Australian Open: Pliskova joins Williams and Andreescu as absentees December 16, 2021 Two-time Grand Slam finalist Karolina Pliskova will miss the opening major of the season, the Australian Open, after injuring her hand in a training session yesterday. The Czech tennis player joins Serena Williams and Bianca Andreescu as absentees from the draw. The world No4 was a semi-finalist in 2019 and will also miss the warm [...]
F1 governing body say controversy damaging image of sport December 16, 2021 F1’s governing body, the FIA, will conduct an “analysis and clarification exercise” as they admit the fallout following Sunday’s race is “tarnishing the image of the championship”. The body said on Wednesday that outgoing president Jean Todt had proposed further discussions so drivers and teams can have better clarification next season. In the season-ending finale [...]
Gallagher CMO: ‘Let’s get a Premiership Rugby game in Singapore’ December 16, 2021 Premiership Rugby’s main sponsor, the US-headquartered insurer Gallagher, has called for the league to stage matches overseas in locations such as Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. English club rugby’s top competition has played two regular season games in the US, in 2016 and 2017, but the experiment has not been repeated. “Let’s get a game in [...]
Ed Warner: Cricket should follow Ryder Cup to save Test matches December 16, 2021 The matter-of-fact delivery of his bleak assessment was like a punch to the gut. Here was someone woven into the fabric of international cricket who believed Test matches would become extinct in his lifetime. The individual in question, who shall remain nameless, might hope to have a good four or five decades ahead of him, [...]
Can developing tech change the broadcasting landscape? December 15, 2021 If the Covid-19 pandemic provided one significant challenge to broadcasters, it was the logistics of commentating on games without actually being in attendance. Television networks had to rely on local workers to set up match feeds in order for their commentators to call the matches from home or a local studio. That solution, however, raised [...]
Get into the festive spirit at El Palace, Barcelona December 15, 2021 THE WEEKEND: Escape December drudgery and head off for a festive city break to kickstart that long-neglected Christmas spirit. Skip the traditional packed Christmas markets of Northern Europe and look south to Spain instead, where Barcelona piles on dazzling decorations, twinkling city-wide lights and chocolate-box markets to tick off the present shopping. It’s also much [...]
Former Premier League winner Sergio Aguero announces health related retirement December 15, 2021 Former Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has retired from football in a bid to protect his health. The 22-year-old announced the news earlier today and said: “The decision I have made, I have taken it for my health.” The striker signed for Barcelona in the summer but was taken to hospital in late October after [...]
Christmas wine for your dry bird: How to pick the perfect festive bottle December 15, 2021 It is the festive season, and we will soon be shoving turkeys into ovens to feed the masses, but turkey is a notoriously dry bird and calls for the right wine to help wet our whistles. Though traditionalists may feel the classic Bordeaux is always acceptable beware of drying tannins. A wiser choice if you [...]
Xmas Drinks 2021: The spirits you need on your cabinet over the holidays December 15, 2021 The Botanist Islay Dry Gin is ideal for seasonal cocktails. Made by the experimental Scotch whisky-makers at Bruichladdich, using a rare, salvaged Lomond still, the Botanist combines nine traditional gin botanicals with a further twenty-two ingredients foraged from the island. The resulting spirit is incredibly smooth, enlivened by citrus, mint, and harmonious floral flavours, that make [...]
Saracens’ European game with Pau off due to positive Covid-19 tests December 15, 2021 Saracens’ upcoming European Challenge Cup game against French side Pau has been called off due to a series of positive cases in the London club’s camp. Saracens, recently promoted back to the Premiership, were huge favourites for this competition before it began last weekend. In a statement, Saracens said: “Saracens can confirm that the club [...]