File image of Indian Grandmaster Iniyan Pa© X (formerly Twitter)

If you’re counting on Minnesota Vikings rookie defensive tackle Caleb Banks to make an immediate impact as a starter, Bleacher Report wants you to rethink your stance.

Minnesota picked Banks with the 18th overall selection in April, and according to Kristopher Knox, Banks will likely be used as a rotational piece in 2026, much to Vikings fans’ chagrin.

Recent Rookie Results Suggest Patience Is Reasonable for Banks

BR: Banks Will Compete for a Rotational Role

Knox predicted the impact from every 1st-Rounder heading into 2026, and on Banks, he scribed, “Initial Role: Compete for Rotational Role. The Minnesota Vikings rebuilt their defensive front during the offseason, parting with Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen while adding Isaiahh Loudermilk and rookies Caleb Banks and Domonique Orange.”

“While Banks was Minnesota’s first pick in April’s draft, he may be pushing for periodic playing time in camp.”

Banks’s health and presence at training camp in three weeks will be among Minnesota’s top storylines.

Knox concluded. “He has been relegated to rehabilitation work thus far while recovering from foot surgery—though the Vikings are pleased with his growth on the mental side. If fully recovered by the start of camp, Banks should be fighting for a prominent role in Minnesota’s defensive line rotation.”

A Record Scratch Sound

It’s been a very long time since the Vikings drafted a defensive tackle in Round 1 — Sharrif Floyd from the same school as Banks in 2013 — and most have assumed that, if healthy, Banks should start right away. Round 1 rookies usually play, right?

That may not be the case for Banks, who’s navigated two foot injuries, one from last summer and the other at the NFL Combine in February. The Vikings could slow-roll his on-field appearance, or they could simply be patient with his development, not rushing him into the starting lineup because they have personnel options.

In any event, it’s important to remember that young DTs often take longer to develop than players at other positions. Patience among fans will be required.

Recent History

Need numbers? We’ve got them. Most Round 1 defensive tackles get significant action as rookies — why draft them in Round 1 if not? — but few start from cover to cover.

Since 2022, these players selected in the 1st Round started the following number of games as rookies:

• Mason Graham: 17 Starts (2025)
• Tyleik Williams: 10 Starts (2025)
• Byron Murphy: 9 Starts (2024)
• Derrick Harmon: 8 Starts (2025)
• Jordan Davis: 5 Starts (2022)
• Kenneth Grant: 5 Starts (2025)
• Mazi Smith: 3 Starts (2023)
• Jalen Carter: 1 Start (2023)
• Bryan Bresee: 0 Starts (2023)

Graham from the Cleveland Browns is the only guy to get the nod in all 17 starts. In that vein, Knox may be correct.

A Positive Trajectory and Health All That Matter

What do Vikings fans need to see from Banks to feel encouraged by the pick and excited about his future? Simple — a clean bill of health and a player who passes the eye test as a rookie, if only down the stretch of the regular season. Think: Dallas Turner in 2024 on the latter.

Unless absolutely necessary, Banks cannot redshirt as a rookie. If so, almost everybody will question the draft pick. He also can’t play like an utter buffoon. The Viking Age‘s Anthony Miller recently noted on Banks: “That foot injury is going to cause a lot of stress in Minneapolis since Banks has injured it twice in the last nine months: once in the regular season and then again during the NFL Combine.”

“At the position he plays, it’s going to be difficult for him to fight through that injury without it popping up again at some point. The decision to select him adds just as much pressure on the Vikings’ coaching staff and front office as it does on Banks.”

Banks’s draft stock fell so far in March and April that most firmly expected him to fly off the board in Round 2. Before the Combine, he was a no-brainer 1st-Rounder.

Miller added, “They knew what they were signing up for with Banks, so they have to hope he can follow through and be the talent they want him to be while staying healthy. Banks has all the capabilities to be a great defensive tackle in Brian Flores’ scheme.”

“He might be seen more as the guy to cause congestion in the middle of the line, but he could be the next Jalen Redmond and also be a solid pass rusher.”

If Banks stays healthy, makes splash plays here and there, and appears to be a young asset with an upward arrow, onlookers will rejoice. The Vikings have so few successful draft stories over the last four years that the bar is pretty damn low.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker

Shortly after announcing his signing with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing, Andy Ruiz Jr dropped a diss track and called out Tyson Fury.

