Category Sports News

Instead of calling Owen Farrell for immediate duty in England, coach Steve Borthwick says he will allow him to re-enter Saracens this summer.

Farrell, 33, has reconnected with Premiership Saracens under a two-year deal, which will end his time with French side Racing 92 and put him back in the England rankings.

Borthwick’s side will travel to Argentina for two Tests before a one-off game against the United States in Washington in July.

Without the 13 first-choice players chosen for the British and Irish Lions’ Australian tour, they will continue.

Borthwick insists he won’t rush Farrell, who has made 112 appearances for England, back to strengthen the squad, though.

Charlie Atkinson serves as the backup specialist fly-half while George Ford, who is experienced, is on tour. Without the injured Ollie Lawrence and Fraser Dingwall, Farrell can also play midfield.

When asked if Farrell had been considered for the summer, Borthwick responded, “No, he wasn’t part of the plan.”

Borthwick, who led Farrell to Saracens at the tail end of his own career, claimed that he had kept in touch with him throughout a coaching slog in Paris that was hindered by illness and upheaval.

Only those who play rugby for their club in England are chosen, according to their national policy.

Henry Arundell, Farrell’s Racing team-mate, will return to the Premiership next season after agreeing to join Bath, who are currently champions.

We want our league to be the strongest and the best, said Borthwick, “we hope there will be more players coming back.”

Afolabi Fasogbon, a tight-head prop from Gloucester, has been added in place of Emmanuel Iyogun, who has a calf injury.

After Woki struck Jamie George in the head early in the second half, which television match official Mike Adamson reviewed and upgraded to a 20-minute red card.

However, a three-person panel, which was a first step in a new simplified disciplinary system, reviewed the incident and concluded that Woki’s behavior was of high risk.

Woki will start in France’s three-test series against New Zealand this summer. Rabah Slimani, a veteran prop for Leinster and the first time in nearly six years at Twickenham over the weekend, is also present.

Marti Cifuentes, the championship team’s head coach, has left Queens Park Rangers.

Following the Hoops’ final home game of the season, a 5-0 defeat against Burnley in April, the 42-year-old took gardening leave.

Julien Stephan, the former Rennes and Strasbourg head coach, is rumored to be in charge.

According to chief executive Christian Nourry, “the decision to put Marti on gardening leave towards the end of the season was not easy.”

“I want to thank Marti without a doubt for making a positive impression during his two years here as we move forward.

When he first arrived in the division under difficult circumstances, he did a fantastic job of helping us stay in the division, and he worked hard to do so in 2024 and 25.

In October 2023, Cifuentes took Gareth Ainsworth’s place at Loftus Road, leaving the club with a Championship second-place finish.

The Spaniard won a memorable 4-0 win at home to Leeds United to keep the Rs from falling further down and to finish in 18th place.

This one took a while to get going, just like last season.

The Rs dropped to the bottom of the table in November after only two victories in their first 16 league games and almost three months without a victory.

However, in Cardiff, Zan Celar scored his first goals since joining the club in the summer, launching a run of 10 victories in 18 games that put them 11th, three points clear of the play-offs, with a 2-0 victory.

Former players have been largely out with injuries, including Jake Clarke-Salter, Ilias Chair, and Jack Colback.

Young players like Rayan Kolli and Kieran Morgan have joined the two recognized strikers, Michael Frey and Celar, who have also been ruled out for significant periods.

With two victories in Cifuentes’ final 12 games in charge, QPR’s form faltered once more toward the end of the season.

Although it was beginning to appear that he had moved away from Loftus Road, he declared, “As long as I’m wanted, I’m very happy,” and that he and the club should be working together as things progress.

The final game of the season came down to the title-chasing Clarets with a 5-0 defeat, and Cifuentes waved goodbye to the fans in a lap of honor that marked a painful end to his time at the club.

