Castleford have pulled off a major coup in their battle for Betfred Super League survival by signing half-back Blake Austin from Leeds on loan for the rest of the season.
The 32-year-old has been one of the best performers for the Rhinos this season but there has been increasing unrest over his future with his current contract set to run out at the end of the current campaign.
The Rhinos were clearly caught off-guard by the news with head coach Rohan Smith calling it “a bit of a surprise”, while chief executive Gary Hetherington admitted the timing of the move was “not ideal”.
Castleford have been sucked into the relegation zone in recent weeks following a surge in form from rivals Wakefield, who hauled themselves level on points after last week’s thrashing of Warrington.
Tigers coach Andy Last said: “Blake is a very exciting player who is of a very high calibre, and we know what he can do when he’s at his best.
“We hope that he can come in and help us in our fight and be a point of difference.”
Austin was not signed in time to feature in Friday night’s match against Huddersfield, which means he is in line to make his make his debut the following week in the crucial relegation clash with Trinity.
Austin’s move comes as a clear blow for Leeds, who head into Friday’s clash with Leigh four points off a play-off place and with one of Austin’s potential replacements in the halves, Richie Myler, facing an extended spell on the sidelines due to injury.
Smith admitted: “It (Austin’s move) was a bit of a surprise to start with.
“I went to bed between 10.30pm and 11pm and when I started my walk in the morning, I turned my phone back on and had a message saying that it was likely a deal had been done with Cas.”
Vandeek looked an exciting prospect in confirming the promise of his successful racecourse debut with a comprehensive victory in the Markel Richmond Stakes at Goodwood.
Simon and Ed Crisford’s grey justified cramped odds on his introduction at Nottingham a fortnight ago and was the 11-8 favourite taking a swift step up to Group Two level, in a race that had seen the withdrawal of likely market leader Jasour.
Ridden with plenty of confidence by Andrea Atzeni, Vandeek was initially settled in behind the pacesetting Toca Madera before being switched to the far side of the track to throw down his challenge.
A smart change of gear propelled him clear of the chasing pack and he only needed to pushed out hands and heels in the closing stages to score by a comfortable length.
Atzeni said: “He looked pretty special when he won first time out at Nottingham.
“Obviously when you step up to this level, you never know how good you are until you try. He’s got a bit of a pedigree, he’s obviously improved since Nottingham and he showed today how good he is.
“He’s a very smart colt and I think he is a very good horse. He’s won at Group Two level now, he’s going to go up one way to Group One level and I can’t see why he wouldn’t be good enough.”
Vandeek looks set for an immediate tilt at Group One company in France later in the month.
“Nothing really took him into the race for as long as we would like today, he was in front too soon and he sorted of idled when he hit the front,” said Simon Crisford.
“I think there’s tons of improvement to come and I think we’ll head for the Prix Morny on August 19. Obviously that is dependent on Sheikh Khalid’s wishes, but he likes to be bold and brave and I’m sure he will want to go for the Group One.
“We don’t know how this form is going to stack up, the Prix Morny is going to be an altogether different kind of a race.
“Stamina-wise, he’s of out an Exceed And Excel mare, there’s tons of speed in his pedigree but he strikes us at home like he will go further. He’s big, scopey, he stands over a lot of daylight – he will stay.”
Ballymount Boy outran odds of 25-1 with an excellent effort to fill the runner-up spot, with Toca Madera five lengths further back in third.
Ballymount Boy’s trainer, Adrian Keatley, said: “He didn’t help himself early on – he was a bit slow away and slow to get into his stride, but he’s a fair horse and we were expecting that kind of run from him.
“We’ll see where we go with him next, but we might contemplate going seven furlongs.
“He’s a proper horse now, he’s a Group horse for sure, so onwards and upwards.”
The redoubtable Paddington has bounced out of his Qatar Sussex Stakes win in his usual remarkable shape.
Aidan O’Brien has been able to give European racing’s new breakout star a clean bill of health following a fourth successive Group One win.
From taking a handicap on his seasonal reappearance in April, his progress has been nothing short of staggering, adding a Listed race before his Irish 2,000 Guineas success.
Victories in the St James’s Palace Stakes and the Eclipse were subsequently secured before he dropped back down to a mile on Wednesday and proved very testing ground at Goodwood could not stop him.
