logo
England's MacDonald signs new Exeter deal

England's MacDonald signs new Exeter deal

Yahoo28-05-2025

Claudia MacDonald scored against France on her last England appearance in the Six Nations last month [Rex Features]
Exeter's England winger Claudia MacDonald has signed a new contract for the 2025-26 Premiership Women's Rugby season.
The 29-year-old, who has won 35 England caps, joined the club in 2022 and has scored 25 tries in 29 games during a spell that has been hampered by a serious neck injury.
Advertisement
MacDonald earned an England recall during this year's Six Nations and is aiming to be part of the squad for the upcoming World Cup.
She was part of the side that made the last World Cup final in New Zealand in 2021, coming on as a second-half replacement in the final.
"Claudia is a world-class player, as shown by her performances in the Six Nations," interim head coach Steve Salvin told the club website.
"She worked so hard to recover from her injury and is always a positive influence around the team. Her aim right now is obviously the World Cup, but when she returns, I think we will see an even better version of her at club level."

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Florida's 7-foot-9-inch freshman playing with Canada in FIBA U19 World Cup
Florida's 7-foot-9-inch freshman playing with Canada in FIBA U19 World Cup

USA Today

time31 minutes ago

  • USA Today

Florida's 7-foot-9-inch freshman playing with Canada in FIBA U19 World Cup

After taking a redshirt with Florida during his true freshman season, 7-foot-9 center Olivier Rioux is finally seeing some action on the court with the Canadian U19 World Cup team. Rioux has participated in international play for his home country for the past four summers, and Saturday marked the start of his fifth year with the team. He played 5:24 with little impact. Rioux finished the game with a plus-minus of -6 and one personal foul. The world's largest teenager did not attempt a shot in the 80-72 win over China. Coming into the game, Rioux averaged 4.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game over 24 appearances. Team Canada is back in action on Sunday against Slovenia at 5:15 a.m. ET and the final group phase game against Germany is Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. Knockout play begins after that. Rioux's development on the court after a year in Gainesville isn't yet apparent, but the coaching staff has worked with him all year to get him ready for some minutes as a redshirt freshman. "He's arguably the most unique prospect in college," Golden said. "He's 7-foot-7 1/2 (inches) without shoes on. Both our program and him understand that it's a long road for him, because he's different." After fans began chanting for "Ollie" to enter the games with the other reserves during Florida's non-conference blowout wins, Golden made it clear that Rioux and the program decided it was best to redshirt him and that he would not play. It's disappointing, but it's a similar path that players his size have gone down. Tacko Fall at UCF is a familiar success story to point to. Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Concacaf Gold Cup bracket, schedule: USMNT vs. Costa Rica in quarterfinals
Concacaf Gold Cup bracket, schedule: USMNT vs. Costa Rica in quarterfinals

USA Today

timean hour ago

  • USA Today

Concacaf Gold Cup bracket, schedule: USMNT vs. Costa Rica in quarterfinals

The U.S. men's national soccer team has won all three of its Concacaf Gold Cup matches so far, but the knockout stage will present an entirely different challenge for Mauricio Pochettino's squad. Will ghosts of recent tournaments past haunt the USMNT? The U.S. crashed out of the 2024 Copa América in the group stage, then lost in the Concacaf Nations League semifinals to Panama. On Sunday, June 29, the USMNT faces Costa Rica in a Concacaf Gold Cup quarterfinal, looking to build some momentum heading into next year's World Cup. The USMNT has reached eight of the last 10 Gold Cup finals. That is a realistic goal again this summer, even for a U.S. team missing many of its key players for various reasons, most notably Christian Pulisic. Those absences have created an opportunity for others to step up. Attacking midfielder Malik Tillman now seems like a lock to make the USMNT World Cup team next year. Forward Patrick Agyemang is a matchup conundrum for opposing defenders. Defender Alex Freeman, son of former NFL wide receiver Antonio Freeman, might have played his way into the conversation, too. When is the USMNT vs. Costa Rica Gold Cup quarterfinal? Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 29. Where will the USMNT vs. Costa Rica Gold Cup quarterfinal be played? The USMNT vs, Costa Rica Concacaf Gold Cup quarterfinal will be played at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. U.S. Bank Stadium is the regular home of the NFL's Minnesota Vikings and hosted Super Bowl LII. How to watch USMNT vs. Costa Rica The television broadcast will be available on FOX. The Spanish-language television broadcast will be available on Univision and TUDN. The match will stream on FOX Sports Live and Fubo. Concacaf Gold Cup bracket Saturday, June 28 Sunday, June 29 Wednesday, July 2 Sunday, July 6 Which players are on the USMNT Gold Cup roster? Goalkeepers (3): Chris Brady (Chicago Fire), Matt Freese (New York City FC), Matt Turner (Crystal Palace/England) Defenders (9): Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew), Alex Freeman (Orlando City SC), Nathan Harriel (Philadelphia Union), Mark McKenzie (Toulouse/France), Tim Ream (Charlotte FC), Chris Richards (Crystal Palace/England), Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati), John Tolkin (Holstein Kiel/Germany), Walker Zimmerman (Nashville SC) Midfielders (9): Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United/England); Tyler Adams (Bournemouth/England), Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps/Canada), Johnny Cardoso (Real Betis/Spain), Luca de la Torre (San Diego FC), Diego Luna (Real Salt Lake), Jack McGlynn (Houston Dynamo), Quinn Sullivan (Philadelphia Union), Malik Tillman (PSV Eindhoven/Netherlands) Forwards (5): Paxten Aaronson (FC Utrecht/Netherlands), Patrick Agyemang (Charlotte FC), Damion Downs (FC Köln/Germany), Brian White (Vancouver Whitecaps/Canada) USMNT 2025 schedule and results Our team of savvy editors independently handpicks all recommendations. If you purchase through our links, the USA Today Network may earn a commission. Prices were accurate at the time of publication but may change.

