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“It’s pretty cool to be riding in the race” says Irish Derby debutant Rachael Blackmore

National Hunt jockey Rachael Blackmore will ride King Of The Throne for Emmet Mullins in Saturday’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at The Curragh.

It will be the Killenaule woman’s first time riding in Ireland’s Premier Classic over the mile and a half distance as she become only the third woman, after Joanna Morgan and Ana O’Brien, to ride in the Group 1 contest.

Blackmore is in great form at present having had a double at Roscommon during the week, following on from her recent biggest success on the level when taking the Listed Martin Molony Stakes on Oriental Eagle.

She has also teamed up successfully in recent times with trainer Karl Thornton with whom she won a handicap at Fairyhouse on Oromo, before combining successfully again during the past week at the same venue.

Speaking to Racing TV ahead of her Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby debut, Rachael Blackmore said:

“I can’t believe it really. It’s pretty cool to be riding in the race. Fair play to Emmet for giving me the opportunity to ride in it. It’s a big deal for him as well, having his first runner in the race. It’s very exciting and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Discussing the importance of the race, the Tipperary native continued:

“I feel like I’m an imposter in it really. It’s such an incredibly special race and I never even dreamt of riding in Irish Classics. It really does mean a lot to get the opportunity to ride in a race like this and I’m just very grateful to be given an opportunity and I’m really looking forward to it.”

Saturday’s Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby is the penultimate race of an 8-race card at The Curragh, going off at 7.15pm, with live coverage on both RTÉ and Racing TV.

Super Rugby Aotearoa – Week 3 Fixtures

It’s week 3 of Super Rugby Aotearoa with the unbeaten Blues hosting Highlanders at Eden Park on Saturday (kick-off 8.05am Irish time) and Crusaders entertaining the Chiefs at Orangetheory Stadium, Christchurch, the following day (4.35am Irish time).

Saturday, 27th June 2020: Blues v Highlanders at Eden Park, Auckland (8.35am Irish time).

Referee: Paul Williams, AR1 Brendon Pickerill, AR 2 Ben O’Keeffe, TMO Mike Fraser.

Match Stats

The Highlanders have won 11 of their last 15 Super Rugby matches against the Blues (L4); although just four of those 11 wins have been by a double-digit margin.

The last eight Super Rugby matches between the Blues and Highlanders at Eden Park have seen each team pick up four wins apiece, despite the Highlanders leading at half-time in six of the games in that span.

The Blues have scored 30+ points in each of their last two Super Rugby home games (W2), the last time they scored 30+ points in more consecutive home games was a three-match span in 2014 (W3) which included a 30-12 win over the Highlanders.

The Highlanders defeated the Chiefs (28-27) in their opening game of Super Rugby Aotearoa and will out to secure back-to-back wins against fellow New Zealand opposition for the first time since June 2018.

The Blues have won their last three Super Rugby matches against fellow New Zealand teams, with each of those games seeing the teams separated by just a single point at half-time on the day.

Nine of the Highlanders’ last 11 completed Super Rugby away matches have been won by the team leading at half-time on the day, the Dunedin-based side picking up just two wins in that stretch (L9).

The Blues (21 in first quarter) are the only team to have scored 20+ points in any quarter of matches in this Super Rugby Aotearoa campaign so far.

The Highlanders won 11 turnovers last time out against the Chiefs, the last time they won 10+ in back-to-back games was Rounds 13 & 14 of the 2017 Super Rugby season.

The Blues’ Caleb Clarke (10) is the only player in Super Rugby Aotearoa (min. 2 appearances) with an average metres gained per carry in the double figures.

The Highlanders’ Shannon Frizell (3) is the only player to have made more than two offloads in this Super Rugby Aotearoa campaign so far.

Sunday, 28th June 2020: Crusaders v Chiefs at Orangetheory Stadium, Christchurch (4.35am Irish time).

Referee: James Doleman, AR1 Ben O’Keeffe, AR2 Mike Fraser, TMO Brendon Pickerill.

