England celebrates 'chaotic and ridiculous' Euro 2025 win
Wiegman has now led teams - first the Netherlands, now England - to the trophy at the last three European Championships, though none, admitted the Dutchwoman, was more 'chaotic' and 'ridiculous' as this.
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Irish Examiner
10 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Nancy McGillivray takes a road less travelled to Ireland honours
Ireland 27 Scotland 21 Planning for one World Cup should be plenty for anyone's plate. Not Scott Bemand's. If first priority for the Ireland head coach is the upcoming tournament in England then Australia's hosting in 2029 never seems far from his thoughts. It was the global gathering in four years' time that was uppermost in the Englishman's mind when he took over the girls in green, and he has referenced the tournament more than once in recent weeks even as England 2025 gets more real with every passing day. So, while Saturday's five-try, six-point warm-up defeat of Scotland in Cork served an obvious and immediate purpose, it also fed into that longer-term goal with Ivana Kiripati, Nancy McGivillray and Ailish Quinn all making their debuts. The first two are 22, Quinn is still a teenager at 19. For McGivillray, this was the peak point to date on a rugby journey that began as an eight-year old in Hong Kong and playing for the Discovery Bay Pirates. It was only when she was 18 and left for uni in England that XVs became a thing. Her potential led to Exeter Chiefs and a transition contract with England's RFU that concluded at the end of June. That allowed the centre to make the switch to Ireland and make a debut which peaked with a try shortly after half-time. So, why Ireland? 'Well, my dad [Raymond] is Irish so start off there,' said a player once labelled as a 'huge talent' by England legend Emily Scarratt. 'I'm not actually English at all. I just have an English passport. So a big part of it was also family and culture. Ireland debutant Nancy McGillivray scores her side's third try. Pic: Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile. 'I was in and around England, but I kind of had two years to figure out what I want, and I think, for me, that's to put on the green jersey. And a big part was family. My granddad would dream about that all the time, and he's not here today, but that's a big part.' Her granddad is Donald McGivillray, from Balbriggan in Dublin. Ireland's new recruit, whose mum Phatcharin is Thai, spent plenty of summers in Cong as a child. Other disparate strands played their part in this story too. Ireland head coach Scott Bemand was still an assistant with England when McGivillray was coming through that system and the player had gone through the Irish union's IQ pathway system when she first moved to the UK. All those lines were kept open. What impact she, or the other rookies, can make in the here and now remains to be seen. Back row is an area of serious depth, even with injury absentees, while Aoife Dalton excelled in the 13 shirt in the Six Nations and played every single minute. 'They're going to be big hitters for not just this World Cup but the one after,' said Bemand. Every shoulder is welcome against this wheel. Ireland, without Erin King and Dorothy Wall in their pack for the World Cup, and with Aoife Wafer n onlooker here and a doubt for at least some of the tournament, will have been thrilled to come through this first prep match unscathed. Captain Sam Monaghan, Eimear Corri-Fallon and Beibhinn Parsons all made reappearances in Irish shirts after long-term injuries and the manner in which a much-changed and relatively inexperienced Irish team recovered from 14-0 down bodes well. Only four of this starting side had been named to kick off their last game, the round five Six Nations trip to Scotland, and that had been over three months previously. Early rust was no surprise, but they largely bossed the Scots for long periods after it. The hope will be that more impressive auditions are the order of the day when Ireland play their second and last warm-up next week against Canada before the squad is named two days later and a World Cup opener against Japan on August 24th. For McGivillray it will also be an opportunity to catch up with Florence Symonds who was a teammate growing up with the Pirates and is now on the Canadian XVs squad having won a silver medal in sevens at last year's Olympics. 'Someone like her, it's an inspiration just to see one of my best mates go to Olympics and now she's in the World Cup squad as well. We grew up playing rugby together.' And look at them now. Ireland: M Deely; B Parsons, N McGillivray, E Higgins, A-L Costigan; D O'Brien, M Scuffil-McCabe; S McCarthy, C Moloney-MacDonald, S McGrath; E Corri-Fallon, S Monaghan (capt); G Moore, I Kiripati, B Hogan. Replacements: D Nic a Bhaird for Moore (3-14) and for Hogan (60); F Tuite for Monaghan (36); L Djougang for McGrath and N O'Dowd for McCarthy (both 50); E Lane for Scuffil-McCabe and E Breen for O'Brien (both 60); A Quinn for Kiripati and N Jones for Moloney-MacDonald (both 70). Scotland: C Rollie; R Lloyd, E Orr, L Thomson, L Scott; H Ramsay, C Mattinson; A Young, L Skeldon, E Clarke; E Wassell, R Malcolm; R McLachlan, A Stewart, E Gallagher. Replacements: E Martin for Skeldon (32); L Bartlett for Young (HT); L Brebner-Holden for Mattinson (51); M Poolan for Clarke (55); B Blacklock for Ramsey (57); A Ferrie for Wassell and E Donaldson for Malcolm (both 65); C Grant for Brebner-Holden (71). Referee: C Munarini (FIR).
