标签： Oceania

As the NRL’s round of State of Origin-enforced squad reshuffles kicks off, the Sydney Roosters are preparing to face the Dolphins at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium on Friday night with a drastically altered lineup—seven of their top first-grade stars are sidelined for the clash, but head coach Trent Robinson says the mass absences have created a golden opportunity for rising talent to prove their worth at the top level.

Both sides are navigating significant Origin-related disruptions. The Dolphins will also be without five of their Queensland Maroons representatives for the match, but they have received a timely boost: playmaker Isaiya Katoa has been released from New South Wales Origin camp to suit up for the club on Friday. For the Roosters, the absentees read like a who’s who of regular matchwinners: captain and fullback James Tedesco, Lindsay Collins, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Reece Robson, Robert Toia, Sam Walker and Victor Radley will all watch from the sidelines, with Nawaqanitawase in line to make his senior State of Origin debut for the Blues.

One of the most anticipated inclusions in the Roosters’ extended squad is 19-year-old prospect Rex Bassingthwaighte, a Dubbo native recently named to the NSW Under-19s side who has long been tagged as the club’s future long-term fullback. Speaking to reporters ahead of the game, Robinson said the young talent has earned his first call-up to a top-grade bench spot after turning heads in junior and reserve competitions. “Rex has come down from Dubbo and been on our radar for a while,” Robinson said. “He’s got a free spirit about him, but he’s also really gone after moments through the junior grades. We saw that in the SG Ball, we’ve seen that in reserve grade, so it was good to put him on that the bench, and I’m looking forward to see if he gets that opportunity. You can see when someone’s going to be a first-grader, and it’s time to give some of those guys an opportunity.”

While the roster is far from the Roosters’ full-strength starting side, the club still retains elite experience with key playmaker Daly Cherry-Evans, forward Angus Crichton, backrower Naufahu Whyte and other established first-graders suiting up. This match also marks the Roosters’ sixth consecutive clash against non-NSW-based opposition, a stretch that has forced the club to dig deep into its 38-player full-time squad. For Robinson, the forced rotation is a positive outcome for the club’s long-term depth. “The guys that you’ll see play, they’ve been in our squad, they train every day,” Robinson said. “We train with about 38 players, and we’re a really close crew. And some of those players that don’t get to play as often get to play tomorrow, and that’s a great thing for a club. We love these weeks. The possibility is really high, and you want to see someone take that opportunity that they’re going to get. But then it’s also for the other guys that play each week to shoulder the load and say, ‘OK, follow me’. It creates a really good environment for footy this weekend, and it’s some of the most enjoyable weeks of the year.”

Two players in particular are gearing up for highly anticipated returns to their preferred positions, starting with halfback Hugo Savala. With regular starting half Sam Walker sidelined for Origin, Savala will step into the halves to partner Cherry-Evans, the man he is widely expected to replace long-term. Savala has turned in strong performances at left centre throughout the 2024 season, but the playmaker made his name as a five-eighth in his breakout rookie campaign, and Robinson said the shift back to his natural position has injected extra energy into the young gun. “I think it’s hard to see energy grow from somebody whose energy is so high already. But it’s a great opportunity for him,” Robinson said. “He’s excited about getting back into the halves and playing his role, and so are we.”

For Cody Ramsey, the opportunity to start at fullback is even more meaningful, coming nearly two years after he last started in the role at NRL level and 12 months after he returned from a career-threatening battle with ulcerative colitis. Ramsey, who joined the Roosters after leaving the St George Illawarra Dragons, has played four NRL games since his comeback, filling in on the wing admirably while Nawaqanitawase and Daniel Tupou recovered from injury. Now he will step into the fullback role to cover Tedesco’s Origin absence, a position he calls his own. “I think it was really beneficial to have him play on the wing,” Robinson explained. “It’s not great having Mark and ‘Toops’ out, but to be able to have Cody come in and play (was great) knowing that if Ted did get in Origin that he was going to play that fullback role. So having him on the wing, getting him comfortable on the field again in NRL, and then coming back into fullback, he’s been driven this week.”

For the Dolphins, a win on Friday would see them jump over the injury-hit Roosters into the top eight of the NRL premiership, putting them in strong position to secure a first finals berth since entering the competition. For the Roosters, the opportunity to pull off an upset with a young, inexperienced side has the club embracing the challenge ahead of kickoff.

