Wimbledon succession crisis looms as Rufus the hawk fails to breed
The raptor is so effective at patrolling SW19's skies, that bosses at the championships want his descendants to eventually replace him.
But a so-called 'succession plan' is in doubt after his handler revealed Rufus had no offspring and had recently failed to breed.
Earlier this week, Sally Bolton, the chief executive of the All England Lawn Tennis Club, said organisers were already working with the son or daughter of Rufus in what she said was a 'family business'.
However, when The Telegraph met with handler Donna Davis, she revealed Rufus had no children and hadn't taken a liking to mate-to-be, Pamela.
The 58-year-old falconer, who has overseen Rufus's near two-decade reign over Centre Court, said: 'They didn't hit it off. Pamela was quite aggressive.
'It wasn't love at first sight. But maybe we can try breeding with him again in the future.'The latest failed attempt followed a previous effort to breed him during lockdown, prompting questions over his sexuality.
Asked whether Rufus might be gay, she said: 'There's every possibility.
'I don't think it's that unusual [among birds].'
Earlier this week, it was reported Scampi and Flounder, a pair of male penguins, raised a chick that had been rejected by its parents at Chester Zoo.
The bird of prey, whose services are also employed at Westminster Abbey, the Old Bailey and Lord's cricket ground, was raised in Brigstock, Northamptonshire, and has been working at Wimbledon since he was 16 weeks old.
His reconnaissance of the grounds begins at around 5am and finishes at 9am.
He starts sweeping the outside courts and Court 1 before flying into Centre Court.
Ms Davis said hawks' reversed size dimorphism – where females are bigger than males – means Rufus is better-suited to getting into the nooks and crannies of courts to scare away all the pigeons.
'Initially the whole reason we were here was because [Pete] Sampras was having to bat pigeons off the baseline,' she said.'I was thinking, I'm going to have to give them a call and help them out.'
Ms Davis said pigeon numbers can potentially be problematic because they breed all year-round and can do so from the age of just 12 weeks.
She joked that she can no longer enjoy watching tennis during the championships, for fear of seeing a pigeon making a guest appearance.
'You'll always get somebody saying 'oh my god Rufus is not doing his job,' she said.
'They think he's going to annihilate anything on sight.'
Ms Davis, who has been handling birds since she was 15 as a keen birdwatcher and loves tennis, said her teenage self would think she had 'hit the jackpot' with her current job.
'That's what it feels like when you combine your two loves together,' she said.
'There's such a bonanza of wildlife around, so I'm able to combine my love of ornithology with tennis in the most pristine of grounds.'
She lauded the return of the 'ancient art' of falconry, having briefly been replaced by guns.'It's come back as the most natural deterrent,' she added.
On Rufus' personality, she said: 'You can't be anthropomorphic about it but I believe he sees me as one of his pack.
'I'm his food source, so of course I'm one of his pack.
'I do feel as though in areas where we've been out in fields and crows have bombarded me, he's come in to get the crows.
'So he is very protective of me but that's because I'm his food source, not because he loves me.'
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Liverpool star wants to follow in Trent Alexander-Arnold's footsteps
Liverpool have already seen Trent Alexander-Arnold move to Real Madrid. Jarell Quansah has also sealed a move to Bayer Leverkusen. Luis Diaz and Harvey Elliott could be leaving the club, as the former wants to hold talks over his future. Darwin Nunez also looks likely to exit, with multiple clubs lurking for his signature. Advertisement In true Liverpool fashion, Arne Slot has already secured big-money moves for his top transfer targets, as Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, and Milos Kerkez are all arriving at Anfield soon. Another player could be on the move, though, and he's aiming to reunite with fellow defender Alexander-Arnold. Which Liverpool defender wants to move to Real Madrid? In the latest transfer roundup from Sky Sport Switzerland reporter, Sacha Tavolieri has reported that Ibrahima Konaté wants to join Real Madrid when he leaves the Merseyside club. 📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp Konaté has one year left on his contract, but talks over a new contract have stalled. The Frenchman has reportedly turned down Liverpool's extension, but he remains with the club for now. Advertisement Real Madrid are not desperate for a center-back right now, but Xabi Alonso and company could attempt to snag Konaté next summer as he becomes a free agent. Konaté has been a strong force in the Liverpool defense, having joined the club in the 2021/22 Premier League season. Slot is also looking to sign Marc Guehi, which could force Konaté to the bench. The defender is likely to stay with the Merseyside club this season, but he has made it clear that his priority is to join Real Madrid after his time is over at Liverpool. Liverpool news and related links


Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
2025 UEFA Women's Euro Odds: Spain Remains Favorite
Soccer fans, the wait is over. The 2025 UEFA Women's Euro is officially underway, with Matchday 2 of the group stage concluded. The 14th edition of the tournament, hosted by Switzerland, is held every four years. It features 16 national teams from across Europe competing for the continental title in stadiums throughout Switzerland, culminating in the final on July 27. Can England, the reigning champion after its 2022 victory, defend its title? Or will reigning World Cup champions Spain take home the glory? Let's dive into the odds via FanDuel Sportsbook as of July 7. 