Established 1961 25 Sports Wednesday, May 30, 2018 Pete Samu signs with Brumbies, tipped for Wallabies selection Hooker Uelese says Samu would be warmly welcomed MELBOURNE: The Wallabies would welcome Pete gone elsewhere for an opportunity to play top level Samu with open arms for the June test series against footy and that’s good for him. “I know he’s a Melbourne Ireland, hooker Jordan Uelese has said, after it was boy, some of my cousins played with him out at the confirmed the loose forward will join Australian Super (Greater Sydney) Rams, so I think it’s great he wants to Rugby side ACT Brumbies from the Canterbury come back and wants to represent his country.” Crusaders. Samu played for famed Sydney club Randwick, Melbourne-born Samu has been playing for New Cheika’s former team, and was part of the New South Zealand’s Crusaders since 2016 but will cross to the Wales Waratahs’ 2013 squad before crossing the Brumbies for 2019, the Tasman Sea to play in New Canberra-based side con- Zealand. firmed yesterday. Australian He made his debut for media have reported that the Crusaders in 2016 and the 26-year-old was set to has proved himself a valu- be a surprise inclusion in I think it’d able squad member, able to Michael Cheika’s Wallabies play at blindside flanker or squad today, despite the be great for number eight. If named in player remaining contract- Cheika’s squad he would ed to New Zealand Rugby him to come give the Wallabies the (NZR). strong ball-carrying pres- NZR were unavailable for ence in the loose forwards comment on Samu but the they have been lacking in governing body recently released Wellington recent years, particularly if teamed with Michael PRETORIA: File photo shows ACT Brumbies’ New Zealand-born Australian centre Christian Lealiifano (R) Hurricanes loose forward Brad Shields, albeit grudging- Hooper and David Pocock in the back row. passes the ball to ACT Brumbies’s Australian flanker David Pocock (L) past Vodacom Bulls’ South African ly, from his national contract to allow him to be selected “Regardless of where he’s playing at the moment, he flanker Marco van Staden (C) during the SuperRugby match between the Vodacom Bulls and ACT Brumbies by England for June tests against South Africa. was born here and he played all his junior footy here on May 26, 2018. — AFP Uelese said Samu, who is also eligible to play for and his senior footy here, so ... I think he deserves the New Zealand, was “obviously” an Australian player. “He opportunity to represent his country,” added Uelese, only just moved over to New Zealand not long ago,” the who was born in Wellington but has been capped joining the Brumbies. “The Brumbies are well- ture,” he said in a statement. The Wallabies face 21-year-old Melbourne Rebel told reporters yesterday. twice by Australia. renowned throughout Super Rugby for being a suc- Ireland next month in a three-match test series, start- “I think it’d be great for him to come. “Obviously he’s Samu said he was “thrilled” by the challenge of cessful club and for having a fantastic playing cul- ing in Brisbane on June 9. — Reuters KSSC holds honoring ceremony for juniors Canada could be key for Red Bull’s engine decision LONDON: The Canadian Grand Prix could determine whether Red Bull decide to stick with Renault, who powered them to all their Formula One championships, or switch to Honda engines from next season. Team boss Christian Horner said after Christian Horner Sunday’s Monaco Grand Prix, won by his Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo, that a championship, he has suffered reliability decision would have to be made by “end problems-as well as a costly crash with of June, beginning of July”. “We’re wait- team mate Max Verstappen-and is 38 ing with great interest to see the relative points off Mercedes’ leader Lewis performance of engines in Montreal in Hamilton. The Australian is out of contract two weeks’ time,” he added. Canada, on at the end of the season and is also wait- By Abdellatif Sharaa June 10, is the seventh round of the 21- ing to see what engine Red Bull go for. race season and both manufacturers are “First thing is get the engine sorted and KUWAIT: Kuwait Shooting Sports Club planning to bring major upgrades to the then very much follow on from there with (KSSC) held an honoring ceremony for junior Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. driver,” said Horner. shooters who won in the Ramadan tourna- Red Bull, whose Renault engines are “I think we’ve had a great chassis ments held at its branches in Jahra and branded Tag Heuer, have won twice this from the