Just days ahead of their opening 2023 Women’s World Cup Group C clash against Scotland, Haiti has been required to alter its official team kit after global governing body FIFA ruled out a design feature honoring a pivotal moment in the nation’s fight for independence. The original kit, produced by Colombian apparel manufacturer Saeta, included a subtle illustration of the 1803 Battle of Vertieres — the conflict that ultimately secured Haiti’s sovereignty from colonial rule — paired with the country’s national flag. Haitian players wore the original design in two warm-up friendly matches held in Florida earlier this month, triggering a review by FIFA’s equipment compliance team.

In an official statement shared to Instagram Wednesday, Saeta clarified the original creative intent behind the controversial design, emphasizing it was never meant to carry a political message. “The final design we presented was crafted as a tribute to all the Haitian men and women who work every day to build a better future for their country,” the statement read. “Throughout the standard regulatory review process, FIFA concluded that specific visual elements in the design could be interpreted in a way that violates their equipment guidelines, and formally requested adjustments to the kit. While FIFA’s interpretation does not align with our original, non-political intent, Saeta respects the governing body’s processes and has fully implemented the required modifications to meet their final specifications.”

The kit revision comes as Haiti prepares to make its long-awaited return to the World Cup stage, kicking off its campaign against Scotland in Boston on Saturday. This is only the second time in the nation’s history that it has qualified for the tournament, ending a 52-year drought since its last World Cup appearance. Ranked 83rd in the global FIFA rankings, the underdog Caribbean side faces a daunting group stage challenge: after facing Scotland, it will go up against five-time tournament champion Brazil and current African title holder Morocco.

Haiti’s historic qualification has already been hailed as one of the most uplifting underdog stories of this year’s tournament. The team overcame extraordinary off-pitch obstacles to secure their spot, amid widespread gang violence and political instability that has plunged the impoverished Caribbean nation into chaos. The ongoing unrest made it impossible for the team to host any of its qualifying matches on home soil, forcing the side to play all home fixtures in neutral territories. Despite these crippling challenges, the squad pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the qualifying process to book their place in the 32-team tournament.

For Haitian midfielder and team star Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, the World Cup berth offers a chance to reshape global perceptions of his crisis-stricken homeland. “We know many people around the world have a negative image of our country, that they only see all the problems we face,” Bellegarde told AFP in an interview. “But just being here, competing on this stage, will bring so much good for our country, our people, and our families.”

In a landmark announcement that reshapes the global landscape of elite long-distance running, the Abbott World Marathon Majors series confirmed Wednesday that Cape Town Marathon has joined its prestigious roster, marking the first African-hosted race to earn a spot in the sport’s most exclusive circuit.

Cape Town now takes its place alongside seven of the most iconic marathons on the planet: London, New York City, Boston, Chicago, Berlin, Sydney, and Tokyo. The addition brings a distinctly African cultural and geographic identity to the elite series, which has long been centered in North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania.

Dawna Stone, chief executive of Abbott World Marathon Majors, emphasized the transformative impact of the inclusion, noting that Cape Town’s one-of-a-kind cultural heritage, warm community hospitality, and breathtaking natural setting will add an entirely new dimension to the elite circuit. “I know runners in Africa and across the world will have a phenomenal experience at this race,” Stone added.

The Cape Town Marathon has already built a reputation for attracting world-class elite competition. This year’s May edition, for example, drew 41-year-old double Olympic gold medalist Eliud Kipchoge, who made his first-ever marathon start on African soil, finishing 16th with a time of 2:13:29. The race was ultimately won by Ethiopia’s Mohamed Esa, who set a new course record of 2:04:55 — the fastest marathon time ever recorded across the African continent. Esa’s compatriot Yihunilign Adane took second place just four seconds behind at 2:04:59, while Kenya’s Kalipus Lomwai rounded out the podium in 2:05:06. All three top finishers ran new personal best times in the event.

Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis celebrated the Majors inclusion as the payoff for years of coordinated effort to grow the race and meet the series’ strict standards. “It follows many years of hard work to secure inclusion in the Majors,” he said of the milestone decision.

Beyond its impact on global running, organizers project that the new Major status will deliver a substantial economic boost to the Cape Town region, with an estimated $49 million in additional visitor spending on travel, accommodation, and dining expected to flow into the local economy.

