Kategori: Sports

Lachlan Lam revelled in kicking the first drop goal of his career to help Leigh Leopards to a 17-16 victory over Hull Kingston Rovers in golden point extra time; Robins head coach Willie Peters was proud of his side after the club endured more Wembley heartbreak

Lachlan Lam celebrates his game-clinching drop goal in Leigh’s Challenge Cup final win over Hull KR

Lachlan Lam was delighted to be able to make the first drop goal of his career the game-clinching score in a Betfred Challenge Cup final as Leigh Leopards triumphed at Wembley.

The 25-year-old slotted the one-pointer in the fourth minute of added time and was immediately mobbed by his team-mates as it sealed a 17-16 win over Hull Kingston Rovers and ended Leigh’s 52-year wait for cup glory.

Lam’s winner came after team-mate Gareth O’Brien and Hull KR’s Brad Schneider had both missed extra-time shots at goal, and it was Leopards full-back O’Brien who provided the pass for the Lance Todd Trophy winner to seal glory.

“It’s my first professional field goal,” Lam said. “I’ve never kicked one in a professional game, and I think I’ve kicked one in a reserve-grade game in Australia.

“[O’Brien] missed that first one and had the trust to throw it back to me to take that kick and that comes down to mateship off the field and the type of people you want to have on your team.

“I went to celebrate and all of a sudden, I was on my back, and everyone was piling on top of me. It was a really special moment.”

Lam’s goal ensured he joined his father and Leigh head coach Adrian in becoming a Challenge Cup winner, with Lam senior being part of the Wigan Warriors team which won the trophy in 2002.

I went to celebrate and all of a sudden, I was on my back, and everyone was piling on top of me. It was a really special moment.

Lachlan Lam on his game-winning drop goal

This is the third trophy success Lam has overseen during his time in charge of Leigh, guiding them to an 1895 Cup and Championship Grand Final double last year.

The Leopards have taken the Super League by storm since their return to the top flight as well, currently sitting third on points difference from Wigan in the table, and the boss hailed the efforts of his side during that time.

“In the last 18 months, we’ve won everything in front of us and that’s not from being arrogant, it’s just hard work,” Lam said.

“We’ve had 15 new players come in this year and this is a magic moment for the club, but we feel there are good times ahead for us as well.

John Asiata and Adrian Lam celebrate with the Challenge Cup in front of Leigh’s fans

“It was an incredible finish. We planned for extra time over the last month, and it fell into place really well.”

Leigh captain John Asiata, who was part of the club’s successes in 2022 as well, believes there is plenty more to come from the team as they turn their sights to Super League and securing a play-off spot in the remaining six games of the regular season.

“We always set a goal we wanted to be in these big games and this year we ticked each game as it went by,” Asiata said.

“Every week, we started to improve and changed people’s minds in the way they think of us and what we can deliver on the field. Within the group, we looked at ourselves and said ‘we can do something big here as long as we’re strong mentally’.

Leigh’s players lift the Challenge Cup

“We got this opportunity and understood these moments don’t come often. It could be our last, it could be the first of many, and we just want to make sure when we get it, we make the most of it – and we did that today.”

Peters proud of Robins in defeat

Hull KR head coach Willie Peters was full of praise for his players after the club suffered another agonising defeat in a Challenge Cup final.

The Robins had pulled the game back to 16-16 thanks to a late try from Matt Parcell and conversion from Schneider, but could not replicate their golden-point victory in last month’s semi-final as the club’s wait to add to their sole cup win in 1980 goes on.

“I’m extremely proud of the players,” Peters said. “We went through a lot in that game and we didn’t handle that golden point all that well as we had done previously, but if you look at the 80 minutes when some things went against us we hung in there.

Hull KR captain Shaun Kenny-Dowall looks dejected at full time

“It just proves and shows the fight in this team and the character in the side to keep going at the end and lock it up, and unfortunately we lose in golden point.”

Hull KR still have an opportunity make the Super League play-offs and must put this loss behind them quickly before facing reigning champions St Helens at Totally Wicked Stadium on Friday August 18.

“We’ll prepare as best we can for the rest of the season, dust ourselves off and go back to what we always do,” captain Shaun Kenny-Dowall said. “We work hard and prepare well, and that will be the messaging for the rest of this week.

“We’re disappointed, but there is still full focus and a lot of rugby to be played at the back end of the year, and we want to get the most out of that.”

Oscar Valdez believes that he can emulate Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera in his fight with Emanuel Navarrete at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona this weekend.

Valdez fights Mexican rival and WBO super-featherweight champion Navarrete live on Sky Sports Main Event or Sky Sports Action from 2am on Sunday morning.

Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera will be ringside for the fight and make a presentation to the victor.

“Those two fighters inspired me to be the fighter that I am,” Valdez told Sky Sports. “It means a lot for us Mexican fighters to be called a guerrero, a warrior.

“Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve dreamed about these types of fights,” he continued.

“We know about ‘Vaquero’ Navarrete’s style, everybody seen my style so, I think that these styles will be a perfect match to give the fans what they want.

“The fans want to see blood. They want to see a war. They want to see someone hit the canvas.

“So, we’re up for it. Every time you got two Mexican fighters inside the ring, there’s always fireworks.”

There is personal pride and national pride to consider and Valdez is determined to deliver the type of contest people expect.

“I’m expecting a good fight, a war. Many fighters might be a little bit nervous, but on the contrary for me, it’s like bring it on,” he said.

“I was born for this. It only gets more motivating when I hear these types of things, that people are expecting a war. I don’t see another way in this fight.

“Navarrete is a tough fighter. He’s proved it before. He got sent to the canvas when he got knocked down by [Liam Wilson] and he showed that he had a lot of heart by getting up and then later stopping him. It just shows what type of fighter ‘Vaquero’ Navarrete is.

“In my case, I won’t back down.”

He longs to win this fight and become a world champion once again.

“This fight right now is the biggest fight of my life. It means everything to me,” he said. “When I lost my title against Shakur Stevenson, I realized how much I love boxing and how much I miss being called a champion. I miss feeling like a champion as well,” he said.

“The moment that I lost it against Stevenson, the world fell on top of me.

“That’s why this fight means the world to me right now because I have to get back to where I left off.”

A marker of Valdez’s unique determination can be seen in how he fought through a broken jaw to beat Scott Quigg. It was a gruesome injury. Yet Valdez was not derailed.

“For me, losing is not an option. For me, the quitting part, the part that just letting it slide easy, it’s not for me. I will always fight to the end,” he said.

“I get those questions a lot. How did I do it with the jaw injury in the fifth round and continuing all those rounds with the broken jaw? For me, I couldn’t [quit]. There’s no possible way for me to say, ‘No mas, I can’t continue.'”

Valdez career of late has included the high of a spectacular stoppage victory over Miguel Berchelt to win the WBC super-featherweight title and his crushing loss to Shakur Stevenson in a unification bout.

But Valdez unwinds at his ranch Mexico where he keeps a menagerie of exotic animals.

“It’s my favourite spot back there,” he said. “It’s my peace. It’s where I get out and just detoxify myself from the world.

“Because when you’re in training camp, you’re boxing all day, before you go to sleep, you’re always thinking about the game plan, thinking about the boxing, thinking about the rival, thinking about somebody out there that’s training hard to knock myself out. It can become stressful.

“So, once we finish the fights, we go back to the ranch. Nothing but family, nothing but love, peace, and all my animals. It’s just my favourite spot.”

Valdez has an alligator called Steve, that he even swims with.

“It’s a great experience being able to swim with an alligator and not everyone can do that,” Valdez said.

He maintains that is neither a stressful nor a dangerous pastime, adding cheerfully: “I’ve got good head movement.”

Watch Emanuel Navarrete fight Oscar Valdez for the WBO super-featherweight title live on Sky Sports Main Event or Sky Sports Action from 2am on Sunday morning.

Ally Ewing holds the halfway lead at the AIG Women’s Open, with Charley Hull part of the chasing pack and chasing a maiden major victory; Watch the third round live on Saturday from midday on Sky Sports Golf

Pairings and tee times for the third round of the AIG Women’s Open, held at Walton Heath in Surrey and exclusively live on Saturday from midday on Sky Sports Golf.

USA unless stated; (X) denotes amateurs

Starting at hole one

0835 Moriya Jutanugarn (Tha)

0845 Danielle Kang, Akie Iwai (Jpn)

0855 Cara Gainer (Eng), Wei-Ling Hsu (Tai)

0905 Lindy Duncan, Alice Hewson (Eng)

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Watch Charley Hull hole two huge birdie putts at the AIG Women’s Open!

0915 Haruka Kawasaki (Jpn), Georgia Hall (Eng)

0925 Maja Stark (Swe), Caroline Hedwall (Swe)

0935 Angela Stanford, Kylie Henry (Sco)

0945 Diksha Dagar (Ind), Klara Davidson Spilkova (Cze)

0955 Mao Saigo (Jpn), Yuri Yoshida (Jpn)

1010 Julia Lopez Ramirez (Esp) (x), Hae Ran Ryu (Kor)

1020 Anna Nordqvist (Swe), Charlotte Heath (Eng) (x)

1030 Johanna Gustavsson (Swe), Hyejin Choi (Kor)

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Charley Hull analysed her performance at round two of The AIG Women’s Open as she is tied for second at the end of the day.

