General Sports 3d Briefing
×Rugby Union
England bbc.com suffered another Six Nations defeat against Italy, raising serious questions about their direction 18 months from the Rugby World Cup. Meanwhile, Scotland bbc.com delivered a stunning seven-try victory over France at Murrayfield, annihilating French Grand Slam dreams and opening up the championship race. Ireland bbc.com kept their slim Six Nations hopes alive with a bonus-point victory over Wales in Dublin, while England's Under-20 team bbc.com saw their title hopes end despite a five-try win over Italy.
Golf
Rory McIlroy espn.com withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational due to back spasms before the third round, following a similar withdrawal reported by BBC Sport bbc.com. In LIV Golf news, Thomas Detry espn.com shared the lead with Jon Rahm after travel complications from Middle East attacks on Iran, with Rahm arranging flights for stranded players.
College Basketball
Miami (Ohio) espn.com capped a perfect 31-0 season with an overtime win over Ohio, becoming the only unbeaten team in Division I men's basketball. Vanderbilt's espn.com slim NCAA tournament hopes all but ended with a quarterfinal loss to Ole Miss, which included head coach Shea Ralph's ejection. In Iowa high school basketball, Dallas Center-Grimes' Ava Smid espn.com scored six points in the final 14 seconds to clinch a state championship berth.
Tennis
Former world 100m champion Fred Kerley bbc.com received a two-year ban for an anti-doping whereabouts violation. Hungary's Panna Udvardy bbc.com reported receiving disturbing threats including a photo of a gun, warning her family would be harmed unless she lost a match. The tennis world faced criticism for holding tournaments in the UAE amid Iranian attacks, with one player still stranded there bbc.com.
Football (Soccer)
Inter Miami bbc.com and Lionel Messi visited the White House to celebrate their MLS Cup victory. Newcastle United bbc.com manager Eddie Howe faces selection dilemmas ahead of crucial fixtures. In the NFL, the Raiders espn.com are set to release veteran quarterback Geno Smith, while Kyler Murray's espn.com free agency presents unique challenges this offseason.
Combat Sports
Francis Ngannou espn.com is a free agent after the PFL released him, having competed in both MMA and boxing. Naoya Inoue espn.com and Junto Nakatani are set for a mega-bout on May 2 in Tokyo for Inoue's undisputed junior featherweight title. Australia's Jai Opetaia bbc.com will lose his IBF cruiserweight title if he proceeds with a Zuffa Boxing debut against Brandon Glanton.
Winter Paralympics
Russia's Varvara Voronchikhina bbc.com won her nation's first medal at the Milan-Cortina Games with downhill bronze. Great Britain's wheelchair curlers bbc.com lost their opener to Estonia but later held their nerve to beat the USA. Iran bbc.com will not compete at the Winter Paralympics as their sole athlete cannot travel safely to Italy. Nina Sparks bbc.com became Great Britain's first female Paralympic snowboarder after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2021.
Motorsport
F1's new cars espn.com failed to deliver on their debut, with drivers like Lando Norris raging at the driving experience. George Russell bbc.com was surprised by how quick his Mercedes proved in Australian Grand Prix qualifying, while Norris expressed unhappiness with the "worst cars." Lewis Hamilton bbc.com continues pushing for an African grand prix before his retirement.
Other Sports
Thomas Detry and Jon Rahm shared the LIV Golf lead in Hong Kong after travel disruptions. Tadej Pogacar bbc.com won the Strade Bianche for a record fourth time with a solo victory. Victor Wembanyama bbc.com helped the San Antonio Spurs make a 25-point comeback against the Los Angeles Clippers. Alyssa Healy bbc.com made just 13 in her final Test match as Australia edged India on day one in Perth.
Coaching & Administration
St. Bonaventure's Mark Schmidt espn.com is expected to retire after this season, holding the program's all-time wins record. President Trump espn.com announced plans for an "all-encompassing" college sports executive order within a week. Lou Holtz espn.com, the Notre Dame national championship-winning coach, died at age.
Player News
WNBA star Caitlin Clark espn.com is set for her Team USA debut in next week's FIBA World Cup qualifier. Dallas Wings' Arike Ogunbowale espn.com was arrested and charged with misdemeanor battery in Miami. Suns forward Dillon Brooks espn.com was arrested on suspicion of DUI in Scottsdale, Arizona. UFC's Tom Aspinall bbc.com signed with Eddie Hearn after seeing Conor Benn's reported £11m deal with Zuffa Boxing.