Match Stats

The Chiefs have won each of their last two Super Rugby matches against the Crusaders, despite trailing at half-time in each of those games.

The Crusaders have won their last three Super Rugby home matches in succession against the Chiefs, as many as they had won the previous eight times they had hosted them (L5).

The Chiefs have lost each of their last three Super Rugby matches, as many as they lost in their 12 games prior (W8, D1).

The Crusaders have won 17 of their last 19 completed Super Rugby matches against other New Zealand teams (L2); although, the Chiefs handed them each of their two defeats in that time.

The Chiefs have averaged 43 points scored per game in their last five regular season away matches in Super Rugby, winning four of the games in that span (L1).

The Crusaders have lost only two of their last 45 Super Rugby home matches (W42, D1); however, the Chiefs (Rd 1, 2016) were responsible for one of those two defeats.

The Chiefs have made fewer than 10 clean breaks in three of their last four Super Rugby matches against New Zealand opposition, as many times as they did in their previous 22 games prior.

The Crusaders had a tackle success rate of 91% in their last Super Rugby meeting with the Chiefs, the only time in their last 18 matches the Christchurch-based squad has had a tackle success rate above 90%.

Chiefs’ pair Lachlan Boshier (57) and Aidan Ross (47) have hit the most and second most effective rucks respectively of all players in the 2020 Super Rugby Aotearoa campaign.

Sevu Reece (Crusaders) has scored five tries in his last five Super Rugby games against New Zealand opposition, including two braces in that time.

Ireland’s Nations League fixtures confirmed

European football body UEFA have confirmed the Republic of Ireland’s Nations League fixtures which will be played later this year.

Several changes have been made pushing Ireland’s last four games in group back by a few days. This means two blocks of three games will have to be played in the space of a few days. RTE report that the changes were made to allow for the Euro 2020 play offs which will be played In October or November now due to the Covid 19 pandemic. Stephen Kenny’s first match in charge will be against Bulgaria on September 3rd. This will be away from home. Three days later they will host Finland on September 6th.

It will then be the turn of the Euro 2020 play off where Ireland will travel to Slovakia on October 8th. Ireland will then play Wales at the Aviva on the 11th of October, before flying to Finland three days later. Should Ireland beat Slovakia they will then play the play off final where they will face Bosnia or Northern Ireland. If they do reach the final they will once again likely have to play three games in a row. They will take on Wales on November 15th,before playing Bulgaria on the 18th of November.

SEPTEMBER

Thursday 3 – Nations League B – Bulgaria v Republic of Ireland (7.45pm)

Sunday 6 – Nations League B – Republic of Ireland v Finland (5pm)

OCTOBER

Thursday 8 – Euro 2020 play-off semi-final – Slovakia v Republic of Ireland (7.45pm)

Sunday 11 – Nations League B – Republic of Ireland vs Wales (2pm)

Wednesday 14 – Nations League B – Finland vs Republic of Ireland (5pm)

NOVEMBER

Thursday 12 – Euro 2020 play-off final – Slovakia/Republic of Ireland v Bosnia/Northern Ireland

Sunday 15 – Nations League B – Wales v Republic of Ireland (5pm)

Wednesday 18 – Nations League B – Republic of Ireland vs Bulgaria (7.45pm

 

Republic of Ireland’s 2020 fixtures – dates & kick-off times

The dates and kick-off times have been confirmed for the Republic of Ireland’s Nations League fixtures in the autumn.

These games will be played alongside the Euro 2020 play-off semi-final away to Slovakia on October 8th and a potential play-off final against Bosnia & Herzegovina or Northern Ireland on November 12th.

Stephen Kenny’s side will begin with a trip to Sofia to play Bulgaria in Group B4 of the UEFA Nations League on Thursday, September 3rd with a 7.45pm kick-off, Irish time. Finland will provide the opposition for Kenny’s first home game three days later, on Sunday, September 6th, with a 5pm kick-off.

