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  • Apr, Thu, 2020
Sport

Decision on July’s rugby internationals to be made later this month

Internationals
Cape Town, April 2, 2020 (Reuters/NAN) The fate of planned mid-year rugby union internationals, including a homecoming game for 2020 World Cup winners South Africa, will be decided this month, officials in several countries said on Thursday.

However, indications are that they will be called off.

Discussions on scheduled tours by France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales to the southern hemisphere in July, and England’s trip to Japan at the same time, were held on Wednesday.

This was when World Rugby’s executive committee met by video conference.

But any decision on the fate of the tours was left to later in April, several sources told Reuters.

World Rugby, the sport’s governing body, has not issued any statement on the meeting however.

But its chief executive Brett Gosper had earlier this week said the tours were unlikely to go ahead.

“The problem is that no union wants to make the decision to cancel its tour, not least because there are, among other things, insurance contract implications,” he told the French daily L’Equipe.

“Participants are waiting for government decisions and directives.

“That said, all unions, from the north as well as from the south, know that it is unlikely that these tours will take place.”

The Springboks are due to play against Scotland in Cape Town on July 4 in their first game since November’s World Cup victory.

This will be followed by another test against the Scots one week later, and then a fixture with Georgia.

England and Wales are scheduled to tour Japan, with Wales then going on to face two tests in New Zealand.

Scotland are due to travel to New Zealand after their two tests in South Africa, while Ireland had two internationals in Australia.

Italy were to visit Argentina after their hosts had played against France in two July tests.

Officials said the executive committee had taken note of the financial implications for the host unions and raised possible alternative plans but held off on any firm decisions.

Bernard Laporte, the French Rugby Federation president who sits on the executive, had previously suggested tours scheduled for July could be moved to November.

But this is unlikely given the financial boost that Australia, New Zealand and South Africa also derive from their end of year visits to the northern hemisphere, officials added.

South Africa have already lined up four tests in Europe in November.

The All Blacks will face England at Twickenham on Nov. 7 in a match that is usually a lucrative sell-out.

Australia have laid off staff and cut pay as they warn of an impending financial crisis brought on by the effects of the coronavirus shutdown.

They are scheduled to take on Ireland, France, Italy and England in November.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Emmanuel Okara and Olawale Alabi)

  • Apr, Thu, 2020
Sport

England Rugby coach Jones signs new deal to 2023 World cup

England Rugby coach Jones signs new deal to 2023 World Cup

London, April 2, 2020 (Reuters/NAN) England coach Eddie Jones has agreed a contract extension which will see him continue in the role until the 2023 Rugby World Cup, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) said on Thursday.

 

Jones, whose contract was set to expire in August 2021, had been in talks over a new deal since guiding England to the 2019 World Cup final, where they lost to South Africa.

Since taking charge of England at the end of 2015, Jones has won 42 of his 54 matches, giving him a win ratio of 78%, the highest in the history of England coaches, the RFU said.

 

“I never thought coming here four years ago I would be doing a second four years but the circumstances are right,” the 60-year-old Australian said in a statement.

“I am excited about raising the standards again. We have a great team.

 

“We set out four years ago to be the best team in the world and unfortunately we missed that by 80 minutes. Now we want to be the team that is remembered as being the greatest team the game has ever seen.”

 

Jones would surpass World Cup winner Clive Woodward as England’s longest-serving coach if he completes a second World Cup cycle with the team in 2023.

(Reuters/NAN)

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Edited by Emmanuel Okara/Donald Ugwu

  • Apr, Thu, 2020
Sport

PSA world ranking frozen 

By Aderonke Ojediran
Ranking
Lagos, April 2, 2020 (NAN) The Professional Squash Association (PSA) has announced that the World Rankings have been frozen during the ongoing suspension of the season tour due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
An official website reports that both the PSA World Tour and PSA Challenger Tour are currently suspended until the end of April and these frozen rankings will stay in place until the tour resumes.
The rankings are frozen as of March 16 to take into account the fact that there were three tournaments taking place over the weekend the announcement was made to suspend the tour.
The frozen rankings mean that points accrued from the 2019 edition of tournaments postponed or cancelled due to the suspension of the tour – for example the Grasshopper Cup and El Gouna International will remain on players rankings as the 2020 edition of those events cannot take place at present.
An expiry date for these points will be finalised when the tour resumes.
The same will apply for tournaments later in the year if the suspension of the tour is extended. (NAN)
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Edited by Muhammad Suleiman Tola
  • Apr, Wed, 2020
Sport

Woods, Mickelson to play coronavirus relief golf match with American football stars

Match
New York, April 1, 2020 (Reuters/NAN) Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will play a coronavirus relief golf match next month with Super Bowl-winning quarter-backs Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, according to a report on Wednesday.

