Category: 6. Sports

There are layers to this guy. Schoeman is one of three Lions looseheads, along with Ellis Genge and Andrew Porter, and he has views on what makes a loosehead prop.

“I think looseheads around the globe are quite weird people,” he said, again with a straight face. “Something isn’t right. We always say, his screw must be loose, but playing rugby as a loosehead prop.”

As beasts, is there a difference between a loosehead and a tighthead?

“We’re different, but similar,” he replied. “You almost feel like a gladiator movie, all the gladiators come together.”

And the role of Lions scrum coach John Fogarty in all of this?

“He has the key for the cage, to unlock the gladiator. Looseheads like going to dark places, physically, mentally, spiritually, whatever. But tightheads can go even darker at some times.

“We actually have just a prop group that none of the other team members is allowed on.”

Not even hookers?

“No, not even hookers. It’s just props. It’s not a front row group, it’s a prop group.”

Answers on a postcard what a group of Lions props might be called? Motley Scooo? The Scooo Fighters?

Schoeman riffed on Lions history, the legacy of Ian ‘Mighty Mouse’ McLauchlan, the greatness of Tom Smith – fallen Scottish Lions who added so much to the Test jersey he is now pursuing.

“That’s what the jersey demands of us,” he said. “That’s the legacy of it. I have sat on the same seat as Tom did at Murrayfield. I’ve been honoured and blessed.”

Back in the here and now he’s talking about his bond with the 2025 props.

“We are like bison, migrating together,” he said. We have a secret meeting every night, Finlay Bealham started it and now all the props have bought in. We stick together and have a tea after every training session and we get to meet each other’s families and ask deep questions.”

Are the good people of Australia not scared by a herd of human bovine roaming the streets?

“Props have a soft side as well. We’re discussing lots of soft things.”

Has Porter spoken about the tragedy of losing his mum to cancer at a painfully young age? Has Genge spoken about growing up in the tough terrain of Knowle West in Bristol and how he thinks rugby may have saved him from prison? You suspect so.

“I know a lot of things about Gengey. I know all his business friends, family, everything, I have asked him to phone my family as well,” he said.

Rivals, but now friends, even in the heat of battle for Test match places. It’s the essence of what makes these tours so great, so unforgettable. The joy of the experience is writ large over Schoeman’s bearded face and in his every utterance.

Burning Viking ships? Bison wandering Brisbane and beyond? A love letter to his wife? He may or may not make the Test team – it’s all up for grabs – but he’s unquestionably one of this tour’s great personalities, a character who’s made a mark.

Having won the first two T20Is, India women would look to seal the five-match series when they take on England women in the third game on Friday at Kennington Oval in London. The Women in Blue started with a bang in the first game, winning by 97 runs and aided by Smriti Mandhana’s maiden T20I hundred.

In the second game, India cruised through, thanks to half centuries from Jemimah Rodrigues and Amanjot Kaur. Shree Charani, who made her T20I debut for India in the ongoing series have been on top of the highest wicket-taker’s list with six scalps including a four-fer.

Meanwhile, England were dealt with a heavy blow as captain Nat Sciver-Brunt will miss the third T20I due to a left groin injury. Tammy Beaumont will captain the side in Sciver-Brunt’s absence.

A statement from England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said results of the scan will determine whether Sciver-Brunt is required to miss any more games in the series. Maia Bouchier called up the squad for the Kia Oval as cover for Sciver-Brunt.

Venue: Kennington Oval in London

IND-W vs ENG-W head-to-head in T20Is

So far India women have played 32 T20Is against England women, winning just 10 and losing the rest. On English soil, India women have won six matches while losing eight games.

IND-W vs ENG-W 3rd T20I probable XIs

England Women: Danni Wyatt-Hodge, Sophia Dunkley, Paige Scholfield, Tamsin Beaumont (c), Amy Jones (wk), Alice Capsey, Em Arlott, Sophie Ecclestone, Linsey Smith, Lauren Bell, Lauren Filer

India Women: Shafali Verma, Smriti Mandhana (vc), Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Jemimah Rodrigues, Richa Ghosh (wk), Amanjot Kaur, Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy, Deepti Sharma, N Sree Charani

IND-W vs ENG-W 3rd T20I live streaming details

The third T20I between India women and England women will start at 11:05 PM IST (5:35 PM BST). Sony Sports Network is the official broadcasters of India women’s tour of England. The India women vs England women 3rd T20I will be televised live at Sony Sports 1. Live streaming of IND-W vs ENG-W will be available on the SonyLiv and Fancode app.