Headingley, Day 5, Fifth Rothesay Test

India 471 (Gill 147, Pant 134, Jaiswal 101) &amp, 364 (Rahul 137, Pant 118, Tongue 3-72)

England 465 (Pope 106, Brook 99, Bumrah 5-83) &amp, 373-5 (Duckett 149, Crawley 65, Root 53*)

England won by five wickets to lead the five-match series 1-0.

England defeated India on the nerve-wracking final day of the first Test at Headingley with a target of 371 thanks to Ben Duckett’s astonishing 149.

One of England’s best innings was played by Duckett, who defeated the home team’s 378-run record-breaking opponent at Edgbaston three years ago.

In doing so, Duckett added his names to Headingley folklore’s list: Ian Botham in 1981, Mark Butcher in 2001, Shai Hope in 2017 and, perhaps most famously, Ben Stokes in 2019.

Duckett and Zak Crawley made a measured 65 for the first wicket, taking 188 for the first wicket. Duckett was given a 97 and Crawford was dropped.

England were strolling while Duckett was at the crease, but Shardul Thakur’s opener and Harry Brook were both dismissed in subsequent deliveries. England was still trailing 118 at the end of the fourth wicket. India possessed hope.

In England’s battle against the threatening clouds and exploding Indians, Joe Root and Stokes joined them. There were also 49 more priceless runs before Stokes’ success against left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja’s short-third man was sealed with a reverse sweep.

Jamie Smith arrived with the necessary 69 and the necessary calm. As the clock ticked down, the anticipation increased.

Too late, only 22 balls were required to get the second new ball. With only 14 overs left, England won the match, scoring at a rate of 4.55 overs.

What’s the deal with this terrain? Headingley once more delivered a test that sucked up and fluctuated throughout the course of the final day, one that will stick in your mind forever.

Overnight, England were up 11-0, with 350 runs adrift. The four outcomes were all possible. Supporters from both sides exchanged chants, fought the emotions, and fought the tension. The rain only intervened on two occasions, somehow.

By the end, England had completed yet another run chase, demonstrating the captain’s choice to field first despite the bleak first-day playing conditions.

They completed Donald Bradman’s Australia in 1948, beating only the 404 of them for second-highest chase on this ground. This was the 10th-highest successful fourth innings chase ever and Stokes’ Ashes heroics from six years ago.

After India’s first innings ended with 430-3 and their second innings with 333-4, the home side’s remarkable escape was also invincible. Only three other teams have scored more runs in a Test before losing, and two of those were also defeated by Stokes’ England. India totaled 835 runs in the encounter.

There is a compelling case that Duckett is currently the world’s best all-format batter. The second-highest score by an England batter in a successful chase after Butcher’s epic 173 to defeat Australia on this ground 24 years ago was unquestionably his best of his six Test scores.

He had to escape India’s seamers’ potent morning burst. Crawley, who had a speedy 111-ball half-century, was Duckett’s fastest Test match.

Duckett burst into life with reverse-sweep and reverse-sweep when left-arm spinner Jadeja joined the attack. One was even given six-over-extra cover.

It was challenging to get Crawley a low caught-and-bowled to Bumrah. Yashasvi Jaiswal should have removed Duke at deep square leg from Mohammed Siraj. Jaiswal gave up the third chance in the contest.

Duckett jumped out of joy when he surpassed three figures, but trouble soon broke out. Prasidh Krishna, who bowled Ollie Pope with a nip-backer, was the only one who could not get a kick. When Crockett punched Thakur to cover, Brook was accidentally caught down the leg side when he accidentally crossed his first ball.

Stokes and Root both became concerned by the second rain delay as Jadeja began to land the ball in the rough. The captains of the past and present tapped in while maintaining good running and a positive score. Another shower was resisted by the umpires. The final whirl of Bumrah was over.

Stokes was actually shaky. Jadeja’s demise was unavoidable. Root, who used all of his tools and home-ground knowledge, had a quiet support from Smith.

How does India recover from this? Only one team in Test history has lost more than 430 runs in the first innings and lost three more.

The visitors were utterly wasteful. In their first innings, India took seven wickets for 41 runs, and in their second, they took six for 31. They also lost six catches overall.

