Connect with us

Sports

Leinster Determined to Give Leo Cullen a Winning Farewell

Published

on

Josh van der Flier believes Leinster will have added motivation as the province prepares for its final season under Leo Cullen.

Leinster’s players are determined to send Leo Cullen out on a high as the long-serving head coach begins his final campaign in charge of the province.

Cullen will step away when his current contract expires at the end of the 2026-27 season, bringing his 12-year spell as Leinster head coach to a close.

For Josh van der Flier, Cullen’s departure will represent the end of an era. The Ireland flanker has spent his entire senior provincial career with Cullen as one of the central figures in the Leinster set-up.

Advertisement

Van der Flier said it would be sad to see Cullen leave and that Leinster want to make his final season a good one.

End of a Leinster era

Cullen first represented Leinster as a player in 1998. After two spells with the province and a period with Leicester Tigers, he returned to Dublin and eventually moved into coaching.

He became Leinster’s head coach in 2015 and has overseen one of the most successful periods in the province’s history, including domestic and European honours.

Advertisement

Leinster have continued to compete regularly at the closing stages of the Champions Cup, although their failure to add another European title since the 2018 triumph in Bilbao has brought growing scrutiny.

Van der Flier defends Cullen

Van der Flier expressed sympathy for the criticism Cullen has faced following Leinster’s recent European disappointments. He argued that the outcome of major knockout matches can turn on individual moments that cannot always be placed at the head coach’s door.

The 33-year-old is entering another important season of his own. After Ireland’s demanding summer programme in Australia and New Zealand, he has been reviewing his performances with Leinster’s coaches and identifying areas in which he can continue to improve.

The 2027 Rugby World Cup also remains on the horizon. Van der Flier has already appeared at two World Cups and will hope to remain a central part of Andy Farrell’s plans for the tournament in Australia.

Advertisement

Before that, Leinster have a full season and several major trophies to contest. Cullen’s confirmed departure gives the campaign an added storyline, but the province will want the focus to remain firmly on performances rather than allowing the year to become an extended farewell.


LiveScores Now Available at IrishScores.com

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Sports

McLaughlin: Big Ten Football Predictions for 2026

Published

on

SEC logoOle Miss vs Louisville is one of the biggest games of Week 1, but it is sadly a neutral-site game.

The Rebels are on serious upset alert this weekend.

On today’s episode of Locked On College Football, Spencer McLaughlin and ‘Locked On Buffs’ host Kevin Borba discuss Colorado’s Thursday matchup at Georgia Tech.

How can the Buffs pull the upset?

Big Ten logoThe Big Ten enters 2026 looking to win its 4th straight national championship.

Who wins the conference, who is a dark horse, and who finishes last?

Advertisement

00:00 Louisville’s coaching and quarterback potential
06:16 Pressuring opposing quarterbacks
07:01 Ole Miss vs. Louisville strategy
12:55 Predicting Colorado vs. Georgia Tech Game
14:25 Colorado’s new recruitment strategy
17:45 Impact of Great Coaching in College Football
24:19 Big Ten football predictions
28:46 Big Ten dark horse pick

/ @lockedoncollegefootball  

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

Diamond League Final schedule, start times and how to watch Brussels meet

Published

on

Amy Hunt will continue her busy summer as the only athlete running both the women’s 100m and 200m at the Diamond League Final in Brussels this weekend.

The young British sprint star – who won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games five weeks ago, claimed a record four gold medals at the European Athletics Championships shortly after and has since competed in Diamond League events in Zurich and Lausanne as well as a meeting in Brescia – will face two stacked fields at the King Baudouin Stadium, with Olympic silver medallist Sha’Carri Richardson, World Championship silver medallist Tina Clayton and Commonwealth Games champion Zoe Hobbs headlining the 100m field, and two-time Olympic medallist Julien Alfred the favourite in the 200m.

