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  • ‘What old-timers can do’ – the evolution of Belgium’s golden generation

    ‘What old-timers can do’ – the evolution of Belgium’s golden generation

    When the 2026 FIFA World Cup kicked off 30 days ago, barely any football pundits or fans counted Belgium among the tournament’s potential contenders. Many of the star names that anchored the Red Devils’ campaigns in past iterations of the competition had retired or moved on from international football, and few expected the current squad to advance deep into the knockout stage. That scepticism only grew deeper when Belgium found themselves trailing Senegal 2-0 with just five minutes of regulation time left to play in their Round of 32 clash. What has followed since that dire opening, however, has been one of the most remarkable turnaround stories of this World Cup: a legendary comeback to eliminate Senegal, followed by a dominant 4-1 victory over the United States on American soil that has carried Belgium into the tournament’s quarter-finals.

    Gone are iconic Belgian figures like Eden Hazard, Mousa Dembele, Marouane Fellaini, and Vincent Kompany, who led the side to quarter-final finishes in 2014 and a historic semi-final run at the 2018 Russia World Cup – widely considered the peak of the country’s so-called golden generation. After a dismal 2022 Qatar World Cup campaign that saw Belgium crash out in the group stage, many wrote this veteran core off entirely. But the remaining veterans of that golden era – goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, forward Romelu Lukaku, midfielder Kevin de Bruyne, and midfielder Axel Witsel – have helped transform a shaky start into a legitimate shot at World Cup glory. Now, as Belgium prepares to face Spain for a semi-final spot on Friday at 20:00 BST, the question looms: was the Belgian golden generation written off too soon, or has manager Rudi Garcia unlocked a new way to harness their veteran experience alongside emerging young talent?

    Courtois, the Real Madrid shot-stopper competing in his fourth World Cup, framed this squad as a new chapter for Belgian football ahead of the USA match. “It is true that there are some players from the golden era, but the World Cup in Qatar for us was not that good,” he explained. “Now we have another generation with younger people, new people, willing to do great things and writing in the history pages for Belgium.”

    Courtois’ assessment holds up under scrutiny. Of the four remaining veterans from the 2014 and 2018 squads, only 34-year-old Courtois has played every minute of the 2026 tournament. De Bruyne, 35, suffered an injury early in the Senegal clash, while 37-year-old Witsel has seen limited minutes off the bench. Thirty-three-year-old Lukaku has racked up an impressive three goals, but has played fewer than 50% of the team’s total minutes, mostly coming off the bench to exploit tired defences stretched thin by the high pressing of 25-year-old Atalanta forward Charles de Ketelaere. Full-back Thomas Meunier, another 2018 World Cup veteran, has also seen his playing time decrease as the tournament has progressed.

    This does not mean the veteran core has not been integral to Belgium’s run. Courtois remains one of the top goalkeepers in the world, Lukaku’s clutch goals have swung critical matches, and De Bruyne delivered some of the squad’s best performances before his injury. But their role has shifted: rather than carrying the full weight of the team’s performance over 90 minutes, they now step up to make the difference in high-stakes key moments. So far, Garcia and Belgium have navigated this generational transition far more smoothly than most international sides manage when their golden generation begins to age.

    For Garcia, the constant focus on the veterans’ age misses the point entirely, and downplays the quality he has in his squad. “I really can’t stand it when my four leaders are called ‘veterans’,” he said earlier in the tournament. “It is ugly. It is awful. If you are lucky enough as a country to have players of this calibre, then encourage them. This is what Belgium’s ‘old-timers’ can do.”

    The veterans’ leadership has been complemented by standout performances from a new cohort of players who did not experience the pressure of the 2014 and 2018 runs, but already hold extensive experience at top European clubs. Arsenal winger Leandro Trossard has been particularly outstanding: he has created more chances (17) than any other player in the tournament so far, and notched two goals and two assists to put him 15th in the tournament for total goal contributions. De Ketelaere, while not a prolific goalscorer, has contributed two goals and one assist while creating critical space for wide attackers to operate inside the penalty area. Club Brugge midfielder Hans Vanaken, 33, who has spent his entire domestic career in Belgium, has added one goal and two assists, while captain Youri Tielemans scored both the equalizer and match-winner to pull off the incredible comeback against Senegal.

