New England captain Jodie Cunningham believes the women’s game is set for a bright future after a trio of the country’s brightest stars became the first to sign professional deals in Australia’s NRLW this month.
Two of those players, Hollie-Mae Dodd and Georgia Roche, who have landed contracts with Canberra Raiders and Newcastle Knights respectively, are set to feature in England’s mid-season clash with France in Warrington on Saturday.
And Cunningham, who has assumed the England captaincy from her St Helens team-mate Emily Rudge, believes it can only be a good thing as her side look to overhaul the southern hemisphere giants at the 2025 World Cup.
“I think it’s brilliant news. I’m 100 per cent behind the girls and I can’t wait to watch them ripping it up out there,” said Cunningham.
“I think it will only help develop them further and it shows how far the women’s game has come in this country that we are sitting here talking about players and professional contracts in this way.
“What we need is more competitive games on a more regular basis and that is what they are going to get out there. Super League is progressing in the right direction and hopefully this kind of news can only help it continue to improve.”
New head coach Stuart Barrow takes charge for the first time after his predecessor, Craig Richards, admitted in an emotional press conference following England’s World Cup semi-final defeat to New Zealand in November that his contract was not being renewed.
Barrow also believes the deals for Dodd and Roche, plus Fran Goldthorpe, who is absent on rugby union duty, can only be a good thing for the England team.
“Obviously we don’t want Super League to become a feeder club for the NRLW, but from an international point of view it’s a really exciting opportunity for them and it can only improve them as players,” said Barrow.
“One of the biggest positives is that the girls who are now playing at age 14 and above in our community game can have aspirations to become full-time professionals in rugby league.”
Eight Saints players feature in Barrow’s first squad while there is also a return for York Valkyrie captain Sinead Peach, who last featured in the 2019 tour of Papua New Guinea and was controversially overlooked last year.
“When we got started in January it was a case of picking a few players up because there was a little bit of flatness after the World Cup,” said Barrow.
“But there is still a feelgood factor around the women’s game in general. It feels like it is still bouncing on the back of the impression we made at the World Cup, and it is up to us to capitalise and keep the momentum going forward.”
Si Jiahui’s extraordinary run at the Crucible looked set to continue as he established an 11-5 lead over Luca Brecel after the second session of their World Snooker Championship semi-final.
The 20-year-old reeled off his third century of the match plus five more breaks of 50-plus as he moved to within seven frames of victory when they resume their last four clash on Friday evening.
Si, ranked 80 in the world, is aiming to become the youngest Crucible finalist in history and also the first debutant to win the tournament since Terry Griffiths in 1979.
And his stunning pot success had the pundits purring with former world champion Dennis Taylor telling the BBC: “I’ve been coming to the Crucible since 1977 and I’ve enjoyed watching this young player as much as anyone I’ve ever seen here.”
Showing no sign of nerves, Si got off to a quickfire start with a break of 64 before fluking a snooker by easing the white into the jaws of the top right pocket.
After failing to extricate himself, Brecel showed his frustration by slamming the white off the table, incurring a warning from referee Rob Spencer, but responded with a 65 to reduce Si’s lead.
A remarkable long blue was the highlight of a 122 break from Si in the following frame, and further back-to-back breaks of 89 and 58 moved the Chinese player five frames clear at 9-4.
Brecel, who was not doing a lot wrong, won the 14th frame in two visits but the irrepressible Si maintained his astonishing long-pot success rate as breaks of 55 and 71 moved him within sight of a place in the final.
EFL clubs will be asked to approve a new broadcast deal with Sky at a meeting next Friday.
The league announced Sky as its preferred bidder on April 3 following the issue of invitations to tender earlier in the year.
The EFL said in a statement on Friday afternoon: “The EFL has called a meeting of all clubs for Friday, May 5 2023 to consider proposals for a new domestic broadcast agreement from 2024-25 onwards.
“The league has been in an exclusive month-long negotiating period with the preferred bidder and at next week’s meeting a recommendation from the EFL board and commercial committee will be put forward, before asking clubs for approval in principle.
“In accordance with EFL regulations, a majority vote of clubs overall and a majority vote of clubs in the Championship is required for any proposal to be passed.
“No further details or comment will be provided on this matter at the current time.”
St Helens full-back Jack Welsby has challenged England to emulate his all-conquering club side and bridge the gap to the southern hemisphere giants as they begin their long build-up to the 2025 World Cup.
England face France in Warrington on Saturday in their first match since they suffered their agonising golden point defeat to Samoa in the semi-finals of last year’s tournament at the Emirates Stadium.
