Todays Sporting News – 16 September 2025

• Robert Zeglinski notes in For the Win that after the Eagles edged the Chiefs 20–17 in Sunday’s Super Bowl rematch, Kansas City’s Chris Jones tried to taunt Jalen Hurts over his passing stats — only for Hurts to remind him the Eagles still walked away with the win.
• An Independent Foul Play Review Committee (FPRC) convened to consider citing complaints issued against Axelle Berthoumieu (Law 9.12, biting) and Manae Feleu (Law 9.13, dangerous tackle) following France’s Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 quarter-final victory over Ireland in Exeter on 14 September.
• NFL teams honor Charlie Kirk’s legacy with pregame tributes, greeted by roaring applause.
• The Springboks’ impressive Wellington walloping of the All Blacks has shown the players that there are no barriers to their potential.
• Mondo Duplantis lit up the third night of the Tokyo world championships when he broke the pole vault world record for the 14th time with a jump of 6.30m.
• France loose forward Axelle Berthoumieu was handed an effective six-month ban for biting an Irish opponent Aoife Wafer at the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
• Kane Williamson will skip New Zealand’s series against Australia under the terms of his casual contract.
• The 2026 WPL will be preponed to January to avoid clashes with next year’s Men’s T20 World Cup in India.
• Cricket Australia believes that their domestic system will lose their best players unless they sell the Big Bash League to stay competitive as a franchise league.
• Athletics – At the World Athletics Championship in Tokyo, Sweden’s Mondo Duplantis broke the men’s pole vault world record for a 14th time in his career. Meanwhile, Tanzania’s Alphonce Simbu snatched gold in a dramatic photo-finish to the men’s marathon.
• Cycling – World Tour cycling teams may refuse to race against Israel-Premier Tech after the multiple protests during the Vuelta a España that exploded into street violence in Madrid on Sunday.
• Rugby – England’s world player of the year, Ellie Kildunne, is expected to be ready to play against France in the Women’s Rugby World Cup semi‑final on Saturday after missing the 40-8 quarter-final win against Scotland on Sunday.
• Last night in Tokyo, Kiwi athlete Geordie Beamish became the first ever New Zealander to win gold in a track event at the world championships. In the final metres of the men’s 3000m steeplechase, Beamish outsprinted defending champion Soufiane El Bakkali of Morocco to claim the historic title.
• Conor McGregor has officially dropped out of the running in Ireland’s presidential contest. The former MMA champion had announced his candidacy earlier this year, promising a shake-up of the political status quo. He needed the support of at least 20 members of the Irish Parliament to continue his campaign, which he failed to secure. A poll of 134 Irish politicians by Sky News in March found none of them would support his bid.
• Justin Holbrook has been appointed the new head coach of the Newcastle Knights, replacing Adam O’Brien after a challenging 2025 season, which saw the Knights finish last on the ladder.
• France will be without flanker Axelle Berthoumieu and captain Manaé Feleu for their semi-final clash with England at the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
• Lleyton Hewitt has claimed the video evidence used to suspend him after he pushed a 60-year-old anti-doping official was manipulated.
• On Sunday, Australia lost its tie against Belgium 3-2, with Aleksandar Vukic losing in three sets in the deciding singles match to Raphael Collignon. The result means Australia missed out on a place in the final eight of the Davis Cup for the first time since 2021.
• As an official licensee of the UEFA Champions League, Vodafone will launch the Champions Travel eSIM to deliver enhanced connectivity to football fans.
• Former Eskom CEO André de Ruyter says load-shedding has been suspended because three factors are working together to boost the power utility’s generating output and reduce demand on the grid.
• World Rugby has announced that former Ireland centre Lynne Cantwell and England prop Rochelle ‘Rocky’ Clark will be inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame during a special ceremony on 26 September at the Women’s Summit, held in London on the eve of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 final.
• he Rugby Championship is set for a hiatus next year and there remains uncertainty as to what will happen thereafter. In 2026, following the first tranche of the inaugural Nations Cup matches, New Zealand are set to tour South Africa in what is being billed as the Greatest Rivalry. Three Tests are expected – with a money-spinning fourth mooted for a neutral venue, possibly Twickenham – and a handful of tour matches involving club sides. The Greatest Rivalry has not been formally announced yet and though there is still scope for fixtures including all four nations, the Rugby Championship as we know it will be put on hold soon enough.
• among the most popular figures in the domestic game, worked wonders with Wasps and handled their demise with integrity. He rebuilt his career, first at the Scarlets then at Bath and after a secondment during the victorious summer tour of Argentina he thoroughly deserves his shot.
• Soccer players are lining up for a fiery kick – not on the pitch, but in the form of a searing shot of olive oil from Cyprus. The peppery, throat-burning liquid is part of a performance revolution driven by a small plant in Cyprus that produces early-harvest olive oil packed with inflammation-busting polyphenols.
• Georgia Tech Upsets #12 Clemson: Georgia Tech had plenty of preseason hype but never quite cracked the rankings – until now. The Yellow Jackets pulled off the upset over the No. 12 team with a last-second field goal, causing Clemson to tumble out of the top 25.
• Super Bowl LIX Rematch: Injuries didn’t slow the 49ers last weekend, but they caught up to Kansas City. The Chiefs dropped to 0-2 for the first time since 2014, falling to the Eagles in a Super Bowl LIX rematch. Philadelphia, meanwhile, looked every bit the defending champions, thanks to a defense that stole the show.
