Category Sports News

German referee Felix Zwayer, who once served a ban for alleged involvement in a match-fixing plot, will take charge of next week’s all-English Europa League final between Tottenham and Manchester United.

Zwayer, now 43, was given a six-month suspension in 2006 after he was investigated for taking a £250 bribe from official Robert Hoyzer, who was subsequently handed a life ban.

It emerged that Zwayer, who has denied wrongdoing, was one of the officials to notify the authorities of Hoyzer’s match-fixing scheme and his relatively short ban was recognition of that.

Since the ban was imposed, Zwayer has become one of Europe’s leading referees and officiated in Arsenal’s Champions League semi-final second leg defeat by Paris St-Germain last Wednesday.

Zwayer also took charge of England’s European Championship semi-final victory over the Netherlands last summer.

When England and Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham played for Borussia Dortmund, the midfielder was fined 40,000 euros (£34,000) in 2021 for criticising Zwayer by making a reference to his ban.

The Europa League final will be played in Bilbao on Wednesday, 21 May.

Bosnian Irfan Peljto will referee Chelsea’s Conference League final against Real Betis on 28 May in Wroclaw, Poland.

Rothesay County Championship Division One, Edgbaston (day four)

Warwickshire 665-5 dec: Latham 184, Barnard 177*, Malik 105*; Lawes 2-107

Surrey 504: Foakes 174*, Sibley 64, Steel 55; Yates 3-124 & 15-0 (f/o)

Warwickshire (13 pts) drew with Surrey (11 pts)

Ben Foakes harvested a career-best unbeaten 174 for champions Surrey as their County Championship match with Warwickshire drifted to a draw at Edgbaston.

Foakes amassed 174 from 361 balls, the last 107 of them in a 10th-wicket stand of 158 in 58 overs with Matt Fisher, who made 40, as Surrey totalled 504 in reply to Warwickshire’s 665-5.

On a bowlers’ graveyard of a pitch, the game’s third innings finally began at 3.15pm on the final day. Surrey, following on, reached 15 without loss before a merciful downpour arrived to wash out a pointless last session.

This was the 172nd County Championship match between these teams and although The Oval pitch on which they completed an entire game in one day in 1953 (Warwickshire 45 and 52, Surrey 146) may have been a bit too bowler-friendly, this was way too far the other way.

Surrey resumed on the last morning on 369-9, still 147 short of the follow on figure, but Warwickshire knew they had to polish off the first innings quickly if they were to press for victory.

The excellent Foakes ensured that didn’t happen and advanced down the pitch to strike Rob Yates for successive glorious sixes; the first took him to 9,000 first class runs and the second to his 17th first class century, from 197 balls.

Foakes and Fisher batted through the morning session to add 118 in 39 overs with a degree of comfort which only increased the mystery as to how Surrey’s batters got into a tangle on the third day.

At 131, the partnership between Foakes and Fisher became a 10th-wicket record for Surrey against Warwickshire, beating the 130 by Bert Strudwick and Bill Hitch at Edgbaston in 1911.

At lunch, it stood at 141, 32 short of the county’s 10th-wicket best against anyone – 173 by Andy Ducat and Andy Sandham against Essex at Leyton in 1921.

They advanced to within 15 of the record when Fisher edged Ed Barnard to wicketkeeper Alex Davies.

Despite having just spent 178.2 overs in the field, Warwickshire enforced the follow on with a minimum of 43 overs left in the day.

Their bowlers no doubt led the sense of collective relief when, after just five of those overs, a terminal thunderstorm arrived.

Warwickshire head coach Ian Westwood:

“We turned up this morning with a lot of hope and expectation and I think if we had managed to get that wicket early, out there with fresh legs and a new ball it might have been very interesting.

“But I don’t want today to put a dampener on how well we have played on the first three days.

“Yes, it was a good batting pitch but we got stuck in and managed to get a big total and then I thought the highlight was yesterday’s performance with the ball. The effort and skill was fantastic.

