Sports News

Vertu Motors plc, the Gateshead-based motor retail group, has acquired the naming rights to the Eagles Community Arena in Newcastle in a five-year deal.

The purpose-built community, events and sports arena, which is home to the Newcastle Eagles basketball club, the most successful British Basketball team of all time, and the award-winning Eagles Community Foundation, will now be known as the Vertu Motors Arena.

The deal will see signage featuring the Vertu Motors name added to the Scotswood Road venue’s exterior, as well as new branding throughout the popular destination, which will be seen by hundreds of thousands of people visiting the city and watching British Basketball League games live on Sky Sports.

In addition to being the state-of-the-art venue for top-flight men’s and women’s basketball, the venue, which is owned and operated by the charity foundation, is a community and education hub with flexible spaces to host a wide range of business, entertainment and sporting events – ranging from meetings, conferences and weddings across its hospitality spaces up to large scale exhibitions and events in its multi-purpose arena with capacity crowds of up to 3,000 people.

As part of the arena’s firmly rooted commitment to its local area, since the start of the pandemic it has also been utilised as a COVID-19 testing centre, a base for food and sporting activity pack distribution and most recently it became the region’s biggest vaccination centre with up to 5,000 jabs being administered on site over a weekend.

Vertu Motors has a long-standing relationship with both the club and the charity. The region’s most successful sports team’s staff and players drive an iconic fleet of cars from the arena’s neighbouring Vertu Motors Honda dealership, which extended its support further into developing future generations of basketball players by sponsoring teams of young players participating in one of the foundation’s outreach programmes.

Robert Forrester, chief executive of Vertu Motors plc, said: “We are delighted to have our name above the door on this important events, sporting and community venue.

“The Vertu Motors Arena is a standout landmark in the city, which is visited not only by sports fans but businesses and local people and to have our name associated with it is an excellent opportunity for the business.

“The Arena is a hub for the local area, and we are proud to have the chance to support the valuable work the Foundation does and the many community initiatives that make the Arena a genuine community asset.

“Newcastle Eagles are an iconic sports team in the North East and one we are already working in partnership with and to extend that collaboration is extremely exciting.”

Sam Blake, chief executive officer of the Eagles Community Foundation, said: “It’s fantastic to have such an incredible investment from Vertu Motors for the future of the foundation, this venue and our community.

“The past twelve months have been a tough road to walk for all of us, so we hope this news brings a much-needed boost and a smile to all of our Eagles families, friends and volunteers.

“We know everyone is looking forward to the return of sport, leisure, education and events over the coming months and we can’t wait to welcome it all to our newly renamed Vertu Motors Arena.”

It has been announced that Patrice Motsepe is the new president of the Confederation of African Football (Caf) after the South African ran unopposed in elections in Morocco. Known for being one of Africa's richest men, Mr Motsepe is also the owner of 2016 African champions Mamelodi Sundowns.

Patrice Motsepe is the ninth-richest person in Africa, according to Forbes magazine, and one of the country's first black billionaires. The founder and chairman of African Rainbow Minerals, he became a billionaire in 2008 - with Forbes calling him the first African to do so.

His rise in prominence and wealth has not been lost on Black people in a country where oppressive apartheid laws shut out the majority of the population from a good life, not to mention business opportunities, for many decades. He has become a representation of wealth.

Motsepe founded his first mining company in 1994, and started buying low-producing gold mines a few years later at a time when the gold market was experiencing a slump and prices were favourable. Before long, those mines were turned around and made profitable.

His big break was closely linked to the Black Economic Empowerment policies introduced in South Africa to address the inequality created by decades of white-minority apartheid rule, which ended in 1994. Mining companies had to have at least 26% black ownership before a mining licence would be granted. Ever since, Motsepe's mining empire has grown and now has interests in cobalt, nickel, iron ore, copper and coal.

Born on 28 January 1962, Motsepe was named after Patrice Lumumba, the first elected prime minister of what is today the Democratic Republic of Congo. As a youngster he first learned about entrepreneurship from his father Augustine Motsepe, a member of the Tswana royal family.

The chief owned a spaza shop (a type of convenience store popular in South Africa's townships) in Hammanskraal, outside the capital, Pretoria. During school holidays, he worked alongside his father as he started to learn the basics of business. Years later, he would qualify as a lawyer and become the first Black partner in one of the country's leading law firms, Bowman Gilfillan.

The father of three also holds a degree in mining and business law from Johannesburg's University of the Witwatersrand. With an estimated net worth of $3bn (£2.15bn), Motsepe is today a mining magnate, investor and owner of Pretoria-based Mamelodi Sundowns, who have won a record 10 titles since South Africa's Premier Soccer League started in 1996.