Looking ahead, the first edition of the Cape Town Marathon as an official World Major is scheduled for May 23, 2027. It is worth noting that the 2025 edition of the race was ultimately canceled over safety concerns, after unseasonably high winds created unsafe conditions for competing runners.

When former National Rugby League (NRL) player Kane Evans opened up about coming out as gay in a raw, vulnerable public interview this week, the praise quickly rolled in for Sydney Roosters head coach Trent Robinson, who has supported Evans through his years of inner turmoil. But the veteran coach has rejected the accolades, instead using the moment to challenge the sport to confront an uncomfortable truth: men’s rugby league still has not created a safe, inclusive environment where current players can be open about their sexuality.\n\nEvans, who spent six seasons with the Roosters before moving to other clubs, shared his decades-long struggle with denial in a primetime interview on the football program *100% Footy* on Monday night. The 31-year-old revealed that hiding his identity had left him suicidal, describing the crippling mental toll of staying in the closet throughout his professional playing career. He is only the second professional men’s rugby league player to ever come out as gay.\n\nWhile Robinson has stepped up to support Evans post-retirement — covering four weeks of his rent and paying for his mental health care alongside the Roosters organization — the coach made clear Thursday that this private support is not enough. Speaking to reporters, he questioned why Evans never felt safe enough to share his identity during his six years playing at the club.\n\n“I’m really proud of the club, but we still had a guy here for six years that didn’t feel open enough to say that he was gay while he was here,” Robinson said. “There’s a lot of positivity coming towards Kane, and then even towards us, but we’re still not at a place where somebody can come out while they’re playing. The reflection for me has been that we do things to support our players and former players, and we try and do our best, but have we got the complete right environment? I think we can be better.”\n\nRobinson pointed to a stark gap between public perception and lived reality within the sport, noting that statistical logic makes it clear there are far more LGBTQ+ players currently competing in men’s NRL who remain closeted. While women’s rugby league has seen far more openness around sexuality, the same has not held true for the men’s game, a divide Robinson says demands urgent reflection.\n\n“I’ve tried to reflect on why he didn’t feel comfortable at the time. And some of that’s personal with Kane, but some of that’s the environment we create,” he said. “And we need to create an environment where somebody can be themselves, where they know that they’re going to be accepted, that the language we use in clubs is in the right way, and the way that we casually reference each other is in the right way.”\n\nHis call for change has been echoed by other leading figures across the league. South Sydney Rabbitohs captain Cameron Murray, currently in camp with the New South Wales Blues State of Origin side, offered unwavering support to Evans, praising his courage in speaking out and hoping his story will pave the way for other closeted players.\n\n“That would have been a really hard thing to do, and I think he’s been pretty vocal and open about his mental health struggles and what he’s had to go through,” Murray said. “Someone like me, I could never understand what he’s gone through, but he’s got all my respect. I think there’s a lot of chatter about the statistics of the NRL and how that doesn’t really marry up with the statistics of the general public (with the number of gay men). Hopefully, he can be a role model and a leader for anyone else in that position and he gives somebody else the confidence to feel a little bit more confident in who they are and to accept who they are.”\n\nEvans’ announcement comes as NRL clubs have increasingly prioritized mental health outreach, rolling out new initiatives to encourage players to open up about personal struggles. But Robinson warned that the sport has not yet done enough, pointing to stubbornly high suicide rates among people hiding core parts of their identity as proof that incremental change is insufficient.\n\n“We’re heading in the right direction, but suicide rates are still very, very high because they don’t feel comfortable enough,” Robinson said. “We are better, we are doing things, we are saying things, but are we creating that environment where anybody – it doesn’t matter whether it’s being gay, having a religious belief, political belief – is our place safe enough and comfortable enough where we look after everybody and then we play tough footy on the back of it? That’s our role.”\n\nRobinson emphasized that he does not expect overnight change, but he hopes Evans’ bravery will spark a collective reckoning across the sport. He rejected any suggestion that the current system should be celebrated for supporting Evans after he came out post-retirement, arguing the goal should be to create a space where players never have to suffer in silence in the first place.\n\n“I think we should take it that we saw a really strong man do something that others haven’t felt comfortable to do, and hopefully that leads to other people feeling comfortable,” he said. “But we have to do better. We can do better than what we’re doing, and we’ll strive to do that.”’