1040 Celine Boutier (Fra), Xiyu Janet Lin (Chn)

1050 Amy Yang (Kor), Stephanie Meadow (NIrl)

1100 Gemma Dryburgh (Sco), Leona Maguire (Ire)

1110 Alim Kim (Kor), Nicole Broch Estrup (Den)

1125 Olivia Cowan (Ger), Pajaree Anannarukarn (Tha)

1135 Eun Hee Ji (Kor), Jiyai Shin (Kor)

1145 Emily Kristine Pedersen (Den), Kokona Sakurai (Jpn)

1155 Nelly Korda, Ruoning Yin (Chn)

1205 Na Rin An (Kor), Mina Harigae

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Watch Anna Nordqvist fail to get her ball in the air from the rough and scuff it down the fairway.

1215 Yuna Nishimura (Jpn), Megan Khang

1225 Rose Zhang, Grace Kim (Aus)

1240 Yu Liu (Chn), Jaravee Boonchant (Tha)

1250 Morgane Metraux (Sui), Jeongeun Lee6 (Kor)

1300 Ayaka Furue (Jpn), Jenny Shin (Kor)

1310 Lindsey Weaver-Wright, In Gee Chun (Kor)

1320 Miyu Yamashita (Jpn), Linn Grant (Swe)

1330 Ryann O’Toole, Perrine Delacour (Fra)

1340 Jin Young Ko (Kor), Nasa Hataoka (Jpn)

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Jodi Ewart Shadoff joins Sarah Stirk in the Sky Zone to discuss the atmosphere at the AIG Women’s Open and how the tournament is ‘amazing for women’s golf’.

1355 Minjee Lee (Aus), Aditi Ashok (Ind)

1405 Allisen Corpuz, Atthaya Thitikul (Tha)

1415 Jodi Ewart Shadoff (Eng), Angel Yin

1425 Gaby Lopez (Mex), Alison Lee

1435 Hyo Joo Kim (Kor), Lilia Vu

1445 Charley Hull (Eng), Minami Katsu (Jpn)

1455 Andrea Lee, Ally Ewing

When is the AIG Women’s Open on Sky?

Sky Sports will have extended live coverage from the final women’s major of the year, with seven hours of live action for each tournament day.

Coverage will begin from midday over the weekend, while there will be a daily one-hour highlights show to look back at the best of the previous rounds’ action on Sky Sports Golf.

You can download the Sky Sports App to get news, interviews, highlights, clips, leaderboard scores and a dedicated blog, while other special AIG Women’s Open programming will be available to download via Sky Sports On Demand.

Watch the AIG Women’s Open live on Sky Sports. Live coverage of the third round begins on Saturday at midday on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the AIG Women’s Open with NOW for £26 a month for 12 months.

Ange Postecoglou revealed Harry Kane told him on his first day as Tottenham manager that he wanted to leave the club – and said Spurs fans have the right to “mourn” his imminent exit.

Tottenham’s all-time record goalscorer is heading to complete a £100m move to Bayern Munich, which will bring a 19-year stay at the club to an end.

The 30-year-old’s future has been a major talking point over the summer after Spurs’ eighth-placed finish left them without European football – but Postecoglou said Kane had already made up his mind when they first met a month ago.

“I had a conversation with Harry the first day I arrived, he was upfront and honest and I was the same,” said Postecoglou.

“You kind of get an indication that he had made up his mind that if the clubs agreed a deal, he would go.

“His emphasis was [to resolve his future] before the first game, that was mine as well, and there’s been nothing along the way that made me feel like there was anything else other than this outcome.”

Asked if he tried to convince Kane to stay, Postecoglou replied: “No, I didn’t see the point in that. Whatever I was going to say wasn’t going to be relevant to how he felt, being here for the last month.

“I could plan this grand vision but I’m sure he’s heard it all before. Not that I was going to make a pitch for him, but my feeling was, ‘we’re going to get to know each other over the next month’.

“If [there was no agreement], he was happy to stay. He wasn’t forcing it on me, he was very professional about it. I tried to treat him with the respect that a player of his standing deserves.”

Postecoglou: Fans have right to mourn Kane exit

Kane first joined Tottenham’s youth academy in 2004 and has scored 280 goals for the club’s first team. But the England captain is set to end his Spurs tenure without a trophy for the club.

The forward led Spurs to the Champions League final in 2019, as well as two League Cup final appearances, but Postecoglou says Kane’s lack of silverware at the club should not diminish his achievements.

“That’s a little bit unfair on Harry as well,” said Postecoglou when asked about Kane ending his spell without a trophy.

“They’ve got close a couple of times. But in this business, that’s the reality of it. Unless you lift a trophy that kind of thing is branded against you. But that doesn’t diminish his contribution.

“It’s only fair on a day like today that our supporters do have a sense of mourning and loss, as despite the lack of success at the club, he’s been a hero to them.