The report, which sourced an unnamed person familiar with the negotiations, said the charity match would be held at an undisclosed location without fans.

It is being organised by the PGA Tour and AT&T’s WarnerMedia.

The negotiations are still being finalised but the match pitting 15-times major champion Woods and Manning against five-times major winner Mickelson and Brady could be aired on live TV.

The report said further that the match is unlikely to be featured on pay-per-view.

“Discussions along these lines have been ongoing for quite some time, but nothing has been approved by the tour,” the PGA Tour said in a statement.

A match-up featuring two of the most famous golfers of their era and two of the all-time greatest NFL quarter-backs would be a rare sports event during the coronavirus pandemic.

Already, the pandemic has brought the sports world to a halt.

The event will feature a small production crew to film it and each individual will obey the social-distancing recommendations to stay six-feet apart, the report said.

Mickelson was asked recently on Twitter about the chances of a round of golf against Woods being live streamed in the near future, and the American replied: “Working on it”.

When another fan tweeted to Mickelson asking him not to “tease”, the 49-year-old responded: “I don’t tease. I’m kinda a sure thing”.

Woods, 44, last competed in mid-February and then withdrew from a number of tournaments with a back injury.

That was before the PGA Tour decided to cancel a slew of events because of the coronavirus.

Mickelson finished third in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am in early February and missed the cut in his next two starts.

Woods and Mickelson played against each other in a winner-takes-all nine million dollars matchplay exhibition in November 2018 that was golf’s first venture into pay-per-view.

That event was hyped like a Las Vegas prize fight but proved more of a pillow fight with both golfers in jovial mood.

They were playing for a purse that was put up by sponsors and went to a charity of Mickelson’s choice.

Brady recently joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after 20 years with the New England Patriots during which he won an NFL-record six Super Bowl titles.

Manning, who played for the Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos, retired in 2016 as the NFL’s all-time leader in passing touchdowns and yards.

He is the only five-times winner of the league’s Most Valuable Player award.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

  • Apr, Wed, 2020
Sport

Wimbledon 2020 cancelled, first time since World War II

Cancellation
London, April 1, 2020 (Reuters/NAN) The Wimbledon championships were cancelled for the first time since World War Two on Wednesday as the coronavirus pandemic struck another blue-riband sports event off the calendar.

The development meant a wipe-out of the entire tennis grasscourt season.

The decision had looked inevitable for some time, since the virtual shutdown of world sports and the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics.

But Wimbledon had been one of the few events not to have been officially cancelled or postponed.

However, after emergency talks between the various stakeholders over the last few days, the All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) made its announcement.

It said it was impossible for the grasscourt Grand Slam, scheduled for June 29 to July 12, to take place.

“It is with great regret that the main board … have today decided that The Championships 2020 will be cancelled due to public health concerns linked to the coronavirus epidemic,” the AELTC said in a statement.

“The 134th Championships will instead be staged from June 28 to July 11, 2021.”

Following the cancellation of the grasscourt major, and with the pandemic worsening in Europe and the U.S, the men’s ATP Tour, women’s WTA Tour and the International Tennis Federation extended the suspension of professional tennis for another five weeks to July 13.

“At this time, tournaments taking place from July 13, 2020 onwards are still planning to proceed as per the published schedule,” said a joint statement from the governing bodies.

Britain’s death toll from the virus reached 2,352 on Wednesday, according to NHS figures.

The French Open, originally due to be held from May 24 to June 7 was postponed.

It was controversially rescheduled by the French tennis federation for Sept. 20 to Oct. 4, shortly after the end of the U.S. Open.

The U.S. Open organisers said they were continuing with their plans to host the hardcourt Grand Slam in New York as scheduled from Aug. 31 to Sept. 14.

Players across the tennis fraternity have since reacted with shock and sadness at the cancellation of Wimbledon.