There are global superstars littered throughout the events as the season-long Diamond League reaches its conclusion, with unbeatable pole vault icon Mondo Duplantis finally having a legitimate rival in the form of Emmanouil Karalis, making for a fascinating Friday night showdown, while Audrey Werro vs the ever-improving Femke Broeders-Bol will be a blockbuster 800m match-up in the penultimate race of the meeting on Saturday evening.

Recent world-record breakers Alison Dos Santos (men’s 400m hurdles) and Masai Russell (women’s 100m hurdles) will both be in action once more, while the likes of Georgia Hunter Bell in the women’s 1500m, Matthew Hudson-Smith in the men’s 400m and Ben Pattison in the men’s 800m provide further British interest. In addition to the Diamond Trophy, there is an extra incentive for the winners, with automatic qualification for the lucrative World Athletics Ultimate Championship later this month on the line.

Here’s everything you need to know about the event

Advertisement

When is the Diamond League Final?

The Diamond League Final will take place over two nights on Friday 4 September and Saturday 5 September at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, Belgium.

How can I watch it?

The BBC has the United Kingdom television rights to every Diamond League meeting, with live coverage of the first night of the Diamond League Final available on BBC Three from 7pm BST on Friday 4 September and the second night of action available on BBC Two from 7pm BST on Saturday 5 September. Both nights will also be shown on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website.

Advertisement
Amy Hunt has become the queen of British sprinting and will look to makes waves at the Diamond League final
Amy Hunt has become the queen of British sprinting and will look to makes waves at the Diamond League final (Reuters)

Diamond League Final schedule (all times BST)

Friday 4 September

17:30 – Women’s shot put

17:38 – Men’s long jump

17:49 – Women’s discus throw

Advertisement

18:59 – Men’s pole vault

19:04 – Women’s 400m hurdles

19:09 – Men’s high jump

19:14 – Men’s 100m

Advertisement

19:23 – Women’s 3000m steeplechase

19:37 – Men’s discus throw

19:42 – Men’s 800m

19:48 – Women’s triple jump

Advertisement

19:55 – Men’s 110m hurdles

20:03 – Women’s 5000m

20:26 – Men’s 1500m

20:41 – Women’s 200m

Advertisement

20:52 – Men’s 400m

Saturday 5 September

17:08 – Women’s javelin throw

17:28 – Men’s shot put

Advertisement

18:23 – Men’s triple jump

18:58 – Women’s pole vault

19:04 – Women’s 400m

19:10 – Women’s high jump

Advertisement

19:14 – Women’s 100m

19:22 – Men’s 5000m

19:40 – Men’s javelin throw

19:44 – Men’s 200m

Advertisement

19:48 – Women’s long jump

19:55 – Women’s 1500m

20:10 – Women’s 110m hurdles

20:20 – Men’s 3000m steeplechase

Advertisement

20:39 – Women’s 800m

20:52 – Men’s 400m hurdles

Full live results can be found here

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Sports

CAF Appoints Gabonese Referee For FC San Pedro vs Rivers United Champions League Clash

Published

on

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has appointed a Gabonese officiating team for the CAF Champions League preliminary-round first-leg match between FC San Pedro of Côte d’Ivoire and Nigeria’s Rivers United.

The match is scheduled for Saturday, September 5, 2026, at the Laurent Pokou Stadium in San Pedro.

Kick-off is set for 4:00 pm local time, which is 5:00 pm Nigerian time.

  • Edeh Loveth has made an immediate impact in her debut season with Edo Queens, scoring her first goal for the Nigerian Women’s Football League championsEdeh Loveth has made an immediate impact in her debut season with Edo Queens, scoring her first goal for the Nigerian Women’s Football League champions

Advertisement

Gabonese referee Cregue Flaury Moukagni has been appointed as the centre referee for the encounter.

He will be assisted by his compatriots Amos Abeigne Ndong and Junior Assoughe, while Pierre Ghislain Atcho will serve as the fourth official.

Beninese official Innocent Atindehou has been appointed as the Match Commissioner, with Algeria’s Mohamed Lamine Benaissa serving as the Referee Assessor.

