1:35 AM BST ESPN staff Rugby Australia has pulled off a major coup in what has been a disastrous year for the code, securing the entire Rugby Championship which will be played across November and December this year. SANZAAR on Friday confirmed that Australia had won the right to stage the tournament “hub” after New
Mitchelton-Scott’s British rider Simon Yates broke away to win stage five of Tirreno-Adriatico and take overall lead of the race. Ineos Grenadiers’ Geraint Thomas was second in Friday’s stage and climbs up from sixth place overall to third. Rafal Majka of Bora-Hansgrohe, who was third in the stage on the same time as Thomas, is
7:20 AM ET We’re approaching the halfway point of the 2020 NBA playoffs, our third Game 7 is here, and the East finals start soon. Let’s bounce around the league for a look at what the postseason has given us and what lies ahead. 1. Predatory Kyle Lowry With 60% of Toronto’s starting five slumping
Lizzie Deignan’s Trek-Segafredo team won the opening team time trial of the Giro Rosa as Elisa Longo Borghini took the leader’s jersey on the first stage. Italian Borghini led the team over the line in 20 minutes 05.99 seconds after the 16.8km Grosseto route. Boels Dolmans finished second, more than three seconds back, with Mitchelton-Scott
Valtteri Bottas headed Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton in Friday practice at the Tuscan Grand Prix as Lando Norris crashed his McLaren. Norris put a wheel in the gravel on the exit of Turn Three, Poggio Secco, and spun into the wall. He was unhurt but the incident ended his session. Bottas was 0.207 seconds ahead
10:00 AM ET ESPN Betting Insiders The NASCAR playoffs began last week, with Kevin Harvick‘s victory in the Southern 500, and will continue with the Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond Raceway on Saturday (7:30 p.m. ET). Who will take the checkered flag? Senior writer Ryan McGee and editor Scott Symmes offer their best bets.
6:35 AM ET NFL NationESPN The 2020 NFL season is here, and our NFL Nation reporters have bold predictions for all 32 teams to set up the slate ahead of Super Bowl LV. Here’s a sampling: Miles Sanders will lead the NFL in all-purpose yards. Le’Veon Bell will be traded by the midseason deadline. The
Lanka Premier League will be played from November 14 to December 6.© Twitter Sri Lanka’s cricket board will auction some 150 players next month, including international stars, for the five teams that will make up the virus-delayed premier league, officials said Friday. The 23-match Lanka Premier League (LPL), originally due in August, will now be
3:44 AM ET Welcome to ESPN’s Insider Notebook, featuring contributions from our reporters across the top leagues around the world. In this edition, there’s the latest news on Mason Greenwood and Phil Foden’s misdemeanour on England duty. Plus: Arsenal are pushing to sign Lyon’s Houssem Aouar. Jump to: Arsenal push for Aouar | Arteta eager
7:00 AM ET Kevin Connolly has never been shy about his love for the New York Islanders. The Long Island native, most famous for his role as “E” on “Entourage,” directed the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary “Big Shot,” about the time a con man briefly bought Connolly’s favorite team in 1996. Connolly is often
7:15 AM ET Steve KimESPN While the past month has seen multiple boxing cards every weekend, this Saturday has one event of note. Coming from the bubble at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas, Top Rank’s card features a pair of fighters looking to get back in the mix after tough losses. And
7:24 AM ET Angela Hill is still quite certain she did enough to beat Claudia Gadelha in a controversial split-decision loss to the former strawweight title challenger in May. But afterward, Hill trained as though she had lost — and therein lies the silver lining. Hill (12-8, 7-8 in the UFC) will face Michelle Waterson
6:54 AM ET The Dallas Stars took as 2-1 lead in the Western Conference Final over the Vegas Golden Knights, and the Tampa Bay Lightning are seeking a 3-0 lead over the New York Islanders over in the Eastern Conference Final. But the Bolts enter Game 3 a bit shorthanded. Check out ESPN NHL Playoffs
7:00 AM ET “WHAT DO YOU make of this?” Trevor Lawrence asked. Darien Rencher sat with Lawrence on a kitchen counter in an apartment just north of downtown Atlanta, the sweep of Piedmont Park in the distance, the city roiling below. The two — one white, one Black, teammates at Clemson, friends — heard the
Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas was fastest from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in first practice at the Tuscan Grand Prix. The Finn was 0.048 seconds quicker than Verstappen around the spectacular and rapid Mugello circuit, which is hosting a grand prix for the first time. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was third, 0.307secs off the pace, with Lewis
2:31 AM ET D’Arcy MaineESPN.com Serena Williams held onto the back of her legs as she bent over, wincing in pain on the court at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Thursday night. She limped over to her seat, requesting a trainer to take a look at her left ankle. Her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, and her longtime
12:44 AM ET There are some quotes that follow a coach his whole career, or at least long enough to become profoundly ironic. When Mike D’Antoni took over as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers in 2012 and was asked how he planned to use likely future Hall of Fame big men Pau Gasol and
7:01 PM ET The Los Angeles Dodgers, taking full advantage of their firm grip on a playoff spot, started Mookie Betts at second base Thursday to get him experience at the position to prepare for an emergency situation in October. Betts, traditionally the starting right fielder, came up as a middle infielder but has played