“Again, him going doesn’t change the vision of what I bring to this football club. It’s fairly obvious that a club of this stature has to find a way to win things. You can do that in very different ways, I have a very specific way to do it and that’s what I’m going to focus on. That’s all I’ve done in my career, play in a certain way and that’s my challenge as well.”

How do Spurs replace Kane?

Postecoglou stressed during his press conference that Kane leaving does not change his project to rebuild Spurs, as he was planning on the deal to happen.

However, the Australian admitted that there is no like-for-like replacement for the outgoing England captain.

“I don’t think there’s a like-for-like replacement for Harry,” he said. “We’ve been planning for this for a while. It doesn’t take too much investigative work to realise this was going to happen. We were planning for it to happen.

“This doesn’t change things dramatically from what we are trying to build. There is movement in the squad. Some players will seek opportunities elsewhere, there are still three weeks to go in the window. That’s not because Harry’s gone, that’s always been in the plan.”

Asked if he has a list of forward options to replace Kane, Postecoglou said: “It doesn’t work that way. It’s not my wife handing me a shopping list to get bread and milk for the kids.

“We knew it was coming. From our perspective, we are preparing for Brentford. There won’t be anyone incoming between now and Sunday.”

Postecoglou added that James Maddison, who was one of the Spurs boss’ first signings at the club, could help spread the goals around the team.

Sunday 13th August 1:00pm


Kick off 2:00pm

“You can’t replace [Kane] with one player and the one place I feel the club needed was midfield threat. And that’s what Maddison brings.

“If Harry’s gone, we want to spread [the goals] out and Maddison provides that. The way he’s been in training the and way he embraces the club, he plays the way we want to play.”

Watch Tottenham’s first game of the post-Harry Kane era as they visit Brentford live on Sky Sports this Super Sunday; kick-off 2pm.

Follow the summer transfer window with Sky Sports

Who will be on the move this summer before the transfer window closes at 11pm on September 1 in England and midnight in Scotland?

Keep up to date with all the latest transfer news and rumours in our dedicated Transfer Centre blog on Sky Sports’ digital platforms. You can also catch up with the ins, outs and analysis on Sky Sports News.

Elliot Minchella is relishing his first Betfred Challenge Cup final appearance after rebuilding his playing career in the lower leagues following his release from Leeds Rhinos in 2015; the Hull KR forward and his team-mates face Leigh Leopards in Saturday’s final at Wembley

Elliot Minchella is looking forward to his first Challenge Cup final when Hull KR face Leigh

On Saturday, Elliot Minchella will play in the first major final of his career when Hull Kingston Rovers take on Leigh Leopards in the Betfred Challenge Cup showpiece at Wembley. However, the back row has taken a road less trodden to get here.

The former West Bowling junior had made a promising start to his professional career with Leeds Rhinos, bursting onto the Super League scene with a try-scoring debut as a 17-year-old in 2013. However, an off-field incident the following year led to him being loaned out to London Broncos in 2015 and being released at the end of the campaign.

Minchella was left to rebuild his career in the lower leagues, first with part-timers Sheffield Eagles, where he had to find a day job outside of the game, and then with home-city club Bradford Bulls before earning a second chance at Hull KR three years ago.

Since then, he has become a vital part of the Robins’ pack and even pushed himself into contention for an England call-up. Most importantly though, Minchella has the opportunity to be part of a team competing for one of rugby league’s biggest prizes.

“It’s tough,” Minchella told Sky Sports, reflecting on life outside the full-time game. “I’d gone from being in a changing room with legends of the game at Leeds to being on a building site or working at a builder’s merchant.

“It was hard, but you lean on those experiences to make you better as a person. That’s what I live by, really – learn from the tough time and enjoy the good ones.

“I’m proud of myself to stick with it and not take no for answer. I kept working hard, kept knocking on the door, and I believe that if you keep working hard you get your reward in the end.

Elliot Minchella in action for Sheffield Eagles in 2017

“I haven’t had that just yet, but I’m proud of the journey I’ve been on. I’ve had that never-say-die attitude towards it and I’m looking forward to Saturday.”

Even since his move to Sewell Group Craven Park, things have not always run smoothly. The Robins finished bottom of the table in the pandemic-affected 2020 Super League campaign and Minchella then suffered a season-ending ACL injury in only the second game of the following season.

Nevertheless, the 27-year-old has been able to excel with both Tony Smith and now Willie Peters in charge of the team and believes he has found a club in Hull KR which suits him as a person as well as a player.

“We’ve probably got similar values,” Minchella, who signed a four-year contract extension with Hull KR in April last year, said. “We’re not flashy, but we’re hard-working.

I believe that if you keep working hard you get your reward in the end. I haven’t had that just yet, but I’m proud of the journey I’ve been on.

Hull KR’s Elliot Minchella

“It’s a hard-working community and I love it, and it’s a great fit for me. I think we’re going places and we’ve been on a journey as a club.