A renewed commitment to emphasising the importance of the international game has emerged from that campaign, and was bolstered by confirmation this week that Shaun Wane’s side will face Tonga in a three-game series in the autumn.
And while the World Cup served to illustrate the current dominance of the likes of finalists Australia and New Zealand, Welsby hopes Saints’ stunning World Club Challenge win over Penrith Panthers in Sydney in February can serve as a blueprint for bringing England back into contention.
“No one gave us a chance just like no-one ever gives England a chance against southern hemisphere teams, and I know for a fact that what we’ve got in this squad is more than enough to go and compete with them and turn them over,” Welsby told the PA news agency.
“No doubt Australia will still see theirs as the stronger competition, but I know how much importance Saints put on winning that world title and it shows we have the quality and the belief to go with it.
“I’m really excited about the build-up to 2025. I’m more than confident in the group and the mixture of more experienced heads with so much talent coming through. It’s a really exciting time to be associated with England rugby league.”
Wane has made sweeping changes with only three players who featured in the World Cup campaign – Welsby, Kai Pearce-Paul and new captain George Williams – making the cut for his 19-man squad.
Welsby is the only Saint involved after seven pull-outs from the initial 40-strong list, and looks certain to revert to his favoured full-back position in the continued absence of former captain Sam Tomkins.
Tomkins, who has struggled with injury so far this season, has announced his intention to retire at the end of the current Super League campaign but Wane is yet to indicate whether the 34-year-old will remain part of his plans.
Every other player in the squad, with the single further exception of Warrington’s Ben Currie who featured in the 2017 World Cup, will be making their international debuts against a France side whom England beat 42-18 in the second round in Bolton.
Wigan centres Toby King and Jake Wardle are expected to feature inside respective wide men Matty Ashton and Ash Handley, while Harry Smith, who has done more than most to help Matt Peet’s men to the top of the Super League table, is set to link up with Williams in the halves.
Meanwhile for Welsby there remains the added incentive of finally putting to bed the memory of that agonising semi-final loss to the Samoans, for whom Stephen Crichton kicked the winning drop-goal on a dramatic afternoon in north London.
“The way we dismantled them (Samoa) in our first group game and then capitulated in the semis was a tough one to take,” added Welsby. “It tooke me a good few weeks to get over it, a lot of reflecting on how it ended so abruptly.
“But that hasn’t affected how I’m approaching this game. If we’d won the World Cup I’d have been just as excited to pull the shirt back on.
“I love representing my country and it’s something I’ve dreamed of doing since I was a little boy.”
Leeds’ Premier League survival hopes have been dealt a blow as Luis Sinisterra has been ruled out for the rest of the season.
Colombia winger Sinisterra, who has scored three goals in his last five appearances, was forced out of the midweek home draw against Leicester due to an ankle injury.
Head coach Javi Gracia, whose side play at relegation rivals Bournemouth on Sunday, said: “Luis will be out for the rest of the season. I think it’s something in his ankle, a ligament.
“It’s tough for us to lose key players. I prefer to not complain. I have enough players to compete better and try to work with them and find a way to get results.”
Gracia is still waiting to learn whether USA midfielder Tyler Adams will play again this season following hamstring surgery last month and key defender Max Wober remains doubtful for the game at Bournemouth.
Gracia has come in for heavy criticism for not starting winger Willy Gnonto in recent weeks and he could return to the starting line-up at the Vitality Stadium in Sinisterra’s absence.
Italy forward Gnonto was an unused substitute against Leicester and has been named among the substitutes in Leeds’ last five matches, with his omission a source of anger and puzzlement for a large section of fans.
Gracia said: “You ask me about Willy many times and I always say the same. He’s an exceptional player with an amazing character.
“The last game I decided to play with Cree (Crysencio Summerville), but I am sure in the next games Willy will have chances to show.
“It’s something about what I think is better for the team. I choose what’s best for the team. I think both will help us for sure.”
Former Watford boss Gracia collected 10 points from his first six games in charge after replacing Jesse Marsch in February.
But only one point from his last four has seen the pressure cranked up and a growing number of Leeds supporters fear relegation.
When asked if he was worried about his own position should Leeds lose on Sunday, Gracia said: “I’m concerned about the situation of the team.
“When I arrived we were in a worse position. When we arrived we were able to get 11 points in 10 games and of course we want to get more.
“We are focused on trying our best in these five games that are left, starting from Bournemouth.”
