New Zealand beat Samoa 32-0 in the Women’s Rugby League World Cup semi-final to reach the final, their seventh consecutive appearance in the title match. Stacey Waaka scored three tries as the Kiwi Ferns controlled the game and kept Samoa scoreless.
Key Facts
New Zealand led 8-0 at half-time.
Stacey Waaka scored a hat-trick and was named player of the match.
Mackenzie Wiki scored New Zealand’s opening try less than two minutes into the match.
Mele Hufanga, Kaiyah Atai and Raecene McGregor also scored tries for New Zealand.
New Zealand have lost their past three World Cup finals, all against Australia.
The final is scheduled for next Sunday.
Waaka is playing in her first Rugby League World Cup.
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Luka Doncic scored 53 points as the Los Angeles Lakers beat Portland 124-118 in NBA Cup group play. Cleveland defeated Philadelphia 119-95 in LeBron James’s first game back in Cleveland as a Sixer; Boston, San Antonio and Oklahoma City also won Friday.
Key Facts
Doncic added five rebounds and five assists and helped the Lakers recover from a 16-point deficit for their fourth straight win.
Doncic scored at least 40 points in six of his last seven games and recorded his 11th career 50-point game.
The Cavaliers beat the 76ers 119-95, ending Philadelphia’s five-game winning streak.
James scored eight points on 3-for-12 shooting, with seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and six turnovers.
Donovan Mitchell scored 23 points and Evan Mobley added 22 for Cleveland, which outrebounded Philadelphia 56-42.
Jayson Tatum scored 34 points as Boston beat Charlotte 119-80, making 24 of 44 three-point attempts.
Victor Wembanyama had 30 points and 14 rebounds in San Antonio’s 124-109 win over Sacramento.
Oklahoma City beat Memphis 128-97; Ajay Mitchell scored a career-high 35 points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 28.
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Joshua Buatsi and Willy Hutchinson are set to fight for the vacant WBC world light-heavyweight title in Manchester on Saturday. They first fought in September 2024, when Buatsi scored two knockdowns and won by split decision. Boxing figures interviewed by BBC Sport are divided over whether Buatsi will repeat his win or Hutchinson will take revenge.
Key Facts
The fight is a rematch between British rivals Joshua Buatsi and Willy Hutchinson.
The vacant WBC world light-heavyweight title is at stake.
Buatsi won their first fight by split decision in September 2024.
Buatsi knocked Hutchinson down twice in their first meeting.
Hutchinson has won twice since that defeat.
Chantelle Cameron, Denzel Bentley, Tony Bellew and Zelfa Barrett predict a Buatsi win.
David Allen, Carl Frampton, Viddal Riley and manager Sam Jones predict a Hutchinson win.
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Goalkeeper James Trafford said limited playing time at Manchester City last season was difficult, though he valued the experience and the two trophies he won with the club. After moving to Leeds United for regular football, he said he hopes to become England’s first-choice goalkeeper.
Key Facts
Manchester City re-signed Trafford, an academy graduate, in July 2025 after he had played for Burnley.
Gianluigi Donnarumma joined City less than six weeks later and became the club’s first-choice goalkeeper.
Trafford started City’s first three matches of the campaign and made one more Premier League start in the next 35 games.
Trafford started the League Cup and FA Cup finals, which City won.
Trafford said his season at City helped him improve, despite periods of disappointment.
He was in England’s squad for the 2026 World Cup but did not play.
Trafford moved from City to Leeds United in a deal worth up to £45 million, a record fee for a British goalkeeper.
Trafford said becoming England’s starting goalkeeper is a long-term aim.
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WTA chair Valerie Camillo apologized to Jessica Pegula and her coach, Mark Knowles, after a courtside microphone broadcast Pegula’s private conversation about Mirra Andreeva during a practice session at Indian Wells. Camillo said the WTA failed to give clear notice that recording equipment was operating and said it had removed audio equipment from practice areas.
Key Facts
A WTA YouTube livestream captured Pegula speaking with coach Mark Knowles at Indian Wells.
Pegula called 19-year-old Russian player Mirra Andreeva a “diva” and criticized Andreeva’s coach, Conchita Martinez.
WTA chair Valerie Camillo said failures in livestream execution led to the recording being broadcast.
Camillo apologized on behalf of the WTA and directly apologized to Pegula and Knowles.