The best bowler in the world went wicketless, but only the rest of the attack was able to provide backup for Bumrah on the final day. When the second new ball arrived, he was out of the game.

Bumrah will only likely play three games in the series, according to the tourists. He will undoubtedly benefit from the longer break between matches to prepare for the second Test.

In his opinion, “Test cricket is played over five days,” he said regarding his decision to bowl at the toss. You make a choice despite knowing what will happen. Both teams had great success.

In the crucial moments of this game, we did what we had to do. Not just the dressing room’s attitude, but also its ability to succeed here.

Ben Duckett, England’s opener and man of the match, said, “Unbelievable, what a test match. We had a lot of runs, and the weather was perfect. I have no words for it.

Sir Andy Murray says he feels “very proud” after the All England Club confirmed it will recognise his contribution to tennis with a statue of him at Wimbledon.

Murray ended Britain’s 77-year wait for a men’s singles champion at Wimbledon with a memorable victory over Novak Djokovic in 2013, and triumphed again at SW19 in 2016 when he beat Milos Raonic.

Former Wimbledon chief executive Richard Lewis told BBC Sport in 2019 the club would honour Murray with a statue when he finished playing.

The Scot retired from professional tennis in August 2024 following an appearance at the Olympic Games in Paris.

Debbie Jevans, chair of the All England Club, told the Ainslie + Ainslie Performance People podcast it is now in discussions with 38-year-old Murray to make good on the promise and hoped to have the statue in place by 2027.

“We are looking to have a statue of Andy Murray here]at Wimbledon] and we’re working closely with him and his team”, Jevans said.

“The ambition is that we would unveil that at the 150th anniversary of our first championship, which was 1877. He’s got to rightly be very involved in that and he and his team will be”.

A bronze statue of Fred Perry, the last British men’s champion before Murray, was erected at Wimbledon in 1984 to mark the 50th anniversary of his first singles championship.

Murray told BBC Sport: “I would expect that with Wimbledon and their attention to detail that it will be great.

” I’m very proud, there’s not many statues around the grounds there, and I always remember seeing the Fred Perry statue when I’ve walked around the grounds and gone to train and practise there over the years. It will be very special. “

Jevans said Murray would be equally deserving of being immortalised having provided” special “moments in the club’s history.

” Now he’s retired, we’re very much looking at how we can embrace him, for him to be a part of the club in the long term, “she added.

An emotional Emma Raducanu produced an impressive fightback to reach the second round at Eastbourne and keep her Wimbledon preparations on track.

British number one Raducanu trailed American Ann Li by a set and a break in difficult conditions on the south coast.

But the 22-year-old wrestled control of a topsy-turvy second set before finishing strongly to clinch a 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-1 victory.

Raducanu, who held back tears after securing victory, will meet Australian teenager Maya Joint for a place in the quarter-finals.

“I want to thank the crowd for getting me through some really sticky moments,” Raducanu said in her on-court interview.

“It really meant a lot to me and I’m really proud of how I fought back after losing the first set.

World number 38 Raducanu is building towards her fourth Wimbledon appearance, where she has twice reached the fourth round since her debut in 2021.

A run to the quarter-finals at Queen’s was enough to see the 2021 US Open champion regain the British number one title for the first time in two years earlier this month.

But Raducanu missed last week’s Berlin Open as she continues to manage a back issue – and, a fortnight on from Queen’s, she was given a stern test by 64th-ranked Li amid strong winds on the south coast.

Li, 24, appeared to have maintained her momentum when she secured an immediate break of serve at the start of set two, only to gift her opponent the initiative in the next game.

An unpredictable set continued as, having saved four break points, Raducanu took her opportunity to move 4-2 ahead – and then restored her advantage at 5-3 following another exchange of breaks.

That proved the catalyst for Raducanu’s excellent finish to the match, winning 10 of the last 12 games to blow her opponent away and complete victory in two hours and 18 minutes.

For a while at least, Luke Williams has swapped the managerial merry-go-round for the airport carousel.

