Former Bristol and Bath back-row forward Nick Koster has died at the age of 34.

Koster made 62 appearances for Bristol between 2013 and 2017 after joining them following a short stint with Bath.

He also captained Cambridge University in the 2018 Varsity Match against Oxford, scoring a try, and played in South Africa for Western Province and the Stormers.

The cause of Koster’s death is not known.

“Bristol Bears is devastated to hear of the tragic passing of hugely-popular former player Nick Koster at the age of 34,” the Gallagher Premiership club said on its website.

“The South African-born back row played 62 times for the club, making a remarkable impact on and off the field during his five seasons with Bristol.

“In 2017, Koster was shortlisted for community player of the season for his incredible work with the club’s Community Foundation, giving up hours of his own time to a number of programmes and initiatives with young people in the city.”

Former Bath head coaches Gary Gold and Andy Robinson, meanwhile, also paid tribute.

“Absolutely devastated to hear the news of Nick’s passing. One of the best schoolboy rugby players to have ever played the game and an outstanding person and friend,” Gold said on Twitter.

And Robinson tweeted: “He was a wonderful human being who had a huge impact on me and my families’ lives with his kindness, generosity, great sense of humour and rugby ability.”

Marketa Vondrousova believes she will be facing ‘super woman’ when she takes on Elina Svitolina in the Wimbledon semi-finals.

Ukrainian wild card Svitolina is inspiring new mothers across the world with her run to the last four, just nine months after giving birth to her daughter Skai.

“It’s incredible what she did. She received a wild card and she’s in semis. It’s incredible,” said Czech 24-year-old Vondrousova.

“I feel like it’s such a short time after a baby. She’s doing amazing things.

“Yeah, she’s a fighter and she’s playing so good. I think for us, we can see that we also can manage with a baby. It’s amazing.

“She also did great job in Paris. Now she’s doing these things. Yeah, I mean, for me it’s incredible she can do this with a baby, and after such a long time also.

“We chat a bit on Instagram. I’m with her all the way. She’s fighting so much for everything. Now she’s just playing amazing tennis also. She’s a super woman, I think.”

Vondrousova, the world number 42, pulled off a shock by beating fourth seed Jessica Pegula in the quarter-finals.

Svitolina, currently ranked 76 but who has been as high as three, stunned world number one Iga Swiatek on Centre Court.

“It’s different right now,” said Svitolina, 28. “Right now I just say to myself I think it’s less years that I have in front than behind me. I have to go for it. I don’t have time to lose anymore. I don’t know how many years I will be playing more.

“So just I try to tell myself, like, go for it. You practice for these moments, for these big moments. This really helped me and calmed me a little bit, as well.”

Naiktha Bains and Maia Lumsden were denied a semi-final spot in the Wimbledon women’s doubles after being outclassed by third seeds Elise Mertens and Storm Hunter.

The wildcards have enjoyed a fine run at the All England Club and were the first all-British pair to reach the last eight of the draw for 40 years.

But their impressive progression was ended emphatically on Court Two as 2021 champion Mertens and her Australian partner Hunter eased through 6-2 6-1.

Bains and Lumsden on Monday hailed emulating the 1983 achievement of Jo Durie and Anne Hobbs as “surreal”.

The two 25-year-olds were on the backfoot from the start on Wednesday after a double fault from Leeds-born Bains gifted their rivals the opening game and she again failed to hold serve in game five.

Scottish player Lumsden, who previously feared her career may be ended by long Covid, showcased some classy shots and there was plenty of power from Bains, but it was not enough to prevent the more experienced duo wrapping up the opening set in 35 minutes.

Belgian Mertens – the former world number one doubles player – and Hunter received a third-round walkover after Czech opponent Marketa Vondrousova withdrew following her progression to the semi-finals of the singles, while their second-round match ended prematurely because of an opposition retirement.

After the British pair were each broken either side of being unable to capitalise on three break points, a few drops of rain at 6-2 3-0 threatened to impede further straightforward progression.

But play quickly resumed and the weather held as Bains and Lumsden ended a memorable run with defeat in an hour and 11 minutes.

Jordan Nobbs admits it is an “unbelievable feeling” to be part of England’s World Cup squad this summer after the setbacks she has suffered in the past.

