Todays Sporting News – 15 September 2025

• Jade Konkel says Scotland women had “no help” from Scottish Rugby throughout their World Cup campaign.
• On a wet and windy day in Bristol, England played the percentages against Scotland and earned their reward – a spot in the Rugby World Cup semi-finals.
• Bryan Easson believes his side’s performances at the Women’s Rugby World Cup have warranted every member of the squad to be given a renewal on their international contracts, with only fifteen players currently set to receive a new deal following Scotland’s elimination from the tournament after a 40-8 defeat to England in the quarter-finals.
• England head coach John Mitchell praises the pressure his side were able to put on Scotland in “challenging” weather conditions, but believes they have another gear they can go to following the Red Roses’ 40-8 win Scotland in the quarter-finals of the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
• Owen Farrell has been left out of Steve Borthwick’s 36-man England training squad for the Autumn Nations Series, despite returning to Saracens and playing for the British & Irish Lions this year. The former England captain stepped away from Test rugby after the 2023 World Cup to prioritise his mental health, before a stint at Racing 92 made him ineligible under RFU rules. But his June move back to Saracens, followed by a call-up to the Lions tour as injury cover, reignited speculation that he could add to his 112 caps.
• Fiji and Japan will meet in a repeat of last year’s Pacific Nations Cup final after both powered through their semi-finals in the USA on Sunday.
• An alleged bite from France’s Axelle Berthoumieu on Ireland’s Aoife Wafer went unpunished in Sunday’s Women’s World Cup quarter-final. Wafer’s protests to South African referee Aimee Barrett-Theron went unheeded, and the TMO also chose not to intervene. France went on to win 18-13.
• Nick Mallett has praised Manie Libbok for his performance off the bench in the Springboks’ record-breaking 43-10 victory over the All Blacks in Wellington. The Boks bounced back from a 24-17 defeat at Eden Park with a stunning win at the Cake Tin, handing New Zealand the heaviest defeat in their history. Trailing 10-7 at half time, the world champions scored 36 unanswered points in the second half to secure a bonus-point victory that blew the Rugby Championship title race wide open.
• Vodacom Bulls coach Johan Ackermann hopes to welcome a Springbok forward back from injury during the opening two rounds of the URC. Gerhard Steenekamp has been sidelined with a knee injury since last November, when he earned his 11th Test cap off the bench against Wales in Cardiff. The 28-year-old was unavailable for Bok selection this season but could feature for the Bulls as early as their opening URC clash against the Ospreys in Pretoria on 27 September.
• Scott Bemand said he is incredibly proud of the Ireland squad after today’s heartbreaking defeat to France in the Quarter Final of the Women’s Rugby World Cup in Exeter today. France went into the game 20 point favourites but Ireland defied the odds and the conditions to dominate the first half and take the match.
• History will be made next May as the Ireland Women’s National Team run out at Aviva Stadium for the first standalone Guinness Women’s Six Nations fixture at the Home of Irish Rugby. In a blockbuster Round 5 finale, Scott Bemand‘s Ireland will host Scotland on Sunday, 17 May, 2026 (Kick-off 2.30pm)
• The USA put their frustrations behind them with a 29-13 win over Samoa on Sunday to claim their spot at Australia 2027. Three late tries saw the Eagles pull away to finish 5th in the Pacific Nations Cup and put them back in the World Cup after missing out on the flagship tournament in 2023.
• Canada have booked their place in the World Cup Semi Final after a convincing victory over Australia at Ashton Gate on Saturday. The Maple Leafs scored seven tries as they outclassed the Wallaroos by a final score of 46-5, in doing so earning a shot at the defending champions next weekend.
• In a turn of events that has overshadowed their dominant seven-wicket victory, the Indian cricket team’s refusal to engage in the customary post-match handshake with Pakistan has sparked a major controversy.
• Sri Lanka will head into their second Group B fixture of the Asia Cup 2025 with plenty of confidence after a convincing win over Bangladesh in their tournament opener. The defending champions looked sharp with both bat and ball, showcasing their depth and experience.
• India registered a commanding win over arch-rivals Pakistan in their Group A clash of Asia Cup 2025. India cruise to comfortable win over Pakistan in Group A clash Chasing a modest target of 128, India secured victory by seven wickets with 25 balls remaining, showcasing dominance in all departments.
• The Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL) 2025 witnessed yet another gripping contest as Barbados Royals (BR) edged past Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) by just 3 runs in a last-over thriller at the Providence Stadium.
