.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Montiel was struck by the abundance of the nearby forest, the beauty of the redwoods that towered over campus. Years later, she learned the college had an environmental science program that offered experiences that aligned with her goals of working in ecological restoration.
“I fell in love with the place and always saw it as a dream — but never attainable because it was so far, and it’d be too expensive,” she said.
She attended Riverside City College for five years, enrolling in classes full time as she juggled multiple jobs. After she earned multiple associate degrees, she told herself, “I’m just going to go for it and figure out living up in Humboldt.”
She is making it work by living in a 1995 Chevy Coachman, purchased with a loan that costs her $600 a month. She has also taken out $25,000 in student loans for tuition and fees and works as a studio tech in the campus metalsmithing studio to pay for other living expenses.
In fall 2022, Montiel purchased a campus parking permit that allows students to park on campus during the academic year and eventually settled into the G11 lot.
A student’s note on the window of his van tells police he is not camping at Cal Poly Humboldt. The university recently told students they could not sleep in their cars overnight.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
In her aging Coachman, she studies on a tray table and practices yoga on a narrow strip of walkway. She cooks meals on a small propane stove inside. Her bed is lofted over the driver and passenger seats. Every other week, she visits a dump station to empty waste and fill her water tanks.
Over time, more students began to park in G11, a lot situated among dorms and a short walk from a campus market. The location was convenient for shuttling back and forth between classes or to access the campus gym for showers. This semester, the 15 to 20 students found comfort in their community. They celebrated the start of the year with a beach bonfire and eventually formed the Alternative Living Club.
Student Caleb Chen searches for water late at night with a gallon container on the campus of Cal Poly Humboldt.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
The club began as a way for unhoused students to receive mail, as they needed an address for scholarship and job applications. Montiel, the club’s president, envisioned more. The club could offer a support system for unhoused students, an avenue to propose ideas about how the university could better help them. They talked about pooling funds for a storage facility, formalizing a safe parking program.
Montiel said many cash-strapped students have approached club members and said they are leaning toward moving into vehicles “because it’s their last and only option” to stay in college.
But now Montiel wonders if the club and the growing visibility of homelessness on campus led to the university’s decision to displace them.
“We’re kind of more seen,” she said. “We weren’t just scattered and hidden.”
Carrie White, another student who took up residence in the parking lot, transferred to Humboldt after graduating from community college in Utah. As she calculated her living expenses, the 27-year-old biology major realized she could not afford rent while attending school.
“I can’t afford to pay $1,500, $900 a month and work and then do a STEM degree,” said White, who is from England. “I can’t afford it.”
Student Brad Butterfield prepares to move his camper off the Cal Poly Humboldt campus.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
So she purchased an old school bus and gradually converted it to her home. At Humboldt, she works up to 20 hours a week, balancing a research assistant job with an internship in 3D facial reconstruction and a fellowship where she volunteers in the community.
As a person who is autistic, White said, she relies on routine and is sensitive to noise and light. Living in her bus, she has some control over her environment.
“I’ve tried to do those things with my budget and with my situation, and then this has happened,” she said. “There’s a lack of thought and consideration.”
This isn’t the first time in recent years that Cal Poly Humboldt has generated anger over its response to student housing shortages.
Last academic year — in anticipation of a large enrollment jump after becoming a polytechnic campus — the university announced it would prioritize limited on-campus housing for first-year students. Many continuing students would have to search for housing in off-campus rentals or at a limited number of motels leased by the university.
Around the same time, officials also weighed a proposal to house students on a floating barge, an idea that attracted national media attention and was mocked in a brief segment by Stephen Colbert. The barge plan has not materialized, and enrollment remained flat this academic year.
Brad Butterfield stores his belongings with his dog Ollie after taking a shower on the campus of Cal Poly Humboldt.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
But the university’s approach to dealing with housing shortages points to a larger issue in the California State University — the nation’s largest four-year public higher education system, with nearly 460,000 students.
At Cal Poly Humboldt, 2,069 beds were available on campus in 2022, the report said. The campus enrolled nearly 6,000 students.
Humboldt also faces challenges unique to its location as the northernmost Cal State campus. Arcata, a city of about 19,000 people where Cal Poly Humboldt is located, is in the midst of its own housing crisis. Earlier this month, the City Council declared a shelter crisis.
The declaration enabled the city to draw on funding to continue operating a safe parking program, which is operated by Arcata House Partnership, an organization that provides support for unhoused people. The program provides a space for residents who live in their cars to safely park and services including charging stations, bathrooms and meals, as they work to find stable housing.
But the program is full, and up to 20 people at a time are on the waitlist, said Darlene Spoor, executive director of Arcata House Partnership. She said she would be “willing to have a conversation with people from the university about whether we could open a safe parking program for students.”
Students Derek Beatty, left, and Caleb Chen hang out late at night in parking lot G11 at Cal Poly Humboldt.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Spoor said, more people have moved to Humboldt and purchased homes at high prices, pricing some longtime residents out of homebuying and driving up rental costs.
