County season arrives with fresh hope of domestic displays paving path to international stage

Not everyone is optimistic it will be the case, but players should start the season believing performances will be noticed by the England setupPeter Moores could be forgiven for raising an eyebrow at England’s backing for Brendon McCullum after four years as head coach and that bleak Australian winter. Moores was afforded barely three during his two spells in the job, neither of which included an Ashes series.But as his Nottinghamshire side begin the defence of their County Championship title away at Somerset on Friday, Moores is keen to look forwards. During his Ashes mea culpa, the England team director, Rob Key, said he wanted better communication with the counties on selection, music to the ears of the leading domestic coach.“If I was a county player, I’d be more excited about starting this season than the one before,” says Moores, whose captain, Haseeb Hameed, should be among those aiming to state their case

‘Worst case I get to ride a lot’: Lael Wilcox on her quest to become the fastest human to cycle round the world

After setting the women’s around-the-world record two years ago, the Alaskan is aiming for a new mark with her next 18,000 mile journeyOn 11 September 2024, Lael Wilcox returned to Chicago after 108 days in the saddle, smashing the women’s around-the-world cycling record by more than two weeks. The extraordinary feat had taken her 18,000 miles over remote mountains and across 22 countries. But it left Wilcox with a lingering question: could she break Mark Beaumont’s outright record of 78 days and 14 hours?Shaving 30 days off her time would require a major pivot in philosophy from adventure riding to pure racing, with an emphasis on efficiency, aerodynamics, and rigorous planning. Motivated to prove that women can compete with men in ultra-cycling, Wilcox will start her second attempt on 7 June in Chicago.Wilcox, who was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, is no stranger to beating men in high profile races

Mercedes’ Wolff says Antonelli and Russell are ‘off the leash’ to race … for now

Kimi Antonelli and George Russell, leaders of the Formula One world championship in a dominant Mercedes car, are “absolutely off the leash” to race one another, their team principal, Toto Wolff, has said. Antonelli won the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, the 19-year-old’s second victory on the trot and with Russell managing only fourth, the Italian leads his teammate by nine points.Wolff insisted there was no plan to use team orders between them unless it becomes necessary later on. “We’re three races in, the car is good so we need to continue to do our job and give them a tool that they can continue to win or fight for the positions,” he said.“Towards the end of the season we’re going to see how the points fall and whether anything needs to be done

Landmark changes to insurance cover for female athletes to be implemented

Female athletes are to benefit from a major breakthrough in insurance cover for pregnancy, contraception, menopause and other health conditions, as part of the implementation of recommendations in the Carney review.The Women’s Football Taskforce ­commissioned Loughborough University – announced recently as the world’s No 1 ­university for sports-related subjects for a 10th consecutive year – to work with ­leading ­insurance providers and brokers to ensure female athletes are offered appropriate support in their ­insurance coverage.The changes to insurance provisions for female athletes will address specifically the blind spots that exist in regards to pregnancy, ­contraception, menopause, health conditions and conditions that dispropor­tionately affect women, such as relative energy ­deficiency in sport (Red-S).Red-S is a complex syndrome caused by low energy availability, where an athlete’s food intake does not meet the demands of training. This can lead to metabolic, ­hormonal and phy­siological changes, with common indicators including stress fractures and disruptions to the ­menstrual cycle

Leeds and Warrington thriller is fitting gift on Super League’s 30th birthday

It began with an explosion of noise and a wave of excitement on the fringes of Paris in 1996, and as Super League celebrated its 30th anniversary weekend in the slightly more rugby league-centric surroundings of Leeds on Sunday, it felt an appropriate time not only to look back, but forwards, too.Amid all of the missed opportunities – more on those later – and boardroom frustration that have often dominated the past 30 years in the competition since its seismic switch from winter rugby to summer, one thing Super League has almost always managed to count upon as a consistent force is the entertainment on the field.That was emphasised on Sunday at Headingley, one of the competition’s renowned amphitheatres, when Leeds Rhinos and Warrington Wolves served up a thrilling birthday present with a contender for the standout game of 2026 so far. It was Leeds who edged it, 26-22, just as they have so many times in the past three decades, but both will fancy their chances of silverware this year.Perhaps in a way it was fitting that it was two heartlands clubs who were around in 1996 that were the teams who took to the field on this significant anniversary

Andrew Bogut accused of body-shaming 36ers owner during NBL championship series

The Adelaide 36ers have lodged a formal complaint with the NBL over body-shaming comments allegedly made by Sydney Kings co-owner and assistant coach Andrew Bogut.In another twist to the bitter ongoing championship series, the Sixers on Monday accused former NBA player Bogut of making “persistent and repeated personal attacks” towards 36ers owner Grant Kelley.Reports emerged over the weekend that Bogut and Kelley had a heated exchange after Adelaide’s defeat of the Kings in game two of the championship series. Kelley claimed Bogut made comments about his weight in the tunnel, which Bogut later disputed.“Let’s just say I’m the size of Akebono the sumo wrestler, that’s my journey, that’s my issue,” Kelley told Code Sports on Sunday