General Sports 3d Briefing
×Six Nations Showdown
Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend faces his most significant selection dilemma bbc.com before Saturday's Six Nations clash in Dublin, with assistant coach Andrew Goodman revealing Ireland are enjoying an "edge" to their preparations for the Triple Crown shootout. England's crisis deepens after their historic defeat to Italy bbc.com, prompting calls for major changes from head coach Steve Borthwick, who may overhaul his backline for the trip to France. Wales number eight Aaron Wainwright is set to face Italy bbc.com despite an early exit against Ireland, while England wing Tom Roebuck insists the entire squad is united in attempting to turn things around bbc.com after three straight defeats.
Rugby League Injury Crisis
Huddersfield Giants are facing an unprecedented injury crisis bbc.com ahead of their Challenge Cup tie against holders Hull KR, who beat Huddersfield 32-6 bbc.com for their first Super League win of the season. Hull KR forward Karl Lawton is one of five players to receive bans after the latest round of games, receiving a three-match suspension. Meanwhile, Wales hope Tottenham defender Ashley Phillips could boost their World Cup qualifying hopes if they can persuade the 20-year-old to switch allegiance from England bbc.com.
Cricket Developments
Sri Lanka have named former South Africa batter Gary Kirsten as their new head coach bbc.com following their dominant T20 World Cup title win, which India's Matthew Henry suggests shows other nations need to catch up bbc.com. The West Indies team is returning home via commercial flights from India after a "distressing" wait following their exit from the men's T20 World Cup, with the International Cricket Council defending its attempts to fly teams home bbc.com and "categorically" refuting "any claims of bias."
Winter Paralympics Action
Ukraine's Maksym Murashkovskyi credits ChatGPT for helping him win Para-biathlon silver bbc.com, while Brazil's Cristian Westemaier Ribera becomes the nation's first ever Winter Paralympic medallist, finishing second in the Para-cross-country skiing men's seated sprint. Russia win their first gold medal since 2014 bbc.com with Varvara Voronchikhina's victory in the standing super G, and two-time Olympian Emanuel Perathoner wins Paralympic gold at his home Games after a devastating knee injury and move into Para-sport. Great Britain's wheelchair curlers suffer a fourth straight defeat bbc.com, while the mixed doubles pair lose to China after the mixed team are narrowly edged out by Canada in Cortina.
College Basketball Turmoil
Duke starting guard Caleb Foster has a fractured right foot and will be out indefinitely espn.com, while Boston College has fired coach Earl Grant, ending his five-year run at the school. The NCAA announced it will monitor officials for betting espn.com using technology called Prohi Bet, and one of the so-called fixers in a sprawling betting scheme to cash in on big bets on rigged NCAA basketball games pleaded guilty Monday. The final AP poll before Selection Sunday has a new top five, with Florida and Houston entering while Duke, Arizona and Michigan stay in the top three, and UConn is closing in on a repeat national title espn.com despite Paige Bueckers' departure for the WNBA.
Racing and Motorsport
Ryan Blaney completed a Team Penske sweep at Phoenix Raceway by winning the Cup Series race espn.com, while British rookie Arvid Lindblad says he "showed people a bit of what I am here to do" after finishing eighth on his F1 debut at the Australian Grand Prix. Racing Bulls' debutant believes he demonstrated his potential in the season opener, where George Russell was described as "imperious" and Oliver Bearman "raced beautifully" in driver ratings. In horse racing, Lossiemouth is labelled the "Queen of Cheltenham" with a dominant victory in the Champion Hurdle on day one of the 2026 Cheltenham Festival, and trainer Jeremy Scott believes Golden Ace can successfully defend her Champion Hurdle title bbc.com.
UFC and Combat Sports
Jon Jones asked the UFC to release him from his contract if the promotion believes "I'm done," reacting to getting "lowballed" on the White House card offer, though Dana White said Jones was "never ever" in his mind for a fight. Ex-UFC, PFL heavyweight champ Francis Ngannier will return to action on May 16 as part of Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions' inaugural MMA fight card headlined by Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano. Charles Oliveira dominates Max Holloway bbc.com from start to finish to win the BMF title by unanimous decision at UFC 326 in Las Vegas, while Jai Opetaia could be stripped of his IBF cruiserweight belt after defeating Brandon Glanton to win the inaugural Zuffa World cruiserweight title.
Golf Updates
Books Koepka, making just his fourth start in his return to the PGA Tour, is hoping his game shows "more consistency" this week at the Players Championship, where 2022 US Open winner Matt Fitzpatrick says triumphing at Sawgrass "is not the same as winning a major but it's the next best thing." Akshay Bhatia beats fellow American Daniel Berger on the first sudden death play-off hole to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational bbc.com at Bay Hill in Orlando. Gary Woodland said Monday he has been battling post-traumatic stress disorder in the wake of his 2023 brain surgery, telling Golf Channel in an emotional interview that he "can't waste energy" trying to force results.
Tennis Action
British number one Sonay Kartal saves a match bbc.com point and takes a medical time out before battling to a 6-1 3-6 7-6 (7-2) victory in her second round match against Emma Navarro at Indian Wells, while Filipina tennis prodigy Alex Eala has drawn enormous crowds everywhere she goes ahead of her Sunday match against Coco Gauff at the same tournament. Olympic gold medallist Charlotte Bankes claims victory in the women's snowboard cross at a World Cup event in Erzurum, Turkey.
Soccer and Football News
Travis Kelce will bbc.com return for another season with the Kansas City Chiefs, who have also agreed a deal to sign Kenneth Walker, according to reports. England's men win their Hockey World Cup qualification tournament with a 4-1 victory over Pakistan in the final in Egypt, while Ireland clinch a place in the Hockey World Cup finals with a dramatic shootout win over Japan to finish third at the qualification tournament in Santiago. Cardiff City condemn 'repugnant' behaviour and call on supporters to help identify a fan believed to have made a racist gesture during a Lincoln City match.
Miscellaneous Sports
Britain's Sky Brown becomes a skateboarding world champion for the bbc.com second time after winning gold in a rain-disrupted park event in Brazil. New Zealander Brett Randell becomes the first bowler in the 254-year history of first-class cricket to take five wickets in five balls. Luke Littler successfully defends his UK Open title, beating James Wade in the final in Minehead. Northern Iowa defeats UIC 84-69 to win the Missouri Valley Conference tournament and earn an automatic NCAA bid, while No. 15 West Virginia avenges two regular-season losses to No. 10 TCU by beating the reigning Big 12 tournament champion 62-53 in the conference title game.