Not just good at amassing wealth, it seems Motsepe, who has considerable work to do as he bids to revive an ailing Caf, enjoys giving it away too. The philanthropist supports various education and health projects through his foundation, with his love for learning perhaps sparked by being raised by parents who were teachers.

In 2013, Motsepe was the first African to sign Bill Gates' and Warren Buffett's Giving Pledge, committing to give at least half his wealth to charity. Last year, his Motsepe Foundation pledged to donate 1bn rand ($65.6m) to assist the coronavirus pandemic response in South Africa.

Married to Precious Motsepe, a physician and businesswoman in her own right, the future Fifa vice-president is no stranger to the world of politics. South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa is his elder sister's husband, while Jeff Radebe, the country's most experienced minister, is married to another of his sisters.

While everything Motsepe touches seems to turn to gold, he has been targeted by some political parties who have suggested that his powerful family ties give him an unfair advantage. But he has distanced himself from the allegations, adding that he has always "come from money" and that his wealth was not ill-gotten.

Although a household name, Motsepe has rarely courted controversy but last year he became the subject of social media furore over a comment he made at a World Economic Forum dinner Davos. In January 2020, he told then US President Donald Trump : "Africa loves America, Africa loves you" - a comment the controversial statesman was visibly pleased with. Yet it raised the ire of people at the time because of Trump's seemingly callous handling of the Black Lives Matter protests back home. Motsepe later apologised, saying he had no right to speak on behalf of anyone but himself.

His life having been characterised by many firsts, the billionaire has been described as an astute businessman with a good eye for the next "big thing". This would not necessarily bring to mind Caf, as the organisation needs a major overhaul given its struggling finances, associations of corruption in light of his predecessor's ban and poor image in the eyes of both sponsors and the public.

So as he repeatedly stresses the need for the injection of private funds into Caf's coffers, this tycoon now has one of his biggest challenges - namely, restoring credibility to one of Fifa's most troubled confederations.

Former England, Warwickshire and Surrey bowler Joey Benjamin has died after reportedly suffering a heart attack.

Benjamin was born in St Kitts but made his name in English cricket and went on to take 387 first-class wickets in an 11-year career. His only Test came at the Oval against South Africa in 1994 when he took 4-42 in the first innings.

It was remembered for Devon Malcolm's match-winning nine-wicket haul. He also played two one-day internationals for England.

Benjamin signed for Warwickshire in 1988 after a spell in the minor counties before seven years with Surrey between 1992 and 1999.

In a statement Warwickshire said: “It is with great sadness that today Warwickshire County Cricket Club has learned of the passing of former fast bowler Joey Benjamin.

“Benjamin enjoyed four seasons with the Bears where he made 25 first-class and 26 List A appearances, taking a combined 87 wickets across both formats. The thoughts of everyone at Warwickshire CCC are with Joey’s family and close friends at this difficult time.”

"He hustled batsmen and nicked them off with his outswinger. He was a fine bowler and even though he didn't start until pretty late he was unlucky not to play more Test cricket," his former team-mate Martin Bicknell told Surrey's website. "It's come as a massive and terrible shock to all of us that he's been lost to us, he seemed so incredibly fit."

Former England and Yorkshire quick Darren Gough remembered his trip Down Under fondly, calling him “a great tourist” on Twitter.

He was 60.

It has been reported that EFL Championship side Coventry City are close to finalising a deal to return to the Ricoh Arena next season. It is understood a deal with rugby union side Wasps - the owners of the ground - is all but agreed and could be confirmed as early as Friday. The Sky Blues have shared Birmingham's St Andrew's stadium since August 2019.

The English Football League will discuss the issue at a board meeting tomorrow, when some of the details are expected to be signed off. The deal, which contains break clauses, will be for up to 10 years, although Championship side Coventry will be guaranteed a minimum of seven years back at the Ricoh Arena.

Club owners Sisu still aim to build a new stadium on the south-west edge of the city, on land owned by the University of Warwick. An agreement to end Coventry's groundshare deal with Birmingham is yet to be reached, with a significant cost understood to come with ending the deal. Coventry left Highfield Road in 2005 to move to the Ricoh Arena but, after a long-running rent row escalated, they spent the 2013-14 season at Northampton Town's Sixfields.

The Sky Blues returned to the Ricoh in September 2014, followed by Wasps moving in three months later. The ground, part-owned by the city council, was then sold to the Premiership rugby union club. City then spent the next four full seasons there but Sisu could not reach an agreement with Wasps to play the 2019-20 campaign there and found alternative arrangements at St Andrew's.

For the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons, the club have been tenants at Birmingham City 's St Andrew's stadium, 22 miles away from the Ricoh Arena. Previously, they were groundsharing at Northampton Town's Sixfields Stadium for three seasons.

Coventry City had been looking at options for a new stadium after being involved in a rent dispute with Ricoh owners Arena Coventry Ltd (ACL).