    Of the 13 squad members aged 25 or younger, only Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku is already considered an elite talent at this stage, though fellow wingers Diego Moreira and Matias Fernandez-Pardo have shown clear potential, and Aston Villa midfielder Amadou Onana turned in strong performances before suffering an ACL injury against the USA.

    The squad was further galvanized by controversy surrounding FIFA’s last-minute decision to uphold a one-match suspension for USA striker Folarin Balogun ahead of the Round of 16 clash. In a show of unity and defiance, Belgian players mocked former US President Donald Trump by mimicking his signature campaign trail dance on the pitch after scoring. After the match, Garcia praised the squad’s tight chemistry: “The group is very mature. We have leaders to help us.”

    Beyond on-pitch chemistry, Belgium’s dressing room has a unique quirk that has shaped its leadership dynamic: linguistic diversity rooted in the country’s history and position at the heart of the European Union. The Belgian squad includes players with heritage from across the globe, including DR Congo, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, France, Italy, Portugal, and Spain. Lukaku alone speaks six languages fluently. With native Dutch speakers from northern Flanders and native French speakers from southern Wallonia, the team has intentionally adopted English as its primary shared language to avoid the political and identity tensions that can surround language use in Belgian public life.

    “It’s a very strategic thing to do,” explained Dr. Jim Ureel, senior lecturer in applied linguistics at the University of Antwerp. “Language is a very sensitive topic in Belgium – it’s heavily linked to identity and politics. Dutch-speaking people don’t necessarily want to adapt for the French, and vice-versa. If the players were choosing one or the other, it could become a problem. English therefore becomes very useful – you can avoid those issues and it all becomes neutral, especially because young footballers almost always speak good English and lots play in English-speaking countries. When things become more personal, in smaller groups, they might switch into what they’re most comfortable with. I think it’s very clever how they do it.”

    As Belgium prepares for their quarter-final showdown with Spain, the team’s veteran leaders will need to draw on all their experience to inspire the young squad to another upset. This run is not just the last hurrah for Belgium’s golden generation; it is a transition: a core of seasoned veterans stepping into new leadership roles, guiding the young players who will soon take over the future of Belgian football.

  • AFL star Josh Worrell involved in accidental collision with pedestrian

    AFL star Josh Worrell involved in accidental collision with pedestrian

    A top-ranked Australian Football League (AFL) player has been confirmed involved in an accidental collision between his vehicle and a pedestrian, an incident that unfolded just one day before his team’s critical upcoming match. Josh Worrell, a key defender for the Adelaide Crows, voluntarily reported to a local police station Friday following the crash on Port Road in the suburban Adelaide area of Woodville. According to local reports, the accident occurred as Worrell was making his daily commute to team training, ahead of Saturday’s highly anticipated match against Gold Coast at the Adelaide Oval.

    Multiple official sources have confirmed that the collision was accidental, with no immediate indication of foul play or dangerous driving on the part of the player. South Australia Police (SA Police) launched an official investigation into the incident shortly after it was reported. In an official statement to media outlets, SA Police confirmed: “Police can confirm they are investigating a collision involving a car and pedestrian on Port Road, Woodville, this morning. Both parties attended police stations this afternoon to report the collision. Police did not attend the scene and are investigating.”

    The Adelaide Football Club also publicly acknowledged the incident in a statement posted to its official website, noting that it would not release further details while the police probe is ongoing. “The Adelaide Football Club can confirm one of its players was in a vehicle accident involving a pedestrian this morning,” the club’s statement reads. “The matter has been reported to South Australia Police and at this stage, the club is not in a position to provide any further comment.”