HE JOINED OUR ACADEMY IN 2010

We have reached an agreement with the Andalusian club over the transfer of the Spanish player.

Atlético de Madrid and Real Betis have reached an agreement for the transfer of Rodrigo Riquelme.

The Madrid-born footballer joined our Academy in 2010 and was a member of the historic Juvenil A team that won the treble in the 2017/18 season. He fulfilled his dream on Sep. 1, 2019, when he made his first team debut in a match against Eibar at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano. He spent the 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23 seasons on loan at AFC Bournemouth, Mirandés and Girona, respectively, before returning to our club in the summer of 2023. Over the last two seasons, he was part of our first team, playing 75 official matches, scoring five goals and providing seven assists. In addition, his performances with our club opened the door to the Spain senior national team, with which he made his debut in November 2023.

Atlético de Madrid would like to thank Rodrigo Riquelme for his dedication and effort during all these years at our club. We wish him the best of luck in his future personal and professional endeavours. 

LAHORE –  Pakistan cricket team’s fielding coach Mohammad Masroor has stepped down from his position, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) confirmed on Thursday.

In a statement, Masroor said, “My chapter with the national team has come to an end. I’m thankful to the players for their trust and to the staff for their support.” He added that he would always remain a part of Pakistan cricket and was leaving without any disappointment or regret.

According to sources, Masroor was working with the PCB on a series-to-series contract. The PCB is now planning to revamp the support staff by making new appointments.

Sources further revealed that Australian coach Shane McDermott is likely to be appointed as the new fielding coach, while South Africa’s Grant Luden is expected to take over as strength and conditioning coach.

It is also expected that former fast bowler Umar Gul will be assigned a role with the Pakistan Shaheens, the national ‘A’ team. A formal announcement regarding the new appointments is anticipated soon.

It is worth mentioning that the PCB had already advertised coaching roles for the national support staff.

 The board is inclined towards hiring foreign coaches and has shortlisted several international candidates, including McDermott and Luden.

CNN
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The soccer world is in mourning following the death of Liverpool and Portugal star Diogo Jota in a car crash in Spain early on Thursday morning. He was 28.

His brother, André Silva – who was also a professional footballer – also died in the accident at the age of 25.

Jota married his long-term partner, Rute Cardoso, with whom he has three children, less than two weeks before the crash.

The incident occurred around 12:30 a.m. local time on the A-52 road in Zamora, northwestern Spain, and was caused by a “burst tire while overtaking,” the country’s Guardia Civil said on Thursday. The vehicle that Jota and his brother were in left the road and subsequently caught fire, officials said. It is not known which brother was driving the car, which Spanish media reported was a Lamborghini.

The authorities identified the remains based on documents recovered at the scene of the accident, as well as the car’s license plate, CNN Portugal reported. Further forensic testing at a morgue in Zamora confirmed the brothers’ identities, according to CNN Portugal.

For investigation, the remains were moved to the nearby town of Puebla de Sanabria, a source close to the sub-delegate of the Spanish government in Zamora told CNN. The players’ family was present in Puebla de Sanabria on Thursday afternoon to finalize the administrative requirements which allow the remains to be released and returned to Portugal, CNN Portugal reported.

A source from the Government Sub-delegation in Zamora told PA that the crash is being investigated as “a possible speeding incident.”

A wake for Jota and André Silva’s family began on Friday morning at a church in the brothers’ hometown of Gondomar, near Porto, the church told CNN. It added that the doors at the Igreja Martiz de Gondomar will open to the public on Friday afternoon.

A funeral is set to take place on Saturday at 10 a.m. local time (5 a.m. ET), the church said.

Jota played an important role in the Liverpool team which lifted the Premier League trophy just over two months ago, equaling the English record of 20 top-flight titles. He featured in 26 of the club’s 38 league games, scoring six goals and providing four assists. In total, he scored 65 goals across five years on Merseyside, also winning one FA Cup and two EFL Cups.

Jota was part of the Portugal national team which won the Nations League in June this year, having also won the competition in 2019.

