Sports
South Africa Gets Its Rugby World Cup Title Defense Started Against Scotland. Chile Makes Its Debut
On Sunday, South Africa begins its title defense at the Rugby World Cup.
Back in 2019, the South Africans won the Rugby World Cup for a record-tying third time in Japan, thanks to a swarming defense, a solid kicking game, and a dominant set-piece.
They are now looking to introduce a more open approach with new flyhalf Manie Libbok as they begin their season against Scotland.
It’s one of three games on Day 3, with Fiji trying to cement its reputation as a potential surprise package against Wales. Chile will play Japan in its Rugby World Cup debut.
SCOTLAND vs. SOUTH AFRICA (South Africa leads the series 23-5 overall and 2-0 in the RWC.)
If the Boks are to match their forward strength with style in the back division, Libbok will be in charge from flyhalf. He is the squad’s lone specialist No. 10 and relies on instinct more than any other Springboks playmaker in recent memory.
Scotland’s Finn Russell is a flyhalf in a similar mold and one of the most entertaining players in the northern hemisphere, so the fight of the No. 10s in a Pool B encounter between teams ranked in the top five might be interesting to watch. South Africa is ranked second, and Scotland is ranked fifth.
On Sunday, South Africa begins its title defense at the Rugby World Cup.
“It’s the biggest opportunity you’ll get, playing the world champions in a World Cup game,” Scotland coach Gregor Townsend said. “We believe we have been constructing for our best performance.”
“Really, this is where our players will have to deliver on what they’ve been delivering in training and in the other games we’ve played this year.”
It’s the second high-level north versus. South battle of the tournament, following host France’s opening-night victory over New Zealand.
South Africa captain Siya Kolisi, who led the Springboks to victory in Japan four years ago, will lead the defending champions out for the first time this season and may treasure the opportunity more than most.
When the flanker underwent surgery on a major knee injury in late April, questions were raised about his availability for the World Cup. Kolisi last played in a competitive match against Wales last month and also played in South Africa’s 35-7 win over New Zealand in its last warmup.
“I will never forget, when we won in Japan, it was special, it felt great,” Kolisi added. “However, when we landed in Johannesburg, I got goosebumps.” That’s the first time I’ve seen anything like it. The airport was in an emergency since everyone had left their workstations to meet us.
“That’s the kind of energy that drives us, the kind of energy that reminds us who we’re doing this for and why we’re doing it.”
On Sunday, South Africa begins its title defense at the Rugby World Cup.
WALES vs. FIJI (Wales leads overall 11-1-1, 3-1 in the RWC)
Fiji may have never been so well prepared for a Rugby World Cup.
Normally handicapped by underfunding, a lack of squad depth and top-level competitive matchups, or a tournament calendar that rarely benefits tier-two nations, Fiji’s class of 2023 is poised to present a true test for the pool’s two big powers, Wales and Australia. Some have even suggested that an improved Fiji is the favorite to beat the Welsh in Bordeaux on Sunday.
Wales reached the semifinals in 2011 and 2019.
“When will we ever be considered favorites as a developing country versus a developed country?” “Resources and stuff like that,” Fiji coach Simon Raiwalui remarked. “We’re confident in our preparation and our group.” We never go in thinking we’re the favorites. We’re modest.”
This is a classic World Cup match, with the teams meeting in pool play in every iteration since the 2007 World Cup in France, when Fiji defeated Wales 38-34 in Nantes with a late try by prop Graham Dewes to advance and knock out the Welsh.
That was Fiji’s last appearance in the quarterfinals. It has never progressed further.
Fiji has risen to No. 7 in the world rankings, three places higher than Wales, led by Warren Gatland, since his return to the team in November. He is coaching in his sixth World Cup, a record for a coach.
On Sunday, South Africa begins its title defense at the Rugby World Cup.
CHILE vs. JAPAN (First Meeting)
Chile is the sole World Cup rookie in this edition, having defeated Canada and the United States in qualification, and is expected to struggle, having lost all seven of its matches since qualifying in July last year.
The South American team needs more international experience, with only three players on the matchday squad versus Japan having played club rugby outside of Chile.
“Of course, there will be new things for us, like stadiums full of people screaming, and we are preparing for that situation,” Chile fullback Iaki Ayarza said. “We’re on our way to competing at the highest level possible.”
