Ash Barty: Former world No1 tennis star swaps racquet for golf club for sporting comeback April 19, 2022 Former women’s world No1 tennis player Ash Barty will make her return to sport this summer at a new Ryder Cup-style golf competition for A-list athletes, the Icons Series. Barty, who stunned tennis by quitting last month, is due to be joined by football stars Harry Kane and Pep Guardiola, boxer Canelo Alvarez and swimmer [...]
Champions Cup two legged ties introduced new spark to European rugby April 18, 2022 Some said the past fortnight’s two legged ties would kick the life out of European rugby. Others said it would be one of the best changes the governing body, EPCR, could make to liven up the continental season. Well, after the weekend’s second leg matches, it’s clear that the latter opinion has won out. It [...]
Jack Draper: The next British star looking to break into the tennis top 100 April 16, 2022 Cameron Norrie has been dominating the headlines in British tennis this year after breaking into the world top 10, but there’s another young star further down the rankings who could soon be big news. Londoner Jack Draper has shot up through the rankings after a brilliant start to the season on the ATP Challenger Tour, [...]
Going Dutch: Harry and Meghan a sensation in Holland as Invictus Games begin in The Hague April 16, 2022 Prince Harry and his wife Meghan have arrived in the Netherlands among great attention from the Dutch press and public, turning into somewhat of a media sensation in Holland this Easter weekend. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will both speak on stage at the Invictus Games opening ceremony later. Harry and Meghan are set [...]
Ed Warner: Docuseries triumph may drive wedge between media and sport April 14, 2022 “Please please please please just go away!” The letter writer signed off with his PS in green ink, only months into my stint as chair of UK Athletics in the days before tweets were a thing. I wish I’d kept it, the only time I’ve seen green ink scrawled in cliched anger. Sports leaders are [...]
Geoff Thomas interview: Crystal Palace hunger and skill reminds me of our class of 1990 April 13, 2022 On Sunday, a vibrant and fast-improving Crystal Palace team on an exciting FA Cup run head to Wembley seeking another big scalp. It’s a scenario that Geoff Thomas remembers well. Former England midfielder Thomas was the captain of Palace’s class of 1990, who toppled Liverpool in an epic semi-final to set up a showdown with [...]
Chelsea sale heading for full time as deadline arrives for potential world record £2.5bn deal April 13, 2022 This is a big week for Chelsea Football Club on the field, with the Blues’ men’s and women’s teams both preparing for FA Cup semi-finals on Sunday. For the men, the game is a must-win if they are to lift a trophy this season, as well as a chance to bounce back from a painful [...]
After 12 weeks of ‘EMS’ electro muscle stimulation, here’s what we learned April 13, 2022 Every four years, a bit like the Olympics, I take on a mad fitness regime to see how far I can push myself out of a largely sedentary lifestyle. The first time, back in 2014, having never been a member of a gym, I went back to basics, learning about nutrition, how to properly use [...]
Fifa takes on Netflix and Amazon Prime by launching new streaming service Fifa+ April 13, 2022 Fifa has joined the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime by launching its own streaming platform Fifa+. The free service will provide football fans with live matches from around the world, along with archive content and documentaries. “Fifa+ will provide access to live matches from every corner of the world, interactive games, news, tournament information, [...]
Kenny Shiels: Football manager sparks row by claiming women are more emotional than men April 13, 2022 The manager of the Northern Ireland women’s football team, Kenny Shiels, has claimed that it is difficult to stop women’s teams conceding one goal after another because they are “more emotional than men”. Shiels, who is due to lead the team in their major tournament debut at Euro 2022 this summer, said an “emotional imbalance” [...]