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John Mitchell will continue as Red Roses head coach through to the next Women’s Rugby World Cup in 2029.

Mitchell led England’s women to their first World Cup win in 11 years with victory on home soil in 2025.

“I am pleased to extend my time with the Red Roses,” he said. “This extension provides continuity across a World Cup cycle and enables the programme to operate with a clear, long-term vision.

“The past three years have been both challenging and rewarding, delivering success at the highest level… and a culture that wins.

“This emerging group has the opportunity to continue leading our game globally.”

In addition, having announced her playing retirement last year, England’s record points-scorer Emily Scarratt joins the coaching set-up as “lead attack and backs coach”.

Former England attack coach Lou Meadows will be leaving.

The addition of Scarratt will likely be popular with the England players, but Scarratt has not been given the job permanently yet.

The England announcement said Mitchell will be “head of attack” in the 2026 Six Nations, indicating this is a trial period for Scarratt, who will also continue with her role as assistant coach at PWR side Loughborough Lightening.

Mitchell’s reappointment was expected after a successful tenure at England coach that delivered their previously elusive World Cup win, after years of increasing investment from the RFU compared to other nations.

The New Zealander stressed that the Red Roses will be pushing on from the 2025 World Cup win.

“There is a strong sense of unfinished opportunities within the group,” Mitchell explained, “and that will shape our preparation, training approach, and ongoing drive to raise our floor as we build our hunger in dynasty.”

The 61year-old confirmed his interest in the British and Irish Lions Women’s head coach role last year.

If he is successful in securing the role it would be an opportunity for an existing member of the current England coaching group to step up as England head coach while he was on a saabatical.

Sarah Hunter will continue as England defence coach and Louis Deacon as forwards coach.

Meadows’ exit could be a means of freshening up the voices in England camp or a way of getting Scarratt on the coaching ticket

Meadows was a surprise appointment when she was named attack coach in 2023 and helped England evolve away from being a side that relied on its forwards and set-piece for results.

Hearts have confirmed Uganda forward Rogers Mato will join the club immediately after they agreed a loan until the end of the season with North Macedonian side Vardar.

Mato, 22, had previously agreed a three-year contract to join as a free agent in July, and that deal will kick in once his Vardar deal expires.

The transfer is subject to international clearance and Scottish FA approval, but Mato could make his debut at Dundee United on Saturday.

His arrival strengthens Hearts’ options in forward areas with Scotland striker Lawrence Shankland out until March with a hamstring strain.

“It’s great work from the club to get Rogers in during this window and I’m really pleased that he’s here and ready to go,” head coach Derek McInnes said.

“He’s a livewire player, always looking to attack and cause the opposing defence problems.

There was confusion earlier this month when Vardar claimed they had accepted an £870,000 offer from Sporting Kansas City for Mato, after Hearts had announced their own pre-contract deal.

North Macedonian top-flight leaders Vardar proclaimed that he would instead “play against Messi, Suarez, Giroud, Lloris, Busquets” in Major League Soccer.

But, in a statement to the Kansas City Star outlet, the MLS outfit stated: “Sporting Kansas City explored a transfer for Rogers Mato, but he has elected to sign a pre-contract with Hearts and we wish him all the best in the future.”

Mato, who played for his country at the Africa Cup of Nations, has been in prolific form for Vardar this season, scoring 15 goals and contributing two assists in 17 appearances, and they currently lead second-top Struga by one point after 16 games.

First capped by his country in 2022, Mato has scored eight international goals in 41 matches, including a consolation goal in an Africa Cup of Nations defeat by Nigeria last month.

Para-powerlifter Finlay Davidson says he will be inspired by lifting in front of a home crowd for the first time when he competes for the opening medal of the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The 21-year-old will line up in the men’s Lightweight Under 72kg category this summer – which will be the first time a Commonwealth Games has opened with a Para-sport event.

Davidson was inspired to take Para-powerlifting seriously by watching the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and is now hoping to threaten a medal in July.

He has lifted at two World Championships but has never featured in a competition on Scottish soil.

Davidson, from Inverkeithing in Fife, is mentored by renowned Para-powerlifting coach Neil Crosbie, who guided double amputee Micky Yule to Commonwealth silver in 2022.