US soccer great Tobin Heath hoping Club World Cup spurs more growth for game at home

time2 hours ago

US soccer great Tobin Heath hoping Club World Cup spurs more growth for game at home

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. -- Tobin Heath might know something about what makes soccer resonate within the U.S. Her resume, in part: She won NCAA titles in college at North Carolina, then went on to win two Olympic gold medals with the U.S. women's national team and two World Cup titles as well, all of that coming after she was inspired by the 1999 Women's World Cup. And so far, she thinks the Club World Cup could have a similar effect. Heath — who is working as part of FIFA's technical study group for the tournament, alongside the likes of former Arsenal coach Arsène Wenger, former German star and U.S. men's national coach Jurgen Klinsmann and others — said Saturday that a match she attended earlier this month between Bayern Munich and Boca Juniors, with a full and jammed stadium in South Florida playing host to that matchup, shows what could be possible in this country. 'As an American, it was one of the coolest experiences of my life to witness that passion and energy,' Heath — during a FIFA briefing with the technical group — said. 'It's something I never believed I could see in my own country. And the stadium was literally shaking. You could feel it, and the fans were absolutely incredible. So, I know the power of these home competitions. ... I know the power of these games in our country, to change the landscape of this game in our country.' The attendance for the games in the Club World Cup has varied widely; some stadiums are jammed, some pretty much empty. With the tournament entering the knockout round and some strong matchups ahead — including Lionel Messi and Inter Miami taking on his former team, Paris Saint-Germain, on Sunday in Atlanta — there should be plenty of good crowds throughout the remainder of the event, as FIFA looks to build momentum toward the World Cup that's coming to North America next year. 'This is a fantastic dress rehearsal for us,' Heath said. Only one U.S.-based team made the knockout stage: Messi's Inter Miami, though some wonder if that's a club that will have a true pronounced effect on soccer in this country. Messi is the biggest name in the sport and has an enormous following everywhere, one that obviously existed long before he came to Miami two years ago. 'Messi has not the best data of this tournament, but he's certainly the most influential player of this tournament — because without him Inter Miami would never qualify," Wenger said. The job of the technical study group is simple: watch all the matches, either live or on television (with the benefit of many screens and angles), assess style of play and determine what is making teams successful. The level of data collected from these matches is beyond deep; reports are more than 50 pages thick and measure everything from time it takes a team to recover possession after a giveaway to how hard players are sprinting at key times of a match. 'This tournament has blown me away,' Heath said. 'It's made me even more excited for the summer to come, and I couldn't be more proud of this country. It shows that football is deeply embedded and deeply personal to our country. I can't wait to see the growth.' FIFA is promising that fields for next year's World Cup will be in better condition than some used in this tournament. There have been comments — and in some cases, complaints — about conditions from European clubs, particularly about fields in Charlotte and Orlando, Wenger said. 'I've been personally on the pitch at Orlando,' Wenger said. 'It's not at the level that the European clubs are used to because it's not perfect, but that will be rectified for the World Cup next year.' Even the field at MetLife Stadium, which will play host to the Club World Cup final in two weeks, has been the source of discussion. 'The pitch is different turf, different grass than in Europe. In my opinion, the pitch was a little bit soft and not dry, but the ball was not traveling as fast as we are used to. This is my impression, my feeling," Borussia Dortmund coach Niko Kovac said after his team played a scoreless draw there earlier in the tournament against Fluminense.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store