Latest- The Wests Tigers have appointed Tim Sheens as coach for the next two seasons with former club legend and Kiwi Benji Marshall to take over for the 2025 season.
Benji Marshall Photo: Photosport
In a revolutionary coaching appointment, Sheens will return to the club from next season, a decade after he was shown the door, with Marshall and fellow 2005 premiership winner Robbie Farah to act as his deputies.
Marshall will then be handed the reigns as head coach in 2025.
"This is about having Wests Tigers DNA surging through the club, and it's about putting together a rock-solid coaching plan for the next five years," said Tigers CEO Justin Pascoe.
"Benji and Robbie are two of the most talented players this club has seen, and Tim's coaching record speaks for itself.
"These three have achieved just about everything there is to achieve in the game and this partnership I know will be really, really powerful for our club.
The Tigers sacked former coach Michael Maguire last month and Brett Kimmorely is in charge on an interim basis.
Marshall played 201 games for the Tigers between 2002 and 2013 and only retired last year after spending the 2021 campaign with South Sydney.
He brings only a modicum of coaching experience with him, having worked with the Tigers juniors since his retirement.
-ABC
Solo ride leads to Tour de France stage win
Britain's Tom Pidcock won the 12th stage of the Tour de France, a 165.1-km Alpine trek between Briancon and L'Alpe d'Huez.
The Ineos-Grenadiers rider prevailed from the day's breakaway with an attack 3.3 km into the final climb, a 13.8km effort at an average gradient of 8.1 percent.
South African Louis Meintjes was second and Britain's four-time champion Chris Froome took third place.
Dane Jonas Vingegaard retained the overall leader's yellow jersey after resisting a couple of attacks from his main rival, defending champion Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia.
-Reuters
Unvaccinated players can return to Australian Rules Football
The AFL has removed its Covid-19 vaccine mandate, paving the way for exiled players to return to the top level.
Generic photo of AFL football Photo: AAP
The move brings the league into line with Australian government requirements that legislate only specific industries need employees to be fully vaccinated.
The league released a statement saying: "Those players who were not fully vaccinated and ineligible to play and departed their clubs as a result may now seek to re-enter the AFL or AFLW system."
It said AFLW players who were not vaccinated but remained as inactive listed players, were "now eligible to be re-introduced" into preseason training.
St Kilda's Georgia Patrikios did not play in the 2022 AFLW season, while Carlton's Liam Jones and Brisbane's Cam Ellis-Yolmen both left their respective AFL teams at the end of last year when the mandates were enforced.
AFL executive general manager of football Andrew Dillon said: "Our AFL industry has continued to adapt to the circumstances in front of us, and while we have removed the mandatory vaccine mandate, we still maintain the view that vaccinations are the best form of defence in minimising the impacts of COVID with the focus now on keeping "up to date" with all recommended boosters."
-ABC
Scotland make mass changes for final Argentina Test
Scotland coach Gregor Townsend named Hamish Watson as captain and made nine changes to his starting line-up for the decisive third test against Argentina.
Gregor Townsend Photo: AFP
Scotland beat Argentina 29-6 to win the second test after losing the first 26-18 at San Salvador de Jujuy.
Injury to fullback Rory Hutchinson hands Ollie Smith his debut in one of four backline changes for the match in Santiago del Estero.
Rufus McLean comes in for Darcy Graham on the wing while Sione Tuipulotu is selected in place of Sam Johnson in the midfield. Ali Price is in at scrumhalf despite Ben White's stellar showing in last week's second test victory in Salta that tied the series.
In the front-row, Zander Fagerson will make his 50th appearance and is joined by Sale Sharks hooker Ewan Ashman, who will make his first start in a test, and Rory Sutherland returns to the team after missing last week's game.
In the second row Jonny Gray replaces Grant Gilchrist who captained the side in the first two tests.
Watson will captain the team for the first time.
Lock Glen Young is in line to earn his first cap after being included on the bench for the first time.
-Reuters
Serena Williams back on court
Serena Williams has decided to compete next month in Toronto, having returned to action two weeks ago at Wimbledon after a year away from tennis competition, tournament organisers said.
Serena Williams Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Williams, who suffered a second straight Wimbledon first-round exit this year, elected to use her protected ranking to enter the main draw of the August 6-15 National Bank Open for the first time since her run to the 2019 final.
In that final, Canada's Bianca Andreescu consolidated a break to go 3-1 up at which point Williams, a three-time winner of the event, went to her chair and broke down in tears due to back spasms that forced her to retire 19 minutes into the match.
Organisers said 41 of the top 43-ranked players on the WTA Tour are on the Toronto entry list, including Poland's world number one Iga Swiatek, four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka of Japan and Britain's U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu.
-Reuters
