Archive July 20, 2025

England defender Lucy Bronze says players are getting more abuse the bigger women’s football becomes after team-mate Jess Carter revealed she has been sent racist messages during Euro 2025.

Carter has said she will take a step back from social media after experiencing “a lot of racial abuse” during the tournament and the Football Association has confirmed “working with police to ensure those responsible for this hate crime are brought to justice”.

The Lionesses will also stop the anti-racism move of taking a knee before matches, saying it was “clear we and football need to find another way to tackle racism”.

And Bronze, an ever present in England’s run to face Italy in Tuesday’s semi-final, said players have had to deal with “more abuse” since achieving international success.

“The bigger the game gets, the bigger the noise becomes, the more fans there are but the more critics there are,” said Bronze.

“We’re obviously open to critics, that’s why we love the sport, but we’re not open to abuse. Especially in women’s football, the online abuse seems to be getting worse and worse.

“We see it more in the stadiums in men’s football and online, but I think with women’s football there seems to be a real target online.

Bronze said Sarina Wiegman’s squad held meetings before the tournament to discuss abuse and how it has become a “huge factor specifically in women’s football”.

Before travelling to Switzerland, England striker Alessia Russo spoke of preferring to stay off social media because of how “damaging” the abuse can be.

And Chelsea forward Lauren James, who received racist abuse during the 2023 Women’s World Cup and the following Women’s Super League season, has said abuse “never really stops”.

Their comments came after British tennis player Katie Boulter spoke to BBC Sport about being subjected to online abuse and death threats.

In 2021, football clubs, players and sporting bodies began a four-day boycott of social media platforms to tackle abuse and discrimination.

And Bronze said she hoped that by standing before kick-off instead of taking a knee “noise will be reached around the world”.

“We know the people higher up are the ones who can ultimately put in things to make change. But I think we know we’re never helpless as players,” she added.

“Our voices are loud enough to be heard by people around the world, whether that’s social media platforms or federations like Uefa and Fifa.

“That’s something we’re very proud of as a Lionesses team, that we’ve created this voice and a platform so we can reach the highest of heights. We’re willing to use that platform and that voice to make differences.”

“People need to be held accountable,” she added and also called for more action from social media platforms.

On team-mate Carter’s attempt stand-up to racist abuse and to call it out publicly, Bronze said: “For her to speak out is so empowering to our whole team in general, especially to the likes of someone like Michelle [Agyemang] who is in her first tournament.

“It gives people more power to be brave, stand up and speak up and see all the team-mates and the country are behind [Carter]. That means a lot in moments like this.

“A lot of players have known that this has always been an issue in football. To hear Jess talking about it yesterday, we’re all just so disappointed in so-called fans writing these messages.

British number one Jack Draper has withdrawn from the forthcoming Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open with an arm injury.

But the 23-year-old is targeting a return at the US Open, which begins on 24 August.

Draper, who reached the US Open semi-finals in 2024, said on social media: “After Wimbledon I picked up an injury in my left arm, nothing serious.

“I have to make sure it recovers fully for the rest of the season.”

The Canadian Open gets under way on 26 July, while the Cincinnati Open starts on 4 August.

Draper was knocked out of Wimbledon in the second round after being defeated in four sets by Croatia’s Marin Cilic.

Tim Wellens, the reigning champion of Belgium, won stage 15 to claim his first Tour de France stage victory.

The UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider attacked on the final climb of the 169.3km route from Muret to Carcassonne after working for Tadej Pogacar during the opening two weeks of the Tour.

The 34-year-old finished third with French two-time world champion Julian Alaphilippe in third place and fellow Belgian Victor Campenaerts in second place.

The UAE won the fifth stage of the race in Wellens, with Pogacar, the other four, joining the reigning champion, taking home.

Wellens referred to it as “a very special victory.” Everyone is familiar with the Tour de France, but not many people do so, so it was very picturesque.

The 166 riders who were still unaccounted for had a transitional stage before the Tour’s second and final rest day in Montpellier.

Wellens saw an opportunity on the final of the three categorised climbs, 55 kilometers up the Pas du Sant, when the stage was poised for a breakaway victory.

Michael Storer, Quinn Simmons, and Campeanaerts made up Wellens’ group of eight members as they began the ascent.

On the long descent to Carcassone, the group briefly recovered, but Wellens attacked with 44 kilometers left and the chasers never appeared to be closing the gap.

Wellens continued, “I felt really good.” “I felt really good on the last climb of the day.” I was aware that the other people were extremely supportive, but I also knew I had to go solo. I reached my peak and felt like I had the tools to carry it all the way to the end.

I wanted a big gap so I could enjoy it and maybe even fly my bike up after the finish line, but I was so happy I didn’t want to. “I knew I had to enjoy the moment. I continued riding until the finish line.”

Pogacar, a three-time Tour champion, continued, “I’m happier for him than when I win.” Beyond happiness

A 171.5 km ride from Montpellier to the finish line and a massive climb up Mont Ventoux will take the course on Tuesday.

Due to the terrain, the time trial on Friday, the climb, and yesterday’s 5, 000m elevation gain, Pogacar said, “This week was one of the hardest second weeks of the Tour that I have ridden.”

The World Test Championship finals will be held in 2027, 2029, and 2031, according to the International Cricket Council.

South Africa defeated Australia in the 2025 showpiece at Lord’s last month, making it three WTC finals to date in England.

The ICC announced at its annual conference in Singapore that the ICC would be hosting the next three games “followed a successful track record in hosting recent finals” and that it would grant the EGB the hosting rights.

Apparently, India intended to stage the 2027 final.

In Southampton, New Zealand defeated India in the first WTC final in 2021, which took place in biostable conditions.

The 2023 final at The Oval, where Australia defeated India, was sold out, and the following four days at Lord’s this year were also sold out, with South Africa winning on day four.

England finished fifth overall in the 2023-2005 cycle despite not making it to the WTC final.

Being selected for the next three finals was a “testament to the passion that fans in this country have for this treasured format of the game and the willingness of supporters from all over the world to travel here for these games,” according to Gould.

He continued, “We look forward to working with the ICC to build on the success of the previous editions.” “Hosting these finals is a privilege.”

The ICC board received an update on Afghanistan’s women’s cricketers’ support, according to the ICC.

With the assistance of the ECB, Cricket Australia, and the Board of Control for Cricket in India, the governing body established a dedicated taskforce in April to assist displaced Afghan female cricketers.

Following the Taliban’s resurrected in 2021, many of Afghanistan’s top players emigrated, with female sports participation effectively prohibited.