Leeds halted a run of three straight defeats on Tuesday night, but have won only one of their last six matches and sit one point above the bottom three in 16th place.
Kelechi Iheanacho faces a race to be fit for Leicester’s survival run-in.
The striker injured his groin in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at Leeds and could miss the final five games.
Iheanacho has scored twice in Dean Smith’s opening three matches and suffered the injury helping to set up Jamie Vardy’s leveller at Elland Road.
There is a hope he will recover in time to play a part to beat the drop, with the Foxes back in the bottom three ahead of Monday’s visit of Everton.
Smith said: “He’s not great, he’s got a tear in his adductor muscle. It’s significant enough. I’m not going to rule him out for the rest of the season but it will be tough to get him back. Hopefully we can.
“He’s disappointed, scored two goals and was putting in good performances. Like always, it gives opportunities for others.
“It’s a blow, he came on at half-time against Man City and did ever so well. He did well in the Wolves game, scored the penalty, and his all-round displays have been really good.”
Jonny Evans should return to training on Saturday but Ricardo Pereira remains out with a hamstring injury.
Nottingham Forest’s 3-1 win over Brighton on Wednesday put the Foxes back in the drop zone, with Everton a point and a place behind.
Smith said: “It’s a big game for both teams with the positions we’re both in and with games running out. This time we will have home advantage and we want to use it to the best advantage we can.
“There’s still no target of points. Forest won the other night, we can’t get involved in that, we have to concentrate on the games we’ve got to play.
“You can’t take the pressure fully off them (the players). They watch football, see the games, see the table, they know.
“What we can do is make it clear with our plan what we’re trying to do. If you can do that they will go in pretty calm and relaxed but having that fire to win games.”
Joao Gomes insists he made the right decision moving to the Premier League over Ligue 1.
The 22-year-old joined from Flamengo in January after Wolves won the race for the midfielder ahead of Lyon.
He has made eight appearances since scoring on his debut against Southampton in February to help the club to the brink of survival.
“I was torn between Wolverhampton and another offer I had on the table,” Gomes said ahead of Saturday’s trip to Brighton.
“The campaign was one of the things that made me stop and reflect on what to do and really weighed my final decision.
“Everyone who has supported me offered all the love I needed for me to come and play to the best of my ability, which is what really matters.
“It has always been a dream and a wish come true to play in the Premier League but the people who have welcomed me here made all the difference.
“Matheus Cunha, Diego Costa, Matheus Nunes and Toti have given all the support I needed.
“There have been times when Cunha rang me to hang out at his place because I was on my own, so I definitely think they have helped with my adaptation and to perform better. I need to work harder and harder to help Wolves to become a threat.”
Wolves are eight points clear of the bottom three after Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Crystal Palace but Gomes insists the club should aim higher.
He told the club’s official site: “We had a meeting with (Julen) Lopetegui and he said that our main objective was to stay in the Premier League and that was clear to all of us.
“But as we grow our ambitions and aim higher, we can then see that there is a real chance for us to get further up the table.”
Michael Beale welcomed influential defender Connor Goldson back to training ahead of Rangers’ Scottish Cup semi-final against Celtic at Hampden Park on Sunday.
The 30-year-old has missed the last three matches – two of which the Light Blues have lost – due to a hip problem.
Ryan Kent and Scott Wright have sat out the last two fixtures with injuries but they are also back in the frame ahead of the crucial clash with their Old Firm rivals.
The Ibrox boss said: “Connor trained today, Scott Wright and Ryan Kent trained today, so it is seeing if they come through OK.
“Obviously they have all been out for two or three weeks so we have competition. It is nice to have them back.
“Alex Lowry is back training now, he just missed out on the squad last week. I believe Adam Devine will probably train tomorrow but the game might come a little bit too soon for him.
“Centre-back has been the one position this year that has not been stable in the team.
“The centre-back position has had a lot of impact on our season – the amount of games Connor has missed this season compared to all the other seasons combined.
“He is our vice-captain, he is a big voice on the pitch and when he plays the results for the team, the points-per-game goes up. So it is nice to have him back.
“It has been great to have John Souttar in the last three or four weeks, at times he has performed well in the games.
“That gives us some strength. The most important thing for me is stability in the team in key positions; goalkeeper, centre-back and number nine and possibly this year it hasn’t been the case.”
With Celtic 13 points clear of Rangers at the top of the cinch Premiership with five post-split fixtures remaining, the Scottish Cup offers the holders the last realistic chance of silverware this season.
