Category Sports News

As the Williams team principal, James Vowles has accepted a new contract.

Since joining Williams from Mercedes in 2023, Vowles’ decision to secure the 45-year-old on what is referred to as a “long-term” deal is a sign of confidence in his leadership.

Williams declined to disclose Vowles’ previous or current contract length.

Owners Dorilton Capital and Vowles signed to bring Williams back to the top. The team has already collected more points than the previous three seasons combined, placing them fifth in the championship after 10 of the 24 races this year.

After Ferrari made the decision to replace the Spaniard with Lewis Hamilton, Vowles was also instrumental in persuading Carlos Sainz to join Williams for this year rather than Sauber, Audi, or Alpine.

Matthew Savage, the chairman of Williams and Dorilton, stated: “James has brought experience, energy, and strategic leadership to the task of restoring Williams to the top of the podium.

Although we are not yet there, you can already feel the momentum we are building at Grove and are excited for what lies ahead.

Williams has been like home from the moment I walk in, Vowles, who was previously Mercedes’ head of strategy, said.

“This legendary team has already brought back some fond memories for me, and we are all working together to strengthen our legacy and win World Championships once more,” said the captain.

On Friday, the British and Irish Lions travel to Dublin to begin their 2025 campaign against Argentina.

The Lions’ first game will be against Ireland, and it will be their first warm-up game before their three-match Test against Australia.

The Lions will travel to Perth on June 28 to face Western Force after their game against the Pumas, and on July 19 will Brisbane host their first Test of their own.

The BBC Sport website and app allow viewers to watch live text commentary beginning at 19:00 BST. Additionally, there will be a lot of analysis and reaction.

Follow BBC Sport’s dedicated British and Irish Lions page.

Argentina won three of their six matches in the Rugby Championship last year, placing them fifth in the world.

In the last twelve months, they have defeated three of the four opponents.

In their most recent appearance at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium in November, Ireland, the only higher-ranked team to escape a recent defeat against Argentina, won 22-19.

In their most recent game, which also took place in November, Argentina were defeated by France by a score of 37-23.

The Lions’ center partnership will be Sione Tuipulotu from Scotland and Bundee Aki from Ireland.

Tuipulotu, a Glasgow international who injured himself during the Six Nations, will play his first international rugby match since Scotland beat Australia in November, despite the fact that both players appear to be more natural inside centers.

With Leinster hooker Ronan Kelleher, who was named on the bench, the only player to feature for their club side who will be on display at the Aviva, head coach Andy Farrell is still without the majority of the players who participated in domestic finals last week.

For the first time in a long time, Maro Itoje, the Lions’ tour captain, will lead the side, and 14 members of the 23-man squad will also make their debut.

Six days after losing in the Premiership final to Leicester, hooker Julian Montoya will lead Argentina.

Tomas Albornoz and Santiago Carreras play fly-half while Tomas Albornoz and Carreras will move to Bath from Gloucester this summer.

Juan Martin Gonzalez, the experienced Perpignan number eight, and the experienced Pablo Matera complete a back row with Juan Martin Gonzalez.

With Bordeaux-Beiges second row Guido Petti and Toulouse’s versatile back Juan Cruz Mallia both playing in the Top 14 play-offs, the Pumas are without several of their French-based players.

Ronan Kelleher, Pierre Schoeman, Tadhg Furlong, Scott Cummings, Henry Pollock, Tomos Williams, Elliot Daly, Mack Hansen as replacements.

Santiago Carreras, Rodrigo Isgro, Lucio Cinti, Justo Piccardo, Ignacio Mendy, Tomas Albornoz, Gonzalo Garcia, Mayco Vivas, Julian Montoya (c), Joel Sclavi, Franco Molina, Pedro Rubiolo, Pablo Matera, Juan Martin Gonzalez, Joaquin Oviedo,

It’s great to see, but it’s best to put your best foot forward and watch the performance on Friday night because that’s how we’re all going to be judged, and we want to do the shirt proud and properly represent the group.

Felipe Contepomi, Argentina’s head coach, said: “We haven’t been together for seven months, and now getting together with a lot of new faces. But the guys have been fantastic.

We are pleased with how they adapted because they are training with a lot of intensity.

Lions vs. Argentina at the Aviva Stadium on Friday, June 20.

Perth Lions vs. Western Force on Saturday, June 28 (Optus Stadium).

