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All Rugby in New Zealand has been cancelled this weekend

It has been announced today that all rugby events this weekend in New Zealand have been cancelled or postponed till further notice due to an Alert Level 4 lockdown in the country

Bunnings Warehouse NPC, Farah Palmer Cup (FPC) and Heartland Championship matches, as well as all community and school rugby this weekend, will be affected, New Zealand Rugby (NZR) announced today.

The next rounds of Bunnings Warehouse NPC, FPC, and Heartland Championship will be rescheduled to be played at a later date in the competition.

No community rugby is to be played at any level however Provincial Unions and their local organising bodies will determine whether those matches are cancelled or postponed.

The Government announced on Tuesday 17 August that Auckland and Coromandel will remain at Alert Level 4 for a period of seven days, while the rest of New Zealand is at Alert Level 4 for a period of three days.

NZR General Manager Community Rugby Steve Lancaster said the decision had been made in consultation with Provincial Unions and the Players’ Association in the interests of wider public safety due to the latest COVID-19 community outbreak.

“Although it could be possible to play competitions and matches outside of Auckland and Coromandel if the COVID Alert Levels fell to Level 2 before Saturday, with level 4 restrictions not being lifted until midnight Friday at the earliest, we believe the responsible decision is to make an early call and keep people away from our fields and venues this weekend.

“We understand this decision will be disappointing for some of our stakeholders but are confident the rugby community will once again act in unity to play our part in keeping Aotearoa safe.”

NZR’s decision means Round 3 of the Bunnings Warehouse NPC, the opening round of the Bunnings Warehouse Heartland Championship, and Rounds 6 and 7 of the FPC Championship and Premiership respectively, will now be played at a later date in the competition.

Lancaster said NZR would review the status of all competitions beyond this weekend after the Government’s next COVID update on Friday 20 August.

“Like all New Zealanders we will be guided by the Government and health authorities over the next seven days.”

Ten Highest Paid Rugby Players

Who are the ten highest-paid rugby players?

According to a report in The Rugby Player, Scottish Rugby Union player Finn Russell has been offered a lucrative contract offer worth over £1 million per season by Japanese club Green Rockets Tokatsu.

The current fly-half currently plays for French side Racing 92.

Were Scotland’s fly-half to make the switch, it would make him the current highest-paid rugby player on the planet.

Ever wondered who are the ten highest-paid rugby players in the world? Well here at SportsNewsIreland, we will find out.

Here are the reported ten highest-paid rugby players in the world.

Handre Pollard – £1 million 

Pollard joined Piutau in the £1 million club after signing for French outfit Montpellier after the 2019 Rugby World Cup.

Becoming the joint-highest paid player in the world.

Charles Piutau – £1 million

Widely reported to be the first player in British rugby to make £1 million. The New Zealand fullback has been with Bristol since 2018.

Eben Etzebeth – £900,000

Etzebeth is currently signed to a three-year deal with French side Toulon and with many rugby insiders reporting he is close to hitting the £1 million club.

Finn Russell – £850,000

If reports are believed, Russell could become the highest-paid rugby player in the world if he agrees to join Japanese club Green Rockets Tokatsu.

The fly-half signed a three-year deal with Racing 92 last year, earning a reported £850,000.

Virimi Vakatawa – £780,000

According to reports in France in 2020, France international Vakatawa signed a valuable contract with Racing 92.

He now earns a whopping £780,000 a year.

Beauden Barrett – £780,000

Back in 2019, Barrett penned a four-year deal with New Zealand Rugby Union, where he reportedly earned £540,000 per year.

After his time in Japan with Suntory Sungoliath in 2020, it was estimated Barrett took home £780,000.

Maro Itoje – £750,000+

Rumours of the England and Saracens flanker being interested in joining French team Racing 92 last year, club president Jacky Lorenzetti admitted that the player demanded over €1 million to make the switch.

Numerous reports vary but it is thought that Itoje is earning £750,000.

