Australian Associated Press – Page 22

August 26, 2024

Douglas Costa: Sydney FC sign former Juventus and Bayern star in coup for A-League

Highly-decorated Brazilian arrives at Sky Blues from Fluminense
33-year-old who has won 24 trophies hailed as ‘world class’

Sydney FC have signed former Juventus and Bayern Munich star Douglas Costa in a massive recruitment coup for the A-League Men. Costa joins the ALM heavyweights as a marquee player for two seasons after being released early from his contract by Brazilian club Fluminense in July.

The 33-year-old winger will land in Sydney as their biggest signing since Italian Alessandro Del Piero in 2012. It comes after the Australian Professional Leagues slashed club distribution to just $530,000, down on close to $2m handed out last season.

June 22, 2024

Blues beat Chiefs to break 21-year Super Rugby title drought

The Blues sweep aside the Chiefs in a 41-10 drubbing at Eden Park
It was the first final between the NZ sides in their 28-year history

The Blues have broken a 21-year Super Rugby title drought, sweeping aside the Chiefs in a 41-10 drubbing at a sold-out Eden Park.

In the first ever final between the two New Zealand sides in their 28-year history, the Blues were dominant.

June 12, 2024

Wallabies star Carter Gordon turns back on rugby union and joins NRL’s Titans

Member of 2023 World Cup squad signs two-year deal on Gold Coast
Five-eighth was looking for new club after demise of Rebels

Gold Coast have pulled off a stunning signing coup with Wallabies five-eighth Carter Gordon to join the club in another huge blow to Australian rugby. The 23-year-old, who will join the Titans next year until the end of 2026, was a key member of the Wallabies World Cup squad in 2023 and played No 10 for the now defunct Melbourne Rebels.

Gordon will join fellow World Cup star Mark Nawaqanitawase in the NRL next year with Test winger signing with the Sydney Roosters from the NSW Waratahs. Joseph-Aukuso Sua’ali’i is heading the other way, switching to rugby union from the Sydney Roosters next season.

June 8, 2024

‘It’s a sad time’: Rebels bid emotional farewell in last ever Super Rugby Pacific match

Hurricanes end Melbourne’s hopes of fairytale finish with 47-20 victory
Financially-stricken club to now be closed down after 14 seasons

Tears among the Rebels players have signalled the end for Melbourne, whose place in Super Rugby Pacific was brought to a close by a quarter-final loss to the Hurricanes. The Rebels were given almost no chance of upsetting the table-topping Hurricanes in Wellington on Saturday, but held them to an eight-point margin at half-time on the back of some desperate defence.

That took its toll, with the home side piling on five second-half tries to post a 47-20 victory. Rebels winger Lachie Anderson scored a late double but the Hurricanes remained on track for the semi-finals.

June 7, 2024

Court condemns soccer fans’ Nazi salutes at 2022 Australia Cup final

Three men were convicted and fined $500 for ‘deliberately and intentionally’ performing the salute

Three Croatian men have been convicted and fined after separately making Nazi salutes during the 2022 Australia Cup soccer final.

Nikola Marko Gasparovic, 46, Dominik Sieben, 25, and Marijan Lisica, 45, performed the salute at Parramatta’s CommBank Stadium on October 1 2022, during the match between Sydney United 58 and Macarthur FC.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

May 30, 2024

Two more Macarthur FC players named in alleged A-League bet-fixing scheme

Matthew Millar and Jed Drew named in court documents as three other teammates face charges over alleged plot to receive yellow cards for payment

Two more A-League players have been named as alleged participants in an alleged bet-fixing scheme involving their Macarthur FC teammates.

Matthew Millar and Jed Drew are accused of participating in a criminal group that also allegedly involved three charged players – club captain Ulises Davila and teammates Clayton Lewis and Kearyn Baccus.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s free morning and afternoon email newsletters for your daily news roundup

May 30, 2024

Financially-stricken Melbourne Rebels axed from Super Rugby Pacific

Private consortium’s rescue plan deemed ‘overly optimistic’
Australian club’s last match will be played next month

A legal battle looms between Rugby Australia and the consortium who planned to save the Melbourne Rebels, with the Super Rugby Pacific club to be shut down after 14 seasons.

