RUGBY UNION
Race for Pacific Cup tightens
Fiji and Japan stormed back into contention in the Pacific Nations Cup yesterday with thrilling victories over first-round winners Samoa and Tonga to blow the tournament wide open. All four teams now have one win and a loss from their first two games meaning the honors will be decided in the third and final round, to be played in Lautoka, Fiji, on Wednesday. The hosts recovered from their surprise 45-21 hiding by Tonga in the first round to beat defending champions Samoa 36-18, while Japan, beaten first up by Samoa, held on for a narrow 28-27 win over Tonga. The match was sealed for Japan in the third quarter when they posted two converted tries to turn a 14-17 deficit at halftime into a 28-17 lead and they were then strong enough defensively to hold out the desperate Tongans. Fiji played with much more intensity against Samoa than they showed against Tonga, running in five tries with Nicky Little and Waisea Luveniyali landing two conversions each and Little also kicked a penalty. Tonga, with bonus points from both games so far, head the table with six points, while Fiji, Samoa and Japan have five each.
BASEBALL
Jeter, A-Rod decide to rest
New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter and third baseman Alex Rodriguez have decided not to play in next week’s All-Star game to rest from injuries, the team said on Friday. Jeter, who is two hits away from reaching the milestone of 3,000 career hits, wants to protect a calf muscle injury that sidelined for three weeks, while A-Rod underwent tests on Friday for a sore right knee. Rodriguez was not written into the Yankees pre-game lineup for Friday’s scheduled game against the Tampa Bay Rays, while Jeter had been set to play before the contest was rained out. Following the decision to call off Friday’s game against the Rays, the Yankees announced that Rodriguez would also miss the Mid-Summer Classic.
FOOTBALL
Court rules for owners
A US federal appeals court ruled on Friday to throw out a judge’s order lifting the NFL’s lockout, while owners and players worked on reaching a new labor deal to start this year’s season on time. The US 8th Circuit Court of Appeals in St Louis, Missouri, ruled on an April 25 decision by US District Judge Susan Nelson, who had put the lockout on hold after NFL players had said the work stoppage was causing them irreparable harm. “We conclude that the injunction did not conform to the provisions of the Norris-LaGuardia Act ... and we therefore vacate the district court’s order,” the appellate court said in its 54-page ruling. The ruling came as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFL Players Association head DeMaurice Smith met for a second straight day of negotiations in New York.
SOCCER
Fenerbahce chief faces jail
A Turkish prosecutor requested that a court jail the chairman of league champions Fenerbahce pending trial on charges of match-fixing on Friday, TV reports said, in an investigation which could result in the club being stripped of its title. The court was expected to rule on the request to imprison Aziz Yildirim later on Friday. If jailed, he will join 25 people already remanded in custody on charges of manipulation in 19 matches, which Turkey’s prime minister said has stained Turkey’s image. Broadcaster CNN Turk said Yildirim was accused of both match-fixing and of running an illegal group. Yildirim was one of 61 people detained in police raids launched across Turkey last Sunday.
Brazil has four teams, more than any other country, in the expanded Club World Cup that kicked off yesterday in the US, but for SE Palmeiras, the competition holds a special meaning: winning it would provide some redemption. Under coach Abel Ferreira since 2020, Palmeiras lifted two Copa Libertadores titles, plus Brazilian league, cup and state championships. Even before Ferreira, it boasted another South American crown and 11 league titles. The only major trophy missing is a world champions’ title. Other Brazilian clubs like Fluminense FC and Botafogo FR, also in the tournament, have never won it either, but the problem for Palmeiras
Lionel Messi drew vast crowds and showed flashes of his brilliance when his Inter Miami side were held to a goalless draw by African giants Al-Ahly as the revamped FIFA Club World Cup got off to a festive start on Saturday. Fans showed up en masse for the Group A clash at the Hard Rock Stadium, home to the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, but Messi could not fully deliver, his best chance coming through a last-second attempt that was deflected onto the crossbar. Inter Miami next face FC Porto on Thursday in Atlanta, while Al-Ahly, who benefited from raucous, massive support, are to
Sergio Ramos on Tuesday outfoxed two Inter players and artfully headed home the first goal for Monterrey at the FIFA Club World Cup. The 39-year-old Ramos slipped through the penalty area for the score just as he did for so many years in the shirts of Real Madrid and Spain’s national team, with whom he combined smarts, timing and physicality. Ramos’ clever goal and his overall defensive play at the Rose Bowl were major factors in Monterrey’s impressive 1-1 draw against the UEFA Champions League finalists in the clubs’ first match of the tournament. “There is always a joy to contribute to the
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani on Monday wobbled through a 28-pitch first inning at home against the San Diego Padres in his first appearance on the mound since August 2023. Scheduled to throw as many as two innings, Ohtani went a single frame while allowing one run on two hits. He did not issue a walk nor strike out a batter. “Not quite happy with the results overall, but the takeaway for me is that I feel good enough to be able to make the next outing,” Ohtani said of his pitching performance. Ohtani still wound up with a positive impact
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