Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Latest - Springbok wing Kurt-Lee Arendse has been suspended for four weeks following his red card in the 26-10 Rugby Championship victory over the All Blacks in Mbombela at the weekend.
Arendse was red carded after 75 minutes following a dangerous tackle on All Blacks first five Beauden Barrett that saw the latter land on his neck and remain a doubt for this weekend's second fixture between the sides at Ellis Park.
Arendse pled guilty to the charge, with a SANZAAR release saying the act of foul play was "reckless, highly dangerous and had a considerable impact on the victim player", and will miss the Springboks' next four matches, but will be available for the home clash against Argentina on Sept. 24.
It poses a problem for the Boks on the right wing, with Cheslin Kolbe and Sbu Nkosi both out injured. Coach Jacques Nienaber will name his side for the weekend clash tomorrow, while the All Blacks will name their side on Friday.
-Reuters
Hamilton wants games again
The Commonwealth Games are ready to return in 2030 to Hamilton, the Canadian city that launched the multi-sport event 100 years ago, with Niagara Falls providing the backdrop for beach volleyball and a push to add men's cricket to the programme.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
With the federal and provincial governments expressing support and no other cities having formally thrown their hats in the ring, Hamilton bid leader Louis Frapporti said the 'Steel City' is the favourite when the Commonwealth Games Federation makes a decision sometime next year.
"Without jinxing it we are clearly the punitive favourite if only because we have invested so much time and energy in actually creating a proposal," said Frapporti. "The only country we are hearing any rumblings about is New Zealand.
"What we understand is we are so far ahead of them in terms of preparation of a bid that they are more likely to be interested in 2034 than 2030."
If chosen it would mark the fifth time Canada has hosted the quadrennial event but the first since 1994 when they were held in Victoria, British Colombia.
Hamilton staged the first competition in 1930 when it was known as the British Empire Games and had just six sports; athletics, boxing, lawn bowls, rowing, swimming, and wrestling.
-Reuters
Giggs had a sinister side
The jury in the trial of former Manchester United winger Ryan Giggs, facing charges of assaulting his ex-girlfriend and her sister, was told by the prosecution that the Welsh international had a "sinister" side to him.
Photo: AFP
Giggs, 48, who has stepped down as Wales national team manager due to the case, faces charges of causing actual bodily harm to former partner Kate Greville and beating her younger sister Emma. He also faces one count of coercive and controlling behaviour.
The former footballer, who sat in the dock wearing a dark suit, has pleaded not guilty to the charges and his defence said the allegations were "based on distortion, exaggeration and lies".
Opening the case for the prosecution, Peter Wright QC said there was a marked contrast between Giggs the player and the way he had behaved with his girlfriend in a "toxic relationship".
The former United favourite, who has said he looks forward to clearing his name, was first arrested in the case and released on bail in November 2020.
Giggs made 963 appearances over 23 years for Manchester United as a player, a club record, winning a haul of honours including 13 Premier League titles and two UEFA Champions League trophies.
He represented Wales as a player 64 times between 1991 and 2007 and took over as national coach in 2018.
-Reuters
PGA wants 3 platers barred
The PGA Tour has filed a motion in federal court to bar three suspended members of the LIV Golf Invitational Series from participating in the FedEx Cup playoffs.
Talor Gooch, Matt Jones and Hudson Swafford are trying "to have their cake and eat it too," read the motion filed by PGA Tour attorneys in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
The motion is a response to the three players' request for a temporary restraining order that would allow them to compete in the playoffs, starting this week at the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis.
A hearing to consider the LIV golfers' request is scheduled for tomorrow in San Jose, Calif.
Typically, the top 125 players in the FedEx Cup standings are eligible for the first playoff event. Gooch ranks 20th in the standings while Jones is 65th and Swafford is 67th.
-Reuters
Kohli back in Indian side
India batsmen Virat Kohli and KL Rahul have been recalled to the Twenty20 squad for the Asia Cup but seamer Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out due to injury.
Virat Kohli Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Former captain Kohli and Bumrah were left out of the T20 squad for the five-match series against West Indies, which India went on to win 4-1 at the weekend.
Kohli has endured a lean run of form across all formats and the 33-year-old is without a century in international cricket since November 2019.
Rahul returns to the squad after a lengthy period on the sidelines following a groin injury and COVID-19 diagnosis. He will be Rohit Sharma's deputy.
Harshal Patel is also not available for selection due to injury, while Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel and Deepak Chahar have been named as standbys.
India are defending champions at the Asia Cup, which will be played from Aug. 27-Sept. 11 in the United Arab Emirates. They will open their campaign against arch rivals and neighbours Pakistan.
The tournament, which serves as preparation for the Asian sides in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup later this year, was shifted to the UAE last month due to the political and economic crisis in Sri Lanka, who retain the hosts' honour.
-Reuters