Roger Federer, whose record haul of 20 Grand Slam titles includes eight Wimbledon trophies, said he was “devastated”.

“There is no gif for these things that I am feeling,” he added.

In a statement from the organisers of the Halle Open, which was also cancelled, Federer said: “We are going through difficult times but we will emerge stronger.

“I already look forward to returning to Halle next year. Stay healthy.”

Former Wimbledon champion Amelie Mauresmo did not think either the U.S. Open or the French Open would go ahead this year.

“I think we’re going to have to draw a line under the 2020 tennis season,” Mauresmo said on Twitter this week.

“International circuit = players of all nationalities plus management, spectators and people from the 4 corners of the world who bring these events to life. No vaccine = no tennis.”

Unlike the French Open which is played on clay, Wimbledon’s scope for re-arranging the start date was extremely limited.

While Centre Court and Court One boast a roof, playing elite level tennis outside on grass would have been extremely challenging in late summer or autumn.

There is a lack of light and there are problems caused by dew forming on the surface late in the day.

Shortening the format of the tournament, or playing behind closed doors, would also have proved extremely unpopular with the players.

“While in some ways this has been a challenging decision, we strongly believe it is not only in the best interests of society at this time, but also provides certainty to our colleagues in international tennis.

“This is in the face of the impact on the grass court events in the UK and in Europe and the broader tennis calendar,” AELTC Chief Executive Richard Lewis said.

Tickets-holders will be offered the chance to purchase tickets for the same day and court for 2021 championships.

They will also be issued with a refund for this year’s event, organisers added.

Wimbledon had been held every year since 1946 after a six-year hiatus because the country was at war.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

  • Apr, Wed, 2020
Sport

Cagliari president says club staff have agreed to go without one month’s wages

Wages
Rome, April 1, 2020 (Reuters/NAN) Players and staff at Serie A clubside Cagliari have agreed to go without pay for one month, its president Tommaso Giulini has said.

Giulini said the development was aimed at helping the Sardinian club get through the stoppage caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

Serie A, like several football leagues around the world, has been brought to a standstill.

There is no indication of when it may be able to start again, although the Italian federation says it wants to finish the season.

“I notice a great sense of responsibility, all our employees and not just the players have already given up a month’s pay.

“It was a gesture of great responsibility that allows us to limit the losses. If the championship doesn’t start again we’ll see what to do for the next few months.

“For now, we can only thank those who made this gesture,” Giulini said in an interview with the Sardinian television station Videolina on Wednesday.

On Saturday, Italian champions Juventus said their players had agreed to accept reduced wages from March to June to help the Turin club through the crisis.

Inter Milan were also reported by Italian media to be close to agreeing a wage cut with their players.

Some clubs such as Fiorentina and Torino have already said they think the season will have to be abandoned.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Olawale Alabi)

  • Apr, Wed, 2020
Sport

Bayer Leverkusen players agree pay cut amid coronavirus pandemic

Pay-cut

Berlin, April 1, 2020 (Reuters/NAN) Bayer Leverkusen players, staff and management on Wednesday unanimously agreed to accept an unspecified pay cut as the Bundesliga remains suspended amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Leverkusen captain Lars Bender said discussions had taken place in the last few weeks and on Tuesday they reached an agreement.

“The team is ready to waive part of the salaries in order to support the club in its efforts to financially overcome the corona crisis,” Bender said in a club statement.

Team training  cannot resume before April 5, but the club had a makeshift training session where players trained only in pairs.

“We again got a very concrete idea in the empty BayArena stadium today about how important the various colleagues are in breathing life into the club.”

Play in the Bundesliga has been suspended since mid-March and the German Football League (DFL) on Tuesday extended the league suspension until at least April 30.

The DFL has also hinted that should play resume in the coming weeks or months, it would most likely be without spectators. (Reuters/NAN)

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Edited by Tajudeen Atitebi

  • Apr, Wed, 2020
Sport

UEFA suspends Champions League, Europa League until further notice

(This report has been re-filed, to accommodate more facts and background details)

Postponement

Nyon (Switzerland), April 1, 2020 (Reuters/NAN) UEFA bowed to the inevitable on Wednesday and suspended all its Champions League and Europa League matches “until further notice” due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The European football governing body also said all national team games scheduled for June have been postponed, including playoff matches for Euro 2020, which has been moved to 2021.