“My first year we finished 11th out of 11, and we’re currently sitting in the play-offs. We’ve been in a few semi-finals and obviously the final on Saturday. I’m proud to be a part of it and long may it continue.”

After getting within 80 minutes of a first Super League Grand Final appearance in 2021, Hull KR missed out on the play-offs last year. However, former Gateshead Thunder and Wigan Warriors scrum-half Peters’ first season in charge sees them firmly in contention to make the play-offs.

They have reached Wembley for the first time in eight years too and have an opportunity to bring the Challenge Cup back to east Hull for only the second time in the club’s history, with their sole triumph coming in a 10-5 win against bitter cross-city rivals Hull FC in 1980.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Hull KR’s Brad Schneider reflects on a successful start to life in England and outlines what he and his side must do on Saturday against Leigh Leopards in the Challenge Cup final.

That final berth was secured courtesy of Brad Schneider’s golden-point drop-goal in the 11-10 semi-final win over Cup holders Wigan Warriors at Headingley last month and Minchella believes the attitude they showed that day is indicative of the approach instilled in pre-season.

“That’s something we pride ourselves on, never giving in and being relentless in what we do,” Minchella said.

“We didn’t go away in the semi-final; it took until the 84th minute but we got there in the end and that started in pre-season.

“We had a tough pre-season where we learnt some hard lessons about ourselves and your team-mates, and it brings you tight and connected as a team.

“It’s about never giving in and that’s what the city is about, that’s what east Hull is about, and that’s what we want to be as a team to represent them.”

Hull KR’s only previous Challenge Cup win came in 1980

Minchella is aware of Hull KR’s Challenge Cup final history from both the good and the bad sides, insisting that even though none of the current squad were part of it, they will be learning lessons from the 50-0 defeat to his old club Leeds at Wembley eight years ago.

He is determined to ensure he is not just a participant in the final either as he goes in search of the first major rugby league honour of his career.

“There are people who would bite your hand off to be in these sorts of games,” Minchella said. “I appreciate it and enjoy it, but we’ve got a job to do and that’s win the Challenge Cup.

“I don’t just want to be a part of it, I want to win it and go down in history as a Challenge Cup winner.”

Saffie Osborne fired in a Racing League double to extend Wales & The West’s advantage at the top on a dramatic night at Chepstow.

The defending champions headed to their home venue after getting this year’s competition off to a flying start at Yarmouth two weeks ago, arriving with an 11-point lead over The East.

Osborne and Wales & The West would have to wait to get themselves on the board as London & The South landed the opener before chaos ensued off the track as an electrical fault in the weighing room caused a lengthy delay while the fire service attended.

How week two unfolded at Chepstow…

London & The South struck first in a thrilling opener as Cabinet Of Clowns (15/2) saw off Ireland’s Arcadian Nights over a mile under Charlie Bishop.

The North, managed by Mick Quinn, picked up a nice points haul with Hartswood in third and United Front (sixth).

Once racing resumed, following the weighing room evacuation, it was business as usual for Osborne and Wales & The West as 7/4 favourite Chinese Knot cruised to victory in race two, with The North moving up to second in the table thanks to more valuable points from runner-up Eminny.

Osborne then made it back-to-back victories as Executive Decision rallied late to beat Nordic Passage in a photo finish to race three, with Ireland filling second and third as Momaer followed Nordic Passage home.

A lack of entries across the first two meetings has meant Scotland trail the field but Linda Perratt’s team were able to claim the maximum 25 points as Totnes eased to victory in race four under Paul Mulrennan.

Wales & The West were still able to gain ground on their title rivals with Miss Dolly Rocker beating London & The South’s I Still Have Faith in a race for the places.

For much of the way during race five it looked as though Wales & The West were set to bring up a treble as Dancing In Paris led them a merry dance under Sean Bowen, but the 15/8 favourite was pounced upon late by Ireland’s Star Harbour after a patient ride from Dylan Browne McMonagle.

Osborne did manage to get Fantasy Believer up for third to ensure Wales & The West were able to add to their tally.

Yorkshire then got on the board in race six with 8/11 favourite Manila Scouse getting the job done under a cool ride from David Allan, beating Scotland’s Get It and Wales & The West duo Stone Circle and Just Glamorous.

The finale saw 9/2 favourite Ramazan take home the £100,000 feature for The North ahead of Ireland’s pair Loingseoir and Pearle D’or.

How they stand after two rounds

Osborne’s double, coupled with a series of placed efforts throughout the night, means Wales & The West have opened up a commanding 77-point lead over Ireland in the team standings.

London & The South started brightly but tailed off somewhat to reach 231 points, 11 behind Ireland and 14 clear of The North.

The East were the only side without a win on week two and drop from second to fifth overall, on 187 points, 40 ahead of Yorkshire, with Scotland still trailing the field despite their first winner of the year.