He expects to return to more familiar terrain soon, however, with high-vis jacket removed and football boots back on his feet.

And when that time comes, Williams believes he will be a better coach thanks to a spell working at Bristol Airport, where he has been a customer care assistant since last month.

“I am out of my comfort zone,” the former Swansea City and Notts County boss tells BBC Sport Wales.

“I am trying to push myself to do something completely different.

Williams was the talk of social media last weekend having been photographed while on airport duty.

The 44-year-old has been a football coach for two decades, but has been out of work since leaving Swansea in February.

Given that he signed a three-and-a-half-year deal when he took charge at Swansea in January 2024, it is reasonable to assume that he is still being paid by the Championship club.

Having seen hopes of a playing career ruined by injury – and having coached largely in the lower divisions – Williams is not someone who has made millions from football.

Nevertheless, he is not at Bristol Airport for the salary.

“I wanted to go and work and do something meaningful with my time,” Williams explains.

“I am in a very fortunate position where I have some time. I spoke to a guy working in recruitment and he said look, the airport this year is going to be crazy busy, a lot of energy, and that it’s a completely different industry that is going to have many issues that are going to be relatable to the rigours of managing a football club.

“And so I said OK, let me see if I can do this and it’s been brilliant.”

Williams, who lives in Newport, catches a bus from the city centre shortly before five o’clock in the morning to get to work.

He does shifts of between nine and 12 hours for five straight days, then has three days off.

A National League play-off final winner at Notts County and a former boss at Swindon Town, Williams is known for his ability to lead.

At the airport, however, he is guided by “my new pal” Sergio, an Italian who has been in the job for a number of years.

“He is incredible,” Williams says. “He has taken me under his wing and shown me the ropes.

“Sergio is a Napoli fan. He is very happy because they won the Scudetto [in May] and they have just signed Kevin De Bruyne.

“We are going around the airport together, trying to help the passengers and trying to have some fun while we are doing it.”

Initially, Sergio had no idea about his new colleague’s footballing background, but started asking questions when a passenger asked Williams asked for a selfie.

The ever humble Williams – whose old mate Bobby Zamora says “couldn’t care less about fame and fortune” – says he has been recognised “a few times” in the last few weeks.

“Many people have stopped me and said hello and that’s lovely,” he adds.

Williams’ job is to help passengers in need of assistance, whether due to mobility issues or, he explains, because the airport environment “can be really loud and very busy and very confusing”.

“It can be a really stressful place so we try to help them have a good experience,” Williams says.

“If you have a mobility issue, you may need a lift to get you up to the plane or assistance getting out on to the tarmac. You have to try to get people through to make sure they don’t miss their flight.

“There are some great examples of management – prioritising the right passenger at the right time, making sure they have the right equipment. I have been so fortunate because Sergio is the master.”

It came as something of a surprise to Williams that the photograph taken of him at work and then published on social media site X prompted so much interest.

There were numerous likes and shares followed by various headlines as an unusual story was picked up.

“I genuinely didn’t think it would be that interesting to people but, if it is, that’s fine and we can have a chat about it,” Williams says.

“For me, this [interview] is a good opportunity to explain that I like working and I think this is a good way to add something to my actual trade, if you like.

Had things been a little different, Williams might still be at Swansea and preparing for pre-season.

Having steered the club clear of relegation danger in the second half of 2023-24, Williams had Swansea within sight of the Championship play-offs – and playing good football – at the turn of this year.

But after a slump in form that nobody saw coming – and which coincided with a dispiriting January window – Williams lost his job amid concerns that Swansea may be dragged into a fight to stay up.

“There was lots of movement and changes and different things going on, a lot of turmoil during my time which was understandable,” Williams says.

“But I look back very fondly. I loved my time at Swansea and learned so many things which I will take with me for my next job.”

So when might Williams return to the touchline?

He is “ready to go at any time”, whether it be as a head coach or assistant, but is adamant the club must be right.

“The things I have learned and the things that are valuable to me mean working somewhere that’s in a good place and where people are pulling in the same direction,” Williams says.