Home Blog Page 517

Silverstone to host two British Grand Prix’

Silverstone will host two British Grand Prix’ this season according to BBC Sport. The owners British Racing Driving Club and F1 have been far apart in terms of racing behind closed doors. However, an agreement between both parties has now materialiased.

However, the UK government have issued plans two impose a two week quarantine for all international arrivals meaning more discussion will likely have to take place to get the two races at the Silverstone track. Stuart Pringle, who is the managing director at the track told BBC Sport,  “I am delighted to confirm that Silverstone and Formula 1 have reached an agreement in principle to host two races behind closed doors this summer”. He continued, “I would like to thank all our fans who have been so supportive throughout this and to assure them we are determined to do all we can to help Formula 1 put on a show this summer”.

Meanwhile F1 have been trying to secure an exemption for it’s staff which would see international travellers having to quarantine for 14 days. No date has been given when this will begin though. 7 out of the 10 teams are based in the UK. The issue arises as staff would have to travel international tracks, as well if a car is involved in an accident they ould have to return to factories to be repaired. Races are set to resume on the 5th and 12th of July in Austria, before then moving to Silverstone for two races. BBC Sport say that F1 are looking at running around 16 to 18 races.

The Belgian Grand Prix will go ahead at the end of August. The race will take place on August 30th behind closed doors at Spa-Francorchamps. Among the other tracks which are set to races are in countries Spain, Hungary, France and Italy. Germany’s track, Hockenheim is on the standby list.

 

Johnny Allen wins another Adelaide Group 1 with victory in The Goodwood at Morphettville

Victoria-based Cork-born jockey Johnny Allen, fresh from his Group 1 victory in the South Australian Derby on Russian Camelot at Morphettville last Saturday, returned to the Adelaide track today to claim another Group 1 success, this time aboard the Godolphin-owned Trekking in The Goodwood.

The Cork-native, who has won more than 600 winners and earned A$30 million in prize-money since emigrating to Australia in 2011, was claiming his fourth Group 1 in Adelaide, having previously won the South Australian Derby on three occasions.

Trekking, a five-year-old gelded son of Street Cry, trained by James Cummings, grandson of the legendary Australian trainer, Bart, came with a late charge to deny Lightning Stakes winner and race favourite Gytrash in today’s 1200m (6 furlong) Group 1 contest.

The eventual second, Gytrash, moved clear with 200m to race before Allen’s mount, Trekking, wore him down in the latter stages to win by a short half-head. The win gave Trekking his 11th career success and second Group 1 victory, having won the Stradbroke Handicap in Brisbane last year, while another Godolphin representative, Lyre, was another one-and-three-quarter lengths further back in third in the $400,000 six-furlong handicap.

Speaking of Trekking, his 10th career Group One win, Allen admitted:

“It was my first time riding him and when I got out to the mounting yard, I was surprised how small he was. He was tough and he had a super run but the runner-up (Gytrash) gave a really good kick. I thought when I got out that we were going to catch him but he (Gytrash) kept kicking. To my lad’s credit, he really fought and kept kicking to the line.”

Today’s win was 35-year-old Allen’s first win at the highest level over a sprint distance with the majority over 2000m and further although he won the Coolmore Legacy Stakes on Kenedna last year in Sydney over 1600m.

Unfortunately, similar to last weekend, the Irish rider incurred a suspension, having being adjudged to have caused interference aboard the winner. As a result, the Corkman has been suspended for six meetings for careless riding to go with the five-meeting ban handed down to him last Saturday by the South Australian stewards.

The initial suspension commenced immediately following this morning’s Morphettville card and runs through until May 27 with the Trekking suspension to follow, meaning Allen will be out of action until June 8.

AFL to make return in June

The Australian Football League (AFL) will make a return on the 11th of June. ABC News report that the Grand Final will now likely be played in October.

Gillon McLachlan said that all clubs can return to training from Monday the 18th of May. He went on to say that full contact training can resume a week later on the 25th of May. He said, “Today’s a significant step in getting footy back for everyone, our fans, clubs players, coaches … and all who love the game,”. He continued, “We know as the situation continues to evolve, we need to remain agile and flexible, to be able to adapt where necessary.”

McLachlan did state that staff and players will be tested for the virus, while also getting some education around the virus itself. The measures will mean that each player and staff member will be tested twice a week. Furthermore, he said, “We have bi-weekly testing of every player at least 24 hours before the contact sessions and we’ll have the results back before they’re allowed to do contact sessions or play games,”.

