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New Zealand held off a Wallaby fightback to secure a 33-24 victory over Australia and extend their grip on the Bledisloe Cup to a 23rd year.

The All Blacks bounced back from their record defeat against South Africa last weekend as a late Cam Roigard try ensured they retained the trophy and stretched their unbeaten record at Auckland’s Eden Park to 52 matches.

The victory also means they leapfrog their opponents to move top of the Rugby Championship standings before Saturday’s later game between the world champion Springboks and Argentina.

New Zealand started the match strongly, with winger Caleb Clarke crossing the line inside three minutes and Leroy Carter and Roigard adding further tries to establish a 20-3 midway through the first half.

But a try from hooker Billy Pollard reduced the Wallabies’ deficit, and a move finished by winger Harry Potter just before the half-time whistle meant they trailed by only three points at the interval.

Two penalties from Damian McKenzie extended the All Blacks lead in the second half, but a converted try from Wallaby flanker Carlo Tizzano set up an exciting last 10 minutes, putting the visitors within three points of a first victory in Auckland since 1986.

However, scrum-half Roigard calmed home nerves, sealing the win as he crossed under the posts from a Jordie Barrett pass.

New Zealand now lead the Rugby Championship with one match remaining, although South Africa will overtake them with victory over Argentina later on Saturday.

Australia sit in second with two wins and three losses, going into their final match of the tournament against the All Blacks in Perth next weekend.

Australia have not won at Eden Park since 1986 and have now suffered 23 consecutive defeats at the stadium.

The Bledisloe Cup is competed for annually by the two nations. The 2025 edition is over two matches – in the event of a 1-1 draw the cup remains with the holders.

While incumbent held on to power, the Polynesian island nation will have a new PM: Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt.

The incumbent Fa’atuatua i le Atua Samoa ua Tasi (FAST) party has been confirmed as the winner of the national election in Samoa.

Official results released by the Samoan electoral commission on Friday showed that FAST won 30 out of the 50 seats contested. However, Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa departed the party earlier this year and will be succeeded by new FAST leader Laaulialemalietoa Leuatea Schmidt.

The main opposition Human Rights Protection Party won 14 seats. Independent candidates took another four.

The Samoa Uniting Party, formed earlier this year by Fiame – known as the “Iron Lady of the Pacific” – won only three seats, including her own. She was expelled from FAST in January amid a factional dispute.

Rising prices had been cited as a key issue for voters in the country of about 220,000 people.

Before the election on August 29, in Apia, the Samoan capital, residents had told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation they were looking forward to political stability and wanted the next government to focus on the economy and jobs.

On Friday, Samoa’s head of state, Afioga Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, had issued a warrant confirming the names of the new lawmakers who will form Samoa’s next parliament.

Five women have won seats. The Samoa Observer reported that under a 10 percent minimum representation rule, at least six women must sit in parliament, necessitating the creation of an additional seat.

Fiame became Samoa’s first female leader in 2021, winning an election that unseated Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi after 22 years.

She raised the international profile of the nation by hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting last year, focused on the effect of climate change in the Pacific.

But after being unable to gain enough support to pass a budget, Fiame asked in June for parliament to be dissolved. She has been serving in the role of acting prime minister since.

“It was a hard effort and spending 12 and a half laps out there is a bit different and a bit more than I’m expecting, but that mile push hopefully shows I’m strong enough for five weeks time.”

Kerr pointed out the strength of British middle distance running.

“This title’s been British for about three or four years and it’s hopefully going to stay British for the next couple of years and it’s my job to do that,” he said after his win at the event in Birmingham that doubled as the British trials.

“We have a fantastic set of 1500m guys going after it as well, so we are in a great spot in the UK.”

Gourlay proved himself best of the rest and said “it feels great” after beating Englishman Elliot Giles in a sprint finish to secure the British title for the fourth time in six years.

“It’s a bit surreal having that longevity with all the people that have been coming and going through this event,” he told Scottish Athletics.

“It’s always the challenge to come and take care of business here in terms of qualification for the world championships, but the goal was certainly to win and it feels satisfying to do that today.

“To win the last three is quite something given the people I’ve ended up being up against over these years.”

Jemma Reekie booked her 800m place in the team for Tokyo, but the Scot had to be content with second spot behind in-form Englishwoman Georgia Hunter Bell.

Meanwhile, Alessandro Schenini took gold in the long jump, Kirsty Law won silver in the discus and Bera Ajala was third in the men’s triple jump.

BASEL, Switzerland — England thrived in the high drama yet again to take down Spain in a penalty shootout and win another Women’s European Championship title on Sunday.

Chloe Kelly lashed in her spot kick to give defending champion England a 3-1 win in the shootout after a 1-1 draw after extra time.

It’s the second straight Women’s Euros final decided by Kelly scoring.

England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton saved spot kicks from Mariona Caldentey and Spain superstar Aitana Bonmati, before substitute Salma Paralluelo dragged her shot wide of the goal.

England’s Chloe Kelly scores the winning penalty against Spain goalkeeper Catalina Coll during the Women’s Euro 2025 final at St. Jakob-Park in Basel, Switzerland, Sunday.

(Martin Meissner / Associated Press)

The defending champion won the only way it knew how at this thrilling Euro 2025.

England fell behind in the first half, fought back in the second and relied on its superb substitutes — just as it did against Italy and Sweden previously in the knockout rounds.

England leveled the score in the 57th on Alessia Russo’s header from a cross by Kelly after Caldentey had given Spain the lead in the 25th by finishing Ona Battle’s cross.

Spain trailed for only four minutes in the entire tournament — and not for one second against England — yet the reigning World Cup winner could not seal its first European title.