‘The Destroyer’ pulled off one of the sport’s greatest upsets in 2019, stopping Anthony Joshua in round seven to become the unified world heavyweight champion.

Since losing his titles in their immediate rematch, however, Ruiz has amassed just three fights against Chris Arreola, Luis Ortiz and Jarrell Miller.

After unanimously outpointing the first two, Ruiz boxed to a controversial draw against Miller, who many deemed unfortunate not to emerge victorious in August 2024.

The Mexican-American then revealed that he had suffered a hand injury during their contest, which can partly explain his near two-year spell of inactivity.

But now, the 36-year-old is looking to return to action on September 4, this time fighting under the Matchroom banner after inking a multi-fight promotional deal with Hearn.

And one of his primary targets, it seems, is ‘The Gypsy King’, who he called out via a social media diss track on Friday.

“This one goes out to Tyson Fury. You must’ve bumped your head, talking crazy, boy you’re silly.

“You said you’d beat me with one hand – I’d really love to see that. Come and meet me in the ring, I’ll lay you flat on your back.”

In his comeback fight, Ruiz is reportedly set to face Damian Knyba, who was stopped in round three by WBC champion Agit Kabayel in January.

Fury, meanwhile, will face Polish veteran Mariusz Wach in Pattaya, Thailand, on July 24, entering his second warm-up fight after outpointing Arslanbek Makhmudov in April.

The hope is that he will then fight Joshua, possibly in November, yet ‘AJ’ must first come through his assignment against Kristian Prenga in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on July 25.

Britain’s Arthur Fery reacts as he departs centre court after losing to Germany’s Alexander Zverev during their men’s singles semi-final tennis match on the twelfth day of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 10, 2026. (Photo by Henry NICHOLLS / AFP)

Arthur Fery insists he can handle the increased scrutiny and expectations that will follow his fairytale run at Wimbledon after Alexander Zverev ended the Briton’s bid for All England Club history.

Just two weeks ago, Fery arrived at Wimbledon as an unknown ranked 114th in the world with so little hope of winning the tournament that he had booked a holiday to Greece for the latter stages.

READ: Arthur Fery first wildcard to enter Wimbledon semis in 25 years

A remarkable run comes to an end.

Congratulations on a wonderful Championships, Arthur Fery. #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/7Ah4NxLAy5

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 10, 2026

But Fery’s life changed forever in the intervening 10 days as he became the first wildcard to reach the Wimbledon men’s semifinals since Goran Ivanisevic won the title 25 years ago.

The 23-year-old had won just two matches at Grand Slams prior to his astonishing surge into the last four at the All England Club.

Fery’s dream of becoming the first British man to win Wimbledon since Andy Murray a decade ago came to a painful end with a 7-6 (7/0), 6-2, 6-4 defeat against Alexander Zverev on Centre Court on Friday.

But Fery had no reason to be downhearted about a loss to the red-hot German second seed, who has won his last 13 Grand Slam matches, including winning his first major title at the French Open in June.

“I’m proud of how I handled the progression of the tournament and how I kept going in every match,” he said.

“Just kept fighting, came back to the court every time and gave my best, never letting go and really pushing myself to the limit.

“It might have been just a step too far today. The opponent was a step up again.”

Fery will rise to 36th in the ATP rankings next week, guaranteeing him entry into the sport’s biggest events, instead of having to rely on wildcards or qualifiers to make the main draw.

With that comes greater pressure on a man who is now the face of British tennis — only a fortnight after he could have walked down Wimbledon high street without eliciting a second glance.

“It’s going to change things, for sure. I’m going to be able to play tour events at least for a full year, hopefully for more,” he said.

READ: Arthur Fery 1st British wildcard to reach Wimbledon quarterfinals

Arthur Fery had the Centre Court crowd on their feet! 👏🤩

Today’s Play of the Day, presented by @Barclays pic.twitter.com/txRJhVS9CD

Advertisement

— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 10, 2026

“It’s going to be interesting to see how I deal with that change and everything that that brings in terms of expectations from myself, from the public, from everyone.

“Already looking forward to that. It’s going to be a challenge to deal with all of that, but I’m conscious of it already and that’s the first step.”

‘Recharge the batteries’

Fery’s tenacity and incredible work-rate inspired a Wimbledon story for the ages, as he stunned former world number three Grigor Dimitrov and French Open finalist Flavio Cobolli en route to the last four.

Zverev was too powerful and focused for Fery to reach what would have been his maiden Grand Slam final on his 24th birthday on Sunday.

