Northern Ireland manager Tanya Oxtoby says there are “areas we can really improve” – but she is “proud” of her side after defeat in the Nations League play-off.
Iceland retained their League A status with a 5-0 aggregate win over the two legs, while Oxtoby’s side will remain in League B for 2027 World Cup qualifying.
The second leg was delayed by a day after heavy snow in Reykjavik forced the game on Tuesday to be postponed.
Sveindis Jonsdottir, Hlin Eiriksdottir and Emilia Asgeirsdottir were on target as the hosts ran out 3-0 winners in Wednesday’s rescheduled game.
“I said at the start of the tie we would end up where we deserve to end up,” Oxtoby said.
“I thought there was elements of that tonight that were really, really good.
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Oxtoby said the postponement of the second leg had been “challenging” and she was “super-proud” of how her players and staff had adapted.
The former Chelsea assistant manager, who also questioned the “professional courtesy” in Croatia last year, said there was “a long way to go” in the women’s game “in terms of professionalism and the way things are done”.
“For the group to come out and perform how they did, the country should be super proud of the players for what they’ve had to deal with over the last couple of days,” she added.
Northern Ireland will remain in League B for World Cup qualifying as they fell short in their bid to reach the top tier for the first time and Oxtoby said “we have work to do”.
But the Australian said the progress in her young squad from when she took over as manager in September 2023 as “night and day”.
“I think their application to do what we are asking is nothing short of extraordinary. I think there are small areas for us, particularly in possession, where we need to develop,” she said.
“I think that comes with a bit of time and the players know the areas we need to be better at. We can’t click our fingers and change that, so we need to stick together.
After agreeing to play in the United Cup in Australia next year, British number two Emma Raducanu and Jack Draper could play mixed doubles.
The first three teams to be confirmed for the mixed-team competition, which will take place in Perth and Sydney from February 2 to February 11, 2018, are Australia, Great Britain, Poland, and Australia.
Before Britain exited at the quarter-finals, Draper injured himself before making his World Cup debut in 2026.
New star power will be introduced to the tournament, according to United Cup director Stephen Farrow, who saw the British [number ones] in the Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu lineup for the first time.
Eighteen teams will be divided into six groups of three, with each team playing against the other teams in a round-robin format. Each team will have three male and three female players.
One mixed doubles match will be played in each tie, along with one men’s singles match, one women’s singles match, and one women’s singles match featuring the top-ranked singles players.
Although it’s possible that the team organizers will choose two doubles specialists for the squad, Draper and Raducanu could play together in the doubles.
Ranking points will be offered as Raducanu, the 29th seed, tries to become one of the 32 seeds for the Australian Open.
I’m honored to make my January United Cup debut, Raducanu said.
“It’s a unique opportunity and week to enjoy being able to play for Team GB with my team-mates.”
“It’s great to represent my country on the tour, spend a few extra weeks in Australia,” said one fan.
British number ones Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu could partner each other in mixed doubles after agreeing to play at next year’s United Cup in Australia.
Great Britain, Poland and Australia are the first three teams to be confirmed for the mixed-team event, which will take place in Perth and Sydney from 2 to 11 January the week before the Australian Open.
Draper pulled out of the 2025 event with injury before Britain exited at the quarter-finals, while 2026 will be Raducanu’s United Cup debut.
“To see British [number ones] in Jack Draper and Emma Raducanu line up for the first time will bring new star power to the tournament,” said United Cup director Stephen Farrow.
Eighteen teams – each featuring up to three male and three female players – will be split into six groups of three, with teams playing those in their groups in a round robin format.
Each tie will comprise one men’s singles and one women’s singles match featuring the number one-ranked singles players, and one mixed doubles match.
Draper and Raducanu could partner in the doubles, though it is likely team organisers will select two doubles specialists for the squad.
Ranking points will be on offer and could prove crucial as Raducanu, the current world number 29, tries to qualify as one of the 32 seeds for the Australian Open.