He is likely to go back up in distance for the Juddmonte International at York next, but as ever, no final decision will be made until closer to the time.
“Everything seems fine with him after the race, absolutely fine,” said O’Brien.
“We’re going to decide over the next week to 10 days where next, but York has to be a possibility.
“He just seems to be thriving for his racing.”
If Paddington heads to York, he would again be bidding to emulate O’Brien’s former inmate Giant’s Causeway, who won the St James’s Palace, Eclipse, Sussex and Juddmonte International in 2000 prior to the Irish Champion Stakes.
Jack Crowley has been given the chance to stake his claim for Ireland’s fly-half role ahead of the World Cup after being selected to start Saturday’s Dublin clash with Italy.
The in-form 23-year-old is preferred to Ross Byrne and the uncapped Ciaran Frawley in the absence of suspended captain Johnny Sexton.
Crowley, who helped Munster win the United Rugby Championship in May, will be partnered by provincial team-mate Craig Casey in the half-back positions on the occasion of his fourth cap.
Frawley joins fellow potential debutants Tom Stewart and Calvin Nash among the replacements.
Head coach Andy Farrell has named an experimental XV for the first of the Six Nations champions’ three warm-up matches, with lock Iain Henderson taking on captaincy duties from Sexton.
Ulster’s Jacob Stockdale will end his two-year wait for an international appearance with an opportunity on the left wing, while veteran Keith Earls wins his first cap since last summer’s series success in New Zealand on the right.
Centre Robbie Henshaw and back-rowers Caelan Doris and Ryan Baird are the only players retained from the XV which began Ireland’s Grand Slam-clinching win over England in March.
The matchday squad is peppered with fringe players hoping to force their way into Farrell’s final 33-man selection for France.
Lock Joe McCarthy makes his first international start, joining Henderson in the second row, with prop Dave Kilcoyne packing down alongside Ulster pair Rob Herring and Tom O’Toole.
Jack Conan will begin at number eight for only the third time since the 2022 Six Nations, in between fellow Leinster men Doris and Baird.
Stuart McCloskey has been picked at inside centre, with Jimmy O’Brien selected at full-back as he seeks to provide competition for undisputed first choice Hugo Keenan.
Sexton, who will also miss the upcoming games against England and Samoa, was the sole member of Ireland’s 42-man squad unavailable for the Aviva Stadium encounter.
Crowley’s only previous start came in last autumn’s win over Australia when he stepped in at the 11th hour following the late withdrawal of Ireland’s 38-year-old skipper.
Byrne was the favoured deputy to Leinster team-mate Sexton during the Six Nations but must wait for his first action of the summer.
Experienced props Cian Healy and Tadhg Furlong, Munster lock Tadhg Beirne and rookie Connacht pair Cian Prendergast and Caolin Blade complete the bench.
Nostrum again bids to emulate the brilliant Baaeed in the Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes at Goodwood.
Sir Michael Stoute’s charge was considered a Classic contender at the start of the year after finishing third in last season’s Dewhurst, but a spring setback ruled him out of the 2000 Guineas, the Irish Guineas and Royal Ascot.
However, the Kingman colt blew his rivals away on his belated reappearance in the Sir Henry Cecil Stakes at Newmarket, a Listed contest won two years ago by Baaeed before he successfully stepped up to Group Three level in the Thoroughbred Stakes.
Like the William Haggas-trained superstar, who retired last term having won 10 of his 11 starts including six Group Ones, Nostrum had the option of stepping up to the highest level in Wednesday’s Sussex Stakes as a three-year-old – but his connections have also elected to take a smaller step.
“We’re all looking forward to it, he’s in good shape and Sir Michael is happy with him,” said Barry Mahon, European racing manager to owners Juddmonte.
“Of course we gave it (Sussex Stakes) consideration, but Michael rightly pointed out and the owners agreed, why go from second gear to fifth? Let’s go through the gears, we’re looking at longevity and we don’t want to kill the horse off with one run.
“We’ll bring him along gradually and there’s plenty of Group Ones later in the season.
“We’re all thinking about stallions and commerciality, but it didn’t do him (Baaeed) any harm. He got to where he needed to get and if we can get there, we’ll be happy.”
Nostrum will be a warm order in the hands of Ryan Moore, but Mahon is taking nothing for granted.
He added: “It’s a good, solid Group Three, hopefully it’s another stepping-stone and it will be nice to see him back on the track.