Plans are underway to ease the strain on students. By fall 2025, Cal Poly Humboldt plans to build more on-campus dorms and apartments, increasing the number of available beds by 1,250.
But on-campus options still remain out of reach for some students. A dorm room shared by three people and a required basic meal plan, for example, is expected to cost at least $10,900 per student next academic year. Room and board in a double costs about $13,000; a plan for a single dorm room runs more than $14,500 for the nine-month academic year.
Neither of those options would have worked for Steven Childs. The 47-year-old wildlife major said he would not have attended Humboldt if he could not live out of his cargo van.
He was scrolling YouTube one day when he came across a video that showed Humboldt students living in their cars. He thought to himself, “Oh, man, I think that’s my option. That’s the only way that seems reasonable.”
Childs, who lives in the San Gabriel Valley when school is not in session, gave up work as a private investigator to attend Humboldt. His wife’s salary now supports them both.
“I’m pushing 50, and I don’t want to be saddled with college debt through retirement,” he said. “I could sacrifice and live out of a vehicle.”
Butterfield, the journalism major, could not find housing that worked within his budget range of $650 to $900 a month, plus security deposit and other fees.
He decided to pay for his education with savings from service-industry and other jobs, and does not want student loans.
Brad Butterfield and Maddy Montiel study in a camper parked on the Cal Poly Humboldt campus.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
He lives in an 1976 GMC Sportscoach that cost $9,500. He spends at least $200 a month on expenses for the RV, including insurance and propane.
“I had a couple hundred dollars left in my bank account to come up here and try to live off of,” he said.
On the night of Nov. 13 — hours after receiving citations for overnight camping — about 10 G11 students gathered inside a small university building. They worried they could face disciplinary action or lose their vehicles. Five unpaid tickets could get them towed.
One student said he had struggled to fall asleep the night before, worried that parking enforcement would ticket him. Another student wondered aloud about what they would do next semester. They brainstormed ways to draw more attention to their fight.
They talked about occupying a building. They discussed how they would appeal the parking violations, and weighed potential legal action. Two students said they planned to sleep overnight in a campus study room so footage from security cameras could prove they did not sleep in their vehicles.
In the end, they agreed to stay in touch over a group chat to prepare for the upcoming weeklong fall break.
Student Brad Butterfield outside his camper at the Cal Poly Humboldt campus.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Montiel and Butterfield had decided to move their vehicles again, this time off campus, to a city street next to a university parking lot. They have to move the vehicles by 7 a.m, when the city begins enforcing metered parking restrictions.
“Love you guys,” Montiel told the group before everyone went their separate ways.
Ugo Monye, who now works as a TV pundit, revealed on social media a supporter repeatedly targeted him with a racist insult after Exeter Chiefs’ victory over Gloucester; Police have “made contact” with a man in connection with the incident
Last Updated: 22/11/23 1:08pm
Ugo Monye says he was a victim of ‘blatant racism’ at Exeter’s Sandy Park on Sunday
Police have “made contact” with a man in connection with the alleged racist
abuse suffered by former England international Ugo Monye after Sunday’s match between Exeter and Gloucester.
The 40-year-old ex-Harlequins player, now a television pundit, said the incident occurred as he was leaving Sandy Park following the Chiefs’ 25-24 Gallagher Premiership victory.
Devon and Cornwall Police said in a statement: “We have identified and made contact with a man in connection to the incident and we are in the process of speaking to the victim.
“Our enquiries are currently ongoing into the incident.”
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Monye wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that one supporter running through the crowd repeatedly shouted a racist insult.
He added: “Disgraceful. Not a single person said a word, challenged or even reported it.
“He walks off after a mild scuffle and fans are now telling me ‘We’re with you’ B******S you’re with me. You weren’t with me when you saw and heard the most blatant racism I’ve seen from a supporter at a live game. So fed up.”
Exeter swiftly issued a statement vowing to investigate the matter and apologising to Monye.
It read: “In light of recent accusations regarding an incident of racist abuse at Sandy Park following the conclusion of our victory over Gloucester in the Gallagher Premiership, Exeter will be launching a full investigation.
“This behaviour will not be tolerated at our rugby club, and we condemn it in the strongest possible terms.
Devon & Cornwall Police later confirmed they were investigating the incident.
In a statement released on Tuesday, superintendent Antony Hart said: “We take all reports of hate crime extremely seriously and we will not tolerate this behaviour.
“Anyone who has any information regarding this incident is asked to contact police quoting 258 20/11/23. Reporting makes a difference and can prevent these incidents happening to someone else.”
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The Rugby Football Union said in its own statement on Monday: “We are appalled by the racist abuse Ugo Monye faced following the Exeter Chiefs game against Gloucester.
“Ugo is a great champion of rugby, inclusion, and diversity; he has our full support. Racism cannot be accepted in our sport.
“Rugby authorities, clubs, fans, players and volunteers must all act consistently and without tolerance to any form of abuse of discrimination.”
