Spain’s World Cup-winning women’s team coach Jorge Vilda has been sacked, 10 days after FIFA suspended its president for kissing national team player Jenni Hermoso on the mouth.
Montse Tome has been named as his successor, becoming the first woman to hold the position.
A new board formed after the suspension of RFEF President Luis Rubiales by FIFA over the allegedly non-consensual kiss during the World Cup victory celebration two weeks ago has terminated Vilda’s contract.
In a statement that gave no reason for his dismissal and did not mention Hermoso, Rubiales or the scandal, RFEF thanked 42-year-old Vilda for his “extraordinary sporting legacy.”
“The coach has been key to the remarkable growth of women’s football and leaves Spain as world champions and second in the FIFA rankings,” the RFEF statement said.
Spanish Federation president Luis Rubiales kisses a player after winning the World Cup. Photo: AFP
The furore involving Rubiales has quickly spiralled into a national debate over women’s rights and sexist behaviour.
In a separate statement by interim President Pedro Rocha, the RFEF apologised for Rubiales’s “inappropriate conduct.”
“The damage caused to Spanish football, to Spanish sport, to Spanish society and the values of football and sport as a whole have been enormous,” the three-page statement signed by Rocha said.
Vilda, considered a close ally of Rubiales, had been under fire since last year after 15 players staged a mutiny calling for his resignation because of inadequate coaching methods and calling for conditions to match those of the men’s squad.
Most of the players involved were cut from the squad even as some demands were met.
Danae Boronat, a sports presenter who interviewed Spain’s leading female players for her book “Don’t Call Them Girls, Call Them Footballers”, said players accused Vilda of micromanaging, such as instructing senior players what to say in interviews.
Vilda could not immediately be reached for comment. Rubiales did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Vilda and Luis de la Fuente, the men’s national team manager, applauded Rubiales when he refused to resign on Aug. 25 but later issued statements condemning his behaviour.
Rubiales had praised Vilda for the World Cup triumph and offered him a new four-year contract, increasing his annual salary to $900,000 fom $300,000.
Spain’s top 58 female players said they would not play for the national team under the existing leadership. An RFEF source told Reuters last week that players were now being consulted to see whether the removal of Vilda would change that.
Jordie Barrett will start for the All Blacks in their opening game of the November Nations Championship campaign against Scotland in Edinburgh on Saturday.
The 29-year-old centre is one of five changes from the All Blacks’ last game, a 43-21 win over Australia on October 17.
Ethan de Groot starts at loosehead while front-rowers Asafos Aumua and Christian Lio-Willie as well as back-rower Anton Segner come into the matchday 23 on the bench.
Barrett’s older brother Beauden is at full-back with Damian McKenzie at fly-half to create a threatening playmaking spine.
“Scotland are a quality side,” All Blacks coach Dave Rennie said.
“They are very well coached and have built a lot of depth over recent years.
“They play a very similar brand of footy to us and we know we’ll need to be at our best on Saturday.
“Murrayfield is an iconic place to play so it will be a special occasion to kick off our northern tour,” the former Australia boss added, with Scotland having never beaten the All Blacks.
After facing Scotland, three-time World Cup winners New Zealand face Wales and England before a match to decide a final standing in the opening edition of the Nations Championship.
Team 15-1: Beauden Barrett; Will Jordan, Quinn Tupaea, Jordie Barrett, Josh Moorby; Damian McKenzie, Cam Roigard; Wallace Sititi, Peter Lakai, Tupou Vaa’i; Fabian Holland, Scott Barrett; Fletcher Newell, Codie Taylor (capt), Ethan de Groot
Replacements: Asafo Amumua, George Bower, Pasilio Tosi, Christian Lio-Willie, Anton Segner, Cortez Ratima, Timoci Tavatavanawai, Rieko Ioane
The game kicks off at 2.10pm local time (Sunday 3.10am NZT).
Virat Kohli smashed his 80th half-century in one-day internationals and took a screamer of a catch to help India thrash New Zealand by five wickets in the rain-hit series opener in Auckland on Wednesday.
A day before his 38th birthday, Kohli underlined his enduring class with a knock of 74 in 51 balls at Eden Park as India chased down 143 on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method after repeated rain showers interrupted their reply.