2025 UEFA Women's Euro odds Spain: -120 (bet $10 to win $18.33 total)Germany: +500 (bet $10 to win $60 total)France: +550 (bet $10 to win $65 total)England: +750 (bet $10 to win $85 total)Sweden: +1600 (bet $10 to win $170 total)Norway: +2800 (bet $10 to win $290 total)Netherlands: +2800 (bet $10 to win $290 total)Italy: +3500 (bet $10 to win $360 total)Switzerland: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)Denmark: +10000 (bet $10 to win $1,010 total)Portugal: +20000 (bet $10 to win $2,010 total)Belgium: +25000 (bet $10 to win $2,510 total)Wales: +45000 (bet $10 to win $4,510 total)Finland: +45000 (bet $10 to win $4,510 total)Poland: +95000 (bet $10 to win $9,510 total) Spain opened as the favorite to win the UEFA Women's Euro and remains at the top after winning its first two group stage matches. With odds of -120, Spain has a significant edge over Germany, which sits at +500. Spain recently clinched the inaugural Nations League title in Feb. 2024, defeating France 2-0 in the final. While Spain is yet to reach the Euro finals, it has advanced to the quarterfinals in the last three tournaments. With a stellar roster featuring two-time Ballon d'Or Féminin winner Aitana Bonmatí, Alexia Putellas, Mariona Caldentey, Laia Aleixandri, Irene Paredes, Esther González, Ona Batlle and Patri Guijarro, Spain is poised to be in excellent form. Germany, the most decorated team with eight titles, won six consecutively from 1995 to 2013. It also claimed Olympic Gold in 2016 and two FIFA Women's World Cups. France closely trails with +550 odds. In the last UEFA Women's Euros, France reached the semifinals, losing to Spain, and was the runner-up in the inaugural Nations League in 2024, again falling to the Spaniards. Defending champion England, aiming for its second UEFA Women's Euro title, lost its first match and is currently in fourth place with +750 odds. The 2025 UEFA Women's Euro final will take place on July 27 at St. Jakob-Park in Basel, Switzerland. Of the 16 qualified teams, 14 have participated in previous UEFA Women's Euros, with Poland and Wales making their debut this year. Aside from Germany, Norway has won two titles, while Sweden, England and the Netherlands each have one win to their names. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Legal challenge over Wimbledon expansion set to be heard at High Court
A campaign group's legal challenge against plans to almost triple the size of the Wimbledon tennis site is set to be heard at the High Court on Tuesday. Save Wimbledon Park (SWP) is challenging the decision by the Greater London Authority (GLA) to give the green light to the All England Club's proposal to build 39 new courts, including an 8,000-seat stadium, on the former Wimbledon Park Golf Club. Planning permission for the scheme was granted last year by Jules Pipe, London's deputy mayor for planning, who said that the proposals 'would facilitate very significant benefits' which 'clearly outweigh the harm'. Debbie Jevans, chair of the All England Club, said at the time that the proposals would deliver 27 acres of 'newly accessible parkland for the community', and would allow the qualifying tournament for Wimbledon – currently staged at Roehampton – to be held on-site. But campaigners say that Wimbledon Park, a Grade II*-listed heritage site, is subject to similar protections as the green belt or royal parks and that allowing development on the site would set a 'dangerous precedent'. SWP's lawyers are set to argue that the GLA's decision failed to take into account the implications of 'restrictive covenants' on the use of the land, and that the development would cause 'deliberate damage'. The GLA is defending the legal challenge at a two-day hearing before Mr Justice Saini, which is due to begin at 10.30am at the Royal Courts of Justice in London. The plans were first submitted to both Merton and Wandsworth Councils, with the park straddling the boroughs, in 2021, three years after the All England Club bought out golf club members with the intention of developing the land. After Merton Council approved the plans, but Wandsworth Council rejected them, the Mayor of London's office took charge of the application. Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan then recused himself from the process in 2023, having previously expressed public support for the development. The plans attracted opposition from Fleur Anderson, the Labour MP for Putney, and Richard Rees, who was previously the lead planner for the building of Wimbledon's Court One and the development of 'Henman Hill'. Ahead of Tuesday's hearing, Christopher Coombe, a director of SWP, said: 'If this decision by the GLA is upheld and the development goes ahead, the detrimental impacts on our environment and delicate ecosystem will be devastating. 'Our community has given massive support to the campaign over four years, desperate to stop the loss of open space intended for public recreation. 'This is not just in SW19; it's happening all over London. Once built, it is gone forever, and there is very little local trust in an organisation that prides itself on fair play, but then breaks its word. 'We all love the Wimbledon championships, but don't believe the proposal is really about protecting the future of the world's best tennis tournament. 'We will continue to press (the All England Club) to reconsider their fighting stance towards our community and to join us in finding a resolution that we can all get behind.' A spokesperson for the All England Club said: 'Our proposals will deliver one of the greatest sporting transformations for London since 2012. 'They are crucial to ensuring Wimbledon remains at the pinnacle of tennis, one of the world's best sporting events, and a global attraction for both London and the UK. 'On offer are substantial year-round benefits for our community and the delivery of significant social, economic, and environmental improvements. 'This includes more than 27 acres of new public parkland on what is currently inaccessible, private land. 'Our plans will increase the size of Wimbledon Park by a third and create spaces for people and nature to thrive. 'There will be a very significant increase in biodiversity across the site and our proposals are underpinned by more than 1,000 hours of ecological surveys, which are endorsed by the London Wildlife Trust. 'We have spoken to more than 10,000 people as part of our consultation events, and we know that the vast majority of people just want us to get on and deliver the many benefits on offer.' A GLA spokesperson said: 'The Mayor believes this scheme will bring a significant range of benefits, including environmental, economic, social and cultural benefits to the local area, the wider capital and the UK economy. 'It will create new jobs and green spaces and cement Wimbledon's reputation as the greatest tennis competition in the world. 'An application has been made for the court to determine this matter, and it is therefore inappropriate for the mayor to comment further at this stage.'