Archive March 4, 2026

Farrell expects talks over Ireland future after Saracens links

Andy Gray

BBC Sport NI Journalist

Ireland head coach Andy Farrell says he expects to “sit down and have discussions” with the Irish Rugby Football Union over his future after being linked with a move to Saracens.

Saracens last week released a statement to distance the club from “disrespectful” reports they had offered Farrell a coaching role after the 2027 Rugby World Cup when his Ireland deal ends.

The English Premiership side said “no offer has been made” after the Irish Independent reported that Farrell was approached with a deal worth more than £1m a year to return to Sarries following next year’s tournament in Australia.

Mark McCall will step down as Saracens’ director of rugby at the end of the season and Brendan Venter will return to the role.

While Farrell admitted he understood why he would be linked with a role at his former club, where his son Owen currently plays, he said it was “people putting two and two together and making five”.

“You’d expect me to say I’m here to concentrate on the Six Nations and what will be, will be in the future,” Farrell said ahead of Ireland’s Six Nations game with Wales on Friday (20:10 GMT).

“I suppose it’s people putting two and two together and making five, with the connections, good friends with the owner, Owen’s there and all of that… So you can see why that has happened.

“I suppose we’ll sit down and have discussions with the IRFU in the near future, that’s for sure.”

Farrell, who played for Saracens as a player after switching from Rugby League, joined Ireland’s coaching team under Joe Schmidt and became head coach after the conclusion of the 2019 World Cup.

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Farrell has made five changes from the team that beat England and has named seven Ulster players in his matchday squad for the Wales encounter.

Last year, only three players from the province were named in Farrell’s wider Six Nations squad but an upturn in form this season has been rewarded.

Jacob Stockdale, Robert Baloucoune and Stuart McCloskey will start in the backline, while Tom O’Toole and Nick Timoney – who will make his first Six Nations start – have been named in the pack.

Hooker Tom Stewart is set to get an opportunity to impress off the bench, while scrum-half Nathan Doak will make his senior Ireland debut after being named among the replacements.

“It’s a fantastic news story. It goes to show that if teams are playing well and playing good rugby, they will get selected,” Farrell said.

“We’ve always said that selection isn’t up to us – it’s up to the players to show they are worthy of the spot and the right to get in the room, and then they can show us what they got.

Related topics

  • Irish Rugby
  • Northern Ireland Sport
  • Saracens
  • Rugby Union
  • Ireland Rugby Union

‘There Will Be No Sacred Cows,’ IGP Disu Tells Police Officers

The Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has said that the Nigeria Police under his leadership will not condone any conduct that undermines respect for human rights, weakens public confidence in the agency, and erodes institutional legitimacy.

READ ALSO: IGP Disu Inaugurates Committee On State Police, Task Members On Professionalism

Disu, who stated this during his inaugural Conference with Senior Police Officers at the Peacekeeping Conference Centre, Force Headquarters, Abuja, said there would be “no sacred cows”.

He explained that respect for human rights is not optional but fundamental to professional policing and central to sustaining public trust.

“By upholding this standard, we reinforce the rule of law and strengthen the moral authority upon which effective policing is built.

“To restore and sustain public confidence, our internal accountability mechanisms will be strengthened, revitalized, and isolated from undue influences. The Force Provost, the Complaint Response Unit, and the X-Squad will be empowered to operate decisively, independently, and without fear or favour in the investigations of misconduct, abuse of authority, corruption, or unprofessional conduct,” Disu said.

“The message must be clear: no officer is above the law. Citizens must feel safe and encouraged to report wrongdoings. Officers must understand that loyalty to the force does not extend to shielding misconduct or tolerating indiscipline.

“Under this leadership, there will be no sacred cows. Ranks, seniority, or position will offer no protection. Officers found culpable will face swift and appropriate disciplinary actions, including dismissal and prosecution where applicable,” he added.

Police officers at the Conference with Senior Police Officers at the Peacekeeping Conference Centre, Force Headquarters, Abuja

Public Trust

The IGP further stated that police derive their authority not merely from statutes, but from public trust, adding that once that trust is weakened, the agency’s effectiveness is diminished.

“Leadership, it has been said, is not about the position one occupies, but the responsibility one accepts. Today, I stand before you fully conscious of the weight of this responsibility and the high expectation of our officers, our nation, and the Nigerian people.

“The Nigerian Police Force exists to serve the people, protect the nation, and uphold the rule of law. These are not abstract ideas; they are daily obligations,” he told the officers.

“Under my leadership, professionalism, accountability, and transparency shall not be a slogan. It shall be the standard.”

State policing has been on the frontburner in Nigeria in recent years.
Photo: X@PoliceNG

Authority With Restraint 

Disu reminded the officers that in an era of heightened public scrutiny and instant communication, “every action of the police reflects instantly on the entire police force”.

“As leaders, we must continually remind ourselves of an enduring truth: Authority is strongest when it is exercised with restraint, fairness, and sound judgment.

Formula One teams on edge as new regulations face first test in Australia

Formula One’s new era ⁠starts at this weekend’s season-opening ⁠Australian Grand Prix, where teams will leap into the unknown and grapple with sweeping technical changes under race conditions for the first time.

F1 has simultaneously overhauled chassis and power unit regulations for the first time ⁠in decades, posing a challenge for drivers and engineers while raising concerns about the quality of racing.

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With near-parity between electrical and combustion engines and cars running on 100 percent advanced sustainable fuel, drivers gained some insight into the changes during winter testing. But all ⁠are in the dark about how the reset will play out when going wheel-to-wheel on race day.

“I’m certainly more comfortable now than I was a couple of months ago with how to drive these cars and how to try and get the most out of them,” McLaren’s Oscar Piastri told reporters on Wednesday.

