The Guardian

Rugby Football League set to ratify elevation imminently Partnership with NRL not expected now till 2028 London Broncos have agreed to a condition from the existing 14 Super League clubs that they must relinquish any rights to around £1.3m in central distribution funding if they are to enter the competition in 2027, with the Rugby Football League expected to ratify their elevation imminently. A p…

Australia’s former No 3 faces one of his biggest tests as he takes the reins as CA interim chair with BBL privatisation only the first task of many David Boon walked on to one of the stickier wickets in Australian sport on Wednesday, after Cricket Australia warned the national pastime faces years of financial losses and a period of “cost minimisation”. The outlook is grim, and that’s without a gl…

Teenager was maybe harshly sent off in the Carabao Cup tie but his reaction was a mistake he will learn from, while his manager might also have regrets Mikel Arteta’s reaction said it all. As Max Dowman trudged towards the touchline after becoming the youngest player sent off in a League Cup match at 16 years and 300 days, the Arsenal manager could not help himself. Arms folded across his chest l…

Manchester United captain expected to return to line-up Squad have positive meeting with under-pressure coach Michael Carrick and Bruno Fernandes held clear-the-air talks on Tuesday after the Manchester United’s captain criticised the manager’s tactics last week, with him now expected to start at Chelsea on Saturday. Carrick and Fernandes met before training on Tuesday morning at United’s Carring…

When Stiggers’ father died, he left college to help his mum and 12 siblings. He worked as a delivery driver and thought his football dream had ended. But he made it in the end Qwan’tez Stiggers had only been in college for a few days when his world fell apart. Seven months after the car crash that put him in a coma, Stiggers’ father died. Stiggers quit college and returned home to support his mot…

French forward on how the 1998 World Cup inspired her football dream, her Gabonese background and finding a new family in east London On Saturday, once West Ham’s Viviane Asseyi was home from the match, she picked up her phone and called her mum. It has become almost ritualistic for them to speak after a game. On the other end came a familiar sound. “She was just laughing,” says Asseyi. “She was …

South African stands out, not just because of his height, but England and Australia now find themselves looking for an equivalent If you were to bioengineer a cricketer in a laboratory, which attributes would you give them? You would make them tall, with long limbs and a whiplash action to extract steep bounce. Add speed, movement both ways and a left arm to offer a point of difference. With the …

Real Madrid forward was dropped by brands for comments Chinese media generally steered clear of outlining It’s been a bad start to the week for the France forward Kylian Mbappé. He missed out on joining the elite roster of Ballon d’Or winners, and instead became the latest high-profile addition to a far less illustrious list – that of foreign brands and individuals charged with “hurting the feeli…

The rapper lends the NFL a veneer of credibility but is unlikely to push back on the establishment figures who run the league On Monday the NFL named Jay-Z as the headliner for this season’s Super Bowl half-time show. His company, Roc Nation, produces the show under a 2019 deal reportedly worth $5m a year, and the agreement was extended for another five years in 2024. NFL commissioner Roger Goode…

Updates from the final match of the series at Newlands First ball in Cape Town is 10.30am local/7.30pm AEDT/8.30am GMT Any thoughts? Get in touch with an email For those pondering why that batting sequence would be questionable, consider this. Travis Head: lots of runs as opener in his second innings of matches, bugger all the first time he bats. Matt Renshaw: was supposed to be the opener, then …

Lancashire have moved on without him, but the 44-year-old England stalwart wants to keep going as long as his body allows Jimmy Anderson could teach Philip Marlowe a thing or two about The Long Goodbye. England’s leading wicket-taker in Tests is of that sporting breed who have no interest in bowing out at the top. Like Andy Murray before him , he has shown little enthusiasm to bow out at all, as …

Norwegian federation president distances self from Fifa presidency but believes governing body can be reformed As the rain whips around Oslo’s government quarter, Lise Klaveness is shielding herself from the wind, trying to work out tactics. “Of course we cannot probably do everything alone, but we have a voice, we have the right to speak, we have the right to suggest, so let’s see,” she says. “W…

Plus: the longest home droughts, pre-Christmas goal centuries and the first official club websites Mail us with all of your questions and answers “Justin Seven-Seven came on in the 75th minute and then scored in the 77th minute for West Brom Under-21s against Sutton United in the National League Cup. You have probably already guessed my question, but has anyone else ever scored in the same minute…

Our cartoonist on the expected end for Michael Carrick at Old Trafford and what could come next Buy this cartoon | Some of David’s favourite works And his latest book, Chaos in the Box: get it now Continue reading...

Tampa Bay force Game 5 with extra-innings rally Milwaukee denied first World Series championship Brewers still hold 3-1 lead in best-of-seven series Jonny DeLuca and pinch-hitter Ben Williamson singled home runs in a stunning 12th-inning rally, and the Tampa Bay Rays staved off World Series elimination with a 4-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night that forced Game 5. Cooper Pratt hit…