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South Wales Guardian
2 days ago
- Sport
- South Wales Guardian
Tycroes Titans women's rugby team secure league status
The Tycroes Titans women's rugby team marked their achievement at their annual awards night. The team completed the necessary 10 games to secure league status, travelling long distances for matches in places like Ebbw Vale, Pembroke, and Penygraig. The management team started the night by giving individual awards to every player, highlighting the progress made since their first contact game earlier in the season. Main awards included Forward of the Year for Jodie Thomas, Back of the Year for Tammie Court, Most Improved Player for Tanya Isaac, Players' Player for Sam Lewis, and Player of the Year for Emma Williams. The night reached a high point with an announcement from the coaching staff, confirming the Titans' league status for the upcoming season via a recent email from the Welsh Rugby Union. The evening wrapped up with music from Danielle Lowri, marking the end of a memorable night. This achievement is a proud moment for the team and Tycroes community, indicating a promising future for women's rugby in the area.
NDTV
5 days ago
- Sport
- NDTV
Team India Newcomer Names Spinner As 'Inspiration'. Not R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja Or Kuldeep Yadav
Ahead of the first Test against England at Leeds, India's rising batting star Sai Sudharsan spoke on how fellow Tamil Nadu all-rounder Washington Sundar has been an inspiration for him, motivating him to rise up the ranks and wear the Indian colours quickly. The first Test against England at Leeds from June 20 onwards could kickstart the Test career of a 23-year-old Sudharsan, who has represented India in three ODIs and a T20I so far, getting two ODI half-centuries in South Africa. Recently, he won the Orange Cap for most runs and the 'Emerging Player' award during the Indian Premier League (IPL) for the Gujarat Titans (GT), scoring 759 runs in 16 innings, with a century and six half-centuries. Sudharsan is Sundar's junior in domestic cricket, with the all-rounder having made his first-class debut at the age of 17 back in 2016. Sudharsan's debut came at the age of 21, six years later. Before becoming an IPL star, Sudharsan's grind came in Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL), where he sits at number 10 among top run-getters, with 1,303 runs in 30 innings at an average of 56.65, a century and 13 fifties. Speaking about looking up to Sundar, who made his international debut as a teen in 2017 and Test debut in 2021 during the legendary Brisbane Test against Australia, Sudharsan said that the 25-year-old's quick rise served as an "inspiration" and "motivator" for him. "He has been my inspiration since I was young. I have played a few games against him, so it is always special. To be honest, we have looked up to him a lot. I have practised once or twice (against Sundar), the way he went up and the way he played for the country, it was really quick, so I had that in my mind. He did well in the IPL, and then he played for the country. So it was a great motivator for me from Chennai. Knowing him since I was young, playing with him, it is kind of inspiring. It made me feel I want to do things the same way," said Sudharsan in a video posted on BCCI's official website. Sundar is also extremely proud of the youngster's growth over the years, saying that he has inspired a lot of kids in Chennai already. "I have watched him on TV. There is a lot to take away from him, his skillset and work ethic he has got. He has inspired a lot of kids in Chennai, and I hope he will continue inspiring kids all over the world," said Sundar. "He has told me about that quite a few times. A lot of my friends and coaches, as well, have spoken about his growth. He has only grown in the last three or four years and has got better with every year," he concluded. India tour of England will take place from June to August 2025, with matches to be played at Headingley (Leeds), Edgbaston (Birmingham), Lord's (London), Old Trafford (Manchester), and The Oval (London). A new era beckons for India in the Test format as the modern-day giants gear up for their first assignment without the prized batting bigwigs Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Shubman Gill, India's youngest Test captain, has taken the baton from Rohit to guide the nation to success and challenge for the World Test Championship mace. India's Test squad for England series: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.
