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The hosts opened the scoring in the 20th minute when returning Rhyse Martin offloaded to Davies who gathered the ball well on the bounce and pirouetted away from Wakefield centre Johnstone to dive over.

Three minutes later, Wakefield were level thanks to a wonderful flowing move which ended with a pass over the top from Jake Trueman who found Johnstone to score his seventh try of the Super League season.

Wakefield then went ahead when, on the last tackle, they patiently created an overload on the right and Max Jowitt found Hall to score a try for a side which at that stage was dripping with confidence following their victory against Wigan last time out.

Hull KR put their foot down at the end of the first half when Burgess catapulted himself towards the line to score a trademark try before Mourgue nailed the extras to give the hosts a 12-10 half-time lead.

Five minutes after the break, Lewis’ opportunistic linebreak caught Wakefield out and he managed to extend his arm to score on the line and move past 500 career points.

Moments later, Davies’ superb dummy deceived three Wakefield players before diving over to score his second of the match and put the Robins in cruise control.

In the 54th minute, the all-action Lewis was then sent to the sin-bin for preventing a try-scoring opportunity when he hauled down Cameron Scott who had kicked the ball past him.

Despite being down to 12 men, Davies completed his third career hat-trick against Wakefield when he collected Hiku’s simple pass to dot down.

After returning to the field, Lewis then darted through and outrageously offloaded to Hiku to score a try underlining his true star quality.

In the closing stages, Burgess raced to the line and thought he grabbed his second which would have even bettered his first-half effort but his left knee was adjudged to have been out of bounds by the TMO.

St Helens took full advantage of a sloppy Leeds Rhinos performance to claim a deserved Super League victory.

Kyle Feldt kicked two penalty goals for the home side in the opening 25 minutes before Deon Cross extended Saints’ advantage by darting over for the game’s first try on the stroke of half-time.

Leeds improved after the break and brought themselves back into the contest when Riley Lumb went over in the corner for his 10th try of the season.

However, a string of handling errors in stifling heat limited the Rhinos’ momentum, and tries from Owen Dagnall and Tristan Sailor guaranteed the points for an injury-hit Saints side.

Leeds stay third in the table on 20 points after their first defeat in six, while St Helens are fifth, two points behind.

Rhinos won 17-4 when the sides met last month, but they were below par from the off in Lancashire.

Feldt’s two penalty goals came after Harry Newman committed a high tackle and James Bentley strayed offside, and those infringements were reflective of an error-strewn first period from Brad Arthur’s side.

Leeds’ one real opportunity in the first half came via a Ryan Hall interception, but the veteran winger was halted by a superb tackle by player-of-the-match Harry Robertson.

And when Leeds coughed up possession in their own 20 not long after, Sailor released Cross, whose clever show-and-go deceived Hall and provided a clear path to the line.

Half-time offered much-needed respite for Rhinos, who came out with more intensity at the start of the second half.

They came back into the contest after a magnificent Lachie Miller break – the Australian full-back evading several tackles before moving the ball out wide, where Lumb dotted down.

Jarrod O’Connor went close for Leeds with a darting effort, and as the game opened up, the momentum swung back and forth before St Helens delivered a telling blow.

Off the back of a scrum, deft hands from Jonny Lomax and Sailor put Dagnall into space. He stepped off his left foot to score his second try in two starts and Feldt converted to make it a 10-point lead.

Leeds – who completed just 69% of their sets and made 16 errors – never truly looked like bridging that gap.

Sailor made sure for Saints when he burst through a gap in the final stages to make it 18-4.

Castleford Tigers: Cini, Simm, L Senior, Wood, I. Senior, Asi, Milnes, Amone, Horne, Singleton, Lawler, Mellor, Atkin.

Interchanges: Westerman, Griffin, Hall, Hill.

Hull KR: Mourgue, Davies, Hiku, Broadbent, Booth, Lewis, May, Sue, Litten, Hadley, Whitbread, Batchelor, Minchella.

Interchanges: Luckley, Tanginoa, Brown, Leyland.

