Japan completed its preparation for the Women’s Asian Cup in emphatic style Sunday with a 7-1 victory over the Black Queens of Ghana in an international friendly. With an eye on her lineups for the April 6-20 tournament in Jordan, coach Asako Takakura made multiple changes throughout the match against the Black Queens, including bringing … Read more
India’s cricket board on Saturday made a U-turn on naming former paceman Zaheer Khan and batting great Rahul Dravid as consultants to the national Test team. The move came only four days after Khan and Dravid were named in the team to assist new coach Ravi Shastri. Just days before India leave for a tour … Read more
Fiji qualified for the 2019 World Cup in Japan with a second-half rally to beat Tonga 14-10 on Saturday in a Pacific Nations Cup match in Nuku’alofa. The score was locked at 3-3 at half-time after Fiji’s Ben Volavola and Tonga’s Sonatane Takula traded penalties. Tonga opened up a 10-3 lead when Takula converted Siegfried … Read more
Warren Gatland’s dream of one day coaching the All Blacks — already a long shot — is almost certainly doomed unless his British and Irish Lions can muster a Test win this weekend. Gatland, a proud Kiwi, has a complicated relationship with New Zealand rugby that has become increasing fractious as the Lions tour has … Read more
Sri Lanka are looking to pick themselves up as the series against Zimbabwe begins this week in Galle after a string of poor performances prompted their coach to quit. Angelo Mathews leads the Sri Lankans who take on Zimbabwe in the first of five one-day internationals on Friday as they look to get over their … Read more
Ireland overpowered Japan 35-13 on Saturday to finish with a perfect record in their three-game summer tour of the country. Joe Schmidt’s second-string side looked on course to rack up 50 points for the third successive match as they ran in four first-half tries in Tokyo. The signs were ominous for Japan’s “Brave Blossoms” when … Read more
South Africa captain AB de Villiers wants the Twenty20 series against England to help soothe the Proteas’ wounds after their early exit from the Champions Trophy. De Villiers’ men did not make it out of the group stage of the eight-team one-day international tournament, their fate sealed with a thumping defeat by India at The … Read more
Pakistan captain Sarfraz Ahmed said being named skipper of the International Cricket Council’s team of the Champions Trophy was the “perfect icing on the cake” of his side’s stunning title triumph. Sarfraz’s side thrashed title-holders India by 180 runs in a remarkable final The Oval on Sunday having been the lowest ranked of the eight … Read more
Ireland gave Japan a brutal reality check as they crushed the Asian champions 50-22 on Saturday in the second of their three-match summer tour. Joe Schmidt’s second-string side ran in seven tries in a clinical performance despite the lingering effects of jet-lag and blazing sunshine in Shizuoka, on Japan’s Pacific coast. “The conditions were slightly … Read more
India captain Virat Kohli has promised there will be no let-up from the title-holders when they face Bangladesh in the semi-finals of the Champions Trophy at Edgbaston on Thursday. After a surprise group defeat by Sri Lanka in a tournament featuring the world’s top eight one-day international sides, India responded to their ‘win or go … Read more
Virat Kohli says India’s Champions Trophy demolition of South Africa was fuelled by his refusal to spare his players from criticism. Kohli’s side crushed South Africa by eight wickets at The Oval in their final Group B fixture to set up a likely semi-final showdown with Bangladesh on Thursday. India had to win to avoid … Read more
Fiji are looking forward to bolstering their playing strength ahead of next month’s World Cup qualifiers with two key lead-up Tests against Six Nations opposition, coach John McKee said. The Fijians showed glimpses of their potential in going down 37-14 to Australia in Melbourne on Saturday, but McKee said he was looking at the bigger … Read more
Coach Michael Cheika said veteran code-hopper Karmichael Hunt had earned his chance with Australia after overcoming the “hardship” of a cocaine scandal at the start of his rugby career. Hunt, whose introduction to rugby in 2015 was blighted by the scandal stemming from his days in the Australian Football League, will make his Wallabies debut … Read more
Coach Michael Cheika has vowed the Wallabies will lift the spirits of the Australian game amid a demoralising Super Rugby campaign in this week’s start to the international Test season. Australian rugby is in the doldrums with its five franchises struggling and one, as yet unnamed, facing the axe when Super Rugby reverts to 15 … Read more
Ross Taylor is matter-of-fact when he reviews his career and previews New Zealand’s Champions Trophy hopes: is this the year he adds a world title to his list of credentials? The elder statesman of New Zealand cricket, known for poking out his tongue on reaching a century, has stamped his mark on the game over … Read more
South Africa´s quest for a major international cricket trophy has become enough of an obsession for star batsman and one-day international captain AB de Villiers to put his Test career on hold. When he announced in January that he was cutting back on Test cricket, De Villiers, 33, said the main goal for the rest … Read more
All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has said he is likely to step down after the next World Cup in 2019, according to a report on Friday. “I think, without committing to it 100 percent, I can’t see myself extending beyond the World Cup,” the New Zealand Herald quoted Hansen as saying. Hansen, who is preparing … Read more
All Blacks captain Kieran Read has signed a deal to stay in New Zealand rugby through to the 2019 World Cup in Japan. No 8 Read, a double Rugby World Cup champion and 2013 World Player of the Year, has played 97 Tests for the All Blacks since making his debut in 2008, 22 as … Read more
All Blacks assistant coach Ian Foster re-signed with New Zealand Rugby on Tuesday, boosting his chances of being the next head coach of the world champion All Blacks. Foster and forwards coach Mike Cron both extended their commitment through to the 2019 World Cup in Japan. The announcement came just four days after defence coach … Read more
A member of the management team of the Black Stars, Ernest Thomson said targets set for Kwesi Appiah are realistic and achievable. The former Al Khartoum manager had been tasked to qualify and win AFCON 2019 in Cameroon and employ his possible best to qualify the team for the 2019 World Cup in Russia and … Read more