France captain Antoine Dupont is set to take a break from the 15-a-side game in order to focus on sevens in the build up to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris; the decision is set to be announced on Monday
Last Updated: 15/11/23 5:59pm
France’s Antoine Dupont is set to announce his intention to miss the Six Nations in order to prepare for the 2024 Olympic Games
France captain Antoine Dupont is set to miss next year’s Six Nations in order to prepare for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
The French rugby federation (FFR) told AFP the news on Wednesday, with the decision coming just a month after the disappointment of an early World Cup exit.
Dupont, 27, is set to miss the Six Nations, held between February 2 – March 16 next year in order to participate in legs of the World Rugby seven-a-side circuit, now known as SVNS.
His club Toulouse, the FFR and Dupont are set to hold a press conference on Monday, 250 days from the start of the Games, when they are expected to announce Dupont’s intentions.
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Members of the France squad and head coach Fabien Galthie criticise the standard of refereeing following their quarter-final defeat to South Africa
Members of the France squad and head coach Fabien Galthie criticise the standard of refereeing following their quarter-final defeat to South Africa
Dupont will join France’s sevens squad in January before SVNS events in Vancouver, Canada on February 23-24 and Los Angeles on March 2-3.
Scrum-half Dupont’s most recent 15-a-side appearance for France was last month’s agonising World Cup quarter-final defeat to eventual winners South Africa at the Stade de France.
The stadium in northern Paris will also host next July’s sevens competitions, for men and women, at the Olympics.
As far back as last December, Dupont opened the door to playing in the event, which first featured in the Olympics in 2016.
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Despite thrashing Namibia 96-0 for their biggest win ever, the Rugby World Cup hosts will be concerned to have seen Antoine Dupont go off in the second half with an injury
Despite thrashing Namibia 96-0 for their biggest win ever, the Rugby World Cup hosts will be concerned to have seen Antoine Dupont go off in the second half with an injury
“It’s highly motivating,” Dupont told RTL.
“It’s incredible when you see the enthusiasm it can create. There is a desire from my side to put things in place for me to participate.
“It will be a discussion between the different coaching staffs,” he added.
A host of other leading 15-a-side players have featured at past Olympic Games including South Africa winger Cheslin Kolbe and former New Zealand centre Sonny Bill Williams, who have both won the World Cup twice.
Fiji have won the two men’s gold medals since seven-a-side rugby was introduced into the Olympics with the longer format of the sport having last featured in 1924.
The absence of Dupont in the Six Nations will force France head coach Fabien Galthie to name a new captain and starting scrum-half for the Six Nations, which they start against Ireland on February 2.
Bath returned to winning ways with a big win over Gloucester in a rollercoaster West Country derby that featured eight tries; Bath are two points ahead of Exeter, with Gloucester still in eighth after a third loss of the season
Last Updated: 10/11/23 10:23pm
Bath produced a stunning second-half performance to win a pulsating West Country derby against Gloucester 45-27 at a sold-out Kingsholm.
Trailing 20-10 at the interval, after being comfortably second best in the first half, Bath turned the game on its head with their pack taking control to score four tries in a devastating 15-minute spell as their opponents imploded.
Ollie Lawrence scored two tries for Bath with Will Muir, Thomas du Toit and Beno Obano also touching down for the visitors. There was also a penalty try award with Finn Russell adding five conversions and a penalty.
Santiago Carreras, Chris Harris and Matias Alemanno scored Gloucester’s tries with George Barton kicking two penalties and three conversions.
Gloucester made an explosive start, with Jonny May heavily involved. A pre-planned move saw the former England international tear through the Bath ranks to set up a period of pressure, with the wing soon producing another strong run which ended with Carreras being hauled down metres from the try-line.
Bath captain Ben Spencer was yellow-carded as he sought to slow down Gloucester’s possession and the hosts soon capitalised with a Barton penalty.
The away side’s response was swift with a Russell penalty rewarding a powerful burst from Lawrence, meaning Spencer was able to return to the fray with no damage done to the scoreboard.
After 17 minutes, Gloucester’s early dominance was rewarded when Harris powered over after Bath’s defence had been dragged from side to side as the hosts’ skilful inter-play had them chasing shadows.
Bath beat Gloucester at a sold-out Kingsholm
Bath then missed a golden opportunity for an immediate reply when another break from Lawrence set up a scoring chance for Miles Reid but the flanker stumbled when challenged by Carreras with the line beckoning.
It mattered little as Lawrence took matters into his own hands by brushing off Stephen Varney’s tackle to score Bath’s opening try, with Russell’s conversion bringing the scores level. However, Gloucester were soon back in front with more intricate back play creating the space for Carreras to walk over in the corner.
A Russell penalty attempt rebounded back off a post but Barton had no such issues as he slotted over from 30 metres out to give his side a deserved 20-10 interval lead.
After the restart Bath were quickly out of the traps and roared back into contention when Muir collected Max Ojomoh’s long pass before bumping off two defenders to score. Russell converted before Bath took the lead for the first time when Du Toit finished off a succession of forward drives.
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In the second half, it was one-way traffic as Gloucester could not get out of their 22 and it came as no surprise when Obano crashed over for Bath’s bonus-point try.