He said that a burden must not be put on the healthcare system in Australia. He stated,”We must not place any burden on the public health system,”.”Our industry understands the opportunity we have been given, we also fully understand and accept our responsibility to our football family and to the wider community.”

However, four teams based in Western Australia and Southern Australia will have to relocate in hubs in eastern states where exemptions have been granted. Fremantle and Gold Coast Suns will complete pre-training at home before moving to the Gold Coast ahead of their first games. Furthermore, Port Adelaide and Adelaide will move in the next days or so. McLachlan acknowledged that the AFL schedule will have to flexible for it to not conflict with other sports. He said, “So if it plays out that we’re coming into the T20 World Cup or racing we’ll work around it with them and we’ll get an outcome that works for sports fans and for other sports, for everyone.

Australia have faired out quite well with their lockdown procedures. For a large country they only reported 7,000 or so cases.

Arrest warrants issued for NFL stars

Arrest warrants have been for NFL stars Deandre Baker and Quinton Dunbar. The pair are thought to be behind an armed robbery at a house party.

Deandre Baker who plays with the New York Giants and Quinton Dunbar who plays with the Seattle Seahawks are said to have robbed guests at gunpoint according to BBC Sport. According to local reports no man has been arrested yet with the police issuing warrants for the NFL Stars. A spokesperson for the police department said they were in touch with the NFL and a lawyer for one of the players. Miramar county police spokesperson, Tania Ruis said, “Obviously, there are attempts to get them to turn themselves in”.

The arrest warrant which was issued by the Miramar county police  stated that an argument occurred at a house party, where guests were playing cards and video games. BBC Report that Baker allegedly took out a gun. Baker, along with Dunbar and another man, started taking valuables and cash from people. The man who is not named was thought to be wearing a red mask.

All three men left the scene of the robbery in three separate cars according to reports. The cars seen leaving the scene were a mercedes benz, a lamborghini and a MMV.  According to witnesses at the scene, some said that they felt the vehicles were parked in a way to which it was easy to leave the scene. This giving the impression that the robbery was planned. According to the arrest warrant Baker is facing eight charges. These are broken down into four for aggravated assault with a firearm and four for armed robbery. Meanwhile, Dunbar will be charged with four counts of armed robbery.

The New York Giants have issued a statement. They said, We are aware of the situation. We have been in contact with DeAndre,”  “We have no further comment at this time.” The Seattle Seahawks also issued a statement in which they said, “We are aware of the situation involving Quinton Dunbar and still gathering information. “We will defer all further comment to league investigators and local authorities.”

Brugge crowned Belgium champions

Club Brugge have been officially crowned Belgium football champions. The Pro League confirmed the news, following last month’s announcement to halt the season due to Covid 19. It will be Brugge’ third title in five years and in total will be their 17th in club history.

Brugge were more than likely going to win the league either way as they were points clear at the summit of the table. There was one match in the regular season left before the pandemic. However, they were declared champions today. They will now take the automatic spot in next seasons Champions League group stages.

A general assembly of the Pro League declared Brugge champions. In which they stated “The general assembly voted to confirm the standings after 29 rounds as the final outcome of the season”. Ghent who finished second will compete in the early rounds of the champions league, while Royal Antwerp, Sporting Charleroi and Standard Liege will represent the country in next season UEFA Europa League. In addition to this, the Pro League said that bottom side Waasland-Beveren will be relegated. Although the club did come out and say they will be contesting this decision. Whether they will be successful or not in doing so only time will tell.

The league have also said that the Belgian Cup final will take place. The two teams that are in this final are Club Brugge and Royal Antwerp. A date has yet to be announced.The game was due to take place in April. However, the coronavirus pandemic put an end to it. Furthermore, the league have said that next seasons league will see only 4 teams contest the play-offs or a mini league if you like. In fact since the 2010 season the top 6 teams in the table contest a mini league to decide the title, this will be cut to four.

The new Belgian season will begin on the 7th of August. Currently, all sports events in the country are suspended till July.

 

 

Irish racing to return behind closed doors on 8th June

Horse racing in Ireland, behind closed doors, is to resume on 8th June, under strict protocols set out by the Government.

Following consultation between Horse Racing Ireland and the Government, the resumption of the sport has been brought forward from the 29th June date announced last week by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.