The Republic of Ireland will then travel to Slovakia in the Euro 2020 play-off semi-final on Thursday, October 8th at 7.45pm Irish time before hosting Wales at the Aviva Stadium on Sunday, October 11th at 2pm. Kenny’s team will then be back on the road again, this time in Helsinki, when playing Finland on Wednesday, October 14th at 5pm Irish time.

Stephen Kenny will take Ireland to Cardiff for their penultimate Nations League group game against Wales on Sunday, November 15th with a 5pm kick-off, while Bulgaria will visit Dublin 4 on Wednesday, November 18th for a 7.45pm kick-off.

Republic of Ireland’s UEFA Nations League Fixtures (All times Irish times)

Thursday, September 3rd
Bulgaria v Republic of Ireland (7:45pm)

Sunday, September 6th
Republic of Ireland v Finland (5pm)

Sunday, October 11th
Republic of Ireland v Wales (2pm)

Wednesday, October 14th
Finland v Republic of Ireland (5pm)

Sunday, November 15th
Wales v Republic of Ireland (5pm)

Wednesday, November 18th
Republic of Ireland v Bulgaria (7:45pm)

Best Hurling XV 2010-2020

With hurling and sport in general looking to be on the back burner for another couple of months I have decided to come up with my best hurling XV from 2010 to 2020. Let’s take a look at this below.

  1. Eoin Murphy (Kilkenny) – The Glenmore man has been superb for the last couple of seasons. He had to bide his time to get a chance but he is firmly now the number 1. The 29 year old has 4 All-Ireland titles this decade, to go along with 4 Leinster titles, 4 National Leagues and 2 All-Star awards
  2. Paul Murphy (Kilkenny) – The army man has been a pivotal success to Kilkenny’s All-Ireland successes over the years. He is very consistent defender. At only 31 years of age the Danesfort man has won 4 All-Ireland titles, 4 Leinster titles, 3 All-Star awards and 3 National League titles. He also won a club junior All-Ireland title in 2007.
  3. Daithi Burke (Galway) – Burke is one of the best defenders in the modern era. The Turloughmore man also plays football for Corofin. With the Galway hurlers Burke has won 1 All-Ireland, 1 National League and 4 All-Ireland titles. At club level in terms of football he has 7 Galway titles, 3 All-Ireland titles and 4 provincial titles.
  4. Noel Connors (Waterford) – Another top class defender that went about his business on the field very well. He was a tough man marker. At 29 Connors has officially retired from the game, he was dropped by manager Liam Cahill. He won 1 Munster titles, 1 League title and 3 all-stars in 2010, 2015 and 2017.
  5. Brendan Maher (Tipperary) – The 31 year old Borris-Ileigh man has been one of the most versatile players to ever play the game. Brendan has played in just about every line of the pitch. He has won 5 Munster titles, 3 All-Ireland titles and 3 all-stars. He also has won a county title and a Munster club title.
  6. Padraic Maher (Tipperary) – The 31 year old has won and done it all in the sport but he still hungry for more. He has won 5 Munster titles, 3 All-Ireland and 6 all-star awards. One of the most consistent players to play the games never really has a bad game for Tipperary.
  7.  JJ Delaney (Kilkenny) – Probably one of the games best defenders in history. The Fenians man retired in 2014. He picked up 11 Leinster titles, 9 All-Irelands, 8 National League and 7 all-stars in a distinguished career. He was named hurler of the year in 2003 and was named on the leinster hurling team of the 25 years.
  8.  Mick Fennelly (Kilkenny) – Now manager of the Offaly hurler Fennelly had a super 11 years in the black and amber. He won 9 Leinster titles, 8 All-Irelands, 5 National League and 3 all-stars. He was also on 8 county titles, 6 provincial titles and 5 All-Ireland club titles with his native Ballyhale. The most recent coming in January with win over Borris-Ileigh.
  9.  Richie Hogan (Kilkenny) – The 31 year old Danesfort club man has just about won it all in the game. He has won 8 Leinster titles, 7 All-Ireland, 4 National League medals and 4 all-star awards. Richie was named hurler of the year in 2014.
  10. Henry Shefflin (Kilkenny) – What has been said about King Henry that hasn’t been already. He is one of the greatest to play the game. Shefflin retired in 2015 from inter-county hurling. He won 10 All-Ireland’s, 13 Leinster titles, 6 National Leagues and 11 All-star awards. He was named hurler of the year on three occasions. With Ballyhale he won everything that could be won to. Including 6 county titles, 4 Leinster titles and 3 All-Ireland titles.
  11. Joe Canning (Galway) – Another player that has just won about everything in the game. The Portumna club man has won 1 All-Ireland, 3 Leinster titles, 2 National League and 5 all-star awards. Canning has won the young hurler of the year award in 2008 and the hurler of the year award in 2017. With his club he has won 5 county titles and 4 all-ireland titles.
  12.  TJ Reid (Kilkenny) – Another hurler from the famed Ballyhale club. The 32 year old has won 7 All-Ireland’s, 8 Leinster titles, 4 National league medals and 4 all-star awards. Reid scooped the hurler of the year in 2015. He has 7 county titles with Ballyhale, 6 leinster club titles and 5 All-Ireland Club titles.
  13. John Mullane (Waterford) – Mullane won three all-stars in the last decade. He was one of Waterford’s ever greatest forwards and was probably unlucky not to win an All-Ireland. The De Le Salle man won 4 Munster titles and 1 National League medal. He won 5 all-stars, including 3 in a row, 2010, 2011 and 2012. Mullane announced his retirement in 2012.
  14. Seamus Callanan (Tipperary) – The 31 year old Drom and Inch man has been ever present in the Tipperary side since 2008. He has won 6 Munster titles, 3 All-Ireland titles, 1 National league and 4 all-star awards. Seamie won hurler of the year in 2019 after leading his side to an All-Ireland title. He scored a goal in every game on the way to that title.
  15. Patrick Horgan (Cork) – Horgan has been one of games best players over the past 10 or 11 years. The Glen Rovers club man has yet to get that elusive All-Ireland medal but he certainly deserves it. He has won 3 Munster titles and 4 all-star awards to date. He is Cork’s top scorer of all time with 21-403.

