Sharks seventh in Prem heading into Harlequins matchDirector of rugby Sanderson: ‘It wasn’t a crisis meeting’Alex Sanderson has said an “honest” meeting of Sale’s owners, players and coaches this week has set their intention for the Boxing Day encounter with Harlequins and beyond.The Sharks are seventh in the Prem table, with two wins from seven, and were soundly beaten by Northampton at Franklin’s Gardens last Saturday. Their most recent Prem victory ca

Leagues eager to sell all games in next rights cycleAuction for televised rights expected in 2027The Premier League and EFL will hold talks early next year about combining to permit 3pm Saturday kick-offs to be broadcast live each week for the first time.The UK is the last country in Europe to apply the so-called 3pm blackout, and with the Premier League and EFL eager to sell all their games to domestic broadcasters in the next rights cycle they want an early agreement before the next tender. Co

Despite tactical flaws and a fixture pile-up, Eddie Howe still has a ‘glass half full’ attitude before Manchester United tripNewcastle supporters are starting to regard Eddie Howe’s team as an unreliable friend. Catch them on the right night and they invariably prove the life and soul of the thrillingly high-intensity party but, on other days, the once-dependable Sandro Tonali and company simply fail to turn up.As if that were not bad enough, their second-half game management h

Pivotal items from the legendary leg-spinner’s career, including the ball of the century, make up the exhibit“I feel like a medieval pilgrim being ushered into a chapel to behold some holy relics,” whispers Tom Holland as we head deeper into the bowels of the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The historian and The Rest Is History Podcast co-host, his wife, Sadie, and producer Dom are getting an exclusive look at some of the items that make up the new Shane Warne “Treasures of a L

It felt like nothing would top Tiger Woods’s Masters win, but then the Northern Irishman completed his career grand slam on an extraordinary final day at AugustaAt 7am on 14 April in an Augusta rental home, Rory McIlroy awoke and immediately spotted a Green Jacket draped over a chair. “You think: ‘Yeah, that did happen yesterday,’” he says. “That.” McIlroy was now the sixth man to win all four of golf’s majors.The detail of what lay around in the b

The Harry Redknapp-owned chaser can foil a strong challenge from the all-conquering Willie Mullins yardThere is a case to be made for seven of the eight runners in what promises to be a memorable renewal of the King George VI Chase, but the horse with the most appealing profile going into the Boxing Day showpiece is Ben Pauling’s The Jukebox Man (2.30), the fourth-favourite in the betting at around 6-1.The strongest recent form on offer in Friday’s race is undoubtedly the thrilling c

Victorian off-spinner won’t play at MCG after being called in for injured Nathan LyonStand-in captain Steve Smith expects another ‘seam-friendly’ pitch in fourth Ashes TestAustralia will go into the Boxing Day Test without a spinner after picking a pace-heavy 12-man squad to tackle England in Melbourne.Victorian off-spinner Todd Murphy was called into the squad after Nathan Lyon injured his hamstring in Australia’s Ashes series-clinching win in Adelaide. Continue reading.