France hold their nerve to beat South Africa by just two points, winning 21-19 at the Stade de France, to make it four wins from five in the Nations Championship and putting the home side in a strong position to top the northern hemisphere standings.
READ MORE: France hold nerve to edge past South Africa in thriller
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DP World Tour Championship second-round leaderboard
-5 T Hatton (Eng), R McIlroy (NI); -4 K Reitan (Nor), J Luiten (Ned); -3 M Lindberg (Swe), F Schott (Ger), V Perez (Fra); -2 J Schaper (SA), J Rahm (Spa), D Puig (Spa)
Selected others: -1 E Chacarra (Spa); E A Scott (Aus), C Hill (Sco); +3 T Fleetwood (Eng); +6 A Rai (Eng); +8 P Reed (US)
Rory McIlroy is tied for the lead at the halfway mark of the season-ending DP World Tour Championship as he chases a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai title.
The six-time major winner followed a three-under opening 69 with an up-and-down 70 to join England’s Tyrrell Hatton at the top at Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai.
Hatton mixed five birdies and two bogeys to shoot 69, while overnight leader Joost Luiten carded a 73 to lie one shot back alongside Norway’s Kristoffer Reitan.
McIlroy, who is guaranteed to equal Colin Montgomerie’s record haul of eight season-long crowns with victory this week, sits four shots ahead of Race to Dubai leader Eugenio Chacarra.
The Spaniard, who won three times earlier this season to lead the standings entering this week, birdied his final two holes to finish one under.
“I think it’s been a bit eye-opening to see the scoring the first two days,” said world number two McIlroy.
“I don’t think the wind is supposed to be as up over the weekend, so the scoring might be a little bit better.
“As I said, the scoring this week, because of this course set-up, just isn’t as good as in previous years. I’ve been coming back to the golf course for 15 plus years, and you just associate this course with pretty low scoring.
“And then when it’s not, you just have to reframe what is a good score. Anything in the 60s, it seems, this week is a good score.”
Russian, Belarusian athletes and officials will be prevented from entering Canada regardless of their visa status.
Published On 12 Nov 202612 Nov 2026
Canada says it will prevent Russian athletes and officials from entering the country for ice hockey’s World Junior Championship in Alberta, effectively barring their participation weeks before the tournament begins.
Canada’s Secretary of State for Sport Adam van Koeverden said on Wednesday that Ottawa opposes Russian and Belarusian participation in international sport “as long as Russia continues its war of aggression against Ukraine with Belarus’s complicity”.
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The minister for immigration, refugees and citizenship “will take measures to individually assess and prevent Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials from entering Canada to compete, regardless of whether they already hold valid visas”, Van Koeverden said.
Hockey Canada has previously said it supports the government’s position.
Late last month, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ordered the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to admit Russian teams to five upcoming championships, beginning with the World Junior Championship.
The IIHF, which has barred Russia from most international competitions since Moscow’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, said it disagreed with the CAS decision.
The hockey federation’s statement followed announcements from Norway, Denmark, Sweden and the Czech Republic that their national teams will refuse to play against Russia at next year’s men’s World Championships in Germany.
Latvia and Finland have also said their teams will not play Russia, while the Finnish city of Turku threatened to drop its hosting duties for the 2028 World Junior Championship.
Belarus’s team will not participate in the championship following a separate decision by the IIHF.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has previously said Ottawa would not permit Russian athletes to compete for their country on Canadian soil, a statement some perceived as keeping the door open for their participation as neutrals.
Van Koeverden said Canada allowed neutral participation only by individual athletes, ruling out the option for the Russian team.
“Canada’s position is unequivocal: as long as Russia continues its war of aggression against Ukraine, there can be no return to business as usual,” he said. “Canada will continue to stand with Ukraine.”
The World Junior Championship runs from December 26 to January 5.
Abu Dhabi Championship final-round leaderboard
-23 J Rahm (Spa); –21 T Hatton (Eng); -19 R McIlroy (NI); -17 F Laporta (Ita); -16 B Wiesberger (Aut), A Ayora (Spa), D Puig (Spa); -15 J Schaper (SA)
Selected others: -14 N Kimsey (Eng), M Jordan (Eng); -13 S Bairstow (Eng), T Fleetwood (Eng), A Sullivan (Eng); -12 E Ferguson (Sco); -11 E Chacarra (Spa); -10 A Rai (Eng); -9 M Wallace (Eng); -4 P Reed (US)
Jon Rahm fired a final-round 67 to clinch a two-shot victory over England’s Tyrrell Hatton at the Abu Dhabi Championship.
It was a first victory for the two-time major winner since he announced his departure from LIV Golf, and a first win at a DP World Tour event in four years.
