General Sports 3d Briefing
×Rugby Union
Italy bbc.com secured a historic 13-6 victory over England in Rome, their first win against the Red Roses in 33 attempts. The result has sparked questions about England's leadership bbc.com both on and off the pitch, with former players and pundits debating whether this marks a turning point for Italian rugby or the beginning of the end for Steve Borthwick's tenure.
Scotland delivered a stunning performance to defeat France 32-25 at Murrayfield, with Darcy Graham bbc.com scoring an early try and Kyle Steyn bbc.com intercepting a pass from Antoine Dupont for a crucial second score. The victory keeps Scotland's Six Nations title hopes alive heading into the final round of fixtures.
Ireland 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 37-17 win over Italy in Treviso.
Basketball
Arkansas coach John Calipari celebrated his 900th career victory with an 88-84 overtime win over Missouri, while UConn's Danny Hurley espn.com was ejected in the final seconds as Marquette hung on for a 68-62 victory that prevented the fourth-ranked Huskies from winning a share of the Big East regular-season title.
Miami (Ohio) capped a perfect 31-0 season with a thrilling 110-108 overtime win over Ohio in the regular-season finale. Meanwhile, No. 5 Vanderbilt's NCAA tournament hopes took a significant hit with a 89-78 defeat to Ole Miss, which included head coach Shea Ralph espn.com being ejected for arguing with officials.
Football (Soccer)
Former world 100m champion Fred Kerley received a two-year ban for an anti-doping whereabouts violation. In tennis, Hungary's Panna Udvardy bbc.com revealed she received disturbing messages including a photo of a gun, warning her family would be harmed unless she lost a match.
Combat Sports
UFC 326 features a highly anticipated main event between Max Holloway bbc.com and Charles Oliveira for the BMF title. The card also includes a fascinating matchup between 21-year-old prodigy Raul Rosas Jr. espn.com and 38-year-old veteran Rob Font, representing a battle of youth versus experience.
In boxing, Francis Ngannou espn.com is a free agent after his release by the PFL, while an undisputed junior featherweight title clash between Naoya Inoue espn.com and Junto Nakatani is set for May 2 at the Tokyo Dome.
Winter Sports
The Milan-Cortina Winter Paralympics are underway, with Varvara Voronchikhina bbc.com winning Russia's first medal of the Games with downhill bronze. Great Britain's wheelchair curlers held their nerve to beat the United States in mixed doubles, keeping their semi-final hopes alive.
Britain's only female Paralympic snowboarder Nina Sparks bbc.com is competing in her first Games after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2021. Meanwhile, Iran bbc.com will not take part in the Winter Paralympics, with their sole athlete unable to travel safely to Italy.
Cricket
India reached the T20 World Cup final with a seven-run victory over England, despite Jacob Bethell bbc.com scoring a brilliant century off 45 balls. The 21-year-old's innings was described as "magnificent" but ultimately fell short as India defended their total successfully.
Former India players Rahul Dravid bbc.com and Ravichandran Ashwin are among the latest investors to acquire a franchise in the European T20 Premier League. England's women's training camp has been moved from the UAE to South Africa, with eight uncapped players set to travel.
Motorsport
The new Formula 1 season kicked off with controversy as drivers eviscerated the new cars following a painful debut in Australia. Lando Norris espn.com and his rivals raged at the driving experience, with questions mounting about whether there's a quick fix for the issues.
George Russell bbc.com knew his Mercedes was fast but was surprised by just how quick it proved in qualifying, while Lando Norris was left unhappy after describing the cars as the "worst" he's driven.
American Football
The Bills and center Connor McGovern espn.com have reached agreement on a four-year, $52 million deal, including $32 million guaranteed. Meanwhile, the Raiders are set to release quarterback Geno Smith espn.com, barring a trade, before the start of the new league year.
Other Sports
Tadej Pogacar won the Strade Bianche for a record fourth time, soloing to victory in the one-day classic. In netball, Eleanor Cardwell bbc.com said Manchester Thunder "concentrated on having fun" as they comfortably beat London Mavericks 69-59 in round two of the Netball Super League.
Former UConn basketball player Steve Emt espn.com discovered his immense skill in Paralympic curling after being paralyzed in a car accident at age. Now a three-time Paralympian, Emt's incredible journey from college basketball to wheelchair curling represents one of sport's most inspiring stories.
Victor Wembanyama bbc.com enjoyed "one of the best wins" of his career as he helped the San Antonio Spurs make a 25-point comeback against the Los Angeles Clippers. In Super League rugby, Wigan Warriors bbc.com ran in four tries in 14 minutes to overpower Toulouse Olympique and maintain their 100% winning start to the season.
Wakefield Trinity bbc.com battled to a hard-fought Super League win over injury-hit Hull FC, while Warrington Wolves bbc.com maintained their perfect start by holding off a spirited York Knights side in a high-scoring encounter.