RUGBY LEAGUE
NRL name Greenberg CEO
Australia’s National Rugby League yesterday appointed head of football Todd Greenberg as its chief executive, saying he was the “man for the job” among an international search. Greenberg, a former chief executive of the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, had been widely expected to take the post after Dave Smith stepped down late last year. “Todd ticks all the boxes to be the new CEO,” Australian Rugby League Commission chairman John Grant said in a statement. “While we’ve known all along that he is an outstanding sports administrator with a deep understanding and love of the game, his experience as the former CEO of the Bulldogs and head of football for the NRL, together with his professional values and credibility with our stakeholders, proved to the commission that he was the man for the job.” Greenberg has long had a passion for the game. He said his priorities would be to grow the game via increased participation and through bigger audiences.
RUGBY UNION
Marler verdict queried
World Rugby have requested more information from the organizers of the Six Nations about the process that led to England prop Joe Marler being cleared of verbally abusing another player during last week’s victory over Wales. Marler called Wales prop Samson Lee “gypsy boy” during the match at Twickenham on Saturday last week and on Wednesday, Six Nations Rugby said no further action would be taken against him. The governing body of the global game released a statement late on Thursday in which it said it “noted” the outcome of the investigation. “World Rugby can confirm that, in accordance with its regulations, it has requested further information from Six Nations Rugby in respect of the process that led to its decision,” it said. Six Nations Rugby, in its ruling, accepted Marler had made the comment “in the heat of the moment,” while the player said he “deeply” regretted the incident and had apologized to Lee at halftime of the match.
RUGBY UNION
Racing rest Dan Carter
French Top 14 leaders Racing 92 have rested superstar Dan Carter for today’s game against Montpellier, with one eye already on next month’s heavyweight European Cup clash against Toulon. Carter was replaced due to injury in last week’s 34-16 win against Top 14 champions Stade Francais and he will sit out the trip to Montpellier as will Welsh flyhalf Mike Phillips and Argentine speedster Juan Imhoff. Racing are also missing six international stars away on Six Nations duty. Despite that, Racing will not be tempted to risk their headline acts with the European Cup quarter-final at home to Toulon on April 10.
HORSE RACING
Ruby Walsh passes 50 wins
Irish jockey Ruby Walsh passed a half-century of wins at Cheltenham with three victories on Thursday as the favorites dominated the third day of the festival. Walsh won aboard Black Hercules in the Novices Chase, Vautour in the Ryanair Chase and Limini in the Novices Hurdle to move to 52 career victories at Cheltenham and seven for this week, all on Willie Mullins-trained horses. All three of Walsh’s wins on Thursday were on favorites. In the feature race, the three-mile World Hurdle, Thistlecrack justified his tag as even-money favorite, winning by seven lengths. Thistlecrack jockey Tom Scudamore said: “What a racehorse; it’s fair to say he’s the best I’ve sat on” after landing his ninth win at a Cheltenham Festival.
Soccer officials yesterday offered “full support and assistance” to the Iranian team in Australia for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup after the US and Israel launched massive attacks on their homeland. Iran’s 26-strong squad arrived on the Gold Coast days before the strikes on Saturday killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as Washington and Tel Aviv seek to topple the Islamic republic. They are due to open their tournament today against South Korea. The AFC in a statement said it “continues to closely monitor the recent developments in the Middle East during this challenging period.” “The AFC’s foremost priority remains the welfare, safety and
EVERY DAY A VICTORY: Players on the women’s team faced pressure from society just getting out onto the field as they prepare for their first Women’s Asian Cup game today Bangladesh’s national soccer team face daunting odds at their first-ever Women’s Asian Cup, but have already scored a major victory by qualifying. In the South Asian nation of 170 million, social stigma, family expectations, poverty and religious hardliners have long relegated women and girls to sports sidelines. The first women’s soccer league matches took place in 2011 and the squad, known to fans as the Red and Green, have kept pressing forward despite deeply embedded prejudices. “Many more girls would have joined us if the community had been even slightly supportive,” captain Afeida Khandaker told AFP ahead of her side’s March 3
ROAD RASH: Marc Marquez retired after a crash, marking the first time after 88 consecutive races stretching back to 2021 that a Ducati bike failed to make the podium Marco Bezzecchi yesterday won the MotoGP season-opening grand prix in Thailand from pole position as defending world champion Marc Marquez retired late with a buckled wheel. Aprilia’s Bezzecchi led from start to finish to top the podium in Buriram, with KTM’s Pedro Acosta second and Trackhouse’s Raul Fernandez third. Ducati’s Marquez is chasing a record-equaling eighth world title this season, but he exited the race in dramatic fashion while in fourth place with five laps to go. The Spaniard, who started from second on the grid, took a corner wide, with the jolt to his bike dislodging the rear tire, badly damaging his
Liverpool on Tuesday suffered an embarrassing 2-1 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers as Andre’s stoppage-time strike sealed a dramatic victory for the English Premier League’s bottom club. Arne Slot’s side fell behind to Rodrigo Gomes’ strike in the closing stages at Molineux. Mohamed Salah hauled Liverpool level with his first goal in 11 top-flight games dating back to November last year. However, Andre’s first goal for Wolves inflicted the latest humbling loss in a chastening season for Liverpool. It was the first time the Premier League’s bottom club had beaten the reigning champions since Crystal Palace defeated Chelsea in 2017. Liverpool
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