He is ranked seventh in the Commonwealth and while he is realistic about his prospects for gold and silver – with England’s Mark Swan and Malaysia’s Bonnie Bunyau Gustin the standout competitors – he is not daunted by his task.

“Those two are out on their own, they are so strong. But I think I can realistically challenge for fourth at least,” he told BBC Sport Scotland.

“Between now and then, I’m just focused on getting stronger to close the gap with the lifters ranked above me.

“I learnt so much from competing in the World Championships. The first was the junior version – but a lot of the lessons were to do with travel. This time I will be at home, in front of a Scottish crowd for the first time.

“That’s going to be emotional. It’s been my dream to compete in the Commonwealth Games since taking up the sport. I never thought I’d get the chance to do it at home.

The 2026 Games will feature the largest Para-sport programme in the event’s history and Para-powerlifting will open the programme on 24 July in the SEC Armadillo.

Davidson is pleased and encouraged at the dynamics of the scheduling.

“Putting para and non-Para athletes side by side is so important – in sport and outside of it,” he added.

“Usually we aren’t competing in the same venue and at the same time at the Olympics and Paralympics, so it is so good that it is happening at the Commonwealth Games. It sends the right message.”

Davidson’s selection was unveiled at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh, as part of All In – Glasgow 2026’s nationwide campaign calling on the nation to join the Commonwealth Games celebration.

All In aims to spark community pride and build momentum through locally led events across Scotland.

“Glasgow 2026 is Scotland’s Games and we want the whole nation to get behind us,” said Davidson.

It is not every day that you see a goalkeeper score.

Occasionally, though, the keeper throws the rule book out of the window.

Take Anatoliy Trubin. He booked Benfica’s place in the Champions League play-offs with a stunning 98th-minute goal against the mighty Real Madrid on Wednesday.

With the scores level in the fifth minute of added time in the Premier League game against West Brom, Liverpool’s Alisson went up for a corner.

He met Trent Alexander-Arnold’s delivery with a header to snatch a vital victory in Liverpool’s Champions League qualification bid.

Peter Schmeichel became the first keeper in Premier League history to score a goal, netting for Aston Villa in a 3-2 defeat by Everton.

He came up for a corner in the closing minutes, the ball rebounded towards him, and he smashed it into the top corner.

Paul Robinson scored the second goal of his professional career in Tottenham’s 3-1 Premier League win against Watford.

He took a hopeful punt upfield from a free-kick well within Spurs’ half.

Oscarine Masuluke scored a memorable goal against Orlando Pirates in the South African Premier League.

With Baroka FC trailing 1-0, a corner was only partially punched clear and Masuluke – moving away from the goal – scored a brilliant bicycle kick from near the edge of the penalty area.

Stoke City’s Asmir Begovic earned a place in the Guinness World Records for the “longest goal” in football.

From a distance of 97.5 yards, his clearance deceived Southampton keeper Artur Boruc to put Stoke 1-0 up after 13 seconds of the Premier League match.

Begovic said: “It’s a cool feeling but it was a fortunate incident. I feel a bit bad for Boruc.

“It is a long ball that got caught in the wind and it took a wicked bounce. It’s not nice to be on the receiving end of those things as a goalkeeper.

Bayer Leverkusen’s Hans-Jorg Butt scored a penalty in a Bundesliga match against Schalke.

In May 1999, Jimmy Glass scored an injury-time goal that kept Carlisle United in the Football League.

Sent forward for a corner, the Carlisle goalkeeper scored with virtually the last kick of the game to snatch victory and send Scarborough down.

In 2004 Blackburn Rovers’ Brad Friedel became only the second keeper in Premier League history to get on the scoresheet.

The American equalised in the 90th minute at Charlton, but then conceded a dramatic winner moments later.

Paraguayan Jose Luis Chilavert scored 67 goals in his career, including 14 free-kicks.

He became the first keeper to score a hat-trick during Velez Sarsfield’s 6-1 win against Ferro Carril Oeste in Argentina’s Argentine Primera Division in 1999.

But Chilavert’s goal tally is well short of Brazilian Rogerio Ceni, who spent 22 years with Sao Paulo and scored 129 goals in his career.