Instead, Fery can take a well-earned break and think about taking the holiday he should have already been on.

“I was meant to be coming back from holiday today. That’s obviously changed!” he said.

“But yeah, I definitely need some time off, process everything that’s happened these past two weeks.

“Right now mentally, physically tired of the tournament. Going to make sure I take enough time to recharge the batteries, and then just go again.

“I was meant to be going to Greece with some friends. We’ll see if that’s still in the cards.”

Fery has played only one Masters 1000 event, losing in the first round in Miami this year.

But now he can start to plan his schedule for trips to some of the more high-profile stops on the ATP Tour, including the US Open in New York in August.

“I feel like I’ve showcased it here, but also in the past year since I came back from injury, I’ve played really high-level tennis,” he said.

San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama just had an enormously successful third season in the NBA end in Finals heartbreak against Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks. Brunson famously elected to take a substantial discount on the contract extension he signed in 2024 in order to help the Knicks build the team that eventually took down Wembanyama and the Spurs. 

Now, at least to an extent, Wembanyama is following in Brunson’s footsteps.

On Friday, Wembanyama reportedly signed a five-year, $252 million contract extension to remain in San Antonio. In theory, he could have made up to around $303 million. That decision both does and does not represent a substantial discount on his contract. What do I mean by that? Let’s dive into the cap mechanics of the deal and its broader implications for both the Spurs and the NBA at large.

Victor Wembanyama reportedly agrees to five-year, $252M extension with Spurs while leaving money on the table

Brad Botkin

Advertisement

So… is it a discount or not?

The answer here is a resounding “maybe.” Not every player has the same max salary, and the issue at play here is what sort of max Wembanyama would have been eligible for.

Max contracts are divided into three tiers. Players with 4-6 years of experience like Wembanyama can start their new contracts at 25% of the cap. Those with between 7-9 years of experience can start at 30% of the cap. Finally, players with 10 or more years of experience can start at 35% of the cap. However, players who hit certain benchmarks can leap up into the next tier. If Wembanyama had won MVP or Defensive Player of the Year or made an All-NBA Team next season, he would have been eligible to jump from the 25% max tier to the 30% max tier.

Most players signing rookie extensions aren’t eligible for 30% after their third season. A single MVP award at any point in the three previous seasons automatically triggers eligibility, but if a player is attempting to do so through All-NBA or Defensive Player of the Year as most do, he needs to either get there in the season before the contract starts (the fourth season for rookie extension candidates, like Wembanyama) or in two of the previous three seasons (the second and third seasons for a rookie extension candidate). Luka Dončić is the last player to reach eligibility before the start of his fourth season. Therefore, most players who can negotiate that 30% max do so through escalators. The contract is guaranteed at the 25% max, but if the player hits any of those benchmarks in his fourth season, it jumps to the 30% max.

What Wembanyama is doing here is foregoing those escalators. He just took a 25% max, no questions asked. Even if he makes an All-NBA Team or wins Defensive Player of the Year or MVP, he will not get boosted up to 30%. So the answer to whether or not Wembanyama took a discount depends on what happens this season.

How does this discount compare to Jalen Brunson’s?

Wembanyama’s decision will inevitably be compared to Brunson’s, but they are structurally quite different. Wembanyama is a former first-round pick entering his fourth season, making him automatically eligible for a rookie extension. It was just a matter of what sort of extension he took.

Brunson’s case is a bit more unusual. He signed his deal coming off his sixth season. His circumstances would have required waiting a full year to get what he was actually worth. Had Brunson merely played out the 2024-25 season, he would have become a free agent eligible to re-sign with the Knicks on a new deal starting at 30% of the cap. However, he instead elected to take a standard veteran extension following his sixth season. Veteran extensions can give a player up to a 40% raise on their previous salary, and since Brunson was already on a team-friendly deal signed in free agency, that mechanism capped him below his max.

The exact amount that Brunson gave up is a bit overstated. The number you see thrown around frequently is $113 million, because Brunson ultimately signed for $156.5 million, whereas his projected max would have been around $269 million had he waited a year. However, this ignores how much faster the extension would have allowed Brunson to reach free agency again and sign a new deal to replace the discounted one. During the seasons when these contracts overlapped, the discount was closer to $37 million, or about $12 million per year.

