RUGBY UNION
Players in machete attack
Three France internationals who play for Clermont Auvergne have been injured in a machete attack by a gang in southern France, police said on Sunday. Aurelien Rougerie, Julien Pierre and Benjamin Kayser were attacked by a 12-strong gang in Millau in the early hours of Sunday morning. A club statement said none of the players’ injuries were life-threatening, adding that weapons used included machetes, knives and swords. The players had been to a nightclub and were walking back to their hotel when they were set upon by the gang for no apparent reason, police said, adding that no one was detained at the scene of the attack. Pierre, who along with Rougerie was part of the France team that lost the 2011 World Cup final, will have surgery on “deep cuts” to his hip.
MOTOR RACING
Conway wins in Toronto
Mike Conway has won the second race of IndyCar’s doubleheader in Toronto, where rain forced the series to run both races on Sunday. The first race was washed out on Saturday and run a little more than five hours before the second race. Rain again played a role as a brief shower soaked the track and forced teams to use varying tire strategies to combat the slick surface. Conway was one of the first drivers to replace the rain tires when the track began to dry and it put him in position to win a race. It was Conway’s second win of the season. Sebastien Bourdais won the first race.
ATHLETICS
Porter stuns champ Pearson
Britain’s Tiffany Porter stunned Australia’s Olympic 100m hurdles champion Sally Pearson at the Anniversary Games on Sunday in a timely warning ahead of their Commonwealth Games duel. US-born Porter won the race, which was staged at London’s Horse Guards Parade, in 12.71 seconds, despite Pearson enjoying the better start. Brianna Rollins, the world champion, was second, with Pearson clocking 12.79 back in third. In the men’s 100m, Michael Rodgers of the US won in 9.91 seconds.
ATHLETICS
Bolt to run on Rio beach
Jamaican world-record holder Usain Bolt is to return to Rio de Janeiro next month to run a special 100m on the beach, he said on his Web site on Sunday. The six-time Olympic gold medalist added the Aug. 17 “Mano a Mano” 100m on Copacabana Beach to three previously announced races in what he said was his finalized schedule for this year. Bolt has delayed opening his season this year because of a foot injury and will start with a 4x100m relay with his Jamaica teammates at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Aug 1 and Aug. 2. The eight-time world champion will also run 100m races in Warsaw, Poland, on Aug 23 and at the Zurich Diamond League meeting on Aug 28.
RUGBY UNION
Kevin Skinner dies aged 86
Former All Blacks captain Kevin Skinner died on Monday at his home in Auckland aged 86, the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) said. “Kevin was a much-admired player, regarded by many as one of New Zealand’s greatest props,” NZRU chairman Brent Impey said. Skinner made his international debut at 21 in 1949 and retired for the first time in 1954, but Impey said it was his return to the game in 1956 that earned him a place in rugby folklore. South Africa were 1-1 with the All Blacks and had dominated the scrum before Skinner was called in to take them on. The rugged forward delivered and the All Blacks won the next two Tests for their first ever series win over South Africa.
Shohei Ohtani and Clayton Kershaw on Friday joined their Los Angeles Dodgers teammates in sticking their fists out to show off their glittering World Series rings at a ceremony. “There’s just a lot of excitement, probably more than I can ever recall with the Dodger fan base and our players,” manager Dave Roberts said before Los Angeles rallied to beat the Detroit Tigers 8-5 in 10 innings. “What a way to cap off the first two days of celebrations,” Roberts said afterward. “By far the best opening week I’ve ever experienced. I just couldn’t have scripted it any better.” A choir in the
After fleeing Sudan when civil war erupted, Al-Hilal captain Mohamed Abdelrahman and his teammates have defied the odds to reach the CAF Champions League quarter-finals. They are today to face title-holders Al-Ahly of Egypt in Cairo, with the return match in the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott, on Tuesday next week. Al-Hilal and biggest domestic rivals Al-Merrikh relocated to Mauritania after a power struggle broke out in April 2023 between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary force. The civil war has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced more than 12 million people, according to the UN. The Democratic Republic of the Congo-born Al-Hilal
Shohei Ohtani, Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman on Thursday smashed home runs to give the reigning World Series champions the Los Angeles Dodgers a 5-4 victory over Detroit on the MLB’s opening day in the US. The Dodgers, who won two season-opening games in Tokyo last week, raised their championship banner on a day when 28 clubs launched the season in the US. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts shuffled his batting lineup with all four leadoff hitters finally healthy as Ohtani was followed by Mookie Betts, then Hernandez and Freddie Freeman in the cleanup spot, switching places with Hernandez. “There’s a Teoscar tax to
Matvei Michkov did not score on Monday, but the Philadelphia rookie had a hand in both goals as hosts the Flyers earned a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. Ryan Poehling and Jamie Drysdale got the goals for the Flyers (31-36-9, 71 points), who won their third straight. Michkov and Travis Konecny assisted on both. Ivan Fedotov stopped 28 shots to earn his first win since March 1, ending a personal six-game losing streak. Zachary L’Heureux got the lone goal for Nashville. Michael McCarron and Brady Skjei got the assists for the Predators (27-39-8, 62 points), who have just four goals in their
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