Nobbs, 30, went to the 2015 tournament in Canada but was restricted to just one appearance by a hamstring issue, then missed out on selection for the 2019 edition in France and the Euros that the Lionesses won on home soil last summer following knee injuries.

A year on from that latest disappointment, there was joy for Nobbs as she was included in England boss Sarina Wiegman’s 23 for the forthcoming World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, at the end of a season that saw her make a January move from Arsenal to Aston Villa.

And the 71-cap midfielder said: “I think I’m still waking up now with that butterfly feeling.

“Everyone dreams of playing in major tournaments, and everyone knows the journey I’ve been on, so to be part of this one and such a talented squad, it’s an unbelievable feeling.”

Nobbs had been with Arsenal since 2010, and she said of her departure: “It was a risk to a certain extent but also with the limited game time I was getting, it was kind of like I had nothing to lose as well.

“Naturally, there were a lot of tears and it was difficult to leave a club that I loved and owe a lot to, but when it comes to wanting to drive for another major tournament, I think I had to do everything possible, and as long as I knew I tried my best, I’d have been comfortable with whatever outcome came from that.”

She went on to make 11 WSL starts for Villa, scoring four goals, as they achieved a fifth-placed finish in the division, and she added: “I think I knew with regular game time I can get back to my best.

“I think Carla (Ward, the Villa manager) just gave me that confidence to go again and allow myself to be in the position I am now. She gave me a bit of love, and game time. Sometimes, it’s the small things that allow you to shine on the pitch.”

While things have come together on this occasion for Nobbs, there has been disappointment for the likes of England captain Leah Williamson and Euro 2022 Golden Boot winner Beth Mead, two of her former Arsenal team-mates who will miss this tournament after sustaining ACL injuries. Fran Kirby has been ruled out due to a knee issue as well.

Nobbs, whose injury prior to the 2019 World Cup was ACL damage, said: “I dropped them a message. But I think when you’ve been through that before, you know how many messages you get.

“So it’s just letting them know you’re there if they need you, but also they all need to take different journeys and roads to deal with the situation and come through that. Naturally, we’re all gutted for them.

“It’s like learning to walk again when you have that kind of injury. It’s a lot of sitting in front of the telly with ice on your leg and not really doing much. I think you do go into a place where you kind of self-sabotage and sit and mope around for a bit.

“Then, once you’re up and going again, that goal is just to get back on that pitch. It’s difficult times, but also that feeling of getting back, it’s what you need to do to get back.”

She added: “I think it does just make you resilient – if I look back and think about what I’ve gone through, and I’m still here fighting, you can come through a lot in football. It’s not just me, there’s other players who have had difficult times.

“It’s just that ‘never give up’ attitude really.”

Dujon Sterling insists he is bringing a “winning mentality” to Rangers as he teams up again with Michael Beale.

The 23-year-old defender officially joined the Light Blues from Chelsea on a four-year deal on July 1.

Sterling began his career at the Stamford Bridge club – where he was first coached by the Rangers boss – and had loans spells with Coventry, Wigan, Blackpool and Stoke.

The former England Under-20 player had “quite a few clubs” interested in signing him this summer but he opted to join Beale who is revamping the Gers squad.

Speaking before Rangers’ trip to Germany for a pre-season training camp, which he missed with a knock reportedly not deemed serious, Sterling said: “The first time I ever met him (Beale) I was about seven or eight. At Chelsea you start in development at six and you do that for two years then you join the academy at under-eight.

“He was head of south London – I am from north London – and he was dealing with the under-14s and I was under-13 and I used to play one (year) up with his boys’ age group.

“That’s when I first got coached by him.

“At Chelsea, everything was about winning. You couldn’t take second place. We always had to win and I feel it here as well. You need to win.

“None of my loans have been with winning teams. You have had to dig deep.

“So I have got that mentality, I have the winning mentality and it is now putting them both together to create something here to get the next trophy.”

Sterling, primarily a right-back but who can play on the left, will in the first instance battle with Rangers captain James Tavernier for a starting place but is not fazed by the prospect.

He said: “It is about competing together but I am not just tied down to one role.

“I can play many roles so I don’t fear Tav being the captain, it is about competition.