That’s right around the $10 million or so that Wembanyama is potentially sacrificing annually. Wembanyama is starting his new deal at 25% of the cap rather than 30%. Brunson went slightly further, starting his extension at 22.6% of the cap rather than waiting an extra year to reach 30%. When you consider the extra risk Brunson would have had to have taken on by waiting a year to sign, the degree of favor that each of them did their teams suddenly starts to look comparable. The Knicks used that favor to build a championship team. Now, San Antonio hopes to do the same.

What does this mean for the Spurs?

Managing Wemby’s workload

The single most important element of this contract for San Antonio has less to do with roster-building than it does load management. You might look at those Rose Rule escalators and think, “We’re talking about Victor Wembanyama here. He was absolutely going to win Defensive Player of the Year and make an All-NBA Team.” Well, that might be the case if not for the 65-game rule. Wembanyama just barely skirted beyond the threshold last season, and he didn’t reach it in the 2024-25 campaign.

The 65-game rule incentivizes injured players to suit up early for the sake of possible contract escalators. This isn’t speculation. It has literally happened. Take Tyrese Haliburton. He played in 33 of the first 36 games for the Indiana Pacers in the 2023-24 season, averaging just under 24 points and 13 rebounds in those games. And then he hurt his hamstring, missing five games, before returning for one and then missing five more. He played every game the rest of the season, but wasn’t the same player. He averaged 16.8 points and 9.3 assists the rest of the way on far less efficient shooting than he’d previously mustered. 

He was so spectacular in the first half of the season that he still earned a Third-Team All-NBA selection and therefore received a 30% max contract rather than the 25% he otherwise would have received. But it seemed like he rushed back before he was ready. Haliburton himself essentially admitted that. In an interview with JJ Redick in which Redick alluded to Haliburton’s “$53 million incentive to come back,” Indiana’s superstar acknowledged he might have handled his recovery differently without the 65-game rule. 

“I thought I was ready to go for the Portland game. So did our medical staff. Everybody agreed,” he said. “But if this was never the case, I might have been like, ‘Give it another game or two. Maybe think more through this. Let’s try to be 100%.’”

Now apply this thinking to Wembanyama, whose size increases his injury risk every time he steps on the court. The last thing the Spurs want is to ever force him to play hurt. Remember, he averaged only 29.2 minutes per game last season. San Antonio is incredibly cautious with him. Now, he has no contractual incentive to risk aggravating an injury unnecessarily. The Spurs can continue to manage his workload aggressively. Nothing is more important to the Spurs moving forward than Wembanyama’s health.

The NBA’s seven biggest non-LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard questions left to be answered this offseason

Advertisement

Sam Quinn

Ducking the luxury tax

The Spurs would have happily paid Wembanyama any legal amount because, if healthy, he is almost certainly to outplay his next contract. But getting this discount does still potentially mean quite a bit. The most obvious immediate benefit here is that, with Wembanyama at 25% rather than 30%, it becomes far easier for the Spurs to avoid the luxury tax in the 2027-28 season. Right now, they’re looking at around $10 million in tax room with three roster spots to fill. If Wembanyama were making 30%, he’d essentially fill that gap himself, forcing the Spurs to dump a contract to duck the tax.

You might say that the Spurs are a championship-caliber team that should be willing to pay the tax, but remember, this is an exceedingly young team hoping for a very long window. The new repeater tax is almost comically punitive. The Denver Nuggets are staring down a $400 million payroll if they keep Peyton Watson at market value, for instance. The Spurs have a lot of tax years ahead of them and they play in a relatively small NBA market. 

Delaying the repeater clock for as long as possible absolutely matters. The Spurs likely would have done it one way or another. Now, doing so won’t have to mean, say, dumping Luke Kornet‘s partially guaranteed contract or trading Tobias Harris.

The weight of De’Aaron Fox’s contract

And then of course, there’s the De’Aaron Fox of it all. As has been widely discussed, the Spurs signed Fox to a four-year, $221.7 million max extension last offseason that is only now kicking in. With each passing year, that contract becomes cumbersome. This season, it’s fairly manageable. Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper are all still on rookie deals. But Wembanyama’s new deal kicks in for the 2027-28 season, and then Castle follows a year after that, with Harper getting paid last in a deal that will start in the 2029-30 season. We can safely assume that Castle and Harper are getting something close to the max, barring a catastrophe. Therefore, the Spurs were staring down a nightmare scenario in 2030 in which Wembanyama and Fox were on 30% max deals while Castle and Harper were at least making 25%, if not 30%, themselves. That would have been untenable.