• Tazmin Brits: South Africa’s Brits qualified for the 2012 Olympics in javelin but just eight months before the Games, she was involved in a horrific car accident which resulted in her breaking her pelvis, dislocating her hip and bursting her bladder. Brits spent three months in hospital and had to learn how to walk again as she missed the London showpiece. In 2018, however, Brits represented her country on the cricket field as she made her debut in a T20 against Bangladesh. She has since gone on to become a two-time ICC Women’s T20 World Cup runner-up.
• Reynolds’ £33m gamble branded ‘nuts’ as Wrexham boss given stark warning.
• Sheffield Wednesday fan boycott continues with Grimsby to heavily outnumber home support.
• How Lampard can endear himself further to Coventry’s Sky Blue Army.
• Brady makes major U-turn after Birmingham and Raiders success.
• Sheffield United complete Wilder U-turn after Selles sacking.
• Stoke favourite reveals contract ‘option’ as deal ticks down.
• The Gstaad Yacht Club Centenary Trophy returns on Thursday, October 2 for its 14th edition, as part of the Voiles de Saint-Tropez. Nearly twenty centenarian yachts are expected to take part in this one-of-a-kind regatta, exclusively open to yachts that are over 100 years old – a true tribute to elegance.
• Ten children from a professional football academy in Gaza City have been killed in Israeli attacks.
• Pumas ace Tomás Albornoz will continue his career at Toulon in France. The Top 14 club will be home to the Argentine play-maker in a move that sees Albornoz joining from Benetton in Italy in 2026 and leaving the United Rugby Championship (URC) for the French elite. Details are still being finalized, but the player and club are in agreement: Albornoz will play for Toulon for at least two seasons, until June 2028 or later.
• Fiji showed their class with a dominant 63-10 win over Canada in Pacific Nations Cup action on Sunday. Played at the neutral venue of Denver, the result sends the Fijians into next week’s tournament final against Japan at Salt Lake City while the Canadians will square off against Tonga for third place.
• England winger Immanuel Feyi-Waboso is “touch and go” to make his return for Exeter in time for the start of the Premiership Rugby season.
• France back-row Axelle Berthoumieu has been banned for 12 matches for biting Ireland’s Aoife Wafer in Sunday’s World Cup quarter-final.
• The India A coach says Abhimanyu “stays very motivated to challenge himself,” as he has been on the fringes of Test cricket for years now.
• Matt Short also makes his return from injury ahead of Australia’s T20I tour of New Zealand.
• “We can pick a side capable of winning in most conditions,” says Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott ahead of game against Bangladesh.
• Australia A began their India tour on a blazing note as opener Sam Konstas smashed a spectacular century against India A in the first unofficial Test at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow on September 16, 2025.
• Mohammed Siraj has carved a special place for himself in Indian cricket with yet another remarkable achievement. The Hyderabad-born pacer, known for his fiery spells and never-say-die attitude, has earned global recognition after his stunning show against England at The Oval.
• he International Cricket Council (ICC) has turned down Pakistan Cricket Board‘s request to remove Andy Pycroft as match referee for the remainder of the Asia Cup 2025, despite fresh tensions following an on-field handshake controversy.
• Pakistan Women will begin their three-match ODI series against South Africa today (September 16) at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. The series is not just another bilateral assignment but a key opportunity for both sides to fine-tune their plans ahead of the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025.
• Following a dramatic turn of events, as per Cricbuzz reports, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has threatened to boycott their crucial Asia Cup 2025 match against the UAE in Dubai. This unprecedented move stems from a controversial handshake incident involving the Indian team and the actions of the match referee.
• UAE cricket had a night to remember in the Asia Cup 2025 as skipper Muhammad Waseem delivered a record-breaking performance against Oman. His innings not only powered his side to a convincing victory but also saw him surpass Indian legend Rohit Sharma.
• India‘s commanding seven-wicket victory over Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 has sparked widespread discussion not only for the dominant performance but also for the controversial post-match events that followed. Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar delivered a scathing assessment of Pakistan’s performance.
• The ACC Men’s T20 Asia Cup 2025 is heating up as Bangladesh and Afghanistan prepare to face off in the 9th Group B match at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on September 16.
• Cricket Australia chairman Mike Baird says any money generated from the partial sale of Big Bash clubs will be used to benefit cricket nationally.
• Aussie cricket legend Ricky Ponting is at the centre of a disturbing storm with thousands of abusive messages being purged.
• Pakistan: PCB has reportedly warned ICC that if their demands are not met, they could go to the extent of pulling out of the 2025 Asia Cup.
• Fleetwood Town defender James Bolton has been nominated for the League Two Community Champion award at the 2025 North West Football Awards.
• Kansas State football’s first four weeks have been painful, but the weeks ahead could twist the knife even further.
• Oklahoma will play its first Southeastern Conference game Saturday when it hosts Auburn at Gaylord Family–Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
• Amazon will this week debut a new feed for live football matches featuring augmented reality data graphics and real-time tactical analysis.
• Norwegian star Viktor Hovland is set to tee it up in South Africa for the first time when he makes his Nedbank Golf Challenge debut.
• Augustana hockey announced its 2025-26 leadership group on Monday night in front of its founding partners in Midco Arena.
• The New Jersey Athletic Conference announced its field hockey weekly honors for the week ending Sept. 14.