The Japanese were once considered easygoing, but that is no longer the case. They made the quarterfinals for the first time on home soil in 2019 and are likely to keep Argentina and England at bay in Pool D.
Kanji Shimokawa, who has played fewer than 80 minutes of test rugby, gets his first start for Japan in Toulouse.
SOURCE – (AP)
The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics promises to be unlike any other.
In a novelty for the Games, the show will be held on Paris’ famed River Seine rather than in a stadium.
Here is everything you need know about the ceremony…
What to expect from the spectacular opening ceremony.
The eye-catching celebration will take place over a 6km stretch of the Seine. It will start at Austerlitz Bridge and culminate among the gardens, fountains, and palaces in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower at Trocadero.
Almost 100 boats will carry over 10,000 athletes and dignitaries as they cruise past Paris’ prominent monuments such as Notre Dame Cathedral and Pont Neuf.
The boats will transport the parade’s participants as well as the artistic portion of the celebration, which will highlight Paris and France’s history and culture.
The performers’ identities, however, have been kept a mystery.
Thousands of people are still expected to line the river and streets, with millions more watching on television all over the world.
“I’d like to show France in all its diversity,” said Thomas Jolly, the French actor and theatre director appointed as the ceremony’s creative director, a post previously played by Danny Boyle in London 2012.
“Illustrate the richness and plurality shaped by its history, which has been influenced and inspired by the diverse cultures that have passed through it, while itself serving as a source of inspiration.”
The ceremony will also involve the ceremonial opening of the Games, led by French President Emmanuel Macron, as well as the lighting of the Olympic cauldron.
Many of the finer elements have been maintained as a surprise.
What is the date and time of the opening ceremony?
The ceremony will commence at 19:30 local time (18:30 BST) on Friday, July 26.
It is scheduled to take little under four hours, with the last parts taking place as the sun sets over the French city.
Fortunately, the Paris weather forecast for Friday evening is positive.
In what sequence will the nations be introduced?
In accordance with tradition, Greece will be the first nation introduced during the ceremony.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, an NBA star, is one of their flagbearers for the games.
Greece will be followed by the Refugee Olympic Team, with hosts France being the last to be unveiled.
Because of their countries’ involvement in the Ukrainian conflict, Russian and Belarussian athletes participating as individuals will not participate.
How to follow the opening ceremony on BBC.
The opening ceremony will begin live at 17:45 BST on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, and the BBC Sport website and app.
BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds will provide radio coverage beginning at 19:00 BST.
There will also be live text coverage on the BBC Sport website and app, bringing you all the action from Paris.
Source: BBC
Sports
Coco Gauff To Be Female Flag Bearer For US Team At Olympic Opening Ceremony, Joining LeBron James
PARIS — Coco Gauff, a tennis player, will join LeBron James as a flag bearer for the United States Olympic team at Friday’s opening ceremony.
Coco, the reigning US Open winner, is ready to make her Olympic debut at the Paris Games, becoming the first tennis player to carry the American flag. Team USA athletes selected her and James.
“I believe the Olympics are the priority. It’s equal to the Grand Slams. I wouldn’t put it above or below because I’d never played before. “This is my first time,” Gauff explained earlier this year. “I always want to do well and get a medal.”
Coco Gauff | AP News Image
Coco Gauff To Be Female Flag Bearer For US Team At Olympic Opening Ceremony, Joining LeBron James
Coco and James, the 39-year-old NBA’s all-time top scorer, engage in sports outside the traditional Olympic realm and receive media attention year-round rather than every four years.
Coco, 20, joined the American team for the Tokyo Olympics as a youngster three years ago but had to withdraw because she tested positive for COVID-19 just before flying to Japan.
Coco, who now lives in Florida, has won Grand Slam titles in both singles and doubles. She earned her first major triumph in New York in September, defeating Aryna Sabalenka in the singles final of the U.S. Open, and then won her first Grand Slam doubles title at the French Open in June with Czech Republic’s Katerina Siniakova.
The Paris Olympics will be played on the same clay courts at Roland Garros used for the French Open. The bracket draw will take place on Thursday, and play will begin on Saturday.
Coco is seeded second in singles, matching her current WTA ranking behind Poland’s No. 1 Iga Swiatek, and will be one of the medal favorites.
