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RNZ News
01-07-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Erin Routliffe puts disrupted Wimbledon preparation behind her
New Zealand tennis player Erin Routliffe. Photo: PHOTOSPORT New Zealand tennis player Erin Routliffe has had a far from ideal lead-up to Wimbledon with her regular doubles partner out with injury. With Gaby Dabrowski out of action, Routliffe played tournaments with two other players, but with not a lot of success. Canadian Dabrowski is now back and they go into Wimbledon as the second seeds, having made the final at the grass court grand slam last year. World number three Routliffe has put the last month down to experience. "It is always tough but it is part of the job with doubles as you can never control your partner," Routliffe told RNZ. With Dabrowski out the 30-year-old Kiwi played tournaments with Belarusian Victoria Azarenka and Ukranian Lyudmyla Kichenok. "I was lucky to play the last few weeks with different people, so it's been fine but happy to be back (with Dabrowski) for sure." The pair won the 2023 US Open doubles title and in 2024 made the Australian Open semi-finals and the Wimbeldon final. They finished 2024 by winning the WTA Finals in Riyadh. They reached the Australian Open semi-finals again this year and combined to win the Stuttgart Open. Erin Routliffe (NZL) talks tactics with doubles partner Gabriela Dabrowski (CAN), Wimbledon 2024. Photo: PHOTOSPORT Routliffe and Dabrowski played one match together in Germany before Wimbledon. "You just need some time to get back in but we've been practising with a lot of other teams and we have our coaches here so it's been really nice." Routliffe makes no predictions about the Wimbledon tournament. "I have no idea, I go one match at a time." However she is fond of the grass courts at the All England Club. "I love it, it's one of the meccas of tennis, I love the grass, I love being here," Routliffe said. "It's cool because if you're a tennis fan or not everyone knows Wimbledon and the history. "It's an epic place and I'm excited to get going." Routliffe and Dabrowski play a Chinese pair first up. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Irish legend O'Mahony to lead BaaBaas in South Africa
Ireland rugby legend Peter O'Mahony will captain the Barbarians against world champions South Africa in a non-cap exhibition match at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday. The 35-year-old retired as a Test flanker after the 2025 Six Nations Championship having made 114 appearances and played his final match for Munster in the United Rugby Championship last month. Advertisement O'Mahony forms a vastly experienced back row with two former All Blacks, fellow flanker Sam Cane and number 8 Shannon Frizell, who both play in Japan. In the matchday 23, there are 17 who have played at Test level, including another recent retiree, loosehead prop Cian Healy, who holds the Irish record with 137 international appearances. It is the first time the Barbarians have played in South Africa. They won four, drew one and lost three of eight previous meetings. They last met in 2016, drawing 31-31 at Wembley Stadium. The Cape Town game marks the start of the season for the Springboks, who will also play 13 Tests, starting with a match against Italy in Pretoria on July 5. Advertisement Team (15-1) Melvyn Jaminet (FRA); Mark Telea, Leicester Fainga'anuku, Peter Umaga-Jensen, Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens; Josh Jacomb, Tawera Kerr-Barlow; Shannon Frizell, Sam Cane (all NZL), Peter O'Mahony (IRL, capt); David Ribbans (ENG), Ruben van Heerden (RSA); Paul Alo-Emile (SAM), Camille Chat (FRA), Cian Healy (IRL) Replacements: Ricky Riccitelli (RSA), Hassane Kolingar (FRA), Will Collier (ENG), Josh Beehre, Hoskins Sotutu (both NZL), Santiago Arata (URU), Joe Marchant (ENG), Lachlan Boshier (NZL) Coach: Robbie Deans (NZL) dl/ea
Business Recorder
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Business Recorder
England bowl in 1st Test as India's Sudharsan makes debut