That completes my best hurling XV for the year 2010 to 2020. Let us know what you think !

New Zealand and Australia to host 2023 World Cup

New Zealand and Australia will host the 2023 Women’s Soccer World Cup it has been announced. The joint bid was chosen by the council of world football governing body, FIFA.

The bid seen off competition from Columbia. However, earlier in the bidding, Brazil and Japan dropped out. In the evaluation report New Zealand’s and Australia’s bid received the best score of 4.1, while Columbia’s only received a score of 2.8. The report published by FIFA also stated that the bid was the most favourable coming from a commercial perspective.

BBC Sport report it will be the first time a women’s tournament will see 32 teams, instead of the current 24 teams. Gianni Infantino, the President of FIFA said, “The bidding process was highly competitive. We would like to thank both of the bidders for their remarkable work. It was really, really well prepared”. BBC state that 22 of the 35 votes which were cast went in favour of New Zealand and Australia, while the remainder went the way of Columbia.

Infantino as well as announcing the winning bid, announced a funding boost for women’s football. He said, “We have decided to award $1bn (£805m) to the development of women’s football in the coming four years,”. He continued, “We experienced last year in France a fantastic Women’s World Cup. It broke all records. It brought women’s football to a truly global stage.”

The president of the football federation of Australia said the competition will be “ground breaking”. He said, “Not only will it be the first ever co-confederation hosted Fifa World Cup and the first ever Fifa Women’s World Cup in the Asia-Pacific region, but we will unlock the huge potential for growth in women’s football in the Asia-Pacific region.” New Zealand Football President Johanna Wood said “We believe we have been given a treasure, and we will look after that treasure.