Hindustan Times
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
UTT Season 6: U Mumba qualify for semis, end Dabang Delhi's unbeaten streak
U Mumba TT secured the fourth and final semi-final spot with a 10-5 win over Dabang Delhi TTC in the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 6 on Thursday. While the defeat ended Delhi's four-tie winning run, the Season 2 champions still finished top of the league table with 44 points. Both teams wore black armbands and observed a minute's silence before kick-off to pay respect to the victims of the Ahmedabad plane crash tragedy. Lilian Bardet gave U Mumba TT the perfect start, defeating Sathiyan Gnanasekaran 2-1 in the opening singles rubber. After edging a close first game 11-10, Bardet dropped the second 4-11 but responded strongly with an 11-4 win in the decider. Bernadette Szocs followed it up with a 2-1 win over Diya Chitale. Chitale took the first game 11-3, but Szocs levelled with a narrow 11-10 Golden Point win and closed out the match 11-8. The momentum carried into the mixed doubles, where Szocs partnered Akash Pal to beat Izaac Quek and Diya Chitale in the opening game, confirming U Mumba's place in the semifinals. Delhi, however, bounced back, winning the remaining two games and, subsequently, the match. Abhinandh PB added two more points for U Mumba with a 2-1 win over Singapore's Izaac Quek. Abhinandh, in his first appearance of the season, started strong, taking the first two games, before Izaac pulled one back with an 11-7 win, enough to take Dabang Delhi to the top of the table. In the final rubber, Yashaswini Ghorpade defeated her World Youth Championships 2023 teammate Suhana Saini 3-0, winning two tight games on Golden Point before closing the match 11-3. Szocs picked up the double honours of the Foreign Player and Shot of the Tie, while Yashaswini was named the Indian Player of the Tie. Dabang Delhi will now face Jaipur Patriots in the first semi-final, while reigning champions Dempo Goa Challengers will take on U Mumba TT in the second. The winners of the respective ties will compete in the Grand Finale on June 15. U Mumba TT 10-5 Dabang Delhi TTC Lilian Bardet bt. Sathiyan Gnanasekaran 2-1 (11-10, 4-11, 11-4) Bernadette Szocs bt. Diya Chitale 2-1 (3-11, 11-10, 11-8) Akash Pal/Bernadette Szocs lost to Izaak Quek/Diya Chitale 1-2 (11-5, 7-11, 5-11) Abhinandh PB bt. Izaac Quek 2-1 (11-4, 11-9, 7-11) Yashaswini Ghorpade bt. Suhana Saini 3-0 (11-10, 11-10, 11-3)
Otago Daily Times
02-06-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Hard-working Highlander makes team of year
Moana Pasifika captain Ardie Savea headlines a tournament team named following the conclusion of the round-robin phase of Super Rugby. Super Rugby organisers have announced an honorary team with the first-ever Super Rugby Pacific Team of the Year to officially be recognised next year. The team is formed from the top-ranked players in each position based on Player of the Year votes from across the season. The votes come from players on other teams. Savea received the most votes of any player and was recently named Player of Super Rugby Pacific. Hard-working Highlanders Timoci Tavatavanawai received 32 votes and is one of two centres named. The Super Rugby Pacific statement said where players played or are capable of playing multiple positions, for Team of the Year purposes they were assigned only the position that they most played during the 2025 season. Carlo Tizzano, Fraser McReight and Langi Gleeson could not initially be separated for the third back row position, having received the same amount of Player of the Year votes (29). The Player of the Year tie-breaker was to compare the number of 'three votes' received, which saw Gleeson (4) surpassed by Tizzano and McReight (both 5). Remarkably, both flankers received the same number of 'three votes', 'two votes' and 'one vote' during the season, which means they share the final back row selection. 2025 Super Rugby Pacific team of the year PROPS Allan Alaalatoa (ACT Brumbies, 20 votes), Angus Bell (NSW Waratahs, 14 votes) HOOKER Tevita Ikanivere (Fijian Drua, 19 votes) SECOND ROW Jeremy Williams (Western Force, 21 votes), Patrick Tuipulotu (Blues, 20 votes) BACK ROW Ardie Savea (Moana Pasifika, 46 votes), Tom Hooper (ACT Brumbies, 31 votes), Carlo Tizzano (Western Force, 29 votes) / Fraser McReight (Queensland Reds, 29 votes) HALF BACK Cam Roigard (Hurricanes, 28 votes) FIRST FIVE Damian McKenzie (Chiefs, 36 votes) CENTRES Timoci Tavatavanawai (Highlanders, 32 votes), AJ Lam (Blues, 14 votes) WINGERS Harry Potter (Western Force, 18 votes), Kini Naholo (Hurricanes, 18 votes) FULLBACK Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii (NSW Waratahs, 20 votes)
NBC Sports
01-06-2025
- Business
- NBC Sports
Could Patriots cut Stefon Diggs and owe him nothing? It's complicated.
