Female athletes’ fertility is still a blind spot | Letter

As you report, changes to insurance cover for female athletes following the Carney review are welcome (Landmark changes to insurance cover for female athletes to be implemented, 30 March). Addressing contraception, pregnancy, menopause and other health conditions disproportionately affecting women is long overdue.Yet one crucial blind spot remains: fertility. Elite athletes push their bodies to extremes, often with low body fat and intense training, which can disrupt hormones and menstrual cycles. Nearly two-thirds experience irregular or absent periods, which can affect fertility

Rayasi hat-trick inspires nine-try Bordeaux in crushing win against Leicester

Even at full-strength, Leicester would have struggled against the most potent attack in Europe. But without a string of first-choice forwards – including Ollie Chessum, Joe Heyes, Tommy Reffell and Nicky Smith – the result at a sun-drenched Stade Chaban-Delmas was never in doubt.So it proved as Bordeaux Bégles tore their English guests to shreds, scoring nine tries to underline their status as continental champions with a 64-14 win. A quarter-final against their domestic rivals, Toulouse, will be required viewing next weekend.It took a while for the floodgates to open

‘It can be overwhelming’: Talia Gibson on her rapid rise and going toe-to-toe with the big hitters | Jack Snape

She is the little-known Australian who has the tennis world talking, with the power to go toe-to-toe with the biggest hitters in the game.Talia Gibson became the youngest player in seven years to reach a quarter-final in her debut at one of the not-quite-grand-slam tournaments – known as WTA 1000s – last month, as part of an eye-catching run during which she beat five top 20-ranked players.Despite her coaches spending years reminding her of her immense potential, the admittedly shy 21-year-old agrees she is only now beginning to believe.“Something that I’ve reflected on the most was how much more belief I think I should have had in myself,” she says, speaking from her home town of Perth before the Billie Jean King Cup tie in Melbourne against Great Britain which starts on Friday.At Indian Wells at the start of March, she won through qualifying then reeled off victories against Ekaterina Alexandrova (ranked 11), Clara Tauson (17) and Jasmine Paolini (7) before losing against the world No 14 Linda Noskova in three sets

Tradition, trepidation and that Augusta ‘thing’ – why the Masters remains golf’s greatest prize

They say the Masters is all about tradition. One involves the sense of trepidation that collides with excitement as the finest golfers in the world take to Augusta National. Rory McIlroy, now a Masters champion, was scared to take a divot when first taking to the Georgia venue. “For my first two or three times, it kind of felt like I was in a museum,” says Xander Schauffele.Some visibly wilt under an intimidation provided by a course that is picture perfect

County cricket day two: Anderson rolls back the years with five-fer for Lancashire

Storm Dave’s approach brought with it a gusty wind that swirled across the vast expanse of Grace Road, forcing players’ hands into pockets and the owners of an elderly labrador to swap ends to keep their faithful hound warm. But the weather didn’t put off Ollie Robinson or Henry Crocombe, who both took five wickets on another long day for Leicestershire.Robinson, whose farmhand run-up disguises his skills, grabbed five for 42 and there was a career-best five for 33 for Crocombe, who found impressive bounce and nip from the surface. The watching England and Wales Cricket Board scout will have had plenty to note down. Jake Weatherald (83) was the stand-out batter for Leicestershire, all nut-brown arms and interesting angles

Henry Arundell inspires Bath to come-from-behind win over Saracens

Henry Arundell’s two tries helped Bath to a tight victory over Saracens as they squeezed their way into the quarter-finals of the Champions Cup. The English champions trailed 10-0 at the break against a Sarries side unrecognisable from the one crushed here in the Prem, but the introduction of their heavyweight bench, with Thomas du Toit to the fore and man of the match, turned the contest.The game, in which the referee, Nika Amashukeli, was replaced at half-time for Ben Connor after coming off second-best in a collision with the Bath back-row Josh Bayliss, went down to the wire and a late try from Noah Caluori set up a nervy finish. But Arundell’s second with the final play settled the outcome for a relieved Bath and booked a last-eight tie at home to Northampton on Friday night.“Sometimes in knockout rugby, you just need to get the job done