Kelly had scored an extra-time winning goal for England at Wembley three years ago to beat Germany 2-1.

In extra time, Spain had good possession in the England penalty area so many times yet did not force a decisive goal.

Spain goalkeeper Cata Coll saved spot kicks from England captain Leah Williamson and the first by Beth Mead.

It was appropriate in England’s memorable tournament that Mead’s penalty was retaken under a brand new soccer rule that allows a second chance when a player scores by slipping and touching the ball twice. It did not matter after Hampton’s saves.

Classic Arsenal goals

Arsenal attackers like scoring with perfectly placed headers from inviting crosses sent to the ideal spot.

Spain took the lead Sunday with a very English goal — a fullback’s cross from the byline finding the head of an Arsenal player to score, on a rain-slicked field on an overcast, cloudy day.

The strong Spanish flavor leading to Caldentey’s opener was in the neat passing to find Athenea del Castillo in the penalty area and her vision to see Battle’s direct run into space.

Caldentey was in the Arsenal team that won the Women’s Champions League final in May beating a Barcelona side with six starters who also lined up for Spain on Sunday. Spain used three more Barcelona players as substitutes.

The Arsenal forward line in that final, Russo and Kelly, combined to tie the Euro 2025 final. Kelly’s right-foot cross from the left was floated toward the head of Russo who guided the ball back toward the top corner of the Spain net.

Wiegman’s hat trick

England coach Sarina Wiegman has still never before been eliminated from a Women’s Euros tournament. Despite how close she came three times this month.

The top female national-team coach of her generation has a Euros hat trick after leading England to victory in 2022 and her native Netherlands to the 2017 title.

Both those titles were won as the host nation team and no England senior team, men or women, had previously won a world or continental title abroad.

Wiegman also extended the run of title-winning women coaches to eight Women’s Euros editions across 28 years. Women were outnumbered by male coaches each time.

Royal appointment

There was royalty from both nations in the VIP box at St-Jakob Park, including heirs to each throne.

Prince William, the first son of Britain’s King Charles, was with his daughter Princess Charlotte. He is president of the English Football Assn.

Also present were Princess Leonor of Spain and her younger sister, Infanta Sofía. At the 2023 World Cup final Sofia was at the game with her mother, Queen Letizia in Sydney, Australia.

Dubar writes for the Associated Press.

Reinhart is the first player to score four goals in a Stanley Cup final since Montreal Canadiens’ Maurice Richard in 1957.

It took Reinhart four minutes and 36 seconds to open the scoring and the Panthers never looked back.

Matthew Tkachuk, who said after the game he had been playing with a torn adductor muscle and a hernia, doubled Florida’s lead by the end of the first quarter before Reinhart scored a further three unanswered.

Edmonton’s Vasily Podkolzin grabbed a consolation for the five-time Stanley Cup winners, but their last triumph in the competition came in 1989-90.

“We’re a dynasty,” Tkachuk said.

“I can’t believe this is what has happened… It just shows how unbelievable the group is, the depth.

“The culture down here is very, very unique. Hopefully, we can do it again.”

With US President Donald Trump in attendance, Dvalishvili dominates challenger O’Malley in a third-round victory in New Jersey.

Merab Dvalishvili defeated Sean O’Malley effortlessly in the main event of UFC 316 in Newark, New Jersey, securing a third-round modified choke in their rematch to retain the bantamweight championship.

With United States President Donald Trump watching from cageside on Saturday night, Dvalishvili (20-4 MMA) emphatically displayed his wrestling base to tire out the former champion and make an argument as one of the sport’s best bantamweights, perhaps of all time.

Dvalishvili, who won at 4:42 of the third round for his 13th consecutive victory, said he would welcome his next title defence against Cory Sandhagen (18-5 MMA), a winner of four of his last five fights.

“You’re the man, let’s go,” Dvalishvili said, indicating that he would be interested in fighting Sandhagen next.

O’Malley (18-3 MMA) fell to Dvalishvili last September by unanimous decision, relinquishing his title. O’Malley confirmed the loss is a minor setback, reassuring of a steady return.

“100 percent, thank you guys for coming out,” O’Malley said.

The women’s bantamweight title changed hands in the co-main event, as Kayla Harrison submitted Julianna Pena with a second-round kimura, a submission technique also known as the double wristlock or reverse keylock.

Harrison and Pena embraced in the Octagon afterwards, showing utmost class for one another after the 34-year-old controlled every aspect of the fight.

Harrison said during her post-fight interview that her weight cut was so draining on Thursday night that she “wanted to quit”, but it would have been a mistake in her eyes, given that most fighters in MMA do not win a UFC title.

Harrison (19-1 MMA) called out Pena’s (13-6 MMA) former rival, Amanda Nunes. Nunes (23-5 MMA) is a former two-division champion who retired in 2023. As time passed, she teased a comeback. It now seems inevitable, as Harrison and Nunes posed for a face-off and talked of a bout later this year, as the Prudential Center crowd beamed.

Kevin Holland kicked off the UFC 316 main card in style, securing a D’Arce choke over Vicente Luque at 1:03 of the second round.

Holland (28-13 MMA) has now won three of his last five, emphasising the need to remain a prominent welterweight contender. Luque (23-11-1 MMA), who resides in New Jersey via Brazil, has lost two of his last three.

Middleweight Joe Pyfer made good on his UFC return, defeating TUF alumnus Kelvin Gastelum by unanimous decision 29-28, 29-27, 30-27.

Pyfer (14-3 MMA) has won his last two outings, whereas Gastelum (19-10 MMA) is in the midst of a slump.