LEEDS: England captain Ben Stokes won the toss and elected to field in the first Test against India at Headingley on Friday. With the match starting beneath sunny, blue skies and the pitch only showing a tinge of green, conditions appeared good for batting in the opening match of this five-Test series. But Stokes, explaining his decision to bowl first, said: 'Headingley is generally a good cricket wicket, we have had some good games here over the years so we will look to use the early conditions and get a bit out of it (the pitch).' England had already named their side, making two changes to the team that beat Zimbabwe by an innings inside three days at Trent Bridge. Experienced paceman Chris Woakes returns in place of the injured Gus Atkinson and fast bowler Brydon Carse makes his home debut. India gave a Test debut to Sai Sudharsan, listed to come in at number three with new captain Shubman Gill slotting in at number four. India are bidding for just a third Test series win in England following triumphs in 1971, 1986 and 2007, with Gill saying: 'Preparation has been amazing, I think all the boys are feeling in a good space mentally and physically.' Nayeem Hasan takes five wickets to halt Sri Lanka charge in Bangladesh Test This match, the first of five Tests in seven weeks, marks the start of a new cycle in the World Test Championship after South Africa beat Australia in last week's final at Lord's. Both teams wore black armbands in memory of the victims of an Air India plane crash in the western city of Ahmedabad that killed all but one of 242 people on board. Teams England: Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (capt), Jamie Smith (wkt), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir India: KL Rahul, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill (capt), Rishabh Pant (wkt), Karun Nair, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna Umpires: Chris Gaffaney (NZL), Paul Reiffel (AUS TV Umpire: Sharfuddoula (BAN) Match Referee: Richie Richardson (WIS)
Business Recorder
11-06-2025
- Climate
- Business Recorder
South Africa bowl against Australia in WTC final
LONDON: South Africa captain Temba Bavuma won the toss and put Australia in to bat in the World Test Championship final at Lord's on Wednesday. The overcast conditions in London promised to help South Africa's quicks, with reigning champions Australia also boasting an impressive pace attack. Australia's Marnus Labuschagne will be thrust straight into the action after being promoted to open for the first time in his Test career. 'We'll have a bowl first,' said Bavuma at the toss. 'The surface looks a good one, with solid overhead conditions. Australia's Hazlewood returns for WTC final against South Africa 'I'm happy. It's too late now for anything else. We've selected the best team for the conditions.' 'It's (a) massive (occasion). I think all of us have some sort of allegiance to Lord's. It should be a spectacle of a game.' Australia captain Pat Cummins said his side were happy to bat first. 'There's a few clouds but that's not unusual for England,' he said. 'It's dry and might turn later in the match. 'I don't think there's any extra pressure (as defending champions). We've been here before and won it. This week is about enjoying it.' Both sides named their teams on Tuesday. All-rounder Beau Webster keeps his place at number six in the Australia team and the experienced Josh Hazlewood has been preferred to Scott Boland in the pace attack. South Africa named all-rounder Wiaan Mulder at number three and selected Lungi Ngidi ahead of Dane Paterson, even though his fellow paceman knows conditions at Lord's well after playing there for Middlesex this season. Fast bowler Kagiso Rabada is playing his first Test after serving a one-month ban for cocaine use earlier this year. South Africa are aiming to win their first major trophy since lifting the ICC Knockout, a forerunner of the Champions Trophy, in 1998. The top-ranked Australians, who beat India in the 2023 WTC final, have won multiple white-ball trophies. Teams Australia: Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Cameron Green, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Beau Webster, Alex Carey (wkt), Pat Cummins (capt), Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood South Africa: Aiden Markram, Ryan Rickelton, Wiaan Mulder, Temba Bavuma (capt), Tristan Stubbs, David Bedingham, Kyle Verreynne (wkt), Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi Umpires: Chris Gaffaney (NZL), Richard Illingworth (ENG) TV Umpire: Richard Kettleborough (ENG) Match Referee: Javagal Srinath (IND)
Qatar Tribune
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Qatar Tribune
Record bonuses will offer added incentives for athletes at Jetour Doha Diamond League meeting: Barshim