“But I think there’s still the saying of ‘You don’t know what you don’t know.’”

Australian Piastri said McLaren ‌thought they had the cars worked out two months ago, only to find they had “a whole bunch of stuff” they did not understand during winter testing.

With more power generated by electricity than last year’s engines, there is more emphasis on drivers needing to be tactical with energy deployment and regeneration.

The old drag reduction system has been replaced by a new overtake mode, giving extra power for overtaking.

Four-time world champion Max Verstappen described the changes as “like Formula E on steroids” and “anti-racing”.

Formula One Chief Executive Stefano Domenicali defended them and assured fans there will still be plenty of thrills.

The changes may have different effects at ⁠different circuits, leaving all teams to learn on the fly, week by week.

Piastri said Sunday’s race ⁠at Albert Park, a suburb of Melbourne, would probably showcase the more “unnatural” parts of driving.

“You know, a lot more lift and coast, a lot more kind of just driving to maximise the power unit,” he said.

“You’ve got power units that are reducing in power down the straights at different points. And there’s a lot of unknowns, ⁠a lot of challenges in there.”

The new regulations raised hopes of a more open championship and the prospect of a disruptor team emerging to force change at the top. But preseason testing in ⁠Bahrain hinted at a familiar top four, with Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull and ⁠McLaren all performing well.

Audi team principal Jonathan Wheatley said the gap between the “best and the rest” might only widen.

“I think it’s going to be a very different year in terms of the competitiveness in the sport,” he told the Reuters news agency. “We’re already seeing the gap between the fastest teams and the slowest teams but larger than it’s been ‌in the last few years.”

Whatever the pecking order, F1 race tracks will be more crowded with the addition of the new Cadillac team although there may be more breathing room at Albert Park, given Aston Martin’s preseason troubles.

Despite the technical guidance of Adrian ‌Newey, ‌who joined from Red Bull, the Honda-powered team completed few laps during winter testing and have reliability problems.

[VIDEO] We Have 31 Govs In APC, More Are Coming — Gov Okpebholo

Ahead of the 2027 general elections, Governor Monday, Okpebholo of Edo State, has urged President Tinubu not to worry about campaigning for his re-election in the state.

READ ALSO: DSS Arrests Suspect Over Attack On Peter Obi, Others In Edo

Okpebholo spoke when he received defectors from opposition political parties in Benin City, the state capital, on Wednesday.

Watch the video below.

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He disclosed that while the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has 31 serving governors, more were expected to join the party.

The political grip of the APC in the North was strengthened with the recent defection of three governors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and one from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

They include governors Agbu Kefas (Taraba State), Caleb Manasseh (Plateau State), Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa), and Abba Yusuf (Kano).

The PDP has been embroiled in an internal leadership crisis, a challenge that has led to division and the defection of some of its members, including National Assembly members, to other parties.

‘No Real Opposition On The Plateau’, Mutfwang Says As APC Elects New Exco

Governor Caleb Mutfwang on Tuesday declared that there is “no real opposition on the Plateau” ahead of the 2027 general elections, as the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state affirmed a new State Executive Committee at its congress in Jos.

The governor made the declaration at the APC State Congress held at the Landfill in Jos, where party members and delegates gathered to elect new executives in an exercise that witnessed brief tension before consensus was reached.

Proceedings commenced shortly after Mutfwang’s arrival at the venue. Chairman of the Congress Committee, Austin Ageno, announced that the election would be conducted through consensus and proceeded to read out the names of nominees for the State Executive Committee.

However, disagreement erupted when a section of delegates protested the replacement of the party’s Organising Secretary. The development momentarily disrupted the process, as voices were raised and party faithful expressed dissatisfaction.

Intervening, Governor Mutfwang appealed for calm and unity.

READ ALSO: Akpabio Hails Eno Over Peaceful Conduct Of Akwa Ibom APC Congress

“Let me begin this address by appealing to everyone to keep silent. By the grace of God, whatever disagreements we have, we will settle them as a family. The good thing about families is that they refuse to allow issues to divide them. We must stick together,” he said.

After about ten minutes of consultations among stakeholders, the aggrieved members were pacified. A voice vote was subsequently conducted, affirming Hon. Rufus Nature as the State Chairman alongside other executive members, who were thereafter sworn in.

Expressing strong confidence in the party’s position in the state, the governor declared that the APC would face no serious challenge in future elections.

“By the grace of God, we will only contest elections against ourselves. There is no real opposition on the Plateau. I believe the people of Plateau trust us and they will go with us because they know we mean well for them,” he stated.

He emphasised that the loyalty of party members must be to the party, the state and the President.

“You’re coming today as a new exco of the APC on the Plateau. You belong to no one and you belong to all. From this day, nobody should claim loyalty to anybody except to the party and the state. Our loyalty is to the President, and our loyalty is to the people of Plateau State,” Mutfwang added.

The governor further charged members to intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of 2027, directing each registered member to recruit at least ten new members within one month.

“It is not party members that win general elections. There are more voters out there who are not members of the party. Therefore, every registered member should recruit ten converts in the next one month. You must go to every nook and cranny of your ward and persuade people to join,” he said.

In his acceptance speech, the newly affirmed State Chairman, Hon. Rufus Nature, pledged to run an inclusive administration and strengthen party structures across the 17 local government areas of the state.

“We are grateful for the confidence reposed in us. This exco will not belong to any individual or group. We will carry everyone along and ensure that the APC remains united and formidable in Plateau State,” Nature said.

He assured members that the executive would focus on reconciliation, internal cohesion and aggressive mobilisation in preparation for future elections.

The congress was attended by former governors; serving and former members of the National and State Assemblies; the Deputy Governor; the Speaker of the State House of Assembly; and members of the State Executive Council.