Talisman Kohli eventually holed out to deep square leg off the bowling of Jacob Duffy and exited waving his bat for the Indian fans who dominated the crowd.
Only five days after piling up 259 for seven in the fourth T20 match, New Zealand were bundled out for a paltry 185 in 40.2 overs after losing the toss to India captain Shubman Gill.
“I think we were very good with the bowling,” said Gill. “Overall a very good team performance.”
Pace duo Arshdeep Singh (4-70) and Gurnoor Brar (3-44) took seven wickets between them, rattling through New Zealand’s top order as the home batters repeatedly succumbed to short-pitched bowling.
Fast-bowling all-rounder Anshul Kamboj was impressive in his second ODI, taking two wickets and conceding a miserly 22 runs from his 10 overs to be man of the match.
“The way both of them bowled tonight was really magnificent to watch,” Gill said of Kamboj and Brar.
Kohli delivered Kamboj his first wicket with a brilliant, diving slips catch, plucking a one-hander above the grass to remove all-rounder Nathan Smith for one.
Tim Seifert opened the batting for New Zealand, replacing the concussed Devon Conway, and top-scored for the hosts with 38 in his first ODI in over 18 months.
The five-match series moves to Wellington on Saturday. – Reuters
His try saw Tonga regain their lead in the tough, physical battle after Samoa had led 18-14 seven minutes from the end.
The big forward managed to break the Samoans’ defensive line with ball in hand, and was in the clear to score what would be the winner in the game.
The Tongans managed to survive the late Samoan fight-back in the last four minutes of the game, with winger Sualauvi Fa’alogo stepping on the sideline as he dived to score a late try that was cancelled; and fullback Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow passing the ball forward after a mid-air catch close to the Tongan line.
The result meant both Pacific Island teams are into the semifinals next weekend, with Tonga topping the combined Pool B and C, set to face New Zealand, while Samoa meets Australia.
That also marks the first time both teams have made the final four at a world cup, with Samoa getting into the semis in two consecutive world meets, having made the final in 2022.
And in another history-making moment, the two men’s team will join their women counterparts Fetū Samoa and the Fiji Bulikula in the semifinals, making it four Pacific island teams playing off for the finals across the men and women’s competition.
Fonua-Blake’s fellow co-captain Jason Taumalolo thanked divine intervention and paid tribute to the fans post-match.
“First and foremost I would like to thank the man above for bringing everyone here not just as a celebration of Samoa and Tonga but the game of rugby league,” Taumalolo said.
“From the Tongan point of view, to see the red flags, Samoan flags, this is probably the best game I have been a part of and truly blessed.
“We knew tonight was gonna be a physical game and it was going to be a tough one from the start.”
He said Tonga was a bit slow off the mark, and Samoa “being the electrifying team they have been in the last two games” came out and put points on the board and made it a contest to the last minute.
“Big shout to the Samoan boys for tonight and it was a very tough game. Thank you to all the MMT fans tonight and thank you so much to the Toa Samoa fans for making tonight special.”
Taumalolo said they will reset and move on to New Zealand next weekend.
“Obviously the Kiwis and Australia are the benchmark,” he said.
“Tonight was a tough one and we have a short turnaround, the boys will get some recovery; celebrate tonight with our families and all our countrymen that came out here to support us.”
Samoan co-captain Junior Paulo congratulated Tonga and thanked the fans also for their support.
“First of all I thank all of our fans on both sides. Toa Samoans am sorry we didn’t get the job done, but at the end of the day this is what it’s all about, making both nations’ people proud,” he said.
“It was one of the games where you were looking forward to [it] before the tournament started and at the end of the day big credit to the Tongan boys for turning up tonight.
“We knew it was going to be a tough one but all blessings to both nations.”
Samoa scored four tries to Tonga’s three but the difference was Tonga’s Isaiya Katoa, who kicked all conversions and a penalty to seal the deal.
Samoan kickers Harris Channel-Tavita and Ronald Volkman only managed to successfully convert one try each.
Physical battle
The first half of 40 minutes turned out as everyone expected, a torrid and physical battle, which featured big hits across the field.
Tonga laid the challenge with their Sipi Tau, before Toa Samoa responded with the Sivi Tau in front of the packed-out 29,400-plus crowd at the CommBank Stadium, Sydney.