“Ground-wise I don’t think we’re too concerned – a bit of cut in the ground will be fine for him.”
Chief among Nostrum’s rivals is Docklands, who completed his hat-trick in the Britannia Stakes at Royal Ascot and is now given his Pattern-race debut by trainer Harry Eustace.
The three-year-old carries the colours of Australian-based syndicate OTI Racing and will be making a trip to the southern hemisphere before the year is out.
“He won the biggest handicap for the owners this year and this will teach us a lot about him from their point of view and his targets down in Australia, whenever they may be,” said the Newmarket handler.
“He won on soft ground at Ascot in May and good to firm at the Royal meeting. It’s a big positive that, I don’t have to worry about it frankly.”
John and Thady Gosden bring the high-class Epictetus back in trip, while Jessica Harrington sends Bold Discovery across the Irish Sea following a recent Listed triumph at the Curragh.
Simon and Ed Crisford saddle an interesting contender in Knight, who has been gelded since being withdrawn by the starter prior to the French 2000 Guineas.
He had previously disappointed when well fancied for the Greenham Stakes at Newbury in April off the back of an unbeaten juvenile campaign.
Ed Crisford said: “He is gelded now after France. He has had some time off and has been doing really well since then.
“We have done a lot of stalls work with him and we hope that on Friday he can take everything in his stride and run a decent race.
“It is a bit of a comeback mission. We need to see him run before making a proper judgement on what we do next with him. It is going to be a case of seeing how he reacts.
“We have done a lot of work with him at home. Hopefully that will pay off and hopefully he can run a decent race. There are plenty of targets throughout the summer and into the autumn.”
Galeron (Charlie Hills) and Montesilvano (Joseph O’Brien) complete the field.
The other Group Three on Friday’s card is the L’Ormarins King’s Plate Glorious Stakes, in which Haggas saddles both the hot favourite Hamish and Candleford.
Having sidestepped a red-hot renewal of the King George at Ascot on Saturday on account of unsuitable ground, Hamish bids for a sixth win at Group Three level, while stablemate Candleford finished third in Goodwood’s Tapster Stakes on his only previous outing this year.
The Gosden-trained Mimikyu is fitted with cheekpieces for the first time after placed efforts at York and Haydock, while Norwegian raider Hard One To Please adds international interest.
Little Big Bear has been supplemented for Sunday’s Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville.
Last year’s champion juvenile has not quite had things go his own way this season, coming home lame when last in the 2000 Guineas on his return to action.
Trainer Aidan O’Brien once again demonstrated his skill by getting him back on track at Haydock to win the Sandy Lane subsequently.
That set him up for a trip to Royal Ascot and the Commonwealth Cup and everything appeared to be going to plan until the remarkable Shaquille, who had been left at the stalls, flashed by him late on.
More recently his participation in the July Cup had been in some doubt due to a minor setback and while he did make the race, he was eased home in last place after being short of room two furlongs out.
Now he will travel to France for a race in which there are 13 still in contention, including the likes of Khaadem, Art Power, Rohaan and Cold Case.
O’Brien said: “We’ve supplemented him and he seems in good form.
“We’ll decide finally a little bit closer to the weekend, but the plan at the moment is to run.
“The ground is testing over there at the moment, but it can dry up.
“He’d had the problem before Newmarket but since then he has been fine, no problems.”
If ever Jamaica’s Sunshine Girls required a performance to add impetus to their charge of securing an historic Vitality Netball World Cup gold medal, it came in their historic 59-48 win over reigning champions New Zealand in their top Pool G clash at the Cape Town International Convention Centre in South Africa, on Thursday.
Captain Jhaniele Fowler shot a perfect 49 goals from 49 attempts and the defence produced one of its most consistent showings where applying pressure is concerned, as the number four-ranked Sunshine Girls topped their number two-ranked opponents for the first time ever on this stage.
Goal attack Shanice Beckford chipped in with nine goals from 10 attempts and Romelda Aiken-George the other goal from three attempts.
Maia Wilson led New Zealand with 31 goals from 33 attempts.
The Jamaicans, who extended their rich vein of form with this, their sixth-straight win at the tournament, will now have a day to rest and recover for their semi-final date with world number one-ranked Australia on Saturday. The Australians had earlier suffered a nail-biting final minute 55-56 loss to number three-ranked England, in their top Pool F clash.
