Month: April 2023

Alfa Romeo charger Zhou Guanyu says Formula 1’s popularity continues to grow in China despite the country’s successive race cancellations due to the Covid pandemic.

Formula 1, which last raced in China in 2019, was initially scheduled to return to Shanghai this week. But last December, after assessing Covid transmission rates in the country, FOM along with the FIA opted to scrap the event once again from Grand Prix racing’s calendar.

Rather than relaxing restrictions last year, Chinese authorities deployed snap lockdowns and contact tracing, but that approach only served to frustrate residents who took to the streets to protest their governments firm grip on their daily lives all the while Covid cases reached all-time highs.

Zhou – China’s first F1 driver who began his career at the top echelon of motorsport in 2022 with Alfa – has therefore yet to enjoy the special experience of racing on home soil.

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The 23-year-old admitted to being disappointed by his home race’s successive cancellations, but the Alfa charger says he will bide his time.

“I’m disappointed but I kind of saw this coming because of the restrictions, we didn’t open the border early enough,” Zhou told Sky Sports. “So when we had the race scheduled for April, I knew everything was too tight.

“I saw it coming but I don’t feel too bad because I feel like the home race will come, it’s just a matter of time.”

Read also: Hong Kong billionaire Lo confirms bid for new F1 team

Since its inception in 2004, the Chinese Grand Prix has been an important race for F1. With the world’s largest population and a rapidly growing middle class, the country is a huge potential market for the sport .

The Chinese government has also recognized the economic and social benefits of hosting international sporting events like Formula 1 races, and has actively supported the development of the sport in the country.

Finally, Zhou’s emergence as a young talent has acted as a major catalyst to further boost China’s interest in F1.

“I have no doubts all the tickets will be sold out really quickly, and that it will be packed with people around the whole circuit,” Zhou said, when asked about F1’s return to Shanghai, likely in 2024.

“I’ve felt the popularity improve growing up, recent years, especially the last few years since I became an F1 driver.

“There are a lot of people who just want to go on a track day, driving themselves, and are also interested in watching races – so it’s nice to see that.”

Zhou reckoned that F1’s return to China will offer the opportunity for a new contingent of younger fans to discover the sport.

“I think the most important part, the next big step, will be having the home race so that people newly interested in Formula 1 can actually experience that themselves and they can really feel the impact and energy of the sport,” he concluded.

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Cheslin Kolbe will play his first test at fullback when he makes a return to the South Africa team against Ireland in Dublin on Saturday.Kolbe, better known for runs down the wing, suffered a broken jaw against Wales in July and returns in a surprise switch by the Springboks, who start the first of four November internationals in Europe.Kolbe replaces Willie le Roux from the side that beat Argentina 38-21 in the Rugby Championship in September. Coach Jacques Nienaber announced two further backline changes on Tuesday but keeps the same pack.Damian Willemse will be the five-eighth after missing the last test, replacing veteran Frans Steyn, while Kurt-Lee Arendse is on the wing for the injured Canan Moodie."Damian has done well for us at flyhalf, and he is continuing to grow as a player in that role, while we think Cheslin has the potential to add a new dimension to our game at fullback," Nienaber told a virtual news conference."He was sidelined for a while after breaking his jaw against Wales, but he has played four 80-minute matches for Toulon since returning to play, and we are confident that he will step up to the challenge."Nienaber said he expected Ireland to be a major challenge, particularly at home."Ireland are the top ranked team in the world currently and they've shown in the past that they can be a force to be reckoned with in Dublin," he said."Obviously we are a long way out from the World Cup, but we have a limited number of matches left before the competition and the preparation doesn't get better than playing a side we will face in the World Cup and the number one side in the world."This match is important for us for many reasons, one of which is to test our player combinations with the World Cup less than a year away," he added.SPRINGBOKS (15-1): Cheslin Kolbe, Kurt-Lee Arendse, Jesse Kriel, Damian de Allende, Makazole Mapimpi, Damian Willemse, Jaden Hendrikse, Jasper Wiese, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi (c), Lood de Jager, Eben Etzebeth, Frans Malherbe, Malcolm Marx, Steven KitshoffReplacements: Bongi Mbonambi, Ox Nche, Vincent Koch, Franco Mostert, Deon Fourie, Kwagga Smith, Faf de Klerk, Willie le Roux. Click Here: custom plastic molding

As reported by L’Équipe, Bundesliga club Freiburg are targeting Marseille’s Senegalese international striker Bamba Dieng this transfer window.

The Bundesliga outfit have contacted the French side over the 22-year-old forward who has become a prominent part of the first team squad at OM over the last 18 months while Freiburg had previously been in contact with the player directly over a transfer earlier in the year too, say the sports daily.

However, a deal is still a long way off as the two clubs remain far apart on their respective valuations of the striker who managed seven goals and three assists in Ligue 1 last season. Marseille are looking for between €12m and €15m to allow the young forward to leave but the German side have only informally suggested a potential €8m offer.

Dieng, who is reportedly keen to remain at OM this coming season with two years left on his current contract, saw significant interest in January too. Dieng turned down an offer from Fenerbahçe on deadline day while Newcastle, Burnley and Brighton were all also pushing to sign the striker.

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France wing Damian Penaud will depart Clermont at the end of the season to join Top 14 rivals Bordeaux-Begles, it was announced on Wednesday.

The 26-year-old, who has been outstanding this year for both club and country, is a legend of Les Jaunards and will be sorely missed by their loyal supporters.

But the wing has decided it is time for a move and leaves to join UBB ahead of 2023/24, with Bordeaux getting a player who looks at the peak of his powers.

Contract runs until 2026

Penaud will join Bordeaux-Begles on a contract which runs until 2026 as he leaves Clermont, a team the evasive finisher joined back in 2014 at youth level.