Gloucester conceded a fourth score in the space of 15 minutes, a penalty try being awarded with their flanker Jack Clement sin-binned for collapsing.
Gloucester showed some spirit with a try from Alemanno before Clement returned from the sin-bin in time to see Lawrence seal Bath’s victory with his second try of the night.
Angel City FC has condemned the “recent actions and statements” of a former player who appears to be captured in a video giving a Nazi salute at pro-Israel demonstrators Sunday in Beverly Hills.
Members of the pro-Israel crowd responded with, “Shame on you!”
The StopAntisemitism group asked for help in identifying the two people in the vehicle. That evening, it posted an update identifying the woman as “Stefany Neyra.”
A spokesperson for StopAntisemitism told The Times via email that the information was sent to the organization by a confidential source.
Ferrer Van Ginkel seems to have gone by the name Stefany C. Neyra on her social media accounts, which have since been deactivated. StopAntisemitism posted a screenshot of an Instagram account with the Neyra name and the handle @stefvangi21 that included photos that appear to be of Ferrer Van Ginkel. She could not immediately be reached for comment.
“Stefany Ferrer Van Ginkel (stefvangi21) does not play for Angel City Football Club, nor has she been affiliated with the club since November 2022,” the club wrote. “We condemn her recent actions and statements.”
In response to further questions for this article, Angel City FC referred The Times back to that statement.
Ferrer Van Ginkel posted a video to Instagram on Monday night, before the account was deactivated, that appeared to address the incident at the rally. In the clip, Ferrer Van Ginkel sits silently next to a man, who offers an apology on behalf of both of them.
“I know we have approached the situation with hate and made it worse with our actions,” the man says in the video. “We acted childish and it’s the wrong way to approach any situation that we live in. All we can do is become better, learn a lesson from this. We cannot change the past. And we just wanted to apologize and ask for you guys to understand and stop the hate. We just wanna spread love from now on. We understand we did the wrong thing.”
Ferrer Van Ginkel, 25, grew up in Brazil, appeared in a British reality show and played with Tigres of Mexico’s Liga MX Femenil before playing for Angel City during its inaugural season in 2022. Her contract was not renewed after that campaign, and she does not seem to have played professionally since then.
David A. Lehrer, a longtime leader in Los Angeles’ Jewish community and attorney who helped draft the state’s hate crime laws, has died. He was 75.
He collapsed Wednesday at his Los Feliz home and could not be revived, his family said in a statement.
Lehrer worked for almost 30 years in the West Coast office of the Anti-Defamation League, joining the ADL in 1975 as a civil rights attorney and later being promoted to regional director.
He also led legislative efforts to outlaw tax-subsidized discrimination at private social clubs, including the Jonathan Club, and confronted neo-Nazi and other extremist groups in the West.
Lehrer, a lifelong resident of Los Feliz, was an active longtime member of Temple Israel of Hollywood “and will be greatly missed by all who knew, worked with and loved him,” his family said.
Lehrer was a first-generation Angeleno, born to parents who fled Europe to escape antisemitism.
His mother, Gertrude “Trudy” Lehrer, escaped Vienna in 1938 just after Kristallnacht, or “the Night of Broken Glass,” when Nazis burned synagogues, destroyed Jewish businesses and homes and killed Jewish people in Germany and Austria.
“Had she not gotten the visa for the United States, undoubtedly she would have perished in Austria and [in] the concentration camp,” Lehrer said in a tribute video for his mother’s 100th birthday.
Lehrer died a year after his mother, who was a week shy of her 103rd birthday when she died in the same home, his family said.
He was born Oct. 12, 1948, to Trudy and Irving Abraham Lehrer. He decided he wanted to be an attorney around 13, when he read “My Life in Court,” a 1961 memoir by trial attorney Louis Nizer.
“He never changed his mind — he just wanted to be a lawyer,” his younger brother, Michael, said Friday.
After graduating from UCLA School of Law in 1973, Lehrer joined a private firm where, a few years into it, he realized he was unhappy, his brother said.
“He realized, ‘Why am I spending my time working to defend people and things I don’t really care about?’” Michael said.
As an attorney at ADL, Lehrer appealed to the California Coastal Commission in 1985 to decline the request of the Jonathan Club — which leased 58,000 square feet of public land for its beachfront location — to improve its Santa Monica property unless the club enforced a nondiscrimination policy.
After a three-year legal battle, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the state court’s decision, which had agreed the coastal panel was within its purview to demand the club enforce such a policy. The decision affected other wealthy social clubs around Los Angeles with a history of accepting only white Christian men.
“It’s a part of the process of eliminating this last vestige of institutional bigotry, the country club and the downtown club, that are small enclaves of discrimination,” Lehrer told The Times in 1988.
Longtime Times columnist Al Martinez wrote during the case that he’d known Lehrer many years and observed his fervent dedication to civil rights.
“He can identify an antisemite in a room full of liberals while blindfolded, picking the racist out by only his vibrations, like a tiger shark selects its next meal,” Martinez wrote in 1985.