Referee: Liam Moore

An historic T20 saw the Netherlands beat Nepal after an incredible three super overs in Glasgow.

It is the first time that any men’s professional match – either List A or T20 – has gone to a third super over with Michael Levitt’s six eventually giving the Netherlands victory.

Having posted 152-7, the Dutch looked set for victory with Nepal needing 16 from the 20th over.

However, tailender Nandan Yadav hit two boundaries, including one from the last ball, to level the scores.

Kushal Bhurtel proceeded to smash 18 from five balls to take Nepal to 19 in the first super over only for opener Max O’Dowd to hit the fifth and sixth balls of the Netherlands’ reply for a six and a four respectively to force a second.

This time the Netherlands batted first and posted 17 with a maximum apiece from O’Dowd and skipper Scott Edwards.

But again it was not enough and the drama continued as Dipendra Singh Airee hit Kyle Klein’s last ball over the ropes to take the match to an unprecedented third one-over shootout.

The Netherlands’ off-spinning all-rounder Zach Lion-Cachet ensured it would go no further, though, as he finished Nepal’s over early with two wickets in four balls, without conceding a run.

Just a single was required but Levitt finished a remarkable contest in style as he thumped the first ball of Sandeep Lamichhane’s over for six.

While the Netherlands have a day to enjoy their most memorable of wins, Nepal are back in action against Scotland on Tuesday as the T20 tri-series continues.

London Pulse secured top spot at the end of the Netball Super League regular season – and with it home advantage for the major semi-final in the play-offs.

Pulse led Loughborough Lightning by two points going into the final round of games and were given a helping hand.

It came from Birmingham Panthers who caused a surprise in their coach Jo Trip’s final game in charge by achieving a 67-58 success over Lightning, who have won three of the past four Grand Finals, to ensure Pulse finished top.

Antonia Mitchell had 42 goals for Panthers who pulled clear in the second quarter against a Lightning side who lacked fluency and will have plenty to think about before the play-offs.

Pulse then ensured they go into next weekend’s game against Lightning on a high with a comfortable 67-44 victory over bottom side Cardiff Dragons, helped by 36 goals from Olivia Tchine.

The winner of the major semi-final goes straight to the Grand Final while the loser will face the winner of the minor semi-final between third and fourth – Manchester Thunder and London Mavericks – to determine the other finalist.

Thunder and Mavericks lined up for a dress rehearsal on Saturday with the Manchester side winning 67-45 at Wembley Arena, led by 50 goals from Elmere van der Berg.

In the weekend’s final game on Sunday, the sport will say farewell to one of its greatest players.

Former England star Geva Mentor takes to the court for the last time before she retires as she lines up for Leeds Rhinos against Nottingham Forest (16:00 BST) in a match you can watch live on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website.

Catalans last scored a point 34 days ago when they faced Hull KR in the Challenge Cup semi-final, and the first of three consecutive shutout defeats after that in May cost Steve McNamara his job after almost eight years at the helm of the Perpignan club.

Their inability to grab an early score at Craven Park also meant they set an unwanted record for longest time between points in Super League history, passing the previous 259-minute wait Wakefield Trinity endured in 2023.

In stark contrast, since the Robins last faced the Dragons they have amassed 19 tries in four games and ended their long wait to lift the cup.

While the key trio of Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Michael McIlorum and Joe Burgess were all ruled out injured after helping Hull KR to Wembley glory, the East Yorkshire side remained at their irrepressible best against a French side in wretched form.

Garcia being held up over the line in the 11th minute was the highlight of Catalans’ first half in Hull.

Davies, Batchelor and Sue’s tries that followed had the hosts cruising, but Catalans’ hopes of making it a contest after that were dashed by the sin-binning of Maria – for his illegal hit on Sue – before Garcia’s was shown a red card for swinging a punch at Elliot Minchella and Lewis.

An avalanche of tries followed before the interval, leading Catalans’ interim head coach Joel Tomkins to do some damage control at half-time.