Since beating Celtic 2-1 in last season’s Scottish Cup semi-final, the Light Blues have not won in five Old Firm games, three of them since Beale took over from Giovanni van Bronckhorst in November, the most recent of which was a 3-2 league defeat at Parkhead earlier in the month.
Beale said: “It is a huge game. We know that.
“This season has been a rough ride for the fans and this is a chance for us to right a few wrongs in this game.
“It is just one game but I think it would have a big impact on the season if we were to win and go back to the Scottish Cup final again.
“We just need to bring the best of ourselves.
“The games (against Celtic) have been reasonably tight and have been won and lost on mistakes so it is important that we bring our best effort and best performance.
“Again, the penalty boxes will be decisive. In the game a couple of weeks ago I thought we performed quite well overall but we just need to eradicate one or two things defensively.”
Beale revealed long-term injured defender Filip Helander, whose last game was just over a year ago against St Mirren, is still struggling.
The former QPR boss said: “Filip has a unique problem about his bone structure in his foot. He is away seeing a specialist.”
England will make history at Twickenham on Saturday amid a call for the Rugby Football Union to ensure the financial rewards available in the women’s game match its growing value to the governing body.
The Red Roses host France in a Grand Slam decider with over 53,000 tickets already sold, surpassing the previous highest ever crowd of 42,579 seen for last autumn’s World Cup final against New Zealand in Auckland.
It provides another landmark moment in the expansion of women’s rugby, with England the standard bearers as they continue to pack out club grounds across the Six Nations.
In the process, it significantly outperforms the men’s game in research undertaken to find its ‘net promoter score’ – to what extent would those attending matches recommend the experience to others.
Rugby Players’ Association general secretary Christian Day is currently involved in discussions with the RFU over a new deal for women as their existing contracts expire this summer.
Day believes that the Red Roses are now an important asset to the RFU and are becoming key to the sport’s prosperity.
“To me, when you look at how rugby is going to grow, you look at the women’s game,” Day said.
“I don’t think anyone would have thought there would be 60,000 at Twickenham on Saturday and I wonder how many of those have been to an England game before.
“It’s a whole new market, a new demographic of fans, supporters and people who watch.
“Viewing figures on the BBC are all over one million, which is what the recent Saracens v Harlequins match did on ITV, so very similar numbers.
“The women’s game offers a huge opportunity for growth and who’s to say that there can’t be double-headers at Exeter, for example?
“That explains some of the investment but also why we need people to get behind this concept of women’s rugby being serious.
“We’re going through contracting now and we want a fair representation of what their value to the RFU is. I think it’s rising.
“I think they’re becoming a big part of the RFU brand and we know that it’s the players who generate the vast majority of money in rugby.”
Day insists that the Red Roses have emerged as superb ambassadors for the sport, noting that they “crave the support they’ve never had before” whereas for men “it’s a harder sell because they’ve always had it”.
A fixture of every England game is the players staying long after the final whistle to engage with fans, taking selfies and signing autographs.
“Huge credit goes to the RFU as well as the players for the ticket sales for Saturday. They’ve invested and that crowd hasn’t happened by itself,” Day said.
“I’ve used the tube countless times and all I can see is Zoe Aldcroft staring back at me selling tickets for Saturday.
“The girls may realise on Saturday that they can’t have 60,000 selfies but they’ll still try to get around the pitch to engage with everyone.
“I’ve been to games with my daughter and she’s had a selfie with every player. Huge credit goes to them.”
For England star Emily Scarratt, who misses the France showdown because of neck and ankle injuries, women’s rugby has its own unique selling point.
“Generally there isn’t as much kicking in it and there’s a bit more ball in play time,” Scarratt said.
“We try to find the edges and the width and there’s a bit more freedom in the play, which is a fantastic reason to come and watch it. People who come to the games generally really enjoy what they see.”
Gareth Bale has turned down the chance to come out of retirement and play for Hollywood-owned Wrexham.
Former Wales captain Bale was offered the opportunity to play for the Welsh club by actors and co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney following their promotion to the English Football League last weekend.
McElhenney wrote on Twitter: “Hey @GarethBale11 let’s play golf, where I totally won’t spend 4 hours trying to convince you to un-retire for one last magical season.”
Deadpool star Reynolds added: “I will shave a professional-grade golf course into Rob’s back if you’ll give Wrexham a season” before posting a picture of Bale in a Wrexham shirt and saying: “What if…”
But Bale, who ended his illustrious career in January after leading Wales to the World Cup, has knocked back the idea of coming out of retirement at the UK Sport Industry Awards 2023.
