The Lions Rampant: Mail Sport casts an eye over Scotland's proud links to the iconic red jersey and asks who would make an all-time Scots-only Lions select?
From leading Lions points scorer Gavin Hastings to men like Ian McGeechan and Jim Telfer — both of whom contributed so much in terms of playing and coaching — Scottish grit has been central to large chunks of what the Lions have achieved in the post-war era.
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BBC News
12 minutes ago
- BBC News
Cliftonville and NI's Burrows given 16-game suspension
Cliftonville captain Kelsie Burrows has been handed a 16-match ban for an alleged 'assault on a match official'.The Northern Ireland international was shown a red card by referee Simon Bickerstaff after the Reds' 2-0 win against Glentoran Women on 25 coach Brendan Lynch has been handed a three-match ban from the same game for 'entering the field of play to confront a match official'.The suspensions are effective immediately and cover all competitions but it is understood that the club are appealing the decision, which means Burrows will be available to play in Friday's Premiership game against Crusaders incident came after the final whistle of the victory over Glentoran which put Cliftonville right in the mix at the top of the table as they currently sit six points off leaders Linfield with two games in the Irish FA and NIFL have been contacted by BBC Sport NI for comment.
BBC News
12 minutes ago
- BBC News
'I needed to get myself together' - Fitzpatrick on finding form
Golf is a demanding and successful day job, but football is former US Open champion Matt Fitzpatrick's sporting passion - to the extent that he wants to work in the may happen one day but for now, digging his way out of the biggest slump of an otherwise glittering golf career has been the 30-year-old's has been a difficult and emotional process, but proof that he is back came with a career-best tie for fourth at last month's Open. He was the leading UK golfer that week on the Antrim coast and it was a fine way to end the men's major more so given where Fitzpatrick's game was when it began at April's Masters. The previous month he had missed the cut at the Players, parting company with caddie Billy Foster - with whom he won the 2022 US miserable early spring confounded expectations, after taking time to reset his career following a disappointing 2024. He felt ready to contend again, but his game remained in disarray."I just didn't have it," Fitzpatrick told BBC Sport. "I'd put in a tonne of work, my coaches had put in so much work and it just didn't happen."There's no stone left unturned for me, but it's hard when you're intending to hit a shot and missing it by quite a lot. I just didn't know what was coming."And that's when confidence hits an all-time low and you feel like you can't progress." By the end of the Masters, where he finished in a share of 40th place, the former world number six was 75th in the was not sure what to do to arrest the decline. And sometimes stuff happens away from the course as vicissitudes contributed to what had been previously unthinkable - splitting with Mike Walker, his coach and confidante since Fitzpatrick's mid works alongside fellow South Yorkshireman Pete Cowen and helped his protege win the US Amateur in 2013 before turning professional."My relationship with Mike is more important than golf really," Fitzpatrick said. "He's someone I've looked up to since I was 14 or 15."I could tell him anything and my respect for him is so high. At the same time I wasn't playing well and things probably needed to change."It's my job and I needed to get myself together."The week after the Masters, Fitzpatrick started to work with the Alabama-based coach Mark Blackburn."It was the first time I've ever had anyone look at my swing, or get a lesson off someone not named Mike Walker or Pete Cowen in 15 years," Fitzpatrick wanted to know his new pupil's physical capabilities and his level of flexibility. They soon discovered Fitzpatrick possesses unusually long arms."Which is not great for hitting irons because its harder to control the depth of the club, and you are going to hit it heavier more often than not," he said."The other thing was I don't have great shoulder flexion and because of that, as soon as I swing it too long I come out of posture and my swing is all out of whack."While finishing 11 under par at Portrush it was noticeable that before every shot Fitzpatrick would pull back his shoulders and push out his chest. "It's me trying to pinch my shoulder blades together," he said."It is basically to create the radius of my arms, which means I can just rotate there and I don't need to stretch or move my arms." The work is paying off. Fitzpatrick was eighth in May's US PGA at Quail Hollow, one of five top 10s since the Masters - including finishing fourth at the Scottish Open the week before Portrush, and a share of eighth at the Wyndham last he is looking to push to finish top 30 on the PGA Tour and grab a place in the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta. He currently lies 41st and competes