Michael Hooper – £750,000

The 29-year old Australian skipper signed a long-term contract with Rugby Australia in 2018, which saw him take home £3.2 million over 5 years.

During last season, he took time off in Japan and is reportedly earning over £750,000 with Toyota Verblitz.

Owen Farrell – £750,000

England and Saracens captain Owen Farrell is coming towards the end of his current contract, with one year remaining.

He is reportedly has a massive salary and will be looking to negotiate a higher fee in the future.

Farrell, deferred over 90% of his current salary to help the club navigate through the financial burden during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Steven Luatua – £650,000

The former All-Black decided to quit his international career to join English team, Bristol Bears, becoming an integral part of winning the European Challenge Cup in 2019-20.

Over the summer, there were rumblings over his contract situation with the Bears, however, it has been reported that the 30-year-old will stay on with the Bears until the end of the 2022/23 season.

For more news and rumours on all things Rugby, check out these stories at SportsNewsIreland.

Leicester Players Congratulated Raul Jiménez Throughout Wolves Game

Wolves striker Raul Jiménez revealed to the media that Leicester City players congratulated him on his return to football during the teams’ opening weekend match-up on Saturday.

Leicester won the game 1-0 courtesy of a Jamie Vardy finish in the first half but the big story was the return of the Mexican international.

He played for the club in the Premier League in his first game after recovering from a fractured skull that ruled him out for the majority of last season.

The 30-year-old appreciated the gestures made by his opponents throughout the game at the weekend.

“It was really good to be back again,” Jiménez told the media.

“I remember at a corner Vardy came to me to congratulate me, and Soyuncu and Maddison and most of the other Leicester players came to me in different parts of the game too. I felt really good about that.

“They said they were really happy to see me back on the pitch, that it was an honour to be there playing with me in my first match back.”

Jiménez suffered his season-ending injury in a game against Arsenal in November 2020 when he clashed heads with Brazilian defender David Luiz.

The Mexican noted that the injury took longer than expected to heal but said it was a miracle that he is still able to speak to the media after a game.

He has no recollection of the incident but watched replays of it and said that it feels good to be back.

“I feel now that I’m a player again after a long almost nine months being out for this injury,” he said.

“I have been training the whole pre-season six weeks, so I think it was the right moment to come back and start the season again and I feel really good.”

Munster Senior Cup Rugby Fixtures announced

The draw has been announced for the 2021/22 Bank of Ireland Munster Senior Cup with 16 teams looking for silverware

Munster Rugby President Seán McCullough and Bank of Ireland Manager for Wilton and Ballincollig, Marcelle McAuliffe, conducted the draw at Musgrave Park this afternoon.

The first round fixtures will be played on the weekend of September 11th.

This year there will also be a Plate competition which is made up of the teams who fail to progress from the first round.

Cork Constitution come in as reigning Champions after beating Young Munster in the 2020 instalment of the competition. They have won the competition 31 times in its history and are looking for another title this year

Speaking at the cup draw, Munster Rugby President Seán McCullough said:

“We’re delighted to see the return of this year’s Senior Cup and I’m sure all the clubs are excited to get going in this prestigious competition.

“We wish all of our teams the best of luck in the cup and for the season ahead.”

Munster Senior Cup Draw

Round 1 – Weekend of 11th September 2021 

Match 1 – Nenagh Ormond RFC v Midleton RFC

Match 2 – UCC RFC v Garryowen FC

Match 3 – Old Crescent RFC v Kilfeacle & District RFC

Match 4 – Young Munster RFC v Cork Constitution FC

Match 5 – UL Bohemian RFC v Dolphin RFC

Match 6 – Bruff RFC v Clonmel RFC

Match 7 – Cashel RFC v Shannon RFC

Match 8 – Sunday’s Well RFC v Highfield RFC

Quarter-Finals – Weekend of 18th September 2021 

Match 9 – Winner of Match 1 v Winner of Match 7

Match 10 – Winner of Match 6 v Winner of Match 2

Match 11 – Winner of Match 3 v Winner of Match 8

Match 12 – Winner of Match 4 v Winner of Match 5

Semi-Finals 

Match 13 – Winner of Match 11 v Winner of Match 12

Match 14 – Winner of Match 10 v Winner of Match 9

Final 

Match 15 – Winner of Match 13 v Winner of Match 14

Ireland Held By Italians In Second EuroHockey II Game

Ireland were held at bay to a 1-1 draw by a well-organised Italy, leaving the Green Machine on four points from six after day two of the EuroHockey Championships II in Gniezno, Poland.