In 1998, Lehrer was one of the first Jewish leaders to work with Muslim leaders and developed a code of ethics with them in 1998 to promote civil debate.
After 27 years with the ADL, Lehrer was fired in 2001, a controversial move by the organization’s New York leadership — with whom Lehrer had political and personal disagreements — that was decried by many faith leaders in L.A., The Times reported. (He, privately and recently, made up with the man who fired him, his family said.)
“Probably he is paying the price for the more balanced view he took toward Muslims,” Aslam Abdullah, vice president of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, said at the time.
Lehrer bounced back quickly, working with community activist Joe Hicks to form Community Advocates, a nonprofit focused on race and human relations. The organization published articles, led programs and helped develop educational curricula aimed at promoting tolerance, his family said in a statement.
In 2017, Lehrer was alarmed by the rhetoric of President Trump and his travel ban on Muslim-majority countries, and also disappointed that the Jewish community wasn’t raising its voice against the Trump administration’s outrageous policies, said former county Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, who knew Lehrer for 50 years.
Lehrer, Yaroslavsky and other prominent Jewish leaders launched Jews United for Democracy and Justice, an organization focused on protecting the country’s constitutional democracy.
The group produced “America at a Crossroads,” a weekly online discussion hosting prominent experts and L.A. journalists.
On Thursday, attorney and longtime activist Janice Kamenir-Reznik, his co-host, opened the show in honor of Lehrer.
Kamenir-Reznik said more than 1,000 viewers emailed her after hearing of Lehrer’s death, noting that many told her that although they’d never met him, they felt as if they’d lost a beloved friend.
“David was a magnificent tapestry of the most positive human characteristics,” Kamenir-Reznik said. “He was soft yet tough, bold yet humble, always ready to speak truth to power, to call out injustice and false information, and he was wise beyond measure.”
Lehrer was aware of the enormous threats to the U.S. Constitution and democracy — but unwilling to yield to despair about the future, she said.
Before every program, he asked moderators and guests to try to end each program with at least a drop of hope and optimism.
“Because he couldn’t bear leaving you, our audience, depressed and hopeless,” Kamenir-Reznik said.
In addition to his brother, Lehrer is survived by his wife, Ariella; his children Eli, Jonah, Rachel and Leah; a sister, Shelah; and nine grandchildren.
England got their WXV campaign off to a winning start beating Australia 42-7 last Friday; They come up against Canada on Friday in the second of their three games in New Zealand
Last Updated: 25/10/23 2:16pm
England Women’s will take on Canada on Friday after winning both games against them during pre-season
England Women’s interim head coach Louis Deacon has praised the changes made by the World Rugby Council saying it will help the women’s game grow.
The transformational reforms for the women’s game mean there will be no overlap between international and club fixtures for the first time from 2026.
It will allow for clearly defined global and regional player release periods in the women’s game which will promote opportunity and growth ahead of an expanded 16-team Rugby World Cup in 2025.
“This is massively exciting for the women’s game that these things have been put in place, really positive, it shows that it is continuing to grow and it will mean the players can solely focus on international periods or domestic periods,” said Deacon.
Red Roses captain Marlie Packer echoed this sentiment saying it will allow players will benefit from a schedule which should see less fixture congestion.
“The players will get a proper rest period so we can come into our pre-season ready to do,” Packer said.
“Calendars won’t be overlapping with each other which means seasons can be prolonged or extended or we have a quick turn around of tournaments.
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“It’s about the welfare of the players and I think it’s a really good thing that will happen to the game.”
The Red Roses will continue their inaugural WXV campaign this Friday when they take on Canada after kicking off the tournament with an emphatic 42-7 victory over Australia last Friday.
England have made nine changes to their starting line-up for their second match of the WXV 1 tournament against Canada on Friday.
Canada also began their WXV campaign with an impressive 42-22 win over Wales, but lost to England in their two pre-season matches, albeit the scoreline becoming tighter each time.
“Canada are a very athletic side, and their set-piece is very good. For me the standout player is Sophie de Goede, she can make anything happen. The way she plays the game and sees the game is exceptional,” said Packer.
Canada captain De Goede scored the opening try within four minutes and added six conversions in her side’s opening game against Wales.
England got their WXV tournament campaign off to a winning start with a 42-7 victory over Australia
During England’s game against Australia, Packer scored two tries and keeps her place in the side while full-back Ellie Kildunne – who has three tries in her last two outings against the Canadians – and wing Claudia MacDonald return to the back three, alongside Abby Dow.
Helena Rowland switches to outside centre where she will join Amber Reed in midfield, with scrum-half Natasha Hunt named as Holly Aitchison’s half-back partner.
“When you have got a squad of 30 players, you need to have players that are adaptable. In our first game it was about giving people opportunities and that was one of the combinations we looked at,” said Deacon.
“Players need to be versatile when you have 30 available, so that’s why we’ve moved Helena around.”
A fresh front row sees Mackenzie Carson, Lark Atkin-Davies and Sarah Bern start, while Cath O’Donnell is back in the second row beside Zoe Aldcroft.
