The Fiji Times

Rugby-Cooper set for Wallabies tour but injury raises Hodge doubts

(Reuters) – Australia flyhalf Quade Cooper will travel to Europe for the Wallabies’ tests against Scotland, England and Wales next month but Reece Hodge’s availability is in doubt after he sustained a pectoral injury in Saturday’s 32-23 win over Japan. Coach Dave Rennie confirmed Cooper would be part of the squad following uncertaintly over the...

Golf-Thrilled Matsuyama claims Zozo Championship with back nine charge

(Reuters) – A blistering back nine saw Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama hold off a determined challenge from Cameron Tringale to win the Zozo Championship by five shots in front of his adoring Japanese supporters on Sunday. With the gallery restricted to 5,000 fans, Matsuyama’s final round 65 earned him the title at the Narashino Country...

Cricket-Afghanistan hope World Cup success can bring joy back home

(Reuters) – Afghanistan’s Twenty20 World Cup preparation has been far from ideal in the aftermath of the country’s Taliban takeover in August but captain Mohammad Nabi hopes his team’s performance can bring about some joy back home. Afghanistan’s cricket board also underwent personnel changes and all-rounder Nabi was handed the captaincy after star spinner Rashid...

Cricket-India-Pakistan blockbuster set to light up Twenty20 World Cup

DUBAI (Reuters) – Former champions India and Pakistan will face off on Sunday in a Twenty20 World Cup blockbuster in Dubai and the buzz around the game underlines the enduring appeal of the matchup between the sub-continent’s feuding neighbours. India captain Virat Kohli and Pakistan counterpart Babar Azam have called it just another game, but...

Cricket-Asalanka, Rajapaksa lead Sri Lanka to comfortable win

(Reuters) – Charith Asalanka and Bhanuka Rajapaksa shared a partnership of 86 to give Sri Lanka a five-wicket win over Bangladesh in their opening Super 12 match in the Twenty20 World Cup in Sharjah on Sunday. Asalanka remained unbeaten on 80 from 49 balls and Rajapaksa, celebrating his 30th birthday, hit a 31-ball 53 to...

Athletics-World Championship bronze medallist Quinonez killed in Ecuador

(Reuters) -Sprinter Alex Quinonez, Ecuador’s World Championship bronze medallist, has been killed in his home city of Guayanquil on Friday, the country’s sports ministry said on Saturday. Guayaquil-based newspaper El Universo said Quinonez, who was 32, and another individual were fatally shot at around 9:20 p.m. on Friday in the northwest part of the city....

Rugby-New Zealand rout United States 104-14 in Washington test match

(Reuters) -New Zealand got back to winning ways as they romped to a record 104-14 victory over the United States in Washington on Saturday in a lopsided test match in which the Eagles at least secured their first-ever try against the All Blacks. New Zealand, who had not played in the U.S. since 2016, totally...

Athletics-Ethiopia’s Gidey breaks half marathon world record

(Reuters) – Ethiopia’s Letesenbet Gidey smashed the women’s half marathon world record on Sunday, finishing in one hour, two minutes and 52 seconds at the Valencia Half Marathon Trinidad Alfonso EDP. The 23-year-old Gidey, who is also the world 5,000 metres (14:06.62) and 10,000 metres (29:01.03) record-holder, shaved more than a minute off the previous...

Cricket-Scotland eye test status with strong T20 World Cup show

(Reuters) – Scotland are brimming with confidence ahead of their Super 12 clash against Afghanistan and the side want to use the Twenty20 World Cup as a platform to push their case to become cricket’s next full member, batsman Calum MacLeod said on Sunday. The Scottish side won all three matches in the preliminary round,...

Nadroga football team beats Navua 2-1

The Nadroga football side has registered its first win in the Digicel Premier League beating Navua 2-1 at Uprising Sports Complex today. After six months without competitive football, both teams started on a low key. Nadroga had the best chance of the first spell as their effort slided off the cross bar. Veteran Osea Vakatalesau...

Premier league: Nadroga-Navua tied nill-all at half time

The Nadroga and Navua football teams are still both tied nill-all at halftime. The anticipated 2021 Digicel Premier League match drew in hundreds of fans at the Uprising Beach Resort pitch in Pacific Harbour this afternoon. Fans were also allegedly spewing hate comments at officials and were reminded to be respectful by the tournament organisers.

Premier league: Ba leads Suva at half time

A lone goal from Samuela Drudru see’s the western giants Online IT Solutions Ba lead Unique Rubber Stamp Suva at half-time as the Digicel Premier League returned to action today. Drudru guided in a beautiful header from inside the box on the 25 minute mark with Suva goalkeeper Emori Ragata failing to react in time....

Fijiana prepares for Rugby World Cup

The Fijiana 15s extended squad continued its preparations for the Women’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand next year with a stint at mud pools at the Naval Base in Togalevu, outside Lami on Thursday. The Fiji Rugby Union website said coach Senirusi Seruvakula took the girls to mud pools to test their fitness and...

Teams battle in Newtown

Organisers of the Ouch Taonivou Volleyball Tournament are happy with the standard seen in the past two events as they buildup to their big tournament next month. Chief organiser Paula Nabuta said they had already organised two tournaments on their court in Newtown, Nasinu which had 32 teams participating and the target was to get...