“It’s been a good start to the season. We were desperate to win this game but a solid, high-scoring draw against Surrey is not the worst result by any means and puts us in a good place going into the next two games before we go into the T20.”

Surrey wicketkeeper Ben Foakes:

“We had one job to do and just had to bat as long as possible. Matt (Fisher) batted really well – it helped that he is not a number 11.

“I have felt alright so far this season. We have played on some pretty good pitches away from home and I have managed to cash in.

“It’s not easy taking wickets on these pitches so we have got to try and work out ways to get wickets. There definitely are ways to get wickets, you’ve got to be creative on pitches like that.

Emma Raducanu’s encouraging Italian Open run came to an end in the last 16 as world number three Coco Gauff proved too much of a step up in class.

Raducanu, ranked 49th in the world, lost 6-1 6-2 on the Rome clay to American Gauff.

For the first time in her career, the British number two had won three clay-court matches in a row to reach the fourth round in the Italian capital.

But any hopes she could cause a shock against 21-year-old Gauff were soon extinguished.

Like Raducanu in 2021, Gauff’s sole major victory so far came on the hard courts of the US Open two years ago but on Monday she showed why she is also a force on the red dirt.

Gauff, who reached the French Open final three years ago, returned superbly from the start and also dug deep in service games when required.

“Emma is a tough opponent no matter what surface and always tough to play – so I’m happy with how I played,” Gauff told Sky Sports afterwards.

“My level is getting better every match and [reaching the] Madrid [final] was a step in the right direction.

Clay is a surface which does not come naturally to Raducanu.

Like most British players, the 22-year-old Briton had less exposure to the red dirt in her formative years and lacks experience on these courts as a professional.

Raducanu’s meeting against Gauff was only the 21st clay-court match of her career – compared to 81 on hard courts and 20 on the grass.

Therefore, it is no surprise she is still – by her own accord – finding her feet on the surface.

Beating Australian teenager Maya Joint, Switzerland’s Jil Teichman and Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova to reach the Rome last 16 represented solid progress.

Facing Gauff was a different proposition.

While Raducanu’s movement has improved on the clay, it was not enough to hang tough consistently with Gauff in the rallies.

Gauff’s weight of shot proved difficult to cope with and, although Raducanu did regularly manage to get herself into the points, the American’s superior athleticism meant it was difficult for the Briton to dictate them.

Leicester have filled one of their big vacancies, bringing in Geoff Parling to replace the outgoing head coach Michael Cheika.

The hunt for a 10 goes on though.

Handre Pollard was superb in the Tiger’s comeback win over Sale under the Friday night lights, landing seven out of seven from the tee and sparking the fightback with a pinpoint crossfield kick to unleash Ollie Hassell-Collins.

The 31-year-old is returning to South Africa and the Bulls at the end of the campaign however and, with Jamie Shillcock also bound for French side Brive, a big-name stand-off is top of the shopping list.

Munster’s Jack Crowley reportedly considered a big-money offer from the Midlands before renewing terms with Munster. Gloucester’s Gareth Anscombe, now off to Bayonne, was apparently under consideration. Even an audacious succession plan that featured England and Northampton’s Fin Smith has been floated.

A theme of the Lions squad announcement on Thursday was the value of versatility, with head coach Andy Farrell making it clear the ability to play at full-back as well as fly-half had been Marcus Smith’s trump card.

With only Jack Conan as a specialist in the party to tour Australia, number eight might be Ben Earl’s best route into the Test team, however, the 27-year-old is working up his side hustle as a centre.

Having shifted into midfield mid-match against Italy and Wales during the Six Nations, the mere prospect of his hard-line running pinched the Falcons defence in Saracens’ win over Newcastle.

He also picked up a try after tracking wing Tobias Elliott’s full-pelt break.

Transferring a regular-season home game onto a grander stage is a difficult trick to get right.

Harlequins, with Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium just over the road, have managed to make their Christmas fixture an annual tradition. Saracens make use of north London neighbours Tottenham’s home ground for their derby against Quins. Northampton have staged some European ties half an hour up the road at 30,000-seater Stadium MK in Milton Keynes.

