A century at ringside: the Boxing Writers Association of America at 100 | Thomas Hauser

Born in boxing’s golden age and still swinging today, the BWAA has spent a century preserving the stories, sounds and spirits of the sportWhen the Boxing Writers Association of America holds its annual awards dinner in New York on 30 April, it will mark the organization’s 100th dinner and the start of its 100th year of existence.The Boxing Writers Association of Greater New York (as the BWAA was originally known) was founded by Damon Runyan, Paul Gallico, Ed Sullivan, Nat Fleischer, Edward J Neil and Wilbur Wood with the stated mission of improving conditions at boxing events for New York writers and their visiting colleagues.Babe Ruth headed the list of celebrities who attended the organization’s first dinner which was held at the Hotel Astor on 25 April 1926. Five of boxing’s eight world champions were there, as were writers from 20 cities. The New York Times trumpeted the keynote address given by New York City mayor James J Walker with the headline, “Keep Boxing Clean, is Mayor’s Warning

Hull KR and Hull FC savour local supremacy before top-of-table clash

With the clubs occupying first and second spot in the standings, the stakes are high for their Good Friday derbyNestled at the eastern tip of the M62, the city of Hull may sit on the very tip of British rugby league’s geographical landscape but, right now, it is the epicentre of Super League.Few cities are driven by a passion for rugby league quite like it. Both of the city’s clubs – Hull FC and Hull KR – have enjoyed spells in the upper echelons of Super League over the past 30 years but not since the early 80s, long before the advent of summer rugby, was there a time when both East Riding clubs were simultaneously competing for honours.No one in the city needs reminding about the importance of the traditional Good Friday meeting between the two sides but this season’s derby has added gravitas, given top spot is at stake in Super League as Rovers and Hull sit first and second respectively after a quarter of an engrossing season.Back in the early 80s, Roger Millward and Steve Norton led the Yorkshire clubs at the top of the game

‘Take a chill pill’: Benji Marshall’s defence of Lachlan Galvin exposes NRL circus | Jack Snape

Benji Marshall seemed to be playing another game to his opponents over his 346-game NRL career, moving in ways that didn’t make sense and then, in his advancing years, adapting to became one of the sport’s great conductors.As a coach, he has been belittled and ridiculed, questioned for what some believe is an unjustified elevation to the Wests Tigers job. He has been taunted for his team’s subsequent failures, and teased for daring to think of a life of family, of authenticity, of something bigger than rugby league.Marshall may dance to a different beat but it was hard to do anything but follow along as the sharpest minds in the NRL’s media surrounded the former five-eighth at the season’s most anticipated press conference on Thursday. A drumbeat of questions seemed to wear Marshall down

Women’s Tour of Britain gets go-ahead for northern England and Scotland

The 2025 women’s Tour of Britain will go ahead in northern England and the Scottish Borders in early June, despite speculation that this year’s event was in difficulty.Buoyed by news that the men’s and women’s Tour de France will start in Britain in 2027, this summer’s four-day women’s race will start in Yorkshire on 5 June and end in Glasgow.The opening two stages will take in Dalby Forest, the North York Moors national park and the Tees Valley, before heading to the Scottish Borders on stage three, before the final stage on a city-centre circuit in Glasgow.The Scottish rider Neah Evans said: “I started my cycling journey after a taster session at the Sir Chris Hoy velodrome so Glasgow is a special place to me for that.”Jonathan Day, managing director of British Cycling Events, said: “We have first visits for the race to Dalby Forest and the North York Moors national park, from where we will race through North Yorkshire and into the Tees Valley

Field Of Gold lights up Flat season by racing to Guineas favouritism

It is 21 years since the winner of Newmarket’s Craven Stakes followed up in the 2,000 Guineas over the same course and distance two‑and‑a‑half weeks later, and 34 years since Mystiko took the Free Handicap at the Craven meeting – a Classic trial that no longer exists – and went on to become the last grey to win the first colts’ Classic.Every statistic, though, is in the queue to be broken, and John and Thady Gosden’s Field Of Gold is the new 7-2 favourite to snap both sequences at once after a convincing success in the Craven Stakes here on Wednesday.On paper this looked like an unusually open running of the Craven and the market struggled to find a favourite before settling on Field Of Gold, at 100-30, just before the start. He travelled smoothly for Kieran Shoemark towards the near side before a sharp turn of foot carried him into the lead with just under a furlong to run, and Field Of Gold then extended his advantage to three-and-a-half lengths at the post.It was a second success in a major 2,000 Guineas trial in the space of five days for the Juddmonte bloodstock operation, as Andrew Balding’s Jonquil, who was with the now‑retired Sir Michael Stoute as a two-year-old, took the Greenham Stakes at Newbury on Saturday

A Boat Race ritual that would bring me joy | Brief letters

I enjoyed the picture of a jubilant Cambridge women’s crew after their tradition dunking of their cox in your print edition (Water winners, 14 April) and congratulate you on choosing to highlight the winning women’s crew rather than the men’s. However, I’d have enjoyed it even more had the image been of the dunking of the entire board of Thames Water in recognition of its outstanding contribution to the fouling of the planet.Anne JohnsDerby Eighteen people in two boats on the Thames have, for nearly 100 years, enjoyed unprecedented national broadcast coverage. In two weeks’ time in the Isles of Scilly, 130 boats with 442 international crews comprising over 2,600 people will compete in the World Pilot Gig Championships, and will barely feature on the local news. Welcome to the “classless” UK