• Pili Lemoine , a member of the field hockey team, tallied two goals and an assist in Drexel’s 5-0 victory over Rider at Buckley Field.
• World Rugby has confirmed that Aimee Barrett-Theron (South Africa) and Maggie Cogger-Orr (New Zealand) will take charge of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 semi-finals this weekend.
• Niagara surrenders two first half goals with an attempted comeback fell short 2-0 against Fairfield at Lessing Field in Fairfield, C.T.
• UNC Asheville Women’s Soccer fell to Davidson on Sunday (Sept. 14) in a close 1-0 match on Senior Day at Greenwood Field.
• UMBC dropped its first game of the season as they fell to the Old Dominion Monarchs, 1-0, on Friday evening at Retriever Soccer Park.
• Former world champion Ricky Hatton has died at the age of 46. Nicknamed ‘the Hitman’, he won world titles at light-welterweight and welterweight and was one of Britain’s most popular fighters. His body was found at his home in Manchester on Sunday.
• Goal-shooter Lucy Austin is a shock selection in the Australian netball squad to face South Africa, winning a place after initially being included as an “invitee” to their training camp.
• Outside back Mererangi Paul has joined the Black Ferns squad ahead of the Women’s Rugby World Cup semifinal as an injury replacement for Amy du Plessis.
• Kenneth Bednarek of the United States and Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson topped the men’s 100m semifinals at the World Athletics Championships on Sunday.
• The Origin Australian Diamonds have announced their line-ups for October’s back-to-back test series against South Africa and New Zealand.
• After nice days of waves at La Bocana, two finalists emerged victorious at the ISA World Surfing Games. Dane Henry of Australia and Janire Gonzalez-Etxabarri of Spain won the men’s and women’s individual gold medals, respectively.
• Fiji’s famous Cloudbreak was the stage for this year’s World Surf League Finals, where huge swells and passionate crowds delivered drama, delight and two new world champions.
• The Bryant University men’s tennis team began their fall season this past weekend at the Dartmouth Invite.
• The Saint Francis men’s tennis team continued its 2025-26 season at the Bloomburg Dynamic Duos Tournament over the weekend.
• The Holy Cross men’s tennis program began their 2025-26 season at the Army Fall Opener in West Point, N.Y. this past weekend.
• Heartbreak for Lleyton Hewitt as selection gamble backfires in four-year low for Aussie tennis.
• World Rugby has announced that former Ireland centre Lynne Cantwell and England prop Rochelle ‘Rocky’ Clark will be inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame during a special ceremony on 26 September at the Women’s Summit, held in London on the eve of the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 final.
• Ahead of the start of the BKT United Rugby Championship season, Leinster Men’s head coach Leo Cullen has confirmed a number of changes to his backroom team and new contracts for his senior coaches.
• Emotions ran high in the wake of Ireland’s dramatic loss to France in Exeter on Sunday afternoon but there was also plenty for the players to be proud of as the players have inspired a groundswell of support.
• Argentina have received a major boost ahead of their Rugby Championship Test against the Springboks in Durban. Flyhalf Tomas Albornoz has been declared fit and is back in the Argentina squad after missing the double-header against the Wallabies. The 27-year-old dislocated a finger in that epic win over the All Blacks in Buenos Aires last month.
• Griquas coach Pieter Bergh is confident his side know exactly how to topple the marauding Lions in Saturday’s Currie Cup final.
• Sonny Bill Williams has warned the Wallabies to brace for a fierce All Blacks backlash in their Bledisloe Cup opener at Eden Park. New Zealand are still reeling from their record defeat to the Springboks in Wellington, while Australia top the Rugby Championship table by a point with two rounds to play.
• Stormers coach John Dobson says he is pleased with his team’s pre-season preparations ahead of the new Vodacom United Rugby Championship campaign.
• John Kirwan says the All Blacks’ record defeat to the Springboks was the reality check Scott Robertson’s team required. New Zealand slumped to the heaviest defeat in their history when they were thrashed 43-10 by the Springboks in Wellington on Saturday and dropped to No 3 in the World Rugby rankings.
• The All Blacks’ crisis at scrumhalf has deepened with Noah Hotham ruled out for the remainder of the Rugby Championship.
• Edinburgh’s preparations for the new Vodacom URC season have been hit hard, with two new signings sustaining serious injuries in a pre-season friendly against Ulster. Scottish-qualified prop Rhys Litterick, who joined from Cardiff, ruptured his Achilles tendon in the first quarter in Belfast. The 26-year-old tighthead faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines, though the club is still awaiting a full prognosis. Centre Charlie McCaig, recruited from the Exeter Chiefs, also suffered a knee injury on his debut. Edinburgh were already without Mosese Tuipulotu until December after knee surgery, further depleting their midfield options.
• Victor Matfield believes lock RG Snyman should spend more time on the field for the Springboks. Snyman was thrust into action in the ninth minute of the Rugby Championship match in Wellington on Saturday when Lood de Jager went off injured, and made a major impact.
• Twelve teams from seven nations will compete in the 2025 Women’s Match Racing World Championship on September 17-20 in Chicago, IL Using the 28-foot Tom28, a round-robin series will advance the top eight teams to the knock-out rounds to determine the champion.
• When the 2025 Fireball World Championship was held at Italy’s Lake Garda, it marked the largest participation ever recorded outside the Anglo-Saxon countries in the 60-year history of the class.
• Paul Meilhat’s French-flagged IMOCA Biotherm has won the fifth and final stage of The Ocean Race Europe 2025 – the 1,600-nautical mile leg from Genova, Italy to Boka Bay in Montenegro – and in doing so has confirmed the overall win in the five-week, 4,500-nm race around Europe.

TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY:

1885 — The America’s Cup is successfully defended by U.S. yacht Puritan as it beats Britain’s Genesta in two heats.

1926 — Henri Cochet ends Bill Tilden’s six-year reign as the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association champion as he beats Tilden in the quarterfinals.

1927 — Rene Lacoste wins the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association championship, beating Bill Tilden in three sets.

1951 — Betsy Rawls wins the U.S. Women’s Open golf title by edging Louise Suggs.

1955 — The formation of the United States Auto Club is completed and will oversee four major categories of auto races.

1973 — O.J. Simpson rushes for 250 yards to lead the Buffalo Bills to a 31-13 victory over the New England Patriots.

1989 — No. 1 Notre Dame beats No. 2 Michigan 24-19 in Ann Arbor, Mich. Fighting Irish wide receiver Raghib Ismail steals the show by returning kickoffs 88 and 92 yards for touchdowns. It’s the second time Ismail has two kickoff returns for touchdowns in the same game, accomplishing the feat against Rice in 1988.

2000 — Zippy Chippy, a 9-year-old gelding, finishes third in the eighth race at the Three-County Fair in Northampton, Mass., extending his record as the losingest horse in American thoroughbred history to 88 races.

2001 — Jason Bohn shoots a 13-under 58 at Huron Oaks Country Club to win the Canadian Tour’s Bayer Championship by two strokes and go one below the best round ever shot in PGA Tour-sanctioned competition.