Asked if he was tempted to play football again at Wrexham, Bale said: “No I don’t think so. I think I was looking more for a free round of golf off Rob.
“I’m sure we’ll have a chat and a joke but I’m quite happy where I am.
“I’m spending a lot of time with my kids, my wife, time that I’ve lost so much over the years being committed to football. I’m just enjoying family life and playing some golf.”
Bale received the Outstanding Contribution to Sport Award at the London ceremony, while the Football Association of Wales were named Sport Organisation of the Year.
Asked if he missed football, former Real Madrid star Bale replied: “No. I’m enjoying my time away. I started at a young age and felt the time was right.
“We left Wales football in a great place and I’m sure they’re going to still continue to strive and do good things.”
Wrexham play their final game of the season at Torquay on Saturday, where a win will extend their National League points record to 113.
Everton manager Sean Dyche stressed his players have to handle the high stakes which come with playing for the club.
A 4-1 defeat at home to Newcastle means they head into Monday’s relegation six-pointer at Leicester, one point above them in 18th, having to win if they are to stand any realistic chance of extending their 69-year stay in the top flight.
It is a huge occasion which is likely to have a massive bearing on the futures of both clubs, and having seen his side crumble in the second half at home to the high-flying Magpies Dyche wants his players to understand just what the implications are.
“The stakes have been high since I got here,” said the Toffees boss, without a win in 10 matches.
“The stakes should be high, by the way. A club like Everton, the stakes should be high. That’s what the players need to remember. They need to be high at this football club.
“If we go down there, take on the game and win, then it creates a different atmosphere and the belief floods back in very quickly. It’s strange how quickly it can turn around.
“The key point is you making it happen, I can’t emphasise that enough. I say it to the players constantly – you make things happen in football.
“Now and again you get a lucky one but even that doesn’t really build belief. The ones that build belief are when you take it on, then deliver and get a result.”
Erik ten Hag has hailed Bruno Fernandes as the example Manchester United’s players must follow if the club is to build a winning culture.
The midfielder was pictured wearing a protective boot after injuring his ankle during United’s FA Cup semi-final win against Brighton on Sunday, but recovered in time to captain the side in Thursday’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham.
United were two goals up at half-time, with Fernandes instrumental in setting up Marcus Rashford to score after Jadon Sancho had given the visitors an early lead.
Spurs hit back after the break and claimed a point thanks to goals from Pedro Porro and Son Heung-min.
After watching his team let a two-goal lead slip, United’s manager praised his skipper’s readiness to suffer for the cause and called on the players to make Fernandes their inspiration if they are to find the consistency to compete on all fronts.
United lead Spurs by six points and have two games in hand in the race to finish in the top four, and in June will look to add the FA Cup to the Carabao Cup they have already won when they face Manchester City at Wembley.
“I think as Man United and as a top team then you have to compete and go for the win in every competition you are in, so that’s what we are doing,” said Ten Hag.
“That is the culture we want to construct, so that is what we are doing. It has to be in the mindset of every player and every employee who is working for Manchester United.”
Of Fernandes’s recovery he said: “It was tough, a big compliment on Bruno. He absolutely doesn’t want to miss this game and he did everything to get fit.
“I think he is the example, and that you have to suffer and you have to sacrifice when you want to play on the top level, you want to achieve something.
“So once again he showed there how great a captain he is, how he has taken responsibility, even when he is not 100 per cent fit.
“But he did the job, he was important in this game as well. Hopefully the team can, not learn, but see him as an inspiration and do the same.”
The draw with Spurs was the second time in two weeks that United had thrown away a two-goal lead, following their late collapse against Sevilla in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final.
They subsequently capitulated in the return meeting in Spain, losing 3-0 to crash out of the competition.
There have also been limp defeats to Newcastle and Liverpool, the latter a 7-0 hammering, but Ten Hag was quick to remind critics that his team have beaten the top two in the Premier League and the La Liga leaders this campaign.
“We had some games I like,” said Ten Hag. “Two weeks ago against Forest (a 2-0 win), I think that was almost optimum. You see it’s not so easy to play Forest, you see Liverpool struggling, you see Brighton struggling there. That was a very good performance on our side.
“We had more games, I would have to think which games. Especially I think City (at home), that was a brilliant game. We had more, I think Arsenal, both games we played very well. We had many games where we were very dominant.
“Betis, Barcelona. So we had our games where we played very good football.”
Sheffield United owner Prince Abdullah still intends to sell the club despite their promotion to the Premier League but admits a sale to Dozy Mmobuosi now looks “unlikely”.