Horse Racing Ireland’s chief executive Brian Kavanagh had stressed to Government that Irish racing could again be safely staged behind closed doors, just as it had been for 10 meetings before the March shutdown.

Horse Racing Ireland has welcomed the confirmation from the Government that race fixtures in Ireland can resume behind closed doors on June 8.

HRI has announced that only key personnel necessary to run the fixture will be permitted to be on site where they will be subject to strict Covid-19 protocols. All those in attendance will be subject to health surveying in advance and thermal temperature screening on entry.

Brian Kavanagh, Chief Executive of Horse Racing Ireland, said:

“We are grateful to be one of the sectors permitted to go back to work and acknowledge the responsibility on everybody in racing to ensure the events are run in a safe way.

“We know from our own experience in March when we safely ran ten meetings behind closed doors – and from what is happening in other countries like France, Germany, Australia, Hong Kong, Japan and America – that racing can be staged safely within the requirements of social distancing.”

Among the new protocols that will be enforced when fixtures restart behind closed doors in Ireland are:

1. Only key personnel will be permitted to attend race fixtures.
2. All attendees will be subject to health screening in advance and thermal temperature screening on arrival – anyone presenting with elevated temperatures will be denied access and instructed to consult with their GP.
3. Mandatory wearing of face coverings for many attendees including jockeys, stalls handlers, medical professionals, security staff, those working inside etc.
4. Social distancing will be strictly enforced by a dedicated Covid-19 protocol officer at each fixture.

Horse Racing Ireland will publish full protocols tomorrow and on Sunday will release a revised fixture list up to the end of June, including confirmation on when the Classics, traditionally scheduled for this time of year, will be run.

Racing restarted behind closed doors in Germany on May 7 and in France on May 11, while in Australia, Japan and Hong Kong the industry continued operating behind closed doors. In Britain, the British Horseracing Authority plans to resume racing on June 1.

Both Australia v Ireland test matches off as July international games postponed

World Rugby has confirmed the programme of international Rugby matches during the 2020 July window has been postponed due to ongoing government and health agency COVID-19 directives.

The decision has resulted in Qantas Wallabies Test matches against Ireland in Brisbane and Sydney, as well as the Australians clash with Fiji in Townsville originally scheduled on July dates being officially postponed. The All Blacks two Steinlager Series Tests against Wales and their Test against Scotland will not go ahead either.

Wales were due to play the All Blacks in Auckland on 4 July and in Wellington on 11 July, followed by a one-off Test against Scotland in Dunedin on 18 July.

A statement from World Rugby on behalf of rugby’s major stakeholders reads:

“Extended travel and quarantine restrictions that apply to numerous countries, and concerns over adequate player preparation time, mean that any sort of cross-border international rugby competition cannot be hosted in July.

“Monitoring of the potential impact on the remaining 2020 international windows continues in collaboration with international rugby stakeholders and the respective authorities.

“All parties, including member unions, international competitions, professional club competitions and International Rugby Players, will be involved in the evaluation of potential contingency options with a view to achieving an aligned calendar for the remainder of the year.

“All decision-making will be entirely contingent on national Government travel, quarantine and health advice and important player welfare and hosting considerations in line with return-to-rugby guidance recently published by World Rugby.”
 

UK Government open door for June football return

The UK government have opened the door for a June football return according to BBC Sport. Oliver Dowden, Culture Secretary said that the FA, Premier League and English National League have progressed plans.

However, England chief medical officer has stated that any return should be slow and measured. Premier League chiefs met on Monday to discuss Project Restart and a return on June 12th is looking possible providing games are behind closed doors. Dowden said, “We all agreed that we will only go ahead if it is safe to do so and the health and welfare of players, coaches and staff comes first,”. He continued, “It is now up to the football authorities to agree and finalise the detail of their plans, and there is combined goodwill to achieve this for their fans, the football community and the nation as a whole”.

Not much training has been done under the current restrictions. The BBC report that Premier League bosses hope that team training can be conducted once strict guidelines are adhered to next week. John Van Tam Deputy Chief Medical Officer said on this, “There will be small, carefully measured, step-wise approaches to see what can be achieved safely. The first of those is to return safely to training, still observing social distancing”.

Brighton soccer manager Graham Potter however is still wary of a return to playing/training. This comes after the news that three Brighton players tested positive for Covid 19. He said “It’s a complex situation”. He said it’s difficult to call from one day to next on what will happen. “It will be as safe as it is made to be. The challenge will be when [we have] contact, larger groups and different teams. We need to see where we are on Monday and then Tuesday he said”.