But most clubs are already the biggest show in their local area.

Bristol’s plan to host a game at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, which has 47,000 more seats, but is an hour away from Ashton Gate, was bold and took some negotiating with the Welsh Rugby Union.

But it paid off.

With 51,095 tickets sold, the Bears gave value for money by beating Bath, with a win which featured six tries, a superb performance from centre Benhard Janse van Rensburg and a trademark Viliame Mata big hit.

Bristol’s chief operating officer Tom Tainton told Planet Rugby afterwards that there is an aspiration to follow rugby league’s lead and take a game to the United States in future.

If Bristol’s Big Day Out, Harlequins’ Big Summer Kick-off event and confirmation of a new television deal, were all boosts to the Premiership, two matches being skewed by second-string teams detracted from the weekend.

Northampton and Bath, with the Champions Cup final to come and a play-off berth secured respectively, both rested stars and took defeats.

A plan to scrap relegation, at least as a concept decided solely on the pitch, in the English top flight will only lower levels of jeopardy at the back end of the season.

It was difficult not to cast an envious eye over the Channel where Vannes, bottom of the Top 14, were only beaten by a final-play drop-goal at home to La Rochelle and Perpignan and Stade Francais fought out an enthralling basement dogfight, with never more than a converted score between them.

Pounds of prizemoney for regular-season points tallies? Reprimands for unduly weakened sides? More ambitiously, a draft of centrally contracted young stars to spread talent through the league?

Don’t be deceived by the scoreline.

Rob Baxter wasn’t.

The Exeter boss “fuming, absolutely fuming” over the deficiencies that lay beneath a flattering 42-14 scoreline against a much-rotated Northampton.

With more of a cutting edge Saints, who had more possession and entered the Exeter 22m 18 times compared to the Chiefs’ 12 visits to the danger zone, might easily have won.

The controversy in camogie surrounding wearing skorts has only intensified in the past week.

Players from Dublin, Kilkenny, Cork, Waterford and now Derry have all attempted to wear shorts in protest to the sport’s rules dictating the players must wear skorts.

The Camogie Association has reacted to the row by calling a Special Congress for 22 May to vote on the issue.

The issue of having to wear a skort while playing camogie is not a new one, but there have been growing feelings of discontent with the current rules for quite some time and recent protests have brought the controversy into mainstream media.

The current rules governing playing gear for camogie state that it must include a skirt, skort (a pair of shorts with an overlapping fabric panel which resembles a skirt) or a divided skirt.

This is in contrast to women’s gaelic football where shorts are allowed.

A recent Gaelic Players Association survey highlighted how 70% of players experienced discomfort while wearing the skort, and that 83% of players wanted an option to choose to wear shorts.

Shorts are generally viewed as more comfortable and practical to wear especially when women are on their period, and with the possibility of skorts riding up they may prove a distraction while trying to compete at the highest level.

Cahair O’Kane, a journalist with the Irish News told the Conor Phillips Show players “have concerns about how skorts appear in images from the wrong angle and skorts coming up”.

“Shorts, a lot of the players feel, eliminate the issue. What players want is simply the choice to wear shorts or skorts,” he added.

Former Antrim camogie All-Star Jane Adams said the enforcement of skort wearing “screams sexism” and that it has always been “an issue” for players.

“Girls shouldn’t be being told what they have to wear. Skorts and shorts look similar, but it’s all about comfort,” she continued.

“I guarantee that one of the reasons why girls are dropping out of camogie is because of this issue.

The rule on skorts was previously debated at the Camogie Association’s Annual Congress in 2024, although a proposed change did not pass a vote.

Camogie is governed by the Camogie Association of Ireland, closely linked to the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) and alongside the Ladies Gaelic Football Association which is scheduled to formally integrate into the wider GAA in 2027.

Another challenge to the rule on skorts could not be brought until 2027 after two motions were defeated last year.