in the first play-off event, the FedEx St Jude, which starts in Memphis this who he credits for helping him through the toughest stretch of his career, Fitzpatrick says: "My mum and dad and wife Katherine."She was constantly reminding me that I won the US Open; 'you're a great player, you're going to get it back'."It really is true, you've got to have the right people around you and I feel very lucky that I've always had that." Football tactics fascinate Fitzpatrick The other constant has been his love of football. This conversation began with Fitzpatrick seeking contact details for a tactical expert who had appeared on the BBC Sport website."People think its a joke but I love football way more than golf," Fitzpatrick smiled. "I'm obsessed with football. It's brilliant for me."I love supporting Sheffield United, over here in the States they show every game I could wish to see, which is amazing."Fitzpatrick has visited Premier League side Brentford and spoken face-to-face with the performance team at champions Liverpool to glean insights. His voice lights up while recalling the people he met and the chats that was like a sponge absorbing information. "How they use data, how culture is so important," he said. "Just fascinating."Finding little things that maybe we could take into golf - I feel like we've taken a lot from it."But not just golf. He claims there could come a day when he might switch sports."I don't know when I'll ever get time to do this, but I'd love to work in football if the opportunity ever arose in some way, shape or form," Fitzpatrick said."That's extremely wishful thinking, but I just find it so interesting to be part of. I love reading about it and everything about it."More pressing is a golf career that is back on the up. Along with trying to make it to East Lake for the Tour Championship, he wants to retain his place in Europe's Ryder Cup team for next month's trophy defence at Bethpage in New York."It is nice to play well at the crunch time; the play-offs and the Ryder Cup," Fitzpatrick said. "To be part of that would be very special again."He has played three Ryder Cups but his record of only one win in eight matches is a frustration, and poor reflection of the talents of someone with 10 tournament wins in his professional career."Despite my record I still want to be part of it to give myself a chance to improve on it," he he makes Luke Donald's team, Fitzpatrick will bring plenty of perspective to the European team."In the last 15 months there's been an extra effort to try and be a little bit more forgiving to myself and understanding my own psychology really," he admitted."My biggest thing I would take away from the slump is catching things earlier. I can't afford to get to that stage again."It was a tough time for me and the problem was it went on for so long. You can't afford to be behind the eight ball and you need to catch those things as early as you can, and turn them round as quickly as you can."Spoken like a golfer who might one day deliver half-time team talks.
Reuters
15 minutes ago
- Reuters
Affordability the key as 2027 World Cup ticketing plan unveiled
SYDNEY, July 30 (Reuters) - More than 2.5 million tickets, some for pool matches priced as low as A$40 ($26.04), will be available for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia, which organisers say is the most for any edition of the global showpiece. World Rugby are determined that the expanded 24-team tournament be accessible to as many people as possible and more than a million tickets for every stage will be priced at under A$100. At the other end of the scale, those who want to guarantee their access to tickets can purchase one of 2,027 "Superfan passes", which for A$750 will entitle them to buy tickets for any of the 52 matches, including the final. Those passes will go on sale next week, while other fans will soon be able to sign up for a closed pre-sale of tickets to take place early next year. "We can proudly say that this 11th edition will be the most accessible ... Rugby World Cup ever with a range of pricing options," Brett Robinson, the chairman of World Rugby, told a news conference. "This special event is for everyone, from families across Australia, families within our seven host cities, for fans travelling from Paris, Buenos Aires and Tokyo, because rugby's biggest stage should be open for all." Fans were required to fork out A$149 to A$649 for tickets to this week's third test between Australia and the British & Irish Lions at Sydney's Stadium Australia. Australia co-hosted the inaugural World Cup with New Zealand in 1987 and the 2003 tournament alone. But rugby has struggled for fans and attention in the country over the last decade or so as the Wallabies have struggled on the pitch. "Our mission is bold," Robinson added. "We want to reignite Australia's love of our game. We want to bring people together from around the world. "We want to shine a light on our sport's enduring values, those of respect, passion, integrity, solidarity, because rugby, at its best, is a powerful force. It changes lives." ($1 = 1.5363 Australian dollars)