• On the grand stage of the Asia Cup 2025, two of Associate cricket’s most formidable teams, the UAE and Oman, are set to renew their fierce rivalry. The match, scheduled for Monday, September 15, at the iconic Dubai International Cricket Stadium, is a high-stakes affair for both sides.
• Pakistan coach feels they have “lost a bit of momentum” at the top after they were reduced to 83 for 7 against India.
• India dominated from start to finish to extend their dominance over Pakistan to 11-3 in T20Is.
• Williamson, Devon Conway, Finn Allen, Lockie Ferguson and Tim Seifert sign casual playing agreements with NZC for 2025-26.
• After four stunning quarter-finals played in Exeter and Bristol, the top four sides in the World Rugby Women’s Rankings – England, Canada, New Zealand and France – will contest the semi-finals of Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025. In the first of the semi-finals, both of which will be played at Bristol’s Ashton Gate, defending champions and world number three side New Zealand will take on world number two Canada at 19.00 local UK time on Friday, 19 September. In the second semi-final, host nation and world number one side England will take on France at 15.30 on Saturday, 20 September.
• France’s Axelle Berthoumieu and Manaé Feleu will have cases reviewed by an independent Foul Play Review Committee on Monday, 15 September following two separate citings arising from the France v Ireland at Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 Quarter-Final in Exeter on 14 September.
• USA have secured qualification for Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027 after defeating Samoa 29-13 in the fifth-place play-off of the Asahi Super Dry Pacific Nations Cup 2025 on Sunday, 14 September, in Denver, Colorado. The result confirms the Eagles’ return to rugby’s biggest stage after missing out on Rugby World Cup 2023 in France.
• Mohamed Salah’s stoppage-time penalty ensured that Liverpool maintained their winning start to the Premier League season with a 1-0 victory at promoted side Burnley.
• American Melissa Jefferson-Wooden capped a dominant season by winning the women’s 100m world title in 10.61 seconds. Oblique Seville scorched to the 100m gold in a personal best 9.77 seconds, leading a Jamaican 1-2 ahead of Kishane Thompson.
• The Telegraph reports that a senior figure in English cricket was brought in for questioning by the police for spiking drinks and assaulting women.
• Andhra Pradesh have appointed Gary Stead as coach, while Sourav Ganguly is in line to take over as Bengal’s president again now that his conflicts of interest have been outlawed.
• Simon Taufel has begun a role to help professionalise Bangladesh’s umpires.
• Football – Erling Haaland scored twice in City’s comfortable 3-0 win over United in the Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium.
• Rugby – England’s Red Roses broke their own world record of consecutive wins with a 40-8 victory against Scotland to set up a World Cup semi-final against France.
• Boxing – Terence Crawford defeats Canelo Álvarez to win undisputed super middleweight championship.
• American Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Jamaican Oblique Seville win women’s and men’s 100-meter titles at Track and Field World Championships.
• Terence Crawford beats Canelo Alvarez to become first male boxer to be undisputed world champion in three weight classes.
• Ricky Hatton, British former world champion boxer, dies at age 46.
• Mohammed Siraj of India and Orla Prendergast of Ireland were on Monday named as the ICC Players of the Month for August after playing stellar roles in their teams’ memorable victories over the month.
• The 2025 South African Rally-Raid Championship (SARRC) reaches its halfway point as teams gear up for the Outeniqua 400, the pivotal fourth round of the season. Taking place from 19-20 September at the brand-new Louvain Guest Farm, located between George and Uniondale in the scenic Western Cape, the new venue promises demanding mountainous terrain and fresh challenges.
• Andy Carroll suffers nightmare first start on English football return.
• Ryan Reynolds’ gesture to 13-year-old girl battling aggressive cancer sums him up.
• Chris Davies’ transfer admission and rotation highlights Birmingham City issue.
• Crystal Palace winger Jesurun Rak-Sakyi was a late transfer target for Coventry City.
• Coventry City transfer target that got away finally makes move.
• Samoa’s Tuna Tuitama and Fiji’s Mesake Doge will have their cases reviewed by an independent Foul Play Review Committee on Monday, 15 September following the red cards issued on 14 September.
• Cal Raleigh tied Mickey Mantle’s season record for most home runs by a switch hitter with his 54th, and the Seattle Mariners extended their winning streak to nine by routing the Angels 11-2 Sunday to take sole possession of the AL West lead for the first time since June.
