I've worn the famous British & Irish Lions No 10 shirt - here's who I think should get the nod at fly-half in Australia this summer, writes DAN BIGGAR
Starting all three Tests of the 2021 British & Irish Lions tour as fly-half was one of the proudest moments of my career.
The red No 10 shirt comes with severe pressure and a significant weight of history. Luckily, I was used to that as it was the same with Wales!
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The Guardian
18 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Airlines are changing plans as conflict escalates in the Middle East. How will it affect Australian passengers?
Passengers are facing delays, scheduling changes and even cancellations as airlines recalibrate their plans to avoid a large chunk of Middle Eastern airspace. Since Israel launched missiles at Iran on 13 June, airlines have been taking alternative routes in order to stay away from parts of the region including Iran, Iraq, Syria, Israel and parts of Jordan. The conflict is escalating as many Australians prepare for trips to Europe during the northern hemisphere summer. If you're one of them, how will the airline disruptions affect you? It all depends on the airline you plan to fly with, and which route your flight is taking from Australia to Europe. Aviation expert Prof Rico Merkert says airlines that stop over in the Middle East, such as Qatar, Emirates and Etihad, are likely to be affected. 'For sure there will be quite a bit of delays and possibly the odd cancellation,' Merkert, deputy director of the University of Sydney's Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies, says. 'Getting to the Middle East is probably still OK but once you get there it might be a bit hectic … with the potential for detours and delays. 'And, obviously, flying to Iran at the moment is not possible.' For example, Emirates typically flies from its home airport in Dubai into continental Europe using Iranian airspace, Merkert says, 'so they'll need to detour'. 'It's not just Iranian airspace, it's also Iraq, Syria and part of Jordan as well,' he says. 'Essentially, everything that's between Israel and Iran, because they do keep sending missiles to each other.' Emirates was contacted for comment, but did not respond by deadline. Qantas, which operates flights to London direct from Perth or via Singapore from Australia's east coast, has indicated it is monitoring the situation and says it will alter its flight paths if necessary but has not made changes yet. As Merkert points out in one example, a passenger on the daily QF1 flight from Sydney to London via Singapore would avoid Middle Eastern airspace, as those flights go over central Asia. However, the national carrier only flies from Australia to London. If you book with Qantas and want to go elsewhere in Europe, you're likely to be flying with Emirates, its international partner. Virgin only recently launched international flights, after entering into a codesharing agreement with Qatar, similar to the one between Qantas and Emirates. Qatar is headquartered in Doha, not far from Emirates' base in Dubai. As well as a partial ownership stake for Qatar, the alliance includes a so-called wet lease deal, whereby the Gulf carrier provides planes and crew to the Australian airline to operate weekly services to Doha under the Virgin brand. Virgin on Monday indicated its wet-leased service to Doha remained unaffected but has not ruled out scheduling changes. On Monday, a Qatar Airways spokesperson said the 'evolving situation in the region' would 'require some schedule changes'. The airline did not elaborate on what those changes involved but advised passengers to check its website for the latest information. 'We are continuously monitoring and assessing the situation, and reacting in real-time to ensure we operate under the safest conditions possible at all times,' the spokesperson said. 'We have some of the best people in the business working behind the scenes to keep our network strong and secure, and to ensure we remain the airline you can trust and rely on.' Etihad, another Gulf carrier, has suspended all flights between its base in Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv until 15 July. 'This remains a highly dynamic situation, and further changes or disruption, including sudden airspace closures or operational impact, may occur at short notice,' a spokesperson said on Monday. 'Etihad continues to monitor developments closely in coordination with the relevant authorities and is taking all necessary precautions.' Merkert says he expects Turkish Airlines flights to face similar problems, as the carrier typically uses Iranian airspace. The airline, which flies from Sydney to Istanbul and then onwards into Europe – with a stopover in Malaysia – has plans to further expand into the Australian market. The carrier did not respond before deadline to a request for comment. Guardian Australia contacted more than a dozen airlines on Monday asking them what their plans were. Singapore Airlines had cancelled eight flights between Dubai and Singapore, 'following a security assessment of the geopolitical situation in the Middle East'. Thai Airways, which flies from Australia to Europe via Bangkok, said its services were not affected by the conflict. British Airways indicated its flights to Australia were operating as scheduled. While airlines have assured passengers they are making plans to avoid Iranian airspace and other danger zones, Merkert says there are options for people who would prefer not to fly over the Middle East at the moment, pointing to airlines that fly to Europe via Asia without stopping over in a Gulf country. 'My daughter is currently en route to Europe,' he says. 'But she flew with Singapore Airlines and so she flew via Singapore and from there to Frankfurt. That's a route that takes you about an hour north of Iran.' Merkert says another option could be flying to Europe via Japan. 'The problem at the moment though is the Ukrainian airspace is blocked too,' he says. 'It's probably safer, but it also takes additional time.'