Advertisement

The match is part of the first-leg preliminary round of the 2026/27 CAF Champions League.

Rivers United will be hoping to secure a positive result in Côte d’Ivoire before the return leg in Nigeria as they begin their campaign in Africa’s biggest club competition.

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

Gilas Pilipinas loses to Korea in tune-up ahead of Asian Games

Published

on

Robert Bolick Gilas Pilipinas vs Malaysia SEA Games 2025 men's basketballRobert Bolick Gilas Pilipinas vs Malaysia SEA Games 2025 men's basketball

FILE –Gilas Pilipinas guard Robert Bolick. 

MANILA, Philippines–Gilas Pilipinas was handed an 81-56 defeat by host South Korea on Friday in the first of two tune-up games between the two teams in the Hana Invitational held at KT Sonicboom Arena in Suwon.

The Asian Games-bound squad started the game allowing South Korea to score the first nine points and was left to play catch-up the rest of the way as Gilas got its exhibition series off on the wrong foot.

Article continues after this advertisement
Advertisement

READ: Gilas Pilipinas at Asian Games 2026: What you need to know

South Korea managed to extend its lead from 24-18 after the first quarter to double-digits for most of the way as it was able to take advantage of Gilas’ struggles on both ends.

But the contest also allowed Gilas to tinker with the 11-man roster, with coach Tim Cone letting his assistants do the chores, given that they were the ones in charge of the Asian Games prep while he was busy with the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

Gilas will take on South Korea anew on Sunday at the same venue, before heading to Japan for the Asian Games.

Advertisement
Article continues after this advertisement

The game was not televised back home, but netizens managed to find ways to watch via third-party streaming.

Robert Bolick, Zavier Lucero, RJ Abarrientos, Brandon Bates and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser started for Gilas in the tune-up.

Adrian Nocum, Justine Baltazar, Jerrick Ahanmisi and Justin Arana were later given some significant playing time, even when the game was already out of reach, even as Don Trollano and Sedrick Barefield played mostly in the first and fourth quarters.

Advertisement


Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.


Your subscription has been successful.

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

Around the CFL: Top QBs Rourke, Alexander set to clash for first time

Published

on

No offence to the three traditional rivalry games, but the most intriguing contest on Labour Day weekend for the CFL might be the battle between teams from opposite ends of the country.

The Lions-Alouettes tilt on Friday night in Montreal is more than simply an appetizer ahead of Roughriders-Blue Bombers, Argonauts-Tiger-Cats and Elks-Stampeders.

The Week 14 opener marks the first career meeting between the best quarterbacks in the CFL — B.C.’s Nathan Rourke, the league’s 2025 most outstanding player, and Montreal’s Davis Alexander, a top candidate to be this year’s MOP along with Als star receiver Tyson Philpot

The Lions have won five in a row after a 1-5 start to get into the middle of a tight West Division race, while the Als lead the league at 9-2 heading into this home-and-home series.

Advertisement

“They both lead in their own way. They’re both great quarterbacks,” said Lions linebacker Darnell Sankey, a teammate of Alexander the past three years in Montreal. “They’re here for a reason.”

There are several similarities between the two QBs — both were born in 1998, both can run when required and both have similar heights and weights (Rourke is six-foot-one, 209 pounds, while Alexander is six-feet, 210 pounds).

Both apprenticed behind veteran QBs — Cody Fajardo in Montreal and Michael Reilly in B.C. — before becoming starters, and both are looking for their first Grey Cup as the main man.

Both also have battled injuries throughout their CFL careers, with Alexander avoiding disaster last week when he suffered a calf injury after a hit against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. He said he was as sore as ever earlier in the week, but the 2026 CFL passing leader had no thoughts of sitting out this game.

Advertisement

The Canadian-born Rourke, meanwhile, missed two games with a shoulder injury earlier this year.

Rourke played down the matchup with Alexander when chatting with reporters this week in Ottawa, where the Lions stayed and practised following a win over the Redblacks on Sunday night.