There are 13 proposed stadiums where the two countries intend to host the games. This includes eight in Australia and five in New Zealand. BBC Sport that these stadiums are:

Australia

  • Stadium Australia, Sydney (the final), capacity: 70,000
  • Sydney Football Stadium, capacity: 42,512
  • Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, capacity: 30,052
  • Brisbane Stadium, capacity: 52,263
  • Perth Rectangular Stadium, capacity: 22,225
  • Hindmarsh Stadium, Adelaide, capacity: 18,435
  • Newcastle Stadium, capacity: 25,945
  • York Park, Launceston, Tasmania, capacity: 22,065

New Zealand

  • Eden Park, Auckland (opening game), capacity: 48,276
  • Wellington Stadium, capacity: 39,000
  • Christchurch Stadium, capacity: 22,556
  • Waikato Stadium, Hamilton, capacity: 25,111
  • Dunedin Stadium, capacity: 28,744

Champions Cup Quarter Final fixture details

The fixture details for the Champions Cup quarter final have been revealed by the EPCR. Leinster and Ulster will play their quarter-finals  in the middle of September according to the Irish Times.

Leinster will play Saracens, while Dan McFarlands Ulster side will take on Toulouse in the Champions Cup quarter-finals. These games are to take place on the weekend of September 18th-20th. The Irish Times state that the semi-finals will take place a week later, while the Champions Cup final is scheduled for Saturday October 17th. In terms of the Challenge Cup these games will be played on the weekend of September 18th. The semi-finals will be played a week later. The EPCR said in a statement on their website they hope to host both finals in France, “EPCR and the local organising committee in Marseille intend to clarify the position regarding the finals, including details of ticket refunds where applicable, as soon as possible”. They also went on to say that the venue is “under review” in light of public gatherings and travel restrictions.

Potential changes are likely for the 2021 season with EPCR stating “A 24-club Heineken Champions Cup with eight representatives from each of Europe’s leading league competitions is one of the options under discussion.” These changes would occur for next season which at present is due to begin on 11/12/13th of December 2020. However they said on the EPCR website “An official statement will be made regarding formats once discussions are concluded”.

Schedule of Games

Quarter-finals: weekend of 18/19/20 September

Semi-finals: weekend of 25/26/27 September

Challenge Cup final: Friday, 16 October

Heineken Champions Cup final: Saturday, 17 October

Start of 2020/21 season: weekend of 11/12/13 December

 

GAA to announce new format for senior championships

The GAA are set to announce a new format for the senior hurling and football championship according to RTE Sport.

A meeting is scheduled tonight (Thursday) of the GAA management committee and this will see them rubber stamp plans in terms of new fixture plans. Further to this a press conference will be held by the GAA on Friday which will clarify these plans and details. RTE Sport report that the GAA have made some changes around the All-Ireland U20 Hurling series.

RTE state that the two last rounds of the National Football League will be played in mid October. They also report that the 2020 senior football championship will be played on a straight knockout basis. This would mean know back door for a team if they lose. The main reason why the back door qualifiers would likely not be used is because the championship would likely have to be played. The hurling championship will see a different scenario altogether. Teams will have a second bite at the cherry and will go into a qualifier round. RTE Sport say that “The system is set to mirror the format used up to 2018”.

The hurling championship will get underway at the end of October. Kilkenny and Wexford who both will be in the Leinster championship will both receive a bye to the Leinster semi-final stages having both reached the provincial decider in 2019 in which Wexford won for the first time since 2004.

In terms of the under age championships. The minor championship will be played on a knockout basis in both codes. The U20 Hurling championship will also be with no back door. It is expected this will also resume in mid October.

Foley double makes it 19 winners from 18 meetings

Fairyhouse staged a 8-race card this afternoon where a Shane Foley double helped him move ahead of Colin Keane in the jockeys’ championship.

The opening part of Foley’s brace came when Protagonist (1/1f) claimed his second success in six days as the Michael Buckley-owned Jessica Harrington-trained French-bred took the Download the BoyleSports App Handicap.