Plans to utilise the final third of Birmingham City Council’s £6million Commonwealth Games Community Fund are due before the council’s Cabinet on March 16. Under the proposals, the £2million would be invested across three thematic areas:

• Stronger Communities;

• The Commonwealth Games Learning Programme;

• Physical Activity and Wellbeing.

Last year the remaining £4million of the Community Fund was split equally between Creative Communities (focussing on cultural activity) and Celebrating Communities (a project which will see all 69 council wards receive a slice of funding to enable people to embrace the Games at a grassroots level).

The thematic areas detailed in the March 16 Cabinet report are as follows: Stronger Communities (£0.5million) This strand is designed to provide a mechanism for Birmingham citizens to offer constructive challenge, advice and feedback to all Games Legacy workstreams through the creation of a community stakeholder panel, ensuring that tackling inequality is the cross-cutting thread that runs through all Games-related activity the council is involved in.

In addition, the proposed funding will enable the council to work with communities in the city to design and deliver projects falling under three themes – Inclusive City, Connected City and Know Your City – all taking into account learning and feedback from the city’s recent Community Cohesion consultation as well as learning from communities throughout the COVID pandemic.

Physical Activity and Wellbeing (£1million)

A region-wide programme of funding to support physical activity and wellbeing activity is being created as part of the work by Games Partners to secure a legacy from the Commonwealth Games, but the proposed Physical Activity and Wellbeing strand of the council’s community fund gives the opportunity to focus on Birmingham specific activity, enhancing some existing projects that are already underway in the city and to maximise engagement opportunities for residents across the city.

Commonwealth Games Learning Programme (£0.5million)

The Games Learning Programme is set to be delivered by the Birmingham 2022 Organising Committee (OC), with the city council involved in key elements of programme design. The £0.5million will be supplied to the OC to support an additional Birmingham-specific targeted strand of activity to ensure young people in every ward of the city have access to at least one Games opportunity either through schools or community participation. This strand is in addition to what will be available at regional and national level.

The aim of the £0.5million investment is to create direct opportunities for at least 100,000 children and young people in Birmingham, working with at least 72 schools across the city as well as a variety of the networks of youth clubs/groups, community partners, sport and cultural organisations and local groups for whom the programme will be widely accessible. Connecting with communities in every council ward, this will be in addition to the core offer of the Learning Programme.

Councillor Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “These exciting plans underline how being a Proud Host City can help Birmingham become an even greater place in which to live, work and grow. “We cannot wait to offer a warm welcome to the athletes and officials from 72 competing nations and territories next summer, but the Games are about much more than that for the people of this city. “Through this funding, we aim to bring our communities together, to improve health and wellbeing, reduce inequalities and to inspire our young people.”

British Athletics has confirmed the appointments of Darren Campbell as Head of (short) Sprints and Relays and Tim Benjamin as Head of (long) Sprints and Relays, following an open recruitment process. The decision to split the role of Head of Sprints and Relays into long and short sprints was taken recognising the specialist expertise both candidates bring to this event group. Both roles are part time but offer full time coverage.

The key purpose of this role is to ensure high levels of engagement with targeted athlete-coach pairings and to provide support in line with the Individual Athlete Plan (IAP). As well as liaising closely with those on the World Class Programme, the position will help to support the development and transition of sprinters on the periphery of the programme. It will also ensure any specific sprint camps best prepare and deliver sprint squads into milestone target events. Both Benjamin and Campbell will begin their new roles with immediate effect.

Olympic Head Coach, Christian Malcolm said: “These are great appointments for the sport. Darren and Tim bring a wealth of experience to the roles following their successful careers in and out of the sport. I am pleased to bring them into the team as we continue to support athletes and coaches to achieve their goals during 2021 and beyond.”

Olympic 4x100m relay gold winning champion Darren Campbell said: “I’m really pleased to accept this role and work with Tim, Christian and Sara. I felt like it was the right time to get involved with the sport again. I’m excited by the new leadership and the new direction it’s headed in by putting the athlete first.

“I’ve had experience across the board competing, coaching, mentoring and mediating and understand what the athletes and their coaches will be looking for. When I was competing, I don’t feel we always got what we needed, and support wasn’t offered properly. I know I can bring that experience and help to ensure athletes have what they need to be successful.

“I’m looking forward to putting my energy into this, giving encouragement to the athletes so they can perform when they need to.”

Fellow-sprint relay legend, Tim Benjamin said: “I am delighted to be offered this role alongside Darren. I’ve remained a big fan of athletics throughout my retirement and had always wanted an opportunity to give back to my sport. I’ve had 11 years in the commercial world yet my heart has always been here.

