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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.

Top 5 Hurling Full Backs 2000-2020

With the GAA showing no signs of returning for another couple of weeks I have once decided to doing some lists. I will look at my top 5 hurling full backs from 2000-2020.

  1. Noel Hickey (Kilkenny) – The Dunnamaggin farmer played with Kilkenny from 2000 to 2013 and will go down as one of the best in the game. He won 9 All-Ireland titles, 11 Leinster titles, 4 National Leagues and 3 all-star awards. He was also named young hurler of the year in 2000. Hickey just simply has to be number one on the list.

2. Brian Lohan (Clare) – The current Clare manager was one of the best in the game and just like Hickey and O’Sullivan, a typical no nonsense defender. He played with Clare from 1993 to 2006. Additionally, he would 2 All-Ireland titles and 3 Munster titles. He would claim 4 all-star awards also.

3. Diarmuid O’Sullivan (Cork) – The Cloyne club man simply has to make the list. The man effectively known as “The Rock” still plays some club hurling. Furthermore, he was a no nonsense defender and gave it his all for the Rebels. Diarmuid retired in 2009 having made his first appearance in 1997. He bowed out with 3 All-Ireland titles, 5 Munster titles, 1 National and 4 All-star awards. He was named young hurler of the year in 1999.

4. JJ Delaney (Kilkenny) – Equally as good at wing back but Delaney won 3 all-stars in this position. The Fenians club man claimed a remarkable 9 All-Ireland titles, 11 Leinster titles, 8 National leagues and 7 all-stars. Delaney was named hurler of the year in 2003.

5. Daithi Burke (Galway) – The Turloughmore man who also plays football with Corofin has won 4 all-stars with the Galway hurlers. All of these came from 2015-2018. One of the best in the game for sure and just like the players ahead of him in the list and old fashioned no nonsense defender.

However, players like Darragh Ryan, Paul Curran and Richie McCarthy were players that were also considered. That completes my top 5 list of hurling full backs from 2000-2020.

Naas and Roscommon Racing Review

There was racing at both Naas and Roscommon on Wednesday, with the Kildare course staging a flat meeting, and the Western track hosting a National Hunt card.

Naas

Soul Search, beaten only a head by Qipco 1000 Guineas winner Love on her two-year-old debut, went to post in the Naas Fillies Maiden at 4.00pm as 2/5 favourite, and duly obliged for jockey Colin Keane from Ya Beauty.

Ben Coen rode the winner of the competitive three-year-old fillies’ maiden as the Johnny Murtagh-trained Pronouncement (6/4f) went in. Pronouncement held off Na Blianta Beo, who came with a late rally, but the eventual winner fought hard to win by a neck.

Edward Hopper, another odds-on favourite (4/6) took the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Median Auction Maiden by a short head from Aztec Parade (5/1), while Dark Magic (11/2), who refused to load at Naas last Saturday, gave trainer Johnny Levins and Donagh O’Connor a winner, when scoring from Accladora (9/1).

Oisín Orr recorded a double on the card with trainer Dick Brabazon’s Son And Sannie (7/2) easily claimed the Naas Handicap over five furlongs, by three and a half lengths. He completed his brace when the Dermot Weld-trained Hightimeyouwon (3/1f) held off Papa Bear to take the Irish Stallion Farms EBF Maiden for colts and geldings aged three and older.

The Jessica Harrington team continues producing winners as Dacesa (11/10) and Shane Foley won the Irish EBF Median Sires Series Maiden by a neck from Blueberry Faygo.

Roscommon

Rachael Blackmore, who achieved a Listed race double on the level last week, teamed up with her boss, Henry de Bromhead, to claim a double at Roscommon on Wednesday evening.

The Tipperary rider and Telmesomethinggirl dominated the Tulsk Mares Maiden Hurdle (Div 1), as the mare jumped beautifully before racing clear to win by 14 lengths from Moll Dote (9/2).

Blackmore brought up the double when 11/8f Email Rose was victorious in the www.roscommonracecourse.ie Maiden for colts and geldings. Though the eventual winner was headed after the last by Onlyhuman, Email Rose fought back to get up by a neck.