The one-year overlap between Fox’s deal and the rookie extensions signed by San Antonio’s star-studded core is still a concern, but Wembanyama taking 25% instead alleviates the year-to-year weight of overpaying Fox meaningfully. They might still eventually decide to trade Fox, but they’d be doing so from a slightly stronger position. Teams won’t be able to point at their payroll as easily and say, “You have to do this, so you’d better give us something great to get us to take on Fox’s contract.” The Fox situation remains potentially problematic. Wembanyama’s discount just makes it less so.

And to this point, we’ve only really talked about Wembanyama’s discount in a vacuum. The Spurs have a history of convincing their best players to take less. Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili all did so. Perhaps Castle and Harper cooperate as well and take slight haircuts for the sake of building a championship roster. That would make life far easier for the Spurs moving forward. Of course, there’s a catch: perhaps Wembanyama’s decision compels stars on other teams to take slightly less for the sake of the team, creating tougher competition for the Spurs moving forward. Yet most such cases will be much more complicated than Wembanyama’s. 

What does this mean for everybody else?

Pressure on other stars to take discounts?

When Brunson won the championship, there was plenty of debate about whether or not his decision would trigger a wave of similar discounts from stars. But Brunson’s situation is anomalous on so many levels that it is essentially irreplicable. Team president Leon Rose is a former power agent whose first client was Brunson’s father, Rick, who is now a coach on the team. Their relationship spans decades. The Knicks have gone out of their way to acquire three of Brunson’s college teammates. He hosts a podcast with one of them, Josh Hart, about their experience as former roommates. They paid five first-round picks to get another of them, Mikal Bridges.

The degree of trust between Brunson and the Knicks is unique in all of basketball. We will likely never see a situation as specifically conducive to a discount as Brunson’s ever again. He could always safely assume that the Knicks would make him whole down the line. Most players can’t make that assumption with their teams.

Wembanyama’s situation, though, is a bit more notable. Think back to LeBron James. When he joined the Miami Heat in 2010, he took a sizable enough discount for Pat Riley to bring back Udonis Haslem and sign Mike Miller. When he returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014, however, he made it clear he would accept only a max contract. He would not take less than the max again for a full decade. Soon after returning to Cleveland, he was elected vice president of the NBPA.

The next Jaylen Brown? Three high-paid NBA players whose contracts could eventually make them trade candidates

Sam Quinn

Advertisement

James was and remains the face of the NBA. At that point, he was at the absolute peak of his powers. By taking a discount, he was giving the owners and general managers of other teams ammunition to convince their own players to do the same. Essentially, they could say, “Do you really think you deserve more than LeBron James? How are we supposed to compete with him if you’re making more money than he is?” Taking the max in 2014 removed some of that pressure on his fellow stars to take less.

Now, especially in the ultra-restrictive apron era, teams have that ammunition once again. We just watched Jaylen Brown get traded in part because of his 35% max contract. Karl-Anthony Towns was moved for similar reasons. Teams will once again pitch their players on the idea that competing with Wembanyama might mean taking the sort of discount that he did. NBA salary numbers are so cartoonish now that some teams will probably get away with it. Remember, $250 million is the discounted version of Wembanyama’s contract. There is a very real chance that he earns $1 billion solely in NBA salary before it’s all said and done. Teams are inevitably going to try to sell their stars on the idea that they are going to retire with generational wealth either way, so they might as well prioritize winning in their contracts.

Some players will do so. Others won’t. This has always been true to an extent, but the divide will probably get starker. Ironically, the teams that get these discounts are usually the ones that need them least. James took less to play for the historically competent Heat. Chet Holmgren eschewed these same escalators for the Oklahoma City Thunder a year ago. Brunson plays for the exceptionally well-run Knicks. Wembanyama’s Spurs won five championships in the two-and-a-half decades before his arrival. They have all been among the NBA’s more expensive teams, of course, but they are also among the smartest. Fortune tends to favor the prepared.

Contract management has never been more important

Having a smart front office has always been an enormous advantage. That advantage is even more meaningful under the draconian reign of the 2023 CBA. If the smart teams have contractual advantages on top of their strategic ones, well, that’s going to make it that much harder for the teams paying their players at the top of the market to compete. The Knicks just won their championship, thanks in no small part to Brunson’s discount. Oklahoma City’s title came with many of its best players on cheap rookie deals. Contract management has never been more important than it is today, and one day soon, discounts like this might become a necessity to winning championships.