• Utility backline player Byrhandré Dolf topped the points charts for the Springbok Women at the conclusion of their 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup campaign and spearheaded a number of records achieved by the team in their best ever performance at the global tournament. The Bok Women have moved to an all-time high of 10th position on the World Rugby rankings, and beat Italy for the first time in their history, qualifying for their first RWC quarter-final.
• Springbok Women arrival information: The Springbok Women will arrive in South Africa on five different flights on Tuesday and Wednesday from the Women’s Rugby World Cup in England, where they played in the quarter-finals for the first time. From their arrival in Johannesburg, the players and management will depart to their home destinations. Two groups will arrive at approximately 07h00 and 09h35 at OR Tambo International Airport on Tuesday morning, and a group will arrive at approximately 14h30 at Cape Town International Airport. Wednesday’s flights are scheduled to arrive in Johannesburg 07h00, 09h35 and 10h20.
• For the first time ever, SA Rugby has announced an Under-16 Elite Player Development squad for girls, joining the boys from the same age group for a camp in Paarl early next month, in what is another huge boost for the local women’s game. The two EPD squads follow a comprehensive talent identification process during the recently held FNB Grant Khomo and FNB Girls Week for U16s in Pretoria and Johannesburg, with the groups ultimately forming the bedrock of the national pathway process for these promising players.
• Erling Haaland has shown off a bizarre personalised calendar where the Manchester City star can be seen holding a gun, while riding a motorcycle with a mystery woman. The Snapchat story also featured internet sensation Hasbulla Magomedov with Ronaldo Nazario’s famous haircut. Haaland is currently high on confidence after scoring five goals in Norway’s 11-1 thumping of Moldova in their latest round of World Cup qualifiers.
• South African-born France lock Paul Willemse has announced his immediate retirement after struggling with head injuries. The 32-year-old was raised in Pretoria, where he came through the ranks at the Lions and the Bulls before moving to France in 2014.
• Bordeaux Begles’ heavy-hitting prop Carlu Sadie got on the scoresheet as South Africa’s foreign legion impressed in the second round of the Top 14. Former Western Province hooker Ru-Hann Greyling packed down for newly promoted Montauban in their 25-18 defeat to Lyon, while 28-year-old lock Janse Roux started for Lyon.
• Cheslin Kolbe says the Springboks’ youthful backline showed against the All Blacks in Wellington on Saturday that they “mean business”. The winger scored two of the Boks’ six tries in a 43-10 demolition of the All Blacks – South Africa’s biggest win in the rivalry – and praised the composure of his new-look teammates.
• New Zealand rugby greats say the All Blacks’ record defeat to the Springboks has left the country questioning its identity and direction.
• Boland Cavaliers coach Hawies Fourie says while it’s disappointing their campaign has ended, they’ve already taken lessons they can build on for next year’s Currie Cup. The Cavaliers were mauled 67-19 by the URC-laden Lions at Ellis Park in the first semi-final on Saturday, which closed the curtain on a dream run in their first campaign back in the top flight.
• India‘s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav marked his 35th birthday in the most memorable way possible by leading his team to a commanding seven-wicket victory over Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday September 14.
• Pakistan Women host South Africa Women in a three-match ODI series beginning September 16, 2025, at the iconic Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. All three fixtures will be played at the same venue.
• The Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2025 witnessed a fiery display of pace bowling when Guyana Amazon Warriors speedster Shamar Joseph sent Rassie van der Dussen‘s stumps flying with a near-unplayable delivery. The dismissal became one of the highlights of the tournament.
• Ruben Amorim revealed his understanding of the “frustration” felt by fans following Manchester United’s 3-0 defeat to local rivals City. Phil Foden opened the scoring in the first half, when he latched onto a Jeremy Doku cross.
• With the CT taking a break until April 2026, surf fans are going to need to find a new hobby or get passionate about pro surfing on a more grassroots level. Enter the ISA World Surfing Games.
• The Black Ferns are set to announce 14-Test wing Mererangi Paul as the injury replacement for Amy Du’Plessis at the Women’s Rugby World Cup in the UK.
• Vanderbilt Football (3-0) was ranked at No. 20 in the AP Top 25 Poll and No. 23 in the USA Today Coaches Poll this afternoon.
• Virginia Tech has fired football coach Brent Pry in the wake of the Hokies’ 0-3 start to the 2025 season.
• UCLA has fired football coach DeShaun Foster in the wake of a 35-10 loss to New Mexico that sent the Bruins to 0-3 on the season.
• Israeli referee Sapir Berman, 31, is the first transgender woman to judge an international soccer match.