Lions vs. Queensland Reds game at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday, July 2 (Suncorp Stadium)

Sydney Lions vs. NSW Waratahs on July 5 (Allianz Stadium)

Lions vs. ACT Brumbies game on Wednesday, July 9 at GIO Stadium in Canberra.

Lions vs. Invitational AU & NZ, Adelaide (Adelaide Oval), Saturday, 12 July.

First Test of the Lions vs. Australia match takes place on Saturday, July 19 at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.

Lions vs. First Nations & Pasifika XV, Melbourne (Marvel Stadium) on July 22.

Second Test between the Lions and Australia at Melbourne (Melbourne Cricket Ground/MCG) on Saturday, July 26.

Third Test match between the Lions and Australia at Sydney (Accor Stadium) on Saturday, August 2.

Rob Calder anticipates that the Premiership will gain significantly more than just seven letters next season.

The top flight’s chief growth officer, Calder, is responsible for slicing the competition’s name down to just “the Prem” for the coming season.

A new logo, which is an orange shock to reflect the intensity of the action, and new branding promote the physicality, athleticism, collisions, and confrontations on the pitch are included in the change.

The Premiership brand had a certain flaw because it sounded quite corporate and established, according to Calder.

With this new identity, we’re trying to address the issue that it didn’t feel like an entertainment product.

We just need to reframe ourselves a little to ensure that we can reach those large audiences and grow, according to the saying “This league is not broken, it is flourishing.”

Calder has stepped into the octagon in his repositioning of rugby by not going outside the box.

There is a singularity to many of those brands, he adds when you consider the sports that are expanding in this nation, such as basketball, the NFL, mixed martial arts, and mixed martial arts.

Think about UFC, ” There is a real punch to it. We really like the lean forward and the dynamism there. However, we believed we could accomplish it on our own.

Before Saturday’s final, when the new branding was unveiled, there were mixed reactions. These things are frequently involved.

The Premiership is attracting new fans, according to a record 1.26 million television viewers for Bath’s victory, as well as demand outpacing supply for the 82, 000 tickets.

Engaging supporters between the ages of 18 and 34 has increased significantly, and Red Bull’s alleged interest in purchasing Newcastle Falcons would be in line with its similar goal of attracting youth-focused brands.

Calder has only recently worked on it.

Prior to joining rugby, he served as the commercial director for the neon-spattered, slog-heavy cricket format Hundred, which first appeared in 2021 and made more than £500m with the sale of its franchise sides earlier this year.

That constituted a revolution. Calder wants to see evolution in rugby.

He says, “With the Hundred, we were certain that a distinctly new approach would be necessary to reach the next generation.”

When I conducted my research on the Hundred, I looked at rugby clubs to see how they would appeal to younger audiences, and they turned out to be pretty good.

There are some well-known brands with legacy and awareness of those identities, such as Leicester Tigers and Harlequins.

I believe we’re moving forward with rugby at a different level.

Along with the scores, the rebrand will feature more behind-the-scenes footage from the league’s bright, young things and smarter highlights, with dramatic moments like shuddering hits, try-saving tackles, and player-to-player interactions.

Marketing is less important than strategy, but some aspects are equally crucial.

We have to welcome people when they first visit rugby grounds, says Calder.

We need to point out both the rest of the place and where everything is.

“Rugby is probably a little behind some other sports, but we have a lot of fun doing that.”

Calder claims that it’s better to look for new fans than to purchase them. He began his career by promoting beverages for a well-known brewer.

He claims that the industry had a “massive, massive commitment to consumer understanding.”

There was a lot of information about who was buying, but there was little understanding of those outside and why they weren’t playing the sport, which struck me when I first started playing.

“I believe that’s a flaw in sport because there’s a lot of pressure on clubs commercially,” he said. The key is to understand your current audience as much as possible and to get as much of a return from it.

You have these unfortunate kinds of ever-decreasing circles because it’s less common to look beyond that.

This close-up has been captured by Calder.

He claims that The Hundred only became a result of Twenty20 cricket’s improper marketing that targeted current supporters, causing them to turn away from county cricket, rather than bringing in families and new supporters as intended.

Rugby must compete with other sports and other entertainment options in addition. Additionally, it must evolve with society.

According to Calder, “I think families are important, regardless of what sport you’re in,” because more and more families choose to have weekend experiences together.

I have a commitment to looking after my family and I enjoy spending time with my family, though maybe my dad, who lived in that place for 30 to 40 years, would play rugby with his friends or play golf all day.