The Nigerian businessman agreed a reported £115million deal to take over the Blades before Christmas but the Saudi is doubtful that will go through.
He is now looking for other buyers and would like something sorted before the start of next season.
“I can’t say it’s off but I think maybe now it’s unlikely. But everything is open,” the Prince told talkSPORT. “I can’t comment more than that.
“If we reach a decision I want it to be before we start preparations for the next season. It can’t affect the team next year. It has to be done now. If we are in the club, we are going to manage it the best we can.
“(To sell) is my intention, but nothing is guaranteed. I’m not going to sell to just anybody. I care about who owns the club next.
“The most important decision in any club is not hiring the right manager or the right players, it starts from the top. If the owner is a bad owner it can drive everything eventually to the ground.
“My intention is to sell but it’s not guaranteed yet.
“There are other parties interested I would rather do something in the next four weeks or do nothing, but these things never go as you expect, there are always complications. The most important thing is we are now in the Premier League.”
United have been suffering with financial problems throughout the season and were up until last week under an EFL transfer embargo due to unpaid transfer fees.
Reports have suggested Mmobuosi has already put a large amount of money into the club, but the Prince says he will not be owed anything if the deal collapses.
“No, this is not accurate but I don’t want to talk about that,” he said. “Dozy is a good man and hopefully he will be successful in whatever he does in the future. But we don’t owe anyone any money.”
Si Jiahui’s extraordinary run at the Crucible looked set to continue as he established an 11-5 lead over Luca Brecel after the second session of their World Snooker Championship semi-final.
The 20-year-old reeled off his third century of the match plus five more breaks of 50-plus as he moved to within seven frames of victory when they resume their last four clash on Friday evening.
Si, ranked 80 in the world, is aiming to become the youngest Crucible finalist in history and also the first debutant to win the tournament since Terry Griffiths in 1979.
And his stunning pot success had the pundits purring with former world champion Dennis Taylor telling the BBC: “I’ve been coming to the Crucible since 1977 and I’ve enjoyed watching this young player as much as anyone I’ve ever seen here.”
Showing no sign of nerves, Si got off to a quickfire start with a break of 64 before fluking a snooker by easing the white into the jaws of the top right pocket.
After failing to extricate himself, Brecel showed his frustration by slamming the white off the table, incurring a warning from referee Rob Spencer, but responded with a 65 to reduce Si’s lead.
A remarkable long blue was the highlight of a 122 break from Si in the following frame, and further back-to-back breaks of 89 and 58 moved the Chinese player five frames clear at 9-4.
Brecel, who was not doing a lot wrong, won the 14th frame in two visits but the irrepressible Si maintained his astonishing long-pot success rate as breaks of 55 and 71 moved him within sight of a place in the final.
Seventy-three of the Caribbean’s best shooters are set to battle for honours at the Spectrum Handgun Championship set for the Jamaica Rifle Association’s shooting range on Mountain View Avenue in Kingston, Jamaica on Saturday, April 29.
Shooters from Barbados, Trinidad & Tobago and the Cayman Islands will be competing at the Level III IPSC event, Jamaica’s first major international pistol match and highest-ranked competition to be staged since the Covid-19 pandemic emerged in 2020.
"Everyone is looking forward with great anticipation to the upcoming Spectrum Handgun Championship 2023 at the JRA,” said Match Director Paul Shoucair.
“We'll have all of Jamaica's top shooters versus top shooters from other islands in the Caribbean and the Ladies Division is looking pretty hot so looking forward to it and expecting some great stages."
The top gunners will compete in four divisions - Open, Standard, Production Optics and Production, which features the use of unmodified guns. The breakdown of the entry list shows eight overseas based shooters, eight female shooters and 57 local based male shooters are down to compete.
Among them is top-ranked master class shooter Ryan Bramwell.
"This match will in effect be a Caribbean championship and I am looking forward to competing against the best local and regional talent,” he said.
“The match itself promises to be a great event and I am really looking forward to doing my best on Saturday."
Among the other shooters vying for honours across the various divisions are Master Shooter Andy Yap and Darin Richards, and among the women, Alpha Angels Yeonie Campbell, Shayon Francis and Renee Rickhi.
Competition on the twelve-stage range will get underway at 10:00 am.
Formula One’s new all-female F1 Academy series has sparked controversy ahead of this weekend’s inaugural races after it was revealed they will not be broadcast live.