André Silva played for Futebol Clube de Penafiel in the Liga Portugal 2, the country’s second division. In total, he scored 12 goals and contributed 10 assists in 105 matches at full and youth level throughout his career.

Tributes from the soccer world came flooding in throughout Thursday. Portuguese great Cristiano Ronaldo wrote that his compatriot’s death “does not make sense,” while former Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp, who signed Jota for the club in 2020, offered “prayers, thoughts and power” to Jota and André Silva’s family.

Current Liverpool manager Arne Slot also paid his respects, writing: “When the time is right, we will celebrate Diogo Jota, we will remember his goals and we will sing his song. For the time being, we will remember him as a unique human being and mourn his loss. He will never be forgotten.”

Tributes also came in from beyond soccer, from the likes of NBA star LeBron James and the United Kingdom’s Prince William, who said he was “deeply saddened.”

The White House will host a UFC bout next year as part of events to mark 250 years of American independence, US President Donald Trump has announced.

The event will be a “championship fight” with an audience of 20,000-25,000, Trump told a crowd in Iowa on Thursday.

The president, who is a friend of UFC president Dana White, said: “We are going to have some incredible events, some professional events, some amateur events.”

Trump has attended several UFC events, including UFC 316 in Newark, New Jersey, last month, where he was pictured watching a fight with White.

Addressing the crowd during an appearance at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Trump said: “Does anybody watch UFC? The great Dana White? We’re going to have a UFC fight. We’re going to have a UFC fight – think of this – on the grounds of the White House. We have a lot of land there.”

Following Trump’s announcement, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the plans on X, writing: “It’s going to be EPIC!”

Trump’s links to UFC date back more than 20 years. In 2001, he hosted a UFC fight at Trump Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City when White was struggling to find a venue.

White has backed the president’s political career from the beginning, endorsing his presidential bid in 2016, calling Trump a “fighter”.

Following a failed assassination attempt on Trump last year, White described Trump as a “tough guy” and “the legitimate, ultimate, American badass of all time”.

Trump suggested the UFC event would be one of many to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence on 4 July next year.

He said: “Every one of our national parks, battlefields and historic sites are going to have special events in honour of America250.”

Defender Benjamin Arthur and goalkeeper Julian Eyestone have been promoted to Brentford’s first team.

They will be part of Keith Andrews’ squad from the beginning of the 2025/26 season and have both signed new long-term deals until the summer of 2031. The club has the option to extend Arthur’s contract by a further year and Eyestone’s stay by two years.

Arthur joined Brentford B from Peterborough United in August 2023 and has been a regular across the past two campaigns.

The 19-year-old centre-back made 19 appearances in the U21 Professional Development League last term. The young Bees beat Bournemouth 3-2 in a scintillating final at Vitality Stadium.

Arthur made a further eight outings in cup competitions, while also being included in first-team matchday squads on five occasions.

He scored a towering header in the Premier League Cup final loss to Queens Park Rangers and contributed two assists across a campaign which saw him named Under-21s Player of the Year.

“Winning Player of the Year is a great accolade for Benjamin individually and being promoted to the first team is fully deserved for his hard work and performances throughout the season,” said Brentford B head coach Neil MacFarlane.

“He has been a big presence in defence this year. Playing very consistently and confidently throughout the year, he and his team-mates got the success they deserved by winning the PDL national title.

“He will now look forward to joining the first team and hopefully continuing to show his very high potential as a young defender.”

Eyestone, a USA Under-20 international, signed for Brentford B from Duke University in June 2024 and quickly established himself in the starting line-up.

A graduate of FC Dallas Academy, Eyestone started in 16 PDL games and six cup fixtures, while he was also named amongst the substitutes for the Carabao Cup quarter-final against Newcastle United and Premier League clash against Tottenham Hotspur.

The 19-year-old shot-stopper kept seven clean sheets during 2024/25 and played a pivotal role as the young Bees enjoyed a successful campaign across all competitions.

“Julian is a very high potential young goalkeeper who improved as the season went on. He settled in so well after his move from America,” said MacFarlane.

“His infectious energy, character and willingness to improve his game saw him play a big part in our successes this season.

“Julian should be very proud of his season, making many big saves throughout, and he now has even more exciting times ahead with his well-deserved promotion to the first team.”

