Sport

Joyce set for second Olympic Games

Published

4 years ago

June 23, 2021

JASMINE Joyce has been selected to go to her second Olympic Games, representing Team GB at rugby sevens.

She is one of three female players who finished fourth in Rio – Natasha Hunt and Abbie Brown were also part of the squad five years ago. Brown will co-captain the side along with former Glantaf pupil, England international Megan Jones.

WRU CEO Steve Phillips said, “Huge congratulations to Jasmine Joyce who will fly the flag for Welsh Rugby in Tokyo next month. It’s a huge achievement to be an Olympian once, let alone twice and Jasmine will no doubt do her family, friends and Welsh rugby proud on the world stage once again. She has our full support and we will be watching the Tokyo Stadium action very closely.”

For Jasmine, from St David’s in Pembrokeshire, it’s the culmination of five years of hard work.

“After the amazing experience of competing in Rio, returning to another games has been front and centre of everything I’ve done for the past five years and being named in the squad makes it all worthwhile. The Olympic Games is the ultimate achievement for any sportsperson and that dream became so much more achievable for me when rugby sevens became a Olympic sport.”

At 20, Jasmine was one of the youngest players in the Team GB squad in 2016 and hadn’t been capped for Wales at 15-a-side. Five years on and with 19 senior Wales caps, she is looking to draw on her experience to help the side to come back with some silverware.

“I was the new girl in Rio with little pressure on my shoulders. I’ve definitely got a different mindset this time around. People know my game more and there is more pressure on me to perform but I’m happy with that. We were disappointed not to medal last time around and are definitely going for gold next month.”

Jasmine paid tribute to fellow Wales international and GB Sevens training squad member Hannah Jones who missed out on selection.

“Hannah is my best friend so it was great to train together in GB camp. She has put so much hard work into everything she has done in recent years too, as have all the players in the training squad and the fact she’s missed out shows the level of competition throughout the squad is insane.

“I’ve had so much support from my family, friends and coaches throughout my career. The fact that they won’t be able to travel to Japan is disappointing but I know that we will feel everyone’s support via social media over the next few weeks and that makes a huge difference.”

The women’s rugby sevens tournament takes place from July 29-31.

Team GB women’s squad:

Holly Aitchison

Abbie Brown

Abi Burton

Deborah Fleming

Natasha Hunt

Megan Jones

Jazmine Joyce

Alex Matthews

Helena Rowland

Hannah Smith

Celia Quansah

Emma Uren

Women’s reserve: Lisa Thomson

Related Topics:Olympics Rugby Sevens Team GB Tokyo

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Letterston marksman wins junior athlete award

Published

1 day ago

January 21, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A TALENTED young athlete from Letterston has been honoured at the British Shooting Awards 2024.

Seren Thorne was shortlisted for the prestigious awards and attended the gala event held at the Imperial War Museum in Manchester. To the delight of her family and supporters, Seren was named the winner of the Rifle Pathway / Junior Athlete of the Year award.

This accolade highlights Seren’s exceptional skill and dedication to the sport, marking her as one of the rising stars in British shooting.

Her mother, Sian Thorne, expressed immense pride in Seren’s achievement, sharing photos of the memorable evening.

The British Shooting Awards 2024 celebrated excellence in the sport, with a full list of winners available on their official website.

PHOTO CAPTION: Champion marksman: Seren Thorne receiving the Rifle Pathway / Junior Athlete of the Year award (Pic: Supplied).

Sport

Previewing the 2025 Super Bowl

Published

2 days ago

January 20, 2025

Staff Writer

Each year millions of people across the world gather to watch one of the biggest sporting events of the year – the Super Bowl. Last year, 3.4 million people in the UK watched the Super Bowl, up 1.1 million from the previous year. Considering the growth in popularity of American football in the UK, we anticipate the viewership will be even higher for 2025.

The 2025 Super Bowl is scheduled to take place on 9 February 2025 at Caesars Superdrome in New Orleans, Louisiana.

