Latest news with #RachelGraham
RNZ News
7 days ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Kiwis told to leave Iran and Israel amid conflict
Kiwis in Iran and Israel are being advised to leave as soon as it is safe to do so, as both countries promise new waves of attacks. On Friday, Israel attacked Iran by targeting nuclear sites, but since then the two countries have more traded devastating attacks, some directed at residential areas. Dozens have been killed and hundreds are injured or missing, according to reports from each side, with many of those hurt civilians. In New Zealand, people with family in both countries are watching on nervously. Rachel Graham reports. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
RTÉ News
10-06-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Just how daunting will Belgium prove for Ireland in the Women's Nations League play-offs?
If the Republic of Ireland had any designs on getting back to top tier status in the Women's Nations League, they were always going to have to run a tough gauntlet. Last week's 1-0 win over Slovenia at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, which delivered a modicum of salvation for Carla Ward's side after February's crushing 4-0 away defeat in Koper, meant the Girls in Green won't be promoted from League B automatically. They can still go up to League A but to do so they must get through a two-legged promotion/relegation play-off in October. The draw for that was made on Friday and pits Ireland against a Belgium team that reside six places higher than the Girls in Green in the FIFA rankings. Speaking on the RTÉ Soccer Podcast, Shelbourne midfielder and former Ireland international Rachel Graham examined the task that awaits Ward's team in four months' time against a side that have had mixed fortunes against the very elite in recent months. "No matter who we were getting in that draw, it was going to be tough but I think Belgium have made big improvements over the last number of years," she said. "They've played in League A of the Nations League the last two years. Their results have been a bit mixed within their group this year. "They lost 5-0 to England and then went on to beat them 3-2, and only narrowly lost out to Spain. They lost 3-2, conceded in the 93rd and 96th minutes, so a really late defeat for them. "But they also then went and lost 5-1 to Spain, so a bit mixed and their last result then beating Portugal 3-0. "They're definitely a top team, probably at a better level than we are at the moment. "They have some good key players like their captain up front, Tessa Wullaert. She plays for Inter Milan and she has (more than) 90 goals for Belgium which is an amazing achievement. She's definitely going to be a big threat for them." As Graham pointed out, Belgium may have never qualified for a World Cup to date, unlike Ireland, but their major tournament experience is extensive having featured at the two previous European Championships and they will be at the upcoming 2025 edition in Switzerland next month which will be broadcast across RTÉ. "We'll get to see plenty of them. In their group, they'll play Spain, Italy and Portugal so at least three really good competitive games for them and they're probably going to be in better shape going into the game in October against us, having played those competitive games," she added. "Obviously, it's going to be really tough (for Ireland). The end goal is to get to the World Cup and we're obviously going to do that through a play-off position and if we do get to League A, it'll be a bit easier. "But if we do lose the play-off and stay in League B, it's a chance to work on the possession side of our game and we will get a play-off but it would just be a bit harder. "It's going to be really tough. Ideally, we would have been away in the first leg and at home in the second leg but it's reversed around. But look, it's obviously going to prove really tough but either way we can take positives from it." Ireland will have a friendly double-header against the USA at the end of this month, with some experimentation expected given the likes of captain Katie McCabe are set to be rested. One area Graham is keen to see more stability in is right back with natural centre backs deployed there of late. "When we do come up against the better teams, we will need someone a bit more quick and dynamic in that role," she said. "Anna Patten is now suspended for the first leg against Belgium and you'd imagine Jessie Stapleton will slot back into centre half and we spoke last week about maybe getting Jamie Finn back in as soon as possible. "She's back playing for the Birmingham 19s, back fully training, so she should be definitely back by October. "It would be great if she was named in these friendlies now against USA to even just get her back around the camp, get her back training, get her minutes in the games because I think she's going to be our best option to play in there going forward."
Reuters
07-06-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Israel retrieves body of Thai hostage from Gaza as airstrikes kill 45
The Israeli military has retrieved the body of a Thai hostage who had been held in Gaza since Hamas' October 7, 2023 attack, Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Saturday (June 7), as Israeli airstrikes killed 45 people, according to local medics. Rachel Graham has more.
RNZ News
06-06-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
NZ's first water cremation service available in Christchurch
life and society 20 minutes ago While on holiday in Bali seven years ago, at accommodation next door to a crematorium, Christchurch woman Debbie Richards started thinking about what happens when we die. She said when she came across the idea of water cremation she decided she would take the leap to get it introduced to New Zealand. Now, the first water cremation service is available in Christchurch at Bell, Lamb and Trotter funeral directors, and Debbie Richards hopes that soon the service will be available all over the country. Rachel Graham has more.
RTÉ News
03-06-2025
- Sport
- RTÉ News
Rachel Graham: Ireland's vulnerability to opposition counter-attacks is 'worrying'
The Republic of Ireland's vulnerability to being picked off on the break is an area that needs to be addressed as quickly as possible, according to former international Rachel Graham. The Girls in Green will round off their UEFA Women's Nations League group campaign against Slovenia this evening at Páirc Uí Chaoimh (live on RTÉ2 and the RTÉ Player) - the same side that thrashed Carla Ward's team 4-0 earlier in the pool phase - and with only a victory by four clear goals or more being enough to finish top and claim automatic promotion to League A. Ireland go into the game off the back of a 2-1 victory over Turkey but the overall performance on Friday left as many questions as answers with the Irish team starting slowly before needing a late rally to turn defeat into victory in Istanbul. Speaking on the RTÉ Soccer Podcast, Shelbourne midfielder Graham felt Ireland's display highlighted areas of concern against a Turkish side ranked well below the Girls in Green. "Obviously the most important thing was the win and that's what they got so that's the main takeaway from the game but I feel it's kind of the same narrative after every time we win a game where we've got the win but it hasn't been the most convincing or most comfortable win," she said. "And I get these so-called weaker teams have gotten better in the last few years. But we've also got better the last few years and we have players playing at a good level, so I don't think we can keep saying that as an excuse because we are improving too. "Look, I don't think it was all doom and gloom. I think there were some passages of play where we were good and moved the ball really well. But it's always just in passages, it's never for the full 90 minutes or duration of the game, where we let sloppiness creep in and we give the ball away cheaply or we make the wrong decision in the final third. "Even the goals that we got were two pieces of luck. It's an own goal for the first one and then if the centre-half doesn't slip, we don't get the second." But it's the defensive aspect that is more concerning from Graham's point of view with a propensity for Ireland to leak chances particularly when the ball is turned over in attacking areas. "We are conceding a lot of chances to these so-called weaker nations which is a bit worrying," she said. "I think the biggest takeaway, if we don't beat Slovenia by four goals and do go into that play-off, it's how vulnerable we look when we are attacking. "You could see we were trying to win the ball high up the pitch and when it doesn't work out, it's a long ball and we do get caught out with it. "Even our back-line it's not the quickest, so if a ball gets in behind and we're high up, it's a real struggle for us to get back and you saw that in the Turkey game. That's where their goal comes from and when we played Slovenia the last time that seemed to be a problem as well. "Overall it's a win (over Turkey), it's a good win to come back from 1-0 down but I don't know if it's papering over cracks, but there's definitely issues that we need to get right, if not for Slovenia, then for the play-off."