“I had a great competitive career and have worked with world class coaches such as Jock Anderson, Tony Lester, Colin Jackson and Linford Christie. I’ve been exposed to so many differing approaches and I’ve also made my fair share of errors as an athlete which means I can bring this insight and experience to help support the athletes and coaches I work with in this role.”

Following a recruitment process for the Head of Endurance role, no appointment has been made; instead a wider and longer term strategy for endurance will be driven via a wide consultation across a range of stakeholders. Chris Jones will be seconded with the agreement of Welsh Athletics on a two-day a week basis to lead on this project in conjunction with Christian Malcolm and Sara Symington.

Rob Denmark will continue on an interim basis to act up as the main point of contact for those athletes targeting Tokyo until after the Games.

Qatar Airways and Qatar Duty Free (QDF), the Official Airline and Retail Sponsor of the Qatar Total Open 2021, congratulate Petra Kvitova on being crowned the winner of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) event in Doha after her 6-2, 6-1, victory in last night’s final. This is her second win of the prestigious annual tournament which was held at the state-of-the-art Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha, and featured the presence of renowned international female tennis players.

His Excellency Mr Akbar Al Baker, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, said: “I would like to extend my congratulations to Petra Kvitova in securing the this year’s Qatar Total Open 2021 title. Over the years, Qatar Airways has been a proud sponsor of this prestigious tournament, and once again the State of Qatar continues to demonstrate its dedication toward hosting world-class sporting events. We look forward to taking part in future tennis championships for years to come.”

Qatar Airways Senior Vice President Marketing and Corporate Communications, Ms. Salam Al Shawa, said: “Qatar Airways is delighted to congratulate Petra Kvitova after her victorious performance in this year’s annual Qatar Total Open. With every passing season, we are privileged to witness world-class athletes as they entertain us, and bring people of all ages and backgrounds together through sport.”

Mr Thabet Musleh, Qatar Duty Free Vice President Operations, said: “Qatar Duty Free extends heartfelt congratulations to Petra Kvitova on her well-deserved win at the Qatar Total Open 2021.  We thank all the players for an exciting tournament. Thank you also to the WTA 500 and the Qatar Tennis Federation for bringing this global sporting event to Doha each year for spectators to enjoy both here in Qatar and across the world.”    

With its recent announcement as the Official Airline for the UEFA EURO 2020, Qatar Airways’ continues to strengthen its presence in the world of sport; with the likes of FIFA, CONMEBOL, Paris Saint-Germain, AS Roma, Boca Juniors, FC Bayern München, K.A.S. Eupen and Al Sadd SC in the carrier’s global football sponsorship portfolio, further representing its alignment with the national vision of Qatar.

Teenager Kelly Hodgkinson claimed her maiden European senior title as the British team added seven medals to their tally to equal their best haul at the European Indoor Athletics Championships in Toruń, Poland winning two gold, four silver and six bronze medals overall. The teenager, who only turned 19 on Wednesday, timed her move around the outside perfectly to take the lead with 250m to go and held her nerve as she ramped up the pace for the final lap.

Despite a late surge from Joanna Józwik (POL), Hodgkinson kicked once again to power across the line in 2:03.88 for her maiden senior title and become the youngest British champion at the event since Marilyn Neufville in 1970. After the race, Hodgkinson exclaimed: “I’m so happy. You never quite understand the shock when it happens. You picture it in your head so many times, but when the reality comes through, it’s just a different feeling. 

“I didn’t really think about the pressure. I am only 19 and I’m still learning and there’s still things that I’m going to learn. I just wanted to keep my same relaxed state like I did in the heats and the semi-final. Me and Trevor (Painter) talked about that and we said not to change anything for the final. I just didn’t want to make any mistakes and I really believed in myself. 

“They trust my instincts. They are really letting me grow into my athlete and Jenny’s Meadows experience is there to tap into if I need it. They said to me ‘just keep the same relaxed state and you’ll know how you feel and what to do’ and that’s what I did.” Teammate Ellie Baker narrowly missed out on bronze, crossing the line fourth in 2:04.40 after a last 50m burn up with Józwik and Angelika Cichocka, with Isabelle Boffey, also making her senior British debut, sixth in 2:07.26.

There was double relay delight for the women’s and men’s 4x400m relay teams as the women’s contingent secured silver in an impressive 3:28.20, with the men’s securing bronze in 3:06.70. Andrew Pozzi became the first British man to claim a medal at the championships as he claimed silver in the 60m hurdles final, equalling his personal best in 7.43s as he cut the tape.

It was a near-flawless run from Pozzi, who got out strongly and was level with France’s Wilhem Belocian at the halfway point. The Briton clipped the fourth hurdle before a lunge for the line saw him claim silver, just 0.01s away from taking the gold. Pozzi said: “It’s an equal PB. I was actually doing really well at the start, I just lost a couple of steps in the middle. It’s a championships and the better man won, so it is what it is. I’m a bit disappointed, but I gave it everything I could”.