The Spaniard, in his first tournament since the birth of his fourth child last month, produced six birdies with just one dropped shot on Sunday to finish clear of Hatton with Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy another two strokes further back.
“It means a lot. It’s been quite a while to play well in the DP World Tour,” Rahm told Sky Sports.
“Except a shot on 17, as far as I’m concerned, I played a pretty flawless back nine. It was really solid, never in danger of making a bogey except that one hole.
“After everything that has gone on, some poor play and some battles mentally with a lot of noise, to come back out after a bit of a break and a new addition to the family, it’s pretty special.”
Having finished at the very bottom of the leaderboard at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in his last appearance, Rahm joked that going “last to first” was especially pleasing.
For McIlroy, his third-placed finish was enough to ensure he goes into next week’s season-finale at the DP World Tour Championship sitting second in the Race To Dubai standings as he seeks a record-equalling eighth win.
The 37-year-old, who was given a two-shot penalty in his first round, leapfrogged American Patrick Reed and now trails only Spain’s Eugenio Chacarra in his bid to match Colin Montgomerie’s eight season-long titles.
Despite starting the week outside the top 50, Rahm’s victory ensured he remained in the hunt too should he be able to go back-to-back in Dubai.
Wales fans were looking for a statement performance against Japan. A marker to put down as the World Cup looms in under a year.
They were not provided with that but did witness a victory, however scratchy.
So Wales woke up on a Sunday morning with a Test victory to mark. That has not happened often in recent times.
Some of these Wales players will still remember the record-breaking 18-Test losing sequence between 2023 and 2025. If Wales players can take any positives this weekend, it will be victory.
As Tandy said afterwards, it is always easier to debrief a bonus-point victory.
Among the disjointed team performance, there were notable impressive individual displays from the usual suspects.
Back-row duo Aaron Wainwright and Jac Morgan excelled in attack and defence, full-back Blair Murray was a constant attacking threat and wing Josh Adams popped up with two tries.
Centre Eddie James showed glimpses of his power game in a new-look midfield partnership with Max Llewellyn.
While the centre combination did not set the world alight, it warrants further opportunites.
Tandy will not be content with Wales spending long periods defending and only having 40% in territory and possession.
This was emphasised in the tackle count as the hosts made 227 compared to Japan’s 115, with Wales finishing with the top eight tacklers in the game.
He will be encouraged by the resolve with Morgan topping the official Nations Championship charts with 24, followed by lock Dafydd Jenkins (23) and Wainwright (20).
Wales also forced 10 turnovers with Alex Mann gaining three, while there were crucial interventions from Lake, Adams and prop Nicky Smith when Japan seemed destined to score.
By Los Angeles Times staff
Saturday’s Results
CITY SECTION FINALS
At Birmingham
OPEN DIVISION
#4 Taft d. #3 Cleveland, 3-2
DIVISION I
#2 Granada Hills Kennedy d. #1 SOCES, 18-25, 25-18, 25-19, 25-18
DIVISION V
#8 San Fernando Arroyo d. #7 Lakeview Charter, 3-0
At Venice High
DIVISION II
#11 MACES d. #1 South East, 3-1
DIVISION III
#3 Narbonne d. #4 Wilmington Banning
DIVISION IV
#3 Huntington Park d. #8 Arleta
SOUTHERN SECTION FINALS
At Cerritos College
DIVISION 1
Mater Dei d. Sierra Canyon, 24-26, 25-23, 25-21, 25-23
DIVISION 2
Long Beach Poly d. Redondo Union, 25-19, 20-25, 25-18, 23-25, 16-14
DIVISION 3
Corona del Mar d. Newbury Park, 24-26, 25-20, 25-15, 22-25, 15-13
At Vista Murrieta
DIVISION 4
Vista Murrieta d. Glendora, 25-14, 25-23, 25-27, 25-22
At Fullerton
DIVISION 7
Placentia Valencia d. Fullerton, 3-0
At Rancho Mirage
DIVISION 9
Desert Christian Academy d. Rancho Mirage, 3-0
At Orange
DIVISION 10
Orange d. La Quinta, 3-0
Tom Wagner and his Knighthead Capital Management hardly made an auspicious start as owners of Birmingham City.
Sacking boss John Eustace when they were sixth in the Championship and appointing Wayne Rooney took many by surprise and, with the former Manchester United and England striker winning only two of his 15 league games in charge before being replaced by Gary Rowett, relegation became a near certainty.
A rebuild under Chris Davies saw Blues pay a League One record fee to sign Jay Stansfield, with his 19 goals helping to fire them to a record-breaking promotion.
Last season brought consolidation and a 10th-place finish with the hope for a promotion tilt this time around and the early signs are promising.
A run of five wins from their past six games has propelled Davies’ side up to third, and a chance to possibly go top by beating Swansea on Saturday (15:00 GMT).
