SuperNewsAffiliate

A new era for England Rugby League Brian McDermott will lead his country into this autumn’s Rugby League World Cup after being appointed head coach Author | Michael Haldsworth The 56-year-old enjoyed a decorated spell with Leeds Rhinos, winning four Super League Grand Finals, two Challenge Cups, the World Club Challenge and the League Leaders’ Shield across eight seasons. He succeeds Shaun Wane, who stepped down in January. McDermott, currently part of the coaching staff at Gold Coast Titans, will take on the England role on a part-time basis, unlike his predecessor who worked full-time. The Rugby Football League selected the Yorkshireman from a five-man shortlist that included Brad Arthur, Sam Burgess, Paul Rowley and former England coach Steve McNamara. Best reaction In a statement, McDermott said: "I'm incredibly proud to take on the role of England head coach ahead of the 2026 Rugby League World Cup." He added: "My focus now is on creating an environment where pl...

Two of the best gigs that I’ve been to in a while Belle and Sebastian celebrate the thirtieth anniversaries of Tigermilk and If You’re Feeling Sinister with two shows in Manchester. Author |  Peter Jones A decade ago, they took over London’s Royal Albert Hall for two nights, playing the albums in full to mark their twentieth anniversaries. The second show landed on the day of the Brexit referendum.  Ten years on, Britain’s place in the world may have slipped, but Belle & Sebastian haven’t. Still indie royalty with a loyal global following, they’ve revived that 2016 one-off concept for a wider run, hitting multiple continents with two-night stands in each city to cover both records.  After wrapping up a European leg and returning to the Royal Albert Hall earlier this week, they head back to Manchester’s own grand stage for a nostalgia-tinged celebration of the glory days. The frontman is in particularly excitable form View this post on Instagram ...

England secured a significant victory over Spain  This means they have seized early control of their 2027 Women’s World Cup qualifying group. Author | George B Stadium | Wembley Stadium In a meeting that echoed both the Euro 2025 final and the 2023 World Cup decider, two of Europe’s leading sides went head to head for top spot in Group 3. Lauren Hemp set the tone inside three minutes at Wembley, poking home from close range to hand Sarina Wiegman’s side an ideal start. The Manchester City Women winger nearly doubled her tally soon after when a clever backheel from Lucy Bronze created space in the area, only for Hemp to slice her effort narrowly wide. England’s early breakthrough shaped a composed first-half display With the hosts defending with discipline and limiting Spain’s attacking threat. The reigning world champions dominated possession and threatened through Irene Paredes and Ona Batlle, but Hannah Hampton was rarely called into serious action. Watch | Highlights of the mat...

Rory McIlroy reinforced his standing among the modern greats He held off the world’s leading players to become only the fourth man to claim back-to-back Masters titles Author | Liam C His conviction that last year’s long-awaited Green Jacket would unlock further major success has proved well founded. Twelve months on from ending an 11-year wait to complete the career Grand Slam at Augusta National Golf Club, the 36-year-old returned with a sense of freedom he had long anticipated. Watch | How Rory McIlroy won the tournament. From the Masters YouTube channel He delivered on that promise at the earliest chance. A composed final-round 71 secured victory at 12 under par, leaving him a single shot clear of world number one Scottie Scheffler on another compelling Masters Sunday. Justin Rose was the challenger again Rory McIlroy once again denied Justin Rose, as the English veteran saw his long pursuit of a Masters title end in familiar frustration at Augusta National Golf Club.   Wa...

Tyson Fury marked his return to the heavyweight scene with a composed points victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov This was before quickly turning his attention ringside to call out long-time rival Anthony Joshua. Author |  Olivia T Stadium | Tottenham Hotspur Stadium The 37-year-old Fury, back from his latest retirement after 15 months, was not quite at his fluent best but showed enough ring intelligence and technical assurance to outbox Makhmudov across 12 largely one-sided rounds. Fury had to remain alert at times, with Makhmudov landing the occasional overhand right, but the Russian proved largely one-dimensional as Fury secured a wide decision with scorecards of 120-108, 120-108 and 119-109.  This was his first fight since those successive defeats to unified champion Oleksandr Usyk in 2024. Je now moves to 35 wins, two losses and one draw. Watch | Highlights of the fight from Netflix Sports Will we ever see Fury v Joshua then? Fury and Joshua, both two-time world cham...

History made in the NBA Bronny James combined with his father LeBron to make NBA history, producing the league’s first son-to-father assist as the LA Lakers defeated the Golden State Warriors 119-103. Author | Lee Francis The 19-year-old intercepted possession and quickly found LeBron, who surged the length of the court for an uncontested dunk, part of a 26-point display from the 41-year-old. It followed on from last month’s meeting with the Brooklyn Nets, where the pair had already recorded the first father-to-son assist in NBA history. LeBron also contributed 11 assists, while Bronny added 10 points and three assists as the Lakers proved too strong for their California rivals. The Lakers sit fourth in the NBA Eastern Conference, with the Warriors 10th, both having secured their places in the play-offs, which begin on 18 April. Elsewhere in NBA The New York Knicks edged past the Boston Celtics 112-106, with Josh Hart scoring 26 points to apply pressure in the NBA Western Conference st...

It was a historic night for one former Manchester United defender and his country The Democratic Republic of Congo secured their first World Cup appearance in 52 years as Axel Tuanzebe’s extra-time goal earned a 1-0 victory over Jamaica. Author | Olivia T Author | Guadalajara Stadium In the build-up to the match, Tuanzebe had described the occasion as the biggest of his career, and the former England youth international, born in Bunia, a city affected by ongoing conflict in eastern DR Congo, has now etched his name into the country’s football history. Leopards striker Cédric Bakambu had two goals correctly ruled out for offside in normal time, and it felt fitting that such a finely balanced contest required an additional 30 minutes. It was Tuanzebe who ultimately made the difference, reacting quickest as Brian Cipenga’s inswinging corner flicked off Jamaica defender Joel Latibeaudiere and rebounded into the Burnley man in the 100th minute, with the ball bundled over the line via hi...