Category Sports News

The potential of England’s forward pack is “scary” following a 69-7 opening Rugby World Cup win over the United States, says New Zealand World Cup winner Ruby Tui.

Six of the Red Roses’ 11 tries in Sunderland came through their forwards, with their scrum dominating for the entire game.

Head coach John Mitchell offered post-match praise but made it clear the front eight are still not playing to their full potential.

“What stood out for me as the scariest thing is that Mitchell said that ‘yes our forward pack did great but there is so much left in that tank’,” Tui told BBC One.

“I believe that. There is so much more that the Red Roses forward pack can give, which if you look at the first half with Hannah Botterman’s steals and how well Sadia Kabeya played, that is scary.

The fixture drew the highest crowd in Women’s Rugby World Cup history, a turnout of 42,723 beating the 42,579 who watched New Zealand – featuring Tui – win the final in 2022 at Eden Park.

Mitchell’s side showed early nerves at their first home World Cup since 2010, especially when dealing with the restart, with handling errors also proving costly in the first half, but ran in seven tries after a half-time reset.

“The second half was the England show,” added Tui. “It was a flying performance for three-quarters of the game and they lit up the Stadium of Light.

Former England captain and World Cup winner Maggie Alphonsi sensed some frustration from Mitchell.

The Red Roses head coach confirmed he will rotate his squad for the second pool game against Samoa next Saturday so everyone has played, which could further affect cohesion.

“Mitchell is not happy with that performance,” Alphonsi told BBC One.

“He will take away that England were not accurate. They had six weeks together and didn’t really execute.

“It is interesting to see how he reacts as he will expect more from his second group when they come out against Samoa.

“They will want to put out a performance that shows what they can do as you have to build it up.”

England last became world champions in 2014 and are on a 28-game winning run, having not lost since the World Cup final defeat by New Zealand in 2022.

Simon Middleton, who was in charge of England for that showpiece game three years ago and the 2017 final loss to the Black Ferns, disagreed that Mitchell would be unhappy with the opening performance.

“I think Mitchell will be all right with that as it was a difficult game,” Middleton told BBC One.

“You train, train, train and it was a typical opening game of the World Cup. The biggest thing is that it looks like they have come out of it with no injuries, which is so important, particularly at half-back.

“I thought their discipline was fantastic. Games like that can get loose. I thought they were aggressive around the contact area.

Estevao Willian, a teenage sensation, came out to explain why Blues fans had been so excited about his arrival after Cole Palmer’s absence from the warm-up for Chelsea’s Premier League game at West Ham.

In his first Premier League start, the 18-year-old replaced England international Palmer who scored the hosts’ stunning sixth-minute opener with a flick.

The Brazilian forward showed why Chelsea were willing to pay £29 million for him to move to Stamford Bridge, most notably with his first-half assist for Enzo Fernandez, who helped the Fifa Club World Cup winners triumphantly cruise to a 5-1 victory.

At the age of 18, Fernandez’s smart run and pull-back for Estevao’s close-range goal made him the youngest Chelsea player to score a goal in the Premier League.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca told BBC Sport, “He needs to adapt, he needs to learn how the Premier League differs from Brazil.

Despite being drawn to Chelsea by many of Europe’s top clubs, including Manchester City, Paris St. Germain, and Bayern Munich, Estevao chose Chelsea.

He quickly embraced the “wonderkid” stereotype and was predicted to achieve great things when he joined the Blues.

First impressions of Estevao in England were positive after he scored in the quarter-finals of the World Cup’s competition against former club Palmeiras, who had lost to Chelsea.

Although I believe he is young, Marc Cucurella, a Chelsea team-mate, said, “He showed that he is very mature.”

He made some very wise decisions, and all of the new signings and players came here to support the team by bringing something positive, positive energy, and good talent. I hope this season will be a success because we have an amazing squad.

Rob Green, a former England and Chelsea goalkeeper, continued that Estevao seemed like it was “just a joy to play and go out there and express yourself.”

He told Sky Sports, “He looked like he played where the shirt didn’t weigh anything and there was no expectation.”

“You play with a lot of international players and the different approaches they take to the game, going into the game, on the team bus,” said one player, “there’s a real freedom and a brilliant thing.”

Palmer, Chelsea’s brightest player, was lacking against West Ham, but they still did well.

A niggling groin issue and Maresca’s reveal that the 23-year-old has not been 100% for the past four or five days and has been ruled out of Friday’s game.

