19 Jul 2022

In today's sports news: What you need to know

8:17 am on 19 July 2022

Latest - Ireland prop Andrew Porter has been cited for a high tackle during his side's Test series-clinching win over New Zealand on Saturday.

Brodie Retallick of New Zealand is injured and forced to leave the field. Third Test against Ireland 2022.

Brodie Retallick Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Porter was yellow-carded by referee Wayne Barnes following a head-on-head collision with All Blacks lock Brodie Retallick in the second half of Ireland's historic 32-22 victory.

However, match citing commissioner James Sherriff has now reported the Irish forward, who faces a disciplinary hearing via video link on Tuesday.

Retallick suffered a fractured cheekbone in the incident and is expected to be side-lined for at least six weeks.

Saturday's victory in Wellington was just a second-ever win for Ireland in New Zealand and came a week after their first, which squared the series at 1-1.

The result moved Ireland to the top of the world rankings for just the second time since World Rugby launched its rankings system 19 years ago.

-BBC

Stokes to play his last ODI

England's talismanic all-rounder Ben Stokes has announced his shock retirement from one-day cricket citing the "unsustainable" rigour of playing all three formats of the game.

England allrounder Ben Stokes

Ben Stokes Photo: Photosport

Tomorrow's match against South Africa at his home ground in Durham will be Stokes's 105th and final one-day international, the 31-year-old said.

"Three formats are just unsustainable for me now," said Stokes, who will continue to play Twenty20 Internationals.

"Not only do I feel that my body is letting me down because of the schedule and what is expected of us, but I also feel that I am taking the place of another player who can give (captain) Jos (Buttler) and the rest of the team their all."

Stokes, who took over as the test captain in April, was player-of-the-match when England beat New Zealand in the final to win their maiden 50-overs World Cup at Lord's in 2019.

One of the most exciting players of his era, Stokes has battled a spate of injuries in recent times and took a break from the game last year to focus on his mental well-being.

Stokes his made ODI debut against Ireland in Dublin in 2011.

He has played 104 one-day internationals scoring 2919 runs, including three hundreds, at an average of 39.44 with a 95-plus strike rate.

Stokes is the second player from England's triumphant 2019 World Cup winning team, after former captain Eoin Morgan, to quit one-dayers.

-Reuters

Garcia not feeling the love

Former Masters champion Sergio Garcia said he intends to quit the World (European) Tour after signing up for the Saudi-funded LIV Golf series, adding that he no longer feels loved on his home European circuit.

Sergio Garcia is presented with his Green Jacket.

Sergio Garcia is presented with his Green Jacket. Photo: Supplied: Augusta National

Garcia, who resigned his PGA membership to play in the LIV series, will be ineligible for future Ryder Cups if he quits the World Tour.

Media reports have linked newly crowed British Open champion Cameron Smith and European Ryder Cup captain Henrik Stenson among other players with the controversial and highly lucrative series.

"I am quite clear about what I am going to do with the European circuit. Probably leave it. I want to play where I feel loved and right now in the European Tour I am not feeling loved," Garcia said.

"I am very happy with what I have achieved, and I am going to try to enjoy it. I will play less and will spend more time at home.

Garcia's former European Ryder Cup captain Thomas Bjorn has been an outspoken critic of LIV Golf and the players who have jumped ship to breakaway circuit bankrolled by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.

Critics say the new series amounts to blatant 'sportswashing' by a nation trying to improve its reputation in light of its history of human rights abuses.

-Reuters

Kerr to feature on FIFA 23 cover

Australian forward Sam Kerr will be the first female player to feature on the global cover of Electronic Arts' FIFA video game when the near-three decades old franchise launches 'FIFA 23' this year.

Sam Kerr celebrates with her Chelsea teammates

Sam Kerr celebrates with Chelsea teammates Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Kerr, who plays for Women's Super League champions Chelsea, will be featured alongside Paris St Germain forward and France's World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe, who has adorned the cover of the last two editions.

Kerr, 28, was the WSL's top scorer last season with 20 goals in as many appearances. She has also scored 56 goals in 108 appearances for Australia since her debut in 2009 at the age of 15.

Women have featured only on regional covers in previous years. American Alex Morgan and Canada's Christine Sinclair featured alongside Lionel Messi on the cover of the North American editions of FIFA 16 -- the first to have women's teams.

The FIFA series is one of the world's most successful video-game franchises that has raked in billions of dollars in sales but this year's edition is EA's final title after they parted ways with world soccer governing body FIFA.

EA made a significant offer to FIFA for an eight-year exclusivity period across all of FIFA's gaming and esports rights, but the soccer body was unwilling to lock up all of its gaming and e-football rights with just one publisher.

-Reuters

FA to trial a ban on headers

The English Football Association has been granted approval to run a trial next season to remove deliberate heading in matches across the Under-12 level, as it looks to mitigate against potential health risks and dementia.

Alan Shearer is concerned about the effects of heading the ball during his professional career.

Alan Shearer is concerned about the effects of heading the ball during his professional career. Photo: Photosport

The trial will run for the duration of the 2022-23 season with a view to completely eliminating deliberate heading from the 2023-24 season if it is successful.

The English FA had already issued guidance to either restrict or eliminate heading in training.

Studies have linked heading to lasting brain injuries, with the issue coming to the forefront when it was learned that five members of England's 1966 World Cup-winning team all suffered from dementia.

A software company that has been working with Premier League clubs even developed a virtual reality training program in a bid to find a solution to overcome the damaging impact of heading.

-Reuters

Fraser-Pryce does it again

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce claimed an astonishing fifth world 100 metres title at the age of 35 when she clocked 10.67 seconds to edge Shericka Jackson and Elaine Thompson-Herah in a brilliant Jamaican clean sweep.

Jamaican sprinter Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce

Photo: PHOTOSPORT

Fraser-Pryce got her usual superb start and held her form as fast-finishing Jackson clocked a personal best 10.73 for silver and Thompson-Herah took bronze with 10.81.

No nation had completed a medal sweep in the women's 100m at the worlds, though Jamaica did it at last year's Olympics via the same three athletes - and also in 2008.

The United States did the same in the men's event at the weekend, the first since 1991.

Fraser-Pryce now has five 100m world titles and two Olympic 100m golds and shows absolutely no signs of slowing down as yesterday's mark was the fastest winning time of all those seven global victories.

-Reuters