“I’m not on the field with him,” Rourke said. “My focus is against their defence and doing my job. I believe in our defence and they’ve been playing well. That’s not something I concern myself with.”

Rourke has every right to be confident in his team’s defence. The Lions lead the league in opposing net offence, rebounding under defensive co-ordinator Mike Benevides after a rocky start.

Advertisement

They’ll have to be at their best against Alexander, Philpot No. 2-ranked receiver Tyler Snead and impressive running back Travis Theis. The Als lead the league in net offence.

“They’re who they are for a lot of reasons,” Lions head coach Buck Pierce said. “They’re a physical group that’s extremely well-coached. They execute at an extremely high level. We have to make sure we’re able to execute at a high level. If you don’t against that team, I think you’ve seen throughout the course of that season what can happen in those situations.”

The Als defence, meanwhile, figures to have its hands full with Rourke, top-10 receivers Keon Hatcher and Justin McInnis, and bruising running back Zander Horvath.

Montreal struggled last week against Winnipeg star quarterback Zach Collaros and running back Brady Oliveira in a 44-28 loss.

Advertisement

“They’re dangerous,” Alouettes head coach Jason Maas said. “I know they’ll be confident coming in our building. I’m very aware of our record (0-6) against them the last three years. I think everyone in our organization is. They’re a dangerous opponent. I’m not surprised they’ve turned it around and got above .500.”

Toronto and Hamilton, and Edmonton and Calgary may be geographically closer to each other, but many longtime CFL types will tell you there’s nothing like the annual Labour Day eve showdown between visiting Winnipeg and Saskatchewan.

Blue Bombers defensive co-ordinator Jordan Younger played for Toronto and Edmonton, so he’s as good a person as any to compare the three.

“If you had to show somebody what a regular-season game could be like in the CFL that never had any idea, you’d want to show them the Labour Day classic out in Saskatchewan and the Banjo Bowl rematch here (the following week),” Younger told reporters this week. “I think it’s a great (example) of how impactful the CFL game can be. They’re incredibly fun games to be a part of.”

Advertisement

Roughriders head coach Corey Mace also has been a part of all three games, having played and coached in Calgary and coached in Toronto.

“Everything’s just amplified,” Mace said. “Obviously, if we make a good play, the roar and the pop from the crowd is a little bit extra on Labour Day. … I think everybody in the province looks forward to this game.”

It has long been said that the CFL season really doesn’t get going until Labour Day.

Stampeders GM/head coach Dave Dickenson understands why that motto has stood the test of time.

Advertisement

“We know it’s so important in the CFL, (from) Labour Day on,” he said. “We’ve already played 11 games, and yet a lot of people say the season starts from Labour Day on. That’s because if you get hot and you start playing good football, you’re usually not out of it in the CFL and you can really gain momentum.”

Fajardo, now the starting QB of the West-leading Elks, sees things a bit differently.

“Everyone talks about the season doesn’t start until Labour Day. Well, we started at Labour Day (last year) and we still missed the playoffs” after going 4-4 in the final eight games, he said.

“So I don’t believe in that term. I think the season starts Week 1. For us, we’ve built up a great bank of wins. The second half of the season is where the great teams separate themselves from the good teams.”

Advertisement

B.C. Lions (6-5) at Montreal Alouettes (9-2), Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET

The Alouettes have won eight in a row at home. The same teams meet again next Saturday in Vancouver, the finale of a rare four-game day for the league.

Winnipeg Blue Bombers (6-5) at Saskatchewan Roughriders (7-4), Sunday, 7 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. CT

The Roughriders lead the Labour Day Classic series 39-22, and have won 16 of the previous 20 editions. As usual, the teams square off again next Saturday in Winnipeg.

Advertisement

Toronto Argonauts (5-6) at Hamilton Tiger-Cats (4-8), Monday, 2:30 p.m. ET

Crucial game in the battle for second in the East, with a West crossover for the division’s third playoff spot a firm possibility. The winner of the QEW battle will own the tiebreaker, too. Hamilton leads the Labour Day series 37-16-1, and desperately needs a win here.