Amongst the fans was All Black captain Ardie Savea, who is originally from Samoa.
Isaiya Katoa kicked off the battle and Tonga came close twice in the first 17 minutes.
Former New Zealand Kiwi Dallin Watene-Zelezniak stepped on the sideline as he planted the ball across the line in the right corner, before his wing partner Jojo Fifita lost the ball over the line in the left corner.
Two minutes later dummy half Salesi Foketi knocked on over the line as Tonga went on attack again.
But their consistent pressure gave them the opening try in the 27th minute when centre Robert Toia got an offload from Haumole Olakau’atu and stepped inside Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Sualauvi Faalogo to run around behind the posts. Katoa kicked the conversion as the men in red led 6-0.
In the 35th minute Katoa kicked a penalty from inside the 20-metre zone and pushed Tonga to an 8-0 lead.
However, Samoa got one try back in the 38th minute when veteran winger Brian To’o got the loose ball near the Tongan line and dived over, to reduce the scoreline as Tonga led 8-4 at halftime.
Both sides showed brutal power and physicality upfront, with thunderous hits and tackles, raising cheers from fans.
Tonga had co-captains Addin Fonua-Blake and Jason Taumalolo leading them upfront with Foketi, Olakau’atu, Siua Wong, Tyson Frizell, Stefano Utoikamanu, Taniela Paseka, Demitric Vaimauga and Leka Halasima supporting them.
Toa Samoa were led by Junior Paulo, with Benaiah Ioelu, Connelly Lemuelu, Jermaine McEwen, Francis Manuleleua and Spencer Leniu ably supporting the territorial gains through the middle of the field.
Riley Jade, 7, and Kayden, 11, painting the town red on Halloween to support Tonga at the Rugby League World Cup.
RNZ/ Karoline Tuckey
Close second half
Tonga started the second spell where they had left off at the end of the first, as To’ia was tackled short near the line after their first set of six.
To’ia, who turned down the offer from the Kangaroos to play for them, got to the loose ball after Watene-Zelezniak had caught the high ball from a Katoa bomb near the corner, and tapped it back into the field.
The men from the ‘Friendly Islands’ got the first points in the second 40 in the 47th minute through Jojo Fifita. That came from a scrum near the Samoan 10-metre line, with Katoa combining with veteran Tuimoala Lolohea, who sent a cut-out pass to Fifita, for the winger to run in and score. Katoa’s conversion saw them extend their lead to 14-4.
Samoa got their second try, via To’o again for his second, in the 52nd minute, following a Luai bomb which Critchon collected mid-air and passed it on to Tavita, whose overhead back pass found the unmarked To’o out wide, to stroll in and score.
That try inspired the Samoans into action again with Tabuai-Fidow scoring from a Fa’alogo pass, following another high bomb from Luai that caught the Tongan defence napping – that try reducing the scoreline to 14-12 in favour of Tonga.
But Samoa claimed the lead in the 68th minute after replacement Ronald Volkman rolled over Tongan tacklers on the line to plant the ball, with his conversion giving Samoa an 18-14 lead.
Fonua-Blake got Tonga back in the lead, with Katoa adding the extra two points, with seven minutes remaining.
Samoa attacked twice more, with Fa’alogo stepping on the sideline before scoring in the corner and Tabuai-Fidow passing the ball forward from an aerial catch, but Tonga held on to win the clash.
Mulitalo’s semifinal ban
Meanwhile, Kiwis winger Ronaldo Mulitalo will miss the semifinal clash against Tonga after being hit with a grade 2 careless high tackle charge.
Mulitalo was sent off in the 52nd minute of Saturday’s clash against Fiji after a high tackle on Ronald Philitoga.
The Fijian winger left the field and was ruled out of the rest of the match.
Should Mulitalo enter an early guilty plea he will miss New Zealand’s semi-final but if he fights the charge and is found guilty at the judiciary he will be banned for two games.
Rugby League World Cup media said a two-game ban would rule Mulitalo out of the World Cup final should the Kiwis make it through.
Fiji halfback Brandon Wakeham has also been charged, getting a grade 2 striking offence after he threw a punch at Mulitalo after the high shot on Philitoga.
Wakeham’s tournament is already over as Fiji won’t play in the semis, but he is facing a one-game ban should he plead guilty.
