Category: Sports

Big port towns do not stay stuck in the past. The Cape of Good Hope was never fixed in an era or epoch. History, like the sea, smashes into orthodoxy and doctrine along with transient travelers and dreamers on shore leave who never leave but do not lose their ties from whence they came and what they lost or sought. Spice or gold, water or wood, mastering the map or driven by antiquated ides of destiny: this spiny peninsula adorned by strange flowers, fed by rivulets of mist, and the refuge of height above marshes and the march of far ... Read more

Kalyn Ponga’s brilliance propelled the Knights past the Dolphins into the final spot in the NRL playoffs but unless Newcastle can clone their star fullback in the next seven days, they are unlikely to progress any further. The Knights nullified the Dolphins 14-6 in front of more than 29,000 fans at McDonald Jones Stadium in the last match of the regular season to deny the visitors and also extinguish Canberra’s faint hope of claiming eighth spot from an unlikely draw. Cronulla bounced back from their surprise loss to the Warriors to surge into the finals with one of their best ... Read more

A Set small text size A Set the default text size A Set large text size The NRL finals are finally here with eight clubs still in the hunt for the trophy  – here is how each team is shaping up. Finals Week 1  teams All times AEST Qualifying Final: 2 Panthers vs 3 Roosters at BlueBet Stadium: 7.50pm, Friday September 13 Panthers: Star halfback Nathan Cleary is still yet to be cleared to return from his shoulder injury.  “He has got a few hoops to jump through, but we’re hopeful,” said coach Ivan Cleary after Saturday night’s win over Gold Coast. ... Read more

A Set small text size A Set the default text size A Set large text size Braeden Campbell’s super-sub effort at the SCG came after the death of his grandfather, while Joel Amartey and a “crook as a dog” Callum Mills were also on the cusp of missing the dramatic AFL final against GWS. Swans coach John Longmire revealed the hidden stories of his side’s stirring victory, with captain Mills pushing through a bout of gastro to get on the park against the Giants. Amartey, who bobbed up with the match-winning goal after struggling to have any impact on the ... Read more

Humiliated. Gutted. They are two of the adjectives used to describe the Wallabies’ second match on tour against Los Pumas in Argentina, as Joe Schmidt’s side copped a record hiding a week after sealing a gritty one-point win by “falling off a cliff”. For 30 minutes it looked like the Wallabies were on the cusp of going back-to-back in Argentina and rocketing up The Rugby Championship standings. Then they were hit by a wave of momentum that couldn’t turn around as Los Pumas found their feet and their hands to blow away the Wallabies. It started in the 31st minute ... Read more

Jannik Sinner has detailed his biggest weakness following his US Open semi-final win over Jack Draper. Speaking post-match, Sinner said: “Going for sure on the net, you know, sometimes I miss some volleys. Shot selection sometimes is still, I feel like I can make it a little bit better. “There are also some small things, the small details that makes a big difference in high level. “For sure, me and my team, we know what we have to improve. Like, today maybe I should have gone maybe a little bit more on the net sometimes, and all this stuff. “But, ... Read more

Taylor Townsend was not punished for yelling “hit me, hit me” during a US Open mixed doubles match On Sunday. Townsend was partnered with Ben Shelton against opponents Joe Salisbury and Luisa Stefani. Townsend’s bizarre outburst was directed towards Salisbury, with fans of the sport believing the pair to be friends following the infraction. While punishment was not sanctioned for her actions, yelling during a tennis match is still a hindrance warning.  The exchange happened during the second set, amid a back-and-forth battle between the two pairs. Stefani sliced the ball drawing Shelton into no man’s land. He returned her ... Read more

Lewis Hamilton will face an uphill battle to challenge for a top-three finish in today’s Belgian Grand Prix sprint, with the Brit set to start from seventh on the grid. He looked quick at times during this morning’s sprint shootout but was unable to get himself near the front after a late near miss with Mercedes team-mate George Russell. Russell locked up at the exit of Turn One on his final hot lap, which left the Mercedes duo running nose-to-tail on the run down to Eau Rouge and along the Kemmel Straight. Hamilton initially enjoyed a tow but was ultimately forced ... Read more

George Russell believes that the FIA should cancel this year’s Belgian Grand Prix if the conditions are unsafe at Spa-Francorchamps, where heavy rain is expected to fall this weekend. “The two questions are, is Spa safe enough and then it’s the question of the conditions,” said Russell. “The fact is motorsport will always be dangerous when you’re travelling at these speeds. It’s the visibility [in the wet], we just have no visibility whatsoever. “The way I describe it, to try and give some perspective, is driving down the motorway in pouring rain and turning your windscreen wipers off. That’s genuinely ... Read more

Lewis Hamilton has defended FIA chiefs when pushed on safety concerns at the Belgian Grand Prix. Hamilton admitted he trusted FIA officials to make the right decisions to keep drivers safe just weeks after an 18-year-old was killed at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit. Earlier this month, Dilano Van ‘t Hoff died after an accident in a Formula Regional race. The Dutch protege’s car was struck just after the Eau Rouge corner as poor visibility made it almost impossible to see his stationary vehicle. Poor weather is predicted for this weekend’s race with rain on the radar for Friday’s qualifying and Saturday’s ... Read more