The finals of Europe’s elite Champions League competition, second-tier Europa League and Women’s Champions League, all of which were scheduled for May, had already been postponed.

Most leagues in Europe hope to finish their domestic seasons once restrictions on movement and social contact are lifted.

But UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said last week the season could be lost if play does not start by the end of June.

Wednesday’s video conference call of UEFA’s 55 member-associations included a broad ranging discussion on the crisis and what options might face the game in the coming weeks.

A source, who was part of the call, said no decisions were taken, given the lack of certainty over the time-frame for the pandemic.

But he said the understanding was that the longer the delay, the more the priority would fall on completing domestic seasons.

One possibility on the table at UEFA, in case of a long delay into the summer, is to complete the European club competitions with a mini-tournament, such as a `final four’.

UEFA’s executive committee also decided to give clubs more time to complete the club licensing paperwork for next season and suspended the provisions that demand clubs provide future financial information.(Reuters/NAN)
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(Edited by Dorcas Jonah/Tajudeen Atitebi/Olawale Alabi)

  • Apr, Wed, 2020
Sport

Pressure mounts on English Premier League players to make move on wages

Pressure

Manchester (UK), April 1, 2020 (Reuters/NAN) Tottenham Hotspur’s decision to impose a 20 per cent wage reduction on 550 non-playing staff due to the impact of the coronavirus has prompted increased pressure on Premier League players to take a pay cut.

The Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) are in talks with the Premier League over how best to deal with the current suspension of competition.

However, the moves by some clubs to use the government’s furlough scheme has prompted sharp criticism.

On Monday, Newcastle United put non-playing staff on leave and instructed employees to apply for the government’s newly-created coronavirus job retention scheme.

Professional football in England has been suspended until April 30, at the earliest, due to the pandemic.

Norwich City on Tuesday said they were taking similar steps to “safeguard future jobs and help sustain the club” through the crisis.

The Norfolk club said they would top up the government’s help to ensure staff received their full salaries.

Julian Knight, the Conservative MP who is chair of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee in the British parliament, has condemned such moves.

“It sticks in the throat. This exposes the crazy economics in English football and the moral vacuum at its centre,” he said.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said top players should be the ones who make the sacrifices.

“It should be those with the broadest shoulders who go first because they can carry the greatest burden and have probably got savings…

“… rather than who were in catering or hospitality who have probably got no savings and live week by week and who probably won’t get the (government) benefits for five weeks,” he told the BBC.

Former Crystal Palace chairman Simon Jordan said the situation was an “awful look” for football.

“I believe there is a moral issue around an industry like football that has been awash with money,” Jordan told the talkSPORT radio station.

“Football players and football clubs over the last five years have really had it on their toes with the revenues that have increased because of the broadcasters.

“I think there is a situation here where football has to look at itself and say, ‘Do I really, just because the government is offering its teat, have to nuzzle on that?’.”

Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy said his move aimed to protect the club, but said he hoped that talks between players, managers and the Premier League would reach a decision.

“We hope the current discussions between the Premier League, PFA and LMA (League Managers Association) will result in players and coaches doing their bit for the football ecosystem,” he said. (Reuters/NAN)

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Edited by Dorcas Jonah/Tajudeen Atitebi

 

  • Apr, Wed, 2020
Sport

Improvise at home to play golf, says No. 1 golfer

 

Golf
By Aderonke Ojediran
Lagos, April 1, 2020 (NAN) Andrew Oche, the Number One ranked golf player in Nigeria, on Wednesday advised upcoming players to improvise and continue to practise at home in order to hone their skills against the backdrop of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Oche, who gave the advice while speaking with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, added that just like every other thing that had been affected by the pandemic, golf was not exempted.
“Yes, one has to be consistent by practising at home by improvising  so that one would  not get rusty when this is over.
“Almost everything is being affected by the pandemic, of course. Sports are definitely hit hard with the Olympics and major sporting events around the world being called off, it speaks volume as how it affects us.
“Golf surely is not an exception. Hopefully, things can recover really quickly after the pandemic.
“But, be rest assured it will take time for things to normalize before getting even better,” he said. (NAN)
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Edited by Razak Owolabi/Felix Ajide
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