The Irish Sun
10 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Franco Baresi, 65, undergoes surgery as AC Milan release health update on legendary defender
There has been a flood of messages of support for the icon AC MILAN legend Franco Baresi has undergone surgery on his lungs after being diagnosed with a pulmonary nodulation. The club revealed in a statement that Baresi, 65, had a successful operation but will need more treatment. Advertisement 1 AC Milan legend Franco Baresi has undergone surgery on his lungs Credit: Getty A statement posted on Instagram read: "AC Milan announces that, following routine medical checks, our Honorary Vice President Franco Baresi was found to have a pulmonary nodule. "It was decided that the best course of action was to remove it with a minimally invasive surgical procedure. "The operation went well, and his recovery has been free of complications. " Franco has since been assessed by an oncology specialist, who recommended a consolidative course of immunotherapy. Advertisement "The entire Board of Directors, Club Management, employees and staff, the coaching team, and all the men's and women's players at AC Milan send Franco their heartfelt wishes for a swift and full recovery. "Captain, we are all with you!" Baresi updated fans with a short statement of his own as part of the post. He said: "Dear fans, I just want to let you know that it will take a little time to get back to full strength. Advertisement "Thank you to AC Milan and to all of you for your support. A big hug, with affection." Baresi is a legend in Milan having made over 700 appearances for AC Milan as a one-club man. The defender captained the side for 15 of his 20 years at the San Siro, and helped the club win six league titles and three Champions League's and European Cups. He has held the position of honorary vice president at AC Milan since 2020 and was even voted as the 'Milanista of the Century" by fans during a celebration of the club's 100th birthday in 1999. Advertisement On an international level, Baresi earned 81 caps for the Italian national side. He was part of the Italian's World Cup winning side in 1982, as well as captaining the country to the 1994 World Cup final where they heartbreakingly lost to Brazil on penalties. MORE TO FOLLOW... THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY.. Advertisement The Sun is your go to destination for the best football, boxing and MMA news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSunFootball.
RTÉ News
12 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Five takeaways from a British and Irish Lions series win in Australia
After eight weeks and 10 games, the British and Irish Lions is over for another four years. A tour which was dominated by Ireland, both in the squad of players and the management, Andy Farrell's side got the win the Test series win they wanted against the Wallabies, although they fell short of a famous whitewash as the hosts showed up with a win that they hope will spark a revival in Australian rugby. Here are some of the big discussion points from the 2025 tour. The Lions will return to Australia One of the stranger narratives of this summer has been the suggestion that the Wallabies will soon get bumped from the British and Irish Lions rotation. Granted, the Lions have a far greater record in Australia compared to New Zealand or South Africa, but that's not really the point. On the other side of the same coin, should we be calling for the Lions to stop touring New Zealand because they've lost 10 out of their 12 series? The Wallabies may no longer be the force they once were, but by the time the Lions return in 2037, things may well be different. Rugby Australia will have profited from this tour to the tune of more than €50m, and with a World Cup due to return here in two years' time, there is a real drive to use that as a vehicle to put rugby union back on the map in the Australian sporting landscape. Just under 225,000 people have come through the gates for the Test series alone, and the way the second and third Tests, in particular, played out, show there's plenty of life in the Wallaby yet. Andy Farrell summed up the argument, or lack of an argument, well this week. "It would be tragic not to tour here," Farrell said on Thursday. "We've had a blast. To me it's insulting to talk about it in that kind of way. "I don't think it was ever off the agenda in my opinion. Every single team, country, province, has their ups and downs but Australia – the sporting nation that they are – are always going to come back." 12 Test Lions from Ireland, but should we have had more? Yes, we're being greedy here, but with good reason. Twelve Irish players have featured in the Test series, and six of them started all three, but there are some obvious names that jump out of the squad who missed out on any