“The league table is temporary at the moment and when I came in two-and-a-half years ago we’d just been relegated, so we’ve come a long way and we feel like we deserve to be where we are,” said Davies after Tuesday’s 3-0 win over Millwall.
Swansea’s visit not only provides a good test for Birmingham’s credentials but also of the Welshmen’s powers of recovery.
A 4-0 thrashing of Blackburn last weekend was sandwiched in between a 5-0 walloping by QPR and Tuesday’s 3-1 reverse at Portsmouth which has seen Vitor Matos’ side fall out of the automatic promotion places.
This then feels like a first real test for both teams to prove their worth.
Russell said he and his team had analysed the season so far and worked out that he has had a trouble-free run in only six of this season’s 20 races.
“These issues constantly keep popping up but unfortunately this always seems like it’s on my side of the garage,” he said.
“We concluded we’ve only had six races from the 20 where we’ve had a clean weekend. So to think 14 of those weekends have had issues is unbelievable.
“We need to look to understand why that is, if there’s something we are overlooking or if it’s just pure misfortune. At the moment it does seem like it’s more misfortune than anything.
“In a normal season you might have two weekends or three weekends where there are issues. We’ve had three quarters of this season and that has been incredibly unfortunate.”
He said it was the fact that he had been struck by another technical glitch that made him skip his media duties after last weekend’s Mexico City race, rather than the fact Antonelli had just won the title.
Russell, who started second to Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari, had a loss of power on the run to the first corner when the electrical part of the power-unit did not reply properly.
He was swamped by the field, and then collided with Isack Hadjar’s Red Bull at Turn Six, earning himself a 10-second penalty. He finished sixth and dropped from second to fourth in the drivers’ championship, behind Antonelli, Max Verstappen and Hamilton.
“In racing you always pick yourself back up and for me the best way to pick myself back up was getting out of there,” Russell said on media day for this weekend’s Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
“It was as simple as that, really. I was just very upset with missing out on the chance of a good result because the championship for me was already over but I just couldn’t believe how things had panned out again.
“In that moment, yeah, I just wanted to get out of there.
“I think I’m 99% of the time a true professional and I try not to spit my dummy out, but sometimes missing out on doing the press – OK, it’s not ideal but not the end of the world.
“Moments like that you don’t really want to deal with it.”
Scotland’s Willy Hutchinson will be on a mission to realise the dream he wrote about as a 13-year-old when he fights for the vacant WBC light-heavyweight title on Saturday.
Hutchinson and British rival Joshua Buatsi meet in a rematch at Manchester’s AO Arena, just over two years after Buatsi earned a split-decision win in a thrilling first contest.
At the final news conference before the championship fight, Hutchinson, 28, explained that he jotted down his boxing goals as a teenager while working with his dad – and becoming WBC champion was at the top.
After David Benavidez gave up the WBC gold to move up to cruiserweight, a fight that was originally scheduled to be for the interim title was upgraded.
“I wrote on a pen and book that I’ll become Scottish, British, European and world amateur champion,” Hutchinson said.
“On the opposite side of this book – I’m 13 and I still have this book to this day – I wrote that I’ll become WBC champion of the world.
“I already got the silver and the international and now I’m fighting for the main belt.”
The ‘Hutch-Train’ became the first Scottish boxer to win gold at an amateur World Championships nearly 10 years ago, triumphing at youth level.
The date of that victory and the Buatsi fight night are just days apart on the calendar, which Hutchinson says is “absolutely fantastic”.
Broadcaster Adam Smith, who hosted Thursday’s news conference, challenged Hutchinson to bring along the book containing his boxing ambitions on Saturday night and the Scot said he was “sure we can sort something”.
When you launch a sports program at the high school level and find a way to reach a Southern Section championship game in your inaugural season, that’s impressive. St. Monica has pulled off the feat in girls’ flag football.
The Mariners will face Heritage in the Division 6 championship at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Huntington Beach. Here’s the complete schedule for finals.
Coach Miriah Lopez put together a team from scratch and it’s led to a championship appearance.
Quarterbacks Sophia Cook and Lamya Gaston have been able to deliver clutch passes.
St. Monica’s success shows how schools new to a sport can get up and running fast with organization and participation.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
Argentina have never beaten Ireland in Dublin but stunned the British and Irish Lions on their most recent visit to the Aviva Stadium last year.
Pumas head coach Felipe Contepomi has made three changes to his original 33-player squad as Facundo Isa, Rodrigo Martinez and Mateo Soler are late call-ups.
Captain Julian Montoya is one of a number of experienced players to return after missing out on the home defeats by South Africa and Australia in August, plus September’s draw away to the Wallabies, but they will be without the injured Santiago Grondona, Ignacio Ruiz and Joaquin Oviedo.