An unlikely comeback was not on the cards, however, as Sue added to the Robins’ advantage while Keary grabbed what was a mere consolation effort for the Les Dracs before another four tries were piled on them in a chastening final 15 minutes.

ARSENAL are to host all of their women’s top-flight home games at the Emirates next season.

Today the club revealed 11 WSL fixtures will be played at the 60,704-capacity ground during their 2025-26 campaign. 

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They say this follows a 20 per cent rise in crowd numbers last term compared to the previous season with more than 415,000 tickets sold. 

However Arsenal also stated these plans will be “subject to scheduling with fixtures for both the Premier League and WSL 2025/26 seasons to be confirmed later this summer. 

Last term their average crowd attendance at the stadium was 34,110.

And for the first time the club is set to introduce Emirates Stadium season tickets for women’s team home fixtures at the ground.

Following their Champions League triumph last month the Emirates will serve as the venue for any knockout games their WSL side competes in should they reach this phase next term.   

However Women’s FA Cup and League Cup fixtures will continue to be hosted at Meadow Park home they share with National League men’s side Boreham Wood FC.

And their Women’s Champions League phase games will also take place at the ground which has a 4,500 capacity. 

Arsenal managing director Richard Garlick said: “Today’s announcement is another bold step forward.  

“It’s an opportunity to create a special home for our team and allow more opportunities for our community, and a new generation of supporters to watch the European champions.  

“It’s the start of another chapter in the story of our women’s team just two weeks on from us lifting the Champions League trophy with our community here in Islington.”

“We keep moving forward together, and we’ll continue to fuel and inspire each other.”

Gunners women’s boss Renee Slegers added:  “I’m so proud of the journey we’ve been on with our supporters this season. 

“From Boreham Wood to the Emirates, on the road to every WSL and European destination we visited, and of course all the way to Lisbon, they’ve shown up.

“We’ve fuelled each other to an historic season for our club.”

“For us, this is just the beginning, and bringing every WSL match to the Emirates is another step for more supporters to be part of this special journey. 

“We’ll come back next season, with fire in our hearts, more determined, more ambitious, and more together than ever.”

Today’s announcement comes four months after the women’s team drew a crowd of 56,748 to their 5-0 North London WSL derby defeat of Tottenham at the Emirates. 

However this figure is more than 3,300 less than the number that flocked to watch them beat Manchester United and Spurs in February and March last year.

Back then crowds of 60,160 and 60,050 watched the Gunners’ 3-1 and 1-0 defeats of their WSL rivals.  

Arsenal’s announcement follows the team finishing as runners up in last term’s title race behind Chelsea who were crowned champions for the fifth time in a row in May. 

Last month Slegers’ players lifted a Champions League trophy following their dramatic 1-0 defeat of Barcelona in Portugal. 

Their triumph in this year’s decider in Lisbon saw Arsenal win the contest for the second time in the club’s history.

The Gunners remaining the only English side to date win the women’s tournament. 

Arsenal women’s football director Claire Wheatley said: “We felt that winning connection all season.

“To share in a Champions League win with our supporters in north London after returning from Lisbon inspired us all to push on.

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Of the team’s WSL home games being played at the Emirates next term Wheatley added: “Our players and staff know what it means to walk out in front of a packed Emirates Stadium. 

“It brings a sense of pride and belonging to all of us.

“It fuels a relentless drive to win and is a crucial part of how we create the best conditions for our women’s team to succeed.”

Matchday revenue increased, despite a 10% drop in attendances from the previous year.

The average league attendance dropped to 6,642.

The drop, which followed England reaching the 2023 Women’s World Cup final, contributed to pre-tax losses of £28m – up from £21m in 2022-23.

However, Deloitte is forecasting revenues to top £100m across the league at the end of the 2025-26 campaign, helped by the upcoming Euros in Switzerland,

“Women’s football in England is evolving rapidly,” said Tim Bridge, lead partner in the Deloitte Sports Business Group.

“While challenges remain, it is clear there is potential for a passionate and engaged fanbase to drive the game’s development.

“Capitalising on major international tournaments is important at specific points in time, but sustainable growth hinges on the domestic league’s organic development.”