In the women’s equivalent, sisters Cindy Sember and Tiffany Porter secured silver and bronze to boost the British medal tally, clocking 7.89s and 7.92s respectively as Nadine Visser of the Netherlands defended her title in a world leading 7.77s. A bold front-run from Jamie Webb in the men’s 800m final saw him rewarded with a bronze in 1:46.95 following a sprint-finish.

It all came down to a sprint finish for the Briton, who had led from the first lap of the race, but as Poland’s Patryk Dobek hit the front at the bell, Webb found himself having to hold off the challenge of Adam Kszczot (POL) and Mateusz Borkowski (POL) in the final 100m on the final bend. Webb gave it his all but could not hold off the challenge of Borkowski, who pipped him to silver on the line in 1:46.90, with Dobek notching a personal best 1:46.81 for gold.

In the men’s 3000m final, Andrew Butchart and Jack Rowe came home in seventh and ninth position respectively, clocking 7:52.15 and 7:53.47 respectively, a season’s best for the latter as they found themselves playing catch-up with Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s (NOR) speed. The British duo found themselves searching for space in the final four laps, being forced to settle for seventh and ninth respectively, with Norway’s Ingebrigtsen clocking 7:48.20 for gold.

Having set a personal best 1.91m in qualifying for the women’s high jump, Emily Borthwick cleared a best of 1.85m as she finished eighth on her maiden senior Championships. The Wigan & District athlete required a third time clearance at her opening height of 1.85m to progress, but three fouls at 1.89m signalled the end of the competition.

British medallists at the 2021 European Athletics Indoor Championships:

Gold: Keely Hodgkinson (women’s 800m), Amy-Eloise Markovc (women’s 3000m)

Silver: Holly Archer (women’s 1500m), Andrew Pozzi (men’s 60m hurdles), Cindy Sember (women’s 60m hurdles), women’s 4x400m relay

Bronze: Verity Ockenden (women’s 3000m), Jodie Williams (women’s 400m), Holly Bradshaw (women’s pole vault), Tiffany Porter (women’s 60m hurdles), Jamie Webb (men’s 800m), men’s 4x400m relay

Accidental handball that leads to a goal-scoring chance or a goal for a team-mate will no longer be penalised, say football's law makers.

Ifab confirmed the change, saying it was because of the "interpretation of handball incidents" not being applied consistently. Ifab is also looking a possible change to the law regarding offsides. Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has proposed that a player should be considered onside if any part of their body that can legally score a goal is level with the second-last defender.

Fifa will also continue to test semi-automated technology to detect offside, whereby a signal is sent to the assistant referee almost instantly. The change to the handball rule is likely to be introduced in England from July 1. It will remain a handball offence if a player scores accidentally with their hand or arm, or uses their hand or arm directly before scoring.

The International Football Association Board had tightened handball laws for the start of the 2020-21 season. However, a spate of handball decisions led to fierce criticism across the game and saw English top-flight referees ordered to be less strict about their interpretations of the law.

Premier League officials were told to particularly focus on the distance an offending player is from the ball and whether he has extended his arm outside the natural body line. Ifab clarified its interpretation of the offside law, saying the definition for handball, whereby the arm ends at the bottom of the armpit, must be used when judging whether a player is offside or not.

Wenger's proposed change to the offside law is set to be trialled in lower-league Chinese football and, if successful, could then be trialled in England, Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham said. "There are people who think it may lead to a more defensive game and others who think it would mean a more exciting game," Bullingham said. "Let's do the trial and find out."

Fifa will also continue to test semi-automated technology to detect offside, with a signal sent to the assistant referee almost instantly. That would leave referees and their assistants just needing to decide whether the offside player was interfering with play.

"Everyone recognises that when a goal is scored and fans have to wait to find out if it's a goal or not isn't a brilliant experience for the fans, particularly those in the stadium," added Bullingham. "We are looking at technology where a linesman will immediately know if a player is offside or not and have that communicated to them and that allows them to make an instant decision, so in theory for offside decisions there would be no need to go back to the video assistant referee."

Jodie Williams will be captaining the Great Britain and Northern Ireland squad at the 2021 European Athletics Indoor Championships in Torun, Poland this weekend.

The European and Commonwealth medallist will compete in the individual 400m for the first time at a major championship after back-to-back indoor PBs at the British Athletics European Indoor Selection Trials – 52.27 her best - saw her earn her place on the team. Williams finished fourth over 60m at the 2011 edition of the Championships and returns ten years later to compete in the 400m and 4x400m relay.

On receiving the captaincy, Williams said: “It is a huge honour to be chosen as the team captain. I was a little nervous when I was first asked but I am looking forward to it. This is my ten-year anniversary since I made a senior British team for the first time. The European Indoors (in Paris) was my first senior championships. It is cool that it has all come full circle and I am now going to be team captain.”