Test time. Garry Ringrose (above) is the most notable. The centre was the form player in the warm-up games and was likely to start the first Test but for concussion. Named in the starting team for the second Test in Melbourne, his concussion symptoms returned two days before the game and he was subsequently sidelined for the rest of the tour. Similarly, Mack Hansen had been tracking for a place in the Test squad, before picking up a foot injury a week before the first Test which never fully healed. It speaks volumes that Farrell kept him in the squad right through for the rest of the tour in the hope he'd be fit to play. Then there's Josh van der Flier. One of Farrell's most trusted and consistent players in an Ireland shirt, he's played 41 of the last 44 Ireland internationals, and started 39 of them, but has had to watch on as Tom Curry, Jac Morgan and Ben Earl edged ahead of him in the depth chart. Missing out on the third Test, with the series already sewn up, will surely have hurt. How he reacts next season will be fascinating to see. Farrell to return in 2029? He may not have delivered the 3-0 series win which would have put the Lions up there with the great touring sides, but the general sense remains that the head coach job for 2029 is his, if he wants it. Farrell has twice been asked in recent days if he would like to have a shot at the All Blacks in four years time, and while he's done his best to swivel around answering it, the way in which he's spoken about the British and Irish Lions indicates he still has unfinished business in this job. Becoming just the second coach to lead a Lions team to a series win in New Zealand would do just that. Lions chief executive Ben Calveley was asked about the possibility of running it back with Farrell in 2029, and he was also non-committal. However, it's clear the Ireland coach has made a lasting impression. "When it comes to our appointments for future tours, so you mentioned 2029, we will start the process in about two years and I don't think it would be right to comment on where it ends up, let's see," the CEO said in a tour debrief on Sunday. "But, certainly you're right, he has put himself in a very strong position hasn't he, let's put it that way." Should there be a squad size limit? It's not just a 2025 issue, but there has been a sense on recent tours that the Lions have been allowed to pick and choose the elements of touring rugby that they want to follow. At one stage, the 2025 squad had swelled to a whopping 45 players ahead of the final midweek game against the First Nations and Pasifika XV, with several players flown out specifically to feature in that game and protect the frontline stars for the second Test in Melbourne. Not including Darcy Graham, who likely would have stayed with the group had it not been for his ankle injury, Scotland's Gregor Brown, Ewan Ashman and Rory Sutherland were in Australia for just a few days before heading back home again. For similar, see the 'Geography Six' in New Zealand in 2017. It may be facetious to compare now with then, but jettisoning in extra bodies wasn't an option for Carwyn James when the Lions were in New Zealand in 1971. Obviously the game is much different now, and the rate of attrition is far higher, but if the Lions want to embrace the touring traditions, how about a size limit on the touring squad? Injured players can still be replaced, but a one-in and one-out system would be bring a greater sense of jeopardy, and even spice up the midweek fixtures which have become less competitive in modern years. Referees have an impossible job It wouldn't be a Lions tour without a refereeing drama, and while 2025 didn't live up to the high bar set by Rassie Erasmus four years ago, big decisions dominated the narrative of this series. The Australian media have been chewing on Andrea Piardi's ankles since he refused to overturn Hugo Keenan's winning try in the second Test at the MCG, and after the Wallabies claimed Saturday's third Test, it was inevitable he would be asked about 'The Incident'. "Does it now feel, Joe, like you were one decision away from winning the series?" a reporter asked at Accor Stadium. To Schmidt's credit, he took the dignified route and let the flames die out. Piardi drew a lot of criticism earlier in the season after he and his officiating team briefly and incorrectly forced Munster to play with 14 players in their URC defeat to the Bulls in April, which prompted his unfortunate "this game has too many rules" line. He may have been thinking the same when he had to deliberate on that late Jac Morgan clearout at the MCG, or Dan Sheehan's try earlier in the game. In both instances, rugby's open-to-interpretation lawbook ensured that whichever team he gave the call to, he'd be catching fire from the other. The best he could do was be decisive, and that's what he did.
