Sport

Pembrokeshire youngster heading for School Games National finals

Published

2 years ago

August 30, 2022

THE UK’s largest multi-sport event for talented young athletes, the School Games National Finals will be returning for its 15^th year from September at Loughborough University.

This year, up to a thousand young athletes will be competing at the event, hoping to emulate Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games heroes and former School Games National Finals alumni, Adam Peaty, Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Hannah Cockroft, in their own path to success.

The four-day event, led by children’s charity the Youth Sport Trust, will host 1,000 aspiring athletes aged between 13 and 18. Athletes to watch out for include Michael Jenkins (17) from Pembrokeshire, who is already a para world record holder in F38 discus and Charlie McIntyre (17) from Southend, England, who won a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Wheelchair Basketball.

The opening ceremony will be held on Friday at the campus’s Hazlerigg Fountain from 8:15 pm to 9:00 pm and will be hosted by Paralympian Kate Ager and Olympian Montell Douglas.

Former School Games National Finals alumni and 2022 Commonwealth Games medallists will also be making appearances on stage including, Joe Fraser (Gold, Gymnastics), winner of 3 Gold medals at the Commonwealth Games and European Championships, Shannon Archer (Bronze, Gymnastics) who received Scotland’s first ever individual women’s gymnastics medal at the games, and multiple Northern Ireland record holder in swimming, Daniel Wiffen (Silver, 1500m Freestyle).

The School Games National Finals is one of the many initiatives led by the Youth Sport Trust which is committed to providing opportunities outside of competition to create a future where every child enjoys the life-changing benefits of play and sport. The event is a key part in supporting young people to develop a sense of belonging and to become future changemakers.

As part of the Athlete Education Programme, high profile athletes will share advice to young athletes regarding competing in major competitions, alongside providing workshops designed to provide skills for life. This will be led by Commonwealth Games 2022 gold medallists, Hannah Cockroft OBE (Wheelchair 100m T33/4), Nathan Maguire (Wheelchair 1500 metres T54) and Emma Reid (Judo).

This year the School Games National Finals 2022 is taking place thanks to National Lottery funding from Sport England as part of the organisation’s Birmingham 2022 legacy investment.

Held at Loughborough University, it provides the young athletes with first class facilities and the experience of being in a sport competition village akin to the Commonwealth Games.

Register for your ticket to one or more events here: www.ticketsource.co.uk/2022Schoolgamesfinals or stream SGNF live on the Youth Sport Trust website and YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/YouthSportTrust. You can also follow SGNF social media for the latest updates, search @_schoolgames on Twitter or @schoolgames on Instagram.

Sport

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.