Unsurprisingly, Saffie Osborne is the one they all have to catch in the race to be crowned Racing League’s champion jockey.

Five winners from nine rides has her clear at the top on 161 points, with Marco Ghiani on 93 from the same number of rides.

The big mover on week two is Dylan Browne McMonagle who is up to third on 88 points from just six rides.

Carlota Ciganda carded an opening-round 70 at Walton Heath, having been disqualified in her previous start at the Evian Championship for failing to acknowledge a two-stroke penalty for slow play; Watch the AIG Women’s Open throughout the week live on Sky Sports Golf

Carlota Ciganda believes she is penalised more frequently for slow play than other players and has critised the “subjective” rules in place to try and quicken up the sport.

Ciganda was disqualified from the Evian Championship last month after refusing to add a two-shot slow play penalty during her second round, with the Spaniard later criticising the LPGA Tour rules officials for a “very poor performance”.

Nelly Korda backed the decision to enforce the Rules of Golf on her when asked during her pre-tournament press conference ahead of the AIG Women’s Open, while Solheim Cup Suzann Pettersen admitted that Ciganda needs to “speed up”.

“I think I am a nice person and I respect everyone when I play, so I just hope they can do the same with me,” Ciganda said after her opening round at Walton Heath. “Some players, they play quicker and some players, they are slower.

“I mean, of course, I can be quicker, but a lot of them can be quicker too. I don’t want to put too much focus. I just play golf and I love what I do, and that’s it.

Carlota Ciganda is making her first appearance since being disqualified from the Evian Championship

“I know I’m not quick, like I know that there are a lot of quicker players out there. I think there are a lot of slow players and they don’t get penalized and they don’t get timed as much as I do, so I don’t think that’s fair.”

On the rules about pace of play, Ciganda added: “They always say the time starts when it’s your turn to play, but when is that? It’s just so subjective. I think in the end, if they put a referee in every group, a lot of girls will be penalised and I think sometimes it’s not fair. It’s not something that I can control so I don’t want to think too much.”

Ciganda mixed three birdies with a lone bogey during a two-under 70 at Walton Heath, seeing her set the initial clubhouse lead on the opening day, with the Solheim Cup star pleased by progress made with her own pace of play.

“Yeah, on the greens, a little bit quicker,” Ciganda explained. “We’ve been practicing the routine and I think we were fine today. We’ve been waiting a few holes for the group in front, so I think we did a good job.

“You have to understand that it’s professional golf and we are playing for a living and sometimes in majors, if you hit it in the rough or get in a bad situation, it’s going to take longer.

“If you make a couple of bogeys, it’s just a couple more minutes, so I think they should understand that a bit more.”

Stream AIG Women’s Open on Sky Sports with NOW for just £26 a month for 12 months. Cancel anytime. Live coverage continues on Friday from 11am on Sky Sports Golf.

St Helens and England forward Emily Rudge got her first taste of being on the big stage for a Challenge Cup final while still at school; Now she and her team-mates will be making history on Saturday as the Women’s Challenge Cup final takes place at Wembley for the first time

Emily Rudge is relishing the opportunity to star for St Helens at Wembley on Saturday

As a schoolgirl, Emily Rudge served as a ball girl for the Challenge Cup final and walked the Wembley turf on a lap of honour with future St Helens and England team-mate Jodie Cunningham as part of the Cardinal Newman High School teams which won the Champion Schools tournament.

While the pair talked about how incredible it would be to one day grace the same big stage as the men as players, little did they realise in the future that they would be among the players who would be breaking new ground.

Because, on Saturday, that childhood hope becomes a reality when Saints face Leeds Rhinos in the first Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup final to be played at Wembley – and for Rudge, it is the culmination of a dream which took root when she was on the sidelines as ball girl for the 2003 final.

“I did actually get on the pitch then and I remember loving that whole experience, so to now actually walk out as a player is so exciting,” Rudge told Sky Sports.

“Me and Jodie were part of the Champion Schools tournament and walked around Wembley a couple of times after we’d won, and we said then ‘how amazing would this be?’ as kids.

“We were never actually thinking we’d have that opportunity, so now it has come around it’s so exciting for everyone involved.

“It’s been a long time coming for a lot of women involved in the game and Wembley is such an iconic stage for the Challenge Cup.”

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Highlights of the Women’s Super League clash between Leeds Rhinos and St Helens

Wembley is a venue St Helens’ men have savoured plenty of success at, with 10 of their 13 Challenge Cup triumphs coming there, and now the women are aiming to join that history of triumphs at the national stadium.

Their male counterparts’ hopes of a return to the iconic ground were ended by a 12-10 defeat to Leigh Leopards in the semi-finals last month, but the club have gone all out to ensure the women are given exactly the same preparation to ensure the players are at their peak come 12pm on Saturday.