Bridge added that a “competitive balance is a key priority” if the WSL is to sustain long-term growth, with the gap widening between the top-earning clubs and the lowest-earning clubs in the league.

Texas San Antonio wasn’t going to be a team UCLA could walk over.

Just a week ago, the Roadrunners made a mockery of the Austin Regional — scoring 26 runs across three games — and took down No. 2 Texas twice on the Longhorns’ home turf. Their greeting to the Bruins on Jackie Robinson Stadium on Saturday night was just as loud.

American Athletic Conference Player of the Year Mason Lytle sent Michael Barnett’s second pitch of the game into no-doubt territory beyond the left-field wall for a home run. UTSA’s dugout poured onto the field in response — earning an early warning from the umpires. A straight steal of home from Roadrunners left fielder Caden Miller in the second brought even more juice from the road support. Down 2-0, the Bruins were shell shocked, in need of a response.

“They jumped on us, no question about it,” UCLA coach John Savage said. “You know it’s going to be a dogfight. Every game is going to be a dogfight from the end of the season until the end of the year.”

The runs may not have been coming at the same pace, when UCLA scored a season-high 19 in the opening game of regionals, but the hits kept on rolling like they did a week ago. UCLA tallied 10 hits and six walks — scoring two runs in the third and one in the fourth to take the lead — but stranded 13 on base, toeing the line of nail-biting baseball to win 5-2.

Leading 3-2 with two outs in the eighth, it wasn’t until sophomore third baseman Roman Martin connected for a two-RBI triple that the Bruins could breathe. He waved his arms in celebration as Bruins fans behind the third-base dugout led an “eight clap” for the first and only time Saturday.

UCLA’s Roman Martin celebrates during the Bruins’ win over Texas San Antonio on Saturday.

(Ross Turteltaub / UCLA Athletics)

“You can get overly excited in these situations,” said Savage, one win from his first trip to Omaha since leading UCLA to the College World Series crown in 2013. “That’s lesson No. 1. Rule No. 1. A lot of baseball left this weekend. We understand that — that game really could have gone either way.”

UTSA still hit the ball all over the ballpark, as it did against Texas, but Barnett relied on his defense to limit the damage. He tossed six innings of two-run ball, giving up six hits, walking none and striking out one.

Barnett has steadily climbed in the Bruins’ rotation since his freshman campaign. He was a midweek starter in 2023, a Sunday starter in 2024. Now he’s the pitcher Savage uses to set the tone for the Bruins in the postseason.

“It’s obviously a huge privilege to be able to start these big games for us and set the tone,” said Barnett, who has 4.02 earned-run average. “A little adversity early on doesn’t matter. This team’s built off adversity.”

It was a clean, defensive clinic from the Bruins. Roch Cholowsky made a slick play in the seventh, fielding a hard ground ball to his left and throwing to first off-balance from behind second to help reliever Jack O’Connor toss a scoreless inning. Catcher Cashel Dugger handled dropped-third strikes from righty August Souza to make it smooth sailing in the eighth.

“They did the fundamentals a little bit better than us, and it’s that time of year,” UTSA coach Pat Hallmark said. “I just tip my hat to UCLA.”

Bruins first baseman Mulivai Levu doubled down the line to score Dean West for the Bruins’ first run. Cholowsky then managed to score on a ground out to third by Martin, tying the score 2-2.

An inning later, West drove in a run on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly after three UCLA singles to give the Bruins a 3-2 lead.

Savage pointed out his team’s collective offensive effort and how the Bruins didn’t rely on Cholowsky to carry them. He said Martin, West, Payton Brennan and AJ Salgado have improved, adding, “This is not a one-man show.”

Freshman right-hander Easton Hawk hurled a shutdown ninth inning to earn the save. In a bullpen that’s been in flux all year long, mixing in different relievers in late innings, Hawk has emerged as the team’s closer.

“He’s come in and pounded pretty good with multiple pitches, and you clearly see his talent,” Savage said of Hawk, who has given up just one run over his last 10 appearances. “That end of the game is no joke, and that’s only built for certain guys, and we felt that he could handle it.”