On her primary message to the team, especially the 15 athletes making their senior debuts for Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Torun, she said: “My biggest message would be ‘to back yourself’. It can feel quite daunting coming in as a newbie. I know I played down my aspirations on my debut, but I would say don’t do that. You have made the team in your own right, just like everyone else. Enjoy the experience and embrace it.”

On her own expectations for the championships, the 27-year-old added: “I am going there to perform. I’m a competitor, I don’t like to downplay my aspirations. It is a new event for me, but I’ll be going there to be in finals and challenge for medals. At this point in my career, that is why I’m standing on the start line.” Olympic Head Coach, Christian Malcolm added: “I’m really pleased to be announcing Jodie as the team captain of the British team for the European Athletics Indoor Championships.

She has taken herself out of her comfort zone during this indoor season, achieving an indoor PB and earning her place on the team. She has a wealth of experience to share which will be beneficial to the whole squad. I know she will lead by example, on and off the track, during the championships.”

The Rugby World Cup 2021 is set to be postponed until next year following a recommendation by governing body World Rugby. The tournament is currently scheduled to be hosted in New Zealand between 18 September and 16 October. A final decision is expected after the Rugby World Cup board and World Rugby's executive committee consider the recommendation on March 8 and 9. World Rugby said that the challenging Covid landscape influenced its decision.

It added: "It has become clear in recent discussions with key partners including New Zealand Rugby, the New Zealand government and participating unions, that, given the scale of the event and the Covid-19 related uncertainties, it is just not possible to deliver the environment for all teams to be the best that they can be on the sport's greatest stage." The country's borders are currently closed to almost all travellers and cases have recently emerged in Auckland, one of the country's host cities.

Nicky Ponsford, the Rugby Football Union's head of women's performance, said: "We are naturally disappointed but understanding of the decision.

"Player welfare has to be prioritised and ensuring teams both qualify on the pitch and can perform to their best at the tournament is also vitally important for the game."

Irish Rugby's director of women's rugby, Anthony Eddy, added: "We're obviously disappointed. We have always put player welfare at the heart of everything we do and that's never been as important as it has over the past 12 months."

New Zealand has always been viewed as one of the best places to be hosting a major sporting event in 2021, with some of the lowest Covid numbers in the world. However, hosting an additional 11 arriving Test sides and agreeing suitable quarantine arrangements has proved too much.

It is the first time the women's tournament has been hosted by a southern hemisphere nation, and it's thought the event will be rearranged for 2022.

With her cousins Geeta Phogat and Babita Kumari, being international wrestlers and Commonwealth Games medalists as well, India is celebrating a ‘new fighting spirit’ with wrestler Vinesh Phogat. Now, coming from a successful family of wrestlers, she is the first Indian woman wrestler to win Gold in both Commonwealth and Asian games.

A world championships bronze medallist in 2019, she was the first Indian woman to win gold at both the Commonwealth and Asian Games. For many of today’s young hopefuls her story is an inspiration, the latest among a growing number.

The 26-year-old, who comes from a small village in the northern state of Haryana (who has markedly fewer females than males), had an upbringing that was very different. Her uncle decided that all the family's daughters should take up wrestling - which attracted opposition and controversy.

Phogat recalls: "All hell broke loose in the village when my uncle starting training us girls in the early 2000s. People called him and us names. My sisters and I all had short cropped hair and so we would wear shorts in the village and practise.

"Ladies would come up to my mother and say 'tell your daughter to at least cover her legs'. My mother would also feel ashamed, but we fought back collectively. And the international medals proved everyone wrong."

Back then, only two decades ago, there were far fewer icons to watch out for. Now she is one of many modern figures showcasing the rising spirit of Indian sportswomen.

Phogat was six-years-old when she watched on TV as Karnam Malleswari won India's first Olympic medal in female competition: a weightlifting bronze at the Sydney Olympics. “The date is still etched in my memory too” she says, as it became a watershed moment for women's sport in India.

Since then four more Indian women have claimed Olympic success; boxer Mary Kom, wrestler Sakshi Malik, and badminton stars Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu.

It is a serious scene of concentration but there can be no doubt - something very uplifting is taking place in Indian sport.

Basketball superstar LeBron James has come out fighting after Swedish football legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic told him to stay out of politics.

Ibrahimovic said in a TV interview sports figures like James should not get involved as "it doesn't look good". James fired back: "I will never shut up about things that are wrong." Pointing out Ibrahimovic's own past complaints about racism in Sweden, James said: "I'm kinda the wrong guy to actually go at... I do my homework."

The two are megastars in their respective sports.

