The Fiji Times

Skipper Cup: Tailevu leads Lautoka at half time break

Tailevu leads Lautoka 10-0 in the halftime break in the nineth round of the Skipper Cup competition at Ratu Cakobau Park in Nausori. From the experience of Tailevu fullback Simeli Koniferedi, the home team scored their first try and converted by flyhalf Seru Vaniqi halfway into the first spell. Five minutes later, Vaniqi kicked another...

Southern leads WD 2 in Police IDC

Southern Division leads Western Division 2 1-nil at half-time at the Kontiki Finance Police IDC underway at Nasova Ground. Suva rep Filipe Baravilala scored the lone goal in first half. Second half kicks off shortly.

Premier League: Liverpool to sign Thiago Alcantara from Bayern Munich

Thiago Alcantara is joining Liverpool after ending his seven-year stint at European champion Bayern Munich. Liverpool will reportedly pay £20 million (NZ$38.4 million) up front with a potential additional £5 million (NZ$9.6 million) later. “That was Thiago’s great wish,” Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said on Thursday in a video interview with German newspaper Bild. “It...

Basketball star Maya Moore now wed to wrongfully jailed man she helped free

Basketball star Maya Moore has married Jonathan Irons, the Missouri man she helped work to free from prison after a 22-year-old wrongful conviction. Moore and Irons appeared together on ABC’s “Good Morning America” on Thursday (NZ time) to discuss their social justice efforts – and their relationship. Moore revealed that the two married this year,...

NRL: Tigers to offer Benji Marshall job for next year

Wests Tigers will offer Benji Marshall an off-field role, after the NRL gave them clearance to do so, in the belief he could be just as valuable to the club when his playing career ends. Marshall has only two more games left in Tigers colours after the club opted not to renew his contract, leaving...

Blues name strong squad to play Maroons

Eastern State Blues coach Vulaono Dakuitoga is mixing youth with experience as he names a powerful line-up to take on the Western State Maroons in their Pherrus Vanua State of Origin tri-series opener tomorrow. “This is their time, and I believe we have them focussed in where we want them,” Dakuitoga said during the team’s...

Ex-Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd accused of mind games by rival after ‘weird comment’

Former Hurricanes coach Chris Boyd has been accused of playing “mind games” by another rival coach in England ahead of the European Champions Cup quarterfinals this weekend. Boyd, Northampton’s director of rugby, criticised European rugby officials after an injury crisis led Northampton to draft in emergency cover because four of their senior loosehead props are...

Former test referee Glen Jackson hired as Fiji assistant for test rugby’s return in Europe

Fiji have appointed three more Kiwi coaches to assist head coach Vern Cotter for Europe’s Autumn Nations Cup in November and December. Crusaders assistant Jason Ryan and former All Black Daryl Gibson, who was with the Crusaders before his last coaching roles with the Waratahs in Sydney, have joined Cotter with ex-Kiwi test referee Glen...

Kontiki Finance Police IDC: Westerners crush hopes of PSRU FC

The Western Division team two football team crushed the hopes of Police Special Response Unit FC from defending the Police Inter-District Championship 1-0 in the first semifinal at Nasova ground. Western’s Peni Cavuigi was the hero for his team scoring the lone goal of the match to upset the Simione Tamanisau captained side.

Shooting at Georgia Rugby Union HQ

The vice-president of the Georgia Rugby Union has reportedly been arrested after a shooting at the union’s headquarters in Tbilisi. Merab Beselia is alleged to have shot Ramaz Kharazishvili, the 32-year-old former captain of the Georgian national 7s team in the left leg. Kharazishvili was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery. “Kharazishvili received injuries to...

‘Prayers going up for Logan’: Floyd Mayweather reportedly set to fight YouTube star Logan Paul

Boxing great Floyd Mayweather is reportedly set to come out of retirement for a bizarre exhibition fight with YouTube personality Logan Paul later this year. The American superstar hasn’t fought professionally since his 2017 win over Conor McCregor, which took his record to a perfect 50-0, with 27 knockouts. He also travelled to Japan for...

LeBron, Giannis unanimously selected to All-NBA First Team

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo unanimously were selected to the 2019-20 All-NBA First Team, the league announced Wednesday. James set the NBA record with his 16th All-NBA Team selection, surpassing the 15 set by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan. James’ total includes a record 13 selections...

Nadal makes fast start in Rome, Tsitsipas out

ROME (Reuters) – Nine-times champion Rafa Nadal showed little signs of rust when he played his first match in 200 days as he beat fellow Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta 6-1 6-1 in the Italian Open in Rome on Wednesday. Nadal, who received a bye into the second round, has not played a tournament since winning...

Ex-head of world athletics Diack given jail sentence for corruption

PARIS (Reuters) – Lamine Diack, once one of the most powerful people in athletics, was convicted in France on Wednesday of running a clique that covered up Russian doping in return for bribes worth millions of dollars and sentenced to spend at least two years in jail. The 87-year-old former head of world athletics’ governing...