“I’m honoured to be able to make my United Cup debut in January,” Raducanu said.
“Being able to play for Team GB with my team-mates is a unique opportunity and week to enjoy.
“It’s great to be able to experience a new format on the tour, represent my country and spend a couple extra weeks in Australia.”
Busted star Matt Willis has candidly spoken about his time as King of the Jungle as he admitted it was all an attempt to promote his career as a solo singer that backfired
View 4 Images
Matt Willis has admitted he made ‘a bit of a mistake by signing up for the jungle nearly 20 years ago(Image: @OnTheMendPodcast/Youtube)
Matt Willis has admitted he made ‘a bit of a mistake by signing up for I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! The singer, 42, competed in on Ant and Dec’s ITV1 reality survival series, which is just weeks away from returning to screens, in 2006, where he reached the final alongside fellow pop stars Myleene Klass and Jason Donovan before emerging victorious from the whole thing as King of the Jungle.
But nearly 20 years later, Matt, who has been married to former Big Brother host Emma Willis since 2008, has spoken candidly about how he felt after his time on the show. He recalled being encouraged to go on it in an attempt to raise his profile while trying to launch a solo career away from Busted, with whom he had enjoyed success with tracks like What I Go To School For and Year 3000 in the years prior.
He said: “I was thinking of a time when I lost my own narrative. And the one thing that springs to mind the most was leaving I’m A Celebrity. I was in a pretty bad place. The record company basically weren’t going to release my solo album… They said, ‘You’ve got to do something to raise your profile. Will you go on I’m A Celebrity? I went, ‘Yep, absolutely. Anything, please release my album!'”
READ MORE: Graham Norton makes huge dig at I’m A Celeb cast wanting ‘quick injection of cash’READ MORE: When does I’m A Celebrity 2025 start and who is on the line-up as bosses make huge changes
But the career move backfired in a sense, because once Matt returned from the jungle, he found that people were far more interested in his time on the reality show than the album he had hoped to promote.
Speaking on his On The Mend podcast, he added: “Once I came out of that show, I realised no one cared that I had a record out. Everywhere I went, they just wanted to talk about I’m A Celebrity. And it really bummed me out. Before I went on that show, I was only really famous to Busted fans. Then I came out and everyone knew who I was.
“When you’re in active addiction – which I was at the time – and you just want to hide, that’s the worst thing that can happen. Suddenly there were paps everywhere I went. I’d get in a cab and the driver would say, ‘Hello Matt’. It was such a weird experience. It was probably a bit of a mistake going on that show.”
Matt had released his solo album, titled Don’t Let It Go to Waste, while he was actually in the jungle in November 2006, and while his debut single Up All Night charted at number seven earlier that year, the album itself only made it to number 66. Following that, he carved out a career in theatre and starred in the musicals such as Footloose and Wicked before enjoying a short stint on EastEnders.
More recently, he starred opposite former X Factor contestant Lucie Jones in a UK tour of Waitress. The musician has also returned to his roots and reunited with James Bourne and Charlie Simpson for various tours over the years, and they have staged concerts with fellow noughties boyband McFly as a supergroup known as McBusted.
He’s also known for fronting programmes like Netflix’s Love Is Blind and Change your Mind, Change Your Life with his wife. Amid his fame, Matt has been open and honest about his past struggles with addictions but felt that the notoriety that came with winning the jungle allowed others to access ‘areas of his life’ he would rather have kept private.
He added: I felt like I won the show but lost myself. I’d become known for being a celebrity rather than for my music. I was a sneaky little drug addict who didn’t want everyone poking their nose into his life. It was a really strange place to be. I had no privacy. People were looking into areas of my life I didn’t want them to.”