Five months after the Rebels entered voluntary administration, Rugby Australia broke the news before players boarded a plane to Fiji for the final round of the competition.

May 9, 2024

Darts sensation Luke Littler to make Australian debut at Wollongong event

Star-studded line-up confirmed for Australian Darts Masters
World No 1 Luke Humphries also named in 16-player field

Teenage darts sensation Luke Littler is to make his debut in Australia when he headlines the country’s biggest event in Wollongong in August.

The 17-year-old English phenomenon, who has flourished as the sport’s biggest attraction since becoming the youngest ever world championship finalist at 16 in January, will feature in a star-studded line-up at the Australian Darts Masters in August.

March 11, 2024

Alex Carey leads mighty run chase as Australia beat New Zealand in second Test

New Zealand 162 and 372; Australia 256 and 281-7
Carey unbeaten on 98 in three-wicket victory in Christchurch

Australia’s middle order squeaked out a mighty Test win in Christchurch, where Alex Carey’s fighting 98 not out defied New Zealand to wrap up a 2-0 series victory. Carey and Mitch Marsh, who made 80, did the business for Australia, which stumbled to 4-34 before reaching 281-7 to win.

Combining after the early loss of Travis Head (18) at 80-5, Marsh and Carey put on 140 runs together – the biggest partnership of the series, when the pressure was at its heaviest. New Zealand debutant Ben Sears gave Australia a mighty shake, removing Marsh and then Mitchell Starc in two balls to reduce the tourists to 220-7.

March 10, 2024

New Zealand close in on drought-breaking Test victory against Australia

New Zealand 162 and 372; Australia 256 and 77-4 at Hagley Oval
Black Caps eye first Test win over rivals on home soil since 1993

New Zealand are in the box seat to claim a drought-busting Test win over their arch-rivals after Australia wilted on day three of the second Test.

Chasing 279 for victory, Matt Henry and debutant Ben Sears ripped through the Australian top order at Hagley Oval on Sunday, leaving Australia dazed at 34-4.

December 19, 2023

Rugby Australia won’t rule out hiring Michael Cheika for second stint as Wallabies coach

Cheika quits as Argentina coach after reaching World Cup semis
Phil Waugh says RA ‘interested in anyone’ to replace Eddie Jones

Rugby Australia chief executive, Phil Waugh, isn’t ruling out going back to the well once more and hiring Michael Cheika as Wallabies coach for a second stint.

Cheika on Tuesday announced he had parted company with Argentina, two months after guiding the Pumas to the Rugby World Cup semi-finals in France.

November 14, 2023

Rugby Australia takes over NSW high performance as strategic reset begins

Top state becomes first to commit to centralisation plan
RA say aligned system is essential for future of game

Rugby Australia and the NSW Rugby Union have agreed to the first step in the strategic reset of Australian rugby. NSW becomes the first state member union to formally commit to Rugby Australia’s plan to align the sport across the country.

The agreement to centralise means responsibility for the operations of the Waratahs’ professional entities will be passed on to RA from 1 January. RA will take responsibility for the Waratahs’ high-performance operations, assets, liabilities, and commercial arrangements. All Waratahs employees will continue in their current roles.

May 12, 2023

‘Not dead yet’: Reds beat Chiefs to snap 10-year Super Rugby hoodoo

Queensland 25-22 victory halts Chiefs’ 10-game victory streak
Western Force climb to eighth after 34-14 win over Fijian Drua

Queensland Reds coach Brad Thorn has declared they are “not dead yet” after a historic upset in New Zealand rescued their season.

A 25-22 win in New Plymouth on Friday night was the Reds’ first in New Zealand since 2013. It ended a 21-game Super Rugby losing streak in the country and the Chiefs’ 10-game unbeaten run to begin this season.