    As a result of the incident and subsequent reporting requirements, Worrell missed his scheduled training session on Friday. Despite the disruption, club insiders confirm he remains on track to suit up for the Crows in their Saturday clash at Adelaide Oval. The male pedestrian who was involved in the collision has declined all requests for comment from local media, including *The Advertiser*, which first broke details of the incident. To date, no charges have been filed against any party connected to the collision, and the investigation remains in its early stages.

  • How football has helped immigrants make a home in the US

    How football has helped immigrants make a home in the US

    Far from the packed stadiums and global spotlight of the 2026 FIFA World Cup being hosted across North America, a rough asphalt pitch in Portland, Maine’s Kennedy Park is demonstrating just how transformative football’s unifying power can be for vulnerable communities. For hundreds of immigrants and refugees who gather here for informal pick-up matches, the beautiful game has become far more than a pastime: it is a lifeline, a common language, and the foundation of a tight-knit support network that has sustained its members through one of the strictest immigration crackdowns in recent U.S. history.

    What began as a casual weekly gathering in 2021 has grown into a diverse community connecting players from more than 40 countries, all bound by their shared love of football and experiences of building new lives in a foreign country. For teenagers like George Lusolo, who arrived in the U.S. from the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2018 with his mother to seek asylum, the Kennedy Park pitch offered a sense of belonging when everything else felt unfamiliar. After being held in immigration detention in Texas and staying at a New York shelter before resettling in Portland, Lusolo stumbled on a social media post about the pick-up games and immediately found his people.

    “I really didn’t know the language. I didn’t know anyone here,” Lusolo, now 19, recalled. “Everything was so hard for me and my mom when we first arrived. But when I got to the pitch, I saw people who had gone through the same struggles as me. Soccer has always been my therapy – I’ve played since I was a little kid growing up in Kinshasa. Playing alongside people who understand what you’ve been through? It feels like home.”

    Fellow Congolese immigrant Deji Kuribanza, who resettled in the U.S. after passing through Angola, echoed that sentiment, noting that football acts as a universal bridge that eliminates language barriers. “You don’t need to speak the same language to play,” the 18-year-old explained. “Just point to your feet, gesture for the ball, and you’re connected. It’s such a simple, beautiful thing.”

    That tight bond has been put to the test in recent months, as the second Trump administration has ramped up enforcement actions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The independent Migration Policy Institute estimates that ICE has arrested at least 400,000 people nationwide since January 2025. While the federal government maintains that only people who threaten public safety and national security are targeted, and says legal residents face no risk, immigrant communities across Maine have been thrown into panic by widespread raids that rights groups say have swept up dozens of innocent people with no criminal records.

    For the Kennedy Park community, the fear hit close to home last year, when 17-year-old regular player Joel Andre and his entire family were detained by ICE. After their initial asylum application from DR Congo was denied, the family tried to cross into Canada to file a new claim, unaware of a bilateral agreement that forces asylum seekers to file their claim in the first safe country they enter. That technicality led to their detention when they returned to the U.S.

    In the wake of the raids, many players and their families were too afraid to leave their homes, with several immigrant students missing weeks of school, said Anthony Fiori, the local photographer and community organizer who coordinates the Kennedy Park pick-up games. But rather than fracture the community, the crisis brought its members closer together. Organizers arranged more than 70 grocery deliveries to housebound families, and the entire community rallied behind a public campaign to secure Andre’s release from detention. After four months of advocacy, they won the teenager’s release, though he still carries lasting psychological trauma from his time in custody.

    “The conditions in those detention facilities are terrible – the food is inadequate, and some holding cells are kept freezing,” said Todd Pomerleau, the attorney who represented Andre’s family. “Joel is a talented young footballer, a bright kid with so much going for him. But this experience changed him. Anyone who goes through that never comes out the same – he and his family need ongoing support to heal.” Andre and his family are now continuing to fight their asylum case in U.S. federal court.

    Despite the fear and uncertainty that hang over the community, many players see their regular matches on the Kennedy Park asphalt as a way to challenge negative stereotypes about immigrants and build acceptance in their new home. “A lot of people here only see immigrants as stereotypes, that we come here and take things and don’t contribute,” Kuribanza said. “But when locals walk past the park and see us laughing, playing, enjoying the game together, it changes how they see us. It shows we’re just people who want the same things everyone else wants.”