Busted star Matt Willis has candidly spoken about his time as King of the Jungle as he admitted it was all an attempt to promote his career as a solo singer that backfired
View 4 Images
Matt Willis has admitted he made ‘a bit of a mistake by signing up for the jungle nearly 20 years ago(Image: @OnTheMendPodcast/Youtube)
Matt Willis has admitted he made ‘a bit of a mistake by signing up for I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! The singer, 42, competed in on Ant and Dec’s ITV1 reality survival series, which is just weeks away from returning to screens, in 2006, where he reached the final alongside fellow pop stars Myleene Klass and Jason Donovan before emerging victorious from the whole thing as King of the Jungle.
But nearly 20 years later, Matt, who has been married to former Big Brother host Emma Willis since 2008, has spoken candidly about how he felt after his time on the show. He recalled being encouraged to go on it in an attempt to raise his profile while trying to launch a solo career away from Busted, with whom he had enjoyed success with tracks like What I Go To School For and Year 3000 in the years prior.
He said: “I was thinking of a time when I lost my own narrative. And the one thing that springs to mind the most was leaving I’m A Celebrity. I was in a pretty bad place. The record company basically weren’t going to release my solo album… They said, ‘You’ve got to do something to raise your profile. Will you go on I’m A Celebrity? I went, ‘Yep, absolutely. Anything, please release my album!'”
READ MORE: Graham Norton makes huge dig at I’m A Celeb cast wanting ‘quick injection of cash’READ MORE: When does I’m A Celebrity 2025 start and who is on the line-up as bosses make huge changes
But the career move backfired in a sense, because once Matt returned from the jungle, he found that people were far more interested in his time on the reality show than the album he had hoped to promote.
Speaking on his On The Mend podcast, he added: “Once I came out of that show, I realised no one cared that I had a record out. Everywhere I went, they just wanted to talk about I’m A Celebrity. And it really bummed me out. Before I went on that show, I was only really famous to Busted fans. Then I came out and everyone knew who I was.
“When you’re in active addiction – which I was at the time – and you just want to hide, that’s the worst thing that can happen. Suddenly there were paps everywhere I went. I’d get in a cab and the driver would say, ‘Hello Matt’. It was such a weird experience. It was probably a bit of a mistake going on that show.”
Matt had released his solo album, titled Don’t Let It Go to Waste, while he was actually in the jungle in November 2006, and while his debut single Up All Night charted at number seven earlier that year, the album itself only made it to number 66. Following that, he carved out a career in theatre and starred in the musicals such as Footloose and Wicked before enjoying a short stint on EastEnders.
More recently, he starred opposite former X Factor contestant Lucie Jones in a UK tour of Waitress. The musician has also returned to his roots and reunited with James Bourne and Charlie Simpson for various tours over the years, and they have staged concerts with fellow noughties boyband McFly as a supergroup known as McBusted.
He’s also known for fronting programmes like Netflix’s Love Is Blind and Change your Mind, Change Your Life with his wife. Amid his fame, Matt has been open and honest about his past struggles with addictions but felt that the notoriety that came with winning the jungle allowed others to access ‘areas of his life’ he would rather have kept private.
He added: I felt like I won the show but lost myself. I’d become known for being a celebrity rather than for my music. I was a sneaky little drug addict who didn’t want everyone poking their nose into his life. It was a really strange place to be. I had no privacy. People were looking into areas of my life I didn’t want them to.”
This week during his tour of Asia, the US president made a number of agreements.
President Donald Trump has prioritized rare earth minerals in his top priorities since returning to the White House earlier this year.
He wants to ensure that the US economy has enough supply.
Trump went so far as to sign an executive order in March that upheld wartime authority to boost production of rare earths.
In an effort to obtain the minerals, he also signed a number of agreements with Asian nations this week.
All of this is to counteract Beijing’s recent restrictions on rare earth exports and China’s global dominance in this area.
Why, then, do these minerals matter so much to the US economy? And can Trump’s monopoly over China be overturned?
Presenter: Bernard Smith
Guests:
University of Hong Kong assistant professor of philosophy, Brian Wong.
Gracelin Baskaran, Director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Critical Minerals Security program, is an economist and mining economist.