“What I’ve loved about Saints is they’ve really treated us as if the men would have got there,” Rudge said.

“We’re in the same hotel, we’re having the same sort of treatment they’ve had in previous years when they’ve been in the Challenge Cup final and that’s so important.

It’s been a long time coming for a lot of women involved in the game and Wembley is such an iconic stage for the Challenge Cup.

St Helens second row Emily Rudge

“The girls want to go out there and perform and play well for the club, and the club, rightly, are treating us like they would do with any other team.

“It makes the whole occasion more special, and it makes it really exciting for us to go down on Friday and take in that atmosphere and go out there and perform.”

The decision to take the Women’s Challenge Cup final to Wembley after it had been part of a treble-header with the two men’s semi-finals since 2019 is a further sign of how the profile of the game is growing and aiming to build on last year’s Rugby League World Cup on these shores.

Rudge is excited to be involved in rugby league at a time when there are so many more opportunities opening up for female players than in the past, although she admits she feels sympathy that pioneers like Andrea Dobson and Emma Slowe who she represented England with retired before being able to enjoy the same.

St Helens beat Leeds to retain the Women’s Challenge Cup in 2022

In turn though, the 31-year-old wants the game to keep growing for the next generation, with the next major step for the Betfred Women’s Super League being more clubs to join Leeds and York Valkyrie in paying players, even on a part-time basis to start with.

“We want the game to grow, and we want the women to get paid eventually,” Rudge said. “I think it just takes the pressure off the girls.

“Even this week, girls are at work, and they’ve had to get the Friday off to go down and some have found that difficult.

“It sounds crazy that they’re going to play at Wembley and struggling to get time off, but hopefully that won’t be the case in the next couple of years.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

St Helens’ Emily Rudge goes over for her second try of May’s Women’s Super League game against Leeds Rhinos

“Whenever that happens in the future, I hope there will be full-time professional women and that will really change the game and make it that bit fiercer and more competitive.”

St Helens reached the Women’s Challenge Cup final for the third year in a row following a thrilling 17-16 win over York which was settled by a late drop goal from Faye Gaskin and face a familiar final opponent in the Rhinos.

The sides met in both the 2021 BWSL Grand Final and last year’s Women’s Challenge Cup final, with Saints emerging victorious on each occasion.

Rudge scored two tries as St Helens defeated the Rhinos 38-18 in their league meeting at the end of May and they sit one place above Leeds in the table in second too, but the forward knows they face a fight on their hands to retain the Cup at Wembley.

“We’re quite familiar with Leeds and we’ve played them a number of times, and last year it could have gone either way,” Rudge said. “It was so close margins that they lost out and we managed to get the win.

“It’s going to be a fantastic game to watch and it’s going to be tough for us, but we’re definitely going out there to keep hold of that trophy and win at Wembley.”

Former London Broncos head coach Danny Ward is back in the Betfred Super League after replacing Andy Last at Castleford Tigers; Ward’s first game in charge will be the relegation clash with local rivals Wakefield Trinity, which is live on Sky Sports on Friday, August 18

Danny Ward has been appointed as Castleford’s new head coach

Castleford Tigers have confirmed the appointment of Danny Ward at the club’s new head coach until the end of the 2023 season following the departure of Andy Last.

Ward returns to the Tigers for whom he played for during the 2006 season and he will be joined by Dane Dorahy in the assistant coach position.

Ward also featured for Leeds Rhinos, Hull KR and Harlequins before moving into coaching with the London club, firstly as academy coach in 2014. The 43-year-old was then named assistant the following year and was promoted to head coach of the Broncos ahead of the 2018 season in which he gained promotion to Super League.

On his appointment as the club’s new head coach, Ward said: “I am buzzing and made up with the appointment. I am proud to be able to lead such a fantastic club which I have played for and have lots of happy memories at.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Castleford Tigers fans staged a protest at the The Mend-A-Hose Jungle after Friday’s 28-0 defeat to Huddersfield Giants which left the hosts bottom of the Betfred Super League on points difference

“It’s a proud moment for me to be given that opportunity and I am looking forward to the challenge.

“It’s exciting and I can’t wait to get started. I’ve always wanted to get back coaching at the top level and I back myself to be coaching at that level as well.

“I’m thankful for Cas to give me that opportunity to coach back in Super League and I’m hoping I can do a good job in a short space of time.

“It’s a proud club with a rich history in the way they like to play rugby. There are no more passionate fans than at Cas and they are some of the best supporters in the league.

“That knowledge of the club will help because I know people there already and I know a few of the players which will make the transition easier so I can hit the ground running.”

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Highlights of the Super League match between Castleford Tigers and Huddersfield Giants

Dorahy is the son of former Australian international John Dorahy and the 45-year-old joins the Tigers having featured for Rochdale Hornets, Wakefield Trinity, Hull KR, and Halifax during his playing days.