NFL teams

12 teams began competing for a spot in the 2025 Super Bowl when the playoffs began on January 11. At this point, four teams were eliminated. This now leaves eight teams to compete in the Divisional playoffs. Four of these will make it to the Conference Championships before contesting for a spot at this year’s Super Bowl.

The eight teams left with a shot at competing in the 2025 Super Bowl are:

Philadelphia Eagles
Baltimore Ravens
Buffalo Bills
Detroit Lions
Houston Texans
Kansas City Chiefs
Los Angeles Rams
Washington Commanders

Last year, the Kansas City Chiefs took the title for the second year in a row. However, the latest Super Bowl odds puts the Detroit Lions as the favourites to win this year’s Super Bowl, following a series of impressive performances in the regular season.

The national anthem and halftime show

Before the game commences, a special guest performs the national anthem. Last year, Reba McEntire offered a moving performance of The Star-Spangled Banner, and this year the task falls to jazz singer Jon Batiste.

It’s not just the football match that people look forward to. Super Bowl halftime shows are a spectacle in themselves and many look forward to the performance as much as the game itself. This year, 17-time grammy winner Kendrick Lamar is headlining the halftime show. Lamar previously headlined the Super Bowl in 2022.

How can I watch the Super Bowl in the UK?

The Super Bowl is being broadcast to fans free on ITV, including live online via ITVX on your laptop, mobile, or tablet.

Sky Sports is also broadcasting the event which you can watch online via Sky Go, NOW TV, or using the Sky Sports mobile app. You could also head to your local pub as plenty of pubs in Pembrokeshire will be showing the big game.

Will you be tuning in?

With a surge in popularity for American Football, it’s anticipated that more people from the UK than ever before will be turning their TVs on for the big event this year. Will you be watching this year’s Super Bowl?

Sport

Division Four West rugby: Thrills and tight contests on a chilly Saturday

Published

3 days ago

January 19, 2025

Herald Sport

Exciting matches, hard-fought battles, and standout performances define the weekend’s action.

Dreigiau Emlyn Edge Harlequins in Close Contest
Dreigiau Emlyn 21 – Pembroke Dock Harlequins 15
Dreigiau Emlyn secured a narrow victory over Pembroke Dock Harlequins, strengthening their position in the top half of the table. Gethin Davies scored two crucial tries, while Deiniol Rees added three penalties and a conversion to steer the hosts to victory. The Harlequins kept the game competitive with tries from Craig Barnett and Tom Donovan, with Ben Hathaway converting one and kicking a penalty. However, Emlyn’s composed performance ensured they held on for the win.

Teirw Crymych Outgun Llangwm in High-Scorer
Llangwm 22 – Teirw Crymych 33
Teirw Crymych powered to a 33-22 victory over bottom-placed Llangwm, bolstering their challenge for the league’s top spots. Sion Williams and Morgan Jones led the visitors’ try-scoring efforts, with additional tries from Sion Owen and Nick Bevan. Adam Phillips was reliable from the tee, adding four conversions. Llangwm fought back with tries from Aidan Rees and Ryan Banner, while Harry Makepeace contributed two conversions and a penalty. Despite their spirited display, the hosts couldn’t match Crymych’s attacking prowess.

St Davids Win Key Clash Against Llanybydder
Llanybydder 17 – St Davids 29
St Davids took a significant step away from the relegation zone with a vital 29-17 win over Llanybydder. Harvey Godkin, Nathan Foster, Zac Morgan, and Morgan Griffiths all crossed the whitewash for the visitors, with Bob Froy converting three and adding a penalty to secure a bonus-point victory. Llanybydder’s John Evans delivered an impressive hat-trick of tries, with one conversion by Matthew Rowlands, but St Davids’ all-round performance proved too much for the home side.

Division Four West continues to deliver thrilling rugby as teams battle for position in a tightly contested league.