The Guardian

England suffered four defeats in dismal Six Nations Bill Sweeney says improvement not ‘one simple answer’ Steve Borthwick and his coaching staff are to remain in charge of England’s men’s team despite the squad’s worst Five or Six Nations for 50 years. The Rugby Football Union has opted to back Borthwick and his lieutenants through to next year’s Rugby World Cup in Australia having completed what…

Game is in danger of losing its integrity by howling about referees’ decisions and unedifying actions on the field under the notional banner of player welfare It felt like a proper occasion in Bordeaux on Sunday. The trams were so jammed en route to the ground that the kick-off had to be delayed to allow spectators extra time to find their seats. For those who dismiss the notion of club rugby riv…

Deal would run until 2030 and have extra year’s option Foden has spent his whole career with City Phil Foden has agreed in principle a new four-year contract with Manchester City that will tie the 25-year-old to the club until 2030. Although the formalities are yet to be completed, there are not expected to be any issues. Foden’s deal is due to expire in summer 2027. Continue reading...

Sluggish Manchester City failed to get the win they needed and have left themselves with a lot to do to regain title Bedlam here, utter bedlam – particularly the finish when Jérémy Doku’s 97th-minute right-foot curler grabbed Manchester City a 3-3 draw with Everton. Yet, the bottom line is this: the result places one Arsenal hand on the Premier League trophy, and City no longer control whether th…

A first Champions League final in 20 years is within touching distance, but a difficult tie is not over yet Mikel Arteta can be forgiven for never missing the chance to remind everyone that these are unprecedented times for Arsenal. As his side prepares to face Atlético Madrid in the decisive act of their second successive Champions League semi-final, it is easy to forget that they have only reac…

While the doping-friendly event does not seem keen on journalistic interrogation, here’s what needs to be asked The plan to fly to Las Vegas to cover what the Enhanced Games claims is the “next frontier of human performance” ended with a short email sent at 7.02pm on Friday. “After careful consideration, we are unable to approve your media credential request for this year’s event,” it said. “Due …

The Essex and South Africa spinner has taken more Championship wickets than anyone else since arriving in 2017 – but says 18 teams can reward mediocrity For 10 seasons, few have earned the right to comment on English cricket more than Simon Harmer. Because for 10 seasons, no one has taken more County Championship wickets than the South African off-spinner who arrived at Essex in 2017 on a six-mon…

Having overseen a historic return to the Premier League, businessman is now aiming his sights even higher Doug King is discussing the night Coventry clinched promotion to the Premier League after 25 years away. He had a tear in his eye when the moment arrived at Blackburn and, after eventually exiting the Ewood Park boardroom, the champagne flowing, the straight-talking owner worth hundreds of mi…

With Saudi investment drying up, one of LIV’s highest-profile recruits may be having second thoughts as Australian officials call for the global golf ecosystem to come together He was Australian golf’s shining light, a likeable everyman whose career has found the rough. Now, Cameron Smith “may be rethinking” his decision to stick with LIV Golf, according to the head of the PGA of Australia, after…

A hot start to the VFL season has attracted big crowds on the Emerald Isle to leave fans eagerly anticipating the step up in 2028 When the original rules of the game were being written in Melbourne, Tasmanians were playing footy, too. It’s taken 160 years for the state to get its first genuine chance at the elite level, but early signs indicate the Tasmania Football Club is thriving. For now, the…

Chelsea lose six in a row for first time since 1993 ‘We were nowhere near the level we needed to be’ Chelsea’s interim head coach, Calum McFarlane, admitted the opening 15 minutes of his side’s home defeat by Nottingham Forest were “not acceptable” as Chelsea lost a sixth consecutive Premier League match for the first time since 1993. A second-minute header from Taiwo Awoniyi was followed by an I…

Wu claims title 18-17 with decisive break of 85 The 22-year-old is the second-youngest champion ever As the decisive pot went in at around 10.30pm on Monday, and Wu Yize punched the Crucible air and etched his name into snookering immortality, it was hard not to imagine that the sport had just changed in front of our eyes for ever. If Zhao Xintong broke through the glass ceiling for Chinese snook…

Carrick has taken side into Champions League as interim Matheus Cunha feels Carrick has Ferguson-era ‘magic’ Michael Carrick is expected to be offered the chance to continue as Manchester United’s head coach after qualifying for the Champions League. Carrick has not held talks regarding turning his interim role into a permanent one because the executives were intent on waiting to see whether he c…

A three-horse race looks like it has been reduced to two. This most magical of Hearts seasons has edged closer to delivering the ultimate prize, an outcome that would shake Scottish football to its very foundations. This was a game Rangers and their manager Danny Röhl dare not lose. They did, courtesy of a stirring second-half comeback from Hearts. Rangers now trail the Edinburgh club by seven po…

Bath unhappy with collision between Barbeary and Lucu Some camera angles were unavailable to TMO in semi-final An independent broadcast director is set to be in position for this month’s Champions Cup final in Bilbao after disquiet about the lack of crucial replays available to match officials during Bath’s 38-26 semi-final defeat against Bordeaux-Bègles on Sunday. Johann van Graan, Bath’s head o…