Meanwhile, New Zealand’s title defence seems in jeopardy, as they will have to wait on the result of South Africa's match against Uganda, to see if they are through to face England in the other semi-final.
Fowler lauded her teammates for their execution of the game plan, for the most parts.
“Kudos to my team, we went out there and did what we had to do, and it all came together in the end. We knew it was going to be tough, but we played hard and more importantly, maintained our focus and it showed in the fact that we remained consistent and disciplined which is what we were aiming for, so I am very pleased,” Fowler said in a post-game interview.
Having never beaten New Zealand on the World Cup stage previously, the Sunshine Girls drew inspiration from last year’s Commonwealth Games meeting when they drubbed the Silver Ferns 67-51 on their way to an historic silver medal.
Though they have proven strong side when they get their full squad together, the Jamaicans had their shakiest start of the tournament on this occasion, but eventually found their flow and got going.
Of the two sides, Jamaica looked far more comfortable on attack in the first quarter, as they found the imposing presence of Fowler with consummate ease in the shooting circle.
The Silver Ferns, on the other hand, were made to battle for every pass and struggled to find any sense of flow in possession. That pressure resulted in them conceding multiple offensive fouls and, ultimately, a four-goal deficit on the scoreboard at 15-11.
This was the first opening quarter New Zealand lost in the tournament, but they again found the going tough in the second quarter.
Jamaica immediately shut down the Silver Ferns attack, as they delayed the passes to get the ball into the shooting circle. Once there, Ameliaranne Ekenasio's shot first up, was blocked and rebounded superbly by Shamera Sterling.
In fact, both teams defence proved too good to get past and forced multiple turnovers and missed shots in what was a messy period that New Zealand emerged strong from to quickly wipe out the four-goal gap.
From there, they evenly matched strides goal-for-goal, as both sides found their shooters with more ease.
But, as the second quarter seemed poised to end in a deadlock, especially after Jamaica lost Sterling to injury and a possible warning, the Sunshine Girls produced a late charge with two quick steals and passes to Fowler, who made no mistakes.
While New Zealand won the quarter 12-11, the Jamaicans maintained the ascendancy at half time, with a three-goal lead at 26-23.
Both sides were able to score more freely in the third quarter and Jamaica did well to open a five-goal lead at one point. But, unforced errors at the backend, allowed New Zealand to again close within two at 41-39, as they again outscored the Jamaicans 16-15 in that quarter.
However, any hopes the Silver Ferns harboured of finishing tops were dashed, as it appears the Jamaicans saved their best for the last quarter.
They applied consistent pressure in defence and mid-court, and that, coupled with quick passes into the shooting circle, allowed Fowler to score at will and open a 10-point gap, which was the Jamaicans biggest lead of the game.
At the end, they romped the quarter 18-9 and with it came the 11-goal win that solidifies their status as a gold-medal favourite. The last of their three bronze medals at this tournament, came in 2007.
John Quinn is confident ground conditions will not be a problem for his triple Group One-winning mare Highfield Princess when she bids to get back to winning ways in the King George Qatar Stakes at Goodwood on Friday.
Expertly handled by the North Yorkshire-based Quinn, she has had a fairytale career, rising through the grades from a 57-rated handicapper to win three top-class sprints last summer. She was also narrowly beaten at the Breeders’ Cup in Keeneland.
A half-length runner-up on her York reappearance, she was then turned out twice in four days at Royal Ascot, narrowly beaten in the King’s Stand and placed again in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.
She drops back a furlong now, with Quinn optimistic she can make the most of what appears a gilt-edged opportunity.
“We’re happy with her,” said the Malton-based trainer. “Who knows what the ground will be like on Friday, but the ground will be fine – she has won on soft ground before.
“She is in good form and we’re very hopeful. I’m not worried about the draw – it is other horses I worry about!
“You wouldn’t know where they’ll be racing come Friday, but straight line, she’ll be fine.”
Karl Burke saddles both Silky Wilkie, who was runner-up to the reopposing Nymphadora in York’s City Walls, and White Lavender, a short-neck runner-up in the Prix de l’Abbaye at ParisLongchamp in October.
Burke said: “It is a bit of a punt with Silky Wilkie. He has done nothing but surprise us and impress us all the way through his career, really.
“We never expected him to get to these heights, but he deserves his chance now in these black type races.