Shane O’Donoghue’s 112th international goal had Ireland ahead in the seventh minute but a quick reply from Francois Sior in the 13th minute levelled the scoreline and no more changes were made to it.

Thereafter, it was a maze of patience as the Italians – ranked eight places below Ireland in 22nd – defended deep and resolutely to offer up limited chances.

The result leaves both sides on four points after two games with Ireland knowing a win of any description against world number 40 side Croatia will see them through to the semi-finals and a confirmed place in the World Cup qualifiers.

“Credit to the Italians, they defended well, stuck to their guns and then went for the long high ball while we didn’t hit fourth or fifth gear,” was O’Donoghue’s assessment.

“We didn’t play with the same level of aggression to the game against Poland. There were some sticky patches which we had to weather and we played good stuff at times but the bounce of the ball didn’t go our way.”

After a slightly slow Irish start saw them concede a second-minute penalty corner, Jonathan Bell’s side soon found a fruitful avenue of attack with O’Donoghue’s accurate crossfield overheads causing plenty of danger.

From the left-wing, he often picked out Tim Cross overlapping down the right and it produced Ireland’s first corner from which O’Donoghue cracked home his 112th international goal with a low drag-flick in the seventh minute.

But the lead was short-lived as a flurry of Italian attacks ended with a loose clearance falling straight to Sior who unleashed a rocket into the roof of the goal.

The second quarter was incredibly tight with few sights on goal as Italy sat deep, looking to counter while the Green Machine enjoyed more possession but found the defence hard to unpick.

The O’Donoghue-Cross connection continued to threaten the Italians but the pair found no success when it came to goals.

The second half was more open with Ian Stewart’s silky skills almost unlocking the door while a fast counter between Ben Nelson and Cross ended with a shot charged down.

Jeremy Duncan cracked one into the backboard but an earlier free-out was called, adding to the frustration. A third Irish corner deflected high from O’Donoghue’s powerful flick into Michael Robson but was deemed dangerous and it proved the last major opening.

While the game stretched, both defences were well controlled, picking off neat tackles in their respective circle.

The post-match body language suggested Italy were much the happier with the outcome – their first result from their last six meetings with Ireland, dating back to 2005.

O’Donoghue said after the match that there was plenty to take from the tie for the young line-up.

“We had a few corners which we needed to capitalise on but this is tournament hockey and we have to learn from it. It is never smooth sailing and you never know what to expect.

“They play their style which is frustrating to play against. I don’t think they caused us too much damage but, from our end, we didn’t have create enough chances.”

Ireland have a quick turnaround with Croatia – playing at this level for the first time – are next on Wednesday afternoon at 4.45pm (Irish time).

“Tomorrow, it is important we don’t go hell for leather from the start. It is important we stick to the gameplan; we know it works from the Poland game,” O’Donoghue continued.

“All the teams are here for the same thing and want to win it, get that gold medal and move up the world rankings.

“We will get back to basics, not make those mistakes, get our forwards more into the game, take some chances and we will be fine.

“We will research the Croatians and go into it with good belief we can get the job done.”

Ireland: J Milliken, T Cross, J McKee, K Marshall, S O’Donoghue, S Murray, M McNellis, P McKibbin, M Robson, B Walker, B Nelson

Subs: D Walsh, K O’Dea, N Glassey, J Duncan, F Gibson, I Stewart

Italy: F Padovani, M Garbaccio, N Mondo, A Nunez, Julian Montone, T Keenan, J Munafo, F Sior, M Mondo, F Harte, M Amorosini

Subs: J Ortega, Juan Montone, D Arosio, C Brocco, F Blom, L Stramazzo

Umpires: T Meissner (GER), F Weiland (AUT)

Zappacosta on his way out of Chelsea

Recent reports suggest that fullback Davide Zappacosta has received offers to leave Chelsea for more game time

The Italian defender joined the Blues in 2017 and played intermittently for two seasons. His most recent spell for Chelsea was for four games in the 2018/19 season, starting only one match.