During his coaching career, Dorahy has worked as assistant coach of Wests Tigers’ second grade side, then moved on to South Sydney Rabbitohs, before switching to St George Illawarra Dragons most recently.

Dorahy will join fellow assistant coaches Craig Lingard and Scott Murrell.

On the new appointments, Castleford’s director of rugby operations Danny Wilson said: “We started the process of having to appoint a new coach and we consulted the playing group and asked them what they felt they needed. Immediately we thought that Danny Ward was someone who fit the bill and we made contact.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Highlights of the Super League match between Hull Kingston Rovers and Castleford Tigers

“There was also a need to bring some fresh ideas in as well. We’ve been wanting to bring in talented young players into the system and it’s the same with coaches as well. Danny is still young with experience at Super League level, and we wanted to bring in another new coach with new ideas.

“We looked overseas to see who the young talented coaches are within the NRL system and Dane’s name came up. We started a process to look at that and his coaching background which was very exciting to us.

“I think it shows our intent to stay in Super League to bring not just a coach of the calibre of Danny Ward in but to also bring in an assistant who is up and coming to compliment the great work that Craig Lingard and Scott Murrell are already doing.

“We’ve boxed it off now and we can really move forward and kick on for the last six games of the season.”

Carlota Ciganda was issued a slow-play penalty and later disqualified during last month’s Evian Championship, won by Celine Boutier; Nelly Korda was asked about the decision ahead of the AIG Women’s Open – watch live from Thursday on Sky Sports Golf

Nelly Korda addressed the media on Wednesday ahead of the AIG Women’s Open

Nelly Korda has backed the decision for slow play penalties to be issued in majors and believes more can be done to tackle the issue within the sport.

The world No 1 arrives as one of the favourites at the AIG Women’s Open, the final women’s major of the year, where she was asked in her pre-tournament press conference about the slow-play penalty issued to Carlota Ciganda during last month’s Evian Championship.

Ciganda lost her appeal for a two-stroke penalty during the second round in France, with the Spaniard later disqualified after refusing to acknowledge the penalty on her scorecard, with Korda supporting players being punished for slow play.

“I think at the end of the day, the Rules of Golf are the Rules of Golf and they should be enforced,” Korda said in her pre-tournament press conference at Walton Heath.

“I really like Carlotta [Ciganda]. She’s a great person. I enjoy playing with her. I am a fast player, but I would say at the end of the day the Rules of Golf are the Rules of Golf and it’s good that it’s being enforced.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

The final major of the season in women’s golf major season gets under way at Walton Heath on August 10 – you can catch all of the action live on Sky Sports.

“I think it [slow play] should be monitored. I mean, if I’m being honest, if I was a spectator and I was out here for 5 1/2 hours to 6 hours, you know, it’s tough to watch.

“You want to watch a sport that’s continuously moving and not continuously stalling. I would say I think it’s really important for the rules officials to enforce the Rules of Golf.”

Korda will play alongside Lydia Ko and another fast player in Charley Hull for the first two rounds at the AIG Women’s Open, with the American admitting that slow play can continue to be a frustrating element of the game.

“I would say that sometimes it does throw off your rhythm as a golfer to play with someone that’s a little slower,” Korda added. “But you just kind of have to adapt and play your best with the situation at hand.

Nelly Korda could lose her world No 1 status this week, depending on results

“My caddie and I do a really good job with it, and I haven’t run into any real issues. I just kind of slow down, as well. I walk a little slower and I just try to adapt to the pace of my group.

“If you’re just a regular golfer and just you’re just going out with your buddies, go out and enjoy your round of golf. But the last thing you want to be doing is being behind a threesome or a slow foursome. I would say be respectful to the people around you as well.”

Hull is looking to become the first Englishwoman to win a major since Georgia Hall’s 2018 success at Carnoustie, with Korda full of praise about her playing partner.

“I love Charley – she’s so much fun to be around,” Korda said. “I love playing with her. I’ve played a couple practice rounds with her. We’re pretty friendly.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Britain’s Charley Hull is hoping that home advantage can help her secure her first major as she prepares for the AIG Women’s Open at Walton Heath.

“She’s a fast player, I enjoy that, and she has a really good personality. She’s fun to be around and she’s an amazing golfer. Her putting is ridiculous. Yeah, she’s going to be a fan favourite here, so she will have a lot of people cheering for her.

“I just have a really good group with Lyds [Lydia Ko] and Charley the next two days. They are both really nice girls that I’ve gotten to know over the years. They have really great personalities, so it will be light and fun.”

Who can boost their Solheim Cup hopes at the AIG Women’s Open? Watch the final women’s major of the year on Sky Sports Golf, with the opening round live on Thursday from 11am. Stream the AIG Women’s Open with NOW.