“It is certainly a big step up for him, but he won’t mind the ground, he’ll like the track and with the ground being so soft, it might not suit some of the others. The draw in stall seven is good.”
White Lavender returned to France to take a Group Three in May, but was a little too keen on her last run in the Sapphire Stakes at the Curragh.
Burke added: “White Lavender is obviously a high-class sprinter and she’s proven herself in the Abbaye.
“She disappointed herself in Ireland, but she ended up making the running, which wasn’t the plan with her – she has to have a bit of cover and come late.
“Maybe I sent her to Ireland a bit too fresh and she took off with Chris Hayes, and she never finishes her races when she runs like that.
“You can put a line through that run. She seems in good form and she’ll love the ground.”
Charlie Hills has won this race five times in the last six seasons, four times with Battaash (2017-2020) and last season with Khaadem.
He saddles both the hat-trick-seeking Equality, who landed the Coral Charge at Sandown when last seen, and Equilateral, who was a decent fifth to Bradsell in the Group One King’s Stand at Royal Ascot on his last run.
Makarova was a length and a half behind Equality at Sandown and Ed Walker, whose string is in fine form, feels the four-year-old Acclamation filly has plenty to offer now that she is becoming accustomed to running over the minimum trip.
He said: “I’m actually super-excited about this race – she is bouncing. Since dropping back to five (furlongs) she has improved. She is really learning to be a five-furlong sprinter now.
“Last time she really jumped and travelled, where in her previous couple of runs over five, she had slightly been outpaced.
“Prior to Sandown, I would have been a bit worried that this race might have had a bit too much early speed for her, but I think she showed at Sandown she’s got bags of boot.
“She won’t mind the ground at all, but drawn in four isn’t great. That won’t help. It is not ideal.”
Great Britain’s defence of their men’s team pursuit world title ended in a crash in qualifying at the UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow on Thursday morning.
Charlie Tanfield slipped coming out of the final corner at the Sir Chris Hoy velodrome, and with Britain already down to three riders at that point they did not set an official time and went out of the competition.
Britain had been on course for the second fastest qualifying time behind Denmark and a ticket to the medal rounds prior to the incident.
Tanfield had come into the line up as a replacement for Ethan Hayter, who is out of these championships having been unable to recover from a broken collarbone in time, and had been struggling to hold the wheel of Dan Bigham and Ethan Vernon as they upped the pace in the finale.
As he fought to catch back up Tanfield, part of the GB squad that won the team pursuit world title in 2018, dropped his front wheel onto the blue band at the bottom of the track and lost control.
The 26-year-old received medical treatment on the track for several minutes before being able to walk off unassisted.
Marcus Smith has been given the opportunity to play his way into England’s World Cup squad after being picked at fly-half for Saturday’s clash with Wales in Cardiff.
Smith is preferred for the first of four Summer Nations Series matches ahead of Owen Farrell and George Ford, both of whom started the Gallagher Premiership final on May 27.
Steve Borthwick names his World Cup squad on Monday and, with Smith thought to be behind Farrell and Ford in the pecking order, he has the platform at the Principality Stadium to convince his head coach that a third fly-half should be taken to France.
Danny Care joins the 24-year-old at half-back and the side is littered with fringe contenders for the final 33-man group – with no players from Premiership finalists Saracens and Sale present in the starting XV.
Ellis Genge captains the team but, apart from Care, it is an inexperienced line-up that sees fast-rising Northampton flanker Tom Pearson make his debut at openside.
Dane O’Neill is making progress from injuries sustained in a fall at Wolverhampton earlier this month, but looks set to miss the rest of the domestic season.
The veteran rider was unshipped from the Charlie Hills-trained Eagle Eyed Tom in the extended nine-furlong Sky Sports Racing Sky 415 Handicap on July 11, just after the stalls had opened.
The race was abruptly halted and voided, while O’Neill was attended to by paramedics on the track before being stretchered off and taken to Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Shadwell’s number two rider suffered a fractured thoracic vertebra and broken ribs, and is “frustrated” according to Angus Gold, racing manager for Sheikha Hissa’s powerful racing and breeding operation.
O’Neill’s misfortune has been exacerbated by Shadwell’s number one rider Jim Crowley incurring a 20-day ban for overuse of the whip aboard Hukum, when winning a thrilling King George VI And Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on Saturday.