Tribune News Network Doha At a packed press conference ahead of the 2025 Jetour Doha Meeting (Friday 16 May), Qatar star and former Olympic high jump champion Mutaz Barshim spoke on behalf of everyone in the room when he said, 'It's important that we take care of the athletes.' A great ambassador for the sport and his country, the 33-year-old launched his own innovative event in 2024 - the 'What Gravity Challenge' - bringing together a group of the world's best high jumpers at the spectacular Katara Amphitheatre in Doha. The successful second edition of the event, which included men and women for the first time, took place on 9 May. On this occasion he was talking about the $5000 bonus payments on offer to athletes who set new meeting records at the 2025 Diamond League event in his home city: 'Track and field isn't an easy job,' he said, 'It's tough out there and when it comes to the financial part of the sport you can be fourth or fifth in the world and you might still need a job (when you retire). Change is good and we're moving in the right direction.' Barshim, a multiple Olympic medallist, won an unprecedented third successive global title with victory at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene 2022. He will target 'one more medal' at this year's World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, before the Asian Games in 2026, an event which is very close to his heart. The issue that sadly kept him out of his own meeting last week will potentially keep him out of tomorrow's showpiece, but his commitment to the sport and his supporters was clear. 'I want to jump at home, this is the place I care about most,' he said. 'It was a really difficult moment not to be able to jump last week, and it's the same again here. We have responsibilities in this sport and we put our bodies on the line and part of that means injuries. If you don't push yourself to the limit you don't know how far you can go.' Joining Barshim on the top table were Katie Moon (USA), Letsile Tebogo (BWA), Hamish Kerr (NZL) and Neeraj Chopra (IND). Still at the start of his promising career, Olympic champion Kerr admitted he grew up watching and supporting Barshim. 'To see him lead the way in our sport is inspiring,' he said of his friend and rival. 'The high jump is very open right now and for me, at this time, it's about learning from each competition and building. Physically I'm in really good shape but I've not yet been able to fully connect, but that's what's so good about having these chances to compete.' 28-year-old Kerr won the 2024 World Athletics Indoor Championships with a national record and Oceania best of 2.36m, upgrading his 2022 bronze. He matched that height in Paris, winning Olympic gold after a jump-off. The Commonwealth champion most recently finished second in the 2025 World Indoors. Like the men's high jump, the women's pole vault is equally competitive. 'On any given day there are several of us who can walk away with a win and it keeps me motivated to stay on top of my game,' said Moon, the 2021 Olympic champion and two-time world champion (Eugene 2022 and Budapest 2023) who won silver in Paris last summer. 'I'm feeling great,' she continued. 'This is the best string of training I've put together the last couple of years. I felt really good this indoor season and so far, knock on wood, it's been really good. Having jumped here in the past it's a great runway and perfect conditions and I'm very excited. I really love jumping here.' The Doha meeting record for the women's pole vault is 4.84m (Sandi Morris, USA, 2018 and 2021). 'If I jump that this early it would be huge (from a confidence-perspective),' said Moon. 'The money is just an added bonus.' There is a good chance Olympic champion Tebogo could break the meeting record for the 200m. Currently 19.67 by Kenny Bednarek in 2024, Tebogo - a world 100m silver and 200m bronze medallist in 2023 - is more than capable. He clocked an area record of 19.46 to take victory in Paris and in doing so made history by claiming his country's first Olympic gold medal in any sport. It was the fastest time in the world in 2024 and moved him to fifth on the world all-time list. 'A good performance would be to finish healthy,' he said, modestly. Of all the Doha meeting records, the men's javelin mark of 93.90m (Thomas Rohler, GER, 2019) is arguably the toughest to conquer. 'It's the Diamond League record so it's very hard!' laughed 2024 Olympic javelin silver medallist Chopra. Chopra is the reigning world and Asian Games champion and is India's national record holder with a best of 89.94m. He made history in Tokyo when he became the country's first Olympic gold medallist in track and field and that trend continued at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest when he became the first athlete from India to strike gold. As the press conference drew to a close, it was Barshim, fittingly, that had the last laugh. The men's high jump meeting record in Doha - which is his, of course - is 2.40m. As conversation turned to what was possible tomorrow night, and who might leave with the $5000 bonus payments, he turned to young pretender Kerr and smiled; 'If you jump 2.41m, I'll triple that for you!!'. A challenge or a gift. Time will tell.