Ibrahimovic, in an interview with UEFA and Discovery+ in Sweden, criticised the political activism of sports stars. "Do what you're good at. Do the category that you do. I play football because I'm the best at playing football, I'm no politician. If I'd been a politician, I would be doing politics.

"This is the first mistake famous people do when they become famous and come into a certain status. For me it is better to avoid certain topics and do what you're best at doing, because otherwise it doesn't look good." James's response after his LA Lakers beat the Portland Trail Blazers was unequivocal. "I would never shut up about things that are wrong," he said.

"I preach about my people and I preach about equality, social injustice, racism, systematic voter suppression, things that go on in our community. There's no way I would ever just stick to sports, because I understand how powerful this platform and my voice is."

James also appeared confused at Ibrahimovic's statements, as the football star has regularly spoken out against racism. He said: "He's the guy who said in Sweden, he was talking about the same things, because his last name wasn't a [raditional Swedish last name, he felt like there was some racism going on when he was out on the pitch."

Ibrahimovic did indeed in 2018 tell French broadcaster Canal+ he did not receive the same treatment as other Swedish athletes, saying: "This is about racism. I don't say there is racism, but I say there is undercover racism." But he has also had to defend himself, particularly after certain comments to Romelu Lukaku in a heated exchange in January's derby with Inter Milan.

For his part James has faced criticism for his political activism before. He clashed with then President Donald Trump over the act of kneeling to protest against systemic racism. Fox News journalist Laura Ingraham told him to "shut up and dribble".

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 39, is an ex-Sweden international who has played in the top division of seven countries in a career that started more than two decades ago. He has won more than 30 trophies, scored more than 500 career goals and is still going strong in the top leagues at 39 - now back with AC Milan. Before that he was with the Galaxy in Los Angeles – James's current home town.

LeBron, 36, is widely considered one of the greatest players in NBA history.

He has won the NBA title with three different franchises - the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers - and has been the finals MVP for all of them.

Birmingham 2022 released the latest version of the competition schedule for the Commonwealth Games, the biggest multi-sport event to be staged in the UK for a decade with new information including the start and finish times for all 286 sessions of the Games, plus information about when the 283 gold medals that are up for grabs will be won.

The sporting action will start in style on Friday 29 July with medal sessions on the first day confirmed for swimming, track cycling, gymnastics and triathlon, all sports in which the host nation has reigning Commonwealth champions.

Last year organisers confirmed that more medals will be awarded to women than men for the first time ever at a major multi-sport event and Sunday August 7 will be a showcase for women’s team sport in particular, with the medal matches for women’s hockey, cricket T20 and netball all taking place on the same day.

Nigel Huddleston, Minister for Sport, Tourism and Heritage said: "There will be a series of stand-out sessions in this exciting sports programme, not least the fantastic showcase of women's team sport with hockey, netball and T20 cricket gold medals all being won on the same day. The Birmingham Commonwealth Games will provide some of the most memorable moments in what is set to be an incredible year of celebration for the UK in 2022." The final day of competition will be held on Monday 8 August when gold medals will be awarded in diving, table tennis, badminton, squash and hockey – also sports where Team England has previously excelled, so it could be a magic Monday finish for the home nation.

The ceremonies team will be most in demand on Tuesday 2 August when nine sports will award medals and Sunday 7 August when the medallists in eleven different sports will be decided. The new schedule, which has been finalised following detailed conversations with Games Partners, international federations and broadcasters, has been added to the Birmingham 2022 website, with a dedicated new section allowing eager sports fans to start planning their visit to the West Midlands for the Games.

Chief Executive of Birmingham 2022, Ian Reid, said: “We’re on track to stage a magnificent edition of the Commonwealth Games and we have seen huge interest in tickets in recent weeks. Now more than ever, people are searching for something to look forward to and that is certainly what we will deliver. There are millions of sports fans out there who, because of the pandemic, have not been able to attend events for 12 months and with things moving in the right direction, and vaccines being rolled out, we are anticipating a huge amount of interest when our tickets go on sale later in the year.”

Ama Agbeze, Team England gold medallist and Chair of the Birmingham 2022 Athletes’ Advisory Committee, explained what the new schedule means for the 4,500 athletes that will be looking to compete in Birmingham: “The competition schedule for the Games is really taking shape – not only do we now know which sports will take place on each day but we also know the number of sessions and when those all-important medals will be decided.

“This will make the Games even more real for all of the athletes looking to compete at Birmingham 2022, plus it provides the teams with key information to help them plan and prepare.”

Birmingham 2022 will be the first time that women’s cricket T20 has featured at a Commonwealth Games and Edgbaston, one of the world’s greatest cricket grounds, will host matches at 11am and 6pm during the early stages of the tournament. Smithfield in the centre of the city, which is being transformed for the Games will come alive in the afternoon and evening with beach volleyball sessions starting at 2.30pm and 7pm and with basketball 3x3 and wheelchair basketball 3x3 matches from 3.30pm and 7.30pm.