Camillo said players lacked clear advance notice and signage about recording equipment in the area.
The WTA said microphones in practice areas were intended to capture ambient sounds, such as balls being struck.
The WTA removed audio recording equipment from practice areas.
The WTA Finals were scheduled to begin on Sunday, with eight players competing in two round-robin groups before the knockout rounds.
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Altrincham will try to extend its record of FA Cup upsets when it faces League One side Notts County. Former midfielder Graham Heathcote says the club’s giant-killing history can inspire the current team, which is seventh in the National League and hopes to challenge for promotion to the English Football League.
Key Facts
Altrincham have beaten 17 Football League opponents in the FA Cup, more than any other club that has spent its entire history outside the league.
The club reached the FA Cup third round in four consecutive seasons, from 1978 to 1982.
Graham Heathcote made more than 500 appearances for Altrincham and scored a penalty against Liverpool at Anfield in the 1981 FA Cup.
Altrincham drew against first-division Everton in 1975 and Tottenham Hotspur in 1979.
In 1986, Altrincham beat first-division Birmingham City away from home.
The club twice won the Alliance Premier League but missed election to the Football League by one vote in 1980.
Manager Neil Gibson joined Altrincham last year and has guided the team to a strong start in the current National League season.
Altrincham face Notts County, a League One team, in the FA Cup.
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Carlos Alcaraz saved two match points to defeat Taylor Fritz 6-7 (10/12), 7-5, 6-3 and reach the Paris Masters semifinals for the first time. He will face Casper Ruud, while Ben Shelton advanced to a semifinal against Luca Van Assche.
Key Facts
Alcaraz came back after losing the first-set tiebreak to beat Fritz in three sets.
Fritz held two match points before Alcaraz rallied to win the second set.
Alcaraz said he would remember the match for a long time.
Casper Ruud reached the semifinals by beating Nuno Borges 7-6 (7/5), 6-4.
Ben Shelton defeated Tommy Paul 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 in an all-American quarterfinal.
Shelton will play Frenchman Luca Van Assche in the semifinals.
The losses eliminated Fritz and Paul from contention to qualify for the ATP Finals.
Frances Tiafoe and Rafael Jodar are set to make their ATP Finals debuts in Turin from November 15 to 22.
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Former Australia opener Usman Khawaja says the whole team knew about the 2018 ball-tampering scandal and that players discussed ways to alter the ball during the previous Test in Port Elizabeth. Cricket Australia said it stands by its original investigation, which found that Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft were the only players with prior knowledge, but remains open to new evidence.
Key Facts
Khawaja made the claims in an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald ahead of his autobiography’s release.
The 2018 scandal took place during a Test in Cape Town, South Africa.
Khawaja said he urged the team after the Cape Town Test to take collective responsibility.
He said discussions about roughing up the ball took place during the second Test in Port Elizabeth, now called Gqeberha.
The original Cricket Australia investigation found Smith, Warner and Bancroft were the only players with prior knowledge of the plot.
Smith and Warner each received 12-month suspensions, while Bancroft received a nine-month suspension.
Cricket Australia said it remains comfortable with its investigation findings while staying open to relevant new information.
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Golden State Warriors center Kristaps Porziņģis said he is stepping away from basketball to prioritize his health. He did not disclose the health issue or say whether he will return, but said he plans to work with the Warriors to find a solution.
Key Facts
Porziņģis announced his decision in a post on X on Friday.
He said his body did not respond as expected when he increased his activity.
The Warriors said in late September that Porziņģis would be out indefinitely and would not join the team for training camp in Hawaii.
The team later said he would not be with the Warriors for the immediate future.
Porziņģis missed significant time last season after Golden State acquired him from Atlanta.
The Warriors signed him to a two-year, $40 million contract in late June.
Porziņģis was selected fourth overall by the New York Knicks in the 2015 NBA draft.
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The New York Knicks defended Taylor Swift after guards Tyler Kolek and Miles McBride questioned whether she was a genuine fan. The team said Swift has supported the Knicks for years and has a long history with Madison Square Garden.
Key Facts
Kolek called Swift’s courtside appearances “performative” during an NBA 2K livestream.
McBride agreed with Kolek and named Ben Stiller and Tracy Morgan as committed Knicks fans.
A Knicks spokesperson said the team appreciates Swift’s support and considers her a longtime fan.