Coco Gauff | AP news Image
Coco Gauff To Be Female Flag Bearer For US Team At Olympic Opening Ceremony, Joining LeBron James
She and her normal doubles partner, Jessica Pegula, are seeded first in the women’s doubles. Gauff may also compete in mixed doubles; however, those pairs have yet to be determined.
“I’m not putting too much pressure on it, because I want to fully enjoy the experience,” Gauff said of her Olympic debut. “Hopefully I can have the experience multiple times in my lifetime, (but) I’ll treat it as a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
SOURCE | AP
When LeBron James was chosen for his first Olympics in 2004, he was unsure what the opening ceremony entailed.
This time, he’ll be a star of the show.
His fellow American Olympians chose James to be the male flagbearer for the United States at the opening ceremony of the Paris Games on Friday night. He is the third basketball player — and the first men’s player — to carry the United States flag at the start of an Olympics, following Dawn Staley in 2004 and Sue Bird in 2021.
“It’s an incredible honor to represent the United States on this global stage, especially in a moment that can bring the whole world together,” James told reporters. “As a kid from Akron, this responsibility means everything to not only me, but to my family, all the kids in my community, my teammates, other Olympians, and so many more people throughout the country with huge dreams. Sports have the capacity to unite us all, and I’m honored to be a part of this historic occasion.”
The 39-year-old James learned of the distinction Monday in London, just hours before the United States men’s team was supposed to play its final pre-Olympics exhibition game against World Cup champion Germany.
“We understand how much of an honor it is to be in that position and I think Bron’s entire career, on and off the court, speaks for itself as him being worthy of that honor,” Curry said on the video announcing his nomination.
“He has represented what it means to be excellent both on and off the court in his commitment to service and to uplifting the community in all ways that he knows how has been a lifelong passion,” Curry pointed out. “And the work speaks for itself.”
LeBron James Selected As Team USA Male Flagbearer For Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony
The female U.S. flagbearer is anticipated to be revealed on Tuesday. In 2020, the International Olympic Committee announced that country delegations would have two flagbearers at the Olympics’ opening ceremony, one male and one female, to encourage gender equality. The United States is set to send around 600 competitors to the Paris Games, with approximately 53% women.
“Being chosen by your teammates to carry the flag is a tremendous honor—and a testament to LeBron’s passion for Team USA and dedication to his sport,” U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland said.
James, a global icon, four-time NBA champion, and the league’s all-time leading scorer about to begin his record-tying 22nd NBA season, is set to compete in the Olympics for the fourth time, having previously won bronze in 2004, gold in Beijing in 2008, and gold again in London in 2012. He participated in the opening ceremony at his previous three Olympics.
This will be an unprecedented Olympic opening ceremony, with thousands of participants sailing along the River Seine at nightfall toward the Eiffel Tower. According to Olympic officials, the route is a 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) one, with some 320,000 spectators expected to watch from the river bank and an estimated 1 billion more watching on televisions around the world.
LeBron James Selected As Team USA Male Flagbearer For Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony
Not all Olympic athletes attend the opening ceremony; many miss it for logistical reasons, such as having to compete the next day. James and the four-time defending gold champion U.S. men shall begin Olympic competition on Sunday, when they face Serbia in Lille, France.
James and the American Olympians will have to wait longer than virtually any other nation for their voyage on the Seine. According to IOC protocol, Greece will lead the march, with NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo serving as one of its two flagbearers. The Refugee Olympic Team and over 200 more national delegations will follow. The United States is slated to be next-to-last in the procession because Los Angeles will host the next Summer Olympics in 2028.
As the host, France will be the last nation to participate in the opening ceremony procession. Its men’s basketball team, which includes reigning NBA rookie of the year Victor Wembanyama, begins Olympic competition on Saturday and is not scheduled to attend the opening ceremony.
SOURCE | AP
-
World2 weeks agoFormer President Trump Survives Being Shot at Pennsylvania Rally
-
Tech4 weeks ago
Huawei Launches 5G-A Pioneers Program at MWC Shanghai 2024: Paving the Way for a Connected Future
-
Tech4 weeks ago
ChatGPT Answers Undiscovered Questions and Outperforms Students.
-
Sports4 weeks ago
NBA Draft: Kyle Filipowski Withdraws Unexpectedly From The First Round
-
News4 weeks ago
US Supreme Court Rejects Drug Deal that Protects the Sackler Family
-
Health4 weeks ago
US Health Agency Issues Dengue Virus Infection Warning