My two young girls want to attend these events, and I want to make sure they do.

The expansion of that family experience economy is something we have witnessed in women’s football. Rugby should undoubtedly benefit from that.

After removing the position of head of sustainability, diversity, and inclusion, the FIA, the sport’s governing body, fired the most senior member in a string of senior figures.

As she left the FIA on Wednesday, Sara Mariani wrote a note that appeared to criticize the organization’s leadership.

There is a life outside the FIA, Mariani, who had been in charge of sustainability, diversity, and inclusion for just 18 months, wrote in an office email. a life that rewards hard work and perseverance. where women who hold leadership positions can prosper, feel valued, and respected.

As part of a two-part internal restructuring, which split her responsibilities, her role was eliminated.

Prior to Mariani’s departure, the organization announced in a statement that it was moving from Alessandra Malhame, senior human resources director, to sustainability, Willem Groenewald, and Alessandra Malhame, secretary general for mobility.

The FIA’s general manager, Alberto Villareal, predicted that the move would “strengthen our capabilities across these two crucial areas.”

Mariani’s availability for comment.

She continued, “It is sadly time to say goodbye.” I enjoyed every second of the ride.

Mariani took over the position in December of that year after being hired for an eight-month period until 2023.

Following a period of review, the FIA made the announcement to remove her role, according to a statement from the FIA.

Villareal claimed that “we can have a bigger impact by collaborating more closely with our members on issues like sustainable fuel, smart cities, and diversity in sport.”

The statement did not describe how bringing sustainability under the mobility umbrella would help to achieve this. Mobility, which deals with road transportation, and motorsport, are the two divisions of the FIA.

The FIA is proud that 32% of our workforce is women in a male-dominated sector, and that it is committed to expanding opportunities for women within the organization, as well as across mobility and motorsport, in the statement.

Nearly half (47%) of the nearly 100 women employed by the FIA hold positions in senior positions, according to a spokesperson.

Emilia Abel, the world’s first female official F1 starter, and Rebecca Lee, the head of single-seat operations, are just two examples.

Mariani is the second significant FIA figure to step down this year following Robert Reid’s resignation as deputy president of sport in April.

And it is the start of a trend that Mohammed Ben Sulayem, who is currently unopposed, is pursuing under his presidency.

The FIA’s chief executive officer Natalie Robyn, F1 race director Niels Wittich, senior F1 steward Tim Mayer, and deputy Formula 2 race director Janette Tan have all been fired by Sulayem in the past year.

These detours come in response to Sulayem’s series of FIA statute changes, which critics claim weaken accountability, promote good governance, and strengthen the president’s authority.

One opponent referred to the most recent changes as “dark periods of democratic backsliding,” as they were approved by the FIA General Assembly last week with a sizable majority.

Since his election, Sulayem has been the subject of a number of controversy, including misogynistic remarks on a historical website.

Sulayem cited his establishment of the FIA’s commission for equality, diversity, and inclusion as proof of his strong track record on the subject when attempting to justify those assertions in December 2023.

First Test between England and India

Venue: Headingley Dates: 20-24 June Time: 11: 00 BST

After the batter scored 171 against Zimbabwe last month, England’s captain, Ben Stokes, claims, would have been “remarkable” to switch Ollie Pope for Jacob Bethell.

Prior to the first Test against India on Friday at Headingley, England made the important selection decision between vice-captain Pope and 21-year-old Bethell.

Despite Bethell’s impressive performance in that position after making his New Zealand debut last year, England opted to keep Pope at number three.

According to Stokes, “the ‘big selection’idea’ did not originate from us.”

During Jamie Smith’s paternity leave, Bethell had a chance to play at number three when Pope took the wicketkeeper’s place and moved down the order.

Bethell missed the Test against Zimbabwe because he was participating in the Indian Premier League, but he did so with half-centuries in each of New Zealand’s three Tests.

Pope scored his seventh Test hundred in the role, returning to Stokes’ position as captain in 2022, and averages 43.06 at first drop despite also returning a number of low scores in the process.

“In today’s world, it’s very difficult to ignore all the speculation and stuff that’s happening because things are so readily accessible. Nowadays, you don’t even need to go and look for it, Stokes claimed.

The start of the eagerly awaited five-match series against India marks the start of a 10-test run that will determine Stokes’ captaincy reign as captain with an Ashes series in Australia set to debut in the winter.

