Sports FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2016 Olympic dream the pinnacle for Williams PARIS: Sonny Bill Williams may have won nity to go and play at the Olympics, to be ‘Very proud’ had the opportunity to have a crack at a myriad of titles in rugby union and rug- called an Olympian. It’s not just about try- “We’ve spoken about it, I know that if I sevens and she’s said ‘why not’, and I’ve by league but the New Zealand superstar ing to win a medal but to be able to say didn’t make and she didn’t make it our done the same.” says becoming an Olympian would top you’re an Olympian: that supercedes every- family would still be proud of both of us What excites Williams the most about everything. Williams will be part of the thing, I believe. “Time will tell if I can make for being able to play for New Zealand the prospect of taking part in the Olympics, New Zealand squad at the Paris Sevens that squad but I’m definitely doing all I can sevens. But it would be an amazing though, is the ability to follow in the foot- World Series event this weekend. to try to fulfil that dream.” achievement for both the siblings to go to steps of his, perhaps unexpected, sporting Although widely considered one of the Williams has won the World Cup with the Olympics together,” said Williams. hero: ‘The Louisville Lip’ and self-styled great polyvalent rugby stars of his genera- the All Blacks twice, he’s won both the “We’re very proud of her and I’m very ‘The Greatest’, Muhammad Ali. “When I tion, he still needs to earn his spot on the Super Rugby title with Chiefs and The proud of her to see that she’s a mother of think of Olympics I think of him; when I flight to Rio, but the 30-year-old claims Rugby Championship with New Zealand. two and to come back and she’s one of think of great sportsmen I definitely think that just taking part in the Games would In Rugby League he won the NRL twice, the fittest in the side. of Ali,” said Williams. “He was such a great be a dream come true. with the Bulldogs in 2004 and Roosters in “She’s trained her butt off and she’s sportsman, the way he came back after “Coming from New Zealand, we’re so 2013, while Williams also triumphed in all played really, really well the last two tour- winning the gold medal and the way his fixated on rugby union-rugby union’s our seven of his professional heavyweight naments, and hence the reason she got a career panned out after he wasn’t allowed number one sport,” he said. “Everyone’s fix- boxing bouts, even winning the New lot of game time.” Niall Williams used to to box for five years. “Coming back and the ated on the All Blacks and I actually had to Zealand title in 2012. Yet he’s not the only captain the New Zealand women’s touch odds were stacked against him to rise up take a step away from that and think about successful and talented athlete in his fami- team-a form of non-contact rugby-so like and win against George Foreman was spe- what it means to be a sportsman and how ly. Sister Niall is part of the New Zealand her older brother, is a code-swapping cial. When I think who’s my favorite sports- big this opportunity was-and it blows it women’s sevens team and could also play international star. “It’s just opportunities, man, the greatest sportsman ever to live away. “It blew my mind away, the opportu- at the Rio Games. the opportunities have come up. She’s was definitely Ali.”— AFP ‘Beast’ taken out of Shark attack WELLINGTON: The Coastal Sharks have taken a gamble by sidelining the feared Tendai “Beast” Mtawarira as they look this weekend to topple Super rugby leaders Waikato Chiefs, who have an under-performing scrum. The Beast’s absence from today’s clash has been attributed to a planned workload for leading Springboks but the absence of the hulking prop and Sharks captain will be a relief to the hosts as they battle to remain competition leaders. The Sharks are in buoyant mood as they look to back up from their narrow win against the defending champions Otago Highlanders. The Highlanders this week host the ACT Brumbies in a clash of two sides suffering a mid-season slump. The Melbourne Rebels, who have replaced the Brumbies as the number one Australian side, should cement their positon when they play Auckland Blues who are at the bottom of the New Zealand group. Of the leading South Africa sides, the Golden Lions are at home to a Wellington Hurricanes unit who blew a chance last week to topple the Chiefs, while Western Stormers play the NSW Waratahs. When the Chiefs and Sharks clashed last year, red cards flowed with three players sent off in a dramatic opening half hour when the Sharks came out on top 12-11. But Sharks coach Gary Gold wants no ill-tempered repeat this time. “The win against the Highlanders was a great confidence AMSTERDAM: Contesters compete in the high-heels and suits run, a yearly event in Amsterdam, the Netherlands yesterday. boost for the players,” he said, adding that against the Chiefs The high-heels and suits run is a charity race with men wearing suits and women wearing heels of at least 9 cm. — AFP “discipline is going to be key and we need to stay grounded”. The Chiefs retained their competition lead last week but the game ended with uncontested scrums when tighthead Rugby residency rules prop Siate Tokolahi was injured as they clung to a one-point lead and their scrum was under pressure. A New Zealand radio station has since posted a video on Facebook showing need to change: Pichot Tokolahi running freely from a scrum and a lineout with no contact from any other player before going down injured. The Chiefs have made five changes from that side with Tokolahi DUBLIN: Agustin Pichot, the newly elected World Rugby vice-chair- in Argentina. While I’m not the owner of Argentina rugby, things named on the bench and a start for Japan Test prop Hiroshi man, says rugby’s residency rules are ‘wrong’ and must be changed. can change - maybe we’ll have a Fijian playing in the Japan World Yamashita. Mtawarira is one of six changes for the Sharks. The former Argentine scrum-half insisted that the current situation, Cup for Argentina, but I don’t see it happening.” where players can play for a country they have no affiliation to after While Pichot was clearly frustrated by how the international ‘Need a lift’ playing in the country for three consecutive years, had to end. He game has changed in recent years, the World Rugby CEO, Brett was speaking in Dublin on Wednesday at the official announcement Gosper, spoke from a different hymn sheet. He revealed that at the The Highlanders and Brumbies have both won five of eight of his new role, alongside new chairman Bill Beaumont. latest council meeting international unions were happy to stay games and while that leaves the Highlanders fourth in an “We need to change it, someone will kill me (for saying this), but with the existing ‘three year’ rule, and dismissed a suggested intense New Zealand group, the Brumbies are second in we need to change it,” said Pichot, who won 75 caps for Argentina. switch to five years. Gosper stressed there was no appetite to Australia, one point behind the Rebels. The Brumbies “certain- “This is my personal opinion. I think it’s wrong. It should be for life - change the law, that unions ‘feel it is operating in the right way cur- ly need a lift,” according to coach Stephen Larkham. But he that you play (for your country) like soccer players do. “It’s very impor- rently’ and claimed there is unlikely to be any pressure from above will be without injured star Joe Tomane with a question mark tant to keep the identity of the national team, as a cultural thing, as an until fans start to see games as ‘hoaxes’. over captain Stephen Moore who has a calf muscle injury. inspiration to new kids. “There are people who have moved to coun- “I think the day that people don’t believe they’re watching a The Hurricanes, despite having an impressive pack, have tries and lived there since they were 10 or 12, that’s ok, but taking bonafide international, then you’ve got problems. We’ve got no had plenty to work on ahead of playing the Lions in them from an academy like they’re doing now in Tonga, and putting sign of that,” he said. “If we see elements of an image erosion Johannesburg. Beauden Barrett has lost his kicking radar and them in an Ireland shirt, for example, I’m against it. “I would love that around the integrity of the game, it’s something that will have to they were plagued by handling errors against the Chiefs. The player to play for Tonga, make money there and live well.” be addressed. “The erosion we would judge by what the fans feel Lions head the Africa 2 conference and with a six-point buffer Argentina were the only country that could claim all 31 mem- and you’ve just seen a World Cup that the fans are not thinking over the second-placed Sharks.