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Canadian women move up to No. 2 in World Rugby rankings after win over France

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Canada has climbed into second place in World Rugby’s women’s rankings, thanks to its 46-24 weekend win over No. 4 France at the WXV tournament.

The Canadians’ rise came at the expense of reigning World Cup champion New Zealand, which dropped to third after losing 29-27 to Ireland in the final match of Sunday’s opening triple-header at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver.

Ireland moves up one rung to No. 6, dropping Australia to seventh in the new rankings. Canada takes on Ireland on Saturday in Langley, B.C.

The Black Ferns, who had been exclusively in the top two in the first eight years of the World Rugby rankings, have fallen to third for the second time in four months. The first time was also due to the Canadian women, who moved into second in late May before slipping to third in mid-July with the Black Ferns retaking No. 2.

England remains No. 1 after thumping the eighth-ranked United States 61-21 in the other WXV 1 game Sunday.

France and Scotland complete the top five.

Italy moves up one spot to No. 9, just above the U.S., with Wales falling to No. 10.

Canada is hosting the top division of the three-tiered WXV tournament, now in its second year.

Ireland has jumped from winning WXV 3 last year to the top tier, thanks to its third-place finish in Six Nations play.

The Canadian women finished second in the inaugural WXV 1 competition won by top-ranked England in New Zealand.

WXV 1 features the top three teams from the 2024 Pacific Four Series (Canada, New Zealand and the U.S.) and Women’s Six Nations Championship (England, France and Ireland).

WXV 2 is currently taking place in South Africa with a field consisting of Scotland, Australia, Italy, Wales, No. 11 South Africa and No. 12 Japan.

WXV 3 is in Dubai with No. 13 Spain, No. 14 Fiji, the 16th-ranked Netherlands, No. 17 Samoa, No. 18 Hong Kong and No. 25 Madagascar.

Follow @NeilMDavidson on X platform, formerly known as Twitter

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 30, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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Port of Montreal dockworkers begin three-day strike at two terminals

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MONTREAL – The union representing longshore workers at the Port of Montreal began a three-day strike at two terminals.

The Maritime Employers Association confirmed the work stoppage began Monday morning at 7 a.m. ET at the Viau and Maisonneuve Termont terminals.

The strike is expected to last until Thursday morning.

The union local, which is affiliated with the Canadian Union of Public Employees, had said about 350 members would be part of the job action.

The longshore workers’ contract with the Maritime Employers Association expired on Dec. 31.

The association issued a statement on Sunday saying it has tried “all possible means” of avoiding the strike. It said neither mediation nor an emergency meeting with the Canada Industrial Relations Board were fruitful.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 30, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.



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McLachlan, Cochrane reflect on creative struggle at Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame

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TORONTO – As Sarah McLachlan, Tom Cochrane and members of Blue Rodeo were ushered into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame on Saturday, each took a moment to recognize that writing great music usually comes with incredible struggle.

“Writing is often a lonely, isolating business,” McLachlan told the audience at Toronto’s Massey Hall in her speech.

“But for me, it’s also extremely cathartic.”

Her feelings were shared by Cochrane, who acknowledged that songwriting steals precious years away from the people around its creators. He thanked his daughters for their patience with him.

But the “Life is a Highway” writer suggested the creation process often leads to miracles.

“Songs have a beginning and an end – like lives,” he said. “And like the people we love, we don’t forget them.”

All of the inductees’ famous tunes punctuated an evening show that saw fans dancing from their seats as Sam Roberts, Metric and Lights joined others in tributes that spanned the emotions.

Husband-and-wife duo Whitehorse delivered a sombre acoustic-electric take on McLachlan’s “Sweet Surrender” while a barefoot Brett Emmons of the Glorious Sons threw his voice into a wailing version of Cochrane’s “Big League.”