Sneaky Getaway (5/4f), a four-time winner for Emmet Mullins, made an impressive debut over hurdles under rider Brian Hayes, and was much better than this evening’s opposition, claiming an easy six and a half length success in the end.

Paul Nolan’s Quamino took the Knockcroghery Handicap Hurdle, leading from flag fall, with Bryan Cooper in the saddle. The 2/1 second favourite was in charge at the front throughout, beating the favourite Mutadaffeq (7/4).

Bonarc (3/1) took the second division of the mares’ maiden hurdle with ease from the front as David Mullins’ judgement meant a four and a half lengths victory over She Tops The Lot.

Trainer Colin Bowe claimed his second win since racing’s resumption as Sweet Home Chicago (18/1) easily beat Kilkishen in the Roscommon Handicap Hurdle.

The Irish Stallion Farms EBF (Ladies Pro/Am) Mares Race went to Beret Rouge and Jody Townend for the Willie Mullins yard. Townend moved her mount into contention half a mile from home before easily pulling clear of the field.

New York and Berlin Marathons cancelled

The New York City and Berlin Marathons have been cancelled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic worldwide.

New York Marathon was set to take place on November 1st of this year. This would have the 50th running of the event. The marathon itself is the largest in the world with over 53,000 participants in 2019. Moreover, The New York Times report that City officials and New York Road Runners have opted to cancel the event deeming it to be “too risky”. New York Road Runners chief executive, Michael Capiraso said that he and other organisers held out hope that the race could in fact happen. He said, “There was hope but that turned to uncertainty, and given what we have seen the past months this was really the only decision,”.

It’s not the first Marathon to be cancelled due to the virus. The Berlin marathon has also been postponed. The London Marathon is set to go ahead in autumn, as is the Chicago Marathon but these could also be under threat with the threat of a second wave of the virus been predicted by experts in the field of health.

The race was last cancelled in 2012 due to Hurricane Sandy which hammered the region a few days before the event was due to take place. They decided to go against the option of just having elite athletes run only, due to the fear of crowds gathering on the streets to watch and uncertainty of travel for international athletes. Aliphine Tuliamuk, who won the US Olympic marathon trials in February was also bitterly disappointed the marathon won’t be going ahead. She said to the New York Times, that she is training for the love of training. In addition, she said, “I sort of knew this was coming,” . “After what we have been through the past four months, it’s the right call.”

 

UFC Dublin cancelled due to restrictions

A UFC event which was planned to take place in Dublin has been cancelled due to the ongoing Covid 19 restrictions. The event was due to take place at the 3Arena in August.

RTE Sport state that under the current phase 3 of eased restrictions that 50 people will be allowed to attend at indoor events on June 29th, this will rise to 100 on July 20th. Tickets were meant to go on sale for the event on Friday. In a tweet on Wednesday, UFC Europe confirmed the news saying, “Due to current government restrictions on public gatherings in the Republic of Ireland, UFC Fight Night originally scheduled for 15 August will not take place as planned at the 3Arena in Dublin,”

Dana White earlier this month announced a fight card in Yaz Island in Abu Dhabi. We reported that the fights will be scheduled over three fight nights on July 15th, 18th and 25th. He described this as “an experience that none of us will ever forget”. UFC 251 will take place on July 11th and will see some top class fights including, Kamaru Usman v Gilbert Burns in a welterweight title showdown, Jose Aldo v Peter Yan in the Bantamweight championship and Amanda Ribas v Paige VanZant.

Dettori dominates at Royal Ascot

Frankie Dettori rode a 150.25/1 treble on the final day at Royal Ascot, with his wins including the Group 1 Coronation Stakes on Jessica Harrington’s Alpha Star.

The Italian also partnered Palace Pier (4/1) to victory in the Group 1 St James’s Palace Stakes this afternoon and anyone using promotion for bet365 could have got 6/1 in the morning, Dettori was riding for trainer John Gosden and owner Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum.

The three-year-old Kingman colt, who is now unbeaten in four starts, got the better of both Pinatubo (11/8f) and Wichita (9/4) in a thrilling finish to the Group 1 contest.