Top four make semis

Four teams have confirmed their spots in the semi-finals of the Digicel Beach Soccer Championship to be held at the Fiji Sports Council Beach soccer pitch today. United Beach Soccer Club and Blue Demons have qualified from Pool B while United Brothers and Sand Sational have made it through from Group A. The opening of competition...

Cricket-Australia edge South Africa in low-scoring World Cup thriller

ABU DHABI (Reuters) -Marcus Stoinis and Matthew Wade combined in a crucial 40-run stand to help Australia beat South Africa by five wickets in a low-scoring thriller in their opening Super 12 clash in the Twenty20 World Cup on Saturday. Stoinis and Wade held their nerve superbly during an unbroken sixth-wicket stand to take Australia...

Cricket-Sri Lanka are a better side than Bangladesh, says captain Shanaka

(Reuters) – Sri Lanka have already made their mark in the Twenty20 World Cup with commanding wins in the preliminary round and will go into their Super 12 contest against Bangladesh with a slight edge, the team’s captain Dasun Shanaka said on Saturday. The island nation, who won the 2014 edition of the tournament, stamped...

Beach Soccer: Four teams confirm semi-final spots

Four teams have confirmed their spots in the semi-finals of the Digicel Beach Soccer Championship to be held at the Fiji Sports Council beach soccer pitch today. United Beach Soccer Club and Blue Demons have qualified from Pool B while United Brothers and Sand Sational have made it through from Pool A. The opening of...

Gareth Baber leaves a mark and an impression

Olympic Sevens gold-winning hero and our head coach Gareth Baber is to join Edinburgh as skills and assistant attack coach. The 49-year-old Welshman will move to Scotland in December, having been in his role as Fiji 7s head coach since January 2017. The former Cardiff Blues coach had a spectacular spell with Fiji, guiding our national 7s...

Sport post-COVID

Sport ground to a halt in April as our country was hit by the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. And now, nearly half a year later, I’m looking ahead to tomorrow – the return of competitive sport in the form of football’s Digicel Premier League. Really? Well, you’ll find out my concerns as you...

Vuate Karawalevu joins Roosters for pre-season training

Kaiviti Silktails outside back Vuate Karawalevu is making the next step in his Rugby League journey by signing a contract with the Sydney Roosters that will take him one step closer to a NRL career. The Silktails’ ‘Rising Star’ winner for the 2021 season returns to Sydney this weekend to begin two weeks quarantine before...

Nadroga prefers underdog status

Kamal Swamy said preparations for the Nadroga football team was beginning to take shape in anticipation of a titanic battle against an in-form Navua XI when the two sides face-off against each other in a Digicel Premier League fixture on Sunday at the Uprising Beach Resort sports complex. The newly appointed head coach of Nadroga...

Kamal Swamy happy with Nadroga coaching position

Newly appointed Nadroga football team head coach Kamal Swamy said he was happy with his appointment to take charge of the minnows for the remainder of the season. The former Ba, Nadi and Lautoka football teams coach added he was looking forward to guide the Stallions with the firm intention of maintaining its current status...

FASANOC confirms Olympics support

The Fiji Association of Sports and National Olympic Committee (FASANOC) through its Athletes Commission and Athletes and Communities Engagement (ACE) Program has reaffirms its commitment to the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC)’s Olympism 365 strategy. Chief executive Lorraine Mar said FASANOC had already committed to this strengthening of the role of sport as an important enabler...

Super Sevens Series to assist national team training

The fourth and final leg of the 2021 Fiji Rugby Union Super Sevens Series will set a platform for the national 7s team ahead of the 2021-2022 World Rugby Series opening leg in Dubai and South Africa in December. FRU chief executive officer John O’Connor said players who were part of the Fiji men’s extended...

On the hunt for new women’s coach

The Fiji Football Association will commence the hunt for a most qualified individual to take on the role of head coach for the national women’s football team following Marika Rodu’s recent termination. Chief executive officer Mohammed Yusuf confirmed the vacant position would be advertised shortly. “We’re in the process of advertising for the role soon,”...

Joseph relies on front three

TOKYO – Japan coach Jamie Joseph named two Australian-born locks and handed Brisbane-educated loose forward Ben Gunter his Test debut in the side to face the Wallabies in Oita. The versatile Jack Cornelsen, the son of Wallaby Greg, will team up with James Moore in the second row in place of injured Wimpie Van Der...

Australia wary of host

The Wallabies return to the site of their humiliating exit from the last World Cup on Saturday to take on a Japan side eager to prove their own rousing 2019 campaign was no fluke. Australia’s 40-16 quarter-final loss to England at Oita Stadium brought an end to a chaotic campaign and turned out to be...

Paisami returns to Wallabies

Hunter Paisami has been recalled for Australia’s test against Japan, replacing Samu Kerevi at inside centre after the explosive midfielder failed to overcome an ankle injury for Saturday’s clash in Oita. Tom Wright has replaced Jordan Petaia on the wing after a lively cameo off the bench in the 32-17 win over Argentina on the...

Sport

Rugby-United States game important ahead of Wales clash, says All Blacks Foster