In other footballing news clubs will now be allowed to agree short term contracts. This is on players whose deals run out on June 30th. BBC report that clubs now have until June 23rd to agree extensions.

Champions Cup Final set for October

The Champions Cup Final is set for an October as competition organisers are also looking at the potential for a one off format for the 2020-2021 season.

RTE Sport say that European rugby hierarchy are intent on completing both the Champions Cup and Challenge Cup tournaments despite the current situation with Covid 19. Although the Champions Cup quarter-final have yet to be player the EPCR have said finals will take place on the weekend of October 16th.

The EPCR said in a statement, “As part of its future planning, and with the extraordinary circumstances due to the Covid-19 pandemic at the forefront, EPCR can confirm that a number of tournament formats are being considered for the 2020/21 season.” They went on further to say a 24 team format has been discussed, stating “Ongoing discussions with EPCR’s league and union shareholders regarding new formats have included the possibility of a 24-club Heineken Champions Cup with eight representatives from each of Europe’s leading league competitions, played over eight weekends”. This would however be on an exceptional basis.

The statement went on to say that EPCR remains “intent” on making an effort to conclude the knockout stages of this season tournament. “In the meantime, EPCR remains committed to making every effort to conclude the knockout stages of the Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup season subject to official advice and with the health and welfare of players, club staff, match officials, supporters and the wider rugby community in mind”.

Rugby on current guidelines in Ireland is not likely to resume until July. Whether this will happen or not I am not so sure.

Horse racing fixtures to return in June in UK

Horse racing fixtures in the UK look set for a June after news that action can resume behind closed doors if given government approval.

A provisional program released means the 2000 guineas will take place on June 6th. Furthermore, the 1000 guineas will take place on June 7th. Royal Ascot still remains pencilled in from June 16th to 20th. However, the exact schedule is likely to change, while the Queen is also not expected to attend the event for the first time in 68 years. A British Horse Racing spokesperson told BBC Sport, “There will be some changes to the order of races at Royal Ascot, which will be confirmed as soon as possible,”.

The UK government announced that no sport will be allowed take place until June 1st at the earliest. However, horse racing authorities had hoped to run some big races in the last two weeks in May. This will obviously not be the case now. A new timetable, with safety and social distance measures are now been drawn up with a June return now likely.

The British Horse Racing Spokesperson did state than the plans could change before, stating that the provisional plan may need to be adjusted according to when it is safe to do so by authorities.

The following are big races which look set to be held in the first week in June:

Wednesday 3 June or Thursday 4 June

Classic Trial (10f, 3yo, Group 3, Sandown)

Snowdrop (8f, 3+, Listed, Kempton)

Pavilion (6f, 3, Group 3, Ascot)

Friday 5 June

Abernant (6f, 3+, Group 3, Newmarket)

Brigadier Gerard (10f, 4+, Group 3, Sandown)

Paradise (8f, 3+, Listed, Ascot)

Lingfield Oaks Trial (11½f, 3, Listed, Lingfield)

Lingfield Derby Trial (11½f, 3, Listed, Lingfield)

Coronation Cup (12f, 4+, Group 1, Epsom)

Saturday 6 June

2,000 Guineas (8f, 3, Group 1, Newmarket)

Dahlia (10f, 4+, Group 2, Newmarket)

Palace House (5f, 3+, Group 3, Newmarket)

Sagaro (16f, 4+, Group 3, Sandown)

Newmarket (10f, 3, Listed, Newmarket)

Sunday 7 June

1,000 Guineas (8f, 3, Group 1, Newmarket)

Pretty Polly (10f, 3, Listed, Newmarket)

Buckhounds (12f, 4+, Listed, Ascot)

Cecil Frail (6f, 3+, Listed, Haydock)

Spring Trophy (7f, 3+, Group 3, Haydock)

Pinnacle (12f, 4+, Group 3, Haydock)

1...516517518...582Page 517 of 582

EDITOR PICKS

POPULAR POSTS

POPULAR CATEGORY

ABOUT US

SportsNewsIreland is an Irish website launched in 2009 to offer sports fans in Ireland an alternative and independent source to keep them up to date with all the news from around the country. Every week we bring you live score updates from all levels of GAA, rugby, soccer, racing and athletics. Contact

Contact us: Email: info@sportsnewsireland.com

FOLLOW US

Design by SportsMediaIreland.ie