Leader of Birmingham City Council, Councillor Ian Ward, said: “The publication of this version of the competition schedule really does illustrate how much will be going on in the city during the 11 days of action. It also highlights the breadth and variety of amazing venues we have including the world-famous Edgbaston Stadium, the city centre showcase at Smithfield, the beautiful surrounds of Sutton Park and the redeveloped Alexander Stadium. Birmingham will provide a brilliant stage for the best of Commonwealth sport.”

The busiest venue during the Games will be the brand-new Sandwell Aquatics Centre with 66 medal events in swimming, para swimming, and diving being held in the state-of-the-art facility. The venue which is on track to be completed in spring next year, will be in use for all 11 days of competition.

Dame Louise Martin DBE, CGF President said: “This is another significant milestone as we move closer to Birmingham 2022. We are fortunate to showcase two full weekends of world-class sport, with the event featuring the largest para sport programme in Commonwealth Games history with an unprecedented platform for women’s sport.

“It is a huge source of pride for everyone in the Commonwealth Sport Movement that Birmingham 2022 will be the first major multi-sport event to have more medals for women than men, providing a huge boost for women’s sport. After such a difficult period, I am delighted Birmingham 2022 is unveiling this exciting schedule today, to give Commonwealth athletes and fans a spectacular competition to look forward to.”

Team England Chef de Mission for Birmingham 2022, Mark England OBE, added: “Today’s announcement of the Birmingham 2022 session schedule is incredibly exciting for us as the host team. We plan to be medal competitive from Day 1 and deliver inspiring moments throughout the 11 days of competition. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Team England athletes to perform on their home stage in Birmingham will, I’ve no doubt, provide countless memorable moments for the home support.”

British Athletics can confirm six athletes have been added to the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team for the 2021 European Athletics Indoor Championships, Toruń, Poland (4-7 March) following European Athletics’ acceptance of nominations for unqualified field event athletes.

Emily Borthwick [high jump], Joel Khan [high jump], Morgan Lake [high jump], Charlie Myers [pole vault], Jazmin Sawyers [long jump] and Amelia Strickler [shot put] all join the British team.

However, Elliot Giles has withdrawn from the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team. Following team selection, Giles and his coach have decided to withdraw from the Championships to focus on his next training block to prepare for the start of the outdoor season and the upcoming Tokyo Olympic Games.

Emily Borthwick and Morgan Lake join the women’s high jump field. Lake moved to joint third in the 2021 European rankings after clearing 1.96m in Belgrade on Wednesday, which doubled as an Olympic qualifying standard.

Borthwick cleared a personal best of 1.87m at the British Athletics European Indoor Selection Trials in Loughborough at the weekend. She will make her debut in a senior British team in Poland.

In the men’s equivalent, 2020 British champion Joel Khan also earns his first call-up to a senior British squad. The Worcester athlete improved his PB by 5cm at the British Athletics event last weekend, clearing 2.23m, and will look to continue that form as he takes on the best in Europe next week.

The women’s long jump will have double British representation following the acceptance of Jazmin Sawyers’ nomination. Abigail Irozuru was selected on Monday and will now be joined by her compatriot in the line-up for Toruń. In Belgrade, Sawyers achieved her longest leap indoors since 2017; 6.50m.

Amelia Strickler earns a call-up for her second European Indoor Championships in the women’s shot put. Additionally, Charlie Myers takes his place in the team for the men’s pole vault. Unfortunately, British Athletics’ nomination for Scott Lincoln in the shot put was not accepted.

The Manchester Met Mystics put on a perfect performance on defence and offence this evening, as they beat the Newcastle Eagles by 23 points to reach the WBBL Trophy Semi-Finals.

The Eagles led 6-2 two minutes into the first quarter, but after two consecutive shots made by the Mystics to tie the game, the home side did not lead again throughout the entire game as the visitors pulled away.

Ebony Horton started off the bench for the Mystics, but that did not stop her from dropping a joint game high of 19, while the visitors’ captain Georgia Jones managed 15 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals in a dominating performance which definitely inspired her team to victory.

Sophia Song and Nicolette Fong Lyew Quee also reached double-figures for scoring, dropping 11 and 10 points respectively and getting five rebounds each, while Hannah Shaw’s eight points and seven rebounds also proved crucial in helping the Mystics control the game.

Eagles forward Alison Gornell was the other player to reach 19 points, and she also put up five rebounds and five assists for her team, while Maddy McVicar also reached double figures as she dropped 10 and added four rebounds and three assists.

Orieoma Chukwu-Etu managed a game-high for rebounding with 12 to accompany her six points on her stat-line, with Deborah Rodriguez Perez the closest Eagle to reaching that tally of rebounds, managing six.