As the Bruins celebrated on the field, after Hawk ended the game with a strikeout, it signaled a truth heading into Sunday — UCLA is one win from booking a flight to Omaha.

Twelve years ago, John Savage was the man in Westwood.

Fresh off the Bruins’ first College World Series title in 2013, then-UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero rewarded the coach with a lucrative 12-year contract extension.

It’s been a grueling journey since.

UCLA has tallied numerous No. 1 national rankings, seven NCAA tournament berths, four first-round draft picks and one super regional appearance since then, but not a single return to Omaha. The last two years of Bruins baseball were poor by the program’s standards — missing the postseason in back-to-back years and ending 2024 with a losing record for the first time since 2016.

UCLA pitcher Wylan Moss celebrates after an out against UC Irvine on Sunday night.

(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

Something had to give in 2025, the final year of Savage’s contract, as UCLA tried to build upon a sophomore class that has helped transform it into one of the best offenses in the nation.

UCLA entered the NCAA tournament with reason to be optimistic. With star players such as Roch Cholowsky on the roster, perhaps a return to the College World Series wasn’t out of the question.

On Sunday, the Omaha oracle pointed UCLA’s way, the Bruins inching one step closer to advancing to the College World Series. Bullying second-seeded UC Irvine with its bats like it had against every team in the Los Angeles Regional, first-seeded UCLA won 8-5 to advance to the NCAA super regionals for the first time since 2019. UCLA will host the Los Angeles Super Regional against Texas San Antonio at Jackie Robinson Stadium this week.

“I’m very proud of our team, very proud of our guys winning 19 games last season and coming back,” Savage said. “It’s just a team — and they’re playing together. … Proud of our program, proud of my coaches.”

UTSA defeated Texas 7-4 in the Austin Regional final, taking down the national second-seed Longhorns to advance to its first-ever super regional.

If UCLA beats UTSA, it’ll advance to the College World Series in Omaha for the first time since 2013.

UCLA pitcher Easton Hawk delivers against UC Irvine on Sunday.

(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

UCLA’s offense was just as ready to explode — like they did versus Fresno State and Arizona State — against a depleted UC Irvine pitching staff (with high-leverage bullpen arms Ricky Ojeda and David Utagawa unavailable after pitching earlier Sunday). Rallying for six hits across the first two innings, the Bruins put together three runs thanks to RBI singles from Roman Martin and Cashel Dugger, and a sacrifice fly from Roch Cholowsky.

UCLA first baseman Mulivai Levu helped place the game in blowout territory — an 8-0 lead — when he connected for a three-run home run in a five-run fourth inning. Much like UCLA had done all weekend, the lineup kept on churning.

Levu led all Bruins with three RBIs, while Cholowsky went one for three with two RBIs from sacrifice flies.

“Everyone has a great approach at the plate,” Levu said. “It’s kind of hard for the other team to get past us.”

Freshman Wylan Moss set the tone for UCLA’s combined pitching effort. Moss, who entered the contest with a 2.25 earned-run average and an All-Big-Ten Freshman Team recognition, was as good as advertised to stymie UC Irvine, which came off an 11-run offensive showing earlier in the day.

The 6-foot-3 righty struck out the top of the Anteaters lineup — Will Bermudez, Chase Call and Jacob McCombs — swinging on change ups. Moss, who had yet to pitch in the NCAA Tournament, was lying in wait for a game of magnitude.

He pitched 3 ⅓ innings, giving up two runs and two hits, while walking three and striking out four. From there, a five-pitcher bullpen effort kept Irvine at bay, pitching 5 ⅔ innings of five-run ball the rest of the way to wrap up regional action in Westwood.

UCLA players and coaches celebrate after their Los Angeles Regional victory over UC Irvine on Sunday.

(Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times)

Things got more complicated for UCLA in the sixth, when freshman right-hander Cal Randall gave up a solo home run to UC Irvine designated hitter Alonso Reyes to make it a three-run game, but right-hander Jack O’Connor entered to extinguish the threat — and set down UC Irvine outfielder Chase Call on a fielder’s choice to close out the inning.