    Fiori, whose own family has lived in Maine for nine generations, notes that the community fills a unique gap in a state that remains one of the least demographically diverse in the country. “To have a space where people from every background, every country, every generation can come together, play, and become friends? That’s really special,” he said.

    With the 2026 FIFA World Cup taking place just a few states away, the community has been swept up in tournament excitement, especially after DR Congo – the home country of many Kennedy Park players – reached the last 16 of the competition, its first World Cup knockout stage appearance in more than 50 years. For many of the young players, the tournament has stoked big dreams for their own futures. Kuribanza says he harbors a dream of one day playing on the World Cup stage himself, while Lusolo hopes to turn his love of football into a professional career representing DR Congo internationally.

    Whether they make it to the global stage or not, the players of Kennedy Park already embody the core message of the World Cup: football transcends borders, backgrounds, and hardship to bring people together. For these immigrants and refugees, a simple asphalt pitch in a small Maine park has become a place to call home.

  • Spain aim for World Cup date with France by beating Belgium

    Spain aim for World Cup date with France by beating Belgium

    As the 2026 FIFA World Cup enters its knockout final stretch, European champions Spain will square off against a resurgent Belgium side at Los Angeles’ iconic SoFi Stadium this Friday, with the winner earning a highly anticipated semi-final showdown against defending champions France. This match has set the stage for a clash of contrasting narratives, with Spain aiming to continue their unbroken defensive streak and unlock their full attacking potential, while Belgium’s veteran Golden Generation chases one last shot at global glory as tournament underdogs.

  • Big Bash League to play historic first overseas match in India

    Big Bash League to play historic first overseas match in India

    Cricket fans around the world are set to witness a groundbreaking milestone for Australia’s premier domestic T20 competition, the Big Bash League (BBL), after organisers officially confirmed that the 2025-26 season will open with a historic first-ever overseas match between two of the league’s most storied sides, the Perth Scorchers and Melbourne Renegades. The fixture, scheduled for December 12 at Chennai’s iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium, marks the first time a BBL game will be hosted outside of Australia, and league executives are already projecting it could break viewership records for Australian domestic sport.

    The landmark fixture was formally announced on Friday during a high-profile appearance by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, underscoring the deep cultural and sporting ties between the two cricket-mad nations. Alistair Dobson, Big Bash League’s executive general manager, framed the event as a transformative moment for the competition, noting that India’s massive, passionate cricket fanbase combined with a prime-time broadcast slot for domestic audiences in Australia will deliver an unprecedented global audience.

    “With India’s massive cricket audience added to our prime-time viewership back home in Australia, we project this will be the most-watched Australian domestic sporting event in history,” Dobson said. “We all know just how massive cricket is in India, and that reach makes this fixture absolutely enormous.”

    All eight men’s BBL franchises submitted expressions of interest to participate in the historic Indian match, but organisers ultimately selected the Scorchers and Renegades after evaluating a range of factors, including scheduling flexibility and Perth’s geographic proximity to India that reduces travel burdens for the squad. Dobson added that the selection of the reigning BBL champion Perth Scorchers was also a natural fit given the franchise’s unparalleled on-field success and global recognition among cricket followers.

    “The Scorchers’ track record of success has made them a household name in cricket globally — in terms of consistent on-field results, they’re arguably the best domestic cricket team in the world,” Dobson noted. He added that both franchises will need to adjust their player contracting arrangements to accommodate the overseas opening fixture.

    The match will be broadcast nationally in India by leading media network JioStar, bringing Australia’s dynamic domestic T20 competition to hundreds of millions of cricket fans across the subcontinent. Chennai’s Northeast Monsoon season, which runs from October through December, was noted in organisers’ announcements, though no specific concerns about weather impacts on the fixture were raised.