Argentina are also without prop Thomas Gallo and utility back Santi Carreras, who impressed in the win over the Lions.
Those recent Tests saw Contepomi preside over a depleted squad, while in the summer, they suffered home defeats by England and Scotland, but did account for Wales.
Argentina play enterprising, free-flowing rugby but their form has been mixed, making them an intriguing opening opponent.
Fiji were beaten by Scotland, England and Wales during the southern hemisphere leg, but a Test win over Japan in October marked the first game in charge for new head coach Jake White, who led South Africa to World Cup glory in 2007.
White named a 35-strong squad which includes former England number eight Nathan Hughes as one of four uncapped players, while Josua Tuisova, Jiuta Wainiqolo and Caleb Muntz are also included.
Farrell has experimented with his line-up in previous meetings. In 2024, he gave Test debuts to Gus McCarthy and Cormac Izuchukwu in a 52-17 win.
As for South Africa, they may have lost their most recent Test against Australia, but the Springboks are far from crisis mode.
A 3-1 series win over New Zealand and three impressive summer Nations Championship victories on home soil have helped them remain at the world rankings summit.
The world champions will be without some key figures in November with Cheslin Kolbe, Eben Etzebeth, Handre Pollard and Andre Esterhuizen all ruled out through injury.
However, head coach Rassie Erasmus will have captain Siya Kolisi, Pieter-Steph du Toit and Damian de Allende at his disposal.
He has also included six uncapped players in his squad as preparations for next year’s World Cup defence intensify.
Marc Marquez takes 44-point lead over Jorge Martin and can seal the MotoGP title in Qatar next weekend.
Published On 1 Nov 20261 Nov 2026
Reigning MotoGP champion Marc Marquez has won the Malaysian Grand Prix to take a 44-point lead over absent title rival Jorge Martin in the championship and inch closer to retaining his title.
The Ducati rider shot out of the blocks and beat his brother Alex, the pole-sitter, into the opening turn on Sunday in Sepang.
Alex Marquez was able to quickly regain the lead but ran wide a turn later to hand it back, and his brother made no mistakes from that point on to claim the chequered flag for the first time since 2018.
Victory moved seven-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez up to 399 points in the championship standings, 44 ahead of Martin, who did not compete after suffering a wrist fracture.
If Marc Marquez is able to extend his lead to 74 points at next week’s Qatar Grand Prix, he could seal an eighth championship title with two rounds remaining in the season.
“We did a perfect race, so I’m super, super happy,” said the winner, who won the race by more than four seconds.
“But my mentality still cannot change. I have to keep focus, keep pushing. There are not many races to go, but there are many moments left. So we must be super confident.”
Saturday’s sprint winner, Pedro Acosta of KTM, finished second while Gresini’s Alex Marquez was third.
After losing the lead to his brother, Alex Marquez was drawn into a duel with Acosta, who stuck to the wheel of the Gresini rider for several laps before expertly overtaking him at the midway point of the race.
By then, however, the distance to the leader had already grown too large to overcome.
Aprilia rider Marco Bezzecchi, an outside contender for the title, finished in sixth place after being overtaken late by both Trackhouse rider Ai Ogura and Tech3’s Enea Bastianini.
Marc Marquez’s main title rival, Martin, had initially looked set to return in Malaysia and briefly tried to compete in Saturday morning’s practice session.
However, the Aprilia rider was visibly struggling and eventually did not take part in qualifying, ending his weekend early to continue his recovery from the fracture he sustained in a crash at Phillip Island, Australia, last week.
The Spaniard, who won the title in 2024, conceded that his MotoGP title challenge was essentially over after his withdrawal.
The MotoGP season next moves to the Lusail International Circuit for the Qatar Grand Prix, which is set to go ahead next weekend despite pushback from riders concerned about going there during the United States-Israel war on Iran.
SAN FRANCISCO — Gabby Williams scored her team’s final 11 points of the third quarter and dazzled through the fourth on the way to 30 points, and the Golden State Valkyries captured a championship in just their second season by beating the Atlanta Dream 68-63 in a sensational first WNBA Finals Game 7 on Saturday night.
Jordin Canada scored 18 points, Allisha Gray 16 and Angel Reese had eight points and 12 rebounds for the Dream, denied another championship in the franchise’s fourth try.
Gray made two free throws with 11 seconds left then Atlanta forced a jump ball — Gray against Williams — and Veronica Burton corralled it and converted two free throws with 5.1 seconds to go.
“I’m just so blessed, this is insane!” said Burton, cut by Dallas two years ago.
Rhyne Howard’s layup tied it at 57 with 2:41 left only for Williams to answer once more with a clutch three-pointer. She converted two free throws with 1:40 remaining, then Kiah Stokes scored a late basket. Stokes pulled down 13 rebounds and blocked two more shots to cap her spectacular postseason.
