logo
Irwin assessed in hospital after practice crash

Irwin assessed in hospital after practice crash

BBC News21-06-2025

Glenn Irwin has been taken to hospital for assessment after crashing during a free practice session at the third round of the British Superbike Championship at Snetterton on Saturday.The Northern Ireland rider came off his Hager PBM Ducati at Turn Nine during FP3 and the session was subsequently red-flagged.The 35-year-old missed qualifying as his injuries were assessed.A statement released by the race organisers before Saturday's qualifying explained Irwin's absence."Glenn Irwin was taken to the circuit medical centre after a crash in Free Practice 3," the statement read."Following x-rays on his hip and right leg at the medical centre where nothing was visible, he has been taken to Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital for further scans and is unfit for Qualifying. Further updates will follow when available."The opening British Superbike race of the weekend will take place at 16:00 BST, with two further races scheduled for Sunday.Bradley Ray secured pole position in qualifying, from defending BSB champion Kyle Ryde second and Rory Skinner third.Ray leads the series standings on 86 points after the opening two rounds at Oulton Park and Donington, with Irwin 12 adrift on 74 and Ryde third on 66.Irwin has secured four podium finishes from the first five races of the season.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Shiploads of cars ready to set sail for US from UK as trade deal kicks in
Shiploads of cars ready to set sail for US from UK as trade deal kicks in

The Guardian

time21 minutes ago

  • The Guardian

Shiploads of cars ready to set sail for US from UK as trade deal kicks in

Shiploads of Minis, Aston Martins and Range Rovers will set sail for the US on Monday as the UK-US trade deal kicks in, but British farmers say they have been used as collateral to save the car industry. Auto shipments across the Atlantic were down more than half in May after Donald Trump's imposition of a 25% tariff on 3 April on top of an existing 2.5% levy. However, as of one minute past midnight US time on Monday – 5am in the UK – that has been reduced to 10% for cars, and UK manufacturers expect pent-up demand to be unleashed. Aston Martin's chief executive, Adrian Hallmark, said the luxury carmaker had stopped shipping between April and June, something he said had been 'not catastrophic, but slightly uncomfortable'. The outline of the trade deal was agreed between Trump and Keir Starmer in early May, the first such bilateral pact to mitigate the president's import taxes. However, delays in agreeing the fine print meant the higher tariff had continued to apply, pushing the cost of British cars up by more than a quarter for US importers. Hallmark told a British car industry conference last week that he was 'planning to invoice three months' worth of sales in a 24-hour period', with stocks in the US down by 50% due to the pause. Aston Martin exports 90% of its cars, but its customers are wealthy and were willing to wait. 'The demand has been strong and will be in good shape when we start to invoice cars like fury on Monday next week,' he said. On the eve of the trade deal coming into force, the business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, received reassurances from the sportscar maker Lotus that it had no plans to close its UK factory, in Hethel, Norfolk. Reynolds contacted Lotus bosses after it emerged that the carmaker was considering shifting production to the US – a move that would jeopardise 1,300 jobs. A Department for Business and Trade spokesperson said Reynolds met Lotus and its owner, Geely, on Sunday to clarify the company's situation, and 'was reassured by management that they are committed to their UK operations and have no plans to close their Hethel plant'. A decision to relocate manufacturing abroad by a prestige brand such as Lotus would be embarrassing for the UK government. Labour's industrial strategy, published last week, singled out automotive production as among the strategic sectors it wants to support. The car industry welcomed the US-UK trade deal when it was struck, with it preventing job losses at JLR, the maker of the Jaguar and Land Rover brands. Range Rovers are particularly popular in the US. However, the lower 10% duty only applies to a quota of 100,000 cars a year – slightly below last year's export numbers – leaving little room for growth. JLR alone exported 84,000 cars in the year up to April 2025. The initial trade deal also included a promise of zero tariffs on steel but this has been held up by negotiations over the origin of some raw materials for smelting, particularly at Tata's plant at Port Talbot in south Wales. Concessions were won with new tariff-free quotas for British and US beef in each other's markets, as well the controversial removal of a 19% tariff on American ethanol imports, which the UK industry says leaves biofuel plants facing closure. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion The president of the National Farmers' Union, Tom Bradshaw, said the government must stop using agriculture as a bargaining chip in talks and urged Starmer to take the sector off the table in the talks on steel and remove the 10% baseline tariff Trump has applied to all imports. 'Agriculture has borne the responsibility of removing tariffs for other sectors. At some point they've got to stop relying on agriculture to take the burden,' Bradshaw said. 'Agriculture has nothing left to give.' On the upside for farmers, they can now sell 13,000 tonnes of British beef to the US, but again there is a catch. They will not be able to sell until January next year because beef is part of a wider tariff deal with other countries, and this year's quota has already been filled by Brazilians who stockpile beef in storage near the Mexican border. The UK steel industry has at least won a temporary exemption from the 50% tariff imposed by Trump at the start of this month until 9 July, but it still faces a 25% tariff on exports. It is waiting anxiously for delivery of the promised zero rate tariff. 'Time is running out to secure a UK-US steel deal and remove damaging tariffs,' said Gareth Stace, the director general of UK Steel. 'Every day of delay costs our steelmakers dearly. Contracts are being lost, investment decisions remain on hold, and uncertainty is paralysing business decisions. We urgently need a swift, positive resolution to these talks to protect jobs, unlock growth, and restore confidence in the sector.' Yet even in a zero-tariff deal, Port Talbot may still face issues. The UK operations of the Indian conglomerate are relying on imports of steel melted and poured in its sister plants in India and the Netherlands while they move from a polluting blast furnace to the greener electric arc furnace to smelt steel. However, UK Steel is hoping there can be an exception to the tariffs agreed for the Welsh operation along with the five other plants in the UK. UK trade officials are understood to be optimistic they can secure such an exemption.