    Australian cricket legend Steve Waugh, who first toured India with the national side in 1986, said he never imagined a milestone like an Australian domestic match hosted in India would come to fruition during his early career. Waugh, who has developed a deep affection for India over four decades of visiting the country, called the fixture a game-changing opportunity for the BBL to grow its global profile.

    “It gives the Big Bash world exposure, so it’s a fantastic opportunity for the competition,” Waugh said. Reflecting on his first tour of India in the 1980s, he noted that much has changed for Australian cricketers traveling to the subcontinent: “Back then, we were a bit apprehensive, had a bit of a siege mentality, because we didn’t understand the culture. Now, players are far more comfortable here — they play in the IPL every year, they understand the people and how everything works, so it’s a much smoother experience.”

    Waugh, an avid amateur photographer, added that India feels like a second home to him after 40 years of visits, saying he is excited to see the historic match come to the country he loves. The announcement of the Chennai fixture comes amid a recent shift in Indian sports policy, which saw New Delhi relax entry restrictions for Pakistani athletes earlier this May following cross-border military skirmishes earlier in 2025. Under the revised rules, individual Pakistani athletes can enter India to compete, though full Pakistani national teams are only permitted to participate in multi-nation tournaments.

  • ‘I might start to think about it now’: Jason Ryles responds to massive Jarome Luai rumour as Eels make huge call on Mitch Moses

    ‘I might start to think about it now’: Jason Ryles responds to massive Jarome Luai rumour as Eels make huge call on Mitch Moses

    The NRL world has been thrown into a frenzy by a blockbuster transfer twist, and Parramatta Eels head coach Jason Ryles has finally offered his first public comments on the looming move of star playmaker Jarome Luai, who is currently listed as the leading target for the club ahead of the 2026 season.

    In the wake of the State of Origin series wrapping up, Luai’s future has become the most discussed talking point in Australian rugby league after Wests Tigers, his current club, made a shock announcement that they would grant their co-captain an early release from his contract at the end of the 2025 season. Luai is already contracted to join the expansion PNG Chiefs when the side enters the NRL competition in 2028, and remains on a $1.2 million deal with the Tigers for the 2026 season. That leaves the four-time premiership winner needing a new club for just one single season, with a move to the Western Derby side Perth Dolphins widely ruled out – a relocation would require Luai to uproot his family across Australia twice in 12 months, first to Perth and then to Papua New Guinea.

    The Parramatta Eels have emerged as the clear frontrunners to secure Luai’s signature for 2026, where he would form a high-profile halves combination alongside current Eels star Mitchell Moses. But Ryles remained guarded when pressed about the potential deal during a media availability on Friday, stopping short of confirming or denying active negotiations.

    “Right now, there’s a lot of noise around Jarome, and he’s undoubtedly an elite talent,” Ryles told reporters. “Our club is always in the market for elite talent to strengthen our roster, but all of this is still very new. I honestly don’t have a lot of details at this stage. It’s definitely a conversation worth having, and we’ll just wait and see if anything comes of it.”

    Luai and Moses already have a proven track record of success together, having paired regularly for the New South Wales Blues in State of Origin matches, a history that many rugby league analysts point to as a core reason the Eels make sense for Luai. Parramatta has prior experience with short-term playmaker signings, most recently Jonah Pezet, who joined the club on a one-year deal from Melbourne Storm ahead of his scheduled move to the Brisbane Broncos in 2027. That arrangement has struggled to deliver results so far, with Pezet battling through recurring form and fitness problems that kept him sidelined for nearly three months before he made his return to first grade last week.

    When asked if the Eels would be taking a similar risk with Luai, Ryles noted there is a key distinction between the two players: Pezet is a natural halfback, while Luai is a specialist five-eighth, eliminating any potential positional friction with Moses. Ryles added that he has been laser-focused on preparing for this weekend’s match against the Sydney Roosters and had not yet dived deep into planning for a potential Luai signing.

    “Jarome is a four-time premiership winner, that resume speaks for itself,” Ryles said. “He’s a world-class quality player, and his reputation in this game is entirely earned through consistent elite performances on the field. I haven’t spent any time thinking through the details of a move, so I haven’t gotten to that point yet. I’ve been completely focused on our game against the Roosters tomorrow; we just wrapped up our final preparations, so maybe I’ll start turning my attention to it now.”