Foley later teamed up with Charles O’Brien to take the Follow Fairyhouse On Social Media Handicap (Div II) with Rain Or Shine (8/1). The son of Zoffany came from last to first on the outside of the field to deny Pulsating (13/2) by half a length.

Today’s double for Shane Foley means the Kilkenny rider has won 19 races from 18 fixtures since the resumption of the sport earlier this month. He is now 3 wins ahead of Colin Keane in the jockeys’ title race.

Apprentice Gavin Ryan also rode a brace of winners at the Co. Meath track with both Reverberation (11/1) and Baby Power (5/2f) visiting the winners’ enclosure.

The Tipperary jockey and Reverberation won the Follow Fairyhouse On Social Media Handicap (Div I) with the James Lambe-trained five-year-old gelding achieving a four-length victory, despite having his first outing since Dundalk last March.

Ryan rode the favourite, Baby Power (5/2), in the Thanks To All Our Frontline Workers Handicap over 6 furlongs. When Ryan’s mount hit the front, the filly had to respond tenaciously to Powersville, winning by half a length for Garry Caldwell and his owner-breeder father Bernard.

Jim Bolger, who provided Gavin Ryan with his first winner in the form of Locus Standi at Dundalk in March 2017, was among the winners himself this afternoon as Bolger’s son-in-law Kevin Manning steered Slaney East (7/2) to a battling success in the 1m 2f Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden, taking a half-length victory.

Another in-form rider, Billy Lee, partnered Paddy Twomey’s Pontchateau (9/1) in the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden for three-year-old colts and geldings over 10 furlongs.

Rachael Blackmore, who will ride in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby on Saturday, won the first division of the Meath Handicap, as the 3/1f Oromo took the honours for trainer Karl Thornton by a length and a quarter.

Former Galway Plate-winning jockey Kevin Coleman recorded his first winner on native soil as a trainer when Red Vermillon (22/1), under Seán Davis, took the last race of the day, the Meath Handicap (Div II).

15 declared for Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby

The 2020 Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at The Curragh this Saturday, June 27, will have its biggest field of runners since 1977, as 15 horses were today declared to run.

13-time winner of the Premier Classic, Aidan O’Brien, will as usual ensure Ballydoyle plays a strong hand in the race, with six runners coming from the Co. Tipperary racing establishment. The recent Queen’s Vase winner at Royal Ascot, Santiago, looks to be the stable’s No. 1 candidate for the race.

Joseph O’Brien, a previous winner of the race with Latrobe in 2018, has declared the son of Kitten’s Joy, the unbeaten Crossfirehurricane, who is owned by American Scott Heider. The Pilltown-based handler has also supplemented fourth-placed Tattersalls Irish 1000 Guineas filly, New York Girl, to Saturday’s field, at a cost of €50,000. His third runner is the recent Curragh winner Galileo Chrome.

Jim Bolger, twice a winner of the mile and a half Classic, will be represented by Fiscal Rules, as the Wexford trainer attempts to add to the victories of St Jovite and Trading Leather.

Jessica Harrington, who won the Coronation Stakes at Royal Ascot last Saturday, bids to become the first female trainer to win the race with the recent Coolmore Ten Sovereigns Gallinule Stakes runner-up Gold Maze.

Four trainers will saddle their first runners in Ireland’s Premier Classic this weekend: Donnacha O’Brien, Emmet Mullins, Ger Lyons and Andy Slattery. O’Brien will be represented by Sherpa, Mullins has King Of Thrones in the race, Lyons has declared Chiricahua, while Slattery’s Sunchart will contest the feature of the three-day Curragh meeting.

Racing will be shown live on RTÉ on all three days: Friday from 7pm to 8pm, Saturday 6pm to 8pm and Sunday from 3pm to 5pm

Racing TV will show all races live over the three days. On Sunday ITV will show the Weatherbys Ireland Greenlands Stakes and Alwasmiyah Pretty Polly Stakes. Fox Sports in the USA will show live coverage of the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby for the first time, with the Green Channel in Japan also broadcasting the race live.

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