Yet recent pressure caused by protests from players has forced the governing body to call a Special Congress for 22 May to vote on the issue, which if passed would give players the option to wear shorts from 24 May.

“The association had proposed to deal with this issue at next year’s Congress but having listened to player feedback, the association recognises that waiting until 2026 is not acceptable for many,” said a Camogie Association statement.

On Saturday, 3 May, the first protest this year occurred as Kilkenny and Dublin teams were forced to change into skorts before their Leinster Championship semi-final could go ahead.

Kilkenny and Dublin took to the field at Blanchardstown wearing shorts, a decision both teams had agreed on as a form of protest against the rule, but were told by the referee the game would be abandoned if the players did not change.

Dublin captain Aisling Maher took to social media after the game to say she was “sick of being forced to wear a skort that is uncomfortable and unfit for purpose”.

“Career low for me today when 60-plus players ready to play a championship game in shorts are told their match will be abandoned if every player doesn’t change into skorts,” she continued.

“How are female players still having to push for permission to wear shorts while they compete at the highest level of their sport.

“In no other facet of my life does someone dictate that I have to wear something resembling a skirt because I am a girl. Why is it happening in my sport?”

On Friday, 9 May, Munster Camogie decided to postpone Saturday’s senior final between Cork and Waterford amid the ongoing row over skorts.

The game was called off after both sets of players confirmed their intention to wear shorts.

On Saturday, Cork and Waterford said in a joint statement released through the Gaelic Players Association that they felt “completely let down”.

“There was an opportunity to take a step forward from the recent controversy. Instead, a provincial final has been postponed because we took control of what we would wear. To us, that feels like a massive step backwards.”

On Sunday, 11 May, Derry players were told to change from shorts into skorts before their Ulster Senior Final defeat by Antrim.

Derry initially took to the field in Dunloy on Sunday with half their team wearing shorts and half playing in the regulation skorts.

However, at the coin toss, match referee Philip McDonald reminded joint-captain Rachel McAllister of the current dress-code rule, and the Derry players returned to the dressing-rooms before coming back onto the field with all of them wearing skorts.

Prior to the game, the Derry squad said they had taken the decision that half their players would wear shorts to “stand in solidarity with fellow players who wish to have the right to choose whatever uniform they wish to wear while playing our beloved sport”.

“We understand that officials must stick to the current outdated rules of the game and ask that all officials are respected regardless of the outcome of our protest,” said the Derry statement.

Camogie players have not been fighting this battle alone, with Norway’s beach handball team and England Women’s Hockey team having both endured similar ordeals before reaching their desired outcomes.

In 2021, Norway’s beach handball team was fined for wearing shorts instead of bikini bottoms at a European championship match. This brought a rule change where women can now wear short tight pants.

In April 2023, England Hockey brought in new rules meaning female athletes can choose to wear shorts, skirts or skorts.

That change came after research from England player Tess Howard found gendered kits, such as skirts, play a major role in teenage girls dropping out of sport.

England Hockey updated their kit regulations accordingly, saying it “reflects and represents the diverse participation of our game and our country”.

Hollie Pearne-Webb and Nick Pink, the chief executive of England and Great Britain Hockey, then wrote to the International Hockey Federation [FIH] asking for them to review their kit rules globally.

In June of the same year, the International Hockey Federation amended its rules to give female players more choice with their kit, allowing players to wear a skirt, a skort or shorts, as long as they are the same colour and design.

The Philadelphia Eagles will host NFC East rivals the Dallas Cowboys in the 2025 NFL season opener on Thursday 4 September, the league has announced.

It will mark the first time the two teams have faced off in the opening game of a campaign since 2000.

The Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 at Super Bowl 59 in February and will begin the defence of their title against their biggest rivals.

Since 2004, some 20 defending Super Bowl champions have played in the season opener and have gone 15-5 in those games, including the Chiefs’ 27-20 win over the Baltimore Ravens in 2024.

The Cowboys, under the leadership of new head coach Brian Schottenheimer, will be looking to avoid becoming victims of that trend.