    In related team news ahead of Saturday’s clash, Ryles confirmed that Moses would miss the Roosters match after picking up a corked leg in the decider match of this year’s State of Origin series. The Blues playmaker carried the injury through the full 80 minutes of Wednesday’s match, but pulled up sore after the game, and the club has opted to rest him to avoid aggravating the issue.

    Moses is now expected to return to the starting lineup after the Eels’ bye next weekend, in a high-stakes western Sydney derby against Penrith Panthers led by Luai’s fellow Blues teammate Nathan Cleary on July 23. Ryles confirmed that Pezet, who was already named to step back into first grade last week, will take Moses’ spot in the lineup against the Roosters, adding that the club has full confidence in his ability to perform.

    “Mitchell got a knock early in the Origin decider that he finished the game with, but he’s too sore to go this week, so he’ll sit this one out and be ready to go after the bye,” Ryles explained. “Jonah has prepared all week for this, he played well last week coming back from injury, and we’re really confident he’ll do a great job for us this weekend.”

  • Tigers’ emotional Eduardo Valencia thanks family, honors Venezuela after he homers in 1st MLB at-bat

    Tigers’ emotional Eduardo Valencia thanks family, honors Venezuela after he homers in 1st MLB at-bat

    DETROIT – For 26-year-old catcher Eduardo Valencia, Thursday night at Comerica Park was more than just a long-awaited Major League Baseball debut. It was a history-making, emotion-filled moment that extended beyond the diamond, dedicated to his family and a nation reeling from devastating disaster. Called up from the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens just hours before first pitch, Valencia became the 10th player in Detroit Tigers franchise history to hit a home run in his first career plate appearance, powering the team to a 4-1 win over the Oakland Athletics and cementing a three-game series sweep.

    The opportunity for Valencia’s promotion opened unexpectedly when Tigers All-Star catcher Dillon Dingler was sidelined by a bruised right hand, clearing a spot for the eight-year minor league veteran on the big league roster. Entering as a pinch hitter for outfielder Kerry Carpenter in the seventh inning against Oakland reliever Hogan Harris, Valencia connected on a 425-foot blast to center field, rounding out the scoring for Detroit and sending the home crowd into a roar.

    In a post-game on-field interview with the Tigers’ broadcast team, Valencia struggled to contain his emotion, his voice cracking with tears as he reflected on the years of grind that led to the milestone. “I was waiting a lot for this, for my family, for Venezuela and I’m so excited,” he said, describing his approach at the plate: “I was just thinking, like, I was trying to hit for contact. Get a good pitch, just be the most calm that I can do it. I was so excited.”

    A native of Valencia, Venezuela, Valencia made the meaning of the moment clear as he celebrated around the bases. After connecting, he pointed to the sky, pounded his chest, and gestured a heart toward his wife, who was in the stands waiting to share a victory embrace on the field after the final out. His parents were unable to travel from Venezuela for the debut, and Valencia made sure to dedicate his historic hit to the entire Venezuelan people, who are still recovering from a rare double earthquake that struck the country on June 24. The disaster has killed at least 920 people, injured more than 3,300, and left hundreds more missing and presumed dead.

    “This is for all Venezuela people,” Valencia said. “They gave me everything.”

    Valencia’s historic debut marks the first time a Tigers player has homered in their first big league at-bat since outfielder Akil Baddoo achieved the same feat on April 4, 2021. Signed by the Tigers as an 18-year-old prospect back in 2018, Valencia spent more than eight seasons climbing the ranks of the club’s minor league system, appearing in 439 minor league games before earning his first call-up. He only reached the Triple-A level last year, notching 50 games with Toledo in 2023 before posting 76 appearances with the club this season ahead of his promotion.
    After his historic home run, Valencia stayed in the game as Detroit’s designated hitter, and was hit by a pitch in his second plate appearance. Following the final out, his jubilant teammates celebrated the milestone by dousing him with a cooler of water as the remaining home crowd cheered. Still overwhelmed by the moment, Valencia summed up the experience simply: “I mean, this is so exciting. I’m just trying to help the team to win. … I was waiting a lot of time for this moment. It’s so exciting. … I can’t talk right now.”

