Lions v Queensland Reds – Andy Farrell's team take the lead in Brisbane
Farrell has had to make a late change with the news that Leinster and Ireland star Hugo Keenan has been ruled out of the game through illness, making it five Irish players starting the game against opponents who lost in the Super Rugby Pacific quarter-finals this season.
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The 42
4 hours ago
- The 42
Shelbourne confirm Joey O'Brien as Damien Duff's full-time successor
SHELBOURNE HAVE CONFIRMED the appointment of Joey O'Brien as the club's new head coach on a long-term deal, as first reported by The 42 on Wednesday. Former Republic of Ireland international O'Brien had served for three and a half years as Damien Duff's second-in-command and took charge of the League of Ireland champions on an interim basis following Duff's shock departure last month. Shels drew both fixtures for which O'Brien was interim boss — 2-2 at Waterford and 1-1 at Galway United respectively — and the club have now appointed the Dubliner on a full-time basis ahead of what will be his first home game in charge against Cork City on Friday. 'This is an incredible honour,' O'Brien said upon Thursday night's confirmation of his full-time appointment. 'Of course, being honest, it was unexpected — not something I was thinking about. The opportunity came up and I was asked to take it. I didn't take long to say yes. Advertisement 'I'm obviously delighted to be given the chance and grateful for the trust shown in me by the owners and the board. It's a privilege to be given this chance to continue the work that's been done over the last few years. 'I know first-hand what this club is about and that's an advantage coming into the job,' O'Brien added. 'Over the last three and half years, I've got to see this club grow. This place is full of special people, and fans who have seen it all and stood by the club through everything. 'I am absolutely delighted to be given this opportunity. Myself, the staff and the players — we're proud to be the custodians of such a historic club, one of the biggest in Irish football, and that's a great honour but ultimately, Shelbourne Football Club, the heart and soul of it, is the people who are there every Friday night, making this club what it is. 'The job is to make those people proud and create more special memories.' Shels are currently fifth in the Premier Division table and face Linfield in the first qualifying round of the Champions League next week. They welcome the Irish League champions to Tolka Park on Wednesday, 9 July, before visiting Windsor Park for the second leg the following week. Retaining their League of Ireland crown now looks beyond the reigning champions but they are just five points off second-placed Bohemians. The Gypsies have a couple of games in hand but European qualification remains a realistic aim for O'Brien. Shels' FAI Cup campaign also kicks off on 19 July when they travel away to the FAI Junior Cup winners and Limerick District League Premier Division champions Fairview Rangers. Tomás Qunn, Shelbourne CEO, added of his 'delight' at O'Brien's appointment that 'Joey brings a deep understanding of the game, a wealth of top-level experience, and a clear vision for the future of the club. 'His passion, leadership, and commitment to developing both the team and our culture made him the standout choice,' Quinn continued. 'We're confident Joey is the right person to lead us into the next chapter of Shelbourne's journey, and we're excited for what lies ahead under his stewardship.' Technical director Luke Byrne added: 'Joey has been a fundamental part of the team's success over the last few years and proved himself to be an outstanding coach, leader and communicator. 'His strong leadership skills, relationship with the players in the dressing room, and relentless desire to be successful make him the ideal man to lead us forward. Related Reads Losing the LOI's top scorer for €30,000 shows measures clubs must take just to keep up From chasing new signings to calling it quits - Damien Duff resigns at end of dramatic week 'The appointment of Joey gives us continuity and stability at a crucial time in the season as well as the club's long term strategic plan. I can't wait to see him take to the touchline in Tolka Park as our head coach tomorrow night.'