“You need competition all over the pitch, that’s how everyone will get better. No one slips up, that’s how you stay a winning team and you need that the whole season, plus there is more than one game per week.

“I like to prioritise on my defending. It is really important.

“A lot of defenders now, right-backs, left-backs, they get judged on their stats up the pitch but defensively they are not great.

“So I like to do my defending, win my one-to-one battles and when the chance arrives to go forward, do that and help the team but knowing that my team-mates and manager has trust in me to be able to defend.”

Jockey Dane O’Neill is expected to make a full recovery despite sustaining fractured vertebrae and ribs in a fall at Wolverhampton on Tuesday.

The veteran rider was taken to hospital after a fall from Eagle Eyed Tom in the opening race.

The gelding, trained by Charlie Hills, appeared to stumble and clip heels when leaving the stalls in the Sky Sports Racing Sky 415 Handicap, unseating him.

The race was abruptly stopped and voided, while O’Neill was attended to by paramedics on the track before being stretchered off and taken to hospital.

An update on the Facebook account of O’Neill’s wife Laura, read: “Following his fall at Wolverhampton, Dane was treated on the track before being transported by the racecourse ambulance to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

“He had a prompt assessment including scans where a fractured thoracic vertebra and some fractured ribs were discovered.

“Dane is likely to have surgery in the next few days and the expectation is he will make a full recovery after a period of rehabilitation.”

The post added: “Dane and his wife Laura would like to thank the medical staff for their care and are grateful for all the best wishes received from his friends and colleagues in racing.”

O’Neill is a key member of the Shadwell operation and racing manager Angus Gold was relieved about the prognosis.

He said: “That’s fantastic. That’s the only important bit – that he makes a full recovery.

“From our point of view, you hate to see that happen to anybody, but from a Shadwell perspective, he is a huge part of our operation.

“We are certainly going to notice his absence very strongly, but all that matters is that he gets better.

“We just wish him the speediest of recoveries and hope they operate soon, and get him back on track.

“As long as he’s all right, that’s all we care about – and we can’t wait to get him back as soon as he is mended.”

O’Neill has ridden 23 winners in Britain so far in 2023 and landed two Group One races at Meydan earlier this year, including Danyah in the Al Quoz Sprint on Dubai World Cup night.

“He is a massive part of the operation, not just on the racecourse, but he rides a lot of work, all around Lambourn for us in particular, and is hugely helpful to all of us,” Gold added.

“He has a good relationship with (head of Shadwell) Sheikha Hissa, and obviously she is very concerned about him. Hopefully, it will all go smoothly for him and we all send him our best wishes.”

Johnny Sexton faces a disciplinary hearing on Thursday that could see the outcome impact Ireland’s World Cup preparations.

The Ireland captain had a misconduct complaint lodged against him following his behaviour towards match officials in the wake of Leinster’s Heineken Champions Cup final defeat by La Rochelle on May 20.

Sexton did not play in the game at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium due to his continued recovery from a groin injury.

But he went on to the pitch after the match – Leinster lost 27-26 – and became involved in what appeared to be a heated exchange with South African referee Jaco Peyper and other match officials.

Tournament organiser European Professional Club Rugby submitted misconduct complaints against 37-year-old Sexton and Leinster following what it described as a “thorough fact-finding and careful review” of Sexton’s actions, and also Leinster for not exercising reasonable control over their player.

Sexton, who intends to retire after the World Cup in France later this year, will appear by video conference call before an independent disciplinary panel chaired by Christopher Quinlan KC.

Ireland’s opening World Cup warm-up match is against Italy on August 5, followed by appointments later that month with England and Samoa.

Their first World Cup game sees them tackle Romania in Bordeaux on September 9, so a suspension for Sexton has potential to affect his availability.

Announcing the disciplinary, EPCR said: “Misconduct complaints against the Leinster Rugby player, Johnny Sexton, and against Leinster Rugby, arising from the Heineken Champions Cup final on Saturday May 20 2023, have been lodged by EPCR.

“After thorough fact-finding and careful review of Johnny Sexton’s behaviour towards match officials after the match, in accordance with EPCR regulations, the EPCR disciplinary officer has submitted misconduct complaints so that an independent disciplinary panel can determine whether any misconduct has been committed by Mr Sexton (through his behaviour) and Leinster (through failing to exercise reasonable control over Mr Sexton).”