The more players who take these discounts, the less powerful each of them becomes. After all, there’s still only one trophy at the end of the season. No matter how it happens, 29 teams and the hundreds of players they employ won’t win it every year. In practice, this means these discounts will no longer be a superpower for the teams that get them. Instead, max contracts could become anchors dragging down those that don’t.

We’re halfway through the 2023 CBA, assuming either side exercises its opt-out after the 2028-29 season. Maybe the rules will change again in ways that avert all of this by then. But what Wembanyama did here could drastically alter the contractual landscape superstars face. At the very least, taking every last cent is likely to draw some criticism. At most, it’s going to make it substantially harder for such players to realistically win championships. 

The Spurs were already a terrifying opponent. Wembanyama just made them that much scarier.

Mental health education has been embedded into CIMSPA’s core occupational professional standards

Four key knowledge areas have been introduced into the coach and swimming teacher curriculum.

Developed alongside Mind, the licensed content was piloted across nine NGBs

The standards deliver on key welfare recommendations originally highlighted in the Duty of Care in Sport review

In a milestone moment, mental health has become a core part of CIMSPA’s occupational professional standards.

Four mental health knowledge areas have been embedded into CIMSPA’s Coach and Swimming Teacher standards: understanding mental health and wellbeing; maintaining professional boundaries; supporting people experiencing mental health problems and prioritising self-care. 

The standards have been developed by CIMSPA, with lived experience input from mental health charity, Mind, and the Movement and Mental Health Alliance.

Rachel Hooper, head of qualifications and training development at British Rowing, says: “Understanding mental wellbeing for athletes and coaches is an integral part of our new qualification curriculum and this licensed content has been invaluable in ensuring we use modern and credible information to support coaches. Partnering with subject matter experts means we can be confident we are sharing the right messaging within our learning offer.”  

The licensed mental health content for sport and physical activity courses and qualifications can be ‘lifted and shifted’ into courses and qualifications in whatever format NGBs and training providers require. 

Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson welcomes the move: “It’s encouraging to see the progress being made across sport and physical activity to embed mental health. Nearly a decade on from the Duty of Care in Sport review, it’s wonderful to see the review continuing to have a lasting legacy, with recommendations around mental health and wellbeing now coming to fruition across the sector. This growing commitment to wellbeing represents an important step forward for everyone involved in sport.”

A panel at last week’s Elevate conference discussed how to support members with their mental health. Among the key takeaways were that there needs to be an upskilling of staff so they know how to support people living with mental health problems, as this is already happening.

Ireland have named their squad for the 2026 European Co-ed Slowpitch Championship, with the national team set to compete at Farnham Park, London, from 14–18 July.

The Irish squad includes a strong mix of experienced internationals and players coming into the tournament with recent high-level competition behind them. After finishing fourth in 2024, Ireland will travel with realistic hopes of returning to the European podium for the first time since 2019.

Several members of the squad have also recently competed at the Men’s European Slowpitch Championship, which should leave Ireland sharper than many of their rivals when the tournament gets underway.

Ireland’s Proud European Record

Ireland have traditionally been one of the strongest nations in European co-ed slowpitch softball.

Since the competition began in 1998, Ireland have won 10 European medals, made up of three silver and seven bronze.

• Silver: 2002, 2004 and 2008
• Bronze: 1998, 2000, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2015 and 2019

Ireland finished fifth in 2022 before moving back into medal contention with a fourth-place finish in 2024. That recent record suggests another podium challenge is well within reach.

Ireland Management Team

The team will be managed by Aideen Teo, with Peter Mullen serving as Head Coach.

Jonathan Barry and Dermot McManus are part of the coaching team, while Eoin O’Connor and Serena Costelloe complete the backroom staff.

Norma McIntyre will captain Ireland, while pitching duties are expected to be shared by Simon Lewis, Wayne Cullen and Brian Hehir.

Ireland Squad

Clubs from Across Ireland Represented

The squad reflects the strength and spread of Ireland’s domestic slowpitch scene, with players selected from clubs across Dublin, Galway and further afield.

Dublin Donkeys have the largest representation with five players: Katie Doyle, Merilin Neiland, Pearse Newman, Simon Lewis and Wayne Cullen.

BatPak contribute captain Norma McIntyre and Jenny Ó Buachalla, while Dodder Dynamoes are represented by Kerry Keegan and Niall Lavery.