If you believe the initial reports — and you never should — the Patriots signed receiver Stefon Diggs to a three-year, $69 million contract with $26 million guaranteed. The truth is far more complicated, especially since Diggs suffered a torn ACL during the 2024 regular season. We've obtained and reviewed the entire contract. Until he passes a full physical (including as to the injured knee), he's entitled to nothing. And that wrinkle gives rise to another question that recently became very relevant. If the Patriots decide to cut Diggs, do they owe him anything? With Scott Zolak, who works for the Patriots Radio Network, recently saying that parting ways with Diggs is on the table, it's fair and appropriate to explore whether and to what extent he'd be entitled to a multi-million-dollar parting gift. While the contract doesn't contain a clear answer, there are several provisions that could apply. First, paragraph 26 of the contract sets forth the signing bonus. Under paragraph 26(a), Diggs gets $12 million, with $4 million paid within two weeks of execution, $4 million due on October 31, 2025, and $4 million due on March 31, 2026. While this implies that he has received $4 million, paragraph 26(b) says this: 'Player's entitlement to receive the amount set forth in Paragraph (a) immediately above is expressly conditioned upon Player's passing of a physical examination by Club, as determined exclusively by Club's physician, confirming his ability to practice and play in accordance with the standards and requirements of his position, as to which Club will rely upon, among other things, Player's full and complete disclosure of all facts and circumstances material to his health, well-being and performance.' Basically, the Patriots owe Diggs nothing until he passes a full physical clearing him to practice and play. And the team's doctor has exclusive discretion to determine whether Diggs passes. So if the doctor never believes Diggs is ready to play, the Patriots — in theory — owe him nothing. That doesn't mean the Patriots can tear up the contract for any reason before Diggs passes his physical. It nevertheless provides an escape hatch, if the doctor who is on the team's payroll (and who presumably hopes to remain there) never believes the knee has fully healed. Second, paragraph 27(e) focuses on the 'Pre-Existing Condition' in Diggs's knee. It wipes out the $10.6 million in guarantees beyond the $12 million signing bonus "[i]n the event the Contract is terminated due to the Pre-Existing Condition or any injury or medical condition that, in the sole opinion of Club's Physician, which shall be final and binding, is in any way related to the Pre-Existing Condition, then notwithstanding anything in this Agreement, the Guarantees set forth in this Section 27 shall be null and void.' That provision evaporates once Diggs passes the physical mentioned in paragraph 26(b). Which makes that physical even more important. And which gives the Patriots a window for pulling the plug, if they so choose. The contract also includes standard default language for the $10.6 million in non-signing bonus guarantees. Given that the chance of a suspension for the recent pink powder boat video is low, it will be difficult to prove that Diggs has committed a default. There's also a provision at the tail end of the contract (paragraph 36) in which Diggs promises he 'will not participate, and is not engaged and will not engage, in any conduct or activity that is illegal, unlawful or immoral.' The boat video, which shows Diggs distributing a pink powder, could give the Patriots an opening for seizing on that language — if the powder was an illegal street drug. Or course, the Patriots would have to prove it. Which may not be easy to do. It would be far easier, frankly, to cut him with a failed physical designation, withhold any money he has yet to receive, and brace for a grievance like the one former Patriots receiver Antonio Brown filed after the team refused to pay his $9 million signing bonus following his failed shot of espresso with the Pats. Eventually, the Patriots settled the grievance for $5 million. Which was still $4 million less than they owed Brown on paper. In this case, the language of the contract gives the team (specifically, its physician) the ability to put the kibosh on the entire contract by determining that Diggs can't pass a physical, due to the ACL tear. Here's the point. It's possible the Patriots have only paid Diggs $4 million, if that much. If Diggs has not yet passed the full and final physical that clears him to practice and play in 2025 (and the absence of news that he has passed a full and final physical strongly suggests he has not), there's an opening to turn that three-year, $69 million contract into nothing at all.