It wasn’t easy sailing for the Bruins in the late innings.

Graduate student right-hander August Souza bailed UCLA out of a bases-loaded jam by freezing the potential go-ahead run, Blake Penso, on a full-count, 87-mph fastball in the seventh.

When the Bruins needed it the most, Souza struck out two in a scoreless eighth, putting metaphorical champagne on ice in Westwood.

“Just honestly blessed to play this year,” said Souza, who didn’t pitch in 2024 because of injury. “It’s my sixth year. Didn’t think I’d play in college this long, and just happy to get this win with my team and celebrate getting to a super regional.”

Freshman right-hander Easton Hawk tossed a perfect ninth, striking out James Castagnola to end it, prompting the Bruins to run onto the field in celebration. UCLA owned the Los Angeles Regional title.

“I liked everything today,” said UC Irvine coach Ben Orloff, who praised Savage as one of the best coaches in the nation. “Besides the third out.”

What makes the 2025 Bruins different from other UCLA teams? Savage said leadership and teamsmanship could make the Bruins national title contenders.

Cholowsky, with pitchers Cody Delvecchio and Michael Barnett, helped transform the team’s culture as team captains, Savage said. They accomplished this despite having to endure the legal saga that temporarily forced the Bruins out of Jackie Robinson Stadium in the fall.

Now, postseason baseball will remain in Westwood for at least one more weekend.

Highlights from UCLA’s 8-5 win over UC Irvine in the Los Angeles Regional on Sunday.

“We got knocked out of the stadium the first day of school,” Savage said. “It was unfortunate, but they came together, man, and they did a remarkable job of just building this team. I gotta tip my hat to the players. The players did a remarkable job.”

But it’s not time to celebrate just yet. If UCLA wants to go to the College World Series, Savage said, the focus needs to shift to beating UTSA.

“Like I told them, ‘there’s nothing to really celebrate,’” Savage said. “You can enjoy this, but at the same time, we got to get back to work on Tuesday.”

INDIANAPOLIS Colts owner and CEO Jim Irsay has died at the age of 65, the team has confirmed.

The franchise said Irsay “passed away peacefully in his sleep” on Wednesday afternoon.

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Details surrounding his death have not yet been released, though he had been battling various health issues in recent years.

Irsay took control of the Colts in 1997 following the death of his father, Robert Irsay, who bought the team in 1972 for $12 million.

“We are devastated to announce our beloved Owner & CEO, Jim Irsay, passed away peacefully in his sleep this afternoon,” the Colts said in a statement.

“Jim’s dedication and passion for the Indianapolis Colts in addition to his generosity, commitment to the community, and most importantly, his love for his family were unsurpassed.”

“Our deepest sympathies go to his daughters, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, Casey Foyt, Kalen Jackson, and his entire family as we grieve with them.”

Irsay’s career with the team began decades earlier when he worked in every department before becoming the NFL’s youngest general manager in 1984, just as the Colts moved from Baltimore to Indianapolis.

After assuming full ownership in the late 90s, he helped guide the team to its first Super Bowl title in Indianapolis and oversaw a string of division championships.

“Jim’s love and appreciation for the NFL in addition to its history, tradition, and principles influenced him to become a steward of the game throughout his 50-plus years in the League,” the statement continued.

He was also known for his philanthropy and passion for music.

“He made philanthropy a daily endeavor. He never hesitated to help countless organizations and individuals live better lives.

“Music was one of Jim’s passions and the ability to share his band and collection with millions of people across the world brought him tremendous joy. ”

“Simply put, he wanted to make the world a better place and that philosophy never wavered.”

“Jim will be deeply missed by his family, the Colts organization, and fans everywhere, but we remain inspired by his caring and unique spirit.”

“NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said: “We were deeply saddened to learn of Jim Irsay’s passing today.

“Jim was a friend, and a man deeply committed to his family, the game, the Colts, and the Indianapolis community. 