Morwenna Talling is selected at blindside flanker as captain Marlie Packer and Alex Matthews continue at openside flanker and No 8 respectively.
“Every player will be ready for the game, just because we have played Canada twice won’t make us any less aware of what we’re going into and we have to put a good performance in,” said Packer.
“We’ve been training with each other and there’s been a lot of time to discuss things but whatever 15-players go out there, I know they will do the job.
“We’re striving to be the best version of ourselves and it doesn’t matter about who has started and who hasn’t.”
In a study of the brains of 31 former players, CTE was present in 21 of the brains (68 per cent) donated to research institutes in the USA, UK & Australia; Professor Willie Stewart: “Our data shows risk is linked to length of rugby career, with every extra year of play increasing risk”
Last Updated: 23/10/23 9:16pm
A player’s risk of developing an incurable brain disease uniquely associated with repeated head impacts is relative to the length of their career
A player’s risk of developing an incurable brain disease uniquely associated with repeated head impacts is relative to the length of their career, a new study indicates.
Each additional year of playing was found to increase the risk of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) by 14 per cent, in a study of the brains of 31 former players whose average career length was 18 years.
CTE can only be diagnosed postmortem, and to date the only recognised risk factor for CTE is traumatic brain injury and repeated head impact exposure.
The study, published in Acta Neuropathologica in the week of the Rugby World Cup final, found CTE present in 21 of the 31 brains (68 per cent) donated to research institutes in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.
Cases with CTE averaged a career length of 21.5 years, while in those without CTE the average was 12.1 years.
The study’s lead author Professor Willie Stewart said: “In this study, we have combined the experience and expertise of three leading international brain banks to look at CTE in former rugby players.
“These results provide new evidence regarding the association between rugby union participation and CTE. Specifically, our data shows risk is linked to length of rugby career, with every extra year of play increasing risk.
“Based on this it is imperative that the sport’s regulators reduce exposure to repeated head impacts in match play and in training to reduce risk of this otherwise preventable contact sport related neurodegenerative disease.”
Twenty-three of the players played at amateur level only, while eight also played at the elite level. The study found no correlation between the level the individual had played at and an increased risk of CTE, nor between whether they played as a forward or a back.
World Rugby is exploring ways to mitigate the risk of concussion and improve how diagnosed or suspected concussions are managed.
The governing body’s executive board has recommended that unions participate in an opt-in global trial of lowering the tackle height in the community game to below the sternum – also known as a “belly tackle”.
World Rugby also promotes a ‘recognise and remove’ approach to dealing with concussion in the amateur game, while it has detailed return-to-play protocols at that level and in the elite game.
A group of former professional and amateur players diagnosed with early-onset dementia are involved in legal action against World Rugby, the Rugby Football Union and the Welsh Rugby Union.
The players claim the governing bodies were negligent in that they failed to take reasonable action to protect them from permanent injury caused by repetitive concussive and sub-concussive blows.
A World Rugby spokesperson said: “World Rugby is aware of the findings from the University of Glasgow study and we are committed to always being informed by the latest science.
“Our Independent Concussion Working Group recently met with Boston University representatives, including Professor Ann McKee, alongside other world leading brain health experts, to continue our dialogue on how we can make the game safer for the whole rugby family.
“What all the experts told our Independent Concussion Working Group was, that we should continue to reduce the number of head impacts, and that is exactly what we will do.
“World Rugby will never stand still when it comes to protecting players’ brain health which is why community players around the globe are taking part in trials of a lower tackle height this season.
“It is also why we have rolled out the use of world leading smart mouthguard technology in WXV, our new elite women’s competition, and from 2024 all elite competitions using the Head Injury Assessment will use smart mouthguards, in addition to the current independent doctors and in-game video footage to ensure that players are receiving the best possible care.”
Wasps were considering building a multi-use stadium, training facilities and a hotel on the outskirts of Swanley, with a public consultation planned next month; Wasps have been without a permanent home since leaving Coventry when they were suspended from all competitions last year
Last Updated: 23/10/23 5:11pm
Wasps have revealed a plan to try and move to a permanent location in Kent
Former Premiership giants Wasps have announced their intention to explore the
possibility of establishing a permanent home in Kent.
The club, who were removed from the Premiership last year after falling into administration, say they are “actively engaged” with Sevenoaks District Council to identify a suitable location.
A prospective move to Kent would mark another geographical shift for the club, who played most of their 156-year history in London, before moving to High Wycombe in 2002 and Coventry in 2014.
Wasps, who are two-time European champions and six-time Premiership winners, had £95m worth of debts when the club went into administration and said this decision “signifies a new chapter in the club’s journey, reaffirming its commitment to professional rugby”.
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A statement read: “Having faced significant challenges with regulation and funding, the club has persisted with its determination to revive Wasps at the highest possible level.”
The club has also agreed an option of utilising Worcester Warriors’ Sixways ground for both training and playing purposes, while Wasps say they will be actively exploring temporary facilities to underpin its operations in Kent.
A Sevenoaks District Council spokesman said Wasps were considering building a multi-use stadium, training facilities and a hotel on the outskirts of Swanley, with a public consultation planned next month.