British and Irish Lions announce replacement after suffering ‘shocking' Tomos Williams injury loss
British and Irish Lions announce replacement after suffering ‘shocking' Tomos Williams injury loss

The Independent

time25 minutes ago

  • The Independent

British and Irish Lions announce replacement after suffering ‘shocking' Tomos Williams injury loss

British and Irish Lions head coach Andy Farrell concedes it is 'shocking' to lose Tomos Williams for the tour of Australia after a significant hamstring injury. Williams was one of just two Wales players for the tour and is now set to return to the UK on Monday after sustaining a blow in the second of his two impressive tries in the big win over Western Force on Saturday. And the injury is set to sideline Williams for the 'medium to long term,' with Ben White called up as his replacement. The Scotland international will come over from New Zealand on Monday, with compatriot Blair Kinghorn also joining the group after featuring for Toulouse to win the Top 14 final. For Williams, it is a case of what might have been, as the reigning Gallagher Premiership player of the year had been outstanding in his two appearances on tour, placing him firmly in contention for a Test place against the Wallabies. 'It's shocking news for us all. We're not just going to miss an outstanding player – he played unbelievably well and it was some try that he was actually injured by,' Farrell said. 'We're also going to miss the bloke. We have only been together for a few weeks now but his character is everything you want to have in your group on a Lions tour. He's very popular and that makes it a little bit tougher. 'Ben will be devastated for Tomos, like we all are. But at the same time, he's super excited. 'He obviously had ambition to get into the squad – as did many others who didn't get selected – so now he gets his chance.' Williams' withdrawal is partially offset by Jamison Gibson-Park's recovery from the glute issue that enables him to make his Lions debut against the Queensland Reds in Brisbane on Wednesday. Gibson-Park forms a half-back partnership with Finn Russell – a playmaking axis that was the pre-tour favourite to start against the Wallabies. Full-back Hugo Keenan and replacement lock James Ryan will also make their first appearances for the tourists after recovering from their respective calf and quad injuries. Lions captain Maro Itoje returns to the second row after being stood down for the 54-7 victory over the Force, forming an engine-room partnership with Ollie Chessum. The Reds match begins a hectic spell of four games in 11 days leading into the first Test against the Wallabies, also in Brisbane, on July 19. 'Here we go now. This is proper touring. Games are coming thick and fast, so this is the exciting part of the tour for us,' Farrell said. 'We've been outlining to the lads what the weeks are going to look like – not much training, actually, just out there on the field and plenty of mental preparation. 'But if you ask any player, what would they rather do? Be involved in big games, playing for the Lions, or training every day? I know which I'd rather do. 'We see it as a great opportunity for ourselves to be fast-tracking our ambition, our potential as a team.'