Nelly Furtado shared how McLachlan inspired her early in her career as they wound through one of the Lilith Fair tours. She also praised McLachlan’s tireless efforts in raising funds for various charities.

The two finished by performing a harmonious duet of Angel with Furtado standing near McLachlan’s piano.

Aside from the deeper reflections on the struggle of creation, the night offered a good share of humour, particularly when it came to the induction of Blue Rodeo songwriters Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor.

Ed Robertson of Barenaked Ladies, appearing in a video message, likened the pair to being as inseparable as maple syrup and pancakes.

Keelor kept the jokes flowing when he stepped up to the podium with a thick notepad of his handwritten speech. He assured the crowd it wasn’t as long as it looked.

Shortly after, he pointed out McLachlan as she watched from the crowd beside her daughter Taja.

“I once said, way back, that when I die, I want Sarah McLachlan to sing at my grave,” he said.

“So I think I will die in my seat tonight.”

Country artists Tim Hicks and Tenille Townes gave a colourful tribute to Blue Rodeo that was quite literal.

When they hit the stage to sing a growling take on “Til I Am Myself Again,” both were dressed in blue – Hicks in a blue jean jacket and Townes in blue leather pants.

Toronto singer Ahi toasted the country-rock band with a bluesy take on “Try” that earned the praise of Cuddy as he kicked off his induction speech.

The Blue Rodeo frontman said all of the celebration was overwhelming in some ways. He thanked his wife, actress Rena Polley, for her unwavering support.

“Every time we go to a concert, or every time I play her a record, I’m just still surprised by all her enthusiasm, I think really after 40 years? That’s amazing,” he said.

Other highlights of the evening included French-Canadian chanteuse La Zara, who represented France at the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest. She was among the performers who toasted Quebec singer Diane Tell with a sizzling rendition of her 1981 song “Si J’etais un Homme,” which translates as “If I Were a Man.”

Accepting her honour, Tell recalled how she penned around 50 songs while barely a teenager and would sing them “for anyone who cared to listen.”

She said songwriting was invaluable to her life, and the words she wrote were so important to her that even in her early days she had an “urge to own my music and protect it from the industry.”

“Those songs they are my anchor,” she added.

Gary LeVox of the Nashville band Rascal Flatts closed the evening by joining a harmonica-clutching Cochrane on “Life is a Highway.” Partway through the song, all of the evening’s performers returned to the stage to rock out together.

“You just always hope and pray that one of your songs is timeless,” LeVox said of showing up for Cochrane’s induction.

“And great songs like that just get rewarded.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 28, 2024.



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Valentino’s new designer puts on maximalist Paris ready-to-wear debut

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PARIS (AP) — Alessandro Michele’s eagerly awaited ready-to-wear Paris Fashion Week debut at Valentino was unveiled in a setting that hinted at a transformation— a living room in flux. Stools, ladders, and lamps shrouded beneath white blankets evoked a house renovation, signaling not just change, but a conscious revival of past glories. The scene, poetic and subdued, perfectly set the stage for a “maximalist-lite” spectacle that was equally haunted by history and illuminated by Michele’s unique flair.

Meanwhile, under the soaring ceilings of the École des Beaux Arts, overlooking the Seine, Sean McGirr’s sophomore ready-to-wear show for Alexander McQueen arrived with a palpable sense of relief. The shift in setting — from a bleak industrial warehouse outside Paris to this iconic venue — reflected a fresh start for McGirr, whose uncertain debut had left critics shivering, both literally and figuratively. Now, with the benefit of more time to prepare, McGirr appeared more at ease, though hints of his sometimes overly simplistic approach still lingered.

Here are some highlights of spring-summer 2025 ready-to-wear shows:

Michele’s Valentino’s debut

The mood was set with haunting music and the steady beat of a drum, creating an ambiance charged with drama and anticipation. Michele, who made headlines earlier this year after being named the new creative director of Valentino, following his successful reign at Gucci, brought with him much of his recognizable style. Yet there was a distinctive evolution in his vision — less overtly ostentatious, but still unmistakably eclectic.