Williams left Seattle with a great feeling about joining Golden State and its close-knit culture, returning to the Bay Area where she played youth basketball to build something special with the Valkyries — and she’s now done that. Fans chanted “Gabby! Gabby!” throughout the fourth quarter.
“All it took was good people,” she said. “All we heard last year was we don’t have no stars. We don’t have no talent. Yeah right! We got good people. We got good people. We got winners. We got people who are ready to put their bodies on the floor to win a game.”
When the final buzzer sounded, the violet-clad sellout crowd at Chase Center went into a frenzy as players sprinted onto the floor to hug and celebrate as confetti fell from the rafters.
“Ballhalla” had become “Boohalla” for this far-but-haunted Halloween night in the raucous arena. Now, with a women’s championship to its name right alongside the one earned by the Golden State Warriors in 2022.
“We gotta build a bigger trophy case,” co-owner Peter Guber said.
The team that led at halftime in the first six matchups had won every game so far, and the Dream were ahead 30-24 at the break. Atlanta also had been 16-0 this season when Reese made at least one 3. The Dream’s DeWanna Bonner became the first player in WNBA history to reach 600 career postseason defensive rebounds.
Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase changed her starting lineup in a move that paid huge dividends after Golden State fell behind 2-1, inserting Kaila Charles and Tiffany Hayes and bringing Kayla Thornton and Cecilia Zandalasini off the bench.
The 37-year-old Hayes, who came out of retirement two years ago and spent 10 seasons with the Dream, scored 11 points in the winner-take-all Game 7 and brought energy all series that made Nakase want to win for the veteran guard as much as anybody.
Valkyries owner Joe Lacob guaranteed a championship within the first five years for this franchise three years ago when the Bay Area was granted an expansion team, and in improbable, joyful fashion, his team accomplished it in Year 2. That after becoming the first expansion organization to reach the playoffs in its inaugural year in 2025.
During the victory ceremony, Lacob shouted out the team and its leaders, while Nakase, general manager Ohemma Nyanin and president Jess Smith hugged. And Lacob thanked the fans who have sold out Chase Center for every game since Day 1.
“Ballhalla!” Lacob hollered.
Portland’s Robert Williams III scores in front of Laker Ziaire Williams at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday.
(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)
One day after being retroactively fined for flopping on a play against Utah, forward Ziaire Williams was whistled for the violation again during the fourth quarter Tuesday.
Avdija drove on Williams with 3:38 remaining in the fourth quarter and bumped his left shoulder and arm into Williams’ body. Williams stumbled backward and circled both arms backward as Avdija kicked the ball out to Lillard for a three-pointer. Lillard nailed the shot from the wing and tacked on a technical free throw when play was stopped for Williams’ flopping call.
Williams’ violation was one of three called Tuesday by the crew led by Scott Foster. Portland’s Toumani Camara and Morant were also whistled for flops, and all of the calls came in the fourth quarter of a tight game that saw 52 total personal fouls and 71 free throws.
NBA officials have placed a larger emphasis on flopping this season, along with limiting use of off-arm force against defenders, reckless closeouts and time wasting on free throws. Flops are characterized by “exaggerated and theatrical” movements in an attempt to get a call, according to the NBA. Redick said he didn’t believe Williams’ movements rose to that level against Utah, at least.
With 4:44 left in the fourth quarter against Utah and the Lakers trailing by one, Utah’s Keyonte George switched onto Williams. The Jazz guard drove on Williams and was called for a push-off foul as Williams stumbled backward. It was only until the next day that Williams was fined $2,000 for a flop.
“That’s just the way his body naturally moves,” Redick said.
Williams said Tuesday he had not received feedback about the call he thought was a good defensive play against the Jazz.
“I’ll pay my fine,” Williams said before Tuesday’s game, “and if I got to flop again to get a win, then that’s what I’ll do.”
The Lakers turned the ball over on the next possession, but pieced together a 8-1 run during the fourth quarter to pull away for a thrilling nine-point win after trailing by 18 during the second quarter.
Despite Wrexham’s slow start to the campaign, they have the same number of points now as they did at the same stage last term.
Parkinson’s team are bidding to respond to last weekend’s 2-0 loss at Blackburn Rovers when they return to action against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane on Friday (20:00 GMT).
The Blades fixture comes almost exactly five years on from the day co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob Mac attended their first Wrexham match.
The Hollywood pair watched on as Parkinson’s side – then in the National League – were beaten 3-2 at Maidenhead United in October 2021.
Having masterminded three promotions and the club’s highest-ever league finish since being appointed in the summer of 2021, Parkinson stated that Wrexham’s upcoming opponents serve as a reminder of the immense progress made during his tenure.
