Category Sports News

European Challenge Cup

Newcastle Red Bulls (14) 26

Tries: Wade, Arnold, Obatoyinbo, McGuigan Cons: Grayson 3

Perpignan (12) 19

Christian Wade scored his first try for Newcastle Red Bulls to help his new side qualify for the European Challenge Cup knockout stages with a thrilling victory over Perpignan at Kingston Park.

Peceli Yato powered over from close range to put the French side ahead but Newcastle hit back in style, Wade touching down after showing his pace and strength to beat three men, and Sammy Arnold rounding off a lovely move with a fine finish of his own.

Maxim Granell’s try, with Newcastle temporarily down to 14 men, ensured the lead was cut to 14-12 at the break, but the hosts maintained their intensity to move into the last 16 with one game to spare.

Newcastle have now won three games out of three on their European venture and can make the trip to face Welsh side Dragons in their final fixture without needing to win to progress.

A slow start put that scenario in doubt, with both sides looking nervy and guilty of some slack handling.

But the visitors settled first and led when they kept the pressure on the Newcastle defence and the brute force of Yato got him over from close range.

The sheer physicality of Perpignan threatened to overpower Newcastle but two brilliant tries in three minutes flipped the game with, first, Wade showing all his quality to hold off an initial tackle, elude two more would-be tacklers and cross near the posts.

Arnold’s superb run and score after a sensational Oscar Usher offload established a 14-5 lead.

And although Perpignan scored the next try – when Ethan Grayson was yellow-carded – and the last try of the game through Granell, the home side’s quality with ball in hand, the kicking of Grayson and resolute defence saw them through.

Newcastle Red Bulls: Obatoyinbo, Wade, Hearle, Arnold, Spencer, Grayson, Cruz; McCallum, McGuigan, Palframan, Cardall, de Chaves, Usher, Christie, Gordon.

Replacements: Fletcher, Brocklebank, de Bruin, Baker, Neild, Elliott, Hutchison, Greenwood.

Sin-bin: Grayson (31)

Perpignan: Dubois, Petaia, Poulet, Paia’aua, Granell, Reus, Ecochard; Devaux, Montgaillard, Ceccarelli, Yato, Warion, Chinarro, Diaby, Velarte.

Replacements: Lotrian, Gallardo, Roelofse, Tuilagi, Tanguy, Dvali, Aprasidze, Kretchmann.

Sin-bin: Petaia (59)

Cardiff City have been placed under a transfer embargo by the EFL for “non-submission of annual accounts”.

The issue has arisen during the January transfer window.

The EFL regulation that applies to Cardiff’s case comes under the governing body’s ‘Profitability and Sustainability’ rules which state accounts must be submitted “no later than 31 December” in any season.

Cardiff City say the embargo is a short administrative delay and they expect the embargo to be lifted by the end of next week.

The Bluebirds added they do not expect it to impact the club’s plans for the transfer window.

Cardiff issued a statement “to clarify the situation”.

It read: “The club has no financial concerns. All necessary paperwork will be submitted in the coming days, this issue will be resolved and any embargo will be removed.

Alpine skiing great Lindsey Vonn continued her remarkable comeback with her second downhill World Cup title of the season in Zauchensee, Austria.

The 41-year-old American retired from the sport in February 2019 but made her competitive return in December 2024 after a partial knee replacement.

In December, she became the oldest skiing downhill World Cup winner with her victory in St Moritz, Switzerland.

In Zauchensee, Vonn was fastest by 0.37 seconds from Norway’s Kajsa Vickhoff Lie with a run of one minute 06.24 seconds, while American Jacqueline Wiles finished third, 0.48 slower than Vonn.

“I honestly thought with my start number that I had no chance, because there’s so much snow and there wasn’t really a track at number six,” Vonn, who now has 84 career World Cup wins across all disciplines, told TNT Sports.

“I had to risk a lot with my line to really stay in the hunt. I think I executed my plan really well, I brought good intensity to my race.

“Again, I thought I had no chance so I just swung really hard. I was like ‘I could be last, I could be first. I have no idea but I’m going to do my best’.”

Alpine skiing great Lindsey Vonn continued her remarkable comeback with her second downhill World Cup title of the season in Zauchensee, Austria.

The 41-year-old American retired from the sport in February 2019 but made her competitive return in December 2024 after a partial knee replacement.

In December, she became the oldest skiing downhill World Cup winner with her victory in St Moritz, Switzerland.

In Zauchensee, Vonn was fastest by 0.37 seconds from Norway’s Kajsa Vickhoff Lie with a run of one minute 06.24 seconds, while American Jacqueline Wiles finished third, 0.48 slower than Vonn.

“I honestly thought with my start number that I had no chance, because there’s so much snow and there wasn’t really a track at number six,” Vonn, who now has 84 career World Cup wins across all disciplines, told TNT Sports.

“I had to risk a lot with my line to really stay in the hunt. I think I executed my plan really well, I brought good intensity to my race.

“Again, I thought I had no chance so I just swung really hard. I was like ‘I could be last, I could be first. I have no idea but I’m going to do my best’.”