Edmonton Elks (8-3) at Calgary Stampeders (5-6), Monday, 6 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. MT

This has been an even Labour Day series over time, with Calgary leading 32-31-1 after winning 11 of the past 13. Stamps QB Vernon Adams Jr. is expected to return after missing last week’s win over Hamilton with a head injury. The traditional rematch is next Saturday in Edmonton.

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

Sam Mulroy Injury Deals Major Blow to Naomh Máirtín’s Louth Title Defence

Published

on

Naomh Máirtín’s defence of the Louth Senior Football Championship has suffered a significant setback following a shoulder injury to Sam Mulroy.

Louth captain Sam Mulroy is expected to miss the remainder of the county club championship after suffering a serious shoulder injury while playing for Naomh Máirtín.

The influential forward was forced off shortly after the beginning of the defending champions’ Group 1 defeat against St Joseph’s in Darver.

A wrist problem was initially suspected, but the injury has since been identified as an issue with Mulroy’s shoulder. He is due to undergo an MRI scan to establish the full extent of the damage.

Advertisement

Injury Update

Player: Sam Mulroy

Club: Naomh Máirtín

Injury: Shoulder

Next step: MRI scan

Early expectation: Set to miss the remainder of the championship

Huge absence for the champions

Early indications suggest Mulroy will play no further part in this season’s race for the Joe Ward Cup, although the club will await the results of the scan before the full recovery period becomes clear.

His expected absence is a considerable blow for Naomh Máirtín. Mulroy remains one of the most dangerous forwards in the Louth club championship and provides leadership, scoring power and experience to the reigning champions.

Naomh Máirtín must now attempt to recover from their group-stage defeat without their most influential attacker as the championship moves towards its decisive stages.

Advertisement

Mulroy central to Louth’s progress

Mulroy has been a central figure in Louth’s rise in recent seasons and captained the county to a first Leinster senior football title in 68 years.

His accuracy from placed balls, ability to score from distance and composure in tight matches have made him one of the county’s most important players.

Naomh Máirtín will hope the scan provides positive news regarding his longer-term recovery. For now, however, the champions appear likely to face the rest of their Louth campaign without their county captain.

Advertisement


LiveScores Now Available at IrishScores.com

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

PLDT stays focused as title defense hits rough patch

Published

on

Savi Davison and the PLDT High Speed Hitters during a game vs Farm Fresh Foxies in the 2026 PVL Invitational ConferenceSavi Davison and the PLDT High Speed Hitters during a game vs Farm Fresh Foxies in the 2026 PVL Invitational Conference

Savi Davison and the PLDT High Speed Hitters during a game vs Farm Fresh Foxies in the 2026 PVL Invitational Conference. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines— Defending champion PLDT got the brunt of criticism on social media after absorbing back-to-back losses in the PVL Invitational Conference.

After sweeping 13 games en route to back-to-back titles in the PVL on Tour and Invitational last year, PLDT lost two of its first three games in its title defense.

Article continues after this advertisement
Advertisement

READ: PVL: PLDT halts slump, tops Farm Fresh to keep title defense alive

Savi Davison, however, came to the rescue, dropping 32 points as the High Speed Hitters revived their title hopes with a 25-16, 25-22, 23-25, 25-20 win over Farm Fresh on Friday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Aware of the outside noise, coach Rald Ricafort is trying to ease the pressure by focusing on one game at a time rather than defending their title.

“The defending champion tag isn’t really relevant to us this conference because it just adds hype and becomes a distraction,” said PLDT coach Rald Ricafort in Filipino. “What’s more important for us is how we responded after the losses to Nxled and Vietnam, which were really tough for us, especially because we didn’t have much time to recover mentally.”

Advertisement
Article continues after this advertisement

“I told them before the game that if that’s the lesson we’re going to get from this conference, then we have to maximize it. There are so many distractions outside of the game, but this is our job, so we really have to stay focused,” he added.