Swift attended Game 4 of the NBA finals at Madison Square Garden, wearing a “Stevie Knicks” shirt that went viral.
Swift also attended Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals in Cleveland with her husband, Travis Kelce.
Swift first performed at Madison Square Garden in 2003, when she was 13.
Kolek and McBride are eligible for contract extensions; the Knicks hold a $2.5 million option on Kolek for the 2026–27 season.
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Ireland beat Argentina 42-12 in Dublin in their Nations Championship opener, scoring six tries after conceding an early try. Coach Andy Farrell said Ireland failed to make the most of their territory and chances, while several players left the match with injuries or concerns.
Key Facts
Hugo Keenan scored three tries in his first home match since the 2025 Six Nations.
Dan Sheehan, Sam Prendergast and Ronan Kelleher also scored for Ireland.
Ireland held 59% of the territory and edged possession but did not score after the 55th minute.
Argentina’s Mateo Carreras scored the opening try.
Sheehan left after failing a head injury assessment; Robert Baloucoune, Sean Jansen, Josh van der Flier and Mack Hansen also had injury concerns.
Ireland next face Fiji, and Farrell will assess his squad after the Argentina match.
Farrell said Ireland had opportunities to be more ruthless despite the 30-point win.
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Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored in Everton’s 3-1 comeback win over Coventry after learning he had been left out of England’s Nations League squad. Thierno Barry scored twice, and the victory moved Everton to fifth in the Premier League table.
Key Facts
England manager Thomas Tuchel selected Borussia Dortmund’s Jobe Bellingham instead of Dewsbury-Hall for the latest squad.
Dewsbury-Hall said missing out on England was disappointing but that he would keep working toward a call-up.
Everton came from behind to beat Coventry City 3-1.
Barry scored twice within five minutes at the start of the second half.
Dewsbury-Hall’s goal was described as a powerful strike.
The win gave Everton back-to-back Premier League victories and lifted them to fifth place.
Dewsbury-Hall has scored 11 Premier League goals and provided seven assists for Everton since the start of last season.
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Everton came from behind to beat Coventry 3-1, leaving Coventry 16th in the Premier League. Coventry manager Frank Lampard said his team should have received a penalty for James Tarkowski pulling Caleb Yirenkyi’s hair and disputed two other decisions; Everton manager David Moyes disagreed over the handball claim and criticized the hair-pulling rule.
Key Facts
Yann Gboho put Coventry ahead after the break.
Thierno Barry scored twice, and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall added a late goal for Everton.
Referee Stuart Attwell dismissed Coventry’s first-half penalty appeal after Tarkowski tugged Yirenkyi’s hair.
Lampard also argued that Taiwo Awoniyi was fouled by Vitalii Mykolenko before Coventry scored, though replays showed the contact was outside the penalty area.
Lampard disputed the decision to allow Barry’s second goal, claiming Barry handled the ball; VAR official Timothy Wood ruled it was not a handball offence.
Everton moved to fifth in the Premier League after the win.
Moyes said Barry did not handle the ball and called for changes to the hair-pulling rule.
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WTA chair Valerie Camillo apologized to Jessica Pegula after a private conversation in which Pegula called Mirra Andreeva a “diva” was broadcast from a practice court. The WTA said it had removed recording equipment from practice areas, while Pegula and other players renewed calls for greater privacy at tournaments.
Key Facts
Pegula made the comments to her coach after a practice session ahead of the WTA Tour Finals.
The WTA said players had not received advance notice or clear signs that microphones were operating in the practice area.
Camillo called the broadcast “regrettable and unacceptable” and apologized to Pegula and her coach, Mark Knowles.
The WTA said it removed all audio recording equipment from practice areas after the incident.
Pegula said she had been unaware that courtside microphones could pick up her conversation.
Pegula said the incident highlighted concerns about increased surveillance and recording of players at tournaments.
The WTA removed the practice-session videos from YouTube, but footage had already circulated on social media.
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Usman Khawaja says all members of Australia’s team knew about ball tampering during the 2018 Test series against South Africa, and that discussions began before the Cape Town Test. The four bowlers who played in Cape Town, including Pat Cummins, have denied knowing that sandpaper was used, while Khawaja says he was not asked to give evidence in Cricket Australia’s investigation.
