Sport

The committee has also been working on additional proposals which it believes would further embolden the ‘seven core enhancements’. Tactical fouling, such as preventing free-kicks being taken quickly, would result in the ball being move forward a whopping 50 metres as opposed to the current 20, with player dissent following refereeing decisions being similarly punished. What’s being described as “aggressive …

Sarah Funderburk, the leading woman as darkness falls at Battersea, is partial to salted potatoes. Brian Robb, the overnight race leader, slurps his way through 57 yoghurt tubes, the sort more commonly seen in a child’s lunchbox. Samantha Hudson dos Santos Figueira (formerly Amend), a GB 24hr runner and the British women’s 100-mile record holder, has taken it a step …

It was Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor’s first game in charge of the club in the Women’s Champions League so she was pleased to get off to a winning start. The Frenchwoman has won the competition three times, twice as a player and once as a manager with former club Lyon. But she said on Monday that the postponement of Chelsea’s …

The chief executive of Premiership Women’s Rugby, Belinda Moore, is stepping down in October “to focus on other opportunities”. The news was not expected and comes after just one round of the new PWR season has been played. She is just 22 months into her tenure and the women’s World Cup begins in England in August. Moore oversaw the transition …

Manchester City’s Jack Grealish believes he should have been part of England’s Euro 2024 squad and “can’t speak highly enough” of interim manager Lee Carsley. Grealish, 29, was “devastated” after being omitted from Gareth Southgate’s 26-man squad for the tournament, in which England lost to Spain in the final. However, Carsley has started the City playmaker in both games he …

Northern Ireland have called Mansfield Town goalkeeper Christy Pym into their squad for the upcoming Nations League games against Belarus and Bulgaria. The 29-year-old has not played for his country before, but trained with his new team-mates on Tuesday after regular keeper Bailey Peacock-Farrell withdrew from the squad on Monday with a shoulder problem. With Plymouth Argyle’s Conor Hazard already …

Bristol Bears have re-signed United States winger Toby Fricker on a three-month deal. The 29-year-old comes in as injury cover after Siva Naulago fractured his cheekbone and Noah Heward suffered a hamstring injury. Fricker made 32 appearances for Bristol, scoring 12 tries between 2019 and 2023. He joined Ospreys after leaving Ashton Gate but played just once before joining New …

Katie Boulter is out of the Wuhan Open after a straight-set defeat by Ukrainian qualifier Lesia Tsurenko. The British number one was beaten 6-2 7-5 in the first round by the world number 96. Boulter fell 3-0 down in a topsy-turvy first set that produced six breaks of serve, including five in a row, with Tsurenko taking it in 43 …

Manchester United weigh up various options for managerial role, Liverpool and Newcastle interested in Bundesliga players and Bayern Munich set to offer £400,000-a-week contract. The future of Erik ten Hag as Manchester United manager will be decided at a club meeting on Tuesday, with his assistant, Ruud van Nistelrooy favoured to take over as a caretaker if a change is …

Pre-tournament favourite Luke Littler fell to a 2-1 defeat by Rob Cross on his debut in the World Grand Prix in Leicester. Teenage star Littler made six maximums in the match but at times struggled to get going in the double-start format despite levelling at 1-1 after losing the first set. Cross impressively held his nerve against the 17-year-old, finishing …