“On behalf of the entire NFL, I extend my heartfelt condolences to Jim’s daughters and their families, and to his many friends throughout the NFL.”

Irsay was arrested in 2014 for driving under the influence, a charge he later claimed stemmed from being singled out as “a rich, white billionaire.”

He maintained that a recent hip surgery—not alcohol—was the reason he failed the field sobriety test.

More to follow… For the latest news on this story, keep checking back at The U.S. Sun, your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, sports news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures, and must-see videos.

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Alexis Ramirez went three for four and drove in five runs and UCLA cruised to the NCAA Super Regionals with a 12-1 dismantling of UC Santa Barbara on Sunday in the Los Angeles Regional.

The ninth-seeded Bruins (52-10) travel to face eighth-seeded South Carolina next weekend. UCLA is chasing its ninth Women’s College World Series berth in the last decade. In going 3-0 in this weekend’s regional play, UCLA outscored it opponents 31-2. UCLA started the weekend with a 9-1 win over the Gauchos (36-26) on Friday.

Ramirez started the hit parade driving in the game’s first two runs. UCLA scored four runs in the first and second innings, three in the fourth and the game was mercy-ruled after the Gauchos came up empty in the bottom of the fifth.

Jessica Clements, Megan Grant and Jordan Woolery all homered for UCLA. Clements and Grant each drove in a pair of runs.

Taylor Tinsley moved her season record to 14-4 pitching four innings, surrendering just three hits and one unearned run. She struck out six and didn’t give up a walk.

Malaya Johnson (24-12) took the loss for UC Santa Barbara giving up six hits and six earned runs in an inning of work.

Ainsley Waddell singled to center field to score Alexa Sams in the bottom of the second for the Gauchos’ run.

Football is a big part of the holidays in the US. The Detroit Lions have hosted a Thanksgiving game every year since 1934 and this season they welcome the Green Bay Packers on Thursday, 27 November (18:00 GMT).

After hosting their first Thanksgiving game in 1966, only twice have the Dallas Cowboys not played on the holiday, and this year ‘America’s Team’ face the Chiefs (21:30 GMT).

The Baltimore Ravens then complete the Thanksgiving triple-header at home to the Cincinnati Bengals (01:20 GMT, 28 November).

In 2023, the NFL played its first game on Black Friday – the day after Thanksgiving – and this year the Eagles host the Chicago Bears in a game which will be broadcast on Amazon Prime (20:00 GMT).

After streaming two games on Christmas Day last season, Netflix will again feature two festive fixtures, with the Washington Commanders hosting the Cowboys (18:00 GMT) before the Minnesota Vikings welcome the Lions (21:30 GMT).

There is even a third Christmas game this year as Amazon Prime will show Kansas City’s home match with the Denver Broncos (01:15 GMT, 26 December).

BBC rugby league reporter Matt Newsum:

Hot on the heels of the success of Wigan and Warrington’s venture into Sin City in 2025, Hull KR and Leeds are the latest Super League entrants to make the trip over the Atlantic for the now annual Las Vegas event in tandem with the Australian NRL.

This time, RL Commercial have been more heavily involved in the process, after Warriors CEO Kris Radlinski and then Warrington counterpart Karl Fitzpatrick set the ball rolling for this year’s event off their own backs.

Both Hull KR and Leeds, and perhaps importantly from selling the game, brands, have a strong presence. They have shown themselves to be successful off the field of late as well as on it, and should provide the type of match-up which will show Super League in its best light.

Rovers could pitch up in Las Vegas as champions and Challenge Cup winners, and this would be another memorable experience for a fanbase that has shown itself to be loyal and high in turnout at major events in recent seasons – one of the key reasons for their inclusion.

Leeds still carry a cachet to an Australian audience from their legacy of success, their links with high-profile Australians over the years, and the fanbase again, and while some of the success from the years of annual Grand Final appearances has tailed off, there is a sense the club is now heading in the right direction.