• A hockey game involving 374 people was held to raise funds for childhood cancer in honour of Eliza Reynolds, who died in March.
• Indian women’s hockey team suffered a huge heartbreak in the final of the Women’s Hockey Asia Cup 2025, losing to hosts China.
• In the third overtime game in two weeks, the Hofstra field hockey team picked up the 2-1 win over visiting Villanova.
• Knysna Yacht Club (KYC) marked a strong return to the Lipton Challenge Cup, South Africa’s premier sailing regatta, securing seventh place.
• Day two of the ROCKWOOL France Sail Grand Prix in Saint-Tropez was cancelled due to forecast thunderstorms expected to impact the area during the scheduled racing.
• Monday 8th September saw the first ever Regatta for Radio Controlled Yachts, on Emsworth Millpond. Ten DF-95 yachts raced in near perfect conditions, sunny and a good breeze, with the occasional big gusts which knocked some down like skittles.
• Paul Meilhat and his crew on Biotherm are the runaway winners of the second edition of The Ocean Race Europe after adding their fourth leg win in five starts early this morning.
• The Holcim-PRB crew claimed an outstanding second place on the fifth and final leg of The Ocean Race Europe, navigating a course full of twists and turns.
• After a tight battle for the podium on the fifth and final stage of The Ocean Race Europe 2025, Team Malizia crossed the finish line in Boka Bay, Montenegro, early this morning to claim third place and five points.
• With a three-hour-long Bay Tour race as the final test for competitors, the 61st edition of the Rolex Big Boat Series hosted by St. Francis Yacht Club came to a stunning close on Sunday afternoon.
• ever, in all of history, have so many OK Dinghies gathered in one place at the same time and gone sailing. On Sunday, at Lake Garda, for the first time ever, more than 200 OK Dinghy sailors took to the water for the practice race.
• The Windsurfer Class European Championship 2025 came to a close on Sunday, 14 September at the Centro Velico Punta Ala. This edition saw over 180 competitors from 16 countries battling it out over five days of racing.
• The GLOBE40 competitors regretfully left Cadiz, which gave the race an unforgettable welcome; but enthusiasm also prevails among the crews before tackling this first official leg of the race towards the city of Mindelo on the island of Sao Vicente.
• The Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) will host the second edition of the Offshore Double Handed World Championship, with racing on September 23-October 1 from Cowes, Isle of Wight. After an application process, 22 teams from six continents were selected for the world title.
• After three days of short course races, the 61st edition of the Rolex Big Boat Series concluded as it always does with a long Bay Tour race as the final test for competitors, hosted by St. Francis Yacht Club on September 11-14. The skippers at the top of the podium in the J/105 and ORC B classes were awarded coveted Rolex Submariner Date watches. Bruce Stone and Nicole Breault’s Arbitrage came away victorious among the J/105s, the regatta’s largest class with 27 boats, and Peter Wagner’s J/111 Skeleton Key was the victor in the ORC B division.
• The ninth edition of the Rolex New York Yacht Club Invitational Cup saw San Diego Yacht Club as repeat champions, topping 19 other amateur teams on September 9-13 in Newport, RI. But after leading each day, and building a 17-point lead after three days, their experience in the IC37s was put to the test on the final two days.
• The AC75 Class Rules and Technical Regulations have been confirmed for the 38th America’s Cup to be held in the spring and summer of 2027 in Naples, Italy. With a focus on cost containment, these documents follow the release of the Protocol on August 12. 2025.
• The second edition of the Globe40 round the world race had eight doublehanded Class40 teams complete the prologue from Lorient, France to Cadiz, Spain. The 2025-26 course has six more legs, with the first leg to start September 14 and set a 1540nm course from Cadiz to the Cape Verde Islands. All races count towards the overall results, with the final leg concluding April 2026 in Lorient.
• When the nomination period closes for the 2025 World Sailing Awards on September 30, 2025, an international panel will review all entries and select shortlists for each award. The shortlists will be announced on October 16, 2025, with the winners decided by the combined verdicts of a public vote and the judging panel.
• The Swiss team which developed the SP80 kiteboat to break the world speed record is hitting the pause button. After two years of fine-tuning in Leucate (France), the weather conditions in 2025 did not allow the record to be broken during their first official record campaign. The plan now is to attain additional investment and continue September 2026 in Walvis Bay, Namibia, which is the notable venue where the record they are seeking to beat – 65.45 knots averaged on a 500-meter course – was established.