Wasps played their home games in Coventry before dropping out of the Premiership
“As a top-tier club, with an international profile, we firmly believe this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity,” the spokesman added.
“Wasps would bring unparalleled economic, sports development, health, education, and skills benefits to the district and we are keen to explore how that could be achieved.”
It has yet to be confirmed what level of the league pyramid Wasps will be able to return to.
A teenage girl accused of shooting five people outside a Denver club last month was arrested this week in San Bernardino County, according to authorities.
The girl, whose age was not released by police, was arrested Thursday in Barstow, about 115 miles from Los Angeles, according to a Denver Police Department news release. She was arrested on eight counts of first-degree attempted homicide.
She is accused of shooting five people on Sept. 16 in the 1900 block of Market Street, authorities said. All five people survived their injuries.
Police said the girl had tried to get into a bar but was rejected by the club’s security personnel because they thought she wasn’t using her real ID. She left the line and then shot toward the club as she was leaving, authorities said.
Police believe that she had tried to shoot toward security personnel and that those who were wounded were not the intended targets.
The Denver Police Department worked with the FBI’s L.A. SWAT team, the FBI’s L.A. Desert Cities Safe Streets Task Force and the Barstow Police Department to apprehend her. Because she is a minor, her booking photo and arrest affidavit were not released.
Ahead of England’s Rugby World Cup semi-final, we take a look at some reasons for optimism; England vs South Africa takes place on Saturday (8pm kick-off UK time); the match in Paris is a repeat of the 2019 final which the Springboks won
Last Updated: 19/10/23 5:52pm
England will be optimistic that they can provide an upset when they face South Africa in the semi-finals of the Rugby World Cup
The beauty of knockout rugby is that there is always an upset on the cards and an England win on Saturday could be one for the ages.
Despite being a finalist against South Africa back in 2019, England’s form has significantly dipped, fresh faces and a fresh coaching team headed by Steve Borthwick now helping to drive a side which entered the competition with very little expectations on them from fans.
‘They won’t get out of the group,’ was the first cry, then it was ‘Fiji will get them in the quarter-finals like they did at Twickenham’, now it is ‘South Africa will cruise past England in the semi-finals’.
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England head coach, Steve Borthwick backs his players to succeed against South Africa in their Rugby World Cup semi-final on Saturday and has hailed their progression throughout the tournament
England head coach, Steve Borthwick backs his players to succeed against South Africa in their Rugby World Cup semi-final on Saturday and has hailed their progression throughout the tournament
The first two statements were proven to be incorrect and England will believe they can also prove the third as false too. Let’s take a look at why…
Producing a performance too early: Building towards the big dance
Throughout the years in the Rugby World Cup, several nations have performed magnificently in the last four, before failing to hit the same heights in the final. They’ve been said almost to have played their final in the semi-finals.
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Former England winger Mark Cueto does not rule out an England victory against South Africa in the Rugby World Cup semi-final and says all the pressure is on favourites South Africa.
Former England winger Mark Cueto does not rule out an England victory against South Africa in the Rugby World Cup semi-final and says all the pressure is on favourites South Africa.
This year, the script was slightly different as two of the quarter-finals produced final-esque clashes.
Ireland and New Zealand had fans at the edge of their seat in a war of attrition which the All Blacks ultimately won before France and South Africa dazzled with their skill and the Springboks edged by just one point. Both games set new heights and brought with it all the emotion that the latter stages of tournament rugby bring.
For England, their quarter-final was a slightly more muted contest against Fiji and it could be something which helps them come Saturday.
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James Cole has all the latest news ahead of the Rugby World Cup semi-finals as Freddie Steward is set to be recalled by England in place of Marcus Smith.
James Cole has all the latest news ahead of the Rugby World Cup semi-finals as Freddie Steward is set to be recalled by England in place of Marcus Smith.
Being on the opposite side of the draw to the tough Pool B, England’s group has not been where the eyes and attention have been focused and with each match, they have built confidence while flying slightly under the radar.
Knockout rugby is about backing performances up and while Ireland dazzled in their win against South Africa and France looked like a tournament favourite, both sides couldn’t bring it home in the moment it mattered.
England have made it to the big dance before and will have the confidence they have the know-how and the rugby smarts to do it again.
Picking up points: Farrell vs Libbok
Although everyone loves to see dazzling tries like those in the opening 20 minutes of the France-South Africa quarter-final but in big matches, it is paramount to pick up points when they are on offer and so focus always turns to the place kicker.
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South Africa have announced their line up for the World Cup semi-final against England.
South Africa have announced their line up for the World Cup semi-final against England.
Indeed, with the way in which Owen Farrell has been kicking from the tee recently, especially in his man-of-the-match performance against Fiji, it is one of England’s big strengths heading into Saturday.
Starting South Africa fly-half Manie Libbok has kicked dreadfully in the World Cup to date, and the man who has often taken over the duties in Faf de Klerk is sat on the bench.