  • Australia’s domestic Twenty20 cricket league to open its season in Chennai, India

    Australia’s domestic Twenty20 cricket league to open its season in Chennai, India

    In a landmark move that redefines the scope of Australian domestic cricket, the Big Bash League (BBL), Australia’s premier Twenty20 competition, will kick off its upcoming season with an unprecedented opening match hosted on Indian soil. The December 12 clash between the Melbourne Renegades and Perth Scorchers, set to take place at Chennai’s iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium — a venue with a 38,000-spectator capacity — was officially confirmed Friday during a special ceremony held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

    The announcement, co-flagged by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ends weeks of swirling industry speculation about the cross-border fixture. It marks the first time in BBL history that a regular season match will be contested outside of Australia, a strategic shift aimed at expanding the league’s global footprint and tapping into one of the world’s largest cricket fanbases.

    Organizers have arranged the scheduling to align with ongoing international cricket action: the evening start time of the match in Australia translates to an afternoon kickoff in India, and the fixture will get underway immediately after the conclusion of play on the fourth day of the Test match between Australia and New Zealand in Perth, Western Australia. BBL officials have expressed confidence that the historic fixture will draw a full house at the Chennai venue, capitalizing on India’s enduring passion for elite short-format cricket.

  • ‘Wouldn’t risk it’: Raiders duo cleared to play this weekend as Sharks rule out one of their Origin stars

    ‘Wouldn’t risk it’: Raiders duo cleared to play this weekend as Sharks rule out one of their Origin stars

    Just days after New South Wales pulled off a famous State of Origin series-clinching win in Brisbane, NRL club coaches have finalized their lineups for this weekend’s round of matches, with two Canberra Raiders standouts cleared to back up just 72 hours after their decider heroics.

    Triumphant Blues pair Hudson Young and Ethan Strange will both take the field against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs in Sydney on Saturday, Canberra coach Ricky Stuart confirmed Friday, after the pair successfully pulled through fitness checks following their return from Origin camp.

    Strange entered the third and deciding Origin match under a fitness cloud, having picked up an ankle injury during Blues preparations, but still managed to come off the bench for the final 15 minutes of the series win. When questioned on the five-eighth’s availability for club duty this weekend, Stuart made clear there was no hesitation to name him in the side.

    “I wouldn’t risk it (if he wasn’t fine),” Stuart told reporters. “We haven’t really even spoken too much about it, so he’s fine to go. He got a few minutes on the field at the back end of the game, so he’ll be right to play.”

    For Young, who delivered three dominant 80-minute performances on the left edge of the Blues’ defensive line across the series, the biggest hurdle to playing this weekend was soreness from a heavy knock to the back he picked up in the decider. The young forward capped his standout series by scoring the final try of the game to seal NSW’s win, and Stuart said Young’s 2024 Origin campaign has cemented his place as a permanent elite-level representative player.

    “He was pretty sore yesterday. His three 80-minute performances were marvellous. He’s been such a high contributor to the Blues. I think he’s proven now to everyone that he’s a main-stayer at that level. He has such a high contribution and workload, his effort areas are very high off the football. It’s everything you want in an Origin player. Laurie (Blues coach Laurie Daley) showed so much confidence in him, and when you show confidence in a player and a guy like Hudson, he’ll repay you,” Stuart said.

    The Raiders also received a boost on the injury front, with Stuart confirming veteran forward Josh Papalii is a strong chance to make his return to the starting lineup this weekend, just weeks after picking up a calf injury that kept him sidelined.

    Across the other Saturday clash, Cronulla Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon has ruled out Queensland Maroons forward Briton Nikora for the club’s match against the Dolphins, opting to rest the standout forward after he delivered a massive workload in the Origin decider. Nikora notched an incredible 49 tackles in just 65 minutes of game time, before completing a Category Two Head Injury Assessment following a series of heavy hits.

