Sports News

Jamaica's football team is the first Caribbean team to ever make it through to the knockout stage of a Women’s World Cup. The Reggae Girlz' World Cup dream stopped at the Round of 16 though, after Colombia scored a second-half goal to send the Jamaicans home and will take on England in the Quarterfinals.

Getting the Jamaicans to the 2023 tournament - co-hosted by Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand - was an extraordinary journey in itself. After failing to qualify for the 2007 Women's World Cup and 2008 Olympic Games, the Reggae Girlz were disbanded.

The Farmfoods British Par 3 had a host of female golfers stamping their mark at the luxurious Nailcote Hall course in Coventry. Speaking exclusively to Champions UK Plc, Amy Taylor, who was joint leader in the morning session - a first for a female at the event - said: “So, this is my first year playing here and I honestly didn’t know what to expect but I’ve heard really good things.

“It’s tighter than I imagined as it’s a tricky little course. People think the Par 3 course Is going to be pretty easy as there is a lot of wedges, but its challenging and it definitely catches you out if you miss the green.”

Representing nearly half of the LIV Golf roster, 23 of the league’s stars have signed up to compete at International Series England alongside the best of the Asian Tour on 17-20 August, at Close House, UK. Headlined by former World No.1 Lee Westwood alongside fellow former Ryder Cup players Ian Poulter, Graeme McDowell and Patrick Reed – the quartet will be accompanied by representatives from 11 of the 12 teams that make up the LIV Golf League.

Following the confirmation of the World Athletics Road to Budapest ranking positions, four athletes have been added to the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary (19-27 August). Athletes considered in this round of the selection process were required to have achieved the UKA qualification standard, and satisfy the criteria outlined in the selection policy including the requirement to demonstrate current form.

Saudi Pro League has attracted a lot of attention because of its transfer outlay in recent days.

According to the numbers presented by SafeBettingSites.com, Saudi Pro League clubs have spent 409.5m on transfers, outspending all major European leagues besides Premier League, during the current transfer window. Two leagues have clearly dominated the spending as the ongoing summer transfer window inches towards its end.

Hollywood actor Hugh Jackman joined Wrexham fans to watch the club's return to the Football League after 15 years. The Wolverine star joined celebrity owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney at Wrexham AFC's first game in football's fourth tier since 2008.

The return has been a dream come true for long-suffering fans. However, celebrations were short-lived as the club was on the receiving end of a 5-3 defeat to MK Dons.

While some of the big hitters and tournament favourites are heading home, Jamaica, South Africa and Morocco are taking their places in the first round of knock-out competition in the FIFA Women’s World Cup, as a new world order is taking place during this tectonic shift in the game.

Olympic champions Canada, plus much-fancied Brazil and Germany failed to get past the first-round group stage, whilst names like the Reggae Girls’ Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw, the Banyana Banyana’s Thembi Kgatlana and the Lionesses of Atlas’ Anissa Lahmari created a new narrative in the game for country’s whose positions in the world game was never anywhere near the main pages of the sports media. That has, however, changed massively

Birmingham Phoenix Women have name Eve Jones as their new captain. The opener replaces Ellyse Perry as skipper, following her withdrawal from the competition with a knee injury.

Perry, named captain earlier this summer, has also been replaced by Australian all-rounder Tess Flintoff. Flintoff, 20, holds the record for the fastest fifty in the Women's Big Bash League and has already arrived at Edgbaston.

When Vita Vea was drafted into the U.S. National Football League in 2018, the Tongan American credited his parents with teaching him the work ethic and perseverance to succeed.

“They didn’t have family out here or anything so they had to work from the get go,” Vea said, of his parents who immigrated to the United States from Tonga. “Nothing was ever given to them.”

KP Snacks, the Official Team Partner of The Hundred, teamed up with Girls Aloud star Kimberley Walsh to launch an initiative funding brand new community cricket pitches as part of KP Snacks’ initiative to give back to local communities and encourage more people to get active through cricket.

The Great Britain and Northern Ireland team for the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungary (19-27 August) has been announced by UK Athletics. The team has been selected to fulfil the aim of the policy for these championships; to optimise medal success and the number of top eight placings.

The full team will be finalised once UK Athletics has received World Rankings invitations from World Athletics next week. Subject to invites being received, those athletes who have met the UKA qualification standard and demonstrated current form will be selected.

Madrid was home to a world premiere between 21 and 23 July that will revolutionise the world of sport. From the quarter finals, the games at the FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup were no longer contested on hardwood parquet, but on the ASB GlassFloor, a high-tech video floor for sport made of glass.

German company ASB GlassFloor revealed a new dimension in presenting a sporting event through its "GlassCourt OS" application especially developed for the purpose. In the battle for Olympics relevance and the coming generations of sports fans, the new technologies open up opportunities for many sports to position themselves for the future. Players, fans and FIBA were all enthusiastic.

England will start their five-Test tour of India next year on 25 January in Hyderabad. India's cricket board (BCCI) has published the schedule for the series and the other Tests will take place in Vizag, Rajkot, Ranchi, and Dharamsala.

The fifth Test will start on 11 March and England captain Ben Stokes' side will be hoping to win in India for the first time since 2012. When India last hosted England in 2021, they won the series 3-1.

Edgbaston Stadium is set to stage its first sustainable international match day after announcing the sold-out Men’s Vitality IT20 against New Zealand on Sunday 3 September as its Go Green Game.

The stadium has underlined its green credentials in the last 12 months after reducing waste by a third, running kitchens on 80 per cent locally sourced produce, rolling out a low-energy LED light project, and continued use of e-cups that’s prevented 562,000 plastic alternatives being wasted.

The deaths - so soon between each other - of two great stalwarts of Nottingham Forest and Sheffield Wednesday sent studders of sadness and disbelief around the East Midlands and South Yorkshire - and far beyond.

Former player, then player/manager Trevor Francis passed away after suffering a heart attack – at the age of 69. Only hours later, fellow ex-Forest and Wednesday player, Chris Bart-Williams also passed away. He was just 49.

Led by Zharnel Hughes’ (GBR, coach: Glen Mills, club: Shaftesbury Barnet) astonishing take down of the long-standing British 200m record, the world’s best showed up in style on a day of world-class athletics at the sold-out London Athletics Meet in Stratford, London.

On a day which once again showed that London helps athletes bring their very best, continent records also fell in the women’s 400m hurdles, men’s 200m, women’s 5000m and women’s 800m ahead of the World Athletics Championships in Budapest next month. And as one of the most-discussed races pre-meet, the men’s 200m lived up to its billing in some style, with each of the top three producing astonishing runs of their own.