RUGBY UNION
Cotter to coach Scotland
New Zealander Vern Cotter has been hired to coach Scotland to the 2015 Rugby World Cup, from next year. The Scottish Rugby Union said on Monday that Cotter would take over for two years from June next year, when his contract with French club Clermont Auvergne ends. Scott Johnson, the interim coach since November last year, was appointed director of rugby, but will stay in charge of Scotland for a second straight Six Nations next year, then hand over to Cotter to give him a year’s buildup to the World Cup in England. Cotter, at Clermont since 2006, led the club to the recent Heineken Cup final and said after a Top 14 semi-final loss last weekend that next season would be his last at the club. The Scottish Rugby Union concluded the contract with Cotter months ago, chief executive Mark Dodson said, but waited until the end of Clermont’s season to make the announcement. “To have secured someone of his caliber is a coup for Scotland,” Dodson said. “It’s a measure of our standing that we have him on board.”
SOCCER
Werder Bremen hire Dutt
Robin Dutt was named the new coach of Werder Bremen on Monday after the German soccer association agreed to release him from the post as their sporting director. The 48-year-old is to replace Thomas Schaaf, who was the country’s longest-serving top flight coach when he was sacked by the four-times German champions earlier this month after 14 years. “I’m very happy to take my place on the bench again,” former Germany defender Dutt told the club’s official Web site. “Werder Bremen is a great club and it’s a very interesting task.” Dutt made a name for himself after guiding SC Freiburg into the Bundesliga in 2009 and keeping them there until his departure in 2011 for a season at Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
SOCCER
Neymar signs with Barca
Brazilian soccer star Neymar on Monday signed a five-year contract with Spanish powerhouse Barcelona and is to travel to Spain next week for the official presentation. The 21-year-old star, whose full name is Neymar da Silva Santos Junior, announced his choice on his Instagram account on Saturday after receiving offers from both the Catalan club and their rivals Real Madrid. “I want to thank the Santos fans for nine incredible years,” wrote Neymar, currently a forward for the storied Brazilian team Santos. Neymar’s agent Wagner Ribeiro said his client would be one of Barca’s highest paid players, but did not disclose the financial terms of the deal.
MOTORCYCLING
Rider killed during practice
Organizers of the Isle of Man TT Races say Japanese rider Yoshinari Matsushita was killed during practice on Monday on the road course. The British-based Auto Cycle Union (ACU) issued a statement on the race Web site to confirm the 43-year-old Matsushita was killed in an accident at Ballacrye in the north of the island. The practice session was immediately stopped. The ACU said Matsushita was an experienced rider from Saitama, Japan, who won the 2008 Motegi Endurance race and first competed at the TT Races in 2009. “Yoshi was a really popular competitor who had a large number of friends in the TT Races paddock,” ACU course spokesman Gary Thompson said. “He was a genuine and friendly character who always had time for everyone. He will be sorely missed.”
The next generation of running talent takes center stage at today’s Berlin Marathon, in the absence of stars including Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge and Ethiopian world record holder Tigist Assefa. With most of the major marathon stars skipping the event in the wake of the Paris Olympics just more than a month ago, the field is wide open in the men’s and women’s races. Since 2015, Kipchoge has won five times in Berlin, Kenenisa Bekele has won twice and Guye Adola once — with all three missing today. Kenyan Kibiwott Kandie and Ethiopian Tadese Takele are among the favourites for the men, while
Japan’s Shohei Ohtani is the record-breaking baseball “superhuman” following in the footsteps of the legendary Babe Ruth who has also earned comparisons to US sporting greats Michael Jordan and Tom Brady. Not since Ruth a century ago has there been a baseball player capable of both pitching and hitting at the top level. The 30-year-old’s performances with the Los Angeles Dodgers have consolidated his position as a baseball legend in the making, and a national icon in his native Japan. He continues to find new ways to amaze, this year becoming the first player to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases
Zhang Shuai yesterday said that she nearly quit after losing 24 matches in a row — now the world No. 595 is into the quarter-finals of her home China Open. The 35-year-old is to face Spain’s Paula Badosa as the lowest-ranked player to reach this stage in the history of the tournament after Badosa reeled off 11 of the last 12 games in a 6-4, 6-0 victory over US Open finalist Jessica Pegula. Zhang went into Beijing on a barren run lasting more than 600 days and her string of singles defeats was the second-longest on the WTA Tour Open era, which
Taiwan’s Tony Wu yesterday beat Mackenzie McDonald of the US to win the Nonthaburi Challenger IV in Thailand, his first challenger victory since 2022. The 26-year-old world No. 315, who won both his qualifiers to advance to the main draw, has been on a hot streak this month, winning his past nine matches, including two that ensured Taiwan’s victory in their Davis Cup World Group I tie. Wu took just more than two hours to top world No. 172 McDonald 6-3, 7-6 (7/4) to win his second challenger tournament since the Tallahassee Tennis Challenger in 2022. Wu’s Tallahassee win followed two years of
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