The Guardian

Back-row’s colossal performance in Prem semi-final proves he is ready to come of age for Northampton against Exeter As Henry Pollock idly plays with the straggly end of his blond rat’s tail on a sunny day in Northampton he looks wholly at ease. There are more microphones in front of him than anyone else but that’s fine. Exeter are preparing to hit him with everything they can muster but that’s fi…

England v Croatia attracted year’s highest UK TV figures BBC opted for more first-pick games in knockout stages ITV is winning the UK television ratings battle after the first week of the World Cup. Viewing figures obtained by the Guardian from Barb, which measures audience numbers, show the commercial channel had four of the five highest TV audiences, topped by England’s 4-2 win over Croatia. En…

️ Updates from the second round at Shinnecock Hills ️ Day one report | Follow us on Instagram | Mail David Overnight leader Wyndham Clark pars the final two holes via a pair of short putts and posts the clubhouse lead of 6-under 64. Well played that man! But look at the bunch behind him – a trio of fellow former US Open winners. Dustin Johnson, the champion at Oakmont in 2016, has picked up shots…

Latest updates from Friday’s race card Greg Wood’s day four tips | Email Niall Day four of Royal Ascot 2026 and it’s going to be a scorcher, with peak temperatures of up to 28C forecast for this afternoon. A day for sunscreen, shades and plenty of hydration breaks between races, and also a chance for the punters to press home the advantage after the feature events on the first three days were won…

Updates from the third day’s play at the Oval Day two report | Sign up for the Spin | Mail James Andy Bull wrote about Sonny Baker’s second day as a Test cricketer: But the next morning was a lesson, if he needed it, that Test cricket turns on you pretty quick. Root had decided Baker should open the bowling. His first ball flew high and wide for four byes down the leg side, his second shot away o…

All the latest from around the grounds Mail Tanya or comment below with your thoughts Good morning from Chester le Street , where Ben Stokes, lean and freshly shorn, is warming up with his teammates on a muggy Chester le Street Friday 250 long miles from The Oval. We’ll be keeping an eye on him, and around the grounds, where play starts at 11am. Do join us! Continue reading...

Manchester United travel to Hull on first weekend Manchester City without Guardiola host Bournemouth Coventry will begin their first Premier League campaign in 25 years with a Friday night trip to the champions, Arsenal, on 21 August. Their fellow promoted club Hull begin at home to Manchester United on the Saturday and Ipswich entertain Sunderland that day. Continue reading...

Race will be staged over two days on 24-25 April Move will enable a record 100,000 runners to take part The London Marathon has confirmed that next year’s race will be staged over two days to enable a record 100,000 runners to take part and raise tens of millions more for charity. That will be welcome news for the 1.3 million people who have applied through the ballot, although their chances of g…

⚽ All the latest news from day eight of the tournament ⚽ Player guide | Bracketology | Golden Boot | Mail us It would be wrong to describe that second half as a shedding of the Gareth-shaped homunculus on this team’s back. But sometimes you do have to stop trusting the process, change the patterns, and just run forward with a great deal more aggression. England burned an effigy of everything they…

Scotland fans in the Massachusetts city awaiting their game against Morocco have continued to make an impression on the locals On Thursday afternoon, local broadcasters in Boston went live to an event hosted by the city’s mayor, Michelle Wu. It was a significant moment, with Wu confirming a deal that would commemorate a new chapter for the city. Representatives of the other party were also presen…

The pressure of wearing the Brazil shirt can be heavy but also creates a positive kind of responsibility Playing in a World Cup is a huge experience; when you’re with the national team, your entire focus is on the squad’s schedule – the hotel, the training centre, the stadium – basically, everything revolves around the matches. I lived that routine daily at the 2022 World Cup and realised the imm…

England mainstay is flagging after six years of nonstop action, but finding a solution to his absence is no easy task A freak of nature is Aaron Cresswell’s description of Declan Rice. The former West Ham left-back marvels at Rice’s ability to keep going. “He can play six or seven games a week,” Cresswell says of his old West Ham teammate. “God knows how many he’s played in the last few years.” T…

The €500,000 tournament has attracted several strong national teams, plus the favourites, WR Chess, led by the world No 1, Magnus Carlsen Dragon Chilling is an unfamiliar chess name, but the squad from China led the field of 48 after the first day’s play at the World Rapid and Blitz in Hong Kong. Teams of six include a woman, a junior and an amateur who has never achieved a 2000 rating. The stron…

Pulisic has been training individually all week US face Australia at 3pm ET in Seattle on Friday World Cup newsletter | Daily podcast | Download the app US men’s national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino offered very little clarity on the injury status of playmaker Christian Pulisic on Thursday, casting further doubt on his availability before the Americans’ second World Cup group-stage match …

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning , Nicky Bandini and Ben Fisher as Canada thrash Qatar 6-0 in Vancouver Continue reading...