Watch interviews with the young duo below

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Arthur: A great feeling

Benjamin Arthur reacted to the news that he has been promoted to Brentford’s first team and provided some insight on what he is like as a centre-back.

“It’s a great feeling,” said the young defender.

“A lot of faith has been put in me and I think I’ve come off the back of a good season, so I’m very happy.

“I’m quite solid and strong, but I’m also composed on the ball and like to play with the ball at my feet.”

Looking ahead to the upcoming campaign, he added: “I want to make my debut. I’m just going to work hard and see what comes my way.”

Eyestone on first-team promotion and Kelleher

Goalkeeper Julian Eyestone reflected on his first year at Brentford, which saw him regularly train with the first-team goalkeepers, and looked ahead to the 2025/26 season when he will be a permanent member of Keith Andrews’ squad.

“It was a big goal of mine coming into my first year in the B team to get that promotion so to get it is a big accomplishment and I’m very happy,” said the USA Under-20 international.

“Being able to be that close with the first team as a B-team player was a big step for me and it made me feel a lot more comfortable. Now going into this year, I feel like I’ve been around these guys and I’m not a stranger.

“It’d be a dream to make my debut so I want to push for that, but also just getting better every day and working hard is my goal.”

On training with Caoimhín Kelleher, who joined the club from Liverpool on a permanent deal in June, Eyestone continued: “I’m really excited. I think it’ll be great to have a new face in the goalkeeper set-up. It’s always fun getting to know new guys and it’ll be fun getting to compete with him.”

Draper entered the championships as the world No.4 and with a spotlight on him more intense than he had experienced before.

It was an unfamiliar position for the Brit and it didn’t help he was facing an opponent much more experienced on this stage, contesting his 46th main-draw Wimbledon match compared to Draper’s seventh.

Cilic blasted 53 winners past him – Draper managed only 29 – to win 6-4 6-3 1-6 6-4 on No.1 Court.

“I don’t play many people on the tour that I feel like they completely bully me and take the racquet out of my hand,” said a shellshocked Draper. “I know it’s a grass court. I’m not sure what his stats were, but I’m sure he had an amazing match from the winners to unforced errors count.”

Indeed, Cilic committed only 34 unforced errors alongside his hefty winner tally, describing his level of play as “fantastic”.

Barely inside the top 200 at the beginning of the season, he is now 74th in the ATP live rankings.

“I didn’t have many Grand Slam victories in last couple of years, so was great to play great level from my side,” said Cilic, also a finalist at Australian Open 2018.

“I think I executed extremely well. So just enjoying this part that I’m playing well now last few weeks. Looking forward to continue to play well.”

In an ideal world, players would rather directly qualify for the main draw at Wimbledon than have to battle through three rounds of qualifying at nearby Roehampton.

With their place in the main draw guaranteed, those players can compete at tour-level events on grass – which offer far greater prize money and ranking points than Wimbledon qualifying – to get match practice on the lawns.

Yet as Wimbledon unfolds, it’s clear that players who gritted their way through the field at Roehampton have fared better at the All England Club in 2025.

PODCAST: Listen to the latest episode of The Tennis

Four qualifiers have reached the third round, while another two who competed at Roehampton – Solana Sierra and Marton Fucsovics – remain alive in the main draws as lucky losers.

By contrast, just three of the 11 grasscourt lead-in tournament champions have survived the first two rounds. Of the eight winners to have exited already, six fell in round one.
 

 

On this week’s episode of The Tennis, Australian pros Luke Saville and Jaimee Fourlis – who have both previously qualified for Wimbledon – talked about how beneficial it could be to arrive at the tournament via this route.

“There’s something very special when you do qualify and you earn that right to go into the locker room and walk around Wimbledon,” said Saville, who qualified three years in a row from 2014 to 2016.

WIMBLEDON: Anisimova, pundits’ semifinalist, begins with double bagel

“If you want to see desperate tennis players, go to the last round of qualies for Wimbledon, because as Jaimee alluded to, you’re fighting to get into that main draw.

“You kind of feel like… you have to earn that right to get into the main draw [and access the main site at the All England Club], rather than here at the Australian Open, or the other Slams, you’re at least playing on site in the qualies.

“If you get through, and your matches haven’t been too long, you have great preparation going into the main draw, and we see quite a few qualifiers in the third round.”