Crowley will be ruled out of the Juddmonte International at York in a fortnight’s time and with O’Neill sidelined, the plum ride on the John and Thady Gosden-trained Mostahdaf is now up for grabs.
Gold said: “Mostahdaf, as far as I know, is well, although I haven’t spoken to John yet. We’ll get Goodwood out of the way first.”
Asked if either Frankie Dettori or William Buick may be considered for the ride, Gold added: “I’m not being perverse, but I’ve not even mentioned the subject. Obviously those are two possibilities, but we have literally not had a chat about it.”
O’Neill is on the mend, but he is not likely to return to the saddle in the immediate future.
Gold added: “Dane is mending. I spoke to him on Tuesday. It is frustrating, it’s a long process. Seven ribs (broken), he’s obviously very uncomfortable, poor man.
“Obviously, A – there’s the physical side and then, B – it is fantastically frustrating for him, when the whole point of being second jockey, when the first jockey is hurt or suspended, you want to make the most of the opportunity.
“But the poor fellow is not going to be able to be in a position to capitalise on it. It is very frustrating.
“I doubt he will be riding again this season. I haven’t asked him the question.
“It is the beginning of August and it is going to be another month mending them. I don’t know. He might be able to ride in early October, but that’s when he heads off to Dubai normally. I doubt he will be back here (this season).”
England coach Shaun Wane has welcomed a revised international rugby league calendar that confirms a 2026 World Cup as well as committing to the return of regular Ashes tours from 2025.
The International Rugby League said the next tournament will take place in the southern hemisphere following two rival bids, each backed by government guarantees, which are presumed to be from Australia and New Zealand.
The tournament had been due to take place in France in 2025 but the prospective hosts pulled out in May citing financial reasons, leaving the immediate future of the tournament, which had been staged successfully in England last year, in jeopardy.
The IRL also indicated that the sport’s Australian power-brokers have agreed to the return of regular Ashes tours, starting with both England men’s and women’s teams heading Down Under in 2025.
Wane said: “I was brought up on Ashes tours so the chance to coach on that makes myself and my family immensely proud.
“I’m so glad we’ve gone forward with the international rugby league calendar. It’s such a strong message to everyone in the game and I think it’s a real shot in the arm.
“Even though we didn’t succeed in the World Cup, the tournament over here and the success of Super League since the World Cup just shows the need for a strong international game.”
From 2026, the men’s World Cup will be reduced from 16 to 10 teams, while both the women’s and wheelchair World Cups will continue to feature eight teams each. The women’s event will revert to a stand-alone competition from 2028.
IRL chairman Troy Grant said: “The IRL board has made these decisions to create more compelling content and secure the financial future of the international game.
“The cancellation of France 2025 has given us an opportunity to refresh the structure of the World Cup and associated tournaments as part of a long-term international calendar that all in the game have been desperately seeking.”
Previous attempts to pin down an international calendar have stalled, partly due to the Covid-19 pandemic, plus perceived resistance within Australia’s NRL.
However, England will face Tonga in a three-Test series in October, and Grant indicated that agreements have been reached for New Zealand and Australia to travel to face England men’s and women’s teams in 2027 and 2028 respectively.
Despite initial interest from Qatar and another country in the Middle East, assumed to be Saudi Arabia, a return of the World Cup to the southern hemisphere appeared inevitable after the French withdrawal.
Grant added: “We will have an expedited bid process and the host will be identified before the year’s end, once the board has completed its due diligence of those bids.”
England erased an eight-point deficit to claim their first Netball World Cup win over Australia at the 14th attempt and secure top spot in Group A in Cape Town.
Jess Thirlby’s side stormed back towards the end of the third quarter and Fran Williams’ crucial interception in the dying seconds earned an historic 56-55 win.
Both teams had already secured progression from the group stage into the last four but their win means England will potentially avoid a more daunting path to the final.
Thirlby told BBC Sport: “It’s a massively important moment for this group because it adds to our confidence bank, but we know it means nothing if we can’t follow it up.
“I think it’s the fact we were eight down and then to be pushed in the last 15 minutes and still come out on top, I don’t think you can under-estimate mentally what that tells you about where this group is at.”
England were set to find out the identity of their semi-final opponents later on Thursday, with holders New Zealand facing potential elimination in their last group match against favourites Jamaica.