2007 — Bengals QB Carson Palmer passes for six TDs and the Browns’ Derek Anderson has five in Cleveland’s 51-45 win over Cincinnati, making it just the third time in NFL history that two QBs threw five TD passes apiece in the same game.

2010 — The Seattle Storm complete their undefeated march through the postseason, beating the Atlanta Dream 87-84 for a three-game sweep in the WNBA finals.

2012 — Eli Manning completes 31 of 51 passes for 510 yards — the second-best passing day in team history — with three touchdown passes and three interceptions as the New York Giants rally for a 41-34 win over Tampa Bay.

2012 — NHL locks out its players after the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement.

2017 — In front of the largest crowd to attend a stand-alone MLS match, Josef Martinez gets his second hat trick in a row and his third of the season to help Atlanta United hold on for a 3-3 draw against Orlando City. Atlanta United sets the record with 70,425 on hand at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

2018 — Scott Dixon has a steady drive to win his fifth IndyCar championship with ease. Dixon, needing an uneventful finale at Sonoma Raceway, finishes second behind winner Ryan Hunter-Reay. His fifth title moves him into second in IndyCar history, two behind A.J. Foyt.

2018 — Patrick Mahomes is 23 for 28 for 326 yards and six touchdown passes in Kansas City’s 42-37 win over Pittsburgh. His 10 touchdown passes through two weeks are the most by a quarterback through two games in NFL history.

TODAY IN BASEBALL HISTORY:

1914 — Roger Peckinpaugh, at 23, was hired to finish the season as manager of the New York Yankees.

1924 — Jim Bottomley went 6-for-6 and batted in a record 12 runs as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Brooklyn Dodgers 17-3. His hits included two home runs.

1926 — The St. Louis Cardinals beat the Philadelphia Phillies 23-3 at the Baker Bowl. The Cardinals scored 12 runs in the third inning to set a franchise record.

1939 — The New York Yankees clinched their fourth successive pennant with a win over Detroit. It was the 11th pennant overall.

1957 — The Los Angeles City Council approved a 300-acre site in Chavez Ravine for a ballpark for the Dodgers. The club’s obligation was to finance a public recreation area.

1960 — Warren Spahn, 39, pitched a no-hitter and set an all-time Braves record with 15 strikeouts. Milwaukee beat the Philadelphia Phillies 4-0.

1965 — Dave Morehead of the Boston Red Sox pitched a 2-0 no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians at Fenway Park. Morehead walked one batter and struck out.

1975 — The Pittsburgh Pirates routed the Chicago Cubs in Wrigley Field 22-0. It was the most one-sided shutout since 1900. Pittsburgh’s Rennie Stennett tied a major league mark established in 1892 going 7-for-7 in a nine-inning game. The Pirates’ second baseman got two hits in one inning twice (in the first and fifth innings.

1988 — Cincinnati’s Tom Browning pitched a perfect game as the Reds beat the Dodgers 1-0. Browning struck out eight and only eight balls were hit out of the infield.

1993 — Dave Winfield of the Minnesota Twins became the 19th player in major league history to get 3,000 hits. Winfield singled off Oakland’s Dennis Eckersley in a 5-1 win at home.

1996 — Minnesota’s Paul Molitor got his 3,000th career hit, becoming the 21st major leaguer to reach the mark, in a 6-5 loss to the Kansas City Royals.

1997 — Philadelphia’s Curt Schilling struck out nine in the Phillies win over the New York Mets to become the 13th pitcher since 1900 with 300 strikeouts in a season.

2000 — Chicago’s Sammy Sosa became the third player to hit 50 home runs in three different seasons, joining Babe Ruth and Mark McGwire. Sosa homered in the Cubs’ 7-6 loss to St. Louis, joining McGwire as the only players to hit 50 in three straight years.

2006 — Washington’s Alfonso Soriano became the fourth player in major league history to record 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a season in an 8-4 win over Milwaukee. Soriano when he swiped second base, his 40th stolen base, to go along with 45 home runs.

2006 — Chone Figgins hit for the cycle in the Angels’ 12-6 loss to the Texas Rangers.

2007 — Jim Thome became the 23rd player — and third this season — to reach 500 home runs. The slugger hit a two-run shot in the bottom of the ninth inning off reliever Dustin Moseley to give the Chicago White Sox a 9-7 victory over the Angels.

2014 — Jake Arrieta took a no-hit bid into the eighth inning before giving up Brandon Phillips’ one-out double, the only blemish for the Chicago Cubs pitcher in a 7-0 win over Cincinnati. Arrieta struck out 13 and walked one in his first career complete game.