He continued, “He tried the warm-up, but he felt something.” We therefore prefer to avoid taking any risk, which will be determined in due course.

Maresca acknowledged that Palmer’s side is “much better” when he is available, but the Blues have shown that they can perform well without him.

He asserted, “No doubt, Cole is our best player when they say we are just a Cole team.” We are undoubtedly a much, much better team when we have Cole.

Cucurella also cited Estevao’s ability to bridge the “difficult” situation created by Palmer’s tardive withdrawal.

The Spanish left-back said, “It’s difficult because we practice one thing; at the end, we need to change very quickly.”

Following a disagreement with owner Evangelos Marinakis, Nuno Espirito Santo’s future as manager of Nottingham Forest is uncertain.

In order to comply with Uefa’s multi-club ownership regulations, the Greek businessman stopped being a “person with significant control” at the club in April.

What’s going on then, exactly?

Forest was just two points away from third place on April 29 and was actively competing for the Champions League.

According to Companies House, the government body that maintains the UK’s register of companies, Marinakis no longer holds any office at the club.

The company’s standard, curt statement read, “Cessation of Evangelos Marinakis as a person of significant control,” to signal the end of his employment with the owner of the City Ground club, NF Football Investments Limited.

A one-page document that had been approved and filed electronically accompanying it was also present.

What is the cause? Olympiakos, a Greek team that is also scheduled to compete in the Champions League, is also under Marinakis’ control.

State clubs with the same ownership cannot participate in the same European competition, according to Uefa rules.

Marinakis therefore had to avoid being listed as someone who had significant control over Forest, at least in theory.

A club source at the time stated to the BBC that Marinakis remained the club’s owner and was still committed to the Premier League.

Marinakis may once more become a “person of control” if Forest does not make it to the Champions League.

After conceding to them at home against Leicester on May 11th, their hopes of playing in Europe’s elite club competition were undermined by a 2-2 draw in the match. In fact, he went on to speak with Nuno on the pitch.

Forest eventually placed seventh in the Uefa Conference League before being promoted to the Europa League (more on that to follow soon).

Olympiakos did advance to the Champions League, moving seven points clear of the Greek Super League’s leaders.

Marinakis could once more be listed as the owner of both clubs because there was no conflict in Uefa’s eyes.

The company’s website updated on June 12th with the notification that Evangelos Marinakis would be in significant control on June 6, 2025.

If Uefa’s regulations are meant to end multi-club ownership, they only appear to accomplish that on paper.

However, Kieran Maguire, a renowned expert on football finance, claims Marinakis complied completely within the rules and did not do anything wrong.

Mr. Marinakis placed his shares in a “blind trust” to transfer them. He had no say in executive decision-making as long as the blind trust was accepted, Maguire told BBC Sport.

“Looking at the outcome, Forest did not reach the Champions League, which meant they had no chance of facing Olympiakos in the same competition. The blind trust was thus disbanded, and Mr. Marinakis took back control of both clubs.

“Most commentators expressed concern about the fact that during the blind trust, when, in theory, Mr. Marinakis had conversations with manager Nuno Espirito Santo, on the pitch and in conversation with him,” said one commentator.

No rules were broken despite questions raised. From a legal perspective, the trust was established, which was sufficient for Uefa.

Clubs must demonstrate compliance with Uefa’s multi-club ownership regulations by March 1st.

Even though Forest ended up in Companies House after this point, it ultimately didn’t matter because they didn’t compete against Olympiakos in the same level of competition.

However, another Premier League team did not receive the same treatment.

Crystal Palace, who has never competed in one of the biggest Uefa competitions before, did not anticipate being in Europe.

So they broke the Uefa deadline regarding multi-ownership rules when they won the FA Cup final over Manchester City and were declared eligible for the Europa League.

Additionally, Lyon, who had also qualified for the same Uefa competition with their league placing, had a significant stake in the palace co-owner, John Textor.

The Eagles were later reinstated to the Conference League because there had never been anything done at Companies House, despite an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The manager and owner’s disagreement appears to have occurred over the summer.

Nuno’s claim that he had not been fully involved in the club’s recruitment is one of the two’s main points, according to BBC Sport.

The owner and I have a very close relationship, the Forest manager said on Friday, adding that we speak frequently and frequently.

I always think dialogue is necessary because my concern is the squad and the season that lies ahead because [it is not so well]between us] this season. We are no longer as close as we used to be.

