General Sports 3d Briefing
×Golf & Combat Sports
Jon Rahm espn.com captured his first individual LIV Golf title since 2024 at Hong Kong, calling the win a "weight off my shoulders." Thomas Detry espn.com benefited from Rahm's assistance, as the Spaniard arranged travel for multiple LIV players stranded in the Middle East, allowing them to compete. In the octagon, Charles Oliveira bbc.com dominated Max Holloway to win the BMF title at UFC, a result that sparked debate about the bout's entertainment value. Dana White espn.com confirmed both Jon Jones and Conor McGregor were excluded from the planned White House card, stating Jones was "never ever" in his mind for a fight. The UFC president later announced Ilia Topuria espn.com will face Justin Gaethje for the lightweight title at the June White House event, with Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane fighting for the interim heavyweight belt.
Rugby Union
Scotland bbc.com delivered a historic performance to keep their Six Nations title hopes alive, defeating France 33-14 at Murrayfield. Darcy Graham bbc.com opened the scoring early, and Kyle Steyn bbc.com sealed the win with a second try from an Antoine Dupont interception. Fly-half Finn Russell bbc.com earned praise for a "brave and brilliant" display, strengthening his case as one of Scotland's greatest. The result sets up a potential championship decider, with France bbc.com now needing to avoid defeat on the final day. Ireland responded by beating Wales 31-7 in Dublin, a victory that kept their own slim title hopes alive. Ireland captain Caelan Doris bbc.com insisted the team is "nowhere near" its full potential despite the record away win over England. Wales coach Warren Gatland bbc.com faced criticism after the loss, with prop Rhys Carre's sensational solo try a rare highlight. England's path to the title ended after a first-ever loss to Italy in Rome, a result that intensified scrutiny on coach Steve Borthwick. Italy bbc.com celebrated a historic first win over England at the 33rd attempt, with flanker Matt Dawson bbc.com criticizing England's "kick-heavy strategy."
Cricket
The International Cricket Council bbc.com "categorically" refuted claims of bias regarding its efforts to fly teams home from the T20 World Cup amid Middle East tensions. New Zealand bbc.com will face India in the T20 World Cup final after defending champions India edged England by seven runs in a dramatic semi-final. England's Jacob Bethell bbc.com produced a "brilliant" 45-ball century in defeat, a innings that also made him the youngest to score a T20 World Cup semi-final ton. Earlier, Brett Randell bbc.com made first-class cricket history, becoming the first bowler in 254 years to take five wickets in five balls. In women's cricket, Australia bbc.com thrashed India by 10 wickets in the one-off day-night Test, a match captained by the retiring Alyssa Healy. Annabel Sutherland bbc.com starred with 129 for Australia. Wales bbc.com received a boost for their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign with a dominant win over Montenegro highlighted by Mared Griffiths' performance.
Motorsport
F1's new generation of cars drew fierce criticism after their debut at the Australian Grand Prix bbc.com, with drivers describing a poor driving experience. Lando Norris bbc.com labeled them the "worst cars," while George Russell found his Mercedes unexpectedly quick, qualifying on pole. Rookie Arvid Lindblad bbc.com impressed by finishing eighth for Racing Bulls, saying he "showed people a bit of what I am here to do." Driver ratings from the race saw Russell "imperious" and Oscar Piastri bbc.com praised for a "beautifully" raced recovery. In NASCAR, Tyler Reddick espn.com aims to make history after winning the first three races of the 2026 season, a feat never accomplished before.
Paralympics & Winter Sports
The Winter Paralympics bbc.com are underway in Milan-Cortina, with ten gold medals scheduled for Sunday. Great Britain's wheelchair curlers bbc.com beat the USA to stay in contention for a semi-final spot. Canada bbc.com staged a remarkable comeback from 4-2 down in the final end to defeat Great Britain 5-4 in the mixed team curling event. Iran bbc.com will not compete after its sole athlete "cannot travel safely to Italy." Russia's Varvara Voronchikhina bbc.com won her nation's first medal of the Games, a bronze in para-alpine downhill. Team GB bobsledder Greg Cackett bbc.com reflected on the "near-miss grief" after failing to medal at the previous Winter Olympics. In snowboarding, Olympic champion Charlotte Bankes bbc.com won the women's snowboard cross World Cup race in Turkey.
Basketball
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander bbc.com is within two games of breaking Wilt Chamberlain's decades-old NBA record after scoring 32 points in the Oklahoma City Thunder's win over Golden State. Victor Wembanyama bbc.com orchestrated a 25-point comeback for the San Antonio Spurs against the Los Angeles Clippers, calling it "one of the best wins" of his career. In college basketball, John Calipari espn.com earned his 900th career victory with Arkansas's overtime win over Missouri. UConn coach Danny Hurley espn.com was ejected as Marquette upset the fourth-ranked Huskies, derailing their share of the Big East title. Miami (Ohio) espn.com completed a 31-0 Division I men's regular season with an overtime victory. Iowa State's Audi Crooks espn.com continues her high-scoring season, a style her parents helped shape with resilience and joy. Duke freshman Cameron Boozer espn.com has been a dominant force