PLDT High Speed Hitters' Savi Davison during a game vs Farm Fresh Foxies in the 2026 PVL Invitational Conference. PLDT High Speed Hitters' Savi Davison during a game vs Farm Fresh Foxies in the 2026 PVL Invitational Conference.

PLDT High Speed Hitters’ Savi Davison during a game vs Farm Fresh Foxies in the 2026 PVL Invitational Conference. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Team captain Kath Arado, who had 24 digs, said the High Speed Hitters have also learned to lean on one another amid the criticism.

Advertisement

“Honestly, you can’t really avoid it because social media is huge now and fans are really invested in volleyball. Personally, I’m not really active on social media, so that helps me avoid the noise,” said Arado in Filipino.

Article continues after this advertisement

READ: PVL: Ho Chi Minh stuns PLDT for breakthrough Invitational win

“It also helps that we have our coaches handling the technical side. We check on each other whenever we see each other and ask, ‘How are you?’ From there, we can tell if everyone is doing okay.”

Advertisement

“But what we really want to build is our relationship as a team. Whatever we hear outside or whatever happens within the team, we need to stay together. We’ll just listen to what the coaches tell us because that’s what will help us grow as a team,” she added.

Ricafort also credited the squad’s growth after three seasons together, particularly in handling adversity.

“The team is definitely growing, and credit to all the teams because the games have been really tough. I think the biggest growth I’ve seen from us is that we’re now able to pinpoint the technical things we need to fix. Before, there were still a lot of differences among the players, but now we’re more solid even when we lose,” the PLDT coach said.

Advertisement

“We’re already at the point where we need to focus on growing as volleyball players. We really want this conference, but because of what happened, we weren’t able to get the games and results we wanted. It’s not over yet, though. We still have to fight until Tuesday,” he added.

PLDT hopes to stay in finals contention against Creamline on Sunday.



Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.


Your subscription has been successful.
Advertisement

“They’re champions, they’ve been together for a long time, and they know each other really well. They’re a tough team to play against, but that’s our job. If we want to win, we have to work harder and stay focused,” Arado said.

“Creamline won’t give us an easy win. It’s not going to be like previous conferences where we could just expect to win. We have to think that we’re back to zero. We won today, but now we’re back to zero. We have to keep working and study them.”

Advertisement

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

Enzo Maresca press conference LIVE Man City vs Coventry team news plus transfer reaction

Published

on

City have confirmed that midfielder Claudio Echeverri has joined Benfica on a season-long loan deal. The summer transfer window in England closed at 11pm on Tuesday. However, clubs in Portugal have until Tuesday, September 15, to do their business. This meant Echeverri’s move to Benfica was in no rush to be completed. After signing for the Portuguese giants, the attacking midfielder explained Ruben Dias’ role in the deal. “When I was in Manchester, I met with Ruben Dias. He also spoke very highly of Benfica. He told me it was a huge club, that the people here are really great, that it has a great atmosphere for playing, the atmosphere of a truly big club.

“And the same was true of Bernardo Silva, who is a great player who played here. For me, he’s one of the best players I’ve ever played with. And I listened to what he had to say, which made me even more certain that I wanted to come here. He said some wonderful things to me.”

Read more here>>>

Claudio Echeverri (left) trains with Manchester City teammates Elliot Anderson (centre) and Nico O'Reilly (right)

Claudio Echeverri (left) trains with Manchester City teammates Elliot Anderson (centre) and Nico O’Reilly (right)(Image: James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images)

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Sports

Hamzah Sheeraz granted extension for talks to face former champion who failed doping test

Published

on

Hamzah Sheeraz is seemingly edging closer towards making a mandatory defence of his WBO title, despite having accused the relevant sanctioning body of being “corrupt”.

The Brit became a world champion in May, scoring a second-round finish against the overmatched Alem Begic, who seemed largely undeserving of a major title shot at 168lbs.

Nevertheless, Sheeraz claimed the vacant belt and made a voluntary defence in July, with Simon Zachenhuber proving an awkward challenger before losing a majority decision.