However, Stokes was determined to disprove any notion that England would be interested in playing India against Australia.

He said, “We will come to that when we come to that, but for us right now, it’s about focusing on these five games that we’ve got coming up against India.”

With England winning four and losing four of their previous eight games, the series also comes at a fascinating time for Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum.

Although their aggressive approach has led to remarkable highs in their first year in charge of West Indies, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan, their series victories have also been weighed down by terrible defeats.

According to Stokes, the group has engaged in “honest discussions” about potential improvements.

According to Stokes, “I don’t believe that the defensive frame of mind is the best way to put it.”

“I believe it’s just being smarter in those situations where it’s obvious that the opposition is controlling us at that particular moment and that they have the upper hand.”

The former legendary players Sachin Tendulkar and James Anderson will be the recipients of the new Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. The Pataudi Trophy, which is named in honor of the Pataudi family, is no longer the trophy.

It’s a fantastic feeling, Endulkar remarked to the BBC. I was thrilled when I learned about the award.

“I can recall talking to the Pataudi family and talking to my family about this.

It’s all about Test cricket, which is the most difficult format, and I think it’s a reflection of what Jimmy and I have been able to do for our country in Test cricket, not just me.

It’s pretty surreal, Anderson said.

“You don’t start playing cricket until things like this happen,” says Sachin, “but when they do happen, it’s lovely when they do.”

Numerous fighters have demanded Jon Jones’ title be stripped of because the future of the UFC heavyweight division is still uncertain.

American Jones lost to Tom Aspinall, the interim champion of the United Kingdom, in a November fight that he did not defend against Stipe Miocic.

Although Aspinall, 32, has been in the interim belt for 18 months, despite numerous requests for a fight between Jones and Jones, no unification has yet been announced.

Dana White, the promotion’s president, claims Jones has been trying to finalize the fight, teasing Aspinall on social media and making retirement hints.

American Curtis Blaydes argued that Jones should win the title before his heavyweight fight this weekend in Baku, Azerbaijan.

I would like him stripped if he doesn’t fight. It is shared by everyone. What are you doing while holding the belt if you’re not going to be active? He’s the GOAT, he’s great? Blaydes remarked.

I understand what he’s doing, he says. He finds this enjoyable. He enjoys hearing about his name. I’ve already gotten past it.

Risvan Kuniev, Blaydes’ rival, echoed his sentiments, calling for Jones to be stripped and calling Aspinall the “true champion.”

White would describe the potential matchup as the “biggest heavyweight fight in UFC history.”

Former light-heavyweight champion and regarded as one of, if not the best, greatest MMA fighters of all time, Jones, 37, is one of the best.

He holds the record for most title fight victories in the UFC with 16 wins, one loss, and one no-contest overall.

In contrast, Aspinall has won eight of his UFC fights, including the shortest fight-time average in the organization’s history, two minutes and two seconds.

The UFC are attempting to arrange for the fight to take place in Las Vegas in December and New York in November.

The only issue is Jones, despite Aspinall wanting the fight.

Jones has not apologised, calling out former champion Francis Ngannou and suggesting that he is retired. He claims that fighting Aspinall is “nothing for his legacy”.

Aspinall would become the first Briton to unite the UFC heavyweight division if Jones were stripped or forced to close out his distinguished career as he has suggested.

Aspinall’s interim title fight against Sergei Pavlovich, which is the longest in UFC history, came after 586 days.

Renan Barao, a former interim bantamweight champion, held the belt for 534 days, breaking previous records.

Although Aspinall has repeatedly requested a fight with Jones, he has stated that he is happy with the American because he wants to become the undisputed champion.

Aspinall was described by White as “the man” earlier this month, and he claimed the Briton’s next fight will be a fight for undisputed title.

Ciryl Gane from France is most likely to face Aspinall for the belt if Aspinall is promoted to the undisputed heavyweight champion.

The 35-year-old was an interim champion before losing to Ngannou in 2022 and Jones the following year.

Gane has won two fights and moved up to second place in the UFC heavyweight rankings since Jones’ defeat.

Prior to this, Aspinall had demanded a fight with Gane, but that was a failure.

Alexander Volkov from Russia and Brazilian Jailton Almeida, both of whom have the potential to face Aspinall, have been training with the potential to fight either.

Volkov, 36, fell to Aspinall in 2022, placing third in the heavyweight rankings.

He has won four of his last five fights, but Gane narrowly lost to him in December.