General Sports 24-Hour Briefing
×Rugby Union
RFU is set to confirm a radical revamp for English rugby with the Premiership separating from the pyramid and scrapping promotion and relegation. Meanwhile, Welsh rugby faces a "step backwards" as the WRU chair warns that dropping to three teams is the only sustainable path forward. England suffered a blow with Alex Mitchell ruled out of the Six Nations with a hamstring injury.
Cricket
Aiden Markram powered South Africa to an emphatic nine-wicket T20 World Cup win over the West Indies with an unbeaten 82 off 46 balls. Co-hosts Sri Lanka exited the tournament after collapsing to a 61-run defeat by New Zealand, who earlier dismissed Pathum Nissanka for a golden duck with the first ball of the innings.
Basketball
The San Antonio Spurs extended their winning streak while closing the gap on Western Conference leaders Oklahoma City Thunder, who lost to the Detroit Pistons. In college basketball, UConn avenged a previous loss with a 72-40 blowout over St. John's, marking Rick Pitino's worst defeat as Red Storm coach.
Combat Sports
The UFC will spend up to $60 million on its White House event, according to TKO Group Holdings chief Mark Shapiro. Britain's Lone'er Kavanagh called facing former UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno in Mexico City a "legendary moment" in his career. In boxing, Daniel Dubois called his fight against world champion Fabio Wardley the biggest of his career so far, though he refused Wardley's fist bump at their news conference.
Soccer
PSG's title defense looked shaky as Luis Enrique's defending champions only just edged past Monaco. In snooker, Dennis Taylor paid an emotional tribute to legend John Virgo, who died aged. Mark Williams and Neil Robertson, both two-time champions, progressed to the third round of the Welsh Open with 4-1 wins.
Tennis
Katie Boulter reached the quarter-finals of the Merida Open in Mexico as Camila Osorio retired with injury, securing her seventh consecutive WTA win.
Track & Field
Jeff Galloway, a 1972 U.S. Olympic team member who pioneered the run-walk-run strategy, has died. His approach inspired both elite athletes and everyday runners for decades.
College Sports
Cincinnati is suing former quarterback Brendan Sorsby, alleging he breached his NIL contract by refusing to pay a $1 million exit fee after transferring to Texas Tech. Prosecutors rested their case against former Miami football player Rashaun Jones, accused of second-degree murder in the 2006 slaying of teammate Bryan Pata.
Winter Sports
American gold medalist Hilary Knight called President Trump's comment about the women's team "distasteful" but said she chooses to celebrate their accomplishments.
Miscellaneous
A deadly shooting during a youth hockey game in Rhode Island claimed a third victim, authorities said Wednesday. New Zealand's Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, the country's leading try-scorer, announced her retirement from international rugby for a second time. In darts, Beau Greaves made history as the first woman to hit a nine-darter on the PDC Pro Tour during her Players Championship 6 clash against Mensur Suljovic in Leicester.
The WWE Elimination Chamber in Chicago could book tickets to Wrestle Mania, while college football fans should circle key showdowns that will define the 2026 season for power-conference teams. NFL draft prospects are preparing for combine workouts, with experts predicting potential risers and speedsters to watch.