The Irish Sun
7 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Liverpool's tribute to Diogo Jota in full: Reds hail ‘truly clutch figure' following forward's heartbreaking death
LIVERPOOL have led tributes following the tragic death of Diogo Jota. T 3 Liverpool have paid tribute following the tragic death of Diogo Jota Credit: Reuters 3 The club described him as a truly clutch figure' Credit: Reuters The Jota is survived by his childhood sweetheart, Rute, whom he had married only 10 days earlier, and three children. READ MORE IN FOOTBALL On Thursday evening, Liverpool themselves posted a lengthy homage to the late attacker, describing him as a "truly clutch figure" before announcing they would "immortalise" his No20 shirt number. The club's statement, which recounted his career with the Anfield outfit said: "'He will take us to victory,' sang the Liverpool fans in his honour – and Diogo Jota so often did exactly that. "The Portugal forward, who has tragically passed away in a road traffic accident at the age of 28, was a truly clutch figure for the Reds, in just the right place when his team needed his finishing knack. "He arrived at Anfield in September 2020, enhancing the new Premier League champions' attacking ranks by making the switch from Wolverhampton Wanderers. Most read in Football "Jota's career had started out in his home country at Pacos de Ferreira and a senior debut in 2014 kicked off a rise to glory in the club and international game. "Signed by Atletico Madrid in 2016, he would not actually appear for the Spanish side, instead enjoying a productive next campaign on loan at FC Porto, honing his scoring skills and gaining Champions League experience. Portugal manager in tears as fans hold up Diogo Jota pictures during Women's Euro minute's silence for Liverpool "Another loan, this time to Wolves, beckoned and Jota was a key protagonist in firing the Midlands outfit out of the Championship with 17 goals during 2017-18. "Capable of playing across all attacking positions, his work-rate and nimbleness enabled him to foil defenders in all kinds of ways, and those talents were successfully transferred permanently to the Premier League. "Back-to-back seventh-placed finishes for Wolves in England's top flight came alongside a run to the Europa League last eight in 2019-20 that saw Jota score nine times. "Liverpool then swooped to recruit him and despite the unenviable challenge of forcing his way into a front line already composed of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, his impact was quick and considerable. "Indeed, Jota reached double figures for goals by his 21st Reds appearance, a tally that included a scintillating hat-trick away at Atalanta in the Champions League. "An untimely injury prevented him from continuing that start but he returned to clinical effect, racking up 21 strikes in all competitions as Jürgen Klopp's side almost achieved a quadruple in 2021-22, lifting the Carabao Cup and Emirates FA Cup. "'The slotter' was vital to those triumphs, a brilliant cameo against Leicester City in the quarter-finals of the former followed with a tie-deciding double at Arsenal in the semi-finals, while there was an FA Cup winner in the last eight versus Nottingham Forest. "Though fitness misfortunes prevented Jota from always being able to feature in the seasons that followed, he continued to tot up goals and assists for the cause, relied upon by Klopp and his successor, Arne Slot. "A cool head on the pitch – just remember his 94th-minute Anfield decider against Tottenham Hotspur in April 2023 – and a respected and much-loved team-mate off it. "What cruelly has proved to be his final flourish in football saw Jota become a Premier League champion and a UEFA Nations League winner. "The No.20 will be rightly immortalised for his contributions as part of Liverpool's 2024-25 title-winners – the club's 20th – with his trademark shimmy and strike in front of the Kop to seal victory in April's Merseyside derby a poignant last goal of his life. "To arrive at this particular season with the title that I've been chasing for a lot of years and in the best league in the world – for me where I dreamed to play as a kid – it's a moment I will cherish forever,' he said. "It is a remarkable achievement for a small guy that came from Gondomar, where I had this dream. To arrive at this moment was outstanding.' "More joy and special moments followed just last month as Portugal – Jota represented his country 49 times and 14 of his overall senior total of 150 goals came in internationals – lifted the Nations League trophy. "And he then celebrated marriage to wife Rute, with whom he had three children, on June 22. "'His name is Diogo,' rang the chorus of that very own supporter chant. And we'll never forget it. RIP Diogo Jota, 1996-2025." Local priest Jose Manuel Macedo initially announced the ceremonies would take place at 4pm on Friday before confirming they had been rescheduled to Saturday morning. Father Macedo said a wake would take place at Sao Cosme Chapel before the funeral mass on Saturday morning at the Catholic church next door - the Igreja Matriz de Gondomar. 3
RTÉ News
7 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Joey O'Brien succeeds Damien Duff as Shelbourne head coach
Shelbourne have appointed Joey O'Brien to succeed Damien Duff as head coach on a long-term deal. O'Brien, a former Republic of Ireland international, has been assistant manager at the club since 2021, working alongside Duff as the club regained the league title in 2024 after an 18-year gap. Following Duff's shock resignation last month, O'Brien served as caretaker manager for the last two league games, away draws against Waterford and Galway United. The club announced today that O'Brien would assume the head coach role on a long-term basis, stressing that the appointment would "ensure continuity and clarity" for the remainder of the season. Currently fifth in the league table, Shelbourne's European campaign commences with their Champions League first leg tie against Linfield looming down the tracks next Wednesday. "This is an incredible honour, of course being honest it was unexpected, not something I was thinking about. The opportunity came up, and I was asked to take it," O'Brien said in the statement. "I didn't take long to say yes, I'm obviously delighted to be given the chance and grateful for the trust shown in me by the owners and the board. It's a privilege to be given this chance to continue the work that's been done over the last few years. "Leading Shelbourne is a huge honour and I feel very lucky to be given that trust. I know first-hand what this club is about, and that's an advantage coming into the job. "Over the last three and half years I've got to see this club grow. This place is full of special people, and fans who have seen it all and stood by the club through everything. "I am absolutely delighted to be given this opportunity, myself, the staff and the players we're proud to be the custodians of such a historic club, one of the biggest in Irish football, and that's a great honour but ultimately, Shelbourne Football Club, the heart and soul of it, is the people who are there every Friday night, making this club what it is. The job is to make those people proud and create more special memories. "For the board and the owners, I am delighted to get this chance, it's now up to me to repay the trust they've shown. There's been a great foundation laid over the last three and a half years, and I want to build on that and create even more special moments. "I'm excited to take this step. I've learned a huge amount over the last three and a half years working under Damien, and ultimately, that experience has led to this moment. "But it's not about me, it's all about the players. This is a proud moment for me, but the focus is on them and what we do together from here."