The trio battled each other inside the final furlong before Palace Pier lengthened well to win by a length from European Champion 2-year-old of last season, Pinatubo, with Qipco 2000 Guineas runner-up Wichita another head back in third.

For Dettori, the win was his sixth of the week and his 73rd Royal Ascot victory in total.

“What a day!” exclaimed Dettori, “We always thought a lot of Palace Pier, but he got a bit sleepy on us in the mornings and we were scratching our heads. John [Gosden] did a great job, and he thought, let’s start him off in a handicap at Newcastle to see whether he would wake up, and he did. We threw him in at the deep end today, but in the back of our minds we knew that there was a good horse in that big body, and we just were not sure how much of a good horse he was. Today was no fluke.”

3.00pm St James’s Palace Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series)

1 Palace Pier John Gosden 3-9-00 Frankie Dettori 4/1
2 Pinatubo Charlie Appleby 3-9-00 William Buick 11/8f
3 Wichita Aidan O’Brien 3-9-00 Ryan Moore 9/4

7 ran
Distances: 1, hd
Time: 1m 42.38s

Hello Youmzain (4/1) landed the second Group 1 sprint of his career when taking the Diamond Jubilee Stakes, a race in which Denis Hogan’s Sceptical started as 2/1f.

The winning four-year-old Kodiac colt gave jockey Kevin Stott a first Royal Ascot win and trainer Kevin Ryan his sixth. Hello Youmzain broke quickly from the stalls and took the 10-strong field along, before being headed by Ireland’s leading sprinter, Sceptical, entering the final furlong. Just when it looked as though Hogan’s filly, who cost only £2,800 at a Godolphin dispersal of horse stock sale, was about to claim a victory at the highest level, Hello Youmzain rallied to regain the lead. He held off the late challenge of Dream Of Dreams (8/1) by a head, with Sceptical a neck further back.

3.35pm Diamond Jubilee Stakes (Group 1) (British Champions Series)

1 Hello Youmzain Kevin Ryan 6-9-03 Kevin Stott 4/1
2 Dream Of Dreams Sir Michael Stoute 6-9-03 Ryan Moore 8/1
3 Sceptical Denis Hogan 4-9-03 Frankie Dettoti 2/1f

10 ran
Distances: hd, nk
Time: 1m 13.42s

US trainer Wesley Ward sent out his 11th Royal Ascot winner when the Irish-bred Campanelle (9/2), in the colours a former winner of the race, Lady Aurelia, took the Group 2 Queen Mary Stakes under Frankie Dettori.

The daughter of Kodiac, who sired three Group winners on the day, came out on top by three-quarters of a length from Sacred (5/1) after a sustained battle in the closing stages, with David Loughnane’s 100/1 shot Caroline Dale in third.

The win was a fourth Queen Mary Stakes for Ward following Jealous Again (2009), Acapulco (2015) and Lady Aurelia (2016).

1.15pm Queen Mary Stakes (Group 2)

1 Campanelle Wesley Ward 2-9-00 Frankie Dettori 9/2
2 Sacred William Haggas 2-9-00 James Doyle 5/1
3 Caroline Dale David Loughnane 2-9-00 David Egan 100/1

Nando Parrado caused a big shock when becoming the longest priced winner in the modern era at Royal Ascot, defying odds of 150/1 to take the Group 2 Coventry Stakes.

The two-year-old Kodiac colt had finished fifth on debut at Newmarket and was always in a prominent position today under jockey Adam Kieby. Nando Parrado took the lead just inside the final two furlongs and saw off all challengers to score by a length from Qaader (3/1). The Aidan O’Brien-trained favourite, Admiral Nelson, could only finish in eight place.

1.50pm Coventry Stakes (Group 2)

1 Nando Parrado Clive Cox 2-9-01 Adam Kirby 150/1
2 Qaader Mark Johnston 2-9-01 Jim Crowley 3/1
3 Saeiqa John Gosden 2-9-01 Martin Dwyer 25/1

15 ran
Non-Runners: 9 Mehmo (Going)
Distances: 1l, 1¼l
Time: 1m 15.21s
5/2f Admiral Nelson (8th)

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