    Fitzgibbon said the club would not take any unnecessary risks with Nikora’s health, adding that replacement Billy Burns has earned his opportunity through consistent top-tier form for the Sharks throughout the 2024 NRL season.

    “We won’t be taking a risk with Brit. It’s really simple for us the way that Billy Burns is playing at the moment. We trust Billy, and he’s been one of our better performers,” Fitzgibbon said.

    Fellow Sharks Origin representatives Blayke Brailey and Addin Fonua-Blake, who played limited minutes off the bench for NSW in the decider, have both been cleared to play against the Dolphins this weekend.

  • Ireland makes 9 changes to its starting side for Nations Championship match against Japan

    Ireland makes 9 changes to its starting side for Nations Championship match against Japan

    Leading into a highly anticipated Nations Championship test match this Saturday in Newcastle, Australia, two national rugby sides have finalized their match-day rosters, with Ireland rolling out a heavily reshuffled starting lineup and Japan retaining a standout young playmaker who turned heads in his international debut last week.

    Only six players who featured in Ireland’s narrow 33-31 win over the Wallabies in Sydney last Saturday will retain their starting spots for this week’s neutral-venue clash, played roughly an hour’s drive north of Sydney. The holdovers are backs Stuart McCloskey, Jamie Osborne and Jimmy O’Brien, plus forwards Tom O’Toole, James Ryan and Jack Conan. Irish head coach Andy Farrell announced a total of nine changes to the starting 15, headlined by lock Tadhg Beirne’s first appointment as captain of the senior national side.

    The match will also mark a string of firsts for emerging Irish talent: back-rower Sean Jansen is set to earn his first senior start at the number 8 position, while three other young players — Billy Bohan, Sam Illo and Bryn Ward — will all join the match-day squad for the first time, with Bohan and Illo in line to make their international debuts as replacement forwards. Farrell expressed clear enthusiasm for the opportunity to blood new talent against Japan, noting that even one debut is a special milestone, and four first-time call-ups makes this encounter all the more meaningful.

    For the Japanese side, head coach Eddie Jones has opted to keep faith in 21-year-old university flyhalf Ryunosuke Ito, who made his maiden international appearance last week and delivered an impressive performance in Japan’s 27-10 victory over Italy in Tokyo. Jones, who returns to the sideline this week after serving a four-match suspension, will keep Ito in the starting lineup alongside starting halfback partner Naoto Saito. Speaking about the young playmaker, Jones emphasized that Ito will inevitably face growing pains at the international level, but the entire squad is prepared to support his development, and the coaching staff is encouraging him to play his natural game. Japan made just one adjustment to its starting roster from last week’s win, with Taira Main stepping in to replace Kippei Ishida on the left wing.

    The full confirmed rosters for both sides are as follows:
    Ireland starting XV: Jamie Osborne; Jimmy O’Brien, Robbie Henshaw, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale; Ciarán Frawley, Craig Casey; Tom O’Toole, Rónan Kelleher, Thomas Clarkson, Tadhg Beirne (captain), James Ryan; Jack Conan, Nick Timoney, Sean Jansen. Irish reserves: Tom Stewart, Billy Bohan, Sam Illo, Cormac Izuchukwu, Bryn Ward, Nathan Doak, Harry Byrne, Bundee Aki.
    Japan starting XV: Takuro Matsunaga; Kazuma Ueda, Dylan Riley, Yuya Hirose, Taira Main; Ryunosuke Ito, Naoto Saito; Takato Okabe, Mamoru Harada, Shuhei Takeuchi, Harry Hockings, Warner Dearns (captain), Ben Gunter, Kanji Shimokawa, Jack Cornelsen. Japanese reserves: Hayate Era, Sojiro Otuska, Keijiro Tamefusa, Michael Stolberg, Michael Leitch, Tiennan Costley, Itsuki Kamimura, Sam Greene.