Owen Farrell vs Manie Libbok: Rugby World Cup 2023
Conversions made:
Owen Farrell
10
Manie Libbok
5
Meanwhile, Farrell’s accuracy has improved as the tournament has unfolded and the England skipper knows how to step up on the big occasions.
The Springboks if required would call on Handre Pollard from the bench but if England have managed to take the contest that deep and make it about the tightest of points margins, they will be happy to have Farrell on their side.
Strength in depth: Avenging the 2019 loss
England’s Rugby World Cup final loss to South Africa in 2019 was a heartbreaking one and most certainly will be fuel for the fire on Saturday.
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England captain Owen Farrell says that the Rugby World Cup semi-final against South Africa on Saturday is a new challenge and nothing to do with the 2019 final when the two teams met in Japan.
England captain Owen Farrell says that the Rugby World Cup semi-final against South Africa on Saturday is a new challenge and nothing to do with the 2019 final when the two teams met in Japan.
The squad will want to avenge that moment and with Jonny May, Manu Tuilagi, Elliot Daly, Owen Farrell, Joe Marler, Jamie George, Dan Cole, Maro Itoje, Courtney Lawes, Tom Curry, Kyle Sinckler, Billy Vunipola, and George Ford all involved in the matchday 23 from four years ago, there will be an abundance of desire in the dressing room to get the job done.
The experienced members of the squad who carry that scar will be alongside an abundance of youth too that carry no extra weight into the contest and so the coupling of the two could work out to be the driving force behind an England victory.
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Sky Sports News’ James Cole previews England’s semi-final clash against South Africa at the Rugby World Cup.
Sky Sports News’ James Cole previews England’s semi-final clash against South Africa at the Rugby World Cup.
Freddie Steward is back in the side in place of Marcus Smith and the full-back will try and nullify the dangerous high kicks that South Africa can produce.
If the effort matches the energy and the stars align, England will believe they can continue their unbeaten run in this Rugby World Cup.
On Saturday in Paris, we will find out if this is the case.
Mark Telea starts on the left flank in place of Leicester Fainga’anuku, who drops out of the matchday 23 for the All Blacks’ World Cup semi-final against Argentina
New Zealand have made two changes for their World Cup semi-final showdown against Argentina on Friday with Mark Telea and Sam Whitelock coming into the starting XV.
Telea was left out the All Blacks’ 28-24 quarter-final victory over Ireland after breaching team protocols.
The 26-year-old starts on the left flank in place of Leicester Fainga’anuku, who drops out of the matchday 23, despite scoring the first of the Kiwis’ three tries against the Irish.
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Veteran second-row Whitelock swaps roles with Brodie Retallick in the other alteration to Ian Foster’s starting XV to win his 152nd cap. Retallick is on the bench.
Samisoni Taukei’aho takes the spot of fellow hooker Dane Coles among the replacements.
New Zealand players celebrate after beating No 1 side Ireland last weekend
Head coach Foster has warned his players “not to get softened” by the acclaim which followed their thrilling win over Ireland.
“The best way to recover is to refocus really quickly on what the next challenge is and not to listen too much to any praise you’re given as a group for a performance,” said Foster, who was assistant to Steve Hansen four years ago when New Zealand lost to England in the semi-finals.
“Not to go down that path, not to get softened because everyone’s patting you on the back saying you played well.
“That’s not a good place to be as a team.
“I love the way the team has buckled down, we’ve redefined the challenge for us as a group, we’re not satisfied with where we are now and when you’re clear about your goal for the week the recovery comes along pretty quickly.
“You know that if we’re not right on Friday night at Stade de France, it’s going to be a sad old night and we don’t want it to be like that.
“You get people talking to you about tomorrow and trying to take your eyes off today.
“In 2019 we probably didn’t stop being patted on the back after the quarter-final, hence some of my language today and we’re just trying to dial this back, keep things simple and let’s just worry about Friday.”
Argentina have shaken off a dismal opening-game loss to England to advance to the semi-finals
The Pumas have swapped Gonzalo Bertranou to start ahead of Tomas Cubelli in anticipation of a much faster game than when they overcame Wales 29-17 in Marseille.
There are seven survivors from their last World Cup semi-final in 2015, a loss to an Australia team coached by current Pumas mentor Michael Cheika.
The list includes Matias Alemanno, Agustin Creevy, Tomas Lavanini, Nicolas Sanchez, Guido Petti, captain Julian Montoya and No 8 Facundo Isa, who will play his 50th Test.
Another sell-out crowd of 80,000 fans is expected in Paris for what will be the third World Cup encounter between the two sides, and their second in the knockout stages.
The teams met earlier this year in Mendoza, where the All Blacks opened the Test season with a 41-12 win.
New Zealand: 15 Beauden Barrett, 14 Will Jordan, 13 Rieko Ioane, 12 Jordie Barrett, 11 Mark Telea, 10 Richie Mo’unga, 9 Aaron Smith; 1 Ethan de Groot, 2 Codie Taylor, 3 Tyrel Lomax, 4 Sam Whitelock, 5 Scott Barrett, 6 Shannon Frizell, 7 Sam Cane (c), 8 Ardie Savea.