George Boughey will walk the track before deciding whether to let Via Sistina take her chance in the Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes at Newmarket on Friday.

The improving five-year-old broke her Group One duck last time out over 10 furlongs in the Pretty Polly at the Curragh.

She is due to drop back down to a mile on the July course but Boughey says there must be enough ease in the ground to enable her to show her best.

“We will work as if she is running but she needs the rain for her to run,” he said.

“The Falmouth has always been a plan for her as she does look very good on a straight track, but softer ground is key to her.

“There are lots of times she could run where she will get soft ground and we are not going to do anything that is not in the best interests of the horse.

“If it did rain, she will be very competitive. We will walk the track and if it is the same as Ireland last time I imagine she will take her chance, but if it is any faster she won’t.

“For her pedigree, if she was to win a Falmouth she would be pretty sexy.”

Via Sistina is one of nine declared for the one-mile Group One that headlines Friday’s action, with a stellar cast lining up on the July course.

Defending champion Prosperous Voyage is one of two for Ralph Beckett and is joined by Royal Ascot runner-up Remarquee, with the Coronation Stakes second making her first outing for new owners Wathnan Racing.

John and Thady Gosden are also double-handed as they saddle not only last year’s Prix de Diane winner Nashwa, but also the Juddmonte-owned Coppice.

The Sandringham scorer was partnered by Frankie Dettori when triumphing at the Royal meeting, but with the Italian serving a ban picked up at the summer’s big week, Tom Marquand picks up a rare Clarehaven ride and deputises aboard the progressive three-year-old.

Ed Walker’s Random Harvest is another to bring smart Royal Ascot form to the table, while Roger Varian’s Ameynah was last seen finishing sixth in last year’s 1000 Guineas and returns from 439-days off the track.

Pam Sly’s Astral Beau and Aidan O’Brien’s Never Ending Story complete the field.

Republic of Ireland manager Vera Pauw is perfecting the delicate balance between accepting her World Cup debutants’ underdog status and daring them to “outbelieve” they have what it takes to go deep.

The Girls in Green open their tournament on July 20 under perhaps the most difficult circumstances: facing co-hosts Australia in a match so popular advance ticket sales forced a venue change to Sydney’s 80,000-plus capacity – and now sold out – Stadium Australia.

To advance to the knockouts, Pauw’s side – ranked 22nd in the world – will need to finish second in a group that includes two top-10 teams in seventh-ranked Olympic champions Canada and the number-10 Matildas alongside Nigeria in 40th.

“Something proves only to be impossible the moment it shows to be impossible, and that is our slogan,” Pauw said at an open training session in front of Irish fans at Brisbane’s Meakin Park.

“We get everything out of ourselves, we prepare the best we can. We have a fantastic programme to prepare ourselves and we give our all. We give the best that we have at that moment.

“But in that we need to be realistic. It’s our first World Cup. We do not have as many players as others have, but we have a fantastic group with a heart for Ireland.

“That is immense. We stick together. We’re a team. We work for each other and we give ourselves for each other, and that is our biggest strength.”

The Dutch boss gave Republic fans an encouraging update, confirming her squad was fully fit including captain Katie McCabe, who gave supporters a scare when she tweaked her ankle in a friendly against France last week but has already fully participated in training.

The Arsenal player of the season and her team-mates have been adjusting to the significant time difference through regimented scheduling protocol, though they have avoided the light-altering sunglasses worn by England’s Lionesses.

Pauw said: “The doctor showed there is no evidence and we want to just keep things simple.

“We use the daylight as our guide, we go out of the hotel a lot, we have a lot of free time to be out and with our families and friends to get the sunshine in their eyes.

“This is why we are here, the jet-lag is part of it. You don’t have to be. You can be sitting at home with the feet on the couch watching a movie. Playing elite sport is a choice and that is comfortable at times and uncomfortable at times. We just need to get over it.”

Pauw was at all the World Cups from 1999-2015 as part of the technical study group, but reminded “now is the first time I’m along the sideline, so it’s  very special for all of us”.

The reality of a first World Cup is still in many ways still sinking in, but the support seems to be popping up at every turn since Pauw’s squad landed in Australia, where 80,927 Ireland-born people were recorded in the 2021 census and many more consider themselves to have Irish heritage.