Key Facts
Khawaja made the claims in extracts from his autobiography, Sabr, published by the Sydney Morning Herald.
He says the team discussed tampering during the second Test in Port Elizabeth, now called Gqeberha.
Khawaja says Steve Smith did not want to know about the plan after those discussions.
Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft were banned after the Cape Town ball-tampering incident.
Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon said in 2021 that they did not know a foreign substance had been taken onto the field.
Khawaja says he was surprised that Cricket Australia did not ask him to provide evidence during its investigation.
Cummins said in October that the matter had been investigated and dealt with at the time.
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Ireland beat Argentina 42-12 in Dublin to open the home leg of the Nations Championship, earning a bonus point with six tries. Hugo Keenan scored three tries, while Mateo Carreras scored both of Argentina’s tries.
Key Facts
Ireland led 21-5 at halftime and won 42-12.
Keenan scored a hat-trick of tries for Ireland.
Dan Sheehan, Sam Prendergast and Ronan Kelleher also scored tries for Ireland.
Prendergast kicked five conversions, and Jamie Frawley kicked one.
Carreras scored both of Argentina’s tries; Tomas Albornoz kicked one conversion.
Argentina’s Justo Piccardo and Ephraim Elias were sin-binned, and captain Julian Montoya left after failing a head injury assessment.
Ireland moved to the top of the northern hemisphere table before other teams’ matches that weekend.
Ireland are scheduled to host Fiji the following week and South Africa on 21 November.
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The United States opened its defense of the women’s ice hockey world title with a 7-0 win over Switzerland in Esbjerg, Denmark. Canada beat Sweden 5-1, while the Czech Republic defeated Austria 4-1; the U.S. and Canadian teams wore generic jerseys without national logos under an IIHF requirement.
Key Facts
Hannah Bilka and Laila Edwards each scored twice for the United States.
Kirsten Simms, Hilary Knight and Casey O’Brien also scored for the U.S.; Caroline Harvey had three assists.
U.S. goaltender Aerin Frankel stopped all eight shots she faced for the shutout.
Knight scored her 68th world championship goal and 121st point, extending her records in both categories.
Canada took a 3-0 first-period lead against Sweden and won 5-1; Ann-Renée Desbiens stopped 13 shots.
The Czech Republic beat Austria 4-1, with Katerina Mrazova scoring twice and adding an assist.
The 10-team tournament runs for 11 days in Esbjerg and Herning, with the final scheduled for 16 November.
The IIHF required the U.S. and Canada to wear generic jerseys without national logos; the article says both hockey associations have separate apparel and jersey contracts.
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Kimi Antonelli has secured the drivers’ championship, while Mercedes could clinch the constructors’ title at the Sao Paulo Grand Prix. The weekend also brings attention to Ferrari’s response after Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc collided in Mexico, and to the close competition among the leading teams.
Key Facts
Mercedes needs three more points than Ferrari this weekend to secure the constructors’ championship.
Antonelli said he is using the season’s final races to prepare to defend his title in 2027.
Mercedes won seven of the first eight races, but its rivals narrowed the performance gap as the season progressed.
In the 12 races after Mercedes’ early run, Mercedes won six, Red Bull won three, McLaren won two, and Ferrari won one.
Hamilton and Leclerc collided on the first lap in Mexico, costing Ferrari a chance at a one-two finish.
Ferrari team principal Frederic Vasseur said he met with the drivers and reminded them to respect each other and put the team first.
Hamilton said he believes Leclerc races him differently from some other drivers and said he would not be silenced.
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England hooker Jamie George said players were upset by a newspaper report alleging unrest over head coach Steve Borthwick after the team’s July tour. George rejected parts of the report and said the squad had discussed it and would respond by supporting Borthwick ahead of Sunday’s match against Australia.
Key Facts
The Times reported that unhappy England players wanted talks with Borthwick and RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney in Argentina in July.
The report also described disagreements within Borthwick’s coaching group and concerns about his management of players.
George said he did not recognise the situation described and called much of the report untrue.
England captain Maro Itoje called a meeting of senior players to discuss the article.
George said the squad’s conversations with Borthwick included feedback and challenge, but were not toxic.
Borthwick said he did not recognise the report’s depiction and noted that senior player-coach meetings are common.
England are scheduled to play Australia at Twickenham on Sunday in the Nations Championship.
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