Advertisement

It then came as a controversial ruling when the 27-year-old was ordered to defend his title against Janibek Alimkhanuly, who failed a doping test late last year.

In response, the WBO issued a year-long suspension but allowed the Kazakh to retain his world middleweight title, given that he is a ‘first-time offender’.

Since then, though, Alimkhanuly has vacated his belt and moved up to 168lbs, where he leapfrogged top contender Jacob Bank and became the mandatory challenger.

Sheeraz then responded by accusing the WBO of handling the situation with preferential treatment, which president Gustavo Olivieri has rather unsurprisingly denied.

Advertisement

Taking to social media on Thursday, Olivieri also stated that all relevant parties are moving forward with the ordered bout between Sheeraz and Alimkhanuly.

“Please be advised that Top Rank [Alimkhanuly’s promoter] and Queensberry Promotions [Sheeraz’ promoter] have jointly filed a petition requesting a one-week extension to continue negotiations toward reaching an agreement.

“Accordingly, the parties are granted an extension until Thursday, September 10, 2026, no later than 5pm Atlantic Standard Time (AST), to finalise and submit an agreement to the WBO.”

If no agreement is reached by this deadline, then the WBO will order a purse bid hearing and allow other organisations to compete for promotional rights.

Sheeraz has previously admitted that vacating the belt is an option. Speaking on the Ariel Helwani show, he criticised the sanctioning body in no uncertain terms.

“I think it’s a joke. I think what the WBO have done here is disgraceful to the sport of boxing as well.

“What they’re essentially doing is rewarding someone who’s been popped [for a banned substance].

Advertisement

“I suppose it comes down to ulterior motives and corruption… I feel like it’s all based on personal relationships.”

The Brit’s next move will become clearer over the next seven days.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Sports

Cal Quantrill tosses 7 shutout innings as Rangers blank Rays

Published

on

Sep 3, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers second baseman Justin Foscue (14) hits an rbi single during the fourth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn ImagesSep 3, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers second baseman Justin Foscue (14) hits an rbi single during the fourth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Cal Quantrill delivered another strong performance for the Texas Rangers on Thursday night, blanking the Tampa Bay Rays on two hits over seven innings in a 6-0 win at Arlington, Texas.

It was the third time in his past four outings that Quantrill (7-5) tossed at least six shutout innings. He struck out five and walked two in his latest effort.

Corey Seager blasted a two-run homer in the opener of the four-game series. Wyatt Langford doubled and scored twice for the Rangers (70-71), who moved within a half game of the final American League wild-card spot with their fourth win in five games.

The Rays (83-57) have lost three of four, causing their lead atop the AL East to be narrowed to three games over the idle New York Yankees (80-60).

Tampa Bay left-hander Shane McClanahan (10-7) allowed four runs and six hits in five innings. He struck out three and walked one.

Advertisement

The Rangers broke the scoreless tie in the fourth when Langford doubled with one out and Justin Foscue stroked a two-out RBI single through the left side for a 1-0 lead.

Texas broke it open in its half of the fifth after Logan O’Hoppe singled to left-center field to lead off the inning. O’Hoppe was sacrificed to second and scored on a two-out bloop single to shallow right by Ezequiel Duran to make it 2-0.

Following a steal of second by Duran, Seager pulled a changeup into the seats in right for a two-run homer and a 4-0 lead.

Advertisement

The Rangers tacked on two insurance runs in the eighth when Evan Carter tripled into the right field corner to drive in Langford from first and Carter scored on a sacrifice fly by Jake Burger to make it 6-0.

Quantrill, who improved to 4-0 with a 1.77 ERA in seven career starts against the Rays, retired the first eight batters he faced before Nick Fortes reached on an infield single with two outs in the third.

Yandy Diaz followed with another single, but Quantrill got Chandler Simpson to ground out to short to end the threat.

Quantrill retired the side in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings before stranding his only two walks in the seventh.

Advertisement

–Field Level Media

Source link

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2025