TODAY IN SPORTS:

1899 — Willie Smith wins the U.S. Open golf title, beating George low, Val Fitzjohn and W.H. Way.

1923 — Bill Tilden wins the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association championship, beating William Johnston in straight sets, 6-4, 6-1, 6-4.

1962 — Frank Tripucka of the Denver Broncos passes for 447 yards and two touchdowns in a 23-20 win over the Buffalo Bills.

1971 — Stan Smith wins the U.S. Open title over Jan Khodes and Billie Jean King beats Rosemary Casals for the women’s title. It’s the first time in 16 years both titles were won by U.S. players.

1973 — Three-year-old Secretariat wins the Marlboro Cup Invitational Handicap in the then-world record time of 1:45 2-5 for 11/8 miles.

1973 — Archie Griffin of Ohio State starts his NCAA record string of 31 games of rushing for at least 100 yards, leading the Buckeyes to a 56-7 rout of Minnesota in Columbus.

1978 — Muhammad Ali becomes the first three-time heavyweight champion with a unanimous 15-round decision over Leon Spinks at the Superdome in New Orleans.

1991 — The United States women’s gymnastics team makes history with its first team medal — a silver — at the World Championships in Indianapolis.

1995 — Cards shortstop Ozzie Smith sets record of 1,554 double plays.

2002 — Sam Hornish Jr. wins another incredible race at Texas Motor Speedway, and his second straight IRL title. Hornish side-by-side with Helio Castroneves for many of the last 25 laps in the season-ending Chevy 500, crosses the finish line 0.0096 seconds — only a few inches — ahead of the other driver in contention for the season championship. Hornish wins his IRL-record fifth race of the season and becomes the first driver to win two IRL championships.

2002 — Oakland quarterback Rich Gannon begins NFL record-tying (Kurt Warner, Steve Young) streak of 6 consecutive 300-yard passing games, throwing for 403 yards in Raiders’ 30-17 victory at Pittsburgh.

2004 — NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announces a lockout of the players union and cessation of operations by the NHL head office.

2012 — LSU beats Idaho 63-14 to give the Tigers an NCAA FBS record 40th-straight non-conference regular season victory. LSU also set a Tiger Stadium mark with 20 straight home wins. Kansas State had 39 straight non-conference regular-season wins from 1993-2003.

2013 — Philip Rivers is 36 of 47 for 419 yards and three touchdown passes to Eddie Royal to lead San Diego to a 33-30 victory at Philadelphia. Michael Vick of the Eagles passes for a career-best 428 yards and two touchdowns and runs for a score.

2017 — The Cleveland has its AL record run stopped at 22 straight games as the Indians are beaten 4-3 by the Kansas City Royals.

2018 — Zlatan Ibrahimovic scores his 500th worldwide goal in the Los Angeles Galaxy’s 5-3 loss to Toronto FC. The 36-year-old Swede joins Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the only active players with 500 goals for in club and international play.

2021 — US gymnasts, including Simone Biles, testify against former team doctor Larry Nassar at a Senate Committee hearing, criticizing a system that allowed it to happen.

2022 — Tennis great Roger Federer announces his retirement from professional tennis at 41 with 20 grand slam wins and 103 ATP titles.