Both clubs will take some financial hit on the trip, as did their predecessors, particularly in giving up a home game for one but the hope is there are ways of making the trip pay both tangibly and metaphorically.

The aim one day is that all clubs in the Super League will get a chance to show their wares, but right now, these two clubs need to be shrewd and provide a meaningful showpiece, and there will be confidence that neither will wilt in the glare of the Nevada sun.

Rylan Clark will appear in a Eurovision Song Contest themed episode of Doctor Who on the weekend ahead of the BBC airing the grand final of this year’s actual contest

Presenter Rylan Clark has spoken about keeping his role on Doctor Who a secret. It comes ahead of him appearing as the host of a fictional version of the Eurovision Song Contest out in space in an episode of the BBC show.

The Interstellar Song Contest episode will air on Saturday, ahead of the final of this year’s Eurovision, which is taking place in Basel, Switzerland, later that night. The news of his involvement was announced two months ago but Rylan, 36 – who previously said he was left in tears after being offered the role – has revealed that he tried to keep it a secret for a year.

Speaking to PA news agency, Rylan said: “It was so hard to keep the secret, and I’ve been sat on it for a year.” He’s shared that he managed to only disclose the news to some “key” individuals. He said ahead of the episode airing this weekend: “I told a few key people who had to know but we’ve really kept it super private.”

Speaking about his role, Rylan revealed that he plays himself but added elements of the Hunger Games character Caesar Flickerman, who was played by Stanley Tucci in the film series. That character, who’s considered an eccentric presenter, interviews the tributes and commentates on the Hunger Games, which see children fight to the death in an arena. Rylan said: “I played myself but also added a bit of Caesar from the Hunger Games for good measure.”

Teasing an unbelievable experience for fans, Rylan said the episode is “out of this world” with several twists, while still paying homage to the real-life song contest that it imitates. He hinted: “People can expect to see everything they love about Doctor Who. Also, from working on actual Eurovision itself, there were so many similarities – the attention to detail was amazing.” He added: “Expect the unexpected – it’s probably the most twisty one of the whole season.”

Ncuti Gatwa, 32, who rose to fame on Netflix‘s Sex Education, plays the Doctor in the latest season of Doctor Who. The actor is joined by co-star Varada Sethu, 33, as companion Belinda Chandra in the new season, which is currently airing.

Writer Juno Dawson, 43, has recalled being approached by the show’s producer Russell T Davies, 62, for the episode. She said: “In 2022, Russell asked how I would feel about doing Die Hard meets Eurovision. I couldn’t turn that down.

“Russell initially pitched the bare bones concept of Eurovision meets Die Hard, which were two things I knew really well. Then, I went away and pitched a plot, and it hasn’t really changed all that much.

“Obviously, there was a lot of discussion between myself, the producers and Russell. But it’s still those two things. What would happen if an enemy faction planned an attack on the Eurovision Song Contest in space?”

Juno, whose books include This Book Is Gay and Her Majesty’s Royal Coven, described the upcoming episode as reminiscent of a “disaster movie”, but with the quintessential campiness Eurovision is celebrated for. She said of the episode: “It’s like a disaster movie. I think people are certainly going to expect it to be … let’s just say camp. I mean of course it is, it’s the Interstellar Song Contest. But also, it’s action-packed. It doesn’t let up for a second. It’s a really high-octane episode.

“But also, it’s action-packed. It doesn’t let up for a second. It’s a really high-octane episode. In places it’s quite harrowing. I think the best science fiction and fantasy should always have something to say about the world. While being an absolute romp on a space station, these are characters caught in an extraordinary situation that I hope people will feel on an emotional level as well.”

The episode will air ahead of group Remember Monday representing the UK at this year’s Eurovision with their song What The Hell Just Happened? Rylan will present live commentary of the final for BBC Radio 2 with Scott Mills, 52. The pair will also host coverage of the prior semi-finals tomorrow and Thursday on BBC One.

Doctor Who continues 7.10pm on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Saturday night. It will be followed by the Eurovision Song Contest final at 8pm that night. The semi-finals will air tomorrow and Thursday from 8pm.

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