17 h. ago England coach John Mitchell questions smaller women’s World Cup squad size

Squad sizes are capped at 32 for the women’s tournament, one fewer than men’s sides are permitted to select at the World Cup

Politics

27 h. ago Celtic’s latest title triumph owes much to Brendan Rodgers’ frustrated ambitions | Ewan Murray

Scotland’s most powerful force needn’t be wildly praised for topping the pile yet again but the manager deserves respectTwelve months from now, Brendan Rodgers will either be preparing to bid farewell to Celtic for surely the final time or the manager will be embarking on phase two of this second tenure. Mystery around the more likely scenario means that what happens next to Celtic is far more intriguing than the comfortable retention of their Scottish title. Make that 13 in 14 years.Rodgers will already know his future plan. So, too, will Dermot Desmond. There may be no official board role for Celtic’s principal shareholder and no public utterances on all things Celtic, but Rodgers has been sure to drop in that he deals directly with the Irish billionaire as opposed to, say, the club’s chair, Peter Lawwell. If this feels structurally odd, it is the kind of thing that is ignored while the team keeps winning. Continue reading...

Politics

38 h. ago Narrow win ‘ideal’ for England’s World Cup preparations, says Mitchell

Red Roses win Six Nations after 43-42 victory over FranceCoach believes Twickenham experience will help playersJohn Mitchell said England’s one-point win over France was the “ideal” test for his side with the Rugby World Cup on the horizon.The Red Roses won their seventh consecutive Women’s Six Nations title after holding off a late French comeback at Twickenham. It was by far the closest match for England in this tournament, with their other four matches resulting in dominant wins. The lack of competition that the Red Roses face have led some to believe they needed a loss or a close game to learn from in order to know the answers if challenged at the upcoming World Cup. Continue reading...

Economics

40 h. ago England hold on to claim Women’s Six Nations grand slam with one

England 43-42 FranceDow and Sing score twice before visitors’ late fightbackThere was a moment after France’s Joanna Grisez scored where fans were wondering if this would be the day England’s stranglehold on this competition came to an end. The Red Roses were 31-7 up after 23 minutes, but a resolute France cut back the lead to one point in the final minute. A French knock-on ended the game and the sheer pressure the hosts were under was plain to see by the wild celebrations by the England players at full-time. Despite the nervous ending for England, they not only retained the trophy at Twickenham but claimed a seventh successive title. England’s victory stretched their winning run in this tournament to 34 games and 25 in all competitions.The Red Roses are used to lifting silverware, but the trophy they are hunting will be on the line in the next game they could play here in five months’ time in the Rugby World Cup final. That has eluded them since 2014 and it remains their main targ...

Politics

42 h. ago Hamilton 0 Livingston 3: Accies well beaten as ravenous Lions take title bid to final day

Accies fell to their 19th defeat of the season as David Martindale's Livi went level on points with Falkirk at the summit

Politics

63 h. ago First Europe, then the world: Twickenham awaits in year of twin peaks for England

Grand slam clash is vital stepping stone in Red Roses’ quest to reclaim the World Cup crown they last held in 2014There are two games to think about at Twickenham on Saturday, the one the Red Roses will play in, and the one they want to play in. The first is their grand slam decider against France, which kicks off at 4.45pm. The second – at the same venue, five months and one day later – is the World Cup final which, if everything goes as the team hopes at the Stadium of Light, Franklin’s Gardens, Ashton Gate and the other grounds they will visit between now and then, will be the next game they play at the home of English rugby.The Red Roses head coach, John Mitchell, has been around long enough to know the smart thing to do is separate the two. “We’ve got to be careful focusing on the World Cup final because we’ve got to earn the right to contest it,” Mitchell said this week. “It’s good to have the chance to be back at our home stadium, but it’s an isolated situation, that’s the wa...

