Sport

Super League: Wigan Warriors 64-0 Salford Red Devils – Wigan win League Leaders’ Shield

Published

5 hours ago

September 19, 2024

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Super League: Wigan Warriors 64-0 Salford Red Devils - Wigan win League Leaders' Shield

Wigan hooker Kruise Leeming, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra:

“What a night, what an occasion for us.

“I know the scoreline blew out a little bit there but we’ve worked so hard as a team to get to this point and we deserve to enjoy this.

“It’s not about any individual game, it’s about the highs and lows and the rollercoaster we’ve been on.

“We’ve been fantastic in areas and there are areas to improve, but everything came together tonight. I know they were low on players and we get that, but we still had to go out and play our opposition and I thought we did that.”

Wigan coach Matt Peet, speaking to BBC Radio Manchester:

“It does say a lot about where we’re at in terms of consistency. It gives us a home semi-final and the players can enjoy the moment. We will celebrate and then next week we’ll start up again.

“We’ve always been a pretty consistent club, the trophies and the performances of the players speak for themselves. This team continues the attitude of winning, enjoying rugby and entertaining the fans.”

Salford head coach Paul Rowley, speaking to BBC Radio Manchester:

“We picked a young, inexperienced side to face the world champions. They approached that with excitement and enthusiasm, and I thought they displayed that in bucketloads.

“I thought the youngsters, in particular, were fantastic and competed for everything, clearly playing against a superior team in Wigan. I’m very proud of them.

“My objective is to have a fit squad going into the big games, the play-off games, and, in that respect, we were able to do that by utilising the squad and the youngsters.”

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Football

'Schillaci was a man who lived for goals'

Published

6 seconds ago

September 20, 2024

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'Schillaci was a man who lived for goals'

Italian football expert Mina Rzouki remembers Salvatore ‘Toto’ Schillaci, who has died aged 59.

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Sport

The Champions League's new table explained

Published

18 mins ago

September 20, 2024

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The Champions League's new table explained

The Champions League will follow a new format from 2024-25 – BBC Sport explains what will change and what will stay the same.

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MMA

Conor McGregor ‘to address US Congress in rights campaign for MMA fighters’

Published

20 mins ago

September 20, 2024

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Conor McGregor 'to address US Congress in rights campaign for MMA fighters'

There have also been complaints about lower-ranked UFC fighters being awarded title bouts simply based on their ability to sell television pay-per-view subscriptions, which is a core element of the UFC’s income in the United States.

Despite losing in the 10th round against Mayweather, McGregor has indicated that he may box again, and a handful of other UFC fighters have expressed an interest in lucrative one-off boxing bouts.

Legal experts have been discussing in the media whether McGregor is now a boxer in the eyes of the law, and thus entitled to the protection of the Act, or if he will lose that protection when he returns to the UFC.

FIGHTER SAFETY

Epstein told Reuters that the UFC does extensive work on fighter safety and welfare and is as transparent as possible when it comes to contracts.

He rejected the notion that match-making based on independent rankings could improve the sport.

“We have been successful for one reason and one reason only – we put on the fights the fans want to see,” Epstein explained.

“That’s where we have a problem with what Congressman Mullin wants to do.”

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Sport

Harry Kane: Striker’s record-breaking night as Bayern score nine

Published

39 mins ago

September 20, 2024

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Harry Kane: Striker's record-breaking night as Bayern score nine

Former England defender Stephen Warnock, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, said: “Harry Kane is an exceptional professional.

“One thing we know about Kane is he’s never had blistering pace, his game is thought in the mind, he sees space and senses where the ball might drop – he is an intelligent footballer.”

This summer there were calls for Kane, England’s all-time record goalscorer, to be dropped during the run to the Euro 2024 final.

Warnock continued: “He will prove people wrong for the next couple of years. People are going to talk about it [his performances for England at Euro 2024]. It was a bad Euros for him.

“It didn’t go well and I think there was a number of factors; an injury he picked up in the late stages of the Bundesliga, the style of play England had, or, the wingers he was playing with didn’t complement him.

“He will score goals at Bayern Munich as he suits the way they play. The one thing about Vincent Kompany’s teams is they do create so many opportunities.”

Kane scored 44 goals in 45 games for Bayern last season. He recently marked his 100th England cap with two goals against Finland.

“He will be involved in 50 goals this season with goals and assists, but he will still get questioned about his England position,” added Warnock.

“I don’t know why people want to question him, he is still phenomenal.”

For all Kane’s goals – 417 for club and country now – he has yet to win a major trophy.

Bayern failed to win the Bundesliga for the first time in 12 years last season.

He has also lost two European Championship finals with England and a Champions League final with Tottenham.

Former Bayern and England midfielder Owen Hargreaves, on TNT Sports, said: “He played to the level you’d expect [last season]. The other players didn’t.

“Harry is going to win trophies – the only question is which ones.”

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MMA

Michael Bisping ridicules Georges St-Pierre's prospects of UFC victory in New York

Published

41 mins ago

September 20, 2024

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Michael Bisping ridicules Georges St-Pierre's prospects of UFC victory in New York

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Michael Bisping has ridiculed Georges St-Pierre’s ability to make the step up in weight ahead of their UFC middleweight championship bout next month.

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Sport

Aaron Grandidier Nkanang – the Londoner who won Olympic rugby gold with France

Published

1 hour ago

September 20, 2024

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Aaron Grandidier Nkanang - the Londoner who won Olympic rugby gold with France

And it came out perfectly.

France had seized the moment, the momentum and the medal. Grandidier Nkanang, Dupont and their team, one which had failed to even qualify for Tokyo, had won the hosts’ first gold of the Games.

For Grandidier Nkanang, the long road to the city of lights started on Turnpike Lane.

It was there, in Haringey, north London, that his British-Nigerian father Nick Nkanang and his French mother Estelle Grandidier met in the early 1990s.

By the time Aaron was born, five months into a new millennium, they had moved south of the river, but London was always home.

Rugby wasn’t on the radar: Grandidier Nkanang’s father was into cycling and martial arts, while his mother did yoga.

And Aaron wasn’t on rugby’s radar.

He first touched the oval ball aged 11, when he started at a local grammar school and found it the dominant sport.

Left behind by his class-mates’ growth spurts and struggling to get to grips with the rules, he then stopped playing for two years. He missed another season through injury, reverting to his first love of basketball.

It was only at the age of 16 – a point where other prospects are already locked into pathways and professional clubs – that he started to take it seriously, finding he had caught up physically and his time on court had sharpened his footwork and handling.

He rose fast and steep – acing trials for Kent, London and the South East and England Counties – excelling at every level.

“I always knew I wanted to be a sportsman,” says Grandidier Nkanang.

“I loved competing and the idea of the lifestyle, and I just locked on to rugby as my route.”

Until the route ran into a dead end.

“I scored two tries in a win over Ireland Schools and Clubs and the England Counties coaches said there were people watching the game.

“I really hoped I was going to get some traction, but there was nothing.

“I heard London Scottish might be interested, Leicester Tigers – but it ended up being just rumours and echoes.”

After a year at university, Grandidier Nkanang took matters into his own hands. He contacted a rugby agent, showed them his showreel and his French passport and asked them to make enquiries.

He got more than echoes back. He visited Brive, Toulon, Castres and Oyonnax. He signed with Brive, mentioned his Sevens experience and the French selectors were soon on the phone.

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