The Guardian

The former Ireland hooker on his rugby family, why Andy Farrell’s side need to rebuild and the physical toll of touring with the Lions I have known Keith Wood for nearly 30 years and so it’s easy to talk about life and death long before we move on to rugby. But the game always provides context and, last Friday afternoon, the 54-year-old former Lions hooker and Irish captain drove to Cork to watch…

Lauren James shows what Chelsea have been missing, Villa get a ‘cruel’ crushing and the leaders bounce back If there were any questions around how Manchester City would respond to seeing their unbeaten league run end, they were quickly put to bed. Andrée Jeglertz’s side were back to their free-flowing attacking best, putting six past Leicester. Dominant seems to be a bit of an understatement when…

The world No 5 says she has been disturbed by events back home, and is not afraid to speak up about issues in the United States While getting treatment and preparing for this week’s Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Coco Gauff has had the news on in the background almost every day. Gauff could be forgiven if she’s not up-to-date on everything that’s been happening back in the United States: s…

Wilson and Pierre Crinon ejected after brawl Fighting is rare at Winter Games Canada’s Tom Wilson shunned tradition on Sunday, deciding to fight during his team’s victory over France in their Olympic ice hockey game. While fighting is a regular – and tacitly accepted – part of professional ice hockey, it rarely occurs on the Olympic stage. But Wilson dropped the gloves late in Canada’s 10-2 rout …

Medal table | Live scores and schedule | Results | Briefing Follow us over on Bluesky | Get in touch: email Daniel Gosh, Noel’s making hard work of this, the snow huffing down and he manages to ski his way out of trouble and stay on his feet, just, but finishes 1.96s off the lead. I think we can say he won’t be retaining his title. Next out, Kristoffersen, Norway’s best-ever slalomer … and he fin…

T20 World Cup Group C updates, play from 9.30am GMT Sign up for The Spin newsletter | And you can mail Daniel Afghanistan beat UAE by five wickets. It was pretty comfortable in the end. Afghanistan are a proper side. England, and most other top teams, can be thankful they didn’t have them in their group. Continue reading...

If the Sunday already felt golden under the alpine sun for Team GB, it only glittered brighter after dark Super Sunday? More like Golden Sunday. From the sunlit snowboard slopes to the floodlit ice track, Great Britain delivered a one-two punch that will live long in Winter Olympic folklore . In the space of a few hours, two British duos – Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale, then Tabitha Stoeck…

A humbling Six Nations defeat at Murrayfield has left the England coach with significant questions to answer Some of life’s certainties are impossible to sidestep. And to the trinity of death, taxes and rail delays can now be added a fourth familiar staple. When Scotland play England at Murrayfield it is now all but guaranteed the hosts will raise their game to Ben Nevis‑type heights and the visi…

Pressure is telling on Scott Parker at Burnley while Dominik Szoboszlai is reaching new heights for Liverpool The lack of pressure on Scott Parker this season, despite a collection of desperate performances and an impending relegation, has been mystifying. Plenty at Turf Moor feel a strong sense of loyalty to Parker, especially the chairman, Alan Pace, but support in the stands is dwindling. The …

Wins for promoted York against champions and Toulouse at Wakefield can only boost game’s appeal at a crucial time The opening weekend of Super League’s new era as a 14-team competition has been undeniably positive and packed with surprises. There have been sell‑out crowds, the attendance boom of 2025 continuing into 2026, and with two out of the three promoted teams winning it is clear the compet…

Frank Lampard’s team started the season with a blaze of goals but Kim Hellberg’s side are now title favourites By WhoScored The last time these two teams met, on 25 November, Coventry were on an 18-match run that delivered 13 wins, 50 goals and a 10-point lead at the top of the Championship. Middlesbrough, by contrast, entered the game without a head coach. Rob Edwards had taken the Wolves job an…

After Macclesfield’s FA Cup giantkilling, the quiet Cheshire town remains suitably unassuming in the spotlight after years of heartbreak Along the passenger bridge at Macclesfield railway station, a frieze celebrates the town’s history. Towards the far platform it reads “1874, Macclesfield Town established”. The next entry is “1979, Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures released”. Local humour has it …

Australian produces some fine tennis to win Rotterdam Open First indoor title comes after 6-3, 6-2 win over Felix Auger-Aliassime Alex de Minaur sealed a landmark week by delivering a masterful performance to defeat the red-hot Felix Auger-Aliassime and finally land one of the biggest titles of his career at the Rotterdam Open. The Australian produced some of his finest tennis on Sunday (Monday A…

Keeper did not think Guardiola would sign Italian ‘It’s football, you’ve got to keep grafting every day’ James Trafford has admitted he did not expect Manchester City to sign Gianluigi Donnarumma after his transfer from Burnley last summer, with the deputy goalkeeper potentially leaving this summer. Trafford returned to City after two years at Turf Moor on 31 July in a deal worth £31m before Pep …

Wing to learn fate after red card in Scotland Immanuel Feyi-Waboso also out with injury Steve Borthwick is set for a major selection headache as England seek to get their Six Nations campaign back on track against Ireland on Saturday with Henry Arundell facing a suspension after his red card against Scotland . England have promised an “honest and emotional” review into their dismal Calcutta Cup d…