The Guardian

Sydney’s Lexi Hamilton cushions fall of Geelong’s Piper Dunlop Dunlop ‘doing OK’ in hospital after bruising semi-final encounter When Cats ruck Piper Dunlop hit the turf in the third quarter of Geelong’s AFLW semi-final against Sydney after a nasty head clash, she couldn’t have asked for a better-qualified person to be first on the scene. Instinct kicked in for Swans forward Lexi Hamilton, who is…

‘It’s nothing this group doesn’t deserve for their work’ Beauden Barrett: ‘Their defence felt like a brick wall’ Dewi Lake, the first Wales captain to lead his team to victory over New Zealand in 73 years, paid tribute to his teammates, who chiselled this win out of a recent history of adversity, sometimes even humiliation. At last, they gave this rugby nation reason to be proud again, as he call…

Russian teen beats American 6-3, 6-4 at Indian Wells French Open champion, 19, assures world No 2 ranking The rise of Mirra Andreeva has seemed inevitable ever since she burst on to the tour as a precocious 15-year-old more than three years ago, but this week, six months after her maiden grand slam triumph at Roland Garros, she has taken another massive step forward in her career. The 19-year-old…

Midfielder needed a break ‘to come back stronger’ James Trafford selected to start in goal for England Declan Rice has admitted he had an “average” World Cup at the end of a gruelling season and needed time out during the international window in September and October in order to return stronger. The Arsenal midfielder believes the break has served its purpose, having produced starring performance…

Electrifying full-backs take centre stage in men’s final before Australia and New Zealand meet again in the women’s decider In so many ways this has been a Rugby League World Cup of change. New formats, new stories, new nations rising and even a rarity for this tournament: a financial profit. But for all the evolution and growth witnessed in the past month, the final acts arrive with a familiar i…

Mauricio Pochettino’s arrival feels like yet another appointment that would have been better made a few years ago Magnusson: And your time starts ... now! What is paleontology? Smithers: Yes, absolutely correct. Magnusson: What’s the name of the directory that lists members of the peerage? Smithers: A study of old fossils. Magnusson: Correct. Who are Len Murray and Sir Geoffrey Howe? Smithers: Bu…

Canadian lineman died Friday after medical incident Three-star prospect committed to Georgia in June High school postpones game as coach pays tribute Marcellus Young Casario, an 18-year-old Canadian high school football player who had committed to Georgia, died Friday following what his school described as a medical emergency. Casario, a senior defensive lineman at Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School in n…

Tanzanian scores second-half winner in 2-1 victory Spirit reach fifth NWSL final and third in succession Washington will chase second title at home ground Clara Luvanga scored her second goal of the postseason in the 57th minute, capitalizing on an errant pass as the Washington Spirit reached their fifth NWSL Championship and third straight with a 2-1 semi-final victory over the Utah Royals on Sa…

Home side avenge October defeat in Cardiff Wales bottom of Group A4 with one game left Wales suffered a 3-1 defeat to Norway in Oslo to dent their hopes of staying in the top tier of the Nations League. Antonio Nusa and Andreas Schjelderup struck in the space of nine second-half minutes as Norway turned the screw. Continue reading...

Original No 7 design preserved to honour player Career brought 146 goals and three major titles Portugal have made a permanent change to the No 7 shirt to honour the legacy of Cristiano Ronaldo and ensure the number remains forever associated with their greatest footballing icon. The former forward, whose career spanned 23 years and 246 caps in which he scored 146 goals, announced his retirement …

Brave Blossoms looked like Sunday afternoon amateurs but the one-sided result highlights the failings of the international landscape What can we surmise from that? England are very good at shooting fish in a barrel. Max Ojomoh looks the part when given the freedom of Twickenham in which to operate. Will Joseph can finish, Maro Itoje can remove candy from the clutches of a baby and someone on the …

England 78-15 Japan Steve Borthwick’s men score 13 tries Not every game of rugby can deliver a result for the ages. Admittedly, England do not score 13 tries every week but even if the hosts had run up 150 points they would have struggled to eclipse this weekend’s remarkable events in Cardiff and Paris. That said, in the annals of one-sided contests on this famous old stretch of turf, there have …

England’s first game in Madrid since racist abuse in 2004 De la Fuente tells Tuchel ‘we’re not racists, none of us’ Luis de la Fuente has told Thomas Tuchel there is no racism in Spain after the England coach’s admission that he would remind his players of the anti-racism protocol prior to their meeting at the Metropolitano on Sunday night. This will be the first time the countries play each othe…

Pragmatic, resolute and gutsy. Sonia Bompastor showed her ruthless side and delivered a tactical masterclass as Chelsea earned a 1-0 win over Manchester City and leapfrogged them at the top of the Women’s Super League. Sandy Baltimore’s stunning strike in added time at the end of the first half was the difference, as the west London side nullified the threat of a team that had scored in each of t…

The coach’s tenure with the USMNT brought a whiplash of highs and lows. He met some goals but also left many with the impression he never truly bought in It did not take US men’s national team coach Mauricio Pochettino very long to take his first big swing. He’d just taken the reins of the program after a disastrous performance at the 2024 Copa América cost his predecessor his job, with the first…