When it was announced in November, the seven-round, 21-race competition – which opens with three races at Austria’s Red Bull Ring on Saturday – was billed by organisers as having “intentions…to ensure aspiring female drivers have the best opportunities to reach their potential” with the eventual goal of seeing a woman back in F1.
Some, recalling the adage “if you can see it you can be it”, have pointed out the irony of there being no live or full-race footage for a series designed to raise the profile of female drivers and inspire the next generation – with others even suggesting it could be a worrying indicator of F1’s genuine commitment to its stated ambitions.
Females in Motorsport, a volunteer-run collective working to promote women across the sport, were among the critics on social media, tweeting: “We’re deeply disappointed that #F1Academy won’t be streamed live. This series is meant to inspire girls and women around the world and provide a platform for the 15 drivers on the grid.
“So many F4 championships have live streams but an F1-owned entity won’t. How are we meant to inspire the next generation if we can’t even properly follow the action?”
Academy driver Bianca Bustamante, 18, was singled out by F1 driver Esteban Ocon after she recently spent time at his training centre, with the Frenchman describing her in a video uploaded by the Filipina as having “a gift right away… she immediately managed to impress me.”
Bustamante understands why fans might feel let down by the coverage, but insists the initial lack of footage was a welcome and deliberate move designed to alleviate pressure as the young drivers – the series cut-off is 25, with several well below that age limit – adjust to what for many is already a huge step up in their careers.
She said: “In motorsport you always have to perform in the spotlight, and it’s always been so tough. For a lot of drivers to perform under pressure and to have this sort of worry gone and just focus on pure driving is what makes it so important. Now we don’t have to worry about anything else, we just focus on performance, and the minute you have that secured you can shine in the spotlight.”
PREMA’s Bustamante, one of 15 drivers across the five-team Academy grid, is one of several defectors from W Series, the all-female single-seater series that saw its third season curtailed due to financial issues last year.
W Series – also previously on the F1 support bill – had secured a multi-year broadcast deal with Sky Sports that saw it attract a peak UK TV audience of one million viewers to its Silverstone race in 2022.
In contrast, F1 Academy will release a 15-minute round-by-round highlights programme to rights-holding broadcasters the Wednesday following a race weekend, which will also be available on F1-controlled channels.
Additionally, a race highlights video will be made available across several F1 channels on a Monday following the race weekend, while competition organisers have also promised extensive live coverage on social media.
The PA news agency – which has contacted F1 Academy for comment – understands there are ambitions to live broadcast the season finale, taking place in support of the F1 Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas, with a target for more next season when the Academy will be on the support bill for a select number of F1 Grands Prix.
Asked if this year’s plan will be sufficient in recruiting girls to her sport, Bustamante pointed to the Academy’s driver development-first philosophy, saying: “For us to be the role models that these girls can look up to we have to perform at our best. They’re prioritising our performance, our mental health and focus on the track.
“For us to inspire the next generation, we ourselves have to believe it. We have to believe in ourselves first, and that’s what they’re doing.”
Max Verstappen edged out Charles Leclerc to finish fastest in the sole practice session at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Formula One bosses have changed the weekend format in Baku, with the introduction of two qualifying sessions – one to decide the order for Sunday’s grand prix, and the other determining the starting grid for Saturday’s sprint race, the first of six sprint events this season.
Practice has been slashed from three hours to just one, ahead of qualifying for Sunday’s main event at 5pm local time (2pm UK) on Friday.
The reduction in practice is designed to create greater jeopardy with the teams unable to gather as much data as they would like.
And the one-hour running on Friday was suspended for 13 minutes after Pierre Gasly’s Alpine caught fire with the Frenchman leaping out of his smoky machine at Turn 12.
In an incident-packed session, Yuki Tsunoda limped back to the pits on three wheels after he banged the wall, while Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz also brushed the armco at the tight and twisty street circuit on the Caspian Sea.
Double world champion Verstappen has won two of the opening three rounds to establish a 15-point lead over Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez.
On Friday, the Dutch driver pipped Leclerc to top spot by just 0.037 seconds. Perez finished third, a tenth down on his Red Bull team-mate, while Sainz recovered from his brush with the barrier to take fourth.
Lando Norris provided some encouragement for McLaren to finish fifth, eight tenths down on Verstappen.
But Lewis Hamilton could manage only 11th for Mercedes, 1.5 sec back off the pace with team-mate George Russell also struggling, taking the chequered flag 17th of the 20 runners.
Elsewhere, Nyck de Vries finished sixth in his AlphaTauri ahead of the Aston Martin duo of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso.