He has scored 52 tries for Les Jaunards since making his senior debut in 2015 and became a fan favourite and admired across Europe for his silky running.

As mentioned, Penaud was in fine form for Les Bleus in 2022, as he scored eight tries in the calendar year, impressing with his ability to glide past defenders.

8 – Damian Penaud scored eight tries for @FranceRugby in 2022, more than any other player for a Tier 1 nation this year; he also recorded a 79% tackle evasion rate this calendar year, the best rate of any player to face 10+ tackles. Exceptionnel. pic.twitter.com/0CDoatS5kD

— OptaJonny (@OptaJonny) December 28, 2022

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He was part of the France side that won the Six Nations Grand Slam in 2022 and is set to be a pivotal player for Fabien Galthie in the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

Santiago Cordero to depart?

With Penaud’s pending arrival, Argentina international Santiago Cordero could leave Bordeaux-Begles, with his contract set to expire at the end of 2022/23.

There has also been ongoing rumours around the future of Bristol centre Semi Radradra, with a possible return to Bordeaux being rumoured in France’s press.

Radradra impressed for the Bears in Tuesday’s victory over Harlequins in the Premiership as the Fijian powerhouse continues his comeback from a knee injury.

Penaud and Radradra link-up?

A possible link-up with Penaud in UBB colours would certainly excite their fans as Bordeaux look to become a major player in the Top 14 and Champions Cup.

Bordeaux are currently seventh in the French league with a record of six wins, six defeats and a draw so far this campaign and have lost both European openers.

The 16 captains gathered on Wednesday ahead of the highly anticipated Cathay Pacific/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens on 4-6 November, which sees the famous tournament return to Hong Kong Stadium for the first time since 2019.Hong Kong kicks off a blockbuster schedule for the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2023 with a full roster of teams and hosts as the dynamic, highly entertaining Olympic sport continues to grow, evolve and engage new fans around the globe.The men’s Series will include a record-equalling 11 rounds while women’s Series has a record seven rounds, an increase of one from 2022. The men’s Series begins this weekend in Hong Kong, while the women kick-off in Dubai on 2-3, December.VIEW SERIES 2023 SCHEDULEThe competition will be intense from start to finish with the prize of Olympic Games Paris 2024 qualification on offer for the top four teams in the 2023 Series standings.The action kicks off in Hong Kong on Friday when Ireland face Kenya at 15:40 local time (GMT+8). Fiji begin their Hong Kong title defence in the fourth match of the day, against Japan, while newcomers Uruguay start against 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallists South Africa.VIEW MATCH SCHEDULEDefending Series champions Australia have been drawn in Pool A alongside New Zealand, Samoa and invitational team Hong Kong.South Africa, France, and Great Britain are joined by Series debutants Uruguay in Pool B.Defending Rugby World Cup Sevens champions Fiji are in Pool C, aiming for a sixth straight title in Hong Kong. They will face the USA, Spain and Japan.Argentina and Ireland, who qualified for the World Series on their last outing in Hong Kong in 2019, are joined by Kenya and Canada in Pool D.Australia captain Nick Malouf said: “It’s great to be back. This is one of the premier tournaments and everyone knows the history of Hong Kong with a fantastic crowd so it’s great to be back here and we can’t wait to get out on the field on Friday. We’ve been able to keep pretty much the whole of the squad from last year and we’ve had a good pre-season so we can’t wait to get back out on the pitch.“There’s a bit of extra pressure with the Olympic qualification and all the teams are going to be doing their best to get in the top four and secure their spot in Paris so with that pressure I’m sure everyone’s going to be stepping up an extra gear and it’s going to be a great Series.”New Zealand captain Sam Dickson said: “We had a few injuries at the end of last season so it’s been good to have a bit of time off, get the boys back fresh and we’re ready to rip it. We’ve got a strong squad and we’re really looking forward to this season so there’ll be no excuses. Hong Kong will be a ripper to start with, they always put on a good show here and the crowd love their sevens so we can’t wait.”Fiji captain Waisea Nacuqu said: “We were happy with our performance at the World Cup and now we are prepared for Hong Kong. Playing in Hong Kong is like playing in our home ground. We need the support of the Fiji fans and we know there will be a lot cheering for us this weekend.”Uruguay captain Diego Ardao said: “We are delighted to be here and be part of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series. It will be the experience of a lifetime. We have been preparing in a great way and we are ready for this challenge. We expect to make a good performance and an evolution from now until the end of the Series. We have some goals and objectives and we are looking forward to it.”Hong Kong captain Max Woodward said: “We’ve got that buzz back this week, there’s a lot of excitement in the city and people have been waiting for a long time for this. It’s really exciting for us as players too, especially with a new squad and a lot of guys who have never played a Hong Kong sevens.”World Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin said: “Following a three-year interval due to the effects of the global pandemic it is fantastic for the sevens to be back in Hong Kong, and with the full line-up of teams in action, fans will be treated to a thrilling weekend of world class rugby sevens.“Hong Kong Sevens is an iconic event with a rich history that has built a strong legacy. The sense of anticipation from players and teams to return to a much-loved venue such as Hong Kong is especially high after missing out since 2019.“We would like to thank the Hong Kong Rugby Union and Hong Kong SAR Government for their support and efforts to bring the event back. The health and welfare of everyone involved remains our top priority and we thank all stakeholders for their collaboration and dedication to ensure the delivery of another safe and secure rugby sevens event.”Uniquely the 2023 Series is featuring two rounds in Hong Kong, with a combined men’s and women’s event on 31 March-2 April, bringing both players and fans double the excitement of playing in one of the best loved rugby sevens tournaments in the world.Click Here: nrl rugby league jerseys