Galway Softball Club provide Mary Carroll-Smith and Cathal Creaven, giving the west of Ireland a strong presence in the squad.

Elsewhere, Hazel Kilduff represents Castleknock, Katie Flynn comes from Kegs, Brian Hehir from Chromies, Brodie Alexander from Tigers, Chris Barr from Cubs and James Calow from BSC.

Ruth Concannon is the squad’s overseas-based player, currently representing Linz Softball Club in Austria.

The number of clubs represented is a positive sign for Irish softball, showing that the national team is drawing from a broad and competitive player base rather than relying on one or two dominant clubs.

Ireland’s Fixtures

Tuesday 14 July

• 08:45 – Ireland v Norway
• 15:00 – Ireland v Czechia

Wednesday 15 July

• 10:45 – Ireland v Guernsey
• 14:45 – Ireland v Germany

Thursday 16 July

• 09:00 – Ireland v Lithuania
• 15:00 – Ireland v Austria

Friday 17 July

• 09:00 – Ireland v Belgium
• 15:00 – Ireland v Poland
• 18:45 – Ireland v Great Britain

Friday Could Decide Ireland’s Championship

Friday looks set to be the most important day of Ireland’s tournament from a progression point of view.

Ireland begin the day against Belgium before facing Poland later in the afternoon. Those are two games they will expect to win if they are to remain firmly in the medal race.

The final round-robin game against defending champions Great Britain at 6:45pm could then become hugely significant.

By that stage, Ireland should know exactly what is required. Depending on results earlier in the week, they could be playing for a place in the European final, a spot in the bronze medal game or vital seeding ahead of the tournament’s final day.

That makes the two earlier Friday fixtures absolutely essential. Ireland cannot afford to slip up against Belgium or Poland if they want to arrive at the Great Britain game with their medal hopes intact.

Germany and Czechia Also Crucial

While Friday will attract much of the attention, Ireland’s matches against Czechia and Germany could have a major bearing on the standings.

Germany defeated Ireland in the bronze medal game in 2024, making Wednesday afternoon’s meeting one of the most important fixtures of the week.

A win there would not only boost Ireland’s medal chances, but would also provide a major psychological lift against one of their closest rivals.

The opening-day meeting with Czechia will offer another early test and should provide a clear indication of where Ireland stand among the leading contenders.

Battle-Hardened Players

One of Ireland’s biggest advantages could be the amount of recent international softball already played by members of the squad.

Several players, including Cathal Creaven, featured at the recent Men’s European Slowpitch Championship.

That experience should leave them match sharp and comfortable with the intensity of tournament softball, particularly during a demanding schedule that includes nine games in four days.

Hazel Kilduff Chasing Another Medal

This will be Hazel Kilduff’s fourth European Co-ed Slowpitch Championship.

• 2019: Bronze medal
• 2022: Fifth place
• 2024: Fourth place

Having already experienced the podium in 2019 and narrowly missed out two years ago, Kilduff will be hoping Ireland can take the final step back into the medals in London.

Can Ireland Return to the Podium?

Great Britain remain the team to beat, but the battle behind them is much more open.

Ireland have the experience, pitching depth and recent international preparation to challenge strongly. If they can take care of the games they are expected to win and claim one major result against Germany, Czechia or Great Britain, a return to the podium is a realistic target.

The squad has been selected. The fixtures are set. Now Ireland have the opportunity to turn another competitive European campaign into a medal-winning one.

Rapparees Connection

Galway City Rapparees GAA Rounders Club have a unique connection to the tournament, with three of their rounders players involved across two countries.

Cathal Creaven and Hazel Kilduff have been selected for Ireland, while Katie Jessop will represent Great Britain.

With Great Britain entering as defending champions and tournament favourites, Jessop has a strong chance of returning home with a European gold medal, while Creaven and Kilduff will be hoping to help Ireland back onto the podium.

LiveScores Now Available at IrishScores.com

Erling Haaland and Norway have ripped through the World Cup scoring for fun and toppling global powers in their path, but facing England in the quarterfinals, how far can this team go? Norway have already made history defeating Brazil and will be securing their best-ever finish at a World Cup, but they’ll be looking for more as they face Thomas Tuchel’s England on Saturday. But, with how Norway play, can it be done?

Of course, having Haaland means that there are limitless possibilities to what Norway can do, but they’ll have the slight issue of trying to stop Harry Kane on their hands. Norway like to cede possession to their opposition, and they’ve allowed the third most shots of any team at the World Cup, which signifies that England will have plenty of chances in the match. Norway play with fire, but having Haaland score eight goals means that they can get away with that.