“I believe everyone at the club should be together, but that is not the case.”

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What is the name of Everton’s new stadium?

How does the Champions League draw take place and when?

Novak Djokovic believes that the prize money offered to players at the four Grand Slams has room for improvement.

The top 20 men’s and women’s players signed a letter asking for a larger share of the profits from the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open, which has become a contentious issue this year.

The US Open will receive a 20% increase in prize money, according to the US Tennis Association, which is claimed to be the largest purse in tennis history, totaling $90 million (£67.4 million).

When asked if the increase reflects what players had in mind, Djokovic, 38, responded, “Look, it’s a step in the right direction.

Evidently, it’s always nice and encouraging to see that Grand Slams are willing to raise overall the players’ stakes in terms of prize money.

Djokovic stated that he doesn’t want to see ranking players who rely on Grand Slams but rather that they should.

People used to say, “Well, look at him, looking for more money for himself,” when I spoke about this subject. The 24-time Grand Slam champion asserted, “It’s not about that.”

“I’m just talking about overall,” I said. Worldwide, there aren’t many tennis players who play the sport. That is not something that has been discussed enough, in my opinion.

We live in a very commercialized world, and that’s another thing. Both the sports and entertainment industries are very large.

“And they are doing very well as well for Grand Slams,” she continues. The prize money increased as a result of the US Open. Other slams are also involved. However, they also generate more money than they did last year.

The inflation portion is another topic entirely, but it’s important to keep in mind when talking about these things.

It’s undoubtedly a positive step overall.

The Professional Tennis Players’ Association (PTPA) filed a lawsuit against the governing bodies of tennis earlier this year, citing “anti-competitive practices and a flagrant disregard for player welfare.”

The players’ group filed a lawsuit seeking financial compensation from the ATP, the WTA, the International Tennis Federation (ITF), and the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), as well as what it called “monopolistic control” of the tennis tour.

In the lawsuit, Djokovic later stated that “there are things I don’t agree with, and there are also things I don’t agree with.”

Betfred Super League

St. Helens (8) 16

Trys: Knowles; Bye; Feldt (4)

Hull FC (6) 10

Morgan Knowles and Moses Mbye’s successful tries helped St. Helens defeat Hull FC and move into second place in the Super League.

After seven minutes, Knowles’ run from halfway gave them the lead, and Kyle Feldt’s kick put them 8-0 up.

However, Hull were only 8-6 at the break when Davy Litten seized on a loose ball to score.

With Hull back in sixth place, Saints moved their 10th straight home win over the Black and Whites, placing them second in the points standings with Leeds Rhinos and Wigan Warriors, who both have 32 points but still have a game in hand.

Less than five minutes into the game, Jed Cartwright from Hull was forced off with an injury, and St. Helens won thanks to Knowles’ burst through Jordan Rapana’s tackle halfway to beat Zak Hardaker to the line.

After the video referee ruled out Matt Whitley’s try for a knock-on in the build-up, Mbye then took a break, was tackled high, and Feldt kicked the penalty to make it 8-0.

After the break, Feldt landed his own attempt to make Saints 10-6 before Hardaker missed a penalty that would have brought the game level.

The hosts then took control, and Jack Welsby’s last tackle, which they ran, was perfect, breaking the defense and scoring Mbye’s first try of the season.

Eight minutes later, Aidan Sezer’s flawless pass sent Martin into the left corner, and both teams were in a close second.

Paul Wellens, the head coach of St. Helens, told BBC Radio Merseyside:

With what we have coming up, we’ve had some fun and scored some fantastic tries. However, I felt we needed a game like tonight.

It’s difficult to find points against Hull because they are a really gritty team. They fight well and are very good at defending one another.

“But we’ve already won a tight game where we put too much pressure on ourselves at times.”

John Cartwright, the coach of Hull FC, told BBC Radio Humberside:

“Physically, I thought they weighed a little more than we did, and we struggled to leave our own end,” she said.

We were confident at half-time, and sometimes you deserve a little luck when you play that bravely, but tonight wasn’t.

Lomax, Batchelor, Paasi, and Delaney exchange.

Hull FC features Carleton, Cartwright, Lane, Cartwright, Cartwright, Lane, and Fash. Hardaker, Barron, Briscoe, Litten, Martin, Rapana, Sezer, Ese’ese, Bourouh, Aydin, and

Chamberlain, Cust, Ashworth, and Laidlaw are the exchanges.