The next Rugby League World Cup will take place in the southern hemisphere in 2026, the sport’s international governing body has announced.
The tournament had been due to take place in France in 2025 but the prospective hosts pulled out in May citing a failure to achieve financial guarantees.
In addition, the IRL announced a resumption of the Ashes series with England’s men’s and women’s teams travelling to Australia in 2025, and return visits from New Zealand and Australia in 2027 and 2028 respectively.
The International Rugby League (IRL) said a precise decision on the hosting rights for the next World Cup will be announced later this year.
The revised tournament will feature a reduced field of 10 men’s teams, as well as eight-team women’s and wheelchair World Cups respectively.
IRL chairman Troy Grant said the organisation has received two separate bids to host the new tournament, presumed to be from Australia and New Zealand, which will be backed by government guarantees.
Grant said: “We will have an expedited bid process and the host will be identified before the year’s end, once the board has completed its due diligence of those bids.”
Lizzie Armitstead and Geraint Thomas won gold in their respective road races on the final day of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, on this day in 2014.
Armitstead – now Lizzie Deignan – led an England one-two ahead of retiring team-mate Emma Pooley in an exciting women’s race.
Pooley, in her last race before switching to endurance triathlons, played a brilliant selfless role in the 98-kilometres event – seven laps of a 14km undulating course – and finished with silver as 25-year-old Armitstead triumphed.
“I just feel like I deserve it,” said the Otley rider, who claimed silver behind Australia’s Rochelle Gilmore in Delhi four years ago and secured Britain’s first medal of London 2012 – with Olympic silver – behind Marianne Vos of Holland.
“I’ve trained so hard. I’m always on the podium, I don’t win that many races.
“It’s just a confidence thing. Once you’ve got a big title, you can call yourself a champion finally.”
England finished top of the medal table with 174, 58 of them gold.
Thomas won gold for Wales in the men’s discipline, triumphing in torrential rain in a race which became about survival and brute strength.
The 28-year-old from Cardiff, fresh from finishing the Tour de France a week earlier, twice suffered front-wheel punctures, including in the last six kilometres as his rivals neared.
But Thomas soloed to victory by one minute 21 seconds as Jack Bauer of New Zealand beat England’s Scott Thwaites to silver, the Yorkshireman having to settle for bronze.
“Riding the Tour before, it just adds to how good it feels to come away with two medals. I really didn’t expect it,” said Thomas, who also took bronze in the road time-trial.
“I was coming purely out of national pride and wanting to ride for Wales. I never really expected to medal, if I’m honest.
“To come away with a win and a bronze is more than I could’ve dreamt of.”
Gerrit Cole outpitched Shane McClanahan in matchup of All-Star aces, and Giancarlo Stanton drove in four runs as the New York Yankees avoided a sweep with a 7-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday.
Cole allowed a two-run homer to Wander Franco in the first inning but settled down to allow those two runs and four hits over seven innings. He struck out eight, walked two and improved to 6-0 after a Yankees loss this season.
New York sent eight batters to the plate and scored five times off McClanahan in the third inning as the left-hander was denied his 12th win.
Harrison Bader led off with a double and Anthony Volpe followed with his 14th home run. Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Gleyber Torres singled before Stanton launched his 15th homer to right-centre for a 5-2 lead.
Stanton added a run-scoring single in the seventh and the Yankees won for just the eighth time in 22 games since July 4.
Tampa Bay had a three-game winning streak snapped but remained 1 ½ games behind AL East-leading Baltimore.
Happ homers twice in another big offensive showing for Cubs
Ian Happ went deep twice and and Jeimer Candelario was 4 for 4 in the Chicago Cubs’ 16-6 rout of the Cincinnati Reds.
Christopher Morel, Dansby Swanson and Seiya Suzuki homered as Chicago beat up on the Reds for the second straight night. The Cubs won 20-9 on Tuesday and the 36 runs are their most in any two-game span since 1897.
Joey Votto hit two home runs for the first-place Reds, who matched a season high with four errors.
Braves hit 3 more homers in win
Ronald Acuna Jr., Austin Riley and Matt Olson homered off Lucas Giolito and the Atlanta Braves rolled to a 12-5 win over the Los Angeles Angels.
Acuna belted a three-run shot off Giolito in the third inning, then Riley and Olson went back to back in the fourth to cap a six-run outburst that ended the day for the Angels’ starter.