first race, to be honest,” he Sabahiya. The ceremony was held at Sheikh season but have had a rocky relationship added. “Our problem has always been Sabah Al-Ahmad Olympic shooting complex with the French company since the start on Saturdays... if we can improve our on Monday night in the presence of President of the V6 turbo hybrid era in 2014. Saturdays, then our races will be com- of Arab and Kuwait Shooting Federations Eng Honda are working with Red Bull- petitive. “If we could just get a little bit Duaij Al-Otaibi, the Federations Sec Gen owned Toro Rosso and have improved the more at the end of Q3 (the final phase Obaid Al-Osaimi, KSSC Assistant Secretary performance of their engine notably since of qualifying) on peak power, there’s no Eng Mohammad Al-Ghurba and Assistant the termination of a three year partner- reason why we shouldn’t be able to Treasurer Adnan Al-Ibrahim. ship with McLaren. give Ferrari and Mercedes regularly a Eng Al-Otaibi welcomed officials and While Ricciardo is third overall in the hard time.” — Reuters directors of national teams as well as the jun- iors and their families. He said KSSC cares for the juniors and provide them with all facilities they need to polish their skills through com- petent trainers and coaches. Federations Secretary General Obaid Al- their achievements in the name of their Eng Al-Otaibi said “we consider winning Osaimi appreciated the unlimited support HH beloved country Kuwait. juniors are part of the shooting future in the Amir affords for shooting and shooters, Results of the tournament were as follows: definitely time to grow up and time to Kuwait, and hope they become champions HH the Crown Prince Sheikh Nawaf Al- In Jahra branch: (wear) the old man’s pants and take who represent Kuwait in the future at all lev- Ahmad Al-Jaber A-Sabah, government and 10m air rifle: Abdelaziz Abdallah Al-Juaib Wallabies care of myself, so (I’m) very excited.” els, and they are the true investment for people for supporting shooting at all levels. 10m air pistol: Faraj Fahad Al-Shimmari Former Wallabies skipper Moore, shooting.” He said Kuwait shooting is contin- Both Eng Al-Otaibi and Obaid Al-Osaimi Olympic archery: Fayez Al-Enezi Uelese ready who played the last of his 129 caps uing its achievements due to the cooperation thanked KSSC honorary president Sheikh In Sabahiya youth center branch: away to Scotland in November, between the administrative and technical Salman Sabah Al-Salem Al-Humoud Al-Sabah 10m air rifle: Faisal Mubarak to step into tipped Uelese to push for the number departments. for his continued backing and follow up of 10m air pistol: Musab Ali Abdallah two jersey at next year’s World Cup Meanwhile, Arab and Kuwait Shooting shooters and encouraging them to continue Olympic archery: Adel Khalaif. ‘old man pants’ in Japan after his strong 2017 Super Rugby season. MELBOURNE: With long-serving However, the Wellington-born tal- Wallabies hookers Stephen Moore ent has had a tough campaign this AUB announces and Tatafu Polota-Nau out of the term and spent the last four weeks selection frame for the first time in sidelined with a shoulder injury. In his years, rookie Jordan Uelese believes place, the late-blooming Anaru Rangi winners to attend it is his time to wear the “old man has proved a revelation at hooker pants” and front up to Ireland in the after crossing to the Rebels from the June test series. defunct Western Force, and losing a 2018 FIFA WCup The 21-year-old Melbourne stack of weight in the process. Rebels front-rower has made only Uelese said he was delighted for KUWAIT: Ahli United Bank (AUB) announced the winners of its two Wallabies appearances off the the beer-loving Rangi and hoped the FIFA World Cup campaign, in cooperation with Visa, the global leader bench, but has been thrust into a pair of them could make Cheika’s in digital payments. Two of its Visa cardholders had the opportunity to potential starting role against the Six squad. “He’s just a nutcase. He’s defi- win one of two fully paid trips to either attend the quarter finals or the Nations champions, with Moore hav- nitely someone you want in the semifinal matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup to be held in Russia ing retired and Polota-Nau rested. team,” Uelese said of Rangi. from the 14 June to 15 July 2018. Jasem Mutlaq Al-Shalahi has won a Uelese could be packing down “Especially if you want to push phys- trip to the quarter-finals and Khaled Mahmoud Sorour Al-Rajhi has against 111 caps of experience in icality and brutality, he’s definitely the won a trip to the semi-final match.