Pauw added: “It feels especially real because we’ve met so many Irish people. The whole of Dublin was with our billboards and our slogan ‘outbelieve’.

“We do outbelieve. We do outbelieve we can do something. We know where we stand, we know that we are the underdogs, and it’s not playing but that is the case. We’re 22 in the world ranking list and we’re improving, but we know we have to be realistic and we will give our all.”

Anti-discrimination body Kick It Out received a 65.1 per cent rise in reports of discriminatory behaviour during the 2022-23 season – with reports of sexism and misogyny up 400 per cent.

Figures released by the organisation show 1,007 reports were made during the campaign from the grassroots and professional games and across social media, which Kick It Out puts down in part to an “increased awareness” of reporting procedures and fans becoming “less tolerant” of discriminatory behaviour.

Reports of online abuse rose by 279 per cent, with the organisation receiving 207 more reports related to online forums and social media than in the previous 12 months.

Racism was the most common form of discrimination, accounting for just under half (49.3 per cent) of all reports, while reports related to sexism and misogyny represented the largest rise in a specific discrimination type – up from 16 to 80.

Faith-based discrimination fell slightly due to a 29.5 per cent drop in the number of reports received of an antisemitic nature, but Islamophobia (300 per cent) and sectarian chanting in the professional game (15.8 per cent) were both up.

Discrimination reports in the professional game rose by 27.4 per cent to 484, which represents those received from the Premier League, English Football League and National League, domestic cups, European and international competition, Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship.

A statement from Kick It Out referred to the rise in reports as a “significant leap” that “highlights that discrimination is still a serious issue within the game”.

It added: “The record figures could also be attributed to an increased awareness of reporting procedures and fans becoming less tolerant of discriminatory behaviour.”

Racism continued to account for more than half of grassroots reports (50.8 per cent) and 43.4 per cent of overall grassroots incidents received were from under-18s or younger age-group games.

“Research conducted by Kick It Out suggests these numbers are the tip of the iceberg with many incidents still not reported,” the statement added.

Social media abuse comprised a much larger proportion of overall reports compared to previous years, making up 28 per cent of all reports received, up from 12.1 per cent last year.

Kick It Out chief executive Tony Burnett said: “The significant increase in reports across the game is alarming and strengthens our resolve to tackle discrimination in all areas of football.

“Behind each of these statistics is somebody who has sadly experienced discrimination, and supporting the victims of abuse remains Kick It Out’s utmost priority.

“While we continue to work tirelessly to Kick It Out, we call upon fans, clubs, leagues and governing bodies to help us with this cause, and we are encouraged that the number of reports per incident continues to increase, suggesting that people are becoming less tolerant of discriminatory behaviour and more likely to report abuse when they see it.

“Our figures provide a snapshot of what is happening across the game, but we still don’t know the full picture because clubs, leagues and governing bodies aren’t currently mandated to share their reporting data.

“This underscores why football urgently needs a centralised reporting mechanism to collate and monitor reports. Only once that happens can we understand the full extent of the problem within football and tackle it with the full force of the sport.”

German 1000 Guineas runner-up Stenton Glider could be on her travels again later this year as Hugo Palmer plots a course for America with the talented filly.

The three-year-old has thrice finished runner-up in four starts this term, taking the silver medal in the Fred Darling at Newbury and again in Dusseldorf, before achieving another second-place effort when collared late on by Mystic Pearl in Saturday’s Coral Distaff at Sandown.

She was also unplaced behind Mawj in the 1000 Guineas at Newmarket on her second start this term.

Palmer felt Andrea Atzeni’s mount was a little unfortunate not to add to her Chester novice win as a two-year-old on her latest run in the Listed mile contest.

He said: “She was unlucky in some regards. She fended the other two off, they softened her up, Bridestones (third) and Magical Sunset (seventh), but she is rated 10lb higher than Bridestones.

“She is a very genuine filly, she’s tough and she tries, but she is also one of those that just does enough.

“I think she was content in herself that she was just doing enough and William’s (Haggas) filly has just come wide and late, and done her without any chance to respond.