He is not a part of Thomas Tuchel’s plans with Ben Chilwell and Marcos Alonso higher in the pecking order. The 29-year-old showed good promise when he first joined the club but never delivered on that excitement.

Now according to Fabricio Romano, Chelsea have received offers from some Serie A clubs to take him away permanently. One of the clubs reported having held ‘concrete’ talks with the team over the player was Atalanta.

The other Italian club vying for his signature is Fiorentina.

Chelsea have been attempting to offload the Italian all summer with him being part of a player plus cash deal to sign Romelu Lukaku. This deal did not go through as Inter Milan are already stacked with fullback options.

Zappacosta has been on loan in Serie A with Roma and Genoa for the last two seasons. Both loan spells were considered successful but not enough to warrant a permanent deal.

Last season, he scored four goals and got two assists in 23 starts for the Genoese side. The Serie A appears to be a more comfortable home for the aging Italian.

With only one year left on his contract, Chelsea have two options: sell him as quickly as possible or hand him a new contract making him one of their famous loan players.

All-Ireland Semi-Final & Final Times Confirmed

The GAA have confirmed the throw-in times for the two outstanding fixtures on the inter-county football calendar – Kerry v Tyrone and the All-Ireland final.

The second All-Ireland semi-final will start at 3.30 pm on Saturday, August 28 at Croke Park and the winners of the tie will face Mayo in the All-Ireland final at 5 pm on Saturday, September 11.

The fixtures were delayed for a second time after Tyrone announced they could not fulfil their upcoming fixture on Saturday, August 21 after a Covid outbreak in the camp.

The Covid outbreak in the setup has caused the county to play without some players in the Ulster Senior Football Championship final against Monaghan.

Their semi-final was originally intended to be played on the same weekend as Mayo’s victory over the defending champions Dublin.

The GAA say the revised schedule has been finalised with the integrity of the championship in mind and to ensure that Kerry were not denied a semi-final outing.

Tyrone’s county board have welcomed the decision made by the CCCC to postpone their fixture for a second time.

A statement released on the Tyrone GAA website reads: “Tyrone GAA welcomes the decision taken by the CCCC at national level, this evening, to defer the All-Ireland football semifinal between Tyrone and Kerry to Saturday 28th August, as a result of the transmission of the Covid19 virus among a number of players on the Tyrone panel.
“
Tyrone has also paid tribute to Kerry GAA and its senior football team for its assistance and co-operation in creating the circumstances that allowed this decision to be reached.
“The Tyrone players and management will prepare as safely as possible, in the continuing difficult circumstances, to ensure that the best available team will now fulfil this very important fixture.”
Both games will be shown live on RTÉ 2 and on the RTÉ Player.

Kilcar Appeal 2020 Donegal SFC Final

CLG Chill Chartha, or Kilcar, have lodged an appeal to the result of the 2020 Donegal Senior Football Championship final which states that the winners Naomh Conaill used too many substitutes in extra-time.

Rule 2.4(ii) of the GAA’s official guide says that only three substitutes can be used in extra-time – Kilcar is claiming that their opponents used four in this period.

Naomh Conaill retained their county championship crown after a 4-2 penalty shootout victory against Kilcar.

Kilcar’s appeal was lodged with the Donegal GAA’s Competitions Controls Committee (CCC) on Tuesday evening.

The Donegal Competitions’ Controls Committee (CCC) has confirmed it has been in communication with the 2020 Donegal SFC runners-up.

The CCC will meet in due course to discuss the objection and will then notify the Naomh Conaill club, who will, in turn, have three days to reply.