Rob Baxter accepts that Exeter will need to get “an awful lot right” when they tackle Heineken Champions Cup holders La Rochelle in this season’s semi-finals.
But Exeter will arrive at the 42,000-capacity Mahmut Atlantique stadium in Bordeaux on Sunday determined to underline their own rich European pedigree.
The 2020 champions are England’s sole survivors, having won five out of six games in Europe this season, including a gripping last-16 success against French champions Montpellier.
And they have got there despite patchy domestic form that undermined their Gallagher Premiership play-off bid as Chiefs missed out behind confirmed semi-finalists Saracens, Sale, Leicester and Northampton.
Exeter beat La Rochelle home and away during their 2019-20 Champions Cup-winning campaign, but the last-four represents Chiefs’ best European run since then.
La Rochelle, in contrast, lifted the trophy last term and were runners-up 12 months before that, confirming their status as strong favourites this weekend.
“They are a good team, and we are going to have to get an awful lot right and be massively resilient,” Exeter rugby director Baxter said.
“They are going to land shots, and we just have to get up and get on with stuff and not get hurt by any one thing that happens. That consistent level of intensity across 80 minutes is always the key in big games.
“We are going very much to overturn the tables, which is a nice challenge for us and one we should be relishing and looking to enjoy.
“We’ve got a pretty good record against French teams, and we’ve got to back ourselves with that a little bit and get on with stuff. We’ve got some good firepower in the team.
“We went to La Rochelle and won in our cup-winning year and we won in Castres this season. Occasions in France are brilliant – players love them, they are incredible experiences.
“I think you either thrive on the atmosphere, or you don’t. Every game has an ebb and flow around it, and you have got to stick in there sometimes for a long time before you get the benefits of scores.”
Sunday’s clash could be the final European game in Exeter colours for players like brothers Joe and Sam Simmonds, who are moving to France next term, England wing Jack Nowell – a major target for La Rochelle – and retiring Scotland star Stuart Hogg.
So the lure of a possible Champions Cup final appointment with Leinster or Toulouse in Dublin on May 20 cannot be underestimated for numerous reasons.
Baxter added: “We’ve got a collection of very good players. There is a lot of international quality in our team.
“The team we take over has got plenty of caps in it, plenty of players who have won important games.
“It is a big game for the club. It feels like a very tight group that is working very hard to make this game successful.
“That is the key, that is how you look after each other, whether you are staying or going, and it feels like we have got that kind of vibe around the place at the moment.
“They are going to come at us, and there are going to be times when we are going to have to weather it, stick together and hold our discipline, hold our work-rate and not take a breath.
“You stay in the fight when it is their moments, and then you take yours when it is your time. There is no way of dressing it up.”
England will welcome Tonga for a historic three-match Test series in October and November.
The contests, which will be played at St Helens on October 22, Huddersfield six days later and Headingley the following week, will mark a maiden international series between the two countries.
It is understood the initial plan was to invite New Zealand over and while that fell through, England head coach Shaun Wane, leading the side on Saturday for the first time since last November’s World Cup semi-final loss to Samoa when they take on France, insisted Tonga will pose a formidable challenge.
“Throughout my time as England head coach I have said we need to challenge ourselves against the best sides the international game has to offer – and Tonga are certainly one of those,” Wane said.
“They’ve been a real success story on the international stage in recent years, building on their exploits at the 2017 World Cup, and they will offer a real test.
“It’s also a great opportunity for us to get three high-quality Test matches under our belt as we continue to push towards the next World Cup in 2025.”
England were given a stiff test when they last played Tonga, who with seven minutes remaining in their 2017 World Cup semi-final trailed 20-0 before running in 18 points to set up a grandstand finish.
England held on to secure a 20-18 victory at Auckland while Tonga pushed eventual runners-up Samoa all the way in last year’s World Cup before going down by an identical scoreline in their quarter-final at Warrington.
Head coach Kristian Woolf is not underestimating how significant the series against England is for Tonga, who have recorded wins over Australia and Great Britain in recent years.
“There is no doubt that this is another historic moment for Tongan Rugby League,” Woolf said.
“This will be the first time one of the Pacific Nations has been invited to play in a full three-Test series against England, in the place where our great game began.
“It is easy to forget that this is an honour usually only reserved for countries like Australia and New Zealand.
“I know our players are excited by this challenge, and are also keen to go back to England to try and prove what we can do in the northern hemisphere. We feel we did not showcase our best at last year’s World Cup, and this will be an opportunity for Tonga to correct that.”
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