“It was difficult from that draw (10), as I don’t think Andrea could have done anything else, as if she’d had a tow into the race and been able to quicken off the heels of something, she might have gone on and been a little bit clear of them.”

Palmer has plenty of faith that the best is yet to come from the strapping daughter of Dandy Man, who will be handed entries at Ascot and Haydock.

“We will probably make an entry in the Valiant at Ascot (July 29), but we’d be more likely to go to the Dick Hern (Haydock, August 12). She is a very big filly and still filling her frame. I think she’ll be, with luck and a fair wind, a really nice four-year-old. She didn’t run until the back end last year and she is just growing and changing all the time.”

Palmer saddled Hawksmoor to finish third in the Grade One Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup at Keeneland in 2016 and thinks a return to the Kentucky track could be a good long-term fit for Stenton Glider.

“The priority will be to make her a stakes winner this year,” added the Cheshire handler. “I’ve always had it in the back of my mind if she could be good enough to go and warrant the trip, I’d love to take her to the QEII at Keeneland in October. I think American racing there would suit her really well.

“The priority is to make her a stakes winner now she is Listed, Group Two and Group Three placed.

“She is gorgeous and I think she will keep getting better. If she could win either the Dick Hern or the Valiant, then the Atalanta at Sandown (September 2) would be another possibility for her.”

Meanwhile Hackman, who was runner-up to the impressive Kylian in Friday’s Listed Dragon Stakes, will head to Goodwood.

Winner of a five-furlong Listed race at Chester in May, the Mehmas juvenile had little chance with the winner but has taken the race well.

Palmer said: “He is in really good order. He toughed it out to be second, but James (Doyle) has ridden him to be Listed-placed twice over that track at Sandown this year and he just said he feels like it’s a long way on him.

“So he is going to go to the Molecomb and hopefully maybe that very sharp five will play to his strengths.

“He’s not a superstar, but he is a well-above-average horse and can definitely win stakes races.”

Goodwood is also a possibility for Brad The Brief, who seems poised to miss the Group One Pertemps Network July Cup at Newmarket on Saturday in favour of the Listed Raymond & Kathleen Corbett Memorial City Plate at Chester.

“When I left him in, it looked likely there was going to be more rain, so I would say Brad The Brief is an unlikely runner in the July Cup,” said Palmer.

“But we got pretty wet up here, so I would say he’s pretty likely to run in the seven-furlong Listed race at Chester on Saturday.

“While he has never won over seven, he has always shaped like he could and if that went well, then the (Group Two) Lennox could easily be on his radar as well at Goodwood.”

West Brom have announced The Jeff Astle Foundation as their official charity partner for the 2023-24 season.

The Jeff Astle Foundation was launched to serve as a lasting legacy for former Baggies forward Astle, who died in 2002 aged 59 with early-onset dementia and had his verdict of death later recorded as being by industrial disease, owing to the repeated heading of a ball.

Set up by Astle’s family, The Jeff Astle Foundation continues to campaign for greater research into the impact of repetitive heading for footballers, raising awareness of brain injury in all forms of sport and offering much-needed support to those affected.

Astle scored 174 goals in 361 appearances for West Brom and netted the winner in their FA Cup triumph over Everton in 1968. A donation will be made to The Jeff Astle Foundation for every home shirt sold.

Albion managing director Mark Miles said: “We are delighted to be supporting The Jeff Astle Foundation for the coming season.

“The profile of the charity and its achievements to date are a direct consequence of one family’s dedicated quest to ensure the safety of everyone who plays the beautiful game.

“We wholeheartedly support the charity’s aim to raise awareness of brain injury in all forms of sport, including football, and hope the partnership helps further build the profile of their incredible work.”

Charity director Dawn Astle said: “We are honoured and overwhelmed to be named the club’s official charity partner for the 2023-24 season.

“Dad loved this club and its supporters and to have next season’s home kit dedicated to him and the charity instils our family with a pride that is difficult to comprehend.

“We are so, so thankful to the club for providing us with this opportunity to continue to celebrate dad’s legacy, raising awareness and funds for the charity in the process.

“As a family we have been fortunate enough to have been involved in the kit’s design and we are confident the club’s supporters will love it as much as we do.

“It’s a special kit for a really important cause, and every shirt sold will help us to continue our work with those affected by brain injuries in sport.”