If the outcome of the appeal is in favour of Kilcar, the game could either be awarded to Kilcar or replayed, or Naomh Conaill could be fined for their actions.

The game in Ballybofey on Saturday went to penalties after two ten-minute periods of extra-time could not separate the sides.

Ciaran Thompson was the hero on the night for the victors as he slotted home the winning penalty following a strong individual performance.

The Donegal forward carried the club on the attacking end with a 1-5 performance, including a first-half penalty.

The 26-year-old scored all of his team’s points in the first half as the sides went in level at the break at 0-6 to 1-3.

His side went on to win the tie and make him one of the few players to win the Dr Maguire Cup two times in a row.

Paddy McBrearty kept Kilcar in the game when their opponents threatened to pull away and helped the side to a penalty shoot-out with the defending champions.

Ryan and Mark McHugh missed their penalties and gave Thompson the golden opportunity, which he converted.

However, the result could come undone if the appeal is successful.

Manchester City Target Trains With Spurs For First Time This Season

Tottenham Hotspur striker and Manchester City target Harry Kane has trained with his Spurs teammates for the first time this season.

He returned to training with the squad after completing a period of isolation and is in line to make his first appearance for the side this week.

Kane had been staying at Spurs’ training ground hotel, The Lodge, after coming back to the UK from his holiday in the Bahamas, via Florida.

His holiday came after a long season for the Englishman that ended with a silver medal at UEFA Euro 2020.

The isolation period meant he was unable to train with his teammates in the lead-up to their Premier League opening weekend win over his potential suitors, Manchester City.

Kane returned to the Enfield Training Centre five days later than expected which sparked rumours that a move elsewhere was imminent.

Kane has told the club that he wants to leave but chairman Daniel Levy has ruled out the sale of the club’s star player, who has three years left on his contract.

Manchester City had a £100 million offer rejected by Tottenham earlier in the summer and are preparing a second bid for the striker.

City are on the search for a new striker after Sergio Aguero left the club this summer.

Brazilian Gabriel Jesus is also on the side’s books but boss Pep Guardiola opted for a false nine approach for much of last season with Aguero injured.

Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva were among the players to don the role in a season in which City dominated the domestic league and reached their first-ever UEFA Champions League final.

Kane’s possible involvement in Spurs’ UEFA Europa Conference league tie with Pacos de Ferreira will not rule him out of any Champions League action this season, should he join a side in the competition.

The transfer window closes in England on Tuesday, August 31 at 11:00 pm and it remains to be seen what ending one of its biggest sagas will have.

Leicester Linked With PSV Star Noni Madueke

PSV Eindhoven star Noni Madueke has been linked with Leicester City two weeks before the transfer window shuts.

The 19-year-old has performed well during his time in the Netherlands and may be coaxed back to England to play in the Premier League.

The U21 English international would be the fifth addition the Foxes have made to their ranks this summer after Boubakary Soumaré, Patson Daka, Jannik Vestergaard and Ryan Bertrand.

The winger could be useful for the side who are lighter on the right side of attack than they were last season.

Demarai Gray and Cengiz Under are no longer on the Leicester City books and the position is an area the side are light on.

Madueke has been involved in six goals in six games so far this season with five goals and an assist to his name.

The footballer was part of the Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur youth setups before joining the PSV academy, where he has progressed to become a key first-team player.

The youngster is valued at £20 million by the club but a move is more likely to materialise after PSV’s crucial UEFA Champions League play-off clash with Benfica.

His current boss, Roger Schmidt, has warned off any potential suitors after the club sold several star players earlier this summer.

“I’m not afraid [of Madueke leaving], why should I be? He will one day leave PSV if he continues to develop like he is now,” he told ESPN.

“I’m not afraid it will happen now. We can’t sell key players anymore. We’ve already done that with Donyell Malen, Denzel Dumfries and Pablo Rosario, so we can’t lose any more.

“And PSV is also a fantastic club for Noni to develop. He is very young, he can play a lot here, score goals and cheer with the team. I think he feels very good here.”

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