Weekend Wrap: The Best (And Worst) of the Weekend’s Sport

In this segment, we bring you a look at the biggest sporting moments of the past weekend.

This week brought us the strange, the shocking as well as surprise upsets.

Ireland beat the All Blacks

In last week’s article, I talked about the All Blacks being the greatest international sporting team in the World.

Well, we can only assume they read that article, and collectively decided to make me look like a fool by going out and losing to Ireland in rugby over the weekend.

The first half saw the team’s trade goals, with Ireland heading to the break with a 9-6 advantage.

Jacob Stockdale scored an incredible chip-and-chase try after halftime to put Ireland further ahead.

Protecting a seven-point lead, the last 10 minutes of the game would’ve felt like an eternity for Irish fans, but their team prevailed to become the first side from the Northern Hemisphere to keep New Zealand tryless since 1995.

Jamaica to the Rugby League World Cup

Many things come to mind when one thinks of Jamaica, however, rugby league typically isn’t one of those things.

Well, that may be about to change as the Caribbean island nation is heading to the 2021 Rugby League World Cup.

The ‘Reggae Warriors’ continued the theme of upsets, beating the USA on their home soil 16-10.

Reminiscent of a certain movie, the Jamaican players had to pay for themselves to travel to the Americas Championship, where they initially beat Canada 38-8, before toppling the US.

It’s an impressive feat for a nation that only played its first game of rugby league nine years ago.

They have doctors for that.

Legends of League Charity Event

Continuing with rugby league, the Central Coast was treated to the Legends of League charity event over the weekend.

While fans expected to see some of the great players of old reliving their former glory, I highly doubt anyone expected to see John Hopoate return to his old ways.

Many of the players would’ve been at the age where regular prostate exams are a necessity, and Hopoate appeared to have their health in mind when he stepped on to field against Newcastle.

The former Manly player, donning a white glove (you can’t make this up), was seen to give some attention to the backsides of a few of the Knights players during the match.

The stunt was intended as a joke by ‘Hoppa’, and that’s the way the opposition’s players took it, but with his presence at the charity event already controversial, it was a poor decision to bring more attention to himself.

Hopoate received a 10-year ban from rugby league this year for his part in a brawl during a local football match, but since this weekend’s event wasn’t sanctioned by NSWRL, he was allowed to take part.

Horrific sights at Macau

17-year-old Sophia Floersch had a terrifying crash in the Formula 3 over the weekend.

Suffering a spinal fracture, the teenager will undergo surgery for her injury but is still considered lucky to have survived the crash.

Already out of control on the lead up to the Lisboa bend, the German racer hit the back of another car before crashing over the barrier, going through the fence backward, all before smashing vertically flat against a media bunker.

Two photographers and a marshal were also injured and had to be taken to the hospital.

The scene audibly shocked those in the grandstand near the corner, and footage of the crash has become viral online.

Thankfully, Floersch seems in good spirits, thanking her team and the FIA for taking care of her, and everyone for their supportive messages, on social media.

See the horror crash in the video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxJ1Emoo-oE

By Brandon Clark