Facing Brazil, Norway needed a penalty save as their defense allowed 10 shots and an xG of 2.61, their highest against in the World Cup so far. Brazil’s lack of a true striker and the absence of Raphinha allowed Norway to get away with that, but it’s not something that will be able to be replicated against England.

Harry Kane is in the running for the Ballon d’Or for a reason, as he has been lethal as a finisher for Bayern Munich and England, and he’s the most well-rounded number nine in the world. Against Mexico, he took his chance well to score a penalty but also created a chance for Jude Bellingham due to being just as comfortable dropping deep into midfield and creating for others.

Brazil were missing a player who could be the focal point to create for others in Raphinha, and depending on whether Bukayo Saka starts, England may have four as they can overwhelm Norway in possession. The defense may struggle with Haaland, but one doesn’t have to stop Haaland to win; they just have to outscore him, and the Three Lions can do just that. They’ve played a few high-scoring games against Croatia and Mexico during this World Cup and have dug deep to secure wins despite the questions about mentality that surrounded them. 

Now, England will enter as favorites yet again against a team that has been rowing their way through the tournament. Born in Leeds, Haaland also could have represented England, and with Marc Guehi and Rico Lewis in the England defensive corps, there are also players involved who are used to defending against him in the Premier League. On the attacking end, with Kane and Bellingham, the Three Lions will have plenty of chances, and they can come from all over the pitch.

If Norway are going to make noise, the wings will be critical because if they aren’t going to hold possession, they need to hit England over the top. The Brazil game shifted when Alexander Sorloth was taken off for Andreas Schjelderup, and proper wingers were in the lineup, and that’s something that Norway manager Stale Solbakken will need to consider when setting up his lineup for the match. England will allow space for attacks, but if Norway are going to exploit it, they’ll need their natural wingers to shine and not a striker masquerading as one, which has been a struggle so far during the World Cup.

Even so, Norway will go as far as Haaland and Martin Odegaard can take them, and while it’s been an impressive task getting to this point, England have so many ways that they can get out of a game. Tuchel is an obsessive who will have a plan for attacking this game, even with England’s flawed squad coming into the World Cup. Defensively, they aren’t up to their expected strength, but flexibility-wise, this is a side with plenty of ways to make a team pay.

England’s worst enemy is themselves, so a fast start will be critical, but after surviving the Azteca, they’ll feel much better coming into a match in Miami, as their travels during the World Cup have taken them all over the United States and Mexico. Norway will provide a challenge, but as long as England can survive Haaland, they’ll book a trip back to Atlanta to face the winner of Argentina and Switzerland and keep their World Cup dream alive and well.

Sachin Tendulkar shares heartfelt message for Roger Federer (X)

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar shared an emotional message for tennis great Roger Federer after the two sporting icons reunited during the Wimbledon Championships.

Sachin Tendulkar post

Taking to X after their meeting at the All England Club, Tendulkar reflected on their long-standing friendship. “Some rallies never end. Our friendship is one of them. Always a pleasure spending time with you, Roger. Until we meet again,” Tendulkar wrote. The reunion came during another memorable visit to Wimbledon for the former India batter, who was among the distinguished guests invited to watch Friday’s semi-final from the prestigious Royal Box. Also present was India Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill, who experienced Wimbledon from the Royal Box for the first time. Gill, currently in England with the Indian team, will return to cricket action later this month for the ODI series against England. One of the highlights of the day was Tendulkar’s interaction with West Indies batting great Brian Lara, bringing back memories of one of cricket’s most celebrated rivalries. Although the two once battled fiercely on the international stage, they have since featured together in exhibition and charity matches. Gill also appeared to enjoy the occasion, taking a break from international commitments to soak up the atmosphere on Centre Court. The star-studded guest list also included Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk and Leeds United chairman Paraag Marathe, with several prominent names from the sporting world attending the Championships. On the court, Alexander Zverev booked his place in the Wimbledon final for the first time with a convincing 7-6(0), 6-2, 6-4 victory over British wildcard Arthur Fery. The second seed overcame a competitive opening set before taking complete control of the contest on Centre Court. Fresh from winning his maiden Grand Slam title at Roland Garros last month, Zverev has now reached his fifth major final and extended his winning streak in Grand Slam tournaments to 13 matches. He will now be one victory away from securing a second successive major title.