BreakingNews.ie
20 minutes ago
- BreakingNews.ie
British and Irish Lions warn Australia must release players for tour fixtures
The British and Irish Lions have warned Australia they will be in breach of contract if they fail to release their Test stars for all tour games involving Super Rugby teams. Wallabies head coach Joe Schmidt has allowed Western Force players Nick Champion De Crespigny, Dylan Pietsch, Tom Robertson, Darcy Swain and Nic White to take part in Saturday's first match Down Under in Perth. Advertisement However, all those from the Reds, Waratahs and Brumbies, including big names such as Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii and Rob Valetini, will not face the Lions until the Test series. Roll on Saturday 🦁 Game two, and our first on Australian soil: @westernforce in Perth 📍 #Lions2025 — British & Irish Lions (@lionsofficial) June 23, 2025 Given Australia's lack of depth, Schmidt is keen to avoid picking up any injuries while their warm-up fixture against Fiji in Newcastle on July 6, which takes place the day after the tourists meet the Waratahs, is another obstacle. However, Lions chief executive Ben Calveley has reminded the hosts of the terms of the tour contract, knowing Andy Farrell's men want to play the toughest possible opposition to provide adequate preparation for the opening Test on July 19. 'We'll see a competitive fixture at the weekend and that's what we're looking for. We want to make sure our guys are battle-hardened when it comes to the Test series,' Calveley said. Advertisement 'The agreement is very clear – it says that Test players have to be released to play in fixtures leading into that series. That is our expectation. 'We'll play the game at the weekend and will carry on having discussions with (Rugby Australia chief executive) Phil Waugh and will take it step by step. Ben Calveley wants to see the strongest possible warm-up fixtures (John Walton/PA) 'It's really important that these games are competitive. It's not just from a performance standpoint but it's also right for the fans, partners and broadcasters, who are all expecting competitive fixtures. That would be their expectation as well.' Calveley declined to reveal what action the Lions could take if Schmidt will not be budged from his current policy, but it is clear the tourists hold all the aces given the vast revenue they generate for hosting countries. Advertisement A sold-out Aviva Stadium turned red for Friday night's send-off in a display of commercial power from the elite of British and Irish rugby, who continue to be a huge draw. Argentina won an entertaining but scrappy game 28-24 and given they are positioned three places higher than the Wallabies in the global ranking in fifth, they could be viewed as a more credible tour destination than Australia. There are also calls for France to be added to the current rotation that is completed by South Africa and New Zealand. For now, however, fixtures against other nations will be bolt-ons to existing destinations rather than stand-alone tours. Argentina beat the British and Irish Lions in Dublin on Friday (Brian Lawless/PA) 'There are different teams around the world that we might be interested in playing against in future. Traditionally that's been consigned to a pre-tour element – Dublin, Murrayfield – so we'll probably focus on that,' Calveley said. Advertisement 'We're also interested when we go away on tour to see if we can bring in other countries like Japan and Fiji to feature in those games as we build up to the Test element. 'We're open and we're flexible, but right now there are no plans to change the rotation of the tour structure.' Calveley was speaking at a 'Welcome to Country' ceremony, a 20-minute First Nations cultural experience held in in Perth's Kings Park.
The Independent
35 minutes ago
- The Independent
British and Irish Lions warn Wallabies they must release players for tour games
The British and Irish Lions have warned Australia they will be in breach of contract if they fail to release their Test stars for all tour games involving Super Rugby teams. Wallabies head coach Joe Schmidt has allowed Western Force players Nick Champion De Crespigny, Dylan Pietsch, Tom Robertson, Darcy Swain and Nic White to take part in Saturday's first match Down Under in Perth. However, all those from the Reds, Waratahs and Brumbies, including big names such as Joseph-Aukuso Sua'ali'i and Rob Valetini, will not face the Lions until the Test series. Given Australia's lack of depth, Schmidt is keen to avoid picking up any injuries while their warm-up fixture against Fiji in Newcastle on 6 July, which takes place the day after the tourists meet the Waratahs, is another obstacle. However, Lions chief executive Ben Calveley has reminded the hosts of the terms of the tour contract, knowing Andy Farrell 's men want to play the toughest possible opposition to provide adequate preparation for the opening Test on 19 July. 'We'll see a competitive fixture at the weekend and that's what we're looking for. We want to make sure our guys are battle-hardened when it comes to the Test series,' Calveley said. 'The agreement is very clear – it says that Test players have to be released to play in fixtures leading into that series. That is our expectation. 'We'll play the game at the weekend and will carry on having discussions with (Rugby Australia chief executive) Phil Waugh and will take it step by step. 'It's really important that these games are competitive. It's not just from a performance standpoint but it's also right for the fans, partners and broadcasters, who are all expecting competitive fixtures. That would be their expectation as well.' Calveley declined to reveal what action the Lions could take if Schmidt will not be budged from his current policy, but it is clear the tourists hold all the aces given the vast revenue they generate for hosting countries. A sold-out Aviva Stadium turned red for Friday night's send-off in a display of commercial power from the elite of British and Irish rugby, who continue to be a huge draw. Argentina won an entertaining but scrappy game 28-24 and given they are positioned three places higher than the Wallabies in the global ranking in fifth, they could be viewed as a more credible tour destination than Australia. There are also calls for France to be added to the current rotation that is completed by South Africa and New Zealand. For now, however, fixtures against other nations will be bolt-ons to existing destinations rather than stand-alone tours. 'There are different teams around the world that we might be interested in playing against in future. Traditionally that's been consigned to a pre-tour element – Dublin, Murrayfield – so we'll probably focus on that,' Calveley said. 'We're also interested when we go away on tour to see if we can bring in other countries like Japan and Fiji to feature in those games as we build up to the Test element. 'We're open and we're flexible, but right now there are no plans to change the rotation of the tour structure.' Calveley was speaking at a 'Welcome to Country' ceremony, a 20-minute First Nations cultural experience held in in Perth's Kings Park.