Giolito matched his career high with nine runs allowed in 3 2/3 innings in his second start with the Angels since he was acquired from the White Sox.
Atlanta has a major league-leading 206 home runs and is on pace for 315m, which would best the major league record of 307 set by the 2019 Minnesota Twins.
Andy Murray was triumphant in his first match since last month’s Wimbledon second-round exit and in the process exercised some demons in Washington.
Murray lost in the last-64 at the All England Club to Stefanos Tsitispas on July 6 but was back on court four weeks later to step up his US Open preparations and defeated Brandon Nakashima in straight-sets.
World number 44 Murray was in action at a familiar stomping ground and was able to clinch a first victory at the Citi Open since his tearful appearance there in 2018.
Five years ago after victory against Marius Copil, a tearful Murray hobbled off court and had to withdraw from a scheduled quarter-final showing with Alex de Minaur due to exhaustion.
Murray’s troublesome hip injury plagued him in Washington in 2018 and he would subsequently have hip resurfacing surgery that would rescue his career months later.
The two-time Wimbledon champion lost in the first round of the Citi Open to Mikael Ymer last year, but was able to finally return to winning ways at the tournament with a 7-6 (5) 6-4 victory over Nakashima in the last-32.
Fellow Briton Dan Evans joined his compatriot in tasting victory in Washington.
Evans fought back from a set down to beat Gregoire Barrere to book his place in the next round.
The 33-year-old won a narrow contest 2-6 6-0 6-3 to end a run of three defeats after first round losses at Queen’s Club, Wimbledon and Atlanta during the past two months.
Liam Broady was unable to replicate Murray and Broady’s success after he was defeated 6-4 6-2 by Tallon Griekspoor.
Corey Seager's sprained right thumb healed even faster than the Texas Rangers had anticipated.
The Rangers activated Seager from the 10-day injured list Wednesday ahead of their game against the Chicago White Sox.
Just earlier in the day, Rangers general manager Chris Young told reporters that the All-Star shortstop had a chance to come off the IL later this week.
Turns out, it was just a few hours later he would be back in the Rangers' lineup.
Seager was placed on the IL on July 22, a day after he jammed his hand on an awkward head-first slide to beat out a double in the eighth inning of the Rangers' 11-5 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
X-rays after the game were negative, and an MRI revealed no structural damage.
The Rangers went 3-6 with Seager on the IL, and entered play Wednesday, one-half game ahead of the Houston Astros for first place in the AL West.
This ended up being Seager's second trip to the IL this season after he missed 31 games from mid-April to mid-May with a left hamstring strain.
Seager is hitting .350, which would be good enough to lead the American League in batting, but he doesn't have enough plate appearances to qualify because of his earlier trip to the IL.
Prior to exiting the July 21 game, Seager hit his 15th homer of the season and team-leading 29th double - tied for third most in the AL.
Seager, who was selected to his fourth All-Star game earlier this year, is in the second season of a $325million, 10-year deal with the Rangers.
The Toronto Blue Jays placed star shortstop Bo Bichette on the 10-day injured list Wednesday, two days after the American League's current batting leader injured his right knee against the Baltimore Orioles.
Bichette underwent tests Tuesday that revealed no structural damage and the 2023 All-Star has been diagnosed with patellar tendinitis.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider told reporters Wednesday that the team does not anticipate a lengthy absence for Bichette, who's batting .321 this season and ranks second in the major leagues with 144 hits. Schneider said it's too early to tell, however, whether the 25-year-old can return when first eligible on Aug. 11.
“The quicker we can get Bo back the better, obviously,” Schneider told MLB.com. "But we’ve got to see how he goes with each day, with each treatment, with each activity.”
Bichette exited Monday's 4-2 loss to Baltimore in the third inning after his right knee buckled as he rounded first base after reaching on a single. He was able to walk off the field under his own power but was noticeably limping and grimacing.
The injury prompted the Blue Jays to acquire veteran infielder Paul DeJong from the St. Louis Cardinals at Tuesday's trade deadline. DeJong will make his Toronto debut in Wednesday's series finale against the Orioles.
DeJong has produced 13 home runs and 32 RBIs along with a .233 average in 81 games this season. The seven-year veteran was an All-Star with the Cardinals in 2019 and finished that season with career highs of 30 homers and 78 RBIs.
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