Feathers floated on hats, soft and playful. Lingerie peeked through delicate layers. Flowers, fortune tellers’ hats, sparkling embellishments — all coalesced into an eclectic wardrobe that carried a vintage feel. Michele, it seemed, was teasing apart the DNA of both houses he knows intimately: the exuberance of Gucci and the ethereal heritage of Valentino.

Some of the pieces felt familiar to longtime Valentino admirers: the feminine nipped-waist dress, the floppy floral gown with its tiered skirt, and the iconic Valentino red that made its dramatic entrance. Yet in Michele’s hands, these classics were playfully twisted — feathers replaced fur on a billowing stole, and the result was a softer, more modern take that eschewed excessive luxury.

Jared Leto was among the VIPs who sat in the front row, a testament to Michele’s continued draw among Hollywood’s elite. The designer, who had risen to international recognition by infusing Gucci with his beloved “Geek-Chic” aesthetic, seemed to bring a similar ethos to Valentino, though filtered through a more graceful, couture lens.

Throughout his tenure at Gucci, Michele was celebrated for prioritizing his personal vision over the often suffocating codes of heritage houses, and Sunday’s show echoed that defiant spirit.

McGirr’s sophomore outing

The opening tailored suit, its lapels rolled as if to ward off an unexpected London downpour, seemed a pointed metaphor — perhaps a shield against the relentless skepticism that followed his first runway outing. This season, McGirr turned to a reference steeped in both his heritage and McQueen’s early days: the dark romance of the “Banshee” show. In doing so, he anchored his own identity more deeply in the label’s legacy, embracing a Gothic allure that was more commercially viable this time around.

It was a collection of contrasts. The precise tailoring echoed McQueen’s subversion of British suiting, twisting and clutching fabric in ways that seemed as though it had been caught in a sudden gust. However, this wasn’t always effective. One such example — a jagged, off-white tuxedo — felt more like a costume of restraint. This overly simplistic take on tailoring lacked the subtle layering and tension that distinguished Sarah Burton’s previous work for the house.

Where McGirr truly shone, however, was in his eveningwear — an area that has become increasingly vital in the era of celebrity-driven fashion. The shimmering embroideries and featherlight silks, frayed and distressed in lilac georgette, signaled his understanding of red carpet glamour. The brushed white chiffon minidress, paired with a gold beaded and sequined jacket, made a convincing case for the designer’s growing confidence. And when the silver chains traced the body’s lines, their intricate embroidery brought a level of audacity that was finally worthy of McQueen.

The night’s high point was a look of pure excess: an extreme gown embroidered with glistening silver chains that seemed to catch every glimmer of light in the venue. It was an ensemble that Daphne Guinness herself — who watched approvingly from the front row — might have worn in a heartbeat.

Despite his strides, McGirr’s sophomore effort still carried the weight of a designer learning the ropes of a storied brand.

Akris: Where utility meets minimalism

Akris’ Sunday collection had the audience leaning in, not for any over-the-top spectacle, but for the luxurious subtleties that Albert Kriemler so masterfully crafts. The designer, true to form, took the trench coat idea — a staple of the wardrobe — and transformed it into something distinctly Akris. With utilitarian detailing threaded through every seam, this was an exercise in functional luxury, the kind that Kriemler has long perfected. His designs don’t shout; they whisper.

The collection opened with takes on trenches, each reimagined to fuse practicality with fashion-forward flair. Minimalism, too, reigned supreme, with looks that kept embellishments at bay to let the craftsmanship shine. A flat, clean-cut fabric top paired with culottes nodded to the timeless Akris aesthetic — unfussy, luxurious, and quietly powerful. This was minimalism of the highest quality, a testament to Kriemler’s commitment to making clothes that defy the viral trend, focusing instead on timeless appeal.



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