Politics

68 h. ago Wales unveil World Cup winner as new director of rugby in key appointment after Six Nations woe

Dave Reddin was part of England’s staff in 2003 and has also worked with the Football Association

Politics

69 h. ago New EU travel rules by October as UK tourists face long delays

The European Union has voted to roll out new travel rules that will see long delays for UK holidaymakers heading to countries including France, Spain, Greece, Italy and Portugal

Politics

3 d. ago Expect delays as new EU travel rules come into force within months

The EU has voted to start rolling out the new scheme for everyone heading from the UK to countries including France, Spain, Greece, Italy and Portugal

Politics

5 d. ago Today's rugby news as 'fantastic' Tandy backed for two World Cup cycles and star confirms Wales eligibility

The latest rugby news from Wales and around the world

Sport

6 d. ago 'We're interested in rugby': Saudi Arabia sports minister weighing up bid for 2035 Rugby World Cup

Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal discussed the plans at Formula One’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

Politics

1 week ago Barry Ferguson and his 6 Rangers boosts as Bilbao date with destiny sees major squad calls

The Light Blues are bidding to reach the Europa League semi-final as they bid to produce another historic night on European scene

Politics

1 week ago Celtic fans EXPECT Trebles every year as Stiliyan Petrov reveals what Scottish football has missed in recent years

Brendan Rodgers' side face St Johnstone in the Scottish Cup semi-final as they bid to book another day out at Hampden

Sport

1 week ago All Blacks star Rieko Ioane shockingly signs for Leinster despite Johnny Sexton feud

Rieko Ioane and Johnny Sexton clashed after the 2023 Rugby World Cup quarter-final between New Zealand and Ireland but that hasn’t stopped the All Blacks centre joining the club where Sexton is a legend

Events

1 week ago PSG end Aston Villa’s European run after epic fightback falls just short

Unai Emery will always shudder at mention of La Remontada. It came to define his time as the manager of Paris Saint-Germain, the inexplicable Champions League defeat by Luis Enrique’s Barcelona in 2017 after his team had held a 4-0 first-leg lead. Barcelona would end up needing three goals with 88 minutes of the second leg gone at the Camp Nou. They got them for a 6-5 aggregate victory.On an epic night at Villa Park, the roles were reversed – and so nearly to cathartic effect for Emery. His Villa team were magnificent. They refused to believe that this showpiece Champions League quarter-final was over after Luis Enrique’s PSG surged into a 2-0 lead on the night for a 5-1 aggregate advantage, the goals coming from their flying full-backs, Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago 5 cheap Easter break flights from Cardiff and Bristol with Ryanair, easyJet, and KLM

There are a number of cheap flights you can still book if you want to travel during the Easter break and you can head to destinations including Portugal, Denmark, Spain and more

Transport

1 week ago The Breakdown | Rugby World Cups aren’t adding up for major unions and there is no easy fix

South Africa no longer see hosting as viable and World Rugby is under pressure to deliver for its membersThe starting gun has been fired on the race to host the 2035 and 2039 Rugby World Cup tournaments. Expressions of interest have been made: Spain’s proposal has piqued interest, Italy’s too, while the Middle East stalks along as the elephant in the room. The idea of going back to Japan within 20 years of a first World Cup in Asia is a popular proposition.News came over the weekend, however, that South Africa has all but ruled out a bid for either edition of the tournament. South Africa threw its hat into the ring in 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023 but was overlooked on each occasion and the SA Rugby president, Mark Alexander, was brutally honest when asked about the prospect of doing so again. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Hudson River helicopter crash probe reveals doomed aircraft missing key equipment

Initial reports from an investigation into the helicopter crash in New York City that killed six, including a family of five from Spain, reveal a significant discovery

Events

2 w. ago Northampton’s growing list of Lions contenders sparkle in Castres thrashing

Northampton 51-16 Castres: The Saints set up a Champions Cup semi-final date with Leinster that could prove crucial to Andy Farrell’s final selection

Politics

2 w. ago Northampton set up Leinster rematch after Henry Pollock batters Castres

Quarter-final: Northampton 51-16 CastresYoung flanker dazzles with two tries in Champions CupWhat is the East Midlands equivalent of deja vu? For the second season in succession Northampton are into the Champions Cup semi-finals and have booked themselves a trip to Dublin to face Leinster. Last time they came within three points of victory so, on paper at least, there is still a chance that Saints can march all the way to next month’s final in Cardiff.All the evidence would suggest, though, that Leinster are a more formidable force this year than last while Northampton had be initially resolute to see off a hard-edged Castres team who competed strongly until two tries in five minutes early in the second half from the fit-again George Furbank and the man of the moment Henry Pollock cracked their resistance. Continue reading...

Politics