‘I was chewed up and spat out – fighters deserve better': Danny Roberts on starting fresh after post-UFC pain
‘I was chewed up and spat out – fighters deserve better': Danny Roberts on starting fresh after post-UFC pain

The Independent

time41 minutes ago

  • The Independent

‘I was chewed up and spat out – fighters deserve better': Danny Roberts on starting fresh after post-UFC pain

Being a professional fighter does not guarantee the lavish lifestyle many may portray it to. For British ex- UFC star Danny Roberts, he knows this all too well. 'I was a kid that came from a tough upbringing, a lot of adversity and abuse.' The Croydon-raised brawler grew up without a father figure and came into the sport not to build a personal brand or take over the world, but to provide a certain life and be 'the man that he didn't have' for his children. Roberts, 37, spent close to eight years fighting under the UFC banner. In that time he had 14 bouts, one of which in 2022 came against current welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena. But it's since his departure that things have come into perspective on the MMA industry as a whole. 'Hot Chocolate' has not fought since his final UFC outing, a wild clash against Jonny Parsons in his home city in July 2023. His eventual cut in January of this year was far from the perfect end, with the UFC toying with his future to leave his source of income in limbo for over a year. 'My last fight in the UFC, I got fight of the night,' he told The Independent. 'Then I got told I was to have another fight, but it got to the point where a year had passed by. If I would have turned around and just left then, I could have probably been back where I needed to be a lot sooner. But that is what it is. 'As far as the UFC is concerned, I had an absolutely phenomenal time. It's part of my life that I'm never ever going to forget. But there is definitely a lot of ups and downs and a lot of things that could be better for the athletes – look after the athletes better and have their best interests in mind, because we're at the bottom of the food chain. It's like crabs in a bucket. 'Everyone's fighting to get to the top, and if you're not at the top, you ain't got s***. That's not good enough. We're talking about the premiership organisation of the world. The 20 years of your f****** life you give to be a part of that, training every day and being away from friends, family, relationships to be able to do what you can do. It's not very stable – it's like the one per cent of the one per cent.' Close to two years out of the cage, it looked like he would be making his return in the fledgling GFL, which was fronted by major names including Tony Ferguson, Alexander Gustaffson and Uriah Faber. However, the star-studded promotion collapsed before it even began, cancelling its inaugural two events, the first of which included Roberts's planned clash against Neiman Gracie. 'This is one of the things all fighters have issues with,' he said. 'There is no governing body, there is no one that can look after our best interests, so it's very hard. We get used, we get chewed up, we get spat out, and the only thing that we have is to look after ourselves. 'As fighters we're very hopeful, very ambitious, very driven, so you go and give us some sort of magic in front of us, our eyes light up. The GFL was that. It looked like it was legit.' Roberts has since found stability in the PFL and is set to make his promotional debut on 5 July, assuming the villain role as he main events against undefeated hometown hero Patrick Habirora in Brussels, Belgium. 'Creating the upset is something I relish,' he says, repeatedly expressing his gratitude to the company for the opportunity. However, he has not lost sight of the wider issues with MMA, an industry where inequality and poor communication with its 'pawns' are rife. To Roberts, unionisation would be a way to combat these problems. 'There should be,' he says when asked if the sport should have a union. 'Can you look at any other sport in the world [that doesn't have unionisation]? This isn't me trying to badmouth, I'm just speaking the gospel truth about it. 'We put our livelihoods on the line and miles on the clock. We do irreversible damage to our bodies. Yes, it's obviously our choice to do that, but it's one of the hardest ways to go and earn a paycheck, and whether you've got to be tapped in the head or just delusional to do that, we should still be valued. 'We're athletes also. We're doing what we need to do to be able to get the best for our families, and I've experienced – within a few months of leaving UFC – scraping around to find pennies to pay bills. When that comes as a realisation, it's not good.' Problems with the fighting world he may have, but Roberts is not yet ready to step away from the cage for good. 'My heart and my head are still very much in this game.' Retirement is not on his mind as he embarks on his latest career chapter in PFL, seeking to 'shoot for the stars and succeed'. But with 15 years on his professional fighting stopwatch, Roberts is fully aware that outside of the cage, the room for improvement is endless.

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