Big Ten to start its college football season next month

(Reuters) – The Big Ten Conference changed course on Wednesday saying there will be college football this year after having earlier postponed play amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. The Big Ten, which includes football powerhouses Ohio State and University of Michigan, said it will begin play the weekend of Oct. 23-24. Under pressure from student...

Battle of the forwards as scrum a worry for Nadroga in challenge

If there is something the Namosi and Nadroga rugby sides will have to work on before they meet in this weekend’s double header, it’s their front rows and scrum. Namosi will host Nadroga in a repeat of the Farebrother-Sullivan Trophy challenge and Skipper Cup clash this weekend. They faced each other in the first round...

Suva sets benchmark

The Suva rugby team has set its match against Nadroga last weekend as a benchmark to build up to its next game against Yasawa. After its loss to Lautoka in the sixth round, the Capital City side has made some positional changes and a boost in their preparation to prepare them in the second round....

‘Play with pride’

Tui Bua, Ratu Makutu Nagagavoka has reminded the Bua provincial rugby team to never lose sight of God. He said victory came from above. He urged the players to play their best when they take on Ovalau in this weekend’s Vodafone Vanua Championship. He told them to wear their rugby jerseys and “play with pride”...

Call for team’s backing

Nadroga is optimistic of taking the Farebrother Sullivan trophy back to Nakuruvarua after they challenge the holy grail of Fiji rugby from holders Namosi. Confiding all Nadroga supporters, veteran front rower Setefano Somoca said they called all Nadro fans to come and support them on Saturday as they challenge for the trophy. “I urge all...

Time for revenge

The one opportunity for the Nadroga rugby team to avenge its loss against Namosi in the second round of the Skipper Cup and Farebrother-Sullivan Trophy challenge is just around the corner. Expectations, doubts and hopes of the favourite to win the match on Saturday has been a hot topic throughout the week in every household...

Cream of local players show

The Fiji National Rugby League’s Vanua State of Origin competition starts at the ANZ Stadium on Saturday. The Pherrus Vanua Origin will pit the best players from the Western region against their counterparts from the East. The winner of the three-match series will take the Tanoa Trophy. FNRL acting chief executive officer Don Natabe said...

Hockey reps back on the field

The Lautoka Hockey Association has re-commenced its activities and is holding mixed 5 a-side tournaments after the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We have started with the mixed men’s and women’s 5 a-side competitions,” said association president Marcel Hicks. “There are four teams competing for top honours each week. “The format of the tournament enables...

Teams battle for title

The Fiji Police Force acting deputy commissioner of Police, Itendra Nair, says it has stressed to its officers the importance of keeping sports drug free and being effective ambassadors to the community. “For us the onus is to keep the sports clean and to make sure we engage as much as possible with the members...

Donaldson helps WD Two secure semi-final spot

Nadi rugby team fullback Isoa Donaldson helped his Police Western Division Two football team secure a spot in the semifinals after they defeated Central 2-0 in the Police Inter District Championship today at Nasova ground. The Nadi lad positioned himself at the centre back of his team in a windy and wet weather condition where...

Gymnastics abuse claims: Human Rights Commission now involved

The Human Rights Commission is now looking into alleged abusive practices in gymnastics. On Wednesday, a spokesperson said the commission was “in discussions with stakeholders regarding this issue”. The spokesperson said the commission does not comment on whether complaints have been received “as we do not want to undermine the confidential nature of the complaints...

US Open: Ryan Fox predicts Winged Foot course will provide ‘brutal’ test

Ryan Fox’s one and a half practice rounds at Winged Foot Golf Cub were more than enough for him to conclude this week’s US Open is set to be the toughest test of his career. Tougher than two years ago at Shinnecock Hills, when he shot 14-over at the 118th US Open and finished tied...

Australia hold nerve to win thrilling ODI decider against England

Glenn Maxwell and Alex Carey struck centuries in a 212-run stand to help Australia reach their target of 303 with two balls remaining and secure a one-day international series win over England on Wednesday (Thursday NZT). Mitchell Starc started the third and deciding ODI by taking wickets from the first two balls of the match,...

Wellington Phoenix skipper Steven Taylor joins Indian Super League club Odisha

Outgoing Wellington Phoenix captain Steven Taylor will be tasked with marking some of his former A-League team-mates next season after signing a one-year contract with Indian Super League club Odisha FC. Taylor is the fourth player to move directly from the Phoenix to the ISL after Roy Krishna, David Williams and Mandi joined ATK last...

Warriors preparing massive $2.5 million offer for Addin Fonua-Blake

The Warriors appear ready to outbid any other NRL club to secure Sea Eagles prop Addin Fonua-Blake next season. It has been reported by Australian media that the Warriors have offered a three-year-deal for $850,000 a season to the 24-year-old who has been given permission to leave the Sea Eagles at the end of the...

Sport

Southern Division wins Police IDC