“I think this week alone, it’s Sheffield United, Middlesbrough and Wolves – what a week for everyone connected with the club to look forward to,” he added.
“Five years ago, when Rob and Ryan came to Maidenhead away, that was an eventful game to say the least.
“It was a great introduction for them into the world of the National League. Then they came up at the weekend [for a draw with Torquay], which was a fantastic occasion for them to be at the Racecourse.”
The UCLA women’s basketball team isn’t concerned about being hunted as the reigning national champions, coach Cori Close said. That’s up to somebody else.
“Having a target on your back means that you’re worried about what someone else is going to do,” she added. “That’s an outcome-based [way of] thinking, and we have to be obsessed with our process, obsessed with our standards.”
As the Bruins prepare to open the season at Pauley Pavilion against Lehigh on Monday, they are focused on getting better every day and following the championship-level process the program established. It’s not their job to worry about what others think about them, forward Sienna Betts said.
“I don’t really care what the media has to say or whatever,” Betts said. “It really is just a matter of what is in these four walls and what we know we’re putting into practice every day.”
UCLA forward Sienna Betts shoots under pressure from Texas’ Breya Cunningham at H-E-B Center in Cedar Park, Texas, on Sunday.
(Scott Wachter / Getty Images)
While the Bruins are maintaining the same championship standards as last year, the group tasked with meeting them looks considerably different than last season.
UCLA will begin the 2026-27 season with five players returning from the championship team, Betts being one of them. None of the returning players were starters, with the top six performers getting selected in the 2026 WNBA draft. The rest of this season’s Bruins consists of seven newcomers, including two freshmen and five transfers.
“We’re not trying to repeat an outcome, we’re repeating a process,” Betts said. “We’re our own group and I don’t think it’s fair to put the weight of last year on this group.”
Close’s roster includes the No. 5 transfer portal class in the nation, according to ESPN. The group includes Donovyn Hunter, who transferred from TCU and described the process of transferring as uncomfortable. She also said adjusting to a new system is difficult.
“We’re going to mess up, we’re going to make mistakes, we’re not going to get it on the first try, but knowing that there’s a coach that’s behind you, that knows you’re going to get to that level has been the most important thing for all of those transfers and the freshmen,” Hunter said.
Three of the five transfers are international players learning English, including Elina Aarnisalo, who returned to Westwood after spending a season at North Carolina.
UCLA guard Donovyn Hunter drives to the basket in front of Texas’ Breya Cunningham in Cedar Park, Texas, on Sunday.
(Scott Wachter / Getty Images)
“We spent a lot of time together … so that’s helped us on court and obviously practicing every day,” Aarnisalo said. “… Even though there might be a language barrier, sometimes we’re just spending time together and learning [from] each other so that relationship part comes pretty naturally for all of us.”
Regardless of the language barriers, Betts said building the team’s chemistry is a good start and a work in progress as they enter the start of the season.
“I think our connection on the court, it’s really showing and we’re still just learning how to play with each other. … It takes time,” she said. “The team last year, they were playing with each other for four years and over.”
Even with the added pressure that comes with last year’s championship run, Aarnisalo isn’t worried about the expectations. She’s enjoying the kind of media attention the Bruins are getting.
She’s happy the returning players were able to lift the trophy last year and says the exposure that goes with it is an opportunity to show off the newly reloaded UCLA team.
“We’re making our own process out of this,” she said. “Obviously, the standards are the same, like it’s championship standards, but it’s completely new people, new personalities. [We’re] just trying to create our own storyline for this year.”
Breeze coach Noelle Quinn directs players during an Unrivaled game against the Laces on Feb. 27 in Medley, Fla.
(Leonardo Fernandez / Getty Images)
After spending 12 years as a professional player and six years coaching in the WNBA, Noelle Quinn has returned to Westwood. She is a two-time WNBA champion, winning a title as a player and a coach.
“I have not been able to find anyone else that has won a conference championship in college, a WNBA championship as a player and as a coach,” Close said. “You don’t think when she talks, they listen?”
The fourth overall pick in the 2007 WNBA draft has had an influence among the UCLA coaches, with Close noting associate head coach Tony Newnan told Quinn during a staff meeting that she was making him a better coach.
On the court, Quinn’s defensive expertise is creating an environment that has helped Bonnie Deas get excited about playing defense.
“I love defense and she brings so much energy to our defensive side of the game,” Deas said. “She’s so switched on with our scout and film, she makes defense really, really exciting.”
Betts describes her defensive presence as calming.
“I love the way she just talks and the way she talks about defense and just the game,” she said. “She brings such warmth to this gym.”
England’s preparations have also been affected by the Prem schedule, with players involved in Sunday’s fixtures having less time for full squad training.
“We had a session today really that was affected obviously by the fact that we had a Sunday game in Prem Rugby,” Borthwick explained.
“Fortunately, we don’t have any Sunday games this coming week in Prem Rugby, which I’m pleased about.
“So that should allow players to be recovered in a proper run into the Test match.”
Borthwick acknowledged the challenge of balancing club and international commitments, but said playing at the weekend could benefit England.
“They’ll go back and play the rugby and in so many ways that will be a positive for us for next weekend,” he said.
“The players are match fit at club level, playing regularly at club level, and as long as they don’t get injured, then they’re all available for selection next week, then that will be positive.
“I’d say on one side, I think it’s a real strength of English rugby that the players have such great loyalty and passion for their clubs as we saw very evidently in this last round with the derbies that went on.
“They are team-mates and best of mates the next day for a couple of days [with England] and then they go back to being rivals again until they come back into camp next week.”
Borthwick also identified the breakdown as an area where England need to adapt to the demands of international rugby.
He pointed to the recent European fixtures, in which English clubs collectively lost more of their own breakdown ball and won less opposition breakdown ball than teams from other competing nations.
“Part of my job is identify those bits of where I need to bridge from where the players are in Prem rugby to where they are in Test rugby,” he said.
“The level of competition [at the breakdown] is at a different level in Test rugby.”
Murphy lamented his team’s indiscipline in the first half, highlighting that as a contributory factor in leaving them with a mountain to climb.
“Our scrum held up reasonably well. Everyone knows when you come to South Africa your scrum is going to be under pressure so it’s an area we need to get better at.
“We had a way we wanted to play. We probably went away from that early on in the game but we got more towards what we were trying to do towards the back end of the half and in the second half.
“You have to stick in the fight here. Plenty of teams come here and kind of roll over.
“I don’t think we did that, which I’m really proud about, the way the lads stuck to the task.”
A Stuart McCloskey pass looked to have set James McKillop galloping clear on the wing to put Ulster in with a chance of what at one stage appeared a very unlikely victory but the Ireland centre was adjudged to have had part of his foot in touch.
“Stu’s foot was probably just in touch but if he gets that away earlier we’re going into the last two minutes with a lead. But that’s the breaks,” bemoaned the Ulster coach.
Murphy highlighted the breakdown as another area his side could improve on before next week’s meeting with the Stormers in Cape Town.
“We have to learn lessons but we will benefit from these tight battles come the end of the season,” he added.
The province’s Ireland internationals will return home to join up with Andy Farrell’s international squad, which assembles on Monday, while Murphy revealed that seven squad reinforcements would be arriving in Cape Town to bolster his side’s ranks ahead of the game with Stormers.
MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee is going absolutely nuts. The Brewers have sold out Game 3 and Game 4 of the World Series.
The Tampa Bay Rays will host those games, but the Brewers invited fans to come to their stadium and watch on the big screen. The Brewers sold more than 31,000 tickets to each of their watch parties at $15 apiece. On Friday morning, StubHub offered them for resale, starting at $168.
There is nothing quite like a city uniting behind a team that never has won a World Series. Ask Logan Henderson.
Henderson, the Brewers’ starting pitcher Saturday in Milwaukee, grew up a huge fan of the Houston Astros. He was 15 when he saw his first World Series game.
“My parents had always said, if we were fortunate enough to be able to watch them go to the World Series, we’re going to do everything we can to get there,” Henderson said. “I was blessed that my parents got tickets to go to the games.
“There’s nothing like it. I’m on the other side of it now. I was a spectator and a fan, now I’m a player. It’s definitely surreal.”
Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Logan Henderson follows through on a pitch during Game 2 of the NLCS against the Dodgers in Milwaukee on Oct. 12.
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
His first World Series game as a spectator and fan? Game 4 of the 2017 World Series.
“I went to the one before the crazy one,” he said. “L.A. ended up winning that game.”
In the crazy one, the Dodgers blew two four-run leads, tied the score with three runs in the ninth inning and lost in the 10th.
If we knew then what we know now, Game 4 would be the crazy one: Dodgers pitcher Alex Wood constantly changing his signs, suspicious that the Astros might be up to something, whatever that might be.
Dodgers pitcher Alex Wood delivers from the mound during Game 4 of the World Series against the Astros on Oct. 28, 2017, in Houston.
(Pool / Getty Images)
Wood was vindicated three years later, when a league investigation revealed the Astros had been cheating in 2017, stealing signs from a television monitor next to the dugout and relaying them to batters by banging on trash cans. The practice, according to the report issued by commissioner Rob Manfred, was refined during the regular season and extended “throughout the postseason.”
The scandal outraged the Dodgers and their fans. The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously to demand Manfred award the 2017 championship to the Dodgers. Their players wanted nothing to do with that. A real championship, after all, would come with champagne and beer in the clubhouse and a parade through the streets.
Still, the players did not turn the other cheek.
“Everyone knows they stole the ring from us,” Cody Bellinger said.
“They cheated,” Kike’ Hernández said. “They got away with it. They got a ring out of it.”
When the Astros’ team buses arrived at Dodger Stadium for games during the pandemic season of 2020, when ballparks were closed to the public, Dodgers fans gathered outside to boo.
Dodgers fans boo Jose Altuve of the Astros after he struck out in a game on Aug. 3, 2001, at Dodger Stadium.
(Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times)
Those were Henderson’s guys inside those buses: Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, George Springer, Lance McCullers Jr. Those were the guys that brought home the Astros’ first World Series championship, as Henderson’s Brewers are trying to do for Milwaukee.
“Personally, as a fan, Hurricane Harvey hit Houston really hard, and the Astros brought a championship to the city,” Henderson said.
“That meant absolutely everything to the city. I hope that means what it did for me to the fans in Milwaukee here.”
The Rays also are trying to bring their first championship home to Tampa Bay. In 2017, hard as this might be to believe today, the mighty Dodgers had not won a championship in 29 years.
And now, as a major leaguer, Henderson has an acute appreciation of the little things that can mean the difference between victory and defeat, between a parade and another plaintive chorus of “wait ‘til next year.”
It could be a pitcher that blows a throw he could make in his sleep, sending his team home for the winter. It could be a defense perfectly executing a seldom-seen play. It could be a ball that clanks off the roof and into play instead of flying into the stands for a home run.
It could be stealing signs and banging on trash cans.
“I would rather face a player that was taking steroids than face a player that knew every pitch that was coming,” Wood tweeted after Manfred’s report on the Astros’ cheating.
Henderson knows how hard this is to do. The Brewers haven’t appeared in the World Series in 44 years, and owner Mark Attanasio said nervous fans already are wondering whether their next appearance will be 44 years away.
So I asked Henderson if, all these years later, the scandal changed how he felt about those Astros.
He paused.
He exhaled.
He paused again.
“Maybe a little bit,” Henderson said. “It’s unfortunate. I try not to think about it or talk on it too much. I think now, being in the game, my perspective on it is a little different.
“I think for the kid in me — and the huge baseball fan I was — that team will always have a special place in my heart.”
World number two Luke Humphries has pulled out of the European Championship in Germany because of gastroenteritis.
Humphries was coming into the tournament on the back of winning the World Grand Prix prior to reaching the final of the Swiss Darts Trophy final, which he lost to Jonny Clayton.
Kim Huybrechts will come in as a replacement as the Belgian is the highest-ranked player from the 2026 European Tour rankings who had not qualified.
Huybrechts will face Ryan Searle when the European Championship starts in Dortmund on Thursday, while Gerwyn Price will play Rob Cross and defending champion Gian van Veen will take on Andrew Gilding among the night’s eight matches.
World number one and PDC world champion Luke Littler will start his challenge on Friday with a match against William O’Connor.
Dragons showed tenacity in defence before securing a hard-fought win against Perpignan in Newport on Friday.
Filo Tiatia’s men have made a strong start to the season but that might not necessarily translate into a bigger contingent in Tandy’s squad.
Lock Ben Carter is a shoo-in, tight-head prop Dillon Lewis will hope to pick up where he left off in the summer and in-form hooker Elliot Dee would love to battle Dewi Lake and Ryan Elias for action.
The Perpignan fixture highlighted the qualities of Dragons’ grafters with blind-side flanker Shane Lewis-Hughes, who won three caps in 2020, continuing his strong start to the season.
Wales contact coach Dan Lydiate was a guest at Dragons training last week and would have been impressed as Lewis-Hughes put in 27 tackles against the French side’s big carriers.
But the forward, like team-mate Harri Keddie, is competing in a position of real depth.
The same applies for wing Rio Dyer, who is yet to score this season but has been lively with ball in hand and impressive in the aerial game.
Dragons’ man of the match against Perpignan was Aneurin Owen, so often the side’s glue from inside centre.
He carried strongly to go with his distribution skills, while he was strong in defence and came up with two turnovers.
Owen, who turns 26 the day before Tuesday’s squad announcement, was a member of the Wales squad under Wayne Pivac in the summer of 2021 but remains uncapped.
There might be an opening at 12 due to Ben Thomas’ injury should Tandy look to see if a quality operator at club level can take the next step.
“Aneurin knows I love him,” said Dragons boss Filo